CONVERGENCE Week 6

CONVERGENCE #6:We begin with the heroes of the NEW 52 Universe witnessing the Planetthat was Telos pushing its’ way into their universe. Deimos has told all the cities that they must accept his offer or die, so they decide to fight back. The Titans are battling the Extremists when the Earth 2 heroes jump in and lend a hand. The Pre-Flashpoint heroes arrive, leading to a meeting between Jay Garrick and Wally West. Garrick then meets Barry Allen and Superboy while Dick Grayson goes to talk with Telos, who agrees to help fight to save the Multiverse. But the heroes of the Multiverse may be banded together to fight Deimos, but he has brought the Crime Syndicate, The Kingdom Come heroes and others together to fight for him.

Jeff King and Scott Lobdell open up some plotlines and close some others and it all ends up with what should be a big battle in the next issue! The art by Ed Benes and Eduardo Pansica fits nicely and I like how the heroes of the Multiverse end up together, including three versions of The Flash. I can’t wait for, hopefully, the ORIGINAL Jay Garrick to arrive. Also rather neat was having Yolanda being referred to as Wildcat, leading to a future story in the Post Convergence world. With two issues to go and a lot of story to finish, it will be interesting to see how it all comes out.

CONVERGENCE: AQUAMAN #2: Aquaman and the scientists at S.T.A.R. Labs try to figure out how they are going to get through their dilemma while Deathblow kills the sentries in the sub basement level. When the two meet up, Deathblow explains that he knows all about Aquaman because he has read the files that government keeps on him. Aquaman fights back and kills Deathblow, but not for long as his super power is that he cannot die. The two continue to battle and eventually Deathblow hacks his way into the system and finds a program called “Drydock” which shuts off water and turns up the heat. S.T.A.R. and Dorrance created it as a fail safe in case Aquaman turned out to be evil.With his strength fading, Deathblow catches up to him and prepares to execute him with Aquaman buries his hook deep into Deathblow’s neck, killing him. Deathblow resurrects and then he disappears along with his city. Just then, the city is hit with an earthquake as they prepare for the next step, which happens in CONVERGENCE #7.
We also get an 8-page preview of the new DOCTOR FATE series by Paul Levitz and Sonny Liew. We meet medical student Khalid ‘Kent’ Nassour. His father drives a cab, his mother is a stay at home mom and he gets given the Helmet of Nabu in a museum gift shop.

Tony Bedard gives us a great, bloody ending and Cliff Richards has the artistic chops to match it. So, is this the end of the Wildstorm Universe as we know it? It appears that it might be. And we don’t really know what happens to our aquatic friend as we have to wait a week and seer what happens in CONVERGENCE #7. Personally, that’s a drag. Let’s end the story and be done with it.

As far as the preview for DOCTOR FATE goes: why does this seem like the ethnic version of Captain Marvel’s origin. He goes into a museum, instead of a subway, and is given the helm by an ancient cat with boobs. Yeah, I’m not going here. Levitz’ story is okay but Liew’s art looks like something out of a self published Indy. Not that it’s a bad thing, but it doesn’t fit my idea of a DOCTOR FATE book.

CONVERGENCE: BATMAN SHADOW OF THE BAT #2: Batman and Azrael battle Wetworks on an aircraft carrier until Batman convinces them to work together to stop Telos. They ultimately leave to find their captor, except for Azrael who stays behind to protect Metropolis.

We also get an 8-page preview of DEATHSTROKE by Tony S. Daniel, James Bonny and Peter Nguyen. We pick up weeks after Deathstroke finished off Odysseus and find him being attacked by Red Robin and the rest of the Titans. Actually, it’s Deathstroke running through a simulated combat session thanks to Victor Ruiz, who is the leader of a mercenary group known as the Dead Bastards. Later, Hephaestus shows up, delivers him a special sword that he has made and sends Deathstroke off to slay a God.

Based on the result in AQUAMAN, I expected Wetworks to disappear. But, since they never lost, I guess they are still in the running and, since they were not in San Diego when it disappeared, they still live. Too bad: they should have been D.O.A. like the story. Larry Hama writes great action, as he has done for so long, but it is wasted here. And unfortunately, Rick Leonardi’s art doesn’t appeal to me either so it makes for a rather disappointing read.

