DC'S NEW 52 Month 24, Part 2

GREEN LANTERN #24:Kyle Rayner and Star Sapphire arrive on Oa after surviving a battle with Relic that has destroyed the rest of the Blue Lantern Corps. Relic’s universe was destroyed because the lightsmiths drained the emotional spectrum. Now he is here to eliminate the Corp members and keep them from using their powers, as it will destroy this universe. He arrives at OA and sends his iron locusts to absorb the power of the Green Lantern Corps’ Central Battery, which causes the destruction of the Battery. With the destruction of the battery comes the seeming destruction of OA itself.

Robert Venditti and Billy Tan craft the first chapter of LIGHTS OUT: what is being called, by DC, as the newest epic change in the Green Lantern Universe. Relic is the big bad guy who is going to make it all happen and the fact that he has trashed the Main Power Battery on OA and now it looks like OA is doomed because of that, means that this needs to be resolved very quickly or the Lantern Universe, which just went through all sorts of conflagration, is about to be altered forever. This is a good start, but it depends on how the other chapters running through the other Lantern books plays before it all ends up in GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #2.

GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #2: Hal gives Guy the bad news that Oa is gone and John Stewart went with it. Star Sapphire says she knows where Kyle is which sets Hal off because her ring is powered by love…and we all know what THAT means for Hal. Meanwhile, at the Source Wall, Kyle is attacked by Relic, who is drawing all the spectrums of energy from within him to gain enough power the break through the wall. That’s when Hal and the remains of the Corps arrive. As the battle commences, John Stewart arrives, having been on the Indigo Planet. First thing he does his punch out Guy Gardner for switching to a Red Lantern and then jumps into the fray. As the battle continues and Relic takes a pretty good beating , Kyle states that he is the key and his powers reach 100%. Relic has his way to the Source and he becomes part of it. With Kyle seemingly dead and gone and power levels crashing, the Indigos transport the Lanterns to their new home: Mogo. The Lanterns who remain are now reluctant to use their powers for fear of extinguishing this universe. Unbeknownst to them, Kyle Rayner did not perish, as he emerges from the Source Wall not remembering what he had seen. It is decided to keep his return a secret…for now.

Robert Venditti brings this mini-epic to a close with a moral: never burn your candles at both ends. The Lanterns are now hesitant about using their power, the big bad villain is part of the Source and Kyle Rayner emerges from what looked like absolute death to become the White Lantern once again. The biggest “the Guardians will change forever” piece that came from this is the rescued power usage and the destruction of Oa, which is pretty significant. But when you have a sentient planet like Mogo waiting to take you in, everything is fine. All in all, it was an okay mini-series that would have been that much better if Geoff Johns had been behind it.

GREEN TEAM #5: The Team finds themselves on a space mission to a runaway meteor that is owned by Bellachek Temple owns the runaway meteor. They land on the meteor to start exploring. Not long after they land, a villain named Icicle attacks and destroys the spaceship, leaving them stranded.

All I have to say is it’s a good thing this book is getting cancelled, because it just gets worse with every issue. And I’m a fan of Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani. But PLEASE go back to writing funny kids books because this thing is going nowhere and making next to no sense. The characters are cardboard, Ig Guara is just phoning in his art and it just is like taking three bucks and tossing it away. How many more issues? I just want it to end!

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #8: Stargirl finds herself in a field of grass next to the unconscious body of the Martian Manhunter. He awakens and they are in some kind of prison. The voice of Jason Rusch, explains they are just the most recent inmates of a high-tech prison created for them. He believes they are in the outer layer and that the only way to get out is to go down. They discover a trap door in the middle of a field and Jason and J'onn open a hatch into a lower level that looks like Themyscira, where the Amazons and Wonder Woman are in battle with the military. Diana explains that the Amazons have captured Steve Trevor, while the mortals have captured Superman.  J'onn warns Stargirl to stay up top as each prison seems specifically designed to prey on their weaknesses. Jason leads J'onn in to a recreated Fawcett City, where Shazam is destroying everything and has no desire to leave. They move on to the Flash's cell, where he spends his time listing all of the numerous things he did all in one morning.  J'onn moves on to the next level as Jason stays behind He finds Superman wallowing in the guilt he feels for killing Dr. Light. He next finds Green Lantern Simon Baz, who has given in to everyone’s belief that he was a terrorist. Stargirl contacts J'onn, saying she found a way out. She steps through an illusory wall and finds herself back in the real world…or what is left of it.

So the heroes aren’t dead, not that we thought they REALLY were. They are being held in some strange prison that preys on their weaknesses. Because, let’s be honest, even the greatest heroes have weaknesses. Matt Kindt and Doug Mahnke turn up the heat and give us a crucial chapter in this epic. Without this information, you go on thinking that the heroes are dead…or something else. Kindt writing, despite what some seem to think, works really well and I love Doug Mahnke’s art. I’ve always love Mahnke’s art, going back to such things as THE MASK and MAJOR DISASTER. This was a fun chapter in the FOREVER EVIL saga.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #24: A quarter of a century ago, Jor-Il and his wife Lara fought to get their son Kal to a rocket that would save him from the destruction their planet was facing. Jor-Il’s final warning to his son was this: Be the strongest there is or be nothing at all. His rocket crashed through the roof of the Kent home is Smallville, Kansas. Jonathan and his drug-addicted wife Martha discover Kal in the rubble eating chunks of Kryptonite. He used his heat vision to burn away Jonathan's hand, telling them they would be his parents from now on. That was until he was seven years old, when he killed them and burned their farm to the ground. Over the years, he murdered the President of the United States Lee Harvey Oswald, convinced Hal Jordan into being Power Ring, and found himself manipulated by Lois Lane. But the Crime Syndicate ultimately had to face the destruction of their Earth by the same being who destroyed Krypton. Ultraman is concerned that this world the Crime Syndicate has invaded is so weak that it could never survive an attack like his Earth had faced. Deathstorm and Power Ring are off to battle the Rogues. Atomica and Johnny Quick seem to have their own agenda; attacking any superhuman they find. Superwoman is watching over their prisoner, Dick Grayson. Meanwhile, Ultraman has gone to stop a problem in Khandaq, but stops at the Daily Planet in the process. He corners Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane and crushes the hand Jimmy uses to take his photos. Jimmy's signal watch goes off but tells Jimmy, willing to sacrifice himself to save his friends that no one is coming to save them. Grid interrupts, telling him the problem in Khandaq, Black Adam, is headed right for him. That makes him very happy as he intends to kill this example one of the worlds strongest.

Geoff Johns gives us a great, if not bizarre origin for Ultraman and proves he is a complete megalomaniac. C’mon: he killed his parents when he was seven. Be broke Jimmy Olsen’s hand because he doesn’t use his photo abilities to blackmail people. And now he’s off to battle Black Adam. Any bets, folks? Ivan Reis is putting out some of his best art in his career and this issue sure highlights it. I hate to say it, but while people are going crazy over INFINITY and CATACLYSM over at Marvel, I am TRULY enjoying FOREVER EVIL. Maybe it’s just further proof that my years of being a Marvel Zombie is over.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #24: Constantine wakes in the House of Mystery to find himself surrounded by small, demonic versions of himself. All are prepared to torment him. He also is confused, as he should have been killed with the rest of the various Justice League teams. He believes the House itself is a sentient being that saved him. He then finds himself transported to various places across the globe. He goes to a house in Paris, where a married couple is having trouble. He spots a dark force looming over them before he is transported to New York City where he spies a young woman with the same darkness around her. He learns that evil grows from the darkness within people, assuring victory for the Crime Syndicate from the very start. Back in the House, John is taunted by visions of the friends he left to die. Zatanna explains that he is under the effect of Pandora's Box and she came to cure him. She shoves her arm into his chest, tearing out a black mass. When he awakens, he finds her next to him. Despite her solid advice, he realizes it’s the Nightmare Nurse who cured him of the virus. And she has brought reinforcements in the form of a Swamp Thing of her own making.

