BATMAN BEYOND #15: In the middle of rolling blackouts throughout Neo Gotham and that means Batman and Barbara Gordon are super busy trying to keep the peace. Then Rewire, who thinks he is Davis Dusk, and Spellbinder, who is posing as Mrs. Shelby, capture Barbara. When Tim finds out, he goes hunting, ending up in what used to be Blackgate Prison, which turns out to be a trap. First he must face a brainwashed Barbara Gordon and then finds out, along with Matt McGinnis, that Terry McGinnis is alive. Terry believes that the only chance he has to stay alive is by killing Tim and using the Batman suit to power his pace maker.
But how DID Terry end up here when he died in FUTURE’S END in our present day? And how did Spellbinder manage to keep him alive? Dan Jurgens and Bernard Chang push this story to its’ final climax next month. Now, advance solicitations show that Terry McGinnis will be Batman once again, so that leads to the question of what happens to Tim Drake? I can’t wait for the ending and can’t wait for what comes next. Oh yeah: Aparo Park? NICE!!!
BLOODLINES #5: As everyone figures out what to do, Duncan threatens to kill Blake before he can turn into a demon. Out on the street, the entire towns has been turned and are being led by the good reverend. They all begin to use their powers and battle the reverend, who defeats them and takes the townspeople to the site of the crater. Inside the hole, they find a gigantic monster with townspeople hanging there. Just when they decide to act, they notice that Blake has turned.
So…if I wanted to go back to the 80’s, I’d check into MTV Classic. J.T. Krul and V. Ken Marion truly continue to mine 80’s drama here with this truly annoying story that has more cliches than I care to count. The characters are truly cookie cutter and predictable as a teen in a slasher film. Marion gets points for drawing like Brett Booth, but I’d certainly rather have him on the book. One more issue…I can get through it!
DOCTOR FATE #15: Mummies are loose in Central Park and it’s up to Khalid to try and stop them, especially since Shaya is smack dab in the middle of it! Meanwhile, a peaceful protest in Bay Ridge turns ugly when the mummies show up there too. Khalid manages to dispatch them all and, in the end, an unknown evil looms.
I’m sorry: I want the REAL Dr. Fate back. Not Khalid, not even this version of Kent Nelson. Paul Levitz and Inaki Miranda gave us the main story in issue #14, which totally feels like a fill-in story. The back-up is by Levitz and Breno Tamura and also feels like a fill-in. Issue #15 is by Levitz and Sonny Liew, although the credits say it’s Moustafa. So…we get two full issues with nothing to move the story of our hero along. In fact, it’s the same every issue: Khalid gets a near impossible task that he must accomplish on his own and spends most of his time whining about it before he actually goes off and gets it done. So, when this ends, our hero moves on to appear in BLUE BEETLE. Yay…
EARTH 2 SOCIETY #15: Firepattern has been ordered to kill Dick Grayson, but he realizes it’s his “daddy” and refuses before fleeing. Fury secures the casket and Dick begs Huntress to find his son. An argument ensues as to whether the casket should be destroyed until Flash reminds them that Captain Steel might die. Alan Scott realizes that Ultra-Humanite is responsible and the Humanite breaks into the video feed to tell them that he is in control. To prove his point, he takes control of Alan, makes him will his ring back to him and now he is once again the most powerful person on the planet. And to make matters worse, he is under the control of the Ultra-Humanite and is heading for the casket.
So, when I saw Tony Harris’ name in the credits, I was rather excited. I mean, here was the guy who made such a great impression on me with his work on STARMAN. But then I saw he was only doing the first eight pages, while Angel Hernandez was handling the rest of the book. But then I saw his work and was glad he only did eight pages. I don’t know what happened, but his style has become radically different and angular and left me wondering what happened. Dan Abnett is still writing it and it looks like it all comes to an end next issue. Of course, there is a new EARTH 2 title coming, so what happens next will set the stage for the future. Oh wait: Huntress’ search for John Grayson won’t end in the next issue, as that storyline is continued in the forthcoming EARTH 2 ANNUAL #1.
EARTH 2 SOCIETY ANNUAL #1: We begin with John Grayson fighting Grief before going to a flash-forward, where John and his father are talking. Dick drones on about how he’s not a very good Batman. Then we flashback again to John as Firepattern trying to break the control of the Ultra-Humanite. Huntress shows up and tries to convince Firepattern to come with her back to Batman Grief shows up, leading to an all-out brawl between her and Grief, as John hides. Being Huntress, she takes Grief down, allowing her and John to head back to Dick. Dick promises that he will protect his son and the trio head off to battle the Ultra-Humanite.
This was a disappointing issue by Dan Abnett, Bruno Redondo, and Diogenes Neves. Basically, there was no real movement of the plot. It consisted of a fight sequence and a lot of monologuing by Dick Grayson. And unfortunately, his monologuing is all the same: “woe is me…I’m a horrible Batman. I’m not Bruce Wayne…I’m a horrible Batman.” Here’s hoping that the next issue of EARTH 2 SOCIETY brings this tale to an end and just furthers along Dick Grayson’s self-flagellating.
GOTHAM ACADEMY ANNUAL #1: During a thunder storm, Maps sees someone in a cape near the chapel and, the next day, the Detective Club checks out the damage from the lightning that hit the chapel. Colton makes mention that a lot of people have turned up sick and Pomeline believes it is because there is a vampire on campus. She knows this because she saw bite marks on Jen Thompson’s neck and the garlic is missing from the kitchen. Colton feels that visiting lecturer Derek Powers must be resposnible and is actually poisoning the students. So Pomeline and Tristan follow their leads while Colton and Kyle break into Powers’ office. Inside, they hear a heartbeat coming from beneath the floorboards. As it turns out, Kyle, Colton and maps finds a grandfather’s clock with a beating heart in it. Warren McGinnis gets turned into a vampire and tries to attack Pomeline, leading to Tristan turning into Man Bat and making the save. Vampire Gustav Decobra shows up, as does Powers, beter known as Blight,who is here from the future to kill Warren, who will become Terry McGinnis father. Pom buries a stake in Gustav’s hear, but it does nothing because his heart is in the clock, which is actually a time machine. Colton tricks Powers into following he and Warren into the clock, sending him back to the future, while Pomeline shoots an arrow at the clock face, killing Gustav. So, whether it was the flu, radiation poisoning, or vampirism, everyone gets better.
This was a fun book and a nice way to put an end to this title before it is reborn in REBIRTH. Brenden Fletcher and Becky Cloonan did a great job on the story, which managed to put the Detective Club back together, give us a vampire, AND bring us Blight! Art by Adam Archer, Msassyk, Michael Dialynas and Chris Wildgoose mirrored the feel of the regular title. This was one of those books that bounced back and forth with me as far as how much I liked or didn’t like it. This was a nice way to close it all out.
HARLEY QUINN AND HER GANG OF HARLEYS #4: The issue begins with Hannukah Quinn defending her uncle Sy Borgman from an assassination attempt. She saves him but gets cut in the process and passes out. Sy attempts to bring her to the hospital, but Coach rules against it and has him go to meet a “guy” that Tony knows. Coach and Tony pay a visit to Mr. Brand and reveal they know that his daughter is really Harley Sinn. He tells them she is on the Island of Horrible Death, where we discover that Harley Quinn is in a bikini getting attacked by a Joker Shark. In actuality, Harley Sinn has her in a holographic room. Meanwhile, the gang heads to the Island of Horrible Death where they fight off killer robotic joker fish, killer seaweed and robotic versions of Power Girl, Poison Ivy and Catwoman.
How can I tell that Frank Tieri is working with Jimmy Palmiotti and NOT Amanda Conner on this book? The sexual innuendo count is way WAY down. Basically, there’s a butt biting joke. That’s it! To that end, the story is fun without all the extra added smut that makes Harley Quinn the Harley we know and love! Mauricet’s art is tight and sexy at the same time. And, if you haven’t figured it out, Brand is Trump…just saying!
HARLEY QUINN AND HER GANG OF HARLEYS #5: Harley Sinn reveals her origin. Born to a very rich real estate magnate and his wife, he used his money to cover up all the bad things she did as a youth. After she burns down her house and killing two people, her parents send her away to a remote island to live. As much as she has everything she could ask for, she is not happy. Eventually, she gets off the island and blackmails her father before making amends with him as her mother’s funeral. He remarries and his Sinn falls in love with her step-sister, Gina, until she dies of a heroin overdose. Sinn is preparing to kill herself when she sees an article about Harley in the newspaper and becomes enamored with her. She even goes as far as auditioning for the Gang of Harleys but when she doesn’t get in, decides to kill them all. And she is offering ten million dollars for the head of Harley Quinn. Meanwhile, the Gang of Harleys are getting beat on by the Power Girl, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman robots and Harlem issues the retreat order. But this is just a ruse to get the robots to follow them through the Eggy minefield. They find Harley up a tree where she is being attacks by some kind of monster goats and they use the weapon pieces from the destroyed robots to destroy them. No it’s time to kick some booty!
You know: I am enjoying this mini-series far more than I think I should be! With snappy, not slutty, dialogue by Jimmy Palmiotti & Frank Tieri and blockbuster art from Mauricet, this book has become the book that MERCS FOR MONEY wants to be with the boys and girls from Marvel. While I will be glad to see this end and have our Gang of Harleys roll back into the regular book, I am totally liking the Harley Sinn character and hope she ends up as a permanent part of Harley’s Rogues Gallery.
HARLEY'S LITTLE BLACK BOOK #4: We begin with Harley and the DC Bombshells going on a mission. From there, we flash back to six days from now where Harley is messing with a Time Travel ball she took from Superman’s Fortress in the NEXT issue of this title. That causes her to end up in Worls War II Europe where Amanda Waller is her commander and Bombshells Batwoman and Bombshells Big Barda are her teammates. Sgt. Rock explains their mission: parachute onto the Alps, infiltrate Hozenverfen Castle, and free captured General Beatty. They end up in Verfen, where Catwoman, who gets them into town through a secret tunnel, meets them. Over at the castle, we find out that Commander Hausser is waiting for Schlachterochter: a female interrogator picked by Adolf Hitler, who may visit to watch her work over the General. Meanwhile, the girls are en route towards the castle when there is a car accident where
Bombshell Harley Quinn and Harley Quinn meet, with our Harley getting knocked out in the process. Seems that the WWII Harley is Die Schlachterochter and is working deep undercover to gain access to Hitler. Our Harley is in dreamland and has a dream about being wooed and eventually killing Count Jokula. She wakes in a meat locker, but makes an escape an heads out to find the rest of the Bombshells. Along the way, she gets picked up by Adolph Hitler and his driver, leading to her eliminating him from the game...maybe. She makes her way to the castle and, with the other Bombshells, frees General Beatty, kills a bunch of Nazi’s and causes Hitler to take himself out permanently. Just when it looks like she may be here for awhile, the time travel spell wears off and she ends up back in her apartment with Tony and her beaver.
This was a blast! Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti give us a fun story that makes me think I should be reading DC BOMBSHELLS…just because it’s a weird take on our heroines. But the biggest highlight here is the art team. The majority of the book is by Billy Tucci, who gives this issue such a fresh look. Flaviano gives us the pages set in our time and they fit the usual style of regular HARLEY QUINN artist Chad Hardin. The extra special bonus is the dream sequence which is by the always talented Joseph Michael Linsner. This could be the best single comic issue I have looked at in some time…certainly the best issue of this title to date.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #9: Flash and the Infinity Corporation are in Rao's cathedral prior to him coming to Earth and converting everyone. Eventually, Flash and company time shift and head back to the present where Superman is dead. Diana refuses to take that as an answer and skews him with her bolt that manages to revive him. Meanwhile, Green Lantern is still being held captive in Ancient Krypton by future Rao, even though Ancient Rao does not agree with that. Future Rao, armed with Kryptonian warriors, and the Life and Forever Stones, transports ancient Krypton to the present day Earth. Good thing that Hal has managed to get free.
Ugh…this is so confusing. Last issue, which was a million years ago, the Infinity Corporation was in 1961 and Superman was dead. Now, the Infinity Corporation is somewhere different, we have a world’s worth of time traveling confusion, and Superman was still dead. Bryan hitch’ art is great, but this story, which should have been over months ago, just continues to limp on. The World’s Greatest Superheroes are second rate in this book.
LEGENDS OF TOMORROW #6: We begin the FIRESTORM tale with Firestorm battling the creatures that have come out of the various realities. Multiplex is bullying Dr. Cunningham and General Eiling has launched an attack on Multiplex’ base, which will kill them all. Ronnie and Professor Stein decide to separate, allowing Ronnie to attack Multiplex while Stein shuts down the Quantum Field Generator, which gets rid of the manifests. Firestorm reforms and flies out with Dr. Cunningham, leaving Multiplex to the mercy of the missiles being fired from Eiling’s jets. In the end, Jason reschedules his interview with Glo-Tech and Ronnie turns down the scholarship.