As far as the DEATHSTROKE preview, I miss Tony Daniel doing the art.  I don’t see how Nguyen can possibly live up to the blood and gore the run has had when Daniel was doing it all. I will see where this book goes and hope it is better than this preview.

CONVERGENCE: CATWOMAN #2: The Kingdom Come Batman has come to town and is all about trying to take out Catwoman. They come to a truce and that’s when Manheim and his gang show up and the fight is on. His thugs get taken down but Manheim doesn’t as he is wearing armor straight from Apokolips. It takes the Cat and the Bat working together to take him down but, once they do, the people of Metropolis come out with weapons drawn. They insist that Batman needs to die in order for them to live. One citizen pulls the trigger at a defenseless Batman, but Catwoman steps in front of the shot and saves his life at the cost of her own. With he dying breath, she asks him to save her city and he promises to try.

We also get an 8-page preview of GOTHAM BY MIDNIGHT by Ray Fawkes and Juan Ferreyra. Spooky things are happening again in Gotham City and Jim Corrigan explains this to the new Batman. Batman convinces him the team must continue on and they go off hunting zombies.

I love this story! In fact, this is one of my favorite books so far during this event. Justin Gray writes a killer story…literally! Catwoman dies saving the guy she should have been fighting against. The once villain turned anti-hero, she dies saving an alternate version of the man she has loved and lusted after. Ron Randall’s art is possibly some of the best of his career. It is sharp, crisp and dynamite!

As for the GOTHAM BY MIDNIGHT preview: love it! Fawkes writes a creepy book and Ferreyra does a pretty good job of giving us zombies with half of their heads gone. At moments, his work slips into Richard Corben realm and I’m good with that! Welcome to the WALKING DEAD meets BATMAN!

CONVERGENCE: GREEN ARROW #2: Dinah Queen and Olivia Queen, from the Kingdom Come timeline, have teleported to Pr-Zero Hour Metropolis where they encounter Oliver Queen and Connor Hawke. Going to the top of a building, they realize their city is suspended above the planet with no way to get down. Telos warns them they must fight or their cities will be destroyed. The four of them begin to battle, with Dinah and Olivia planning to defeat Oliver and Connor, but not kill them. Olivia lets loose with a paralyzing whistle that allows Dinah to tranquilize them. Telos transports them away, leaving the unconscious heroes behind. When they wake, Oliver and Connor feel an earthquake and sense that something has changed. Uncertain of the future, they resign to carry on as father and son.

We also get an 8-page preview of the new GREEN LANTERN CORPS LOST ARMY by Cullen Bunn and Jesus Saiz. John Stewart, Two-Six, Kilowog, Arisia and Xrill-Vrek find themselves on an unknown planet. And, after a battle, they find themselves with Krona, who has no idea who they are.

Christy Marx and Rags Morales conclude this chapter in the lives of  Connor and Oliver and their other world relatives. As I am finding with most of these second issues, there is no real ending to the story. In this case, Olivia and Dinah defeat Connor and Oliver and head back to Kingdom Come. So, if they win, why hasn’t Metropolis been erased yet? Yeah…I continue to find these mini-series within the mini-series to be rather inconsequential.

In terms of the preview, I was never a big fan of most of the GREEN LANTERN series in the NEW 52 and this is going to be one of those I expect to not make space in my collection. The interesting plot point is that Krona is back. Now how does THAT happen?

CONVERGENCE: GREEN LANTERN/PARALLAX #2: Taken over again by Parallaz, Hal Jordan has headed off to Electropolis to destroy their city and save Metropolis. Kyle Rayner shows up and takes Hal out temporarily. He convinces the leadership of Electropolis to work with him to save both cities, but, after Kyle leaves to talk to Parallax, but the ruling general orders Princess Fern to destroy Metropolis. Encased in a green construct rocket, Parallax sends Kyle home, where he discovers that he has been betrayed, causing Hal to eradicate Eletropolis and ending the attack on Metropolis. Kyle uses his ring to search for Hal, but the ring tells him that Jordan is no longer detectable.