J.M. DeMatteis weaves another connecting chapter in the saga of JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK as they cross through FOREVER EVIL. What we discover is that evil is inside everyone and that is what the Crime Syndicate was hoping for. By opening the box, those evils have come to the forefront and infected Constantine with it’s virus. Now the Nightmare Nurse has saved him, but he owes her. Can’t wait to see what that payback entails. Nice art from Mikel Janin makes this story a winner and a crucial part of this tale.

LARFLEEZE #4: Larfleeze’s Orange Lantern Corps have a major bone to pick with their leader. Basically, they have come back from the dead bur must kill Larfleeze. He blames his trouble on The Wanderer who, among other things, has stolen his butler, who finds himself on a dreadful planet and in an awful place. The Orange Lanterns defeat Larfleeze and then argue about who gets to kill him. Then they realize that they cannot kill him as he has become the Orange Light’s Power Source, meaning they will lose their powers too. So they him bind up Larfleeze and fly away. My only question is where they charge those rings.

Yeah, I am starting to find this title to be a complete and total drag. The jokes have kind of worn thin and the plot is totally missing the mark. Keith Giffen is a crazy genius, but this one is starting to fall away. Goodbye Orange Lantern, It’s been an interesting ride.

THE MOVEMENT #5: The Movement is growing, much to the dismay of James Cannon, with offshoots as far away as Beijing China. Captain Meers has a meeting with Virtue at a local doughnut shop. Meers begs her not to continue on with the trial of his two men. In exchange for his men, he offers a civilian review board and have patrols return to the 'Tweens. She decides that she needs to stop the trial but, unfortunately, it has already begun. Meers returns to his car with a cell phone he had a wino use to take pictures of the meet. He believes Virture works a job where she relies on tips. Meanwhile, Mouse tries to write a love letter to Tremor, when the rats bring him word that the Cornea Killer has struck again. He and the rats hurry to rescue a woman arriving just in time, but the killer turns his knife toward him. Vengeance Moth introduces Katharsis as the prosecutor with Tremor as the advocate for the defense and then asks Peña and Whitt for their pleas. Whitt stays silent, but Peña pleads guilty and offers his apology, which they girl they assaulted refuses. Tremor defends her clients' character by bringing up their commendations for bravery. Peña apologizes again while Whitt demands whatever punishment is due. Vengeance Moth calls a recess so the jury can deliberate. During deliberations, Whitt decides to escape, and pushes Vengeance Moth out of her wheelchair. Peña tries to help her back up, but with a scary glow in her eyes, warns Whitt that was the wrong thing to do. He gets tackled by Katharsis who prepares to run him through with her sword, but loses his balance when Tremor causes the floor to shake, warning Peña and Whitt to flee through the tunnels behind her. Katharsis calls Tremor a traitor. Tremor says that if this is what the Movement does, she wants out. The Cornea Killer arrives with the Graveyard Faction: a group of metahumans hired to oppose the Movement.

I still do not quite know what Gail Simone and Freddie Williams II are doing here but I like it. I don’t know why, but I find this book an intriguing mess of a comic. Seriously: I don’t really know why I like this book because, except for the writing and artwork, it’s a mess. It’s a confusing mess that wouldn’t pass for a bad teen soap opera movie.  AND I LOVE IT! Is it in my Top Ten? Not quite. But it’s just below it. Pick this up and give it a try: it is a very quirky little read that just tickles my fancy.

NIGHTWING #24: Nightwing  finds himself having to team up with the man who murdered his parents: Tony Zucco. Zucco tells Nightwing that Wallace Cole became mayor of Chicago because of two things. The first was a train line that he and his brother convinced City Hall to run through their old neighborhood. One Halloween, the project's electrical engineer, died. The Prankster is Harold Loomis' son. Zucco learned all of this because he shared a cell with Wallace Cole’s brother, William. Tonight is Halloween and the Prankster intends to finish things. Wallace Cole, who claims he is innocent of everything he has been accused of, is being held hostage by Oswald Loomis. The Prankster explains this is payback from the Coles taking away all that Oswald loved. His people have filled old Pilsen station with enough explosives to collapse the south side. He gives Wallace a remote and tells him he is the only one who can stop the countdown and he is the person Chicago hates the most. The citizens begin to attack him, which may prevent him from getting to the station in time. Nightwing arrives in time to protect the Mayor, but the remote gets destroyed by the feet of the citizens. Nightwing gets the mayor to safety and hopes he can get to the station before the explosives detonate. He starts the train and it crosses the Kinzie Street Bridge, where it explodes away from residents. He gets attacked by the Prankster, but gets saved by Tony Zucco. The police arrive to arrest Zucco and Loomis. Dick returns to his apartment, where Joey tells him she’s taking her room back, and he's going back to the couch. Tony Zucco receives a visit from a man who tells him his employers can help him beat the rap. Zucco insists on taking responsibility even as the man reveals that Tony's wife and son have left him. Meanwhile, Maxwell Morgan calls Michael Pearson to warn that vigilantes like Nightwing need to be out of Chicago. Michael claims he had been a big fan of Ghostwalker's until things went wrong. Maxwell says there are no heroes anymore and Chicago must make sure it stays that way. It is revealed that Maxwell Morgan once was Ghostwalker.

Kyle Higgins, with art by Will Conrad does a great job of tying up the loose ends involving Dick Grayson and his long sought after enemy Tony Zucco. He moved him to Chicago for what looks to be a permanent, or semi-permanent stay and let him carve out his own niche with a whole new supporting cast. And, since the vigilantes have long been gone from Chicago, it looks like a certain former hero may become a part of this whole thing, either as a foil or possibly a sidekick. Just what we need: a former teen sidekick with a sidekick. That could be fun. Anyway, I really like the direction this is going. Dick is not as serious as he was when he was in Bludhaven, but he still knows when to kick ass!

NIGHTWING ANNUAL #1: Dick Grayson has decided to make the move to Chicago permanent and Barbara Gordon has agreed to help him pack up. She is not happy, but he explains that he can do some good in Chicago. He finds a photograph of himself with Barbara as Robin and Batgirl. The Bat-Signal lights up the sky shining in the night sky. He remarks that Bruce Wayne is out of town and he suggests that he and her should handle it. We learn that actress Cindy Cooke might be the target of an arsonist, especially since her ex-boyfriend Ted Carson has recently burned to death. She suspects the arsonist is Garfield Lynns: a pyrotechnics professional she fired some time ago. Dick and Barbara search Lynns' loft. While they search, he proposes that she move with him to Chicago. Based on evidence they find, they think his next target may be the Willowbrook Charity Dinner. They arrive in time to stop Lynns, using the name Firefly, from setting Cindy on fire. They lose track of her long enough to see a grenade explode. Diving into the flames, Dick returns with the woman's charred remains in his arms. But somehow Lynns switched out Cindy for her agent. In another location, Cindy is held captive by Firefly, who is really Ted Carson, but Barbara and Dick arrive to save her with Firefly apparently dying a second time. The next morning, despite admitting to meet before he left, Barbara finds his apartment empty. He has already left for Chicago without talking to her.