In the METAMORPHO tale, Metamorpho takes on and defeats Java, with the help of a sedative given by Sapphire. She goes with Rex to return to Orb to its’ proper home and that’s when Kanjar Ro attacks and the Orb gets cracked in the process. It merges with Sapphire, turning her into Unity, who will stay here and maintain the planet. Kanjar Ro escapes and Rex leaves the planet, returning home with Java and confronts Stagg.
In the SUGAR AND SPICE tale, the pair are setting up shop at the Metahuman Museum of Oddities when Saturn Girl, Lightning Boy and Cosmic Boy arrive. They want to hire Sugar and Spike to track down the Trans-Dimensional Modulating Refractor, which will cause problems in the 30th Century. Shortly thereafter, Supergirl, Brainiac 5 and Lightning Lad arrive and we discover that there may be a problem with a Time Paradox. Supergirl and Sugar go to S.T.A.R. Labs to attain the Trans-Dimensional Modulating Refractor and return to the Museum, where they discover a LOT of Legionnaires. Then Starfinger shows up and they a;; fight, except for Sugar, Supergirl and Spike, who asks Supergirl if she is seeing anyone.
In the METAL MEN tale, the old Metal Men and the new Metal Men team up to battle Chemo, but are all destroyed in the process. Tin is the last survivor and crafts himself into an arrow that pierces Chemo and causes the creature to be drained, but destroys Tin in the process. Mother Machine, last seen in the BLACKHAWKS, arrives and we find out she is the big bad from the previous five issues. She demands the responsometers but Magnus figures a way to have her suck inside forever. In the end, the General gets shipped to Antarctica and Magnus creates a new look line of Metal Men
And that is that! Firestorm was by Gerry Conway and Eduardo Pansica, Metamorpho was by Aaron Lopresti, Sugar and Spice was by Keith Giffen and Bilquis Eveley, and Metal Men was by Len Wein and Yildiray Cinar. I still was not thrilled with Firestorm but I warmed up to Sugar and Spice in the very end because Giffen added some really nice nostalgic touches including a picture of the young Sugar and Spice. The METAMORPHO piece ended up being my favorite, although I wasn’t thrilled to see Sapphire written off as a cosmic deity. And to have the metal Men updated…not a fan. In the end, I could go for series with all except Firestorm, just because I find this too wrapped up in feeling like it came from a television show
SIX PACK & DOG WELDER HARD TRAVELIN HEROEZ #1: Dog Welder spies on his family, with kids no longer having dogs on their faces and a new daddy figure in their life. Meanwhile, over at Noonan’s, Six Pack is reading classic GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW and tells Hacken he wants to go out and fix America. While Starfire, Power Girl and Catwoman sip drinks with Guts, and sexually harass Baytor, we find out that Bueno has been cheating on Guts with every dumpster in town. Dog Welder shows up and town and gets met by Constantine, who does his best to explain to Dog Welder that he is somehow connected with Ancient Egypt. The team goes outside and finds that The Spectre is here and is coming for “the fugitive from divine justice”. So is that Dog Welder or Six Pack?
I was a huge fan of the first SECTION 8 series and it looks like this is going to be no different. Garth Ennis has written another sick and twisted book and Russ Braun does a wonderful job of providing us with some pretty disgusting visuals. And how can you not love Catwoman getting frisky with Baytor? To make it better, Neal Adams did the variant cover, which is a total send-up of one of his classic GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW #76 cover. Guess what I’ll be looking to buy as a print when I see him in November.
SUICIDE SQUAD’S MOST WANTED: EL DIABLO AND BOOMERANG #1: In the first story, El Diablo is ordered to burn down a church during a mission, after which he decides he wants out of Task Force X. Waller refuses and has two potential Task Force X recruits beat him up. That’s when Uncle Sam, now a part of Checkmate, arrives to save him and offer him a deal. He heads to his old stomping grounds in East L.A. where Pinche Cabron, altered into a tentacled creature by some general, battle, leading to Cabron being defeated and El Diablo accepting Sam’s offer.
In the Boomerang story, a mission in South America goes bad and the Suicide Squad is forced to leave Captain Boomerang behind. Now he needs to make his way through the countryside while being chased by a group of superhumans. In the process, a girl with powers named Breaker meets up with him and teams up to get them both out.
Once again, the fine folks at DC attempt to capitalize on the Suicide Squad franchise. Unfortunately, the movie has already left the theaters and while it held its’ own at the box office, didn’t exactly set records. Jai Nitz and Cliff Richards are responsible for the El Diablo tale and I found it quite enjoyable, as we touch on Santana’s guilt and his wanting out of the business. Nitz writes some great dialogue and Richards’ art is pretty rocking too! Michael Moreci and Oscar Bazaldua are the team on the Boomerange story and it’s just okay. I mean, hero gets left behind and muct get out. I’m sorry-I saw BLACKHAWK DOWN.
TEEN TITANS #23: With the team hanging out in New Orleans, H.I.V.E. Queen shows up and begins possessing the townspeople. Bunker and Wonder Girl go off to destroy a satellite dish on top of the Superdome, while Power Girl and Beast Boy head off to do the same with the dish in Jackson Square. Unfortunately, they get affected and are possessed, leaving Red Robin and Raven to break into her lair, only to get possessed too. The H.I.V.E. Queen takes a look into Tim’s mind, screams, and faints. It seems Time set a Chaos Trap in her mind. And that’s what Titans do-win.
Tony Bedard and Miguel Mendonca bring this era of the Teen Titans to a close. And it does what it is supposed to do: tie up plotlines and leave us all with a final, good-feeling, splash page. To be honest, I expect no more or no less. Let’s see where the REBIRTH TEEN TITANS takes us…
Monday, September 12, 2016
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
DC REBIRTH Month 3, Part 2
HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #2: John Stewart and the Lost Lanterns are recovering from a journey that has cost them over 6000 members of the Corps. Meanwhile, Hal Jordan is battling two members of the Sinestro Corps while Sinestro himself discovers that Hal has reclaimed the mantle of Green Lantern and flips out! He flips out even more when he finds out that Hal has been captured by his Corps members and orders them to leave. Hal tracks them to a inhabited planet. Where he finds they have back-up…lots of back-up!
HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #3: John is still trying to reach Hal while Guy is in a pit with bloodied fists. Hal is trying to protect the residents of Chall’Enn. Off on Warworld, Sinestro is meeting with members of the Sacrament, which certainly upsets his daughter Soranik. Back on Chall’Enn, Hal pushes his power levels beyond normal levels and crashes to Earth defeated.
And now the action starts, with three plotlines running at once. We have Hal trying to get back in step as a Green Lantern. Sinestro is trying to take back the reigns of the Sinestro Corps, now that he has been restored by Parallax. And the Lost Lanterns are trying to figure out where they are and Guy Gardner is the guy who is going to go out and figure things out. Robert Vendetti and Rafa Sandoval combine for some fun issues that set in motion the next few months worth of story. I’m pretty sure it will eventually end with Hal and the Corps back together. But for now, they just exist in their own little worlds.
HARLEY QUINN #1: This issue begins with Harley and Ivy relaxing in a spa. Then, for anyone who doesn’t know, Harley tells her story and introduces her supporting cast. Harley meets with Red Tool and Jimm Salabim, informing Jimm that she’ll need him to work at Madame Macabre’s. That’s when the zombies show up, who were created by eating Nathan’s Nateman’s hot dogs containing alien parts. Red Tool gets bitten by a zombie, so Harley cuts off his arm at the elbow. She packs the arm in a cooler and launches Red Tool towards the hospital via the Scatapault. Now we just have to hope that he wakes up soon!
HARLEY QUINN #2: Red Tool, thanks to Harley’s crack shot ability, makes it safely into the hospital. With that out of the way, Harley and her team go out and start taking out the Nateman’s Hot Dog zombies. Unfortunately, there are more zombies than they can handle. Just when things look the worst, Poison Ivy shows up with a Weedwacker and an attitude!
So, if you were a fan of the New 52 HARLEY QUINN book, then you’ll be loving this as the characters and all have made their way to REBIRTH. Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, Chad Hardin, Bret Blevins and John Timms all combine to bring us more wackiness, sexual innuendoes and crazy situations. My favorite moment is when Tony takes out a zombie metalhead and Harley mentions that maybe he went to Heavy Metal Heaven with (Ronnie James) Dio, (Randy) Rhodes, Bon (Scott), Lemmy (Kilmister) and Wendy O.(Williams). Thanks for the nod to some legends!
THE HELLBLAZER #1: We begin with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the start of World War I. We see that it could have been prevented but someone named Adnan kept his brother Marid back from stopping it. In the present day, Constantine is woken up by Chas, who takes him out to the greenhouse to meet with the Swamp Thing, who is looking to collect a debt. That takes us back to some months ago in New York when Swamp Thing showed up in some oranges and asked John to help find Abby. Constantine agrees, but only if Swamp Thing agrees to back him up for what he is planning to do in London(see the REBIRTH SPECIAL). To pay that debt, John hooks Swamp Thing up with the woman named Mercury we met in the Special. In the end, Marid visits his brother Adnan and kills him, saying it was right to do what was done and that disproves the existence of God.
I’m loving what Simon Oliver and Moritat are doing with our favorite crafty magician. Gone is the nice Constantine from JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK and gone is the guy who masqueraded as him in the last series. This is more like the Vertigo guy we all know and love. Oliver’s writing is top notch and I have long been a fan of Moritat’s art. I can’t wait to see more of this team and this version of John Constantine in the months to come.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #2: The Lanterns and The Flash are battling all these possessed people when suddenly the possession just stops. They all end up on the Watchtower with Cyborg who explains that something known as The Kindred is causing the earthquakes. That’s when an alien invasion happens and the possessions start all over again. Batman decides this is a job for Superman.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #3: Wonder Woman tangles with The Kindred: a giant being which is made up of people it has merged with. Meanwhile, Simon and Jessica are fighting the bugs, the other Kindred giants around the world appear to be on the move and getting ready for the Purge. Batman asks for Cyborg to meet him at the Kent Farm, where he creates a Boom Tube that will take Superman to the center of the Earth to take out the “Extinction Machines”. The bugs show up and Cyborg saves Lois, Jon and Batman, while they attack him instead. While the song stops and the four Kindreds join together with the powers they have stolen from the Justice League, Superman gets closer to the Earth’s core and realizes he doesn’t now what to do.
Well…Tony S. Daniel’s artwork is nice. Other than that, this book is an embarrassment to the great name of the Justice League. This feels exactly like Bryan Hitch’ work on JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA did and I found that one long limping story. Heck-there is even a reference in the book about how Superman defeated Rao. Really? Those final issues of JLA are still waiting to be published! This is enough to make me want the days of the Gypsy and Vibe team to come back and those were pretty bad times!
NEW SUPER-MAN #2: The Bat-Man and Wonder Woman of China jumping into Kenan’s face and it’s a battle between the Chinese Trinity. Wonder Woman ties him up which allows Bat-Man to knock him out. When he finally comes to, he immediately calls his dad and tells him that he didn’t come home last night. Dr. Omen takes the phone and plays a recording, with Kenan’s voice, saying he was out studying. She then tells Kenan he is now part of the Justice League of China. Bat-Man and Wonder Woman discover that a super villain named Sunbeam is attacking the CEO of a large data firm at her house. Bat-Man and Wonder Woman get inside the house and she brings out the CEO's young daughter, who gets left with Kenan. Sunbeam comes out with the CEO, causing her daughter to cry. Flashing back to how he felt when his mother died, Kenan tackles the villain, which allows the CEO to escape. Sunbeam blasts Kenan with her solar gun and it actually restores his powers. Having defeated the villain, Laney Lan shows up and Kenan reveals his secret identity to all of China.
Gene Luen Yang and Viktor Bogdanovic continue to make this book a great treat! What a fun ride this book is after only two issues. The concept is fresh, the characters are refreshing, and the look is engaging. Of the “new” REBIRTH titles, this is my favorite by far. With nods to classic DC characters, especially Batman, Wonder Woman and Laney Lan, this book is just a great guilty pleasure and I look forward to the next issue!
NIGHTWING #2: So Dick has a new partner in the form of Raptor and they go off on their first mission. Batgirl calls from her mission in Japan and makes a day with him for the next day. Dick and Raptor take control of the ship that Kobra has infested and finds infected people and a ship filled with refugees that the Parliament is going to use for slave labor. The pair are sent on another mission which Dick is not a fan of. But Raptor reveals he has something to bring down the Owls. That means Dick needs to play along for a while and also means blowing off the date with Barbara.
