DC's NEW 52 Month 15, Part 1

ACTION COMICS #15:  We start out 10 years ago on prom night about a decade ago, Clark and Lana Lang return to the farm to find Pa Kent helping out a Little Salesman with his car. Whatever happens, it changes Clark’s life(possibly the beginning of the end for his parents?). The flashback is part of a conversation between Superman and his landlady. Time is behaving strangely as the events of last issue are fresh in his mind but don’t happen for two more years. Next, we’re in the future where the Earth has changed AND Superman is being chased by a new Rogue’s gallery. That memory fades and he finds himself back on the roof with his landlady. Just as quickly as the memory comes on, it fades away and Superman is back on the roof with Mrs. Nyxly. Then she tells him the origin of Mxyzptlk, who became the favorite of the kind and his court. Vyndktvx used the Multispear, accidentally killing the king and destroy 230 different worlds by creating the Multitude.  Jor-el and Superman stopped it from destroying their world but destroyed Vyndktvx's arm in the process, which left him seeking revenge. That included changing Clark’s past, resulting in Ma and Pa Kent being killed in a traffic accident while Clark is with Lana at prom. Mrs. Nyxly escaped from the 5th Dimension to be born as a normal child on Earth. She had been given three wishes by Mxyzptlk but only got to use two before she is assassinated. An unknown being steps into almost every moment in Clark’s life and plans to kill Superman. The back-up story is about Mxyzptlk, Nyxly and their son, Ferlin.
 
Leave it to Grant Morrison to set up his final arc with one of his greatest tricks. The origin of the 5th Dimensional imp intertwined with the deaths of the Kents. Heck-we even get to see a freckle faced Lana Lang. Brad Walker and Rags Morales nail the art in this issue and I find myself at ease with the way this storyline is going. The back-up is a typical Sholly Fisch piece with art by Chris Sprouse.

ALL STAR WESTERN #15: We begin with Amadeus Arkham being fed the Mr. Hyde formula. Jonah Hex arrives in time to see a deranged Arkham attack, but Hex knocks him out. He also learns he isn’t getting paid by Reginald Forsythe because Hyde has eaten him. Hyde attacks Hex, throwing him through a window, causing Hex to break his leg. Arkham awakens and attacks Hyde who, in turn, does the same. Despite the broken leg, Hex makes his way back upstairs, saves Arkham, who flees and puts the hurt on Hyde, who also flees. Hex tracks down Arkham, who is trying trying to solicit sex from a rather upset woman.. hex tells him he has been poisoned and Arkham decides to examine himself and drops his pants, leading to his being captured by the police and tossed into the asylum that will one day bear his name. Hex learns he will need to spend some time in a wheelchair while Hyde develops more of his formula in the abandoned home of the Haunted Highwayman. In the back-up story, Tecumseh and his brother the Prophet are forced to watch their men be executed by the Americans. Tomahawk and his men come to the rescue. Lancaster escapes but Tomahawk pursues. Just as he is about to win the fight, he is knocked out by a British soldier. Tecumseh and Tomahawk, betrayed by the British, plan to burn the British forts to the ground.
 
This is the book that will make you learn to love Western comics. Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Moritat redefine the genre. And the back-up, considering most back-ups give me a headache, redefines the character of Tomahawk for the new millennium. This should be on everyone’s read list!

ANIMAL MAN #15: We begin our tale in what used to be Central City, which has become Gorilla City. Led by Grodd, Mallah and the Brain, the gorilla army capture Buddy and the heroes of The Red. Frankenstein and his Patchwork Army arrive to rescue them. Buddy asks Frankenstein to join them and they decide to head to Metropolis where it is rumored that Arcane has a prisoner who could be an ally. We cut to a year ago, when Maxine and Socks ran into William Arcane, who convinces them that he has reformed since meeting Swamp Thing and Abby. Despite Socks warning, Maxine follows him, leading her to the Hunters Two. Meanwhile, Buddy dreams strange dream on the way to Metropolis, one that has his son wearing the Animal man garb. Arriving in Metropolis, they find that The Green seems to have taken over a lot of the city. With Frankenstein and his Patchwork Army standing guard, Buddy, Beast Boy, Steel and Constantine make their way through the city, following a unique energy signature. It eventually leads them to Green Lantern, who they find trapped there.

ROTWORLD continues to put the Creep in Creepy! Jeff Lemire and Steve Pugh continue to amp it up as the tale races along. Pugh’s art style is wonderful and drips with grotesque imagery. When you pair this title, SWAMP THING and FRANKENSTEIN (while it lasts), you have a true trilogy of modern horror.This title is totally, TOTALLY RECOMMENDED!

AQUAMAN #15: In Part Two of the THRONE OF ATLANTIS cross-over(go read the review/synopsis for JUSTICE LEAGUE #15 first to avoid confusion), Gotham City is underwater and Aquaman has to save Bullock and Jim Gordon. But, despite Mera trying to hold back a massive tidal wave, a lot of residents drown in the flood. Meanwhile, in Metropolis, a similar situation is occurring. And Vulko, who is trying to help, apparently has the strength to punch out Superman, because he does as he desperately searches for King Arthur. We learn that the Atlantean War Plans that Aquaman and Orm crafted long ago have Batman is a priority target as is Dr. Shin. Eventually, Aquaman and Batman meet up with Vulko on the Watchtower where he reveals that this is revenge for the accidental missile launch that apparently wasn’t an accident. Aquamna heads to Boston, which is also underwater, and confronts Orm. The trinity of the League shows up and Aquaman must make a decision on who to stand with. Meanwhile, the creatures from The Trench are on the loose again.

Geoff Johns continues this crossover and this is a winner! When all is said and done, the new JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA will be born, also written by Johns. Things are getting desperate in the League and this will all lead to the Trinity War later in the year. Some great action, some startling tragedies and a joke or two(thank you Harvey Bullock!). Paul Pelletier signs on as regular artist with this issue as Ivan Reis moves to JUSTICE LEAGUE. As always, his work is clean and smooth and having Art Thibert as your inker can’t hurt. Another winner this month!

BATGIRL #15: This issue has two stories running concurrently. The first is set some time in the past, as the Joker was with his doctor at Arkham Asylum. He offers up a chance to write a paper based on his journals, but they are unreadable without his help. Joker describes each page of his journal to the doctor until he came to a page which described what he might do if he ever met a nine year old girl named Sasha. This was the name of the doctor’s nine-year-old daughter. The doctor wanted to check and see if her daughter was safe, but Joker insisted she stay or something might happen to her. He tells her that the journal was his way to keep track of everything in his life, even his qualifications for his life partner. Of course, he fears infidelity, so he thinks it’s best to cut off his bride's arms and legs right after the wedding.

In the present, the Joker still has Barbara’s mom tied to a chair. Her ring finger, complete with ring, has been cut off and she has a five-pound nail-bomb beneath the seat. If you recall, The Joker was using the severed finger to propose to Batgirl. He places a gun to Mrs. Gordon's head, causing Batgirl to agree to marry him. Catching him off guard, she begins to beat him up, actually thinkning of  shooting him in the spine to paralyze him as he had done to her. But a sniper’s bullet pushes her back and Joker gives her a list of things she needs for the wedding. Not far away, her brother James, who led his sister to the scene of the crime, receives a frantic call from Barbara’s roommate Alysia and he agrees to come to visit her. Then he calls the Joker and tells him that Batgirl and Ms. Gordon are his to deal. The Joker hangs up and James decides to help his sister. Batgirl arrives at an old church where the priest apologizes to her. The Joker is holding the congregation hostage and he must bear witness to her forthcoming beating.

This is one long, complicated issue jumps back and forth between the past and the present. And it is an amazing ride. Why DC Editorial would fire Gail Simone from this book…by Email mind you, is anyone’s guest. Apparently there was some concern on where she was taking this story and that resulted in her termination. I would love to see where she was going with it and will be a treat to follow her story until the end. So, besides telling one heck of a tale, Daniel Sampere’s artwork explodes of the page! This guy is good…real good! His style fits this book very nicely. I’m still missing Adrian Syaf, but I do like where Sampere is taking this look.

BATMAN #15: Joker announces that he knows all the identities of the Batman Family and, in less than three days, they will all be dead at Batman’s hand. Harvey Bullock and GPCD arrive and the Joker has his men fire rockets at them. Batman gets free and demands to know where Alfred is. He says he’s preparing a special dinner for the Batman family before Batman falls into the Gotham River, infected with Joker Venom. Bruce has a nightmare where Alfred has been replaced by the Joker and attacks all of the gathered Batman Family. He eventually wakes from his nightmare with his costumed family waiting for him. He tells of how his second encounter with the Joker, where it seems the villain may have made his way into the Batcave. The Batman Family are angry, despite Bruce’ belief that The Joker never made it past the entrance of the cave, which had since been sealed up. Batman tells the rest of the Family to stay in the cave as he breaks into the home of Dylan McDyre, a guard who has a connection to the Joker. McDyre explains the Joker had actually been holding the families of the Arkham Asylum staff hostage while he made changes. So Batman heads to Arkham to see what awaits him. In the back-up story, The Joker makes his changes at Arkham and involves The Riddler in his mad plan.

Leave it to the dynamic duo of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo to craft another wild chapter in the life of the Dark Knight. This generation’s Joker continues to be the vilest villain Batman has ever faced. Between his “face mask” and his motives, the once and future Jack Napier takes the cake as the most perverted villain in the New 52. If you are not reading DEATH OF THE FAMILY and all it’s crossover pieces, you are missing one of the greatest stories in years. And Batman has had many awesome stories over the years.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #15: Damian watch security footage of the Joker beating Alfred with a hammer. After talking thinks over with his dog, he decides to find Alfred. Titus sniffs hyena urine at the front gates so the pair head to Gotham Zoo, where he finds hyenas tearing at a dead guard. He opens the cage and gets attacked by the animals, getting bitten in the process. This causes him to be dosed  by Joker Venom and he falls through a skylight. He awakens inside a nest made of human bones with The Joker standing above him. He shows Robin the video he made burning Alfred's eyes with ammonia. Damien promises that he will kill The Joker for that. After a lengthy soliloquy, he buries Robin under insects and worms. Then he makes Robin battle to the death against a Venom infected Batman.