Yeah, I really love Kyle Higgins and what he has done with this character. If you want to watch me gush over his work, refer to the previous review. And check out Jason Masters artwork on this one. He just continues to get better with each new piece he works on. This was a nice departure from the current NIGHTWING storyline but, at the same time, ties into that storyline while also tying in to the current BATGIRL tale. This was a nice effort all around.

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #24: Jason Todd is currently leading the League of Assassins against the Untitled. Meanwhile, Roy Harper has been placed in a holding cell with Cheshire sitting across from him. He whines and cries that he has been horrible to his friends and begins to cry, wanting to know why he's broken. Cheshire slips between the bars of his cell and says he's not broken. She attempts to kiss him, but Roy pulls away. Cheshire holds out her hand and orders him to take it and they transport to Kori’s cell, where he apologizes for what he did wrong. Meanwhile, Jason is in battle with Drakar, who senses Ducra somewhere in his mind. Confused, Drakar collapses into the fountain that hides the Well of Sins. He begs to be removed as the pool strips him of both his power and life-force. When it vomits him out, he is an old man. Jason warns the remainder of the Untitled that they will all suffer the same fate at which point Lady Shiva unleashing the Man-Bats and casting the Untitled into the Well of Sins. Suddenly Drakar leaps onto his back, warning that he can’t be killed so easily. But he’s wrong as Bronze Tiger reaches out and breaks the old man's neck. Suddenly, a cloaked figure appears and heads toward the Well of Sins. Jason blocks him and demands to know who the man is. The man introduces himself as Ra's al Ghul.

Finally the big guy shows up and it’s truly about rime. We could see this coming from miles and issues away. So, now what does Jason do? Does he follow his current calling and lead the League of Assassins or does some small remnant of what was in his past come forward and allow him to save his friends? And what of that wonderful triangle forming between Kori, Roy and Cheshire. That could be interesting if played right. Let’s not forget that Cheshire and Roy had a major relationship in the old DCU. It’s a nice bit of intrigue from James Tynion IV and Julius Gopez.

RED LANTERNS #24: After being caught by Bleez as he was trying to convince Hal Jordan to come get him off Ysmault, he tells the Lanterns about his real reasons for becoming a Red Lantern. he also says that, despite his original intentions, he is through with the Green lantern Corps. In the midst of it all, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, which tends to cast doubt on the revelation that he’s done with the Green Lantern Corps and the Red lanterns attack. Since the Power Battery has been destroyed and the Green Lanterns don’t have much power, Hal orders the Corps to defend themselves while he talks with Guy. He agrees to help the Corps against Relic, provided the Red Lanterns get their own sector. Meanwhile, at the edge of the Omniverse, Relic is trying to penetrate the Source Wall.

Charles Soule is killing this title. No, not in a bad way-in a VERY good way. The bad way was the way that Pete Milligan dragged this book through the muck when we were all hoping for better. Soule has made the Red Lanterns cool again instead of being a complete bunch of whining, fighting psychos. Of course, Atrocitus is still lurking in the wings. On a somewhat related note, what is this whole thing with the Omniverse? Is this the NEW 52’s version of the Multiverse? And The Source Wall-when do we get through it and realize it leads to New Genesis. Oh yeah: let me not forget to give credit to Allessandro Vitti whose artwork also is killing this title!

SUICIDE SQUAD #24:With the power out, Amanda Waller has been cornered during the riot at Belle Reve by El Diablo. She tells him he was never worthy of being a part of the Squad and activates the nanobomb in his neck, causing his head to explode. She runs into Deadshot and reminds him that she still has Suchin. If he does one more mission she will hand over all her intel on the girl. She tells him to put a team together for a mission in the Rocky Mountains where it is believed that the Crime Syndicate has a weapon. Meanwhile, the Crime Syndicate has the inmates building a powerful satellite for them. They are kept in line by King Shark, based on the orders of a man in cell nine called the "Thinker”: a genius level man who suffers from a nerve-degenerating disease. Deadshot and Harley recruits Captain Boomerang, who is promised first shot at Waller when the mission is finished, along with a vigilante called Warrant. When they arrive, they meet Steel and the Unknown Soldier, who claims to be in charge of this operation. Suddenly they find themselves under attack by the Crime Syndicate's soldiers but managed to get saved by Waller’s final recruit: Power Girl. The Crime Syndicate's weapon is OMAC and they are ready to extract him when Waller contacts the Unknown Soldier and orders him to kill Deadshot's team. It is revealed that The Thinker used a device to disguise his voice as Waller's. And the real Waller orders Deadshot not to bring OMAC to Belle Reve.

Matt Kindt and Patrick Zircher weave their web on this title, which has now been thrust into the very middle of FOREVER EVIL. Will OMAC make his way to Belle Reve where he can be put to use by the Crime Syndicate? Will The Unknown Soldier be able to finish the business that the false Waller has demanded?  Will Deadshot and his team survive the mission? Stay tuned, kids: this wild ride is just beginning.

SUPERMAN #24: Lois, out of her coma and transformed, battles the Psycho Pirate in psychic combat, only to be defeated. However she manages to pull Superman out of his coma just in time for Hector Hammond and the H.I.V.E. Queen, stripped of the illusion she once illustrated, join forces with our heroes. Superman attacks the Pirate while Lois attempts to free the people of Metropolis from his grasp. Hammond and the Queen use telepathic attacks on the Pirate while Lois has rip the mask off. Illusions of Jonathan and Martha Kent implore him to wear the mask but Lois convinces him not to, which reveals that she knows he is really Clark Kent. He destroys the mask with his heat vision as Lois falls back into a coma. Superman takes her to the hospital, leaving Hammond, the Queen and the Pirate to escape. As Superman leaves the hospital, a mysterious force pulls him into outer space.

Mike Johnson does something Scott Lobdell couldn’t: write a fun story that doesn’t suck! So we see Lois divulging the information that she knows Clark is Superman. But will that be with her when she eventually awakens from her coma? My guess is probably not, unless we want to split up Superman and Wonder Woman and create the relationship that we should rightfully have: Lois and Clark! Eddy Barrows’ art is a joy to behold and the whole issue rocked right along, not plodded as past ones have done. Johnson needs to stay on this book and help to propel it back to some semblance of greatness, especially with ACTION, SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN and SUPERMAN BATMAN just filling shelf space.

SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN #1: Superman and Wonder Woman are flying together and trying to handle a disturbance in Norway so they can go to dinner in Oslo. Earlier, Clark Kent and Cat Grant were discussing creating a high-profile news blog. Clark is introduced to Cat's new boyfriend, but leaves as soon as he can. Wonder Woman was in London, sparring with Hessia who eventually yields. Diana confided to Hessia that she dislikes the secrecy in her relationship with Superman.  A little later, Clark arrives for his date with Diana , carrying an exotic, other-worldly potted flower from his Fortress. She explains her displeasure that they are keeping their relationship a secret. Clark explains he wants to save this one thing just for the two of them. They do some cuddling when they are interrupted by the Justice League message about the situation in Norway. Back in the present, the military plane is saved by Wonder Woman when and uncontrollable Superman smashes through the plane. Wonder Woman grabs the two pilots and gives them to Superman to take them down to Earth. Seems they have both been attacked by the Royal Norwegian Navy, who believed they deliberately destroyed the plane. Wonder Woman dismantles their forward gun mount. Superman’s attacker, Doomsday, lands on the deck of the ship and rips apart the two pilots forcing Wonder Woman to battle him.