NIGHTWING #3: Our issue begins with Nightwing and Batgirl facing Raptor, who apparently has killed someone. Flashing back to earlier, we see that Nightwing and Raptor are looking to make their way into the house of the guy who made the Parliament's Crete fortress. The Parliament has ordered them to kill him, but they plan on stealing the blueprints to the fortress. And then Batgirl shows up and, after her and Dick work out some of their issues, the trio make their way through the booby trapped house. Raptor gets ahead of Dick and Babs and when they catch up with him, he is standing over the dead body of Knute Rudd. The Parliament of the Owls is watching and approve but, when they sign off, we see that this was all a put on and the blood on the floor is from Raptor. In the end, Barbara tells Dick off and he and Raptor go to Raptor’s hideout in Turkey where he has a certain Dr. Leviticus in a cage.
Leave it to Dick to be one! Yeah…he just made a best effort to patch things up with his ex and now he goes off and screws it up again! Then he fixes it and screws it up AGAIN! I understand you have a mission, dude…but really! Tim Seeley is writing a fun story, complete with a partner who may be a good guy in disguise. Or maybe he is just seeing how loyal Nightwing is. Either way, I’m having a ball with it. Nice art from Javier Fernandez too!
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1: We begin with a flashback to a times years ago when Jason got involved with a fight between Batman and Ma Gunn. That brings us to today when Jason is actually saving Ma Gunn from an explosion at the School for Wayward Boys. And it seems Black Mask is responsible, as she turned down an offer from him. Through guile, Jason secures a meeting with Roman and looks to be drafted into his family as his second in command. Jason gets sent out on a mission with some of Black mask’s men, but he runs into some trouble…in the form of Artemis.
Well…this was a lot of fun! Scott Lobdell and Dexter Soy combine for a rollicking issue that is equal parts action and intrigue. Lobdell has stepped away, at least for the moment, from writing 90’s comic dialogue and given the reader a true sense of Jason’s past. Soy’s art is cool too and his action sequences are nicely set up. I love his interpretation of Ma Gunn and his Black mask, looking like the gimp from PULP FICTION, is freaky!
SUICIDE SQUAD REBIRTH #1: The President, based on some of the shenanigans of her team, wants to shut down Task Force X. But Amanda Waller convinces him that Corporal Rick Flag is going to be the solution who can handle the team. Unfortunately, Flag is in Guantanamo Bay for disobeying orders that cost the lives of his troops. The Suicide Squad, Captain Boomerang, Harley, and Deadshot, are on a mission in Mongolia where they are trying to save a Meta Gene researcher from his kidnappers The Dogra War. He has developed a meta-gene bomb that, for 36 hours, can give unpowered folks super powers and remove the powers from the super powered. One of the new metahumans grabs hold of him and threatens to drag him back to The Dogra War, but Captain Boomerang uses a boomerang to cut off the good doctor’s hands which are holding the briefcase with the plans. Deadshot shoots Dr. Ljungberg between the eyes and then detonate the bomb, removing the metahuman’s powers. Just then, Rick Flag shows up to lead the team to “save the world”.
Okay…I would like to say this was a great reintroduction for the Suicide Squad but, in all honesty, it was a way to tie the movie to the book and vice versa. C’mon-we start off by making Amanda Waller her old rotund self from back in the days before NEW 52. And then we introduce Rick Flag, whose original character does have history with the Pre-Flashpoint Suicide Squad. But he is also the big star of the movie, so we need to tie him to this team. It’s no different than Marvel turning the Marvel Cinematic Universe into Samuel L. Jackson after his doppelganger appeared in the Ultimate Universe. And then they made Nick Fury into The Watcher and introduced the NEW, illegitimate bastard Nick Fury. Anyway, the story was rushed, the concept of Boomerang and Deadshot being a little extreme in handling the situation, and then having Flag appear on the last to pages and making us assume they are off to victory just left me cold. Here’s hoping that Rob Williams and Philip Tan do a better job with the regular title.
SUICIDE SQUAD #1: Amanda Waller arrives at Belle Reve where she is putting the team together for a mission. This time around it is Rick Flag, Katana (billed as his second in command), Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc, and June Moon (The Enchantress). The rules are the same: go on a mission and don’t try to split or have your head exploded. The mission is that they are to go to Siberia and, to get them there, they are being shot into space. Unfortunately, Boomerang soils himself and Croc gets space sick, throwing up inside his space helmet which leads to the possibility of him drowning in his own vomit. Flag gets free and breaks Croc’s helmet, but that causes the spaceship to wobble out of control. Flag order’s June to let the Enchantress out, but it may be too late as the ship, and all inhabitants, crash into the waters below.
In the back-up, Deadshot tells a tale about the time he was contracted by Kobra to kill Bruce Wayne, t save the life his kidnapped daughter. In the process, he secretly contacted Batman for help and agreed to use rubber bullets. In the end. One guy is left to threaten his daughter and Floyd takes him out with a single real bullet, for which Batman sends him off to prison.
While this was a vast improvement over the one shot, it was still a disappointment. Again, Rob Williams has written a story involving characters from the SUICIDE SQUAD movie, as we have dragged June Moon onto the team. Considering we haven’t seen her in comics since the first JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK story, you know this is all about a movie tie-in. Second, the main story for this month, as it will be each month, is a scant 13 pages of Jim Lee. And it is not his best work as Scott Williams’ inks are doing their best to make those pencils look better. The back-up, by Williams and Jason Fabok looks really good, but suffers from a story that I didn’t care about. Yeah…fans know that Floyd loves his daughter and Batman gets points for going in with the villain on a semi BRAVE AND THE BOLD moment. But to turn around and bust him for saving his daughter, because he broke his promise and used a real bullet, is just a bogus ending. For what DC is calling one of their flagship titles this is a major disappointment.
SUICIDE SQUAD WAR CRIMES #1: We begin in New York City as the former Secretary of Defense, George Carmody, gets kidnapped by Strikeforce Europa. They want him to stand trial in the Netherlands for war crimes that he allegedly authorized during the last Gulf Action. Amanda Waller sends the Task Force X team, comprising Harley, Deadshot, Boomerang, El Diablo and Mad Dog, off to rescue him. The team arrives in the Netherlands and manages to kidnap Carmody back while also battling it out with Strikeforce Europa. Unfortunately, Mad Dog gets captured by Guerrieroa, leading Waller to explode his neck bomb, killing both of them. Then Shado shows up, grabs Carmody for herself, and tosses him into a black helicopter. Boomerang takes down the copter and Harley apparently takes out Shado, allowing the team to grab Carmody and deliver him back to Waller in the States. He’s a little upset that his former allies sent Shado to take him out and he threatens to expose Task Force X if she doesn’t send them to eliminate Black Mountain Ltd. So Waller shoots him in the back, saying that she will spin it as him dying of a heart attack.
Classic SUICIDE SQUAD writer John Ostrander teams up with Gus Vasquez and Carlos Rodriguez to give us an entertaining little gem. Yes…I said gem. This was a fun, if expensive ride, which could have been wrapped into a 20 page story, but works well here. The art is cool and Ostrander’s dialogue fits the bill too. We get Shado and Digger being called “Boomiebutt” and Mad Dog…who I THOUGHT was getting his own series. Well…not unless he can resurrect himself.
SUPERGIRL REBIRTH #1: Some time ago, in Argo City, Zor-El sends Lar-On into the Phantom Zone because of his dangerous Red Kryptonite transformations. In the here and now, Supergirl, currently powerless, is flying a spaceship towards the Sun for Cameron Chase and the D.E.O., all in an effort to get her powers back. Suddenly, Lar-On shows up from out of the Phantom Zone and turns into a Red K werewolf. The trip to the sun works and Supergirl comes racing back to Earth to help save Chase, the D.E.O. staff, and her foster parents. She learns that her father put Lar-On in the Phantom Zone, gets him to calm down and promises to abandon him. She then makes it a point that the D.E.O. does their best to help cure him. Chase now gives Superghirl, who apparently has only been on Earth for two months, the new identity of Kara Danvers and assigns her with these foster parents, while she promises to help the D.E.O. while being a student by day. In the end, we may see her father return…in the form of the person he was in the previous series.
So, Supergirl ends up at the D.E.O. because she lost her powers. But she has only been on Earth for two months. So, do we just forget about the three plus years of her NEW 52 title PLUS her appearance in THE LAST DAYS OF SUPERMAN? I’m confused! Are we writing a comic here or just trying to find a way to make this an extension of the television series? Steve Orlando writes a confusing story with beautiful art by Emanuela Lupacchino. Not a fan at the moment, but it IS an introduction to a forthcoming first issue
SUPERMAN #4: Superman and son find themselves in a heated battle with the Eradicator when his containment suit explodes and Superman, Lois and Jon end up in Metopolis on the pool table at Bibbo's Ace O' Clubs in Metropolis. Our hero is weakened as the ghosts of Krypton enter the bar too. Lois guesses that a moon rock that Bibbo has recently acquired is a piece of Kryptonite. When she tosses it away, her husband gets his strength back. He also figures out how to free the ghosts, but the Eradicator arrives and begins to reabsorb the ghosts while trying to eliminate Jon’s human side. The ghosts fight back and take out the Eradicator. Superman puts his family into Bibo’s mini-sub and heads off with them to the moon.
SUPERMAN #5: The Superman family land on the moon and he takes them to the Batcave that Batman has set up there. Not long after, the Eradicator shows up and the two Kryptonian’s are brawling again. The Eradicator proceeds to absorb the Man of Steel and begin chasing after Jon. Meanwhile, Lois finds the armored Batsuit and attacks the Eradicator. Superman asks for help from the ghost of Krypton and they enter him, allowing him to exit the Eradicator and fight back.
Welcome to the continuing adventures of Clark Kent and his family. A Batcave on the moon? Is Bruce THAT paranoid? Apparently! Issue #4 is by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, with art by Gleason while #5 is by Tomasi and Gleason with art by Doug Mahnke. I’m having so much fun with this series because this “trinity” works so well together. Lois has settled into her role as a wife and mother while Jon is slowly starting to use his powers. At times, he feels like Damian Wayne, but that is familiar territory for Tomasi and Gleason. Other than that, this series rocks!
SUPERWOMAN #1: Going back to a few weeks ago, Lois lane is helping Lana Lang on her farm by hoisting a tractor over her head Come forward to today where Lois Lane is Superwoman. Apparently, when Superman went Supernova, Lois and Lana got super powers. Today, Lex Luthor is introducing a new aircraft carrier but a terrorist makes him lose his powers and it’s up to Super Lois and Super Lana, who previously had been whispering instructions to Lois, to save the day. They go below inside the aircraft carrier and find a laboratory with the scientists torn apart. The next thing you know, this strange Bizarro-like version of Lois appears and Lois, calling out Clark’s name and saying she understands, ends up exactly as he did in his last moments. Is this the end of Superwoman?
Wow! That was unexpected. Actually, almost the entire book was unexpected. Phil Jimenez, handling both the story and the art, with inks from Matt Santorelli, deliver a great looking book that is filled with stuff that I’m sure will be fleshed out in the months to come. Instead of one Superwoman, we get two, even though it looks like that might change. It would make sense to eliminate Lois because we have a Lois in continuity now. Two would just be weird! My questions include such topics as how did they get their costumes-the Krypton fairy made them? And who is this mysterious person who apparently is at the center of Lex’ power loss and everything else that occurs in this issue? Jimenez has piqued my interest enough to make me want to come back for issue #2.
TITANS #2: Linda Parks is trying to figure out what is going on with Kid Flash when the Teen Titans show up: Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Speedy and Wonder Girl. They start attacking everyone when the Titans show up as Kadabra watches. Wally gets hold of the Lasso of Truth and gets Wonder Girl to reveal that Kadabra is behind all of this. Garth goes after Kadabra and it looks like it may have cost him his life.
Dan Abnett and Brett Booth gives us a ton of action here, but still leaving us with a lot of questions. How did Kadabra mange to conjure up the Teen Titans of Yesteryear? How is he responsible for the gap in their memories? How is it that Linda Park is starting to remember at last? Abnett’s writing is great, certainly better than what we got in this months’ EARTH 2 SOCIETY ANNUAL. And, if you have read my work before, you know how I so love Booth’ art, going all the way back to his Image days. This book is a major surprise, as the mini-series was.