Okay…are we jumping WAY ahead here? Batman is Venom infected? I just finished reviewing BATMAN where he is entering Arkham. This is where my biggest gripe about the DEATH OF THE FAMILY story comes in: no one in editorial can seem to get chronology issues straight. None of these titles run in a linear manner. Things happen in individual titles that are occurring either before or after they do in other titles. I would think that all issue fifteens would run at the same time. But then I would be working at DC and handling those things. Since I am not, I can only sit on the sidelines and bitch. Besides the bitching, we have the normally wonderful work of Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason.

BATMAN INCORPORATED #6: Last issue ended with the Batman Incoporated team being blown up and we see the after effects of that. Freight Train has been impaled and is dying. Squire is in pretty rough shape too, as are Halo and Looker. The only people up and on their feet are Batwing and Knight. Batman goes to talk to Talia who tells him the parable of the Goat Herder and Enlightenment. He tells her he just wants his city to be safe and all of this to be over. Meanwhile back at the Batcave, all of the various Robins and ex-Robins are in the Batcave wondering what to do next. And of course, there is Bat Cow and Titus the Bat Dog. They get to hear the conversation between Batman and Talia as it is being broadcast into the Batcave so that Damian can hear. She demands he make a decision: his city or his son. Batman encounters a robed, masked giant who kills the hostages and then moves on to attack Batman Incorporated. Just as Knight gets Squire’s heart heating again, the giant arrives and snaps his neck. Batwing is taken out by the giant who uses Knight’s body as a bat. Batman arrives to help Squire. In the Batcave, Jason Todd declares that they all need to go rescue Batman. Will they have the time?

Holy cliffhanger, Batman! How do they get out of this without major causalities in the New 52 Universe? And who will Batman choose, his beloved Gotham or the product of his loins? All this will be revealed in the next issue from Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham.

BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #15: Batman continues his battle with The Scarecrow, who he has learned will release fear toxin in Gotham Square during the Christmas Parade. As Alfred and Lucius Fox try to figure how to develop an antidote, Batman discovers the antibodies they need are in his own blood. Since time is of the essence, Batman transfuses his blood directly into the Batplane's aerosol diffuser. While this will save the city, he will more than likely die from blood loss. Alfred and Robin monitor the situation as Batman flat lines completing his task. They remotely bring the plane home and with several shocks from the defibrillator, they bring him back to life. Meanwhile, Luz, Gordon and the GCPD find the safe house where the Scarecrow is holed up and he surrenders. We move forward to New Years Eve and Natalya, following a solo performance, ends up at the Manor for a movie and takeout. In the epilogue, Scarecrow plans his escape as he has a secret vial of toxin hidden upon him. Unfortunately, the vial ruptures, filling his glass cell with the gas.

And thus ends Greg Hurwitz’ first storyline with a bang and not a whimper! He has retooled one of the classic, iconic villains and next issue will do the same with The Mad Hatter. David Finch’ art seems a little sloppy this issue and I’m not surprised as his output has seemed to drop off in the last few months. Next month Ethan Van Sciver takes over and the preliminary images look amazing!

BATWOMAN #15: This issue is called INTERLUDE II and revolves around Maggie Sawyer. As Maggie finds herself puzzled by recent events, we get a flashback of what has transpired from her perspective. She had taken down some of Medusa’s thugs, but can’t figure out why a Japanese gang member is "mitera", which is the Greek word for “Mother”. During the battle in Gotham, orchestrated by Killer Croc, the city was filled with these gang members. With GCPD getting overwhelmed, she asks the DEO for help. This leads to a revelation how Maggie’s father had once locked her in the tool shed to protect his daughter from “going to Hell” as a 12 year old tomboy. Reluctantly, Agent Chase agrees and sends Maggie to a church where the parents of all of the kidnapped children had gathered. The gathered had become a mob, armed with weapons and intent on fighting Medusa themselves. Maggie is forced to go after Isabella Lopez’ husband, who had already gone out into battle, finds him and attempts to save him. That is when The Weeping Woman unleashes a tidal wave which save’s them; an act she does as penance for kidnapped his children. Maggie and Harvey are confronted by the sight of the kidnapped children being dragged through the streets with chains around their necks. Just then a car crashes down from above and the sight of something with tentacles is seen. That brings us to the here and now as Batwoman and Wonder Woman arrive. And somehow, Maggie knows that Kate is home and safe.

While this has the feel of a fill-in issue, mostly because J. H. Williams III only illustrates the first and last page of the issue, leaving the bulk of the art to Trevor McCarthy, it does gives us some much needed NEW 52 back story for Maggie Sawyer-even if it is only in the form of a short, almost tossed off bit of text early on in the issue. So we see that Kate and Maggie’s dads have a lot in common. For me, that was the absolute highlight: to find out that Maggie’s parents were trying to deprogram her at age twelve from becoming a lesbian. Guess what: it didn’t work! This is one of the best books on the stands today and it should be required reading for all “Teen Plus” comics fans.

BIRDS OF PREY #15: The issue begins with Condor using some interesting tactics in questioning a Dragon Clan member. Meanwhile, Canary, Batgirl and Starling rendezvous but Katana is missing. Using a tracking device, they discover she is one thousand feet below sea-level. This is where she is being tortured by the Dagger Clan, as they prepare to melt down the Soultaker Sword. Fifteen minutes from now, the Clan is ready to hit Yokohama with a scorched-earth bomb that will render the city uninhabitable for hundreds of years.  That’s when the Birds arrive on the scene, but is soon overwhelmed by the Dagger Clan. Katana breaks free, grabs the sword and attacks Garasuki. As the battle rages on, Condor retrieves the bomb, which Katana cuts in two with the sword, as her husband has told her to do. Following the end of the battle, most of the Birds leave. Except for Tatsu, who stays behind tio handle things in Yokohama. Arriving in Gotham, Batgirl has a suggestion to replace Katana. And then she introduces Talon Strix.

Thus ends one chapter in the life of the Birds of Prey. Juan Jose Ryp and Vincente Cifuentes shine with the art in this book. Meanwhile, Duane Swierczynski’s writing doesn’t, as this title has been filled with bad dialogue and tacky clichés. While the action is intense, the characters are cardboard. Hopefully when new writer Jim Zub takes over three issues from now, that will also change. Until then: wither grin and bear it or give it the boot, boot boot!

CATWOMAN #15: Selina meets up with her buddy Gwen and they crash a party, and then jump out a window. They also walk out of the building and past Detective Alvarez. at the end of one page, then walk out the front door of the building on the next page. Selina meets up with a contact who has her go to Argus to steal the Black Diamond. She manages to get hired at ARGUS and tries to make her way into the Black Room. She uses a mystic key to get in and changes into her Catwoman costume. She gets in a firefight with security. She eventually opens the safe and the Black Diamond takes over her.

Talk about a total mess. Let’s start with Gwen and Selina jumping out a window and then, on the next page, they are walking OUT of the building they allegedly just jumped out of a window from. WHAT?! CONTINUITY!!! And Selina meets with a contact to get a job, which I thought was Gwen’s job. Again-continuity! When Selina is at Argus, she changes into costume, and the scientist joins her, not alert security. REALLY!?  And that’s just the worst of it, although the entire issue is a writing disaster. Ann Nocenti should be ashamed and should hand over her writing credentials to Gail Simone who IS out of work. Take into effect the whole concept of having security with guns fighting someone in a room full of the most dangerous weapons in the world On the plus side, Rafa Sandoval’s art is nice. But it can’t save this poorly plotted and horrendously executed issue. Lastly: big slaps to Rachel Gluckstern and Rickey Purdin. They ARE the editorial staff after all and should have seen these mistakes.

DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #15: Tobias Whale has a new drug that turns the user into a monster from Hell. Daniel Cassidy wants to team up with Jefferson Pierce to take down and get the drugs off of the street. Pierce isn’t too keen on the idea, but when his father tells him he is meeting with Whale, he changes his mind. Black Lightning refuses to zap these guys w The duo battle the drug affected zombies while Whale and Nebiros capture Pierce’s father and hold him hostage. Blue Devil and Black Lightning find the Whale and Nebiros and we learn that Etrigan tore off the Blue Devil skin from Neibros “long, long ago” and now he is trying to take it back by peeling it off of Cassidy. And, if that wasn’t bad enough for our heroes, Black Lightning gets shot trying to save his dad.

This has been a fun ride so far. The story by Marc Andreyko has been beautifully paced and has done a great job of introducing these characters from the old DCU into the NEW 52 universe. Likewise, the art from Robson Rocha and Eduardo Pansica has been tight and gooey at times. I would like to see these guys with a regular series. Welcome to the NEW dynamic duo!

DEMON KNIGHTS #15: The battle for Avalon rages on. Merlin summons King Arthur, who saves the day by fighiting Lucifer, Mordru and The Questing Queen and monologuing about Stormwatch. Merlin creates a rainstorm from the waters of Avalon, which causes everyone to be cleansed of any enchantments. With the day won, Merlin de-ages,  becoming “New Adam.” Adam/Merlin returns everyone back to reality. Jason, once again bonded to Etrigan,  and Xanadu head off to be on their own. Exoristos reveals that Lucifer had her bring a Black Diamond back to their reality. The Shining Knight offers to travel with her.

That’s the end of this run. With the next issue, the story jumps ahead thirty years and who knows what that will mean for this title. What this fifteen issue run manages to do is set the groundwork for what will eventually become Stormwatch. Like it or not, DC has created an origin that we’re stuck with. But we do get the origin of Eclipso’s Black Diamond. Paul Cornell has done a wonderful job with this series and it will be nice to see where it all goes from here.

DETECTIVE COMICS #15: We begin with Penguin's henchman Ogilvy burying Poison Ivy alive. Meanwhile, Batman is battling Poison Ivy’s spouse, Clayface. However Batman believes that Clayface has been affected by Ivy’s toxin and the entire wedding is just an illusion. Losing the battle, Batman grabs a flower from Clayface’s skin and escapes in the Batplane. When he gets to examine the flower, Batman realizes he was correct-the marriage was an illusion. The pair have not been wreaking havoc-only Clayface has, but believing Poison Ivy was with him through it all. The Dark Knight heads to Ellsworth Industrial Park where Clayface is attacking. Batman sprays Clayface with an herbicide that dissolves his false memories. Broken hearted, Clayface smashes his way to the sewers and escapes. Meanwhile, Ogilvy tells Penguin about doing away with Ivy and Penguin leaves him in charge as he claims he has to go to Arkham Asylum for a while. Shortly thereafter, Ogilvy frees Ivy, explaining that he buried her with enough plant life to keep her alive. He then introduces himself as Emperor Penguin. In the back-up tale, we get the two sides of the Clayface/Ivy relationship. It begins with a letter in his cell at Arkham Asylum and ends with him meeting her after her influence has been removed and he is seeking revenge.