So here we have the Superman/Wonder Woman romance peppered with a little action. I am sorry: am I the ONLY ONE who doesn’t like the pairing of these two as lovers? Am I the only one who wants Lois and Clark together, the way it should be? Charles Soule and Tony Daniel make the book look and sound great. But I totally dislike their relationship and don’t give a crap about Cat Grant and her business prospects. Despite dropping Doomsday into the book with a rather graphic killing rage, I won’t be following this love story.

SWAMP THING #24: The Seeder had attacked Capucine and left the message: "It's Time, Professor." Alec determines that The Seeder must be someone who used to know Alec and apparently will be back. Alec leads her deep in the swamp, showing her to the house that he had built for Abby many years ago. She tells him she was born in the year 1114 on an island off the coast of France. Before she can continue, Alec senses the Seeder's presence and leaves.The Seeder is arguing with the Parliament of Trees. The Parliament says they once saw promise in him and gave him power for saving Alec's life. Alec arrives and unmasks the Seeder. It is Jason Woodrue who did save Alec's life many years ago. He tries to tell Alec that together they could use the Green to make things better for the world. He explains that things don’t work that way; that there is a balance in The Green. Helping one area of the world could lead to death somewhere else. Woodrue throws some seeds at the Swamp Thing and a thorny flower vine grows from Alec's body, tearing him to pieces. Capucine arrives and snaps his arm, which frees Alex and allows him to trap Woodrue. The vines fall away, freeing Woodrue. The Parliament has returned Woodrue's gifts to him to see who would be the better avatar.

Thank you Charles Soules for bringing Jason Woodrue back into the NEW 52 Universe. And it looks like we’re heading to a battle to see who will be the Avatar of the Green. And just HOW did Woodrue save Alec’s life? And will we EVER get to hear Capucine’s full story? Too many questions and I want some answers…NOW! Adrei Bressan’s art shines through too and is a nice compliment to the story. I can’t wait for the next issue to see how this turns out. As always, SWAMP THING is a great read in this corner of the NEW 52.

TEEN TITANS #24: At the end of the last issue, the Teen Titans were sucked into the future. In this issue, they find themselves rocked through the time stream where they meet themselves and their teammates at crucial points in their careers. Red Robin finds Miguel in a church talking to himself. He explains how to meet up with Red Robin in TEEN TITANS #3 and makes him promise never to tell Red Robin about this encounter. Next stop is Egypt where the Sunturians are trying to conquer Earth. Wonder Girl and Superboy arrive to help him. In the future, Kid Flash and Solstice find themselves on a ship belonging to The Functionary. Kid Flash tries to stop Bar Tor, who is really himself, from blowing up a ship full of soldiers but fails, which explains why he is a hunted man. Raven finds herself in the distant past battling Etrigan and gets saved by Wonder Girfl, who arrives and snaps the demon’s neck. Wonder Girl tells Raven she has to collect their souls to save them looping forever. She does and then informs Trigon that she has caught them all.

The fact that I have to endure Scott Lobdell putting really bad rhymes within Etrigan’s mouth is enough to make me want to burn this title. To have the Crime Syndicate send them through time just to meet themselves and drop hints that would lead them together is a plot device so old that I can’t believe it has been used. And Raven still continues to play the good witch/bad witch role as she works with Trigon. Seriously; I am sick of Trigon and this title. Give me the good old days of the NEW TEEN TITANS and I’ll be happy. Actually, I feel like reading the classic Marv Wolfman stuff just because it is so much better than this could ever be. And Angel Unzueta, even with Art Thibert assisting, is certainly no George Perez.

TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #2: Continuing from TEEN TITANS #24, Red Robin, Superboy and Wonder Girl have found themselves stuck twenty years in the future with no easy way to get out. Tim leads them to the Batcave so he can use the Batcomputers to find Kid Flash and Solstice. But the Batcave has been torn apart and finds a stuffed Batman there along with a pile of ashes on the floor. A Holographic Batman appears pointing out that one person is responsible for this. At that point, they are teleported to the Justice League Watchtower where they meet a grown Garfield Logan(who is now his traditional green): last member of the Justice League. Then he introduces them to the New Teen Titans: Red(daughter of Rose Wilson), Blur, Stonehenge and Irony. Superboy steps outside the Watchtower and receives a psychic message from Jon-El and eventually the pair battle inside the moon. It seems that It seems that in the future, Jon-El, the son of a future Lois Lane and future Superman is the one responsible for killing Batman, Aquaman and other members of the Justice League. Garfield explains that this is Harvest’s timeline. Wonder Girl sees a hologram from Tim explaining a future betrayal. Does HE become Harvest? And do we now have two Jon Kents in the current New 52 Universe? It sure seems that way.

No comments here. The whole thing is silly and confusing.

TRINITY OF SIN PANDORA #4: Pandora finds herself amongst the ruins of the Washington Capitol Building. She finds a badly injured Earth 3 version of the Martian Manhunter, who begs to now if the rest of the Crime Syndicate made it through the portal. He dies in hr arms before he can tell her how to prevent the conquest. Suddenly, she finds herself back on our Earth and realizes she will always bear the curse of the seven sins. Two days later, she visits Marcus Severin and tells him he must reassemble the remains of the Box. She explains that the Box is an alien transport device that was responsible for bringing the Crime Syndicate here. But he has neither the tools nor the knowledge to do that. Pandora knows that the Outsider must be involved and she seeks Vandal Savage to help her. When they meet, he immediately crushes her jaw and she shoots off his hand. He offers her the communications device that the Society gave him, with coordinates for a meeting he will not attend. She arrives at the ruins of the Justice League Satellite, finds the Outsider inside, and places her gun against his spine, demanding that he provide the answer.

I have to say that I am surprised that Ray Fawkes is able to keep this story going. You would think that after the Box was opened and destroyed and turned out to be a transport device, that DC would have nowhere to go with this. But I guess I was wrong as Fawkes has now turned her into the DC version of the Punisher. With guns a blazin’, she’s gonna make the world right again! Yeah, and with Francis Portela handling the artwork, that is probably gonna happen.

TRINITY OF SIN THE PHANTON STRANGER #12: Last issue, The Phantom Stranger was destroyed by the Angel Zauriel. This issue, The Phantom Stranger finds himself in his old home with the dog, who rewards the Stranger . with the loss of two coins. He is told his next task is to reclaim two souls. Chris decides he needs to confront The Phantom Stranger, as even his own family is creeped out by him. Among other things, he is able to teleport when The Phantom Stranger does. They visit Terrance Thirteen who is dying in his bathtub after slitting his wrists. Chris grabs Thirteen’s wrists and brings him back to life. Thirteen tells The Stranger that The Question his murder attempt of The Stranger. The Phantom Stranger heads back home to find his house on fire and The Sin Eater appears to be the cause.

Okay, so now THE PHANTOM STRANGER has become a buddy book? Chris is now going to be The Stranger’s partner, possibly with Dr. Thirteen tagging along. Seriously? And The Sin Eater, the guy who The Phantom Stranger killed to become, is back and burning down the house of memories. J. M. DeMatteis and Fernando Blanco write a pretty lame issue. Lose the sidekicks and let The Stranger hang with JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK. In other words, perhaps it is time to close the chapter on this title.