WONDER WOMAN #4: Part Two of YEAR ONE. The Council of Themyscira is meeting to discuss what has happened with the soldiers’ crash landing here. They also see it as a sign from the Gods and wonder what to do next. The decision is made to have a contest and let one of them go to the outside world and act as an ambassador. Meanwhile, Steve Trevor awakes and discovers that his fellow soldiers are dead. Diana comforts him and promises him that she will keep him safe. Whoever ends up as the ambassador will be taking him back home and will never be able to return. Hippolyta tries to prevent Diana from entering the contest but she does and ultimately wins. Hippolyta gives her daughter the Treasure of Themyscira in the form of the magic lasso. The Amazons have also fixed Trevor’s airplane and turned it into the invisible jet. With a series of tearful goodbyes, Diana and Steve head off to “Man’s World”.
WONDER WOMAN #5: In Part Three of LIES, we see Etta Candy meeting with her superior, a woman named Sasha, and tells her that Steve Trevor has gone silent. The decision is made that, with Wonder Woman in the area, any rescue mission will be put on hold. Steve and his men have been captured by the warlord Cadulo and it looks like they will be a blood sacrifice for the god Urzkartaga. Specifically, Cadulo decides that Steve is going to be the means to have the great god walk the Earth once more. Meanwhile, Diana explains to Cheetah that her memories and history have been messed with and she needs help in fixing it. They make their way into Cadulo’s stronghold and find Steve’s men. But Steve is nowhere to be found, as the ritual is about to take place. Elsewhere, Sasha seems to not be what she seems.
Although I am still a bit miffed over the whole “let’s alternate the story every issue”, Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott are delivering a great retelling/reworking of Wonder Woman’s origin while Rucka and Sharp are delivering the present day story. The past story, with added details, is well-written, as one would expect from a New York Times best-selling author. And what can you say about Nicola Scott that hasn’t been said. Her work is truly spectacular. And we all know what kind of work Liam Sharp can deliver. This series is elevated to a new level thanks to the enthusiasm of the creators. But who is Sasha and what is her motive?
HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #3: John is still trying to reach Hal while Guy is in a pit with bloodied fists. Hal is trying to protect the residents of Chall’Enn. Off on Warworld, Sinestro is meeting with members of the Sacrament, which certainly upsets his daughter Soranik. Back on Chall’Enn, Hal pushes his power levels beyond normal levels and crashes to Earth defeated.
And now the action starts, with three plotlines running at once. We have Hal trying to get back in step as a Green Lantern. Sinestro is trying to take back the reigns of the Sinestro Corps, now that he has been restored by Parallax. And the Lost Lanterns are trying to figure out where they are and Guy Gardner is the guy who is going to go out and figure things out. Robert Vendetti and Rafa Sandoval combine for some fun issues that set in motion the next few months worth of story. I’m pretty sure it will eventually end with Hal and the Corps back together. But for now, they just exist in their own little worlds.
HARLEY QUINN #1: This issue begins with Harley and Ivy relaxing in a spa. Then, for anyone who doesn’t know, Harley tells her story and introduces her supporting cast. Harley meets with Red Tool and Jimm Salabim, informing Jimm that she’ll need him to work at Madame Macabre’s. That’s when the zombies show up, who were created by eating Nathan’s Nateman’s hot dogs containing alien parts. Red Tool gets bitten by a zombie, so Harley cuts off his arm at the elbow. She packs the arm in a cooler and launches Red Tool towards the hospital via the Scatapault. Now we just have to hope that he wakes up soon!
HARLEY QUINN #2: Red Tool, thanks to Harley’s crack shot ability, makes it safely into the hospital. With that out of the way, Harley and her team go out and start taking out the Nateman’s Hot Dog zombies. Unfortunately, there are more zombies than they can handle. Just when things look the worst, Poison Ivy shows up with a Weedwacker and an attitude!
So, if you were a fan of the New 52 HARLEY QUINN book, then you’ll be loving this as the characters and all have made their way to REBIRTH. Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, Chad Hardin, Bret Blevins and John Timms all combine to bring us more wackiness, sexual innuendoes and crazy situations. My favorite moment is when Tony takes out a zombie metalhead and Harley mentions that maybe he went to Heavy Metal Heaven with (Ronnie James) Dio, (Randy) Rhodes, Bon (Scott), Lemmy (Kilmister) and Wendy O.(Williams). Thanks for the nod to some legends!
THE HELLBLAZER #1: We begin with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the start of World War I. We see that it could have been prevented but someone named Adnan kept his brother Marid back from stopping it. In the present day, Constantine is woken up by Chas, who takes him out to the greenhouse to meet with the Swamp Thing, who is looking to collect a debt. That takes us back to some months ago in New York when Swamp Thing showed up in some oranges and asked John to help find Abby. Constantine agrees, but only if Swamp Thing agrees to back him up for what he is planning to do in London(see the REBIRTH SPECIAL). To pay that debt, John hooks Swamp Thing up with the woman named Mercury we met in the Special. In the end, Marid visits his brother Adnan and kills him, saying it was right to do what was done and that disproves the existence of God.
I’m loving what Simon Oliver and Moritat are doing with our favorite crafty magician. Gone is the nice Constantine from JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK and gone is the guy who masqueraded as him in the last series. This is more like the Vertigo guy we all know and love. Oliver’s writing is top notch and I have long been a fan of Moritat’s art. I can’t wait to see more of this team and this version of John Constantine in the months to come.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #2: The Lanterns and The Flash are battling all these possessed people when suddenly the possession just stops. They all end up on the Watchtower with Cyborg who explains that something known as The Kindred is causing the earthquakes. That’s when an alien invasion happens and the possessions start all over again. Batman decides this is a job for Superman.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #3: Wonder Woman tangles with The Kindred: a giant being which is made up of people it has merged with. Meanwhile, Simon and Jessica are fighting the bugs, the other Kindred giants around the world appear to be on the move and getting ready for the Purge. Batman asks for Cyborg to meet him at the Kent Farm, where he creates a Boom Tube that will take Superman to the center of the Earth to take out the “Extinction Machines”. The bugs show up and Cyborg saves Lois, Jon and Batman, while they attack him instead. While the song stops and the four Kindreds join together with the powers they have stolen from the Justice League, Superman gets closer to the Earth’s core and realizes he doesn’t now what to do.
Well…Tony S. Daniel’s artwork is nice. Other than that, this book is an embarrassment to the great name of the Justice League. This feels exactly like Bryan Hitch’ work on JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA did and I found that one long limping story. Heck-there is even a reference in the book about how Superman defeated Rao. Really? Those final issues of JLA are still waiting to be published! This is enough to make me want the days of the Gypsy and Vibe team to come back and those were pretty bad times!
NEW SUPER-MAN #2: The Bat-Man and Wonder Woman of China jumping into Kenan’s face and it’s a battle between the Chinese Trinity. Wonder Woman ties him up which allows Bat-Man to knock him out. When he finally comes to, he immediately calls his dad and tells him that he didn’t come home last night. Dr. Omen takes the phone and plays a recording, with Kenan’s voice, saying he was out studying. She then tells Kenan he is now part of the Justice League of China. Bat-Man and Wonder Woman discover that a super villain named Sunbeam is attacking the CEO of a large data firm at her house. Bat-Man and Wonder Woman get inside the house and she brings out the CEO's young daughter, who gets left with Kenan. Sunbeam comes out with the CEO, causing her daughter to cry. Flashing back to how he felt when his mother died, Kenan tackles the villain, which allows the CEO to escape. Sunbeam blasts Kenan with her solar gun and it actually restores his powers. Having defeated the villain, Laney Lan shows up and Kenan reveals his secret identity to all of China.
Gene Luen Yang and Viktor Bogdanovic continue to make this book a great treat! What a fun ride this book is after only two issues. The concept is fresh, the characters are refreshing, and the look is engaging. Of the “new” REBIRTH titles, this is my favorite by far. With nods to classic DC characters, especially Batman, Wonder Woman and Laney Lan, this book is just a great guilty pleasure and I look forward to the next issue!
NIGHTWING #2: So Dick has a new partner in the form of Raptor and they go off on their first mission. Batgirl calls from her mission in Japan and makes a day with him for the next day. Dick and Raptor take control of the ship that Kobra has infested and finds infected people and a ship filled with refugees that the Parliament is going to use for slave labor. The pair are sent on another mission which Dick is not a fan of. But Raptor reveals he has something to bring down the Owls. That means Dick needs to play along for a while and also means blowing off the date with Barbara.
NIGHTWING #3: Our issue begins with Nightwing and Batgirl facing Raptor, who apparently has killed someone. Flashing back to earlier, we see that Nightwing and Raptor are looking to make their way into the house of the guy who made the Parliament's Crete fortress. The Parliament has ordered them to kill him, but they plan on stealing the blueprints to the fortress. And then Batgirl shows up and, after her and Dick work out some of their issues, the trio make their way through the booby trapped house. Raptor gets ahead of Dick and Babs and when they catch up with him, he is standing over the dead body of Knute Rudd. The Parliament of the Owls is watching and approve but, when they sign off, we see that this was all a put on and the blood on the floor is from Raptor. In the end, Barbara tells Dick off and he and Raptor go to Raptor’s hideout in Turkey where he has a certain Dr. Leviticus in a cage.
Leave it to Dick to be one! Yeah…he just made a best effort to patch things up with his ex and now he goes off and screws it up again! Then he fixes it and screws it up AGAIN! I understand you have a mission, dude…but really! Tim Seeley is writing a fun story, complete with a partner who may be a good guy in disguise. Or maybe he is just seeing how loyal Nightwing is. Either way, I’m having a ball with it. Nice art from Javier Fernandez too!
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1: We begin with a flashback to a times years ago when Jason got involved with a fight between Batman and Ma Gunn. That brings us to today when Jason is actually saving Ma Gunn from an explosion at the School for Wayward Boys. And it seems Black Mask is responsible, as she turned down an offer from him. Through guile, Jason secures a meeting with Roman and looks to be drafted into his family as his second in command. Jason gets sent out on a mission with some of Black mask’s men, but he runs into some trouble…in the form of Artemis.
Well…this was a lot of fun! Scott Lobdell and Dexter Soy combine for a rollicking issue that is equal parts action and intrigue. Lobdell has stepped away, at least for the moment, from writing 90’s comic dialogue and given the reader a true sense of Jason’s past. Soy’s art is cool too and his action sequences are nicely set up. I love his interpretation of Ma Gunn and his Black mask, looking like the gimp from PULP FICTION, is freaky!
SUICIDE SQUAD REBIRTH #1: The President, based on some of the shenanigans of her team, wants to shut down Task Force X. But Amanda Waller convinces him that Corporal Rick Flag is going to be the solution who can handle the team. Unfortunately, Flag is in Guantanamo Bay for disobeying orders that cost the lives of his troops. The Suicide Squad, Captain Boomerang, Harley, and Deadshot, are on a mission in Mongolia where they are trying to save a Meta Gene researcher from his kidnappers The Dogra War. He has developed a meta-gene bomb that, for 36 hours, can give unpowered folks super powers and remove the powers from the super powered. One of the new metahumans grabs hold of him and threatens to drag him back to The Dogra War, but Captain Boomerang uses a boomerang to cut off the good doctor’s hands which are holding the briefcase with the plans. Deadshot shoots Dr. Ljungberg between the eyes and then detonate the bomb, removing the metahuman’s powers. Just then, Rick Flag shows up to lead the team to “save the world”.
Okay…I would like to say this was a great reintroduction for the Suicide Squad but, in all honesty, it was a way to tie the movie to the book and vice versa. C’mon-we start off by making Amanda Waller her old rotund self from back in the days before NEW 52. And then we introduce Rick Flag, whose original character does have history with the Pre-Flashpoint Suicide Squad. But he is also the big star of the movie, so we need to tie him to this team. It’s no different than Marvel turning the Marvel Cinematic Universe into Samuel L. Jackson after his doppelganger appeared in the Ultimate Universe. And then they made Nick Fury into The Watcher and introduced the NEW, illegitimate bastard Nick Fury. Anyway, the story was rushed, the concept of Boomerang and Deadshot being a little extreme in handling the situation, and then having Flag appear on the last to pages and making us assume they are off to victory just left me cold. Here’s hoping that Rob Williams and Philip Tan do a better job with the regular title.
SUICIDE SQUAD #1: Amanda Waller arrives at Belle Reve where she is putting the team together for a mission. This time around it is Rick Flag, Katana (billed as his second in command), Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc, and June Moon (The Enchantress). The rules are the same: go on a mission and don’t try to split or have your head exploded. The mission is that they are to go to Siberia and, to get them there, they are being shot into space. Unfortunately, Boomerang soils himself and Croc gets space sick, throwing up inside his space helmet which leads to the possibility of him drowning in his own vomit. Flag gets free and breaks Croc’s helmet, but that causes the spaceship to wobble out of control. Flag order’s June to let the Enchantress out, but it may be too late as the ship, and all inhabitants, crash into the waters below.