We also get an 8-page preview of the LOBO by Cullen Bunn and Cliff Richards. Cyrus Ursvass is Lobo’s latest target and he is in bed with Cyrus’ wife Xaria when Cyrus walks in and gets murdered by the Czarnarian. He eliminates the guards and leaves, meaning Xaria will be held for the murder of her husband. Meanwhile, Lobo plans his next target: Sinestro.

Tony Bedard and Ron Wagner wipe out Electropolis, so I guess that answers the question of what will happen to Lady Quark over in CONVERGENCE: SUPERGIRL MATRIX. The story is good, Wagner’s art is his usual fare, with an assist from Bill Reinhold. But where will Hal end up and how does all this fit in to what may be Kyle’s death in OMEGA MEN.

Believe it or not, I like the looks and feel of LOBO. Bunn throws a neat little curve-ball to start the story and then coats it in blood and guts. Richards’ art is great and, even though I really don’t like this version of Lobo, I do like where this is going. Now if we can only get him to grow his hair long and smoke a cigar, I might be happier!

CONVERGENCE: JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #2: Blue Beetle and the Kingdom Come Wonder Woman confer with each other, then join their teams where they proceed to battle. In the middle of it all, Blue Beetle meets the Kingdom Come Blue Beetle, who has decided to team up with his other world self and fight security bots together while Ted Kord tells jokes. The future Beetle gets trapped under a rockslide and JLI’s Beetle helps him out. Unfortunately, the Kingdom Come heroes have defeated the rest of the JLI. With a Shazam, Captain Marvel and the Kingdom Come heroes head home, wishing the JLI good luck for what is to come. Back at headquarters, Booster Gold makes his time travelling presence felt by surprising Ted with a special gift on his birthday.

We also get an 8-page preview of the new JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 series by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Howard Porter. It’s the 31st Century and it’s dinner shenanigans between Teri, Clark, Bruce and Ariel turns crazy when Wonder Woman shows up to retrieve the glasses Clark has taken from her to create his disguise.

Although we already have a BLUE BEETLE book, this JLI title has become another BLUE BEETLE book! Ron Marz and Mike Manley do a nice job with it, complete with letting the JLI get defeated by the KINGDOM COME heroes. Of course, having already read GREEN ARROW, I kind of knew that this would be the outcome. So, when the world ends, does Booster Gold arrive to save the day? Or does Telos save the Multiverse before then?

As far as the preview, I have been a big fan of the future Justice League since issue #1. And it looks like I’m going to be enjoying this one too. After all, not much has changed except the year. The creative team is rock solid and the silliness looks to be ready to continue. I can’t wait!

CONVERGENCE: SUICIDE SQUAD #2: The Squad, with the help of a traitorous Lex Luthor, battles a bunch of the Kingdom Come heroes for the future of their city. Star Sapphire battles with the Cyborg Superman and detonates herself in revenge for what happened at Coast City, destroying most of the super powered individuals on both sides. Luthor tries to kill the Kingdom Come Green Lantern and is shot in the head by Boomerang, who reveals he is dying from terminal cancer. Then he shoots a fallen Amanda Waller, who detonates the bomb strapped to herself, taking out Boomerang and Green Lantern. Later Sam Lane and Barbara Gordon talk about the legacy of the Suicide Squad as they stand in front of the statue that was erected in their memory.

We also get an 8-page preview of AQUAMAN by Cullen Bunn and Trevor McCarthy. Atlantean troops have engaged in a slash and burn mission in search of Aquaman. When they find him, he takes out the troops and tells the people left in the town that he will protect them. His wife claims he needs to answer for his betrayal and, when they capture him, he will die.

Frank Tieri and Tom Mandrake do a nice job of settling the scores with the Suicide Squad AND the Kingdom Come heroes. Talk about taking out a handful in one shot! Of course, that means that neither team loses and they come off the chess board. I do have one problem though: how far in the future is the ending set that there was time to build a statue to the team? So, does that city survive? Obviously, I guess.

The AQUAMAN series looks confusing. I mean, all of a sudden, towns are being wiped out to get at Aquaman, who is now a traitor to his people? Okay: it’s Bunn and McCarthy and that means it bears investigating. Bunn is uneven, so it could be good, great or awful.