WONDER WOMAN #24: Apollo calls the Gods of Olympus, minus the captured First Born to a meeting. But one of the Gods is missing. Diana is helping to decorate a house in London she will share with Zola and Hera, who decides to decorate their mantle with Lennox's head. Hermes appears and, against her will, takes Diana to Mount Olympus. Apollo explains that, because of her actions, she is now the God of War.  She has fulfilled the prophecy of a child of Zeus killing another. In return, she wants Hera restored to her place among the gods, but Apollo refuses. Diana leaves, warning that a war is coming. Hermes returns Diana to London, who insists that he leaves. She calls him a traitor, a kidnapper, and a liar. He says he would do it again if needed and Zola slaps his face. Back on Olympus, Strife insists that Wonder Woman will die by her hand. Meanwhile, Milan is pursued by a helicopter that blinds him. His pursuer is Cassandra, his half-sister.

Brian Azzarello continues to shake up the Olympian Universe and is sure to piss off die hard fans with this one. Especially making Diana the Goddess of War and mounting poor Lennox’ head on a mantle. Another great issue which is only hampered by Goran Sudzuka artwork. It’s not bad, but it’s not Cliff Chiang.

WORLDS’ FINEST #16: Huntress races to an explosion during New York Fashion Week and quickly starts saving lives. Smelling an accelerant, she spots the arsonist and gives chase, eventually finding the suspect is a woman with powers. She jumps on a train and Helena chases it down the tracks, eventually losing her. Meanwhile, Karen Starr is ticked that her employees have failed to retrieve her Starr Industries assets and demand they resolve the situation quickly. While picking out professional outfits she can wear as a business woman again when Helena arrives, explaining the story of the arsonist. Karen spots smoke on the horizon and, once arriving Helena notices this is happening at another Fashion Week event. Power Girl tries to put out the fire by drawing water from a lake. Huntress wants to apprehend the arsonist, but is detoured by having to rescue a group of models who were purposely tied up to burn. The pair eventually catches the arsonist who uses her powers to escape. Once again, Karen’s powers are on the fritz and she is left feeling she needs to figure out the problem and soon.


Okay, first the good: great art from R. B. Silva. Now the bad: Paul Levitz’ worst story since he was writing THE HUNTRESS mini-series. It just is boring. Karen wants her powers back and wants her toys back. The Huntress keeps missing the arsonist who we know has powers. There is no forward progression  here and I really could care less WHO the arsonist is, although I expect her to be either one of Darkseid’s minions or someone from Earth 2 or 3 who we haven’t met yet. Sorry, Paul: if this had been my first issue of the title, I wouldn’t pick up another one. 

DC's NEW 52 Month 24 Part 1

ACTION COMICS #24: We begin at Metropolis General Hospital where Lois' boyfriend is trying to explain that Lois had awoken from her coma. In actuality, Lois has disappeared. Meanwhile, in the headquarters of H.I.V.E. the Psycho Pirate admits he knows Clark Kent is really Superman who demands to know what the Pirate did with Hector Hammond and the H.I.V.E. Queen. The Pirate takes him to the Swarm, which is a prison for the psychics that the Queen had been kidnapping; some of whom was a part of the Twenty as he was. Still in need of Superman's psionic energy, he invades his mind and takes him on a trip through his memories in an attempt to break down his mental defenses. But, before he can drag Superman away, he is attacked by a psionically Lois, who says he will have to go through her if he wants Superman or Metropolis.

Scott Lobdell and Tyler Kirkham try to make some sense out of this, but it’s really a mess. Hector Hammond and the Queen have been defeated and now the Psycho Pirate is going to take over by stealing Superman’s Psionic Powers. But wait: here comes Lois Lane, fresh out of her coma, to save the day! Really? Hey-the 80’s called and they want their lousy clichés back!

ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #2: We begin with Superman, Supergirl and Superboy having been pulled from their respective titles into the vacuum of space. There is a temporal tsunami that is tearing apart the fabric of the DC Omniverse and it appears our heroes have been transported to Krypton. Oracle, who apparently made an appearance at the conclusion of SUPERGIRL #24, inhabits Superboy’s body and explains what H’el has been doing since the conclusion of his Villain Month one-shot. H'El returned to Krypton's past in order to change history. He also learned everything about his own past, which drove him mad making him take control of Krypton. Then he traveled across time to find a way to prevent Krypton's destruction. H’El has been trying to revive Kypton in the past which is creating a series of new realities. But this new reality Krypton has enslaved its people. The trio of heroes come up with a plan to put things right, but H’el finds out and prepares to battle them in three different eras of the original Krypton. Supergirl arrives during the Great War and is attacked by clones. Superboy arrives at Argo City one week before Krypton's destruction. Superman arrives at Kryptonopolis, months before Krypton's destruction and is attacked by his birth mother. After she sends the heroes into the past, Faroa, who makes her NEW 52 debut following her appearance in THE MAN OF STEEL, is killed by H’el, who swears he won’t be defeated.

Once again, Scott Lobdell embarks on a multi-part epic involving a character I could care less about. That having been said, this thing will wander through SUPERGIRL, SUPERBOY  and SUPERMAN to a conclusion. The covers are designed to interconnect, so I guess that makes it cool, unless you don’t read some of these titles, like myself. So, do I spend money on two parts just to read them? I’m unsure at the moment, but based on this, I don’t think I’d be missing much. Kenneth Rocafort’s artwork, which I am not a huge fan of, is really descent and actually gets ruined by Dan Jurgens. Not that Jurgens art is bad, it just doesn’t mesh with Rocafort’s. So, we’ll see what happens, but I bet the good guys win!

ALL STAR WESTERN #24: Jonah Hex, the time travelling bounty hunter from the 19^th Century, has suddenly become a folk hero, complete with Bruce Wayne defending him in court. While the judge refuses to believe he has travelled through time, he thinks he MIGHT be a distant relative. Wayne's lawyers warn the judge that no jury will find against Hex because he has become a hero of the people, despite his vigilantism. Hex is declared innocent and, despite Wayne’s offer of money regarding the Casino deal, leaves on his own. Over the next month, Hex and Gina ride cross-country on a motorcycle. Fund start getting light and Jonah promises Gina they will find gold that he buried long ago. They end up in a bar; they get drunk and have sex while John Constantine watches. The next day, they arrive at their destination and Hex begins digging and begins feeling remorse for what he did to the people in his past. Hex retrieves the box and has the money appraised, realizing that the small amount they recovered will manage to make them rich. Gina convinces Hex to spend some of their savings on guns and, even without a license, buys a pair of Desert Eagles. The pair go to this desert sex festival and Hex relies that something isn’t right. Constantine appears, saying they are Ki'yathe and they siphon life from others to survive.

Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Moritat continue this time travelling epic and turn it into an EASY RIDER road trip complete with a sex festival and psychedelic looking creatures. I love this book so much that I wish it was a weekly! Serious! I would drop THREE OTHER TITLES and just read this. It’s far more interesting than the original series and WAY BETTER than the movie tried to be.

ANIMAL MAN #24: Brother Blood, with the help of a rogue member of the Parliament of Limbs, has attacked the Red and both Buddy and Maxine are being affected by it. Brother Blood attacks the Totems and murders the majority of them. But he will never gain full control as long as Maxine and her friends remain alive and recruits Clinton Hogue, who had been battling with Buddy. Shepherd admits to Maxine that they must keep her safe, meaning they can’t continue their search for Cliff’s soul right now. Buddy arrives at the home of his estranged family and he and Ellen patch things up, promising to find Maxine together. Just then, Ellen’s mom, who has been watching the awards show, rushes outside saying something disturbing is happening on television. Clinton Hogue has taken over the show and says that if Buddy doesn't come to sacrifice himself, everyone in the auditorium die.