In the back-up, Deadshot tells a tale about the time he was contracted by Kobra to kill Bruce Wayne, t save the life his kidnapped daughter. In the process, he secretly contacted Batman for help and agreed to use rubber bullets. In the end. One guy is left to threaten his daughter and Floyd takes him out with a single real bullet, for which Batman sends him off to prison.
While this was a vast improvement over the one shot, it was still a disappointment. Again, Rob Williams has written a story involving characters from the SUICIDE SQUAD movie, as we have dragged June Moon onto the team. Considering we haven’t seen her in comics since the first JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK story, you know this is all about a movie tie-in. Second, the main story for this month, as it will be each month, is a scant 13 pages of Jim Lee. And it is not his best work as Scott Williams’ inks are doing their best to make those pencils look better. The back-up, by Williams and Jason Fabok looks really good, but suffers from a story that I didn’t care about. Yeah…fans know that Floyd loves his daughter and Batman gets points for going in with the villain on a semi BRAVE AND THE BOLD moment. But to turn around and bust him for saving his daughter, because he broke his promise and used a real bullet, is just a bogus ending. For what DC is calling one of their flagship titles this is a major disappointment.
SUICIDE SQUAD WAR CRIMES #1: We begin in New York City as the former Secretary of Defense, George Carmody, gets kidnapped by Strikeforce Europa. They want him to stand trial in the Netherlands for war crimes that he allegedly authorized during the last Gulf Action. Amanda Waller sends the Task Force X team, comprising Harley, Deadshot, Boomerang, El Diablo and Mad Dog, off to rescue him. The team arrives in the Netherlands and manages to kidnap Carmody back while also battling it out with Strikeforce Europa. Unfortunately, Mad Dog gets captured by Guerrieroa, leading Waller to explode his neck bomb, killing both of them. Then Shado shows up, grabs Carmody for herself, and tosses him into a black helicopter. Boomerang takes down the copter and Harley apparently takes out Shado, allowing the team to grab Carmody and deliver him back to Waller in the States. He’s a little upset that his former allies sent Shado to take him out and he threatens to expose Task Force X if she doesn’t send them to eliminate Black Mountain Ltd. So Waller shoots him in the back, saying that she will spin it as him dying of a heart attack.
Classic SUICIDE SQUAD writer John Ostrander teams up with Gus Vasquez and Carlos Rodriguez to give us an entertaining little gem. Yes…I said gem. This was a fun, if expensive ride, which could have been wrapped into a 20 page story, but works well here. The art is cool and Ostrander’s dialogue fits the bill too. We get Shado and Digger being called “Boomiebutt” and Mad Dog…who I THOUGHT was getting his own series. Well…not unless he can resurrect himself.
SUPERGIRL REBIRTH #1: Some time ago, in Argo City, Zor-El sends Lar-On into the Phantom Zone because of his dangerous Red Kryptonite transformations. In the here and now, Supergirl, currently powerless, is flying a spaceship towards the Sun for Cameron Chase and the D.E.O., all in an effort to get her powers back. Suddenly, Lar-On shows up from out of the Phantom Zone and turns into a Red K werewolf. The trip to the sun works and Supergirl comes racing back to Earth to help save Chase, the D.E.O. staff, and her foster parents. She learns that her father put Lar-On in the Phantom Zone, gets him to calm down and promises to abandon him. She then makes it a point that the D.E.O. does their best to help cure him. Chase now gives Superghirl, who apparently has only been on Earth for two months, the new identity of Kara Danvers and assigns her with these foster parents, while she promises to help the D.E.O. while being a student by day. In the end, we may see her father return…in the form of the person he was in the previous series.
So, Supergirl ends up at the D.E.O. because she lost her powers. But she has only been on Earth for two months. So, do we just forget about the three plus years of her NEW 52 title PLUS her appearance in THE LAST DAYS OF SUPERMAN? I’m confused! Are we writing a comic here or just trying to find a way to make this an extension of the television series? Steve Orlando writes a confusing story with beautiful art by Emanuela Lupacchino. Not a fan at the moment, but it IS an introduction to a forthcoming first issue
SUPERMAN #4: Superman and son find themselves in a heated battle with the Eradicator when his containment suit explodes and Superman, Lois and Jon end up in Metopolis on the pool table at Bibbo's Ace O' Clubs in Metropolis. Our hero is weakened as the ghosts of Krypton enter the bar too. Lois guesses that a moon rock that Bibbo has recently acquired is a piece of Kryptonite. When she tosses it away, her husband gets his strength back. He also figures out how to free the ghosts, but the Eradicator arrives and begins to reabsorb the ghosts while trying to eliminate Jon’s human side. The ghosts fight back and take out the Eradicator. Superman puts his family into Bibo’s mini-sub and heads off with them to the moon.
SUPERMAN #5: The Superman family land on the moon and he takes them to the Batcave that Batman has set up there. Not long after, the Eradicator shows up and the two Kryptonian’s are brawling again. The Eradicator proceeds to absorb the Man of Steel and begin chasing after Jon. Meanwhile, Lois finds the armored Batsuit and attacks the Eradicator. Superman asks for help from the ghost of Krypton and they enter him, allowing him to exit the Eradicator and fight back.
Welcome to the continuing adventures of Clark Kent and his family. A Batcave on the moon? Is Bruce THAT paranoid? Apparently! Issue #4 is by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, with art by Gleason while #5 is by Tomasi and Gleason with art by Doug Mahnke. I’m having so much fun with this series because this “trinity” works so well together. Lois has settled into her role as a wife and mother while Jon is slowly starting to use his powers. At times, he feels like Damian Wayne, but that is familiar territory for Tomasi and Gleason. Other than that, this series rocks!
SUPERWOMAN #1: Going back to a few weeks ago, Lois lane is helping Lana Lang on her farm by hoisting a tractor over her head Come forward to today where Lois Lane is Superwoman. Apparently, when Superman went Supernova, Lois and Lana got super powers. Today, Lex Luthor is introducing a new aircraft carrier but a terrorist makes him lose his powers and it’s up to Super Lois and Super Lana, who previously had been whispering instructions to Lois, to save the day. They go below inside the aircraft carrier and find a laboratory with the scientists torn apart. The next thing you know, this strange Bizarro-like version of Lois appears and Lois, calling out Clark’s name and saying she understands, ends up exactly as he did in his last moments. Is this the end of Superwoman?
Wow! That was unexpected. Actually, almost the entire book was unexpected. Phil Jimenez, handling both the story and the art, with inks from Matt Santorelli, deliver a great looking book that is filled with stuff that I’m sure will be fleshed out in the months to come. Instead of one Superwoman, we get two, even though it looks like that might change. It would make sense to eliminate Lois because we have a Lois in continuity now. Two would just be weird! My questions include such topics as how did they get their costumes-the Krypton fairy made them? And who is this mysterious person who apparently is at the center of Lex’ power loss and everything else that occurs in this issue? Jimenez has piqued my interest enough to make me want to come back for issue #2.
TITANS #2: Linda Parks is trying to figure out what is going on with Kid Flash when the Teen Titans show up: Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Speedy and Wonder Girl. They start attacking everyone when the Titans show up as Kadabra watches. Wally gets hold of the Lasso of Truth and gets Wonder Girl to reveal that Kadabra is behind all of this. Garth goes after Kadabra and it looks like it may have cost him his life.
Dan Abnett and Brett Booth gives us a ton of action here, but still leaving us with a lot of questions. How did Kadabra mange to conjure up the Teen Titans of Yesteryear? How is he responsible for the gap in their memories? How is it that Linda Park is starting to remember at last? Abnett’s writing is great, certainly better than what we got in this months’ EARTH 2 SOCIETY ANNUAL. And, if you have read my work before, you know how I so love Booth’ art, going all the way back to his Image days. This book is a major surprise, as the mini-series was.
WONDER WOMAN #4: Part Two of YEAR ONE. The Council of Themyscira is meeting to discuss what has happened with the soldiers’ crash landing here. They also see it as a sign from the Gods and wonder what to do next. The decision is made to have a contest and let one of them go to the outside world and act as an ambassador. Meanwhile, Steve Trevor awakes and discovers that his fellow soldiers are dead. Diana comforts him and promises him that she will keep him safe. Whoever ends up as the ambassador will be taking him back home and will never be able to return. Hippolyta tries to prevent Diana from entering the contest but she does and ultimately wins. Hippolyta gives her daughter the Treasure of Themyscira in the form of the magic lasso. The Amazons have also fixed Trevor’s airplane and turned it into the invisible jet. With a series of tearful goodbyes, Diana and Steve head off to “Man’s World”.
WONDER WOMAN #5: In Part Three of LIES, we see Etta Candy meeting with her superior, a woman named Sasha, and tells her that Steve Trevor has gone silent. The decision is made that, with Wonder Woman in the area, any rescue mission will be put on hold. Steve and his men have been captured by the warlord Cadulo and it looks like they will be a blood sacrifice for the god Urzkartaga. Specifically, Cadulo decides that Steve is going to be the means to have the great god walk the Earth once more. Meanwhile, Diana explains to Cheetah that her memories and history have been messed with and she needs help in fixing it. They make their way into Cadulo’s stronghold and find Steve’s men. But Steve is nowhere to be found, as the ritual is about to take place. Elsewhere, Sasha seems to not be what she seems.
Although I am still a bit miffed over the whole “let’s alternate the story every issue”, Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott are delivering a great retelling/reworking of Wonder Woman’s origin while Rucka and Sharp are delivering the present day story. The past story, with added details, is well-written, as one would expect from a New York Times best-selling author. And what can you say about Nicola Scott that hasn’t been said. Her work is truly spectacular. And we all know what kind of work Liam Sharp can deliver. This series is elevated to a new level thanks to the enthusiasm of the creators. But who is Sasha and what is her motive?
DC REBIRTH Month 3, Part 1
ACTION COMICS #961: While Lex Luthor tries his super-best to save everyone in Metropolis from Doomsday’s destruction, he can’t save everybody. This where an unseen but mentioned Superwoman comes in(see the review later on of that titles). Back upstate, Wonder Woman and Superman battle the creature but finds them not succeeding. In fact, Jon needs to help out, distracting Doomsday enough that his dad can get back in the game and knock the monster for a loop. He orders Wonder Woman to take Lois and Jon up to the Watchtower and flies off to continue the battle. Meanwhile, Mr. Oz continues to watch and sends out some mysterious troops, where they manage to detain Doomsday and prepare him for "the gate".
ACTION COMICS #962: Mr. Oz's plan to push Doomsday through some gate is falling apart with most of his hired hands dying in the process. Superman shows up and the fight with the creature begins anew. He manages to get Doomsday to his firtress, but he is still getting beat on pretty badly. Wonder Woman arrives and, with her help, he manages to get his homemade Phantom Zone projector to work and he sends Doomsday away.
Superman heads back to Metropolis, where he thanks Luthor for helping to save the city. In the end, it seems that Mr. Oz has circumvented Superman’s plan as the Phantom Zone projector sent Doomsday to him instead.
Dan Jurgens and Stephen Segovia continue this tale of the Pre-FLASHPOINT Superman and his battle with Doomsday and the aftermath. What I love so much about this is that all of the characterizations are so great! Lois is the perfect wife and mom as opposed to the hard-nosed reporter we know and love. Jon is that child just trying to deal with these new powers AND that his dad is Superman. Plus we have a mysterious Clark Kent, Lex Luthor as superhero, Doomsday and, of course, the mysterious Mr. Oz. This book continues to be an interesting ride
ALL STAR BATMAN #1: We begin with Killer Moth and Firefly chasing Batman into a truck stop diner. Going back in time, we see that Batman is taking Two-Face to a place known some 500 miles outside of Gotham to a place known as “the house”. But Two-Face has put it out that if anyone can set him free, he will give them the fortunes of the three biggest crime families in Gotham. The Batwing gets shot out of the sky and that takes us back to the present, where Black Spider and even the folks in the diner all want a shot at that money. Batman manages to once again subdue Two-Face and proceeds to press on. In the end, with the Gentleman Ghost hanging on to the tractor-trailer Batman is driving, we discover it was a tearful Alfred who shot down the Batwing. The back-up is the Cursed Wheel story where Duke is to be tested to see what kind of hero or villain he'll become as they try to stop Zsasz and his new reign of terror.
Scott Snyder and John Romita Jr. present the first chapter in this first story arc of what I can best describe as an anthology series. We all know that Snyder can write one heck of a story and he has a proven track record writing the Dark Knight. Romita: you either love his style or your don't. He has truly developed into a legend over the years. So his work, with Danny Miki inking and Dean White adding the colors, just jumps off the page. I really want to see where this goes from here as the story pulled me in from page #1. The back-up by Snyder and Declan Shalvey is cool and looks to be ready to give us Duke Thomas in his first real adventure as Batman’s new “not Robin”.
