MULTIVERSITY THE JUST #1: The book begins with Sister Miracle on the phone with her friend Megamorpho, searching for a way to get sad to kill the techno-virus in her system. Megamorpho tells her she is going to kill herself and leaps off the top of a tall Metropolis building, which makes Sister Miracle sad and kills the virus. Meanwhile, over in Gotham City, Alexis Luthor is reading the allegedly haunted comic book while Batman tries to show her the invaders from another universe below them. Eventually, Alexis seduces Batman, but he is forced to hide her in the closet when a younger Superman arrives seeking Batman’s help in solving the suicide of Megamorpho. Superman discovers Alexis and he and batman have words. If it weren’t for Alexis’ father, he would have his. Batman grumbles that maybe Megamorpho committed suicide because she was so bored. Alexis suggests that Batman and Superman admit that they are lovers. Batman receives a call from Sister Miracle, begging that he and Superman come to her party. The Atom comes out of her bloodstream where he had been fighting the techno virus. Batman asks to speak to him but The Atom is more concerned about if he is getting an invitation to the party.
Elsewhere, Green Lantern discusses the haunted comic with Megamorpho’s boyfriend Offspring and tells Green Arrow how comics have got much darker. At Kon-El's gallery opening, Alexis and Harlequin note that he has changed, becoming more like a Bizarro. They also note that his date is Green Arrow's twelve year old daughter. Later, the Justice League simulates one of its older battles when Alpha Centurion ends up with a broken arm. Steel discovers that the android that injured him was tampered with. Batman interviews Offspring and discovers Megamorpho had read Ultra Comics. Superman is interviewing Menta who found Grey Lady and the Gentry in