Jeff Lemire and Rafael Albuquerque make sure this book gets weirder and weirder. Between The Rot, The Red and The Green, we have enough colors to start a SESAME STREET song. And Brother Blood, longtime villain from TEEN TITANS, seems to be making his run at being a major player here. Of course we have to figure that Buddy will show up to save the audience…maybe even win that Best Actor Award in the process. But what will happen to his family and will they be able to save Cliff? THAT’S the question!

AQUAMAN #24: Arthur awakens from the coma he has been in for the last six months. He is in a tent Vulko had made in Antarctica. Vulko takes Arthur to an underground cave They find a throne surrounded by ice statues of Atlanteans. Arthur will have to sit on the throne to learn the truth about the Dead King. Once upon a time, Tom Curry's boat had been caught up in a storm. and was saved by the Queen of Atlantis. They fell in love, and one year later, Arthur was born. Vulko wanted Arthur to become the king of Atlantis but discovered the truth about the Atlantean royal bloodline. Long before that, the Dead King was a man named Atlan. he was the first king and founder of Atlantis. He promoted peace between Atlantis and several other kingdoms. His brother Orin betrayed Atlan and became the new king, ordering his forces to take kill Atlan’s family and make him a prisoner. Atlan eventually escaped and created the ancient relics of Atlantis. Years later,Atlan killed Orin and his wife, using his scepter to sink Atlantis. Over ninety percent of Atlantis' died while the rest adapted to the water. Some of the survivors became the Trench. Vulko reveals that Arthur and his family are descended from Orin.

Geoff Johns has now completely pulled a Brian Azzarello and rewritten Aquaman’s history pretty much from the top to the bottom. Arthur Curry is descended from the BAD Atlanteans, not the good ones. Yeah-that will certainly upset fans as much as Vulko being responsible for the whole flooding of the surface world story. As always, Paul Pelletier brings it in the art department. This was one interesting and exciting read.

AQUAMAN ANNUAL # 1: Aquaman and finds himself reunited with The Others. Morgane Le Fey has stolen Vostok's Atlantean helmet to acquire its power. In the process, The Others are forced to face their worst fears and their weaknesses. Ya’Wara falls prey to her fears and actually betrays his companions. In the end, Morgane is defeated by the combined effort and Ya’ Wara quits the team in shame.

Sorry for the short recap, but I was totally bored by this overly long $5.00 story. Geraldo Borges and Netho Diaz art was nice for this issue and, at times reminiscent of Paul Pelletier and Ivan Reis’ work, although there were moments when we drifted from a young looking Arthur to an older looking one. But John Ostrander, who has worked with The Others before, left me feeling like he tried to write the big story and couldn’t carry it. The characterizations are light and not what I expected out of him. And DC dropping it in the middle of a pretty heavy storyline in the book is pretty unfair. And the ending is basically a launching point for an ongoing series starring The Others. Personally, I’d rather have the original Outsiders back!

BATGIRL #24: Barbara Gordon’s current boyfriend just got shot by her own father and now she has GPCD’s finest surrounding her with guns drawn. While Bullock tells his boos that it was a righteous shoot, Barbara goes ballistic and takes out every cop in the place(including the bad guy who was heading to make his own escape), except for her dad she ALMOST punches out. She reaches the roof where she is stopped by Detective McKenna, who hands over all the information she has on Knightfall. As much as McKenna wants to take down Charise Carnes, the police just don’t have the evidence and she is hoping Batgirl will fit the bill. Getting home and dodging her father’s calls, Barbara goes to the hospital to visit Rocky, who we learn is in a coma. She finally decides to visit her father, who, unbeknownst  to her, is being menaced by The Disgraced: Mirror, Gretel, Grotesque, Bleak Michael and Bonebreaker. Barbara arrives and realizes she has to become Batgirl one last time to save her father.

Gail Simone chugs on with another great issue of what is quickly becoming a teen soap opera. But somehow it all works nicely. It will all come to a head next issue when Batgirl must save Gordon’s life: the man who wants her dead for killing his son…who is not really dead and is helping to run the Suicide Squad. Got that? Anyway, here’s some major applause to both Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion for turning out some GREAT looking art this time around. This books lights up: their style is tight and well delineated and it just really looks great.

BATMAN #24: Red Hood One is having major problems with Batman’s interference and is quite willing to punish those who fail him. He pours a silica-based concrete into the mouths of those members who failed him and drops them into the bay to drown.  Confused by the Red Hood gang’s M.O., Bruce visits his uncle Philip, revealing that he was not killed in the explosion that destroyed his brownstone. Philip apologizes and then reveals that the Red Hoods have made him #347 and doesn’t know what to do about it. Back in the caves, Bruce and Alfred realize what the Red Hood Gang is planning to do so Bruce appears upon the news, claiming he knows something about the Red Hood Gang. Commissioner Loeb, convinced that Wayne was dead, decides to send James Gordon to deal with it. At his press conference, Bruce reveals that he believes the Red Hood Gang is at the Ace Chemical Processing Plant where they are planning to create a radioactive, flesh-eating poison that will explode throughout the city. A group of Red Hoods prepare to fire at the news crews. Bruce uses the explosion as a distraction and runs inside the plant, along with Gordon and his men. Bruce gets captured by Red Hood One who reveals he was going to unleash his assault on the anniversary of the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Just before Red Hood One is going to kill Bruce, the power goes out and the Red Hood Gang puts on night-vision goggles, just in time to see Batman take Wayne away. Batman orders the lights be turned back on which now blinds the Gang. Red Hood One orders his men kill Batman and trains a high-caliber pistol trained on him, The shot misses when one of the gang fires a shot at his head, calling for an end to this madness. Red Hood One shoots him dead and Batman discovers that it was Red Hood #347: Uncle Philip. Red Hood orders his men to get to the trucks, but Alfred has gained control of the doors, effectively locking everyone inside. The plant begins to explode and Jim Gordon attempts to arrest the Dark Knight, who escapes to the roof just in time to see Red Hood One escaping on a helicopter. Batman wraps his grapple line around him and they both fall through the roof of the chemical plant. As the catwalk they are on begins to collapse, Batman begs him to take his hand. With a large grin, Red Hood One insists that this is only the beginning and falls into the vat of chemicals below. Days later, Bruce has managed to connect the cave to a secret entrance in the study of Wayne Manor. Meanwhile, the police discovered the remains of a man called Liam Distal who they feel is the Red Hood. Batman believes that someone murdered Distal and took his place as leader of the Red Hood Gang. Bruce and Alfred have a conversation about the Waynes which is interrupted by a news broadcast where Edward Nygma introduces himself to the city as The Riddler. He has a riddle: There are two sisters. Each gives birth to the other. Who are they? One sister says "I am the Day," and the other says "I am the night." The Riddler ends by saying: "so bring on the dark, dark night!"  An EMP blast knocks out power to the entire city, except for his broadcast, with him challenging to meet his challenge.