AQUAMAN #4: Aquaman has allowed the government to hold him because of the sinking of the USS Pontchartrain. Meanwhile, Mera is at the White House when she calls Tula, who finds out that no one survived the sinking and that it was definitely caused by an Atlantean weapon. Then Special Forces arrive and attacks Murk and his troops. Meanwhile, Black Jack continues to meet with Black Manta and convinces him that he needs to be part of N.E.M.O. Back in Washington, the Secretary of State angers Mera enough that she decides to go off and break Arthur out of prison. While it may have seemed like a good idea, it also seems like the entire Army has shown up to stop them.
AQUAMAN #5: It’s a full-on battle between the military and Aquaman and Mera, who seems intent on killing the soldiers even as Arthur is dead set against it. Meanwhile, the White House Chief of Staff has convinced the President that extreme force might be needed. Under the sea, the Atlanteans have gotten away from the Special Forces folks, but the order is given to mobilize the Atlantean war fleet against them. Over in Antarctica, Black Jack is introducing Black Manta to the Fisher King. In Amnesty Bay, Lieutenant Joana Stubbs is at Arthur’s childhood home and gives Officer Watson something to pass on to Aquaman. Back to the battle and it seems the government has a secret weapon…Superman. And he wants to talk.
Dan Abnett and Philippe Briones continue this killer run on this title. First off, Briones art looks amazing! I could go on and on about what makes it amazing, but it would be just words. You need to see it. Crisp, clean and no caffeine (old school soda reference). Abnett’s story is a fun one, even if I find myself questioning the fact that Mera is the one taking a bite out of the government and Arthur is being the pacifist, but I guess that’s because he’s trying to be a diplomat. And what’s with Joana Stubbs coming back and stalking Arthur. Could she have the hots for the old Sea King? As far as the series goes, I like the direction it’s going. Now all we need is Orm…
BATGIRL #2: In Singapore. after busting a Peeping Tom who is using a drone to get his jollies, she reviews a photo of the schoolgirl attacker from last issue and sees a tattoo that reads “student”.Later, she tries to get herself into the Adapt MMA group but they won’t sign her because she is a girl. But a guy sends her to meet May at the Lightspeed Gym and, using the alias of Amy Beddoes, she starts to train there. Meanwhile, Kai uses some illegal means to get them into the rooftop pool at the Sands Casino at Marina Bay. He tells her he has gotten a job as a data distributor, even though she knows it’s a lie and, after a kiss, realizes she is beginning to fall for him. Finally, Babs gets a fight against a mute woman known as “the Moth”. During the match, Babs sees the same tattoo the girl last issue had and gets herself knocked out in the process.
Another interesting issue from Hope Larson and Rafael Albuquerque, although I didn’t enjoy it as much as the last issue. I think that’s because this one focused more on characters and story rather than action. I’m still not quite sure how I feel about the forthcoming relationship between Babs and Kai, but it is starting to grow on me…even if I think he is totally wrong for her. And what is the deal with all these tattooed fighters and who is the teacher?
BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY #1: After a Flashback to an early time when Barbara Gordon was still Oracle and Black Canary was working with/for her, we jump into the now as Batgirl and Canary are chasing Huntress, who is chasing after a Mafia guy named Terroni. What they find is that he has been bitten to death, leading to Huntress leaving and threatening to reveal the girls’ secret identities. On the plus side, Batgirl used her money from her Gordon Clean Energy project to buy back their old stomping grounds. After receiving a call from the new Oracle, they head off to the mansion of Santo Cassamento, where they tussle with Huntress, who is trying to kill Cassamento. That’s when a new villain called The Asp shows up with his array of snakes. Unfortunately for him, Canary has one heck of a power and she blows him away and off the property. The girls agree to team up and, with some help from GCPD, go after the Mafia together. Meanwhile, The Asp shows up at his employer and, after contacting Oracle, they decide to call in reinforcements.
Julie and Shawna Benson give us a fun story that ties the distant past with the recent past with the present. I like that we touch on the days of Babs as Oracle and then Helena as Spyral operative. But the highlight, by far, is the art of Claire Roe, which is amazing. It’s hard to pin her style down, but her ability to pin down faces is killer! There are some panels with Babs and Dinah where you know what they are thinking without reading dialogue. A little like Babs Tarr and a little like Chris Campagna, it certainly enhances the story.
BATMAN #4: We begin with Batman arriving to find Gotham Girl in a panic, 27 dead men caused by someone with “Superman’s powers” and the grisly words “I am Gotham” on a wall. At that moment, Gotham is trying to keep a suicidal man with blowing himself up, which he does as he declares that the “Monster Men are coming”. Over in the Batcave, Duke comforts where Batman has taken Gotham Girl while he also begins working on a pattern regarding what has happened. Batman confronts Gotham and tells him he killed 27 men. As Gotham leaves, after destroying the Batmobile, Duke informs Batman that the dog tag numbers on the dead add up to 24 and that is the letter X and that means… Task Force X. Amanda Waller is meeting with Sam Lane when Batman arrives. She tells him how she had entrusted Hugo Strange and the Psycho Pirate with taking care of the crazies in Gotham, but Strange had his own agenda. Waller tells Batman that 28 of her men were killed. It seems one of them was playing dead and went off to find Gotham’s parents, who he killed. Enraged, and with Batman watching, he snaps the last soldiers’ neck and flies off, saying he is going to kill Gotham to save it.
BATMAN #5: Gotham has arrived in downtown Gotham and so has Alfred in the form of Batman, who runs over Gotham with the Batmobile. Luckily, the real Batman arrives and blows up the Batmobile in an effort to stop Gotham. He even drops the Batplane on him, to no avail. In the Batcave, Gotham Girl realized what is actually going to happen and she loses it, destroying the glass case containing the Robin suit. The story of these heroes is they were given powers but, depending on how often they used them, affected their life expectancy. Unable to stop Gotham, the Justice League arrives and they too are unable to stop him. Gotham Girl arrives and it become a battle between the two, ending with Gotham’s death. Next issue: Gotham Girl Year One.
Wow! These two issues were full of twists and turns and some stuff that just doesn’t add up. However, let’s go to the good stuff. Tom King and David Finch are totally bringing it on this series. Gotham and Gotham Girl were great additions, even if things ended badly for them. We have Hugo Strange back, also the Psycho Pirate and we have a plot piece where it looks like Duke, and Gotham Girl end up married in the future. How Duke miraculously figures out that 27 dead soldiers adds up to the letter X is a bit of a stretch, even for a genius kid like Duke Thomas. We also get an Amanda Waller who is suddenly heavier than she was in the NEW 52 but not as heavy as she is depicted in the SUICIDE SQUAD REBIRTH one shot. So, DC Editorial needs to make sure there is continuity in their books…remember: we threw that away in the DC YOU era. Other than that, I am finding the new adventures of the Dark Knight to be most entertaining.
BLUE BEETLE REBIRTH #1: We begin with Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes fighting two villains known as Rack and Ruin, Flashing back, we get introduced to Jaime's parent's, his sister and his best friends Paco and Beth. On his way to school, he gets a call from mentor Ted Kord telling him Rack and Ruin have taken hostages and that means he has to ditch school for the second time in two weeks. When he gets to the scene, it turns out to be a setup. During the battle, Jaime's scarab blows the bad guys up, who were only robots to begin with. But wait: the pieces come back together and continue to fight Blue Beetle until they realize they are no match and split. Beetle ends up back with Ted Kord, thanking him for the help. As he leaves, Dr. Fate arrives and tells Ted that the scarab is really magic and not some alien technology. In the end, the woman who hired Rack and Ruin finds out that he was talking to someone during his fight, which causes her eyes to glow.
Keith Giffen and Scott Kolins bring us a hero that I really had no interest in during his NEW 52 run. I found his character too much like a Spider-Man wanna-be and really wanted Ted Kord back. Well, Ted is back and Jaime’ mentor. I guess if anyone is going to handle this book, I’m glad it’s Giffen, because he is always so much fun to read AND worked with Ted in the distant and recent past. So what is the deal with the crazy auntie at the end of the book? And, just for the record, this occurs BEFORE the REBIRTH SPECIAL because of the scene with Dr. Fate and Ted. Now, which Dr. Fate do we get? Rumor has it this will be Khalid and not Kent. We shall see.
DEATHSTROKE REBIRTH #1: This issue begins a flashback to an earlier time when Slade is out hunting with his two sons, Grant and Joe. When Slade threatens Grant’s mouth with his belt, Grant runs off, eventually encountering a bear. Slade kills the bear and then Wintergreen arrives, telling him he needs to leave on a mission. In the present, Slade is involved in a deal with Ja Zaki, the Red Lion that takes him to the lair of a dying Clock King. In the end, Slade changes plans, double crosses Ja Zaki and looks to be in the job of freeing…Wintergreen?
Now THIS is a DEATHSTROKE that I want to read! Christopher Priest does a great job of tying the past and the present together by giving Slade his classic look back and by giving us BOTH of Slade Wilson’s sons. And Wintergreen! The art is by Carlo Pagulayan and it’s great! He conveys the action with every page and his Clock King, dying of an unnamed disease, looks frail and weak. Slade is the master of the cross and double cross and that looks to be how he will be playing it in the series. And who is this kid Hosun who looks to be handling Slade’s finances. This book left me dying for the next step!
DEATHSTROKE #1: Picking up directly from the REBIRTH issue, Congressman Hasgrove is going to be re-elected, which is what Deathstroke promised to Matthew Bland. But we didn’t expect the Congressman to get some compromising pictures and committing suicide. After some flashbacks showing the origins of "Kenilworth" and Deathstroke, we find a revived Clock King with a captured Bland. Meanwhile, Deathstroke frees Wintergreen and they head off to keep Clock King from killing Bland. He saves Bland’s life, exposing Clock King’s illusion in the process and also fulfilling his contract with Bland's men. In the end, Wintergreen and Deathstroke hash out their differences and we discover that Wintergreen getting Deathstroke to wear Dr. Ikon’s prototype suit was all part of a big con that may yet benefit Bland and the Red Lion.
Wow! Christopher Priest and Carlo Pagulayan rock this tale two issues in a row. The story seems to be all about crosses and double crosses. And Pagulayan’s art is super, making me pretty much forget about that Tony S. Daniels guy who helmed the early issues of the last series. This series has been given a major shot of adrenaline and I look forward to where this direction is headed.
DETECTIVE COMICS #938: We open with a flashback showing Colonel Kane and Kate during a life changing moment not long after the deaths of her mother and sister. Back in the present, Kane and some of his closest followers are fleeing their Batcave as Batman and his team are making the most of decimating the Colony. Cassandra is handling a group of followers, as is Clayface, while Tim meets with Ulysses, leading to a quick save from Spoiler. Kane comes back and challenges our heroes, who make a quick getaway after Batman explains that Colony exists to take down an imagined group called the League of Shadows and what Colony is really up to. In the end, Ulyssess produces a modified series of drones and it looks like he may have played a trump card.
DETECTIVE COMICS #939: After opening with Kate and her cousin Bruce at the funeral for his parents, we shift gears as Batman, Batwoman and their team take control of the Belfry. After Kate makes Batman promise never to keep stuff from her again, he calls the President to let him know that something is rotten in the military. Following some tender time between Spoiler and himself, Robin puts his skills to the test and finds out that there is a second drone fleet on its’ way to Gotham. With a list of porbable targets, the team heads out to try and save as many lives as possible. Tim stays behind and hacks into Ulysses' computer, changing the multiple targets to just one: himself. Maybe his plan to quit the superhero game and go back to school may not happen after all.
For issue #938, James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez handle the creative duty, while Al Barrionuevo is responsible for the flashback on the first four pages. What we get is a full issue of almost complete non-stop action! Barrionuevo’s pastels on the flashback are beautiful and then we jump straight into the action with Martinez diving right in front the beginning. Tynion does a great job with the action and the dialogue and I love Ulysses. He’s a great addition to the Batman credo of characters. In issue #939, Tynion IV teams with Eddy Barrows and that just cranks the look of the book that much higher. This series continues to impress as Batman and Batwoman work with their team of trainees to battle Batwoman’s father and his followers. Great stuff!