Even though the issue bears the now familiar die cut Joker face for a cover, it has very little to do with the DEATH OF THE FAMILY storyline, except for two instances. First, Batman doesn’t chase Clayface at the end of the tale because the Joker is still on the loose. And second, The Penguin is in a hurry to leave town based on the back-up tale from BATMAN #14 where the Joker killed all the top lieutenants of every crime family in Gotham and pinned it on The Penguin. Either way, John Layman does a killer job in both the lead and the back-up, while Jason Fabok and Andy Clarke rock the art. Another top notch issue in the Bat corner of the universe.

DIAL H #7: Roxie and Nelson have been travelling the world in search of the Cults of the Dial. It is a group of people who worship the legend of the H-Dial as if it were a religion. Every cult they have visited, in the form of various heroes, all have spoken of the existence of another dial, but they have been unable to find it. The focal point is in Paris and that is where they expect to find the leader of the cult. He claims that the dial was discovered in Atlantis so the pair head out into the Atlantic Ocean to search for it. She dials up a hero known as the Planktonian and, with her Manteau mask on these many microscopic creatures, she dives down and discovers an ancient underwater ruin. But the dial is gone. Roxie does find a military patch in French and English and it looks like a patch they saw in one of the cultists' pamphlets. Meanwhile, Vernon Boyne and his men attack Colton. But Colton makes hundreds of copies of him and kills all of Vernon's men. While he and the copies beat up Vernon, he introduces himself as The Centipede.

Yeah…this title is almost getting too weird for me. Between strange characters, which was always a staple of the old Robbie Reed series, to cults to mysterious villains, I really don’t know what China Mieville is doing. What I DO KNOW is that I am loving David Lapham doing the art on the title. Can I recommend this book? I’m not quite sure anymore. Every now and then I like to have my brain taken to strange places. And sometimes I just want to read a straight on adventure story. This is certainly NOT a straight on adventure story.

EARTH 2 #7: Word of the new Wonders and their battle in Washington, D.C. spreads across the world. Alan Scott has been reported alive and well. But he is far from well, as the death of his fiancé Sam is casugin him to wllow in grief. Hawkgirl arrives at his Manhattan apratment and reveals herself as treasure hunter Kendra Munoz-Saunders. Despite her pleas, he refuses to join her and Flash. Back at World Army headquarters. the council insists that Terry Sloan stay with the group, deapite Khan's complaints regarding Sloan’s actions during the Grunday incident. Unbeknownstr to the World Army, Khan has sent Wesley Dodds’ to Paris to investigate a base Khan believes Sloan has there. They don’t find Sloan, but Michael Holt, who attacks the Sandmen before being taken out by the Sandmen. They destroy the Paris base and hope that once they deprogram Mr. Terrific they may be able to make use of him. Back at World Army HQ, Sloan lays claim to the Red Tornado Project for his own evil reasons.

This is truly one of my consistent favorites from this batch of DC NEW 52 titles. While some fans went ballistic when it was revealed the new Alan Scott was gay, I think that their take on these classic heroes is wonderful. Don’t forget: this was the universe that, before CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, had a grown up Robin fighting crime and had both Batman and his wife die. And Superman was a much older version than the one we knew and loved (I say knew and loved because the new Superman is far younger). James Robinson, Yildiray Cinar and Trevor Scott continue to do phenomenal work on this title that is fun and engaging while carving new territory. And just how rotten will Terry Sloan, the ORIGINAL Mr. Terrific, turn out to be?

FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #15: When we last left this title, Velcoro was dead and Frankenstein was fighting an island. Golden Robot Women become a Flaming Golden Sword and Frankenstein carves up the island, removing the last piece of the  Soulgrinder in the process. At this point, he needs to return to Nina and the remaining scientists from S.H.A.D.E. to reconstruct Soulgrinder. He heads off to Monument Valley  and makes his way to the top a butte while Khalis remains below fighting and eventually losing to The Rot. Frankenstein recreates the Soulgrinder and shoves Victor through it. Victor is destroiyed but Nina is changed into a Frankencreature in the process. The remainder of the scientists line up, walk through it, creating an army of Rot-Proof Frankensteins to defeat Arcane. But Nina is carrying Frankenstein’s child, so this final battle could be interesting.

So this Victor Frankenstein storyline is wrapped up in the penultimate issue of this title, leading to the final battle against The Rot before our heroes, or what is left of them, get rolled into JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK. Matt Kindt is doing a great job of picking up the pieces and tying up loose ends while Alberto Ponticelli has progressed from the early issues until now and has become quite a major artistic player in the process. I will truly miss this title.

GREEN LANTERN #15:  In Dearborn, Michigan, Simon arrives at the home of the guy who owned the van he stole. Once inside, Simon sees blueprints on Wale's table. Wale reveals that the bomb was supposed to go off under the bridge. So Wale decides to kill him, covering up his attempted crime and looking like an American hero in the process. Simon attempts to escape, as his ring has run out of power.  Wale catches Simon, but Agent Fed enters the house and aims his gun at Wale. That is when the Third Army enters, assimilating Wale as Simon and Fed escape into the basement, where they find bomb-making facility. Fed declares Simon innocent, they arm a bomb and escape before the blast that kills the Third Army soldiers. Just then, Green Lantern B'dg appears, saying he is trying to find Hal Jordan before the Guardians realize that the Green Lantern Corps knows “they have gone mad”. Meanwhile, in the Dead Zone, Hal and Sinestro speak to the cloaked figure who says he was both Sinestro's enemy and Hal's friend and tells them they are dead. On Oa the Guardians extract more power from the First Lantern, Volthoom, who promises revenge on the Guardians. 

Despite the fact that I really don’t care for the new Green Lantern, this book continues to turn in directions that upset the old GL status quo. Geoff Johns continually turns in a great story with punchy dialogue. Doug Mahnke also turns in another great looking issue. All in all, I can’t wait to see how this all ends and what the next major crossover, involving the First Lantern, will do.

HUMAN BOMB #1: This is the story of former Marine Sergeant Michael Taylor. He’s doing work at Ground Zero when it appears another terrorist attack is occuring. One of his co-workers begins to smolder and shouts “Remember the C.R.O.W.N.” before exploding. Taylor flashes back to an incident in Afghanistan three years ago where an attack occurs, not by the Taliban, but by the agents of  C.R.O.W.N. They are a terror organization made up of five terror groups: Capricorn, Renegade, Orbital, Warriors and Nezbali. Taylor awakens and it immediately attacked by another agent seeking to diffuse him. It seems Taylor has explosive powers and is referred to a Human Bomb 17. Meanwhile the head of S.H.A.D.E., Uncle Sam, observes the actions on one of a multitude of monitors and orders Taylor taken in.

Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti make a great tag team. Just look at their work on ALL STAR WESTERN. This is such an unusual take on a classic character that was not a member of either the original Earth 1 or Earth 2 DC. The Human Bomb was a part of the Quality Comics characters that were acquired by DC back in 1956 who eventually became a member of the FREEDOM FIGHTERS (a team that included Black Condor, The Human Bomb, Phantom Lady, Doll Man, The Ray and Uncle Sam. The artwork by Jerry Ordway is his usual superb style and I could look at his work all day long. Yes, I have been a long time fan and his style has not dropped in quality one bit over the years. This title has potential, although I do get leery of these four issue mini-series as some of them start out great (HUNTRESS) and flounder and others (PHANTOM LADY) just were awful from the start. I will probably do issue #2 and see where it takes me. Personally, I think these four issue mini series should end up being story arcs in DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS as opposed to getting their own mini-series. But that’s why I don’t run the marketing department at DC.

I VAMPIRE #15: Andrew Bennett, Charles Thompson and Tig break into Van Helsings’ castles and begin to take these vampire hunters apart. Andrew confronts the second-in-command, announcing he only wants to talk. This brings forth the former leader, who has been stitched together like Frankenstein after Andrew tore him apart twelve times in a row. Andrew and his companions head toward the Van Helsings' archives with the leader following them. Meanwhule, Mary Seward, John and Deborah have made their way to Bennett’s Wood to attempt to raise a spectral impression of Andrew's death, which would allow them to see who turned him, hunt that person down and restore Andrew. When the apparition appears, Mary recognizes it as Andrew's former carriage driver. He only recalls that the killer had a horrifying face. What they eventually find is Cain, who is now also a human, and he admits he created Andrew. Down in the archives of Van Helsings’, Andrew finds the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Upon opening it, they end up in a pocket dimension containing Van Helsings’ armory which has all the magical weapons known to kill vampires. 

This story continues to rock on! I love Joshua Hale Fialkov’s story and the vampire mythos we know an love continues to crumble with each successive issue. I am disappointed with Dennis Calero doing the art. His work is good, but he’s no Andrea Sorrentino, who now moves over to GREEN ARROW. In fact, with Sorrentino and Jeff Lemire handling that title, it may end up in my shopping cart in the future. But that’s not what we’re talking about here. This is vampires at their best, as opposed to what Marvel is attempting to do with Morbius. Read this one, NOT that one!

BEFORE WATCHMEN Month 4

RORSCHACH #2:  After nearly being beaten to death, Walter Kovacs tries to have a meal at his favorite diner.  It’s Rawhead, the drug kingpin who was responsible for beating him that he wants. And soon is on the street causing havoc to some of Rawhead’s men. The kingpin is far from happy and takes it out on one of his men. After a rather disgusting trip to the diner, Walter spends three days in Bellevue’s emergency room being treated for his injuries. He then goes back to his mission, loaded up on stolen pills. He captures a local pimp and proceeds to torture him to find Rawhead, but some of the gang are heading to help.

This is more like it! This issue makes me want to take a big bath! Brian Azzarello writes the story like he’s doing Phillip Marlowe. And he does it better than Frank Miller ever could. And how much darker and totally disgusting can Lee Bermejo make this? Nothing I like better than blood, guts and vomit! 