For SEVEN BUCKS, it had better have been a winner! And it was! Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo finish their take on Batman’s origin in all sorts of style. We get Lieutenant Jim Gordon and his first encounter with the Bat. Uncle Philip dies a hero, leaving Bruce with another Wayne member on his conscious. The Red Hood MAY or MAY NOT have been revealed to have been two different men. Batman makes his secret entrance to the Batcave. The Riddler comes into play for the first time, in a closing sequence by Snyder, James Tynion and Rafael Albuquerque. And, best of all, Red Hood ONE, whoever he may be, takes the long dive into the chemical vat to become, although we never see it, The Joker. What more could you ask for…well: maybe that pasty faced villain crawling OUT of the vat. Other than that, this was about as cool a comic read as you could want.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #24: Another day in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne finds Alfred filling in the empty graves of Talia and Damian. But Bruce wants them left open to remind him how they were stolen by Ra's al Ghul. Elsewhere, Two-Face flips a coin, puts a gun to his head and pulls the trigger, only to find he gets to live another day. Commissioner Gordon receives word that Erin McKillen is back in town. Her cousin meets with her and gives her the locations of her two old foes: Batman and Harvey Dent.  Erin then attends the meeting of Gotham's crime families where the thought of joining together to stop Gotham's crazies is put out there. The families feel Erin needs to deal with Two-Face because she is responsible for making him. After the meeting, the GCPD raids one of her safe houses and soon the news reaches both Batman and Two-Face. Sometime in the past, Attorney Harvey Dent found himself tied to his own desk with Erin McKillen dressed in his wife Gilda’s clothes, who she had murdered to teach him a lesson. She grabbed a bottle of acid and poured it over Harvey's face, declaring that Gotham would finally see what a two-faced son of a bitch he was. After she left, Dent freed himself and kissed his wife’s lips for the last time. Back in present day, Batman catches up with Erin and they battle until he overcomes her. She spits in his face and he calmly welcomes her back to Gotham City.

Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason introduce Erin McKillen to the NEW 52 Universe and, in doing so, rewrite Harvey Dent’s origin.  In what has become the classic origin, crime boss Carmine Falcone, hires corrupt Assistant District Attorney Fields to disfigure Dent with sulfuric acid.  Of course, the classic character also has a still living wife in the form of Gilda, who also was the serial killer known as Holiday, AND a daughter named Duela. Now DC has reintroduced Duela but she sure doesn’t seem like she is related to Harvey and Gilda, especially if this Gilda is dead. Anyway, seeing Harvey’s wife murdered and the way in which he is disfigured makes him a more sympathetic character than before, at least in my eyes. He’s still crazy, but I know understand his motives. And Mick Gray’s artwork shines! This issues rocks and proves yet again that Scott Snyder isn’t the ONLY writer today who understands the workings of the Bat.

BATMAN SUPERMAN #4: On Earth-2, the crystal shard has been activated even as Slade is taken down by the Earth-2 Superman and Batman. Superman grabs the shard and he makes a wishthat causes Earth-2 and Prime Earth to combine. Batman tries to stop him and he transforms into a bat-like creature, causing Clark to drop the crystal. Slade shoots at Earth-2 Superman and hits the Batwing piloted by Lois Kent and Selina Wayne. Prime Earth’s Superman, figuring out how to fly, saves the Batwing as his Earth 2 counterpart sends the energy beam back to Earth, destroying both the canon and the crystal. Wonder Woman is facing the Trickster who decides that Earth-2 isn't ready for Darkseid. He sends everyone back to their proper place and erases their memories. Back in Gotham, Bruce and Clark watch as Zack fights back against the bullies. When the two heroes leave, the Trickster reveals herself as the "devil" on Zack's shoulder.

So, now the kid has guts and that’s because he has the evil Trickster in him and is responsible for Darkseid arriving and the whole Justice League getting together? Or am I reading way too much into that?  Personally, I found this whole four issue arc confusing and boring. Greg Pak has written some great stuff and I’m not sure this was it. And Jae Lee is super talented, but I got so confused by who was who that I lost interest real early. We’ll have to see what the next arc looks and feels like before I decide if this is a continued fit for me.

BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #24: While serving time at Arkham Asylum, Clayface discovers the prisoner in the cell next to him is a huge fan of his work as Basil Karlo. He recalled how was an ordinary guy who tried to change himself to get noticed. He tried out for a school production of Pygmalion, but was too nervous and got cut, being told he was nothing special. He auditioned for many years without any success until The Penguin offered him a hunk of clay that he claimed was the power source for some Navajo shape-changers. Basil took the clay home; it entered his body and began rewriting his DNA. With a new elastic face, directors hired him on the spot. He soon gained the ability to copy the DNA of anyone he touched. Soon the Penguin hired him to do his dirty work for him. But after each transformation, he lost the ability to hold his shape for long periods and his anger grew. Today, he is in Arkham and the inmate next to him has collapsed in his cell and died. Clayface mourned for two days until he found a way to get a small part of himself through the containment tube, allowing him to be free sometime soon.

If you never felt pity for Clayface, you will after reading this story which, in my opinion, should be nominated for an Eisner. Greg Hurwitz turns in a real tear-jerker, especially when his biggest fan, the guy in the cell next door, dies on him, sending the monster who was showing signs of being a man again, back into the realm of turning into a monster once more. And, as I have said in the past, Alex Maleev is turning out probably the best work of his illustrious career. This run and particularly this issue, is a MUST READ on anyone’s list.

BATWOMAN #24: Batwoman told the DEO that fake crimes wouldn’t bring the Batman out, so they hired real criminals, who are loose in Gotham City. Because of the situation, Agent Chase declares martial law and takes control of the GCPD. Maggie threatens to kill her if Kate gets injured, so she confiscates Bullock and Maggie’s guns and arrests Maggie. Meanwhile, out in the war zone, Batman arrives in time to neutralize Bane’s venom by making him vomits uncontrollably. He reveals that he was hired by Bones. Batman catches up with Bones on the deck of the Serpent's Wake. Batwoman arrives and hits Batman's suit with a high-voltage charge, with no effect. Then, concerned that he may have special lenses in his mask, she blinds him with a Batarang. He urges her to stop trying to fight him. She grabs his neck and screams "No." Meanwhile, at a DEO safe house, Hawkfire infiltrates the building, eventually finding Beth Kane’s holding cell. The guards catch up to her before she can get Beth free, who suggests that if her chained gloves were removed, she might be able to them escape.

For all you fans of this book, be aware that this is the last issue for J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman. Because DC editorial refused to allow them to write the marriage of Kate Kane to Maggie Sawyer, they quit the book. Good for them; bad for us. Marc Andreyko will begin writing with the next issue, even though Williams and Blackman's scripts through issue #26 are completed. Where does this now take us? This becomes anyone’s guess. All I know is it looks like artist Trevor McCarthy is still on the book. This has been a great trend setter with awesome characterization. I can only hope that the team that follows it doesn’t screw it up!

BIRDS OF PREY #24: Black Canary and Condor have been kidnapped by a gang of terrorists belonging to Basilisk while Strix and Batgirl meet with a former detective on the GCPD who claims that his benefactor's organization the helicopter containing the kidnapped pair. He takes them to Gotham International Airport where they board a plane to give chase. Meanwhile, Black Canary woke in a Basilisk lab with no powers because her NOT DEAD husband Kurt is being kept in there with her. She sees Regulus and realizes that that the leader of Basilisk is former Team 7 partner Dean Higgins. When Dinah destroyed Gamorra Island, he was trapped with Kaizen Gamorra and her Canary Cry merged them together into Regulus. Regulus offers a choice: serve him and be with Kurt, or die apart. He has studied Kurt and plans on using him to turn off all super-powers permanently. Nearby, Tsiklon wakes Condor and lets him know that Canary is now with Regulus. Batgirl and Strix infiltrate the compound when Batgirl hears Condor's voice. Curious to see if he truly is no longer a teammate of Basilisk, she follows them. He notices her watching him and leads his former team to catch her.

Oh my goodness: can this get any worse? Can we cancel this and just give Strix her own title? The Christy Marx’ dialogue is juvenile, the plot gets dumber and dumber and only Romano Molenaar’s art is a saving grace. And that’s just barely.  This book continues to be a mere shadow of its’ former self.