THE FLASH #4: Barry is at the S.T.A.R. Labs Speed Force Training Center and loving his new job. Iris shows up with information that Dr. Carver was looking for a way to weaponize the Speed Force and she gives him 24 hours to find out information before she publishes her information. The Flash and Meena find Black Hole's headquarters and confronts Carver who gets overloaded by the Speed Force and turns into a monster. August shows up in costume with two Speed Force students and they all work together to defeat Carver. Afterwards, The Flash and Meena share a kiss and he reveals his identity to her. Meanwhile, Wally West, the New 52 Wally West, decides to enroll in the S.T.A.R. Labs school to learn how to better control his powers.
THE FLASH #5: We see Meena acting, in costume, as the “Fastest Woman Alive”. Next, we see Barry and Meena enjoying a sunset in Bali together. Later, he goes off and has breakfast with Iris while Meena heads off to the STAR LABS Speed Force Center. She goes outside and finds Wally there and convinces him to let her teach him about using the Speed Force. After some successful rescue missions, things go bad fast as Godspeed shows up at the lab. Avery runs off to get the Flash and brings back August and Barry. Unfortunately, there are a lot of dead bodies and Meena’s costume…but no Meena.
Okay, I’m going out on a limb and predicting that Meena is Godspeed. I only suggest this because Flash has now swapped spit with her AND revealed his identity. AND she is taking an awful personal interest in Wally. Yeah…kiss of death and probably designed to break his heart. Joshua Williamson and Neil Googe, filling in for Carmine Di Giandomenico, handle the chores on issue #4 while Felipe Watanabe works on issue #5. While I’m liking the story, I am tiring of his supporting cast, specifically August, who may also be Godspeed. But I’m sticking with my first guess…
GREEN ARROW #4: Oliver is duking it our with the Seattle PD when he gets saved by none other than John Diggle, who explains that whatever Oliver did to the woman Diggle loved is in the past and, after a brief tete a tete, they agree to team up. They head over to Fyff’s place and, as much as he wants nothing to do with either of them, they persuade him back into the game. He discovers that the Ninth Circle has ties to a good portion of the DCU, including the Flacones and the Yakuza. Meanwhile, Black Canary is on her way to the Inferno when Emiko arrives and puts her out with a tranquilizer arrow. The Burned creates their own followers by dipping them in burning lye and purposely scar them for life. And it seems that she is about to be initiated next. The Burned then contact Oliver and let him know that Dinah is about to be a new sacrifice. That sends him and Diggle off to the floating home of the Ninth Circle.
GREEN ARROW #5: Oliver and Diggle have made their way to the Inferno, where Diggle finds a disguise that will let him infiltrate the ship. Oliver listens in on a meeting and realizes that Broderick is there. Meanwhile, Shado is trying to teach Emiko about how important it is that she fulfills her destiny. Her immediate destiny is to free Black Canary. Oliver arrives and discovers that Emiko was responsible for everything that led to him not being killed, being rescued, and getting here. Despite her being angry that Ollie didn’t tell her he was still alive, Canary works things out and then they all get into a stand-off with The Burned. Oliver makes the decision to blow up the Inferno and put an end to The Burned and the Ninth Circle, It also means he ends up BACK on the island again!
Ben Percy continues to amp up the story here and leaves us wondering where Emi and Shado’s loyalties lie. I like this direction far better than the end of the NEW 52 series, where we were dealing with Ollie being part werewolf. And I was a fan of Juan Ferreyra when he was drawing ABE SAPIEN and then NEW SUICIDE SQUAD, along with the work he did on GOTHAM BY MIDNIGHT. His work here is stunning! And with Ollie stuck on the damned island again, this is going to get really interesting really quickly! Strap in: I expect great things in the months to come.
GREEN LANTERNS #4: Jessica has been affected by the rage of the Red Lanterns and is beating on Simon. They both end up at the bottom of the Hell Tower, where the battle continues even though Simon’s power levels are dangerously low and he’s worried about losing the teddy bear he has for Farid. The two battle and, when all seems lost, there is an overload and Jessica pushes away the rage and is cured. They force their way out in time to run headlong into Atrocitus and company. He has an offer for one of them: join the red Lanterns and their families will be spared. Meanwhile, Simon's family is desperately dealing with the Guardian in their house.
GREEN LANTERNS #5: Our heroes battle most of the Red Lanterns while Atrocitus has Dex-Starr deliver the Rage Seed to the base of the Hell Tower to fulfill the prophecy of Red Dawn. In the midst of the battle, Simon is blessed with Emerald Sight and sees a vision of Atrocitus leading a team of Justice League members affected by Rage. Simon heads off to try and drive the rage from Atrocitus while he leaves Jessica to defeat the rest. Unfortunately, Atrocitus breaks Simon’s arm and Jessica is to afraid to defend herself. Yeah…things look grim for our heroes.
Sam Humphries writes these issues which are long on action, mostly, but short on logic. For example, how is it that Zilius Zox and Skallox, who died in their own New 52 Series, are suddenly back to life again and poised to attack our Lantern pair? And we really have to deal with Simon sweating out a teddy bear when it looks like he is going to get killed by his partner? More troubling is the issues with the art. Pencils in issue #4 are by Ed Benes, Robson Rocha, and Tom Derenick while it takes SIX INKERS in the form of Rob Hunter, Mark Irwin, Vincente Cifuentes, Jay Leisten, Marc Deering, and the legendary Tom Palmer to handle a twenty-page book Issue #5 has pencils by Robson Rocha and Eduardo Pansica with Jay Leisten and Julio Ferreira handling the inks. Where is Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott when we need them?
ACTION COMICS #962: Mr. Oz's plan to push Doomsday through some gate is falling apart with most of his hired hands dying in the process. Superman shows up and the fight with the creature begins anew. He manages to get Doomsday to his firtress, but he is still getting beat on pretty badly. Wonder Woman arrives and, with her help, he manages to get his homemade Phantom Zone projector to work and he sends Doomsday away.
Superman heads back to Metropolis, where he thanks Luthor for helping to save the city. In the end, it seems that Mr. Oz has circumvented Superman’s plan as the Phantom Zone projector sent Doomsday to him instead.
Dan Jurgens and Stephen Segovia continue this tale of the Pre-FLASHPOINT Superman and his battle with Doomsday and the aftermath. What I love so much about this is that all of the characterizations are so great! Lois is the perfect wife and mom as opposed to the hard-nosed reporter we know and love. Jon is that child just trying to deal with these new powers AND that his dad is Superman. Plus we have a mysterious Clark Kent, Lex Luthor as superhero, Doomsday and, of course, the mysterious Mr. Oz. This book continues to be an interesting ride
ALL STAR BATMAN #1: We begin with Killer Moth and Firefly chasing Batman into a truck stop diner. Going back in time, we see that Batman is taking Two-Face to a place known some 500 miles outside of Gotham to a place known as “the house”. But Two-Face has put it out that if anyone can set him free, he will give them the fortunes of the three biggest crime families in Gotham. The Batwing gets shot out of the sky and that takes us back to the present, where Black Spider and even the folks in the diner all want a shot at that money. Batman manages to once again subdue Two-Face and proceeds to press on. In the end, with the Gentleman Ghost hanging on to the tractor-trailer Batman is driving, we discover it was a tearful Alfred who shot down the Batwing. The back-up is the Cursed Wheel story where Duke is to be tested to see what kind of hero or villain he'll become as they try to stop Zsasz and his new reign of terror.
Scott Snyder and John Romita Jr. present the first chapter in this first story arc of what I can best describe as an anthology series. We all know that Snyder can write one heck of a story and he has a proven track record writing the Dark Knight. Romita: you either love his style or your don't. He has truly developed into a legend over the years. So his work, with Danny Miki inking and Dean White adding the colors, just jumps off the page. I really want to see where this goes from here as the story pulled me in from page #1. The back-up by Snyder and Declan Shalvey is cool and looks to be ready to give us Duke Thomas in his first real adventure as Batman’s new “not Robin”.
AQUAMAN #4: Aquaman has allowed the government to hold him because of the sinking of the USS Pontchartrain. Meanwhile, Mera is at the White House when she calls Tula, who finds out that no one survived the sinking and that it was definitely caused by an Atlantean weapon. Then Special Forces arrive and attacks Murk and his troops. Meanwhile, Black Jack continues to meet with Black Manta and convinces him that he needs to be part of N.E.M.O. Back in Washington, the Secretary of State angers Mera enough that she decides to go off and break Arthur out of prison. While it may have seemed like a good idea, it also seems like the entire Army has shown up to stop them.
AQUAMAN #5: It’s a full-on battle between the military and Aquaman and Mera, who seems intent on killing the soldiers even as Arthur is dead set against it. Meanwhile, the White House Chief of Staff has convinced the President that extreme force might be needed. Under the sea, the Atlanteans have gotten away from the Special Forces folks, but the order is given to mobilize the Atlantean war fleet against them. Over in Antarctica, Black Jack is introducing Black Manta to the Fisher King. In Amnesty Bay, Lieutenant Joana Stubbs is at Arthur’s childhood home and gives Officer Watson something to pass on to Aquaman. Back to the battle and it seems the government has a secret weapon…Superman. And he wants to talk.
Dan Abnett and Philippe Briones continue this killer run on this title. First off, Briones art looks amazing! I could go on and on about what makes it amazing, but it would be just words. You need to see it. Crisp, clean and no caffeine (old school soda reference). Abnett’s story is a fun one, even if I find myself questioning the fact that Mera is the one taking a bite out of the government and Arthur is being the pacifist, but I guess that’s because he’s trying to be a diplomat. And what’s with Joana Stubbs coming back and stalking Arthur. Could she have the hots for the old Sea King? As far as the series goes, I like the direction it’s going. Now all we need is Orm…
BATGIRL #2: In Singapore. after busting a Peeping Tom who is using a drone to get his jollies, she reviews a photo of the schoolgirl attacker from last issue and sees a tattoo that reads “student”.Later, she tries to get herself into the Adapt MMA group but they won’t sign her because she is a girl. But a guy sends her to meet May at the Lightspeed Gym and, using the alias of Amy Beddoes, she starts to train there. Meanwhile, Kai uses some illegal means to get them into the rooftop pool at the Sands Casino at Marina Bay. He tells her he has gotten a job as a data distributor, even though she knows it’s a lie and, after a kiss, realizes she is beginning to fall for him. Finally, Babs gets a fight against a mute woman known as “the Moth”. During the match, Babs sees the same tattoo the girl last issue had and gets herself knocked out in the process.
Another interesting issue from Hope Larson and Rafael Albuquerque, although I didn’t enjoy it as much as the last issue. I think that’s because this one focused more on characters and story rather than action. I’m still not quite sure how I feel about the forthcoming relationship between Babs and Kai, but it is starting to grow on me…even if I think he is totally wrong for her. And what is the deal with all these tattooed fighters and who is the teacher?
BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY #1: After a Flashback to an early time when Barbara Gordon was still Oracle and Black Canary was working with/for her, we jump into the now as Batgirl and Canary are chasing Huntress, who is chasing after a Mafia guy named Terroni. What they find is that he has been bitten to death, leading to Huntress leaving and threatening to reveal the girls’ secret identities. On the plus side, Batgirl used her money from her Gordon Clean Energy project to buy back their old stomping grounds. After receiving a call from the new Oracle, they head off to the mansion of Santo Cassamento, where they tussle with Huntress, who is trying to kill Cassamento. That’s when a new villain called The Asp shows up with his array of snakes. Unfortunately for him, Canary has one heck of a power and she blows him away and off the property. The girls agree to team up and, with some help from GCPD, go after the Mafia together. Meanwhile, The Asp shows up at his employer and, after contacting Oracle, they decide to call in reinforcements.
Julie and Shawna Benson give us a fun story that ties the distant past with the recent past with the present. I like that we touch on the days of Babs as Oracle and then Helena as Spyral operative. But the highlight, by far, is the art of Claire Roe, which is amazing. It’s hard to pin her style down, but her ability to pin down faces is killer! There are some panels with Babs and Dinah where you know what they are thinking without reading dialogue. A little like Babs Tarr and a little like Chris Campagna, it certainly enhances the story.
BATMAN #4: We begin with Batman arriving to find Gotham Girl in a panic, 27 dead men caused by someone with “Superman’s powers” and the grisly words “I am Gotham” on a wall. At that moment, Gotham is trying to keep a suicidal man with blowing himself up, which he does as he declares that the “Monster Men are coming”. Over in the Batcave, Duke comforts where Batman has taken Gotham Girl while he also begins working on a pattern regarding what has happened. Batman confronts Gotham and tells him he killed 27 men. As Gotham leaves, after destroying the Batmobile, Duke informs Batman that the dog tag numbers on the dead add up to 24 and that is the letter X and that means… Task Force X. Amanda Waller is meeting with Sam Lane when Batman arrives. She tells him how she had entrusted Hugo Strange and the Psycho Pirate with taking care of the crazies in Gotham, but Strange had his own agenda. Waller tells Batman that 28 of her men were killed. It seems one of them was playing dead and went off to find Gotham’s parents, who he killed. Enraged, and with Batman watching, he snaps the last soldiers’ neck and flies off, saying he is going to kill Gotham to save it.