DR. MANHATTAN #2:  Jon Osterman continues to observe his younger, pre-accident self and the decisions he could have made in his life. It all revolves around taking the left turn or the right turn and there is even a wonderful story about Erwin Schrӧdinger’s cat theory of quantum observation. When all is done, Dr. Manhattan wonders what it is he has actually done.

This is a fascinating look at what would be or what was. Does the Comedian get to assassinate JFK or does he get stopped? (Which reminds me-haven’t we seen Eddie KILL JFK in Dallas? But in THE COMEDIAN #1, he weeps with Moloch upon hearing the news.) Does Nixon resign in scandal or make his way into a third term.  As I have said before, you truly have to know WATCHMEN to understand this book. J. Michael Straczynski rewrites history by giving our character choices to change history. And the art by Adam Hughes continues to devastate!

MINUTEMEN #4:  Hollis Mason goes to Maine to visit Byron Lewis, in an attempt to explain his book to him. The former Mothman is a catatonic mental patient unaware of his old friend even being there. This leads to a flashback to 1946 to Silhouette's murder. Drummed out of the Minutemen after her lesbian relationship became public, she remained as a team with Nite-Owl, and Mothman to find the "Friend of the Children" murderer. In turn, the women are butchered by the Liquidator. The Minutemen proceed to track down the Liquidator but its Silk Spectre who captures and beats him to death. She quits the team.  At Silhouette’s graveside, Sally Jupiter reunites with the Comedian, who has become a war hero. He tells of being injured and nursed back to health by a local woman and her son. He also reveals how the Comedian took his revenge. When his commander found out, he ordered an artillery strike that killed the pair. Later, Nite-Owl and Mothman listen to an audio tape Nite-Owl had taken from Gretchen’s apartment. It reveals how Gretchen met Ursula and her sister Blanche at an orphanage in Linz. The women fell in love and planned to escape with Blanche to the United States. The Nazis took Blanche Away and despite a rescue attempt, Blanche had been killed during experiments. The issue ends with Hooded Justice dreaming about being lost at a circus and he wakes up screaming.

Again, Darwyn Cooke shows a complete love for these characters. The death of Silhouette comes to the forefront and the effects of that death revolves around the entire cast. This is truly my favorite book of the series.

NITE OWL #4: Rorschach is chained to a pile of corpses, courtesy of Reverend Taylor Dean. It seems the good Reverend began his career of murder by killing his mistress and from there went on a one-man campaign to kill the sinners. Now he is about to cover up his handiwork by burning the place down and taking Rorschach with it. Even as the flames lick at him, Rorschach breaks free and heads upstairs, where Twilight Lady is battling the Reverend. Just when it seems like the masked girl will fall, Rorschach arrives and impales the clergyman with the THE END IS NIGH sign. Before the book is finished, Dan permanently takes over for Hollis Mason and we learn that Rorschach killed his own father. Unfortunately, Dan’s crush on Twilight Lady is never reciprocated and, even during his relationship with Laurie, he is troubled because she could never fall in love with him. The book ends with Walter walking down the street carrying his sign.

This book never came up to the level of the rest of the series. J. Michael Straczynski just didn’t quite get up to the places his compatriots did and the death of Joe Kubert certainly didn’t help the timeliness of the title. With son Andy providing the pencils and Bill Sienkiewicz providing the inks, it is a shadow of the book it could have been. To say the whole series was a kinky, nudity filled mess would be an understatement.

OZYMANDIAS #4: Ozymandias origin story continues. He meets President Kennedy and acts as an advisor of sorts during the Cuban Missile Crisis, recommending that Dr. Manhattan is used only as a last resort. Later, he watches the Kennedy assassination as it is played out on the multiple screens within his Fortress. He ends up following the careers of Rorschach, Night Owl and all the other heroes of the day. He is there when the first and last meeting occurs and he decides that he must save the world from itself.`

Len Wein and Jae Lee continue weave the tale of the mastermind behind the Watchmen. The smartest man in the world proceeds to his ultimate motives and this is a beautifully crafted tale of his rise to that point. The one thing that can be said about this series is that it features some of the most amazing art in comics today. Well done.

SILK SPECTRE #4:  Greg breaks up with Laurie and she wants to come home, even though mom is still giving her grief over the phone. Hollis Mason continues his search for Laurie and ends up hooking up with Greg and company. Back at their “pad”, Hollis and Greg argue about Sally Jupiter and the way of the world. Laurie comes home to find the place trashed by a fight between Hollis and two of Gurustein’s girls. Having completely had her fill of Gurustein, she puts on her costume and heads to his place. There she finds some executed loose ends with the Chairman of the Board on his way out of town. A brawl ensues and she ends up stabbing him in the throat with one of her high heeled boots. Staggering into the street, he becomes the hood ornament of a city bus. Soon after, there is a going away party and Laurie and Hollis head back home. Not long after, she finds herself at the first meeting of the Crimebusters where she meets Dr. Manhattan.

This was a very interesting and violent end to this mini-series. Darwyn Cooke and Amanda Conner through four great issues that didn’t disappoint truly captured the feel of the Sixties and did so in beautifully illustrated fashion. I have always felt that Amanda Conner was a truly great artist who was totally underappreciated by the masses. This book proves how incredibly talented she is. Suffice it to say, I think this is some of her best work to date.

COMEDIAN #4: Eddie is back in Viet Nam, fighting the good fight. But the wear and the carnage, even is he is responsible for much of it, begins to take it’s toll. Rumors circulate the Robert Kennedy is running for President and Eddie tries desperately to get in touch with him to no avail. Leaving his house boys behind, aptly named Hearts and Minds, he heads out on a mission, fueled by LSD bearing his happy face symbol.

As much as I hate to say it, we get another totally boring issue from the creative pen of Brian Azzarello. His dialogue is wonderfully rhythmic and I love that part of it. but the story itself is boring to the point of disgust. If I wanted a long drawn out sequence in Southeast Asia, I would just go watch FULL METAL JACKET or APOCALYPSE NOW. It won’t be long now when the news of the assassinations of 1968 come through. Heck: maybe Eddie is responsible for those also. J.G. Jones art can’t save this title, which only has two issues left to go.

MOLOCH #1: Moloch’s life story is not a pretty one. Born a misshapen freak named Edgar William Jacobi who was scorned by everyone from his family to his classmayes, he went to the circus and discovered magic. Learning tricks from Mr. Fantasico, Eddie soon learns enough to dazzle his classmates. One in particular, Marie, becomes the object of his affection, until she betrays him and her lover Dave pays for it with a rather gruesome death. At bthis point, Eddie hits the road, performing on the vaudeville circuit under the name of Moloch the Mstic.  He was also honing his craft as a bank robber by using his various tricks to get away.  He and his gang had beigger and better heists and evengtually ran afoul of the Minutemen. and gets arrested  This happens over and over again until he eventually finds God while in prison. When he is at least released, he is greeted by Ozymandias who has a proposition for him.   

This two issue mini-series is brought to us by the talented team of J. Michael Straczynski and Eduardo Risso. And, as much as I would like to love it, I find it boring. Moloch’s character is a poor, mistreated child who uses his talent to become a poor, mistreated evil man. If you k now WATCHMEN at all, you can see where this is headed: Ozymandias hires Moloch somehow to play a part in the grand scheme. Been there, done that. However, Risso’s art is dynamite!

And, as a continued bonus, each issue, with the exception of NITE OWL #2, which shipped so late that the installment has not been included, has two pages from John Higgin’s pirate drama(as he is now writing and illustrating) THE CURSE OF THE CRIMSON CORSAIR. RORSCHACH concludes the Evil That Men Do arc and DR. MAHATTAN #2 brings us a new arc. Wide Were His Dragon Wings. In it, our hero seeks the second piece which will set him free and, in doing so, survives ritualistic cultists and even encounters and old acquaintance.

DC's NEW 52 MONTH 14 Part 2

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #14: John Constantine worries about where Zatanna and Timothy Hunter were taken by the Books of Magic. Steve Trevor has recruited Dr. John Peril to help decipher the Books, but it may take years to do that. Peril Books' decryption, though, Dr. Peril suggests using Dr. Mist's ability to absorb magic. Reluctantly, Trevor agrees. Meanwhile Princess Amaya, Black Orchid, and Frankenstein get bored and tour the House of Mystery with interesting results and experiences. One of these is discovered by Black Orchid, who learns that Constantine has been tracking the entire Superhuman community, with a bulletin board full of copious notes on each one. The Phantom Stranger arrives and tells Constantine that a war is coming and it’s time to pick a side. Pandora stands on the hill watching the conversation.

Jeff Lemire continues to turn this non-team upside down. And now he throws in The Phantom Stranger. And he WRITES his dialogue better than Dan Didio does. Legendary illustrator Graham Nolan provides the art this issue and he has not lost a step. His lines are clean and his style is bold. I love this title and it seems to be back on track after a few issues where it limped along badly.
 
NIGHTWING #14: Nightwing finds himself hunting for Lady Shiva after a trail of murders in Gotham points to her. He’s also still trying to make the whole Amusement Mile project that he has put all his money into work. Lucius Fox informs or hero that there is an S.E.C. investigation, where Sonia Branch will be appearing, and Nightwing deduces that Lady Shiva may be in town to kill all the witnesses. This leads to a confrontation and a battle between Nightwing and the assassin. He manages to stop the hit on Sonia and they battle some more. She beats him down fairly well and flees, leaving him begging to know who hired her. It seems The Penguin was responsible for that and killing Sonia was never in the plan. We end with The Joker breaking Raya Vestri out of Blackgate Prison. Could she be the NEXT Harley Quin?

Okay…Tom DeFalco, in his role as guest writer, has managed to move the story along…somewhat…and brought The Joker in for an unofficial start to the DEATH OF THE FAMILY crossover. Personally, I found the issue long and boring. I really didn’t care to have Nightwing battle this great assassin, who we reintroduced in NIGHTWING #0. This totally felt like a fill-in issue designed to get us to DEATH OF THE FAMILY. Andres Guinaldo provides the art and it looks like everyone else in the DC Universe peanut gallery as of late. This is so starting to remind me of the Seventies when Marvel’s idea of “House” style was to bring in as many unknown artists from other countries as possible and let them loose on drawing boards. They all drew the same stuff and were interchangeable. The same is happening on many DC books and THAT is becoming a huge problem for me. Better luck next issue, Little Caped Crusader.