CATWOMAN #24: Catwoman and Princess Tinderbox get attacked by The Joker's Daughter, who claims that the face she wears is what gives her power. The women of the Nethers force Catwoman into a floodgate forcing her to fall into the depths of the Nethers and then take Tinderbox as their captive. Catwoman survived the fall and soon is hiding from a gang of Warhogs who apparently are carrying the charred remains of Rat-Tail. She attacks the Warhogs, she spots one with a rat-tail and gives chase. Rat-Tail DIDN’T die, he just traded places with a Warhog.  Discovering they are in the tunnel that leads back to Charneltown, they can conceivably get the virus out through one of the series of pneumatic tubes there.The Warhogs, led by Zakaria, move to retaliate against Charneltown. Meanwhile, Alice discovers that the diamond Catwoman stole is made from volcanic rock. Alice tells Catwoman that she will have to put the GPS watch in the tube with the toxin so Alice can find it. It also turns out that Dr. Phosphorous has creative the diamonds with his super-heated hands and they are actually bombs designed to destroy Gotham. Alice tries to figure out the flaw in their creation and one explodes and she is caught in the blast. Joker's Daughter convinces Tinderbox that they could rule Charneltown by drowning it with a million gallons of water and she agrees. But ugly cat has been is caught in all that water and may drown, along with Catwoman and Rat-Tail. Doctor Phosphorous decides to send a fireball back at the Joker's Daughter, even if his own daughter is with her.

This was an EXTREMELY BUSY issue with a lot of plot exposition, thus the super long synopsis above. Ann Nocenti shakes off some of her rust and churns out a really, REALLY good script than doesn’t wallow in too many clichés. When you couple that with Rafa Sandoval’s awesome art and this issue, on a title that has been borderline with me for sometime, turns out to be a major winner. I loved it, from the Terry Dodson cover right through to the last page where Rat-Tail, Selina and ugly cat appear to take their last breaths.

CONSTANTINE #7: Constantine heads back to Dotty's Pet Shop and discovers that finds all of his magical artifacts are gone. This means that the Cult of the Cold Flame can now find every magic-user in the world. A fortune teller in Australia, the Witch of Deepwater, once refused to join the Cult of the Cold Flame. Mister E takes her power and her life. He then goes to Italy, where Il Stregone pays the ultimate price. He then goes to London to Julia Everheart and her daughter. Knowing the Cult intends to kill her and her family, Mister E orders Julia to send her daughter upstairs and then come with him.  Meanwhile, Tannarak begins to drain John's artifacts of their magic power. One third of that power is absorbed into him while the other two thirds spread out around the world, causing many of the magical beings, from Felix Faust to Papa Midnite to notice. Sargon visits Constantine to mock him, but she kisses him and takes him away. She has her way with him and threatens to kill him if he leaves. Mister E arrives and declares he now belongs to the Cult.

Mister E USED TO BE a nice guy in the old DCU. This is not the case here as he is making John Constantine’s life and those connected to him, absolutely miserable. Ray Fawkes weaves a really creepy tale and Szymon Kudranski brings the art with it. This title drifts back and forth between really good and really awful. This time around, it’s really GOOD.

DETECTIVE COMICS #24: We all have learned that Elliot Caldwell, known as “The Wrath”, has supplied the GCPD with safety equipment filled with electrical charges which is killing many of them. Caldwell pursues the Batplane, which Batman self-destructs to buy him time to save the police, escaping by Bat-Glider. Saving the police, Alfred explains how he believes he knows the reason for Caldwell’s attack on the police. Fifteen years ago, Mallory Caldwell was killed in a jewelry store robbery and Alfred believes that E.D. Caldwell blames the police the shooting and believes they stole the diamonds, which were never recovered. Later that day, The Wrath opens fire at the most populated police precinct in the city; the one where the men in charge of investigating Caldwell’s father had been stationed. Batman had convinced the Commissioner to evacuate the station house. Batman captures Caldwell and the GCPD wait to arrest him, but not before they blast him with his own guns, causing his armor to crack open. Batman promises to ask Bruce Wayne to pay for the repairs to the station house but the Commissioner suggest they use Caldwell’s captured assets. Several days later, the Commissioner pulls Mallory Caldwell's file and clears his name. Caldwell cares less and promises that Gordon and every cop will die when he gets out. That is overheard by Ignatius Ogilvy, the former Emperor Penguin, who suggests they plan for the future.

John Layman and Jason Fabok wrap up a great story in a great way. Layman has created a new villain who will prove to be a player in the future. Fabok’s art is as sharp as ever and is certainly a perfect artist for the Batman and his cast of characters. Can we get him to draws ALL the Bat books? This is another shining example that there are a tremendous cast of talent currently making the Bat Books, with the exception of BATMAN SUPERMAN, the cornerstones and MUST READS of the NEW 52 Universe.

EARTH 2 #16: The World Army is in the midst of a battle in Dherain against Steppenwolf and his Hunger Dogs (Beguiler, Bedlam, and Brutaal) and finds themselves defeated within an hour, killing all but Amar Khan and Mr. Terrific. They contact Wesley Dodds and the Wonders head into Dherain to help with the dead and the wounded. All except for Alan Scott who goes after Steppenwolf on his own. Unfortunately Brutaal was his back-up and Green Lantern falls, giving time for Steppenwolf to give a long speech for the television cameras. But that does not last long as Steppenwolf is destroyed by Brutaal, who reveals himself to be Superman. He then blasts a huge huge rift in the Earth as everyone runs for safety.

James Robinson delivers what I believe is his farewell tale, with the help of Nicola Scott and Trevor Scott and it is the Home Run I have been waiting for  since somewhere in issue #12. The world is going to hell and no one can stop Steppenwolf…except for Superman who apparently isn’t really who he seems to be. And didn't he die the last time Darkseid’s army invaded Earth 2. I’m confused and that’s a good thing! Now we wait and see what Robinson’s successor does to keep this momentum going with the introduction of a new batman next month.

GREEN ARROW #24:Oliver Queen has been having issues aiming after his inner ears were damaged by Count Vertigo, who has returned to Seattle and is trashing the town. Komodo and the Outsiders are waiting in the wings too and that is going to be a problem for an archer who can’t aim his arrows. Shado knocks him unconscious and, despite her objections, Naomi goes along. Vertigo talks to the news cameras, declaring that until the Green Arrow shows, he will keep attacking the city. As Shado is ready to attack, she is attacked from behind by a martial artist. He throws her from the roof of the building and she lands on the fire-escape. Oliver goes after Shado and Vertigo dares him to stop him. Oliver has learned to not fight the vertigo and focuses on Vertigo’s jaw and tears the vertigo-device from the back of his head. The police arrive and take Vertigo away. Naomi tells Oliver that Shado is okay, although she keeps mumbling about having seen a dragon. Meanwhile, Billy Tockman, a crime boss who runs a repair shop called The Clock King, is visited by a John Diggle, who warns the Dragon is making moves his territory.

Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino have managed to absolutely take this book and turn it around from what it started as. They have managed to take a ho-hum story ofr the spoiled rich kid turned vigilante superhero and, while not attaining the greatness of the classic days, have brought Ollie to his current NEW 52 roots in such a way as to make this one of my favorite, MUST READ FIRST titles each month. The writing is sharp and crisp and Andrea Sorrentino’s artwork is top notch. And, just to make matters that much cooler, John Diggle is back.