CONVERGENCE: SUPERBOY #2: Kin-El and the Kingdom Come Superman battle for the future of their cities. Kon is too much of a headstrong hothead and insists and battling even while Superman tries to talk things over with him. Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen arrive to cover the story. Lois gets injured by Kon-El, because of an errant throw he makes, causing Superman to race her to the hospital. Knowing there is no choice, Kon allows Superman to knock him out and let the Kingdom Come win.

We also get an 8-page preview of ACTION COMICS by Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder. Superman is fighting his way through the cold to get to his Fortress of Solitude. Bloody and beaten and very cold, he gets to the Fortress, which no longer recognizes him and takes his costume from him, as he continues to declare “I’m still Superman”.

I didn’t like this Superboy THEN and I still don’t like him now! Fabian Nicieza and Karl Moline do the best they can with a character who is almost as annoying as the NEW 52 Superboys. So, in the end, the hothead takes his lumps to save at least one city. I didn’t care for the story and I thought the ending was a little too abrupt. We have a huge fight issue that ends with a quick one two punch and the elder Superman claiming Kon was truly a Superman.

The preview for ACTION COMICS has me intrigued. Pak and Kuder combine to drop a big bomb into 8 pages. I love the art and the story…what is up with Superman’s powers? I cannot wait for this series to kick off.

CONVERGENCE: SUPERGIRL MATRIX #2: Supergirl and Ambush Bug are having coffee somewhere in 1994 as the bug complains how Matrix smells like spackle. Lady Quark shows up and the bug leaves, going off to Post Great Disaster New York City. Once there, he brags about how he and Supergirl hooked up. That is until she arrives and they end up dealing with Quark. Well, she deals with Quark and they come to a truce. Ambush Bug ends up in 1992 New York City with Louse Man and Supergirl and Quark are right behind him. More time slips occur, including a stop at a Legion of Superheroes recruiting drive and a run-in with the cyborgs of Future’s End. Supergirl and Ambush Bug end up in New York City 1969, where they Officer Casey informs them that most everyone has been taken by the undead. Another time shift and it’s Metropolis in 1994, where Supergirl ends up beating on her Lex Luthor before she and Quark battle some more. Ambush Bug, bags in hand, remarks: “Ain’t I a stinker” and heads off into the sunset.

We also get an 8-page preview of the new BAT-MITE title by Dan Jurgens and Corin Howell. Batman is out trying to subdue some crooks when Bat-Mite gets involved and makes a mess of things. After Batman tells him to stay out of his way, Bat-Mite heads off to help other heroes needing his assistance.

I have to admit that Ambush Bug made this book. He pops through time, stopping in the Great Disaster and even in 1969 New York. What made that work for an old comic fan like me was references to the humor books of 1969 including Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, Binky, and Sugar and Spike. Oh yeah: there is also that great closing Bugs Bunny riff. Thank you Keith Giffen for taking a Supergirl who DIDN’T die during the Crisis and making her somewhat interesting. And to Timothy Green II for being able to draw like Giffen.

The BAT-MITE preview shows me that maybe comics with a sense of humor CAN work in today’s marketplace. It looks like fun and all I know is I kept hearing Paul Reubens’ voice as I read Bat-Mite’s lines. That’s what I get for spending too much time watching BRAVE AND THE BOLD.

CONVERGENCE: SUPERMAN MAN OF STEEL #2:  John Henry Irons is still hurting from the beating he took last issue, so it’s up to his niece and nephew to go off into battle against Gen 13 and the Parasite. Meanwhile, Dr. Hamilton uses Nano Technology to fix Irons and provide him with a whole new arsenal. He arrives in time to save his family. They all agree to work together until the Gen 13 team is sucked away, leaving Steel and the family to presume the the real battle is getting ready to begin.

We also get an 8-page preview of the new BIZARRO series by Heath Corson and Gustavo Duarte. Bizarro is living in Metropolis  and having a tough time adjusting to life on our world. So Jimmy Olsen writes a photo book about him and they go off on a cross country road trip together.