PHANTOM STRANGER #2: Pandora begins the issue by confronting The Phantom Stranger at his kids’ soccer game and accuses him of living the life of a lie. Returning home later, he finds Trigon’s son Belial waiting for him. After a heated debate, Terrence Thirteen calls. He is descended from Terrence Thirteen from ALL STAR WESTERN and he has evidence that the curse put on his family by the Haunted Highwayman worked. And that’s pretty obvious when the Highwayman shows up and strings him up in a noose. The book ends with Jim Corrigan looking for The Phantom Stranger. Considering the Stranger was responsible for Corrigan becoming the Spirit of Vengeance, this could be a problem.

This book is so much like a car wreck that I can’t believe it. Not only does it read like a smoldering dung heap, it LOOKS like one too. Brent Anderson is an incredible artist but Phil tan is inking him and now it looks like badly delineated pencil sketches that have been colored with colored pencils. Here is the other reason this is like a car wreck: I cannot stop reading it! I hate this book and I loathe what Dan Didio is doing to some of the cooler characters in DC Universe history. But I can’t stop reading in the hopes that something good will eventually come from it.

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #14: Superman stops the H.M.S. Depalo, on it’s way back to Earth, to talk with Starfire. No one wants to talk with him, so Orn offers to teleports them to Earth with a cloaking program. They land on Starfire’s island. Superman arrives to ask what Starfire knew about Helspont. She admits to having been contacted but turned down his offer. Jason brings Isabel to Gotham City and Jason spends some quality time in her apartment. Following a shower, he finds Isabel on the floor, seemingly suffering from a drug overdose. He notes that she looks just like his mother looked when her overdose was staged. Paramedics arrive to help. On television, weatherman Jack Napier admits that he called the EMTs and the police. GCPD arrives and arrests him

Scott Lobdell throws in his piece of this chapter from the DEATH OF THE FAMILY story. And I have to admit that’s a tough thing to do and I give credit to him and any of the writers who find themselves having to continue their regular storyline and then wrap this sub-plot into it. Lobdell does a nice job of it. And Pascal Alixe contributes a decent looking issue to go with it. Personally, I would love to see either Ale Garza or Brett Booth doing this issue regularly.

RED LANTERNS #14: The Red Lanterns have survived their encounter with the Third Army, but not without causalities. Skorch, along with the women they went to save, found themselves converted and killed. Skorch’s ring tries to fly off to find a new Lantern but fails. Returning to Ysmault,  Atrocitus uses his blood magic to learn the origins of the Third Army. To feed the Power Battery, Atrocitus assigns each of the Lanterns to seek out a different sin. Zilius Zox is sent out to seek crimes of oppression. Bleez must seek passion and depravity. Skallox is given fear. Then the corpse of the Third Army soldier, which has bonded with a rat, attacks them only to fall to defeat. Ratchet is told to guard the Power Battery while Rankorr returns to Earth to avenged his grandfather). Atrocitus goes to Ryutt to search for the remains of the Manhunters. When he arrives, he has a hallucination of the destruction of his Ryutt.

Peter Milligan continues to write a less than stellar book. I have to admit that maybe vengeful space fiction is not his forte. Let him go back to JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK or let him work on one of the other “Dark” titles. Miguel Sepulveda artwork, however, is pretty much the highlight of this series.

SUICIDE SQUAD #14: We start the issue at Deadshot’s “funeral”. At least it seems that way. The Joker shows up and knocks out everyone attending the funeral with some green Joker rain. So, with the team knocked out, Mr. J. proceeds to show his passion to his favorite girl, the former Dr. Harleen Quinzel,  by beating her up and threatening to modify her looks with a straight razor. He’s ready to open up Deadshot’s casket but a deal gets struck and she ends up she puts on a Red Hood and shows up in BATMAN #13. To pay her back, he decides to hang her from a chain. Meanwhile, Amanda Waller heads down to the lab to check in on her Samsara Project, which includes having Mitch Shelley’s hand. Iceberg has grown a new hand made entirely of ice. El Diablo is being deprogrammed and King Shark are being deprogrammed and a visit from Yo-Yo. Lastly, Amanda and Black Spider have a chat about the future of super-powered beings in this world. 

Adam Glass does a great job of weaving our regular tale with the DEATH OF THE FAMILY plot pieces that he has been handed. Fernando Dagnino turns in his usually awesome job on the artistic side. And if you think Deadshot is dead, think again. Don’t forget: Amanda Waller has Mitch Shelley’s hand. Wonder what kind of regeneration damage that could do to our favorite assassin.

SUPERMAN #14: The book beghins with Clark and Lois are arguing about relationships. Supergirl, who Lois thinks is actually Clark’s cosplaying girlfriend, interrupts them. When Lois leaves, Clarks flies Supergirl off and verbally beats her up for risking revealing his secret identity. She proceeds to tells him about H’El, who arrives and tries to convince Clark he is a long lost Kryptonian. H’El brings out an unconscious Superboy, whose neck he is about to snap. So Superman attacks him. H’el then disguises himself as Superman to fool Kara and take her out of the fight. Superboy regains consciousness and helps Superman, who is taking a bit of a beating from H’el. Superman declares Superboy under his protection and H'El leaves, planning to save Krypton with Kara's help.

Now, to fully understand what is going on, I guess you have to read SUPERBOY #14 and then SUPERGIRL #14. These were both books I used to read, but no longer do because I hated the way their characters were being presented. Unfortunately, I am not totally thrilled with this issue either. Scott Lobdell, whose dialogue and characterization on various DC titles have caused me to rave about his work, leaves me high and dry on this one. And Kenneth Rocafort, while a well-respected artist, has a style that just doesn’t fit this book. Can I have George Perez and Jesus Merino back…PLEASE?!

SWAMP THING #14: We begin with Swamp Thing losing a battle against a rot fueled Superboy, but eventually gets the upper hand taking out the rotting Boy of Steel and the Teen Titans. Then we get the story of Abby’s adventure during the start of The Rot invasion. Finding out that Abby allegedly fell during the start of the invasion, Swamp Thing and Deadman leave The Green while Poison Ivy stays behind to protect the Parliament. Swamp Thing crafts a boat out of a leaf and he and Deadman head up the coast to Gotham to look for Batman. But that journey ends quickly as they get devoured by William Arcane.

Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette turn in another stellar and truly weird performance here as the next chapter in the ROTWORLD story continues to unfold. There isn’t much more to say about the book than this: it makes a valid attempt at trying to duplicate the grandeur of the classic series while paving a bold new path. This is great, creepy reading at its best, further proving that THE DARK corner of the NEW 52 is pretty grim!

TEAM 7 #2: When we last joined Team 7, they were on Facility 9, a floating prison ship, and being attacked by a group of inmates affected by Eclipso. As the team battles, Bronson takes out a group of the inmates but goes out of control and ends up smashing through a wall. The team races to the communication center. They need to contact the pilot and evacuate Facility 9. They arrive and discover footage of the experiment that created these mini Eclipsos. It seems that a researcher from Arkham experimented on their prisoners using a serum called Variant 9.  Waller theorizes that the ship is headed towards Gamorra (go check out your old Wildstorm books, folks!).  The team reaches the center of the ship and battles with the Eclipsed Master, who is there with Dr. Akara from Arkham. Akara manages to create a light device, draining the master long enough for the team to permanently take him out. Akrara reveals they are NOT going to Gamorra but to Sentinel Island where Eclipso, the REAL Eclipso, awaits.

There are so many good and bad things I have to say about this book. First, I wasn’t going to read it after wading through issues #0 and #1. But the lure of Eclipso brought me here. Also the fact the legendary artist Ron Frenz did the art brekdowns helped. Couple to those tings with the fact that this looks and feels like a bad/good Nineties comic and the temptation was overwhelming. Thus ends the good. Over on the bad side of the ledger? The book is filled with clichéd characters, even of many of them have become clichéd characters in the present NEW 52 Universe. And very badly written. Who edits this thing? Eddie Berganza? SHAME ON YOU!!! On page one; Waller says that they only have so many bullets left. On page two;  Fairchild says the same thing. OKAY-WE GET IT! You are running out of bullets! SHEESH!!! Justin Jordan’s book features some of the dumbest dialogue next to THE PHANTOM STRANGER. I KNOW Eclispso is the next big crossover, but I just can’t BEAR this nightmare.

TEEN TITANS #14: Red Robin, Wonder Girl and Superboy continue the battle against Diesel. In a cave they find inscriptions referring to Trigon. Diesel arrives and kidnaps Cassie, which causes red Robin, who has a major crush on her, to freak out. Diesel monologues about embracing the Silent Armor. She tries to convince him that she loves him, to no avail. She reveals that she has control of the lasso and uses it to suck both the armor and the life from him. Meanwhile, the rest of the team are hanging out ina motel in New Jersey. Amanda Waller’s merecenary Lance projects himself into Solstice head and tells her he can turn her back to normal if she betrays the Teen Titans. Eventually, all six Titans end up at Lex Towers in Manhattan. Superboy heads off to the story in his book while Red Robin goes off to deal with some “family business.”  The next day, they discover a mannequin made up like Red Robin with a knife stuffed through it and a note saying GONE FISHING.

Okay, now that we have finished with the origin of Wonder Girl, can this book get back to being something worth reading? Oh wait: not until we deal with the official DEATH OF THE FAMILY tie-in next issue. It’s nice to see Scott Lobdell still banging out great dialogue even if the story is a bit weak. Ale Garza does the artistic turn this issue and I hate it! Give me Brett Booth not an issue filled with weak pencils that have never been finished. That just makes me want to read and review this title that much less.

WONDER WOMAN #14: back in Antarctica, the scientists are with the giant they unearthed. Most of them do not know who he is, which greatly upsets the giant. He has spent 7,000 years digging himself out of the ice to find out that no one remembers him because Zeus wiped him out of existence. One scientist explains that his story was tattooed on a mummified witch. After an brief explanation, he realizes his rival is Apollo. Meanwhile, in Lybia, Siracca has attacked Wonder Woman. Apparently she met Hera in 1917 as she watched her mother suffocated in a sandstorm and then found the flesh ripped from her bones and she was turned into dust. Zeus resurrected her and turned into an agent of the wind. She explains that Hera had made her suffer also and now she is asking Siracca to help her find Zola’s missing child. Siracca listens to the wind to try and hear Hermes voice, so they can find him with no lock. She suggests that their brother Milan be brought in to assist. The gods on Mount Olympus are concerned about the prophecy that a child of Zeus would murder another to take the throne. Some think itmay be Diana. But, while all this occurs, Orion learns from Highfather that there is danger coming which could mean the end of the Source itself. This would cause the end of time and apparently originates on Earth.