BATMAN #5: Gotham has arrived in downtown Gotham and so has Alfred in the form of Batman, who runs over Gotham with the Batmobile. Luckily, the real Batman arrives and blows up the Batmobile in an effort to stop Gotham. He even drops the Batplane on him, to no avail. In the Batcave, Gotham Girl realized what is actually going to happen and she loses it, destroying the glass case containing the Robin suit. The story of these heroes is they were given powers but, depending on how often they used them, affected their life expectancy. Unable to stop Gotham, the Justice League arrives and they too are unable to stop him. Gotham Girl arrives and it become a battle between the two, ending with Gotham’s death. Next issue: Gotham Girl Year One.
Wow! These two issues were full of twists and turns and some stuff that just doesn’t add up. However, let’s go to the good stuff. Tom King and David Finch are totally bringing it on this series. Gotham and Gotham Girl were great additions, even if things ended badly for them. We have Hugo Strange back, also the Psycho Pirate and we have a plot piece where it looks like Duke, and Gotham Girl end up married in the future. How Duke miraculously figures out that 27 dead soldiers adds up to the letter X is a bit of a stretch, even for a genius kid like Duke Thomas. We also get an Amanda Waller who is suddenly heavier than she was in the NEW 52 but not as heavy as she is depicted in the SUICIDE SQUAD REBIRTH one shot. So, DC Editorial needs to make sure there is continuity in their books…remember: we threw that away in the DC YOU era. Other than that, I am finding the new adventures of the Dark Knight to be most entertaining.
BLUE BEETLE REBIRTH #1: We begin with Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes fighting two villains known as Rack and Ruin, Flashing back, we get introduced to Jaime's parent's, his sister and his best friends Paco and Beth. On his way to school, he gets a call from mentor Ted Kord telling him Rack and Ruin have taken hostages and that means he has to ditch school for the second time in two weeks. When he gets to the scene, it turns out to be a setup. During the battle, Jaime's scarab blows the bad guys up, who were only robots to begin with. But wait: the pieces come back together and continue to fight Blue Beetle until they realize they are no match and split. Beetle ends up back with Ted Kord, thanking him for the help. As he leaves, Dr. Fate arrives and tells Ted that the scarab is really magic and not some alien technology. In the end, the woman who hired Rack and Ruin finds out that he was talking to someone during his fight, which causes her eyes to glow.
Keith Giffen and Scott Kolins bring us a hero that I really had no interest in during his NEW 52 run. I found his character too much like a Spider-Man wanna-be and really wanted Ted Kord back. Well, Ted is back and Jaime’ mentor. I guess if anyone is going to handle this book, I’m glad it’s Giffen, because he is always so much fun to read AND worked with Ted in the distant and recent past. So what is the deal with the crazy auntie at the end of the book? And, just for the record, this occurs BEFORE the REBIRTH SPECIAL because of the scene with Dr. Fate and Ted. Now, which Dr. Fate do we get? Rumor has it this will be Khalid and not Kent. We shall see.
DEATHSTROKE REBIRTH #1: This issue begins a flashback to an earlier time when Slade is out hunting with his two sons, Grant and Joe. When Slade threatens Grant’s mouth with his belt, Grant runs off, eventually encountering a bear. Slade kills the bear and then Wintergreen arrives, telling him he needs to leave on a mission. In the present, Slade is involved in a deal with Ja Zaki, the Red Lion that takes him to the lair of a dying Clock King. In the end, Slade changes plans, double crosses Ja Zaki and looks to be in the job of freeing…Wintergreen?
Now THIS is a DEATHSTROKE that I want to read! Christopher Priest does a great job of tying the past and the present together by giving Slade his classic look back and by giving us BOTH of Slade Wilson’s sons. And Wintergreen! The art is by Carlo Pagulayan and it’s great! He conveys the action with every page and his Clock King, dying of an unnamed disease, looks frail and weak. Slade is the master of the cross and double cross and that looks to be how he will be playing it in the series. And who is this kid Hosun who looks to be handling Slade’s finances. This book left me dying for the next step!
DEATHSTROKE #1: Picking up directly from the REBIRTH issue, Congressman Hasgrove is going to be re-elected, which is what Deathstroke promised to Matthew Bland. But we didn’t expect the Congressman to get some compromising pictures and committing suicide. After some flashbacks showing the origins of "Kenilworth" and Deathstroke, we find a revived Clock King with a captured Bland. Meanwhile, Deathstroke frees Wintergreen and they head off to keep Clock King from killing Bland. He saves Bland’s life, exposing Clock King’s illusion in the process and also fulfilling his contract with Bland's men. In the end, Wintergreen and Deathstroke hash out their differences and we discover that Wintergreen getting Deathstroke to wear Dr. Ikon’s prototype suit was all part of a big con that may yet benefit Bland and the Red Lion.
Wow! Christopher Priest and Carlo Pagulayan rock this tale two issues in a row. The story seems to be all about crosses and double crosses. And Pagulayan’s art is super, making me pretty much forget about that Tony S. Daniels guy who helmed the early issues of the last series. This series has been given a major shot of adrenaline and I look forward to where this direction is headed.
DETECTIVE COMICS #938: We open with a flashback showing Colonel Kane and Kate during a life changing moment not long after the deaths of her mother and sister. Back in the present, Kane and some of his closest followers are fleeing their Batcave as Batman and his team are making the most of decimating the Colony. Cassandra is handling a group of followers, as is Clayface, while Tim meets with Ulysses, leading to a quick save from Spoiler. Kane comes back and challenges our heroes, who make a quick getaway after Batman explains that Colony exists to take down an imagined group called the League of Shadows and what Colony is really up to. In the end, Ulyssess produces a modified series of drones and it looks like he may have played a trump card.
DETECTIVE COMICS #939: After opening with Kate and her cousin Bruce at the funeral for his parents, we shift gears as Batman, Batwoman and their team take control of the Belfry. After Kate makes Batman promise never to keep stuff from her again, he calls the President to let him know that something is rotten in the military. Following some tender time between Spoiler and himself, Robin puts his skills to the test and finds out that there is a second drone fleet on its’ way to Gotham. With a list of porbable targets, the team heads out to try and save as many lives as possible. Tim stays behind and hacks into Ulysses' computer, changing the multiple targets to just one: himself. Maybe his plan to quit the superhero game and go back to school may not happen after all.
For issue #938, James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez handle the creative duty, while Al Barrionuevo is responsible for the flashback on the first four pages. What we get is a full issue of almost complete non-stop action! Barrionuevo’s pastels on the flashback are beautiful and then we jump straight into the action with Martinez diving right in front the beginning. Tynion does a great job with the action and the dialogue and I love Ulysses. He’s a great addition to the Batman credo of characters. In issue #939, Tynion IV teams with Eddy Barrows and that just cranks the look of the book that much higher. This series continues to impress as Batman and Batwoman work with their team of trainees to battle Batwoman’s father and his followers. Great stuff!
THE FLASH #4: Barry is at the S.T.A.R. Labs Speed Force Training Center and loving his new job. Iris shows up with information that Dr. Carver was looking for a way to weaponize the Speed Force and she gives him 24 hours to find out information before she publishes her information. The Flash and Meena find Black Hole's headquarters and confronts Carver who gets overloaded by the Speed Force and turns into a monster. August shows up in costume with two Speed Force students and they all work together to defeat Carver. Afterwards, The Flash and Meena share a kiss and he reveals his identity to her. Meanwhile, Wally West, the New 52 Wally West, decides to enroll in the S.T.A.R. Labs school to learn how to better control his powers.
THE FLASH #5: We see Meena acting, in costume, as the “Fastest Woman Alive”. Next, we see Barry and Meena enjoying a sunset in Bali together. Later, he goes off and has breakfast with Iris while Meena heads off to the STAR LABS Speed Force Center. She goes outside and finds Wally there and convinces him to let her teach him about using the Speed Force. After some successful rescue missions, things go bad fast as Godspeed shows up at the lab. Avery runs off to get the Flash and brings back August and Barry. Unfortunately, there are a lot of dead bodies and Meena’s costume…but no Meena.
Okay, I’m going out on a limb and predicting that Meena is Godspeed. I only suggest this because Flash has now swapped spit with her AND revealed his identity. AND she is taking an awful personal interest in Wally. Yeah…kiss of death and probably designed to break his heart. Joshua Williamson and Neil Googe, filling in for Carmine Di Giandomenico, handle the chores on issue #4 while Felipe Watanabe works on issue #5. While I’m liking the story, I am tiring of his supporting cast, specifically August, who may also be Godspeed. But I’m sticking with my first guess…
GREEN ARROW #4: Oliver is duking it our with the Seattle PD when he gets saved by none other than John Diggle, who explains that whatever Oliver did to the woman Diggle loved is in the past and, after a brief tete a tete, they agree to team up. They head over to Fyff’s place and, as much as he wants nothing to do with either of them, they persuade him back into the game. He discovers that the Ninth Circle has ties to a good portion of the DCU, including the Flacones and the Yakuza. Meanwhile, Black Canary is on her way to the Inferno when Emiko arrives and puts her out with a tranquilizer arrow. The Burned creates their own followers by dipping them in burning lye and purposely scar them for life. And it seems that she is about to be initiated next. The Burned then contact Oliver and let him know that Dinah is about to be a new sacrifice. That sends him and Diggle off to the floating home of the Ninth Circle.
GREEN ARROW #5: Oliver and Diggle have made their way to the Inferno, where Diggle finds a disguise that will let him infiltrate the ship. Oliver listens in on a meeting and realizes that Broderick is there. Meanwhile, Shado is trying to teach Emiko about how important it is that she fulfills her destiny. Her immediate destiny is to free Black Canary. Oliver arrives and discovers that Emiko was responsible for everything that led to him not being killed, being rescued, and getting here. Despite her being angry that Ollie didn’t tell her he was still alive, Canary works things out and then they all get into a stand-off with The Burned. Oliver makes the decision to blow up the Inferno and put an end to The Burned and the Ninth Circle, It also means he ends up BACK on the island again!
Ben Percy continues to amp up the story here and leaves us wondering where Emi and Shado’s loyalties lie. I like this direction far better than the end of the NEW 52 series, where we were dealing with Ollie being part werewolf. And I was a fan of Juan Ferreyra when he was drawing ABE SAPIEN and then NEW SUICIDE SQUAD, along with the work he did on GOTHAM BY MIDNIGHT. His work here is stunning! And with Ollie stuck on the damned island again, this is going to get really interesting really quickly! Strap in: I expect great things in the months to come.
GREEN LANTERNS #4: Jessica has been affected by the rage of the Red Lanterns and is beating on Simon. They both end up at the bottom of the Hell Tower, where the battle continues even though Simon’s power levels are dangerously low and he’s worried about losing the teddy bear he has for Farid. The two battle and, when all seems lost, there is an overload and Jessica pushes away the rage and is cured. They force their way out in time to run headlong into Atrocitus and company. He has an offer for one of them: join the red Lanterns and their families will be spared. Meanwhile, Simon's family is desperately dealing with the Guardian in their house.
GREEN LANTERNS #5: Our heroes battle most of the Red Lanterns while Atrocitus has Dex-Starr deliver the Rage Seed to the base of the Hell Tower to fulfill the prophecy of Red Dawn. In the midst of the battle, Simon is blessed with Emerald Sight and sees a vision of Atrocitus leading a team of Justice League members affected by Rage. Simon heads off to try and drive the rage from Atrocitus while he leaves Jessica to defeat the rest. Unfortunately, Atrocitus breaks Simon’s arm and Jessica is to afraid to defend herself. Yeah…things look grim for our heroes.
Sam Humphries writes these issues which are long on action, mostly, but short on logic. For example, how is it that Zilius Zox and Skallox, who died in their own New 52 Series, are suddenly back to life again and poised to attack our Lantern pair? And we really have to deal with Simon sweating out a teddy bear when it looks like he is going to get killed by his partner? More troubling is the issues with the art. Pencils in issue #4 are by Ed Benes, Robson Rocha, and Tom Derenick while it takes SIX INKERS in the form of Rob Hunter, Mark Irwin, Vincente Cifuentes, Jay Leisten, Marc Deering, and the legendary Tom Palmer to handle a twenty-page book Issue #5 has pencils by Robson Rocha and Eduardo Pansica with Jay Leisten and Julio Ferreira handling the inks. Where is Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott when we need them?
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