Finally, after the whole DEATH OF THE NEW GODS story in the OLD DCU, we get the introduction of the New Gods in the NEW 52 Universe. Can the rest of the Fourth World be far behind? And how cool would that be? Wait: we can let Dan Didio write it. We already know that he knows how to handle classic characters. Can we get Prez, Brother Power The Geek, and Kamandi back while we are at it? Just sayin’! Back to THIS book. Brian Azzarello brings the fire, the mystery and the intrigue to this title and it IS STILL among my favorites. Tony Akins does a decent job of  doing a Cliff Chiang imitation, but he’s only an imitation. Sorry Tony! But, we do get a Chiang cover!

WORLD’S FINEST #6: We begin with The Huntress in Gotham City ready to make another withdrawal from Bruce Wayne’s account. Robin catches her in mide withdrawl and proceeds to monologue with her. She turns the tables by letting loose with the knowledge that Bruce Wayne is Batman and therefore this is his son Damien. So much for having secret identities. Meanwhile, Power Girl is in space adding something she has designed to Morgan Edge’s communications satellite. The device scans the Earth for signs of energy from Apokolips.. On reentry, she almost has a near collision with Supergirl.  Then she heads to Gotham, where the siblings’ from different worlds are brawling with each other. Robin trashes Huntress and she ends up in a dumpster. He states that money has been disappearing from Bruce’s account weekly and she insists that she had only taken money once before today. Curiouser and curiouser. Next issue: they all team up and the secret of Earth 2 gets revealed…maybe!

Just when I thought I was out…they drag me back in again. I picked up this issue solely because it had a battle between Huntress and Robin and then found myself thoroughly enjoying the whole thing. It wasn’t as corny as previous issues and it wasn’t as dependent on back-story as previous issues. Paul Levitz turns in a fun tale featuring two brawling siblings from different worlds. And the art of Kevin Maguire and George Perez just shines. Okay guys: I’m in for at least another issue!

DC's NEW 52 MONTH 14

ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #1: This story takes place after ACTION COMICS #8(which, for those who don’t recall, introduced Metallo and had Superman reveal his Kryptonian costume to the world).  A guy named Ramsay wants revenge on Superman for putting in a hospital for to beating on his wife(this happened WAY BACK in ACTION COMICS #1). So he volunteers to be a part of Project K-Man, which is supposed to be a defense against Superman. Soon he and Superman are fighting and John Henry Irons/Steel has to come and assist as K-Man is powered by Kryptonite. Steel hands Superman a bag which turns out to be a radiation suit. Together, Steel and Superman defeat K-Man. Soon after this tale ends, Steel travels the world helping poor countries with their technology. Lex Luthor and Professor Abernathy, have discovered that Kryptonite is Superman’s weakness and plan for the future. Meanwhile, General Lane makes a deal with K-Man, but he needs them to find his wife first. We also get a silent back up story which shows the origin of The Atomic Skull. 

So there we have it: the origin of two new Superman villains, presented to you by Sholly Fisch and Cully Hamner, and Max Landis and Ryan Sook. The K-Man character is dumb and sports a moustache straight out of a bad Seventies porn movie! The Atomic Skull piece, even without saying a word, has much more energy and introduces a character who, at one time, was a major player in the Superman Universe. Let’s hope he is again, because K-Man is a poor man’s Mentallo!

ACTION COMICS #14: We have a Mars research team in dire trouble. Their mechanical equipment has developed a mind of it’s own (go back to issue #3). Superman arrives, promising to save everyone, even those trapped outside of the dome the team members are hiding in. Metalek has possessed the machines and is taken down quite quickly by the man of Steel. Then he hears singing. The Metaltek were feeling the Multitude and the Multitude is here. Looking like angels, complete with flaming swords, they have sharp teeth and begin to eat everything in sight, including the Metalteks concludes they must be on their way. Superman says his father repelled the Multitude and so would he. Superman concludes that a massive power burst would destroy the Multitude. So the team hook up the two ends of the broken power cable to him and run 10 gigawatts through him. Defeating the Multitude, they all leave the dome to find the 11th scientist (the team only had 10). Superman recognizes him as Vyndktvx: an Imp from the 5th dimension. Taking his revenge on Superman for ruining his plan, he melts the faces off all of the team and kills them all, before revealing himself as a three faced demon. In the back-up tale, Superman goes to an observatory to witness the ghost of Krypton, complete with guest appearance by famed astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson.
 
This is a great action story that turns into a bummer ending, for me at least. We watch the Man of Steel save the day only to have everyone die, including the kids, at the hands of a VINDICTIVE)get the name) demon? C’mon Grant: that’s just a great way to lead us to the next issue and do so on such a gross downer that I can hardly believe you did it. This is CERTAINLY not an issue suitable for small kids because that would freak them out for weeks! And, as far as the back-up story by Sholly Fisch and Chris Spouse: do we need it? Give me back a $2.99 comic and lose the cute story.

ALL-STAR WESTERN #14: Mr. Hyde want the Black Diamond and meat. Dr. Jekkyl’s assistant Reginald has been told to kill Hyde if he does not change back, so he does. Jekkyl insists Reginald get Jonah Hex. Hex is at Haly’s Circus taking the remainder of the formula from the snake oil salesman, although much of it has been sold to the Golden Dragons. Hex, Tallulah Black and the Barbary Ghost battle a band of people affected by the formula, but eventually win. Tallulah and The Ghost leave Gotham in search of the Ghost’s kidnapped mother. Later, Amadeus Arkham delivers the formula back to Dr. Jekkyl, but finds Hyde. He also finds Reginald's corpse in the bath. Hyde has been eating him. The reason the formula drives people mad is because it is missing one key ingrediant: the black diamond. In the backup, Tomahawk meets with his British allies, only to be betrayed and severs ties with them.
 
Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti weave their chapter in the Black Diamond Probability which will run throughout a good protion of the NEW 52 Universe in the next few months. It’s a great, grisly story which delivers all sorts of gory fun. And the introduction of the Barbary Ghost into the main storyline is genius. I knew she wasn’t just a unused character not to be used after her back-up appearances. And, as always, the art from Moritat is consistently great! What slams the book home is the killer cover from Ariel Olivetti. As far as the back-up goes: this ain’t your father’s(or grandfather’s) Tomahawk. This is one vengeful Native American who can’t figure out which side to be on. And it doesn’t do a whole lot for me. Just sayin’!

ANIMAL MAN #14: Residing in the Red Kingdom,  Buddy explains why he and Swamp Thing went on their mission. The Rot, fueled by Felix Faust and a zombie army, attacks the Red Kingdom. Faust has come to tell Buddy that The Rot has his daughter. Knowing it’s a trap, Black Orchid, Beast Boy, Steel, Constantine and Animal Man head off to find Maxine. They camp for the night, only to learn they have set up camp in New Gorilla City. They soon find themselves at the mercy of Grodd. Meanwhile, in a flashback, Maxine is running for her life but goes into hiding with a young boy named William Arcane.

Just when you think things can’t get worse, you find yourself camped out among Gorilla Grodd and company! Not to mention Maxine on the road with William Arcane!  Jeff Lemire and Steve Pugh continue to weave a gem of a tale that keeps me guessing with each installment. Great job!

AQUAMAN #14: We begin in 1820 with a raging storm and a ship pursuing and capturing an Atlantean. It seems they had captured his wife earlier and killed her. Just before the captain, who lost an eye to him, is about to kill the Atlantean, other Atlantean surround the ship. We cut to the present and Aquaman arranges for an audience with his brother the Ocean Master. They meet at the wreckage of the 1820 ship. Aquaman asks Orm if her had anything to do with the events of the first thirteen issues and Ocean Master denies involvement. He also asks if he plans to attack the surface world and that he also denies. We also learn the Atlanteans killed were the king and queen of Altantis. Meanwhile some Norway locals show him the body of an Atlantean soldier. He knows something is very wrong and dives into the sea. At Belle Reve Amanda Waller is attempting to convince Black manta to join the Suicide Squad. He claims he will not join the team and will “die only for Aquaman.” Finally, a mysterious stranger carries the Dead King's scepter releases the Trench creatures.

Writer Geoff Johns presents us with the first chapter, actually THE PRELUDE, to the THRONE OF ATLANTIS crossover with his JUSTICE LEAGUE title. It does a great job of setting things in motion. This book has developed much more of a serious tone in the last few months. What I always liked was the titles subtle humor among it’s action storyline. I do miss that a little, but I certainly can say that the hero has truly regained his place in the DC Pantheon of heroes. Ivan Reis leaves the book and is replaced by Pete Woods and Pere Perez. I was always a fan of Pete Woods work and now just need to adjust to it on this title. By the way, can you say POSSIBLE SPOILER? The cover shows Ocean Master holding the Dead King’s scepter.

BATGIRL ANNUAL #1: Batgirl is attempting to combat a series of arsons that have been set through Gotham City in recent weeks. She meets with Ricky who says he has no information on the arsons but writes the word "OWLS" on a dumpster. Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon visits the Talon who had released balloon bombs during the Night of the Owls.  You may recall this Talon was disfigured by balloon bomb attacks during World War II. Soon after Gordon leaves, Catwoman arrives, as she has been hired to free the Talon, who refuses to leave without her crayons. This is just long enough for a sadistic guard named Reeves to arrive, but Talon begins to shred his face and Catwoman forces her to leave so they won’t be captured. Catwoman suggests they look for the girl’s family and Talon writes "FamiLy Ded." Catwoman insists that THEY are now friends. Batgirl learns that someone named Parson has been paying for the arsons and she watches as Catwoman and Talon arrive at Parsons' place. Parsons and the Court are framing Bruce Wayne for the arsons. Parsons commands Talon to attack Catwoman, but Batgirl intervene. More Talons arrive and things look bad until Batgirl explains to the frmale Talon that Parons plans to burn innocent people just like her family. Talon turns and attacks the other Talons. Parsons gets a phone call that informs him he is no longer of use to the Court and he commits suicide. Police arrive and Batgirl take Talon somewhere safe. In exchange, Catwoman gives herself up to the police. And we learn that the Talon’s name is Mary.
 
Gail Simone does a wonderful job of putting some humanity to these three female characters, especially Mary Talon. Could this be a set up for her to be the new Batgirl if Barbara Gordon goes down during Death of the Family? After all, we have had a MUTE BATGIRL before in the form of Cassandra Cain. Add to that some great looking art from Admira Widjaya and this issue is a winner!

BATGIRL #14: Barbara Gordon is about to race over to save her mom (she was being menaced by three goons in clown masks at the end of issue #13), when the phone rings again and it’s the Joker, who gives her a series of instructions to do is she wants to see her mother alive. Her first instruction is to make a sandwich and then put on her “work clothes”.  Just then three men break in. Barbara cleans their clocks and her roommate Alysia walks in. She tells Alysia to go to the police precinct and that she will never see her again, as she obviously fears for her roommate’s life. The Joker is holding Barbara’s mom in an old roller rink. He, of course killed everyone that was inside. Barbara bursts in and The Joker is happy to see her. She also learns it wasn’t The Joker on the phone, but her brother, James. He tells her that mom is sitting on a bomb and he has a plan to save her. He then gets on one knee and offers her mothers engagement ring to her (yes, it is still on the finger he has cut off), and asks her to marry him.

Okay, we all knew that The Joker was crazy but this ending helps to totally solidify it! Here’s our favorite psychotic lunatic, proposes to the girl he once paralyzed with her mom’s engagement ring…still on mom’s severed finger! Gail Simone: BRILLIANT!!! You have taken these characters to new and troubling heights and I love it. Couple that with Ed Benes art and you have a key book in the DEATH OF THE FAMILY storyline which apparently is leaving no stone unturned.

BATMAN #14: Batman manages to escape from the vat that Harley trapped him in at the end of the last issue.  Batman returns to the Batcave to discover that The Joker has kidnapped Alfred. On a tape left behind, we know that Alfred is alive but his eyes have been burned with ammonia. Batman visits Jim Gordon and tells him he believes he is the next victim. Insisting he needs to stay behind and fight, Gordon begins to bleed out of all his pores. He obviously stabilizes Gordon and meets with Nightwing. Obviously, The Joker is going to poison the water so he sends Dick to the Aqueduct while he heads to the reservoir. Joker is waiting for Batman at the reservoir. He detonates a bomb at the aqueduct just as Nightwing arrives and proceeds to tell Batman he has already killed the people near the reservoir. Batman gets captured and Joker explains that he knows who every one of them are. He doesn’t want Batman dead: he wants the Bat Family dead. He then claims to have a secret that Batman has been keeping from the family and he keeps it in a bat skin book. Lastly, he claims that Batman is going to be the one to kill the others. In the back-up, Penguin finds all the top lieutenants of every crime family in Gotham dead in a church. Joker has killed them with an umbrella, which would make all the crime families think Penguin is responsible. Joker wants Penguin as the crime boss of Gotham and all he has to do is deliver an invitation. Continued next month.

Scott Snyder: you certainly know how to stir the pot! And Greg Capullo and Dave Baron make the Clown Prince of Crime so creepy that it’s amazing. Where will all this lead? Who will be left standing when it’s all over? Why am I talking is questions? Tune in next month…same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel!

BATMAN AND ROBIN #14: Last issue, we had an eclipse and Gotham City was under attack by zombies. Batman is trying to tranquilize as many zombies as he can as they aren’t REAL zombies, just living people behaving that way (bath salts?). Meanwhile, the Saturn Club is kidnapping people so they can drink their blood and live forever. Robin manages to get free and escape with all of the kidnapped citizens. Batman, desperately trying to reach Robin on the communicator, finally catches up to Robin and the Saturn Club zombies and they take them down. We learn that The Joker is behind the Saturn Club romp which made Batman worry even more that Damian had allowed himself to be taken. Upset at disobeying him, Batman eventually tells his son that he is proud of him. That seems like a perfect hint that someone is going to die in the DEATH OF THE FAMILY and it may be Damien.

We end up with a great ending to a story that seems a little rushed here. What seemed like a tie-in to the upcoming Eclipso story ends up being a tie-in to the DEATH OF THE FAMILY? I’m a little confused by that, as the former seemed to be the perfect into to that upcoming crossover (it’s the NEW 52…EVERYTHING IS A CROSSOVER!!!). As usual, this a nicely written story by Peter J. Tomasi and killer art from Pat Gleason.

BATMAN INCORPORATED #5: Batman tells Damian how he needs to go back to his mother because he has seen the future. If Damian becomes Batman, everything “falls apart”. At this point, we are transported to the future world last seen in BATMAN #666. Damian is Batman battling in a post-apocalyptic Gotham. Barbara Gordon is commissioner and confined to a wheelchair. They make their home in Arkham Asylum. The Joker has released a plague. Batman has recently saved a child and it turns out that the child is a carrier of the plague and that has now infiltrated Arkham. Gordon becomes effected and shoots Batman. Before long, the government drops a nuke and Gotham is wiped out. Back in our world, members of Batman Incorporated are investigating a homeless shelter in Gotham and it seems that they are a target. There is a massive explosion and it looks like the team just got smaller.

Grant Morrison revisits one of my favorite storylines of the last few years and adds in new details. But, if that wasn’t enough, he drops a major twist into the very end of the book. This is such a great title…I absolutely love what Morrison has done. And Chris Burnham’s artwork grows on me with every issue. It’s cartoony and violent and remind me a lot of the work of a young Moebius.

BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #14: Batman, still reeling from Scarecrow’s toxin, takes the scythe to his shoulder. Batman responds by firing his grappling line through Scarecrow's jaw and into the ceiling of the room. Batman crawls out of the house while Scarecrow threads the line through his jaw and gets free. He hears Luz calling to him and carries her out. He urges her to run as the house explodes from a live wire igniting a gas leak. Batman gets found in an alley by Robin who gets him back home. Scarecrow has managed to escape the explosion and is hiding in the basement his father had locked him in as a child. He ends up at the Iceberg Casino where he pays The Penguin in diamonds for a devise Penguin has arranged to be constructed for the madman. The Gotham City Christmas Parade is coming and a blimp will release fear toxin upon all gathered there.

Gregg Hurwitz has truly crafted Scarecrow as a close runner up in the scary department to The Joker. This guy is a true tortured soul who believes in returning the favor on just about everyone. Truly some great dialogue and a lot of depth to Hurwitz’ writing. So we leave David Finch to totally handle the art duties and is providing some of  the best work of his career on this title.

BATWOMAN #14: We begin where we ended last isuue with Wonder Woman and Batwoman meeting Pegasus. We learn that his brother Falchion beat and tortured him and those are the wounds he still bears. He claims to know where Medusa has taken the children she had kidnapped. But he wants Wonder Woman to provide him with a warrior's death. She agrees and he tells her the children are in Gotham City. With that, she beheads him. Wonder Woman agrees to help Batwoman in Gotham City. Back in Gotham City, Medusa is loose, dragging all of the kidnapped children through the streets. With the help of Maro, Killer Croc becomes The Hydra. Just then, Batwoman and Wonder Woman arrive.

Thus, we race towards an exciting conclusion that is truly a long time in coming. W. Haden Blackman and J. H. Williams III continue to construct one of the coolest, most conflicted heroines in comics today. While she tries to fit into the Batman Family, she is truly an outsider with a lover she cannot reveal her greatest secret to. Read this title! It is such the switch from the normal heroine. And, here’s a cheap plug: go out and buy the new album by THE SWORD. Outside of it being a great sounding disc, the artwork is by J. H. Williams III!

BIRDS OF PREY #14: Here we are in Japan and Condor is battling the Birds of Prey, who want to find out what is going on with the missing Soultaker Sword. After being taken out by Canary’s Cry, he hands over the sword. But Katana refuses to leave Japan until the Dagger Clan is destroyed for dishonoring her. Not longer after, the Daggers overrun the Bird’s hideout. The team separates in an effort to escape the overwhelming odds. Starling tries to call Amanda Waller, but puts her on hold to fight the battle. The Daggers overcome Katana and they promise to make her punishment continue. Canary and Condor crash land in an alley and he knocks her unconscious with his mind powers. He claims he will not go down the same road he once did again

Confused? I sure am. We know that this is all about recovering the Soultaker Sword but now we have Condor doing his best Mentallo imitation (there’s an old school reference for you!?). Duane Swierczynski writes a fun tale but this whole storyline is getting old. Can we get back to the whole “whatever happened to Kurt Lance” story? PLEASE? Romano Molenaar and Vicente Cifuentes combine for an interesting looking book beaneath a horrible cover by Trevor McCarthy that is both confusing and garishly loud at the same time. This title has been so uneven.
 
CATWOMAN #13: It seems that Joker orchestrated whole exploding chess game. To save the life of a young boy, she agrees to go with The Joker and he proceeds to strap her to the Hell Hole Ride at the Elliot Beach Amusement Park. She gets taken apart by centrifugal force and a powerful stream of water, but gets awakened by a kiss from The Joker. He has her put on a new costume which, unfortunately, is covered with “rigor mortise paint” on the inside of it. He then proceeds to go on at length about her secrets, Batman’s secretes and his own alleged youth and abusive father. He then gives her the antidote and lets her go. She goes home, showers off the bat signal temporary tattoos her suit has left on her and arranges a meeting with Trip. He has never met The Joker and is just a middleman who picks up drops. Selina is paid well from The Joker. While pining for the Caped Crusader, The Joker returns and tells her that her love for Batman would ruin him. She tells the villain that it is he who loves Batman and he agrees. Then they both walk away.

Just so you know, this is not THAT kind of love. The Joker exists to be Batman’s enemy and vice versa. Without Batman, The Joker has no use. So he does not want to ill our hero; he just wants to torment him. This is a great story by Ann Nocenti with Rava Sandoval providing the art. This one story has managed to provide more insight into the crazed killer than almost all of the crossover stories thus far. While it further enhances what we already knew as far as the Batman/Joker connection, it propels the story that much further. And is there REALLY a little black book and are ALL those secrets it in? I cannot wait to see the resolution to that. But it won’t be in this title as it appears that our feline will be moving into the Eclipso storyline next month.

DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #14: Right before Blue Devil’s grandfather died, him that the suit he wears was more than a movie prop. So he chases after the bad guys responsible and discovers that Tobias Whale is the man behind the attack. At the same time, Black Lightning saves his dad from danger, with a little help from Blue Devil. They both learn that Whale put a hit out on both of them. At Dan Cassidy’s grandfather’s funeral, Dan runs into Jefferson Pierce and admits he realized Pierce was Black Lightning. Meanwhile, the sole survivor from the battle with the would-be heroes ends up at Whale’s place with the Demon’s Cup prop from the movie studio. Whale shoves it down the guy’s throat, and it brings forth Nebiros. Back at the movie studio, Cassidy and Pierce realize all the props are magic. And the suit Cassidy wears is the skin of a demon that has now fused to his body. Lastly, Whale and Nebiros make a deal.

Marc Andreyko and Robson Rocha are doing a great job of taking two mediocre characters from back in the day (Black Lightning from the 1970’s and Blue Devil from the glorious 1980’s) and giving them a whole new feel. Rocha’s art is very reminiscent of Paris Cullens work on BLUE DEVIL and I love it. As corny as that book was, it was one of my favorite guilty pleasure titles. Combine that with adding in of Devil’s chief baddie Nebiros and Lightning’s Tobias Whale, the African American Albino head of the Metropolis branch of the 100, and I’m in cheese heaven! Just don’t call the team BLACK AND BLUE or someone will have to sue!

DEMON KNIGHTS #14: So we begin with Jason Blood threatening to send himself to Hell to punish Etrigan for sending Xanadu to Hell. But the Questing Queen and Mordru arrive and convince him thisd would be a bad thing. Meanwhile, over in Hell, most of the Knights(except for Xanadu who is enslaved to Etrigan), are free of their personal hells and end up battling Etrigan. But that doesn’t last long as Mordru has the Demon and Jason swap places. Etrigan reveals his plan to allow Lucifer to seize Avalon, which Lucifer hears, of course.  Xanadu opens the way to Avalon but Lucifer is there. So are The Questing Queen, Mordru and their army. Oh, did I mention that we finally discover that The Shining Knight is really a hermaphrodite? Looks like that’s true. Hope that is not a problem for the Amazon who is after him/her.

Well, Paul Cornell nails this issue and many secrets are revealed. And the Quest for the Holy Grail continues among it all because, after all, that IS the main story here. Nice solid art from Bernard Chang as well. This book has suffered over the past few months, but seems to have improved with this one! Oh…by the way: HERMAPHRODITE!!! I knew that DC NEW 52 is designed to appeal to their diverse audience. Just how many hermaphrodites read comics? Just wondering! 

DETECTIVE COMICS #14: Bruce was narrowly escaping an assassination attempt at a dedication ceremony that was supposed to be his shining hour and not Oswald Cobblepot. In fact, Cobblepot ends up saving Bruce. Back at the cave, while trying to find a way to take the Penguin down, Batman notices that it looks like Poison Ivy may be back to the business of eco-terrorism. He meets up with her, but gets close enough that she can kiss him. But he’s not falling for her tricks as he has built something to shock his brain. Suddenly the room is filled with fumes and Batman is down for the count. Penguin’s henchmen take Ivy, but leave Batman. Batman awakens to a burning factory and Clayface who is screaming “What have you done with my wife?” In the back-up story, Ivy breaks into Arkham Asylum, breaks out Clayface and tells him they are getting married.

This bizarre issue begins with resolving the Penguin storyline from last issue and dropping in a new one involving Poison Ivy and the marriage of Clayface. I would not say this issue is a mess, but it sure jumps around a bit. Not to mention, it tries to tie itself into the DEATH OF THE FAMILY storyline with plot points here and there. John Layman does the best he can with the various plot threads he’s has had tossed at him while Jason Fabok does an adequate job with the art. Regarding the back-up tale, Layman and Andy Clarke shed some light into Poison Ivy’s nuptuals. 

DIAL H #6: Nelson is currently quarantined at Manteau’s house because the dial has made him into Chief Mighty Arrow: a stereotyped caricature of a Native American-VERY STEREOTYPED (think football mascot Redskin)! She shows him a photo album of all the identities she refused to use because they were too disgusting or the costume embarrassed her. Since they only have one working dial, they spend their days watching the news and waiting for crimes to occur. And they are currently supporting themselves by stealing money from the Phone Company. They see a hostage situation on tv, but before Chief Mighy Arrow can get there, his winged horse “Wingy” arrives and saves the day. Eventually the news reports a costumed villain just as Nelson transforms back to himself. It’s Manteau’s turn and she changes into some kind of Transformer like creature. As she leaves, she tells Nelson she has discovered something that may lead to another dial.

China Miéville continues to write one of the weirdest books on the shelf. And this one happens to be full of stereotypical characterizations. And a couple of well placed jabs at Alan Moore. What makes this particular issue rock is the pencils AND inks of Dave Lapham. I have not seen his work look so cool since his days of STRAY BULLETS. And I knew Lapham back in the day and have been a huge fan of his work. This is great to see him at the drawing table again.
 
EARTH 2# 6: We see Sloan denying Khan’s request to warn the heroes that there are nuclear missiles coming. Meanwhile, the Atom, Hawkgirl and Flash are trying to hold back Grundy as Alan Scott communicates with the illusion of his dead lover and learns how to stop Grundy from The Grey. Alan tosses Grundy to the moon and then grabs the missiles, tossing them into space. As he falls from space, Hawkgirl save Alan’s life. Alan thanks Flash and Hawkgirl for the help, but he’s not ready to be on a team and leaves.

A nice issue here although Alan Scott spending way too much time in the arms of his dead lover slowed the story way down! James Robinson and Nicola Scott do their job by turning these classic characters in new directions. And wait: next issue promises the return of Mr. Terrific who has been floating around and Missing In Action since bis own title got cancelled some months back.
 
FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF  S.H.A.D.E. #14: Frankenstein and his team are looking for three pieces  scattered all over the world that will help The Red and The Green fight The Rot. Early on, Velcoro and Frank find one in the stomach of a gigantic bull. They end up under the Golden Gate Bridge where they battle a giant rat. Then they end up flying a small plane to Easter Island to battle the creature that IS Easter Island. Velcoro is bitten in half and Frank, half buried in the earth from the fall, realizes there is more trouble ahead.

This title has quickly become “How fast can we wrap up storylines as the book has been cancelled and we need to finish things up!” What a shame! I truly loved this title, as it was fun and totally unexpected. Now it has become an also ran that has run out of gas. Matt Kindt was handed a book that Jeff Lemire had done a great job with and Alberto Ponticelli, as always, turns in a great job on the art. Two more issues to go and then we can hope these characters get rolled into JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK.

GREEN LANTERN #14: The RISE OF THE THIRD ARMY storyline continues. Hal and Sinestro have been taken out of action and the Guardians are in the process of using their Third Army to change the universe. The Guardians are also having discussions with the First Lantern, who we still do not know the identity of. The new Green Lantern, Simon, is face to face with the Justice League, who has arrived to stop him. Batman tries to take the ring and that is that. He forms a car and races off. He eventually creates a car crash and gets away. He meets up with his sister, who gives him a lead to finding out who is responsible for the bomb he was driving around with. Meanwhile, in the Chamber of Shadows, Black Hand has discovered where he and the other Guardians are there. Hal and Sinestro are also there, where they are greeted by a shadowy figure dressed telling Sinestro he must pay for his crime. 

Another great issue from Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke, although I do want this RISE OF THE THIRD ARMY crossover to end and get to where the future of this title is going. Will it be Simon, Sinestro or Hal in the suit and wearing the ring. Personally, I want my old Hal Jordan back, want Sinestro to regain his villain status again and lose Simon. His character is neither interesting nor appealing to me.

I, VAMPIRE #14: Deborah Dancer, retired vampire hunter, is at the mercy of Andrew Bennett and Tig. Mary Seward, no longer a vampire, along with Professor John Troughton, arrives to save the day. Troughton fires a water-gun full of kerosene onto theBennett and Tig and sets them on fire. The trio escape, but Deborah’s dog Mishkin is killed by Andrew, which buys them time to escape. But Mishkin gets resurrected and seeks food for his new master, which happens to be a nearby hunter. The trio arrive at Logan International Airport and prepare to head to the place where Andrew was originally turned. Andrew and Tig end up at the Oblivion Bar, where she picks up a young magician named Charles Francis Thompson. Andrew wants to make him the general in his new army and Thompson allows himself to be turned.

Joshua Hale Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino continue to make this the coolest vampire read outside of Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mystery books. The genre is turned upside down and the hero of one issue becomes the villain in the next. This is an amazing series!

JUSTICE LEAGUE #14: Superman has been bit by Cheetah and has gone savage. The tribe that worshiped Cheetah arrives and stuns Superman with some mystical horn. Cheetah flees with Flash, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman in pursuit. The tribe says the Cheetah used to help protect the tribe but a man killed the last Cheetah with a knife called the Godslayer. The blade became cursed and was eventually lost until Barbara found it. According to the tribe, the Cheetah is not the bad one- Barbara is. She gets captured by the League and ends up in Belle Reve, where she awaits Black Mantas arrival. Batman shows Wonder Woman that Barbara Minerva has multiple identities each with a long list of crimes attached to each. Superman takes her to Smallville and they once again share a kiss. And Batman is playing Peeping Tom. In the back-up, Black Adam comes to New York  to see how the world has changed. He also realizes that The Wizard has chosen a new champion. So he heads to Brooklyn and awakens Sloth, enlisting him to hunt down the new Champion.

Geoff Johns continues to elevate himself from the awful early part of this series. The dialogue doesn’t read as juvenile as it did, the plot is fun and the whole Superman /Wonder Woman/Batman triangle (not like that but he IS involved with THEIR relationship-why do you think they call it the Trinity?) is just so cool! Now we have Tony S. Daniel putting his stamp on this title instead of Jim Lee (KNEW THAT WOULDN’T LAST FOREVER!). And I love it! While his style is nowhere near as dark as it was on DETECTIVE COMICS or even on THE TENTH. As far as the SHAZAM tale: DC needs to give this story it’s own book. Giving us a back-up out of what should be a feature is just a major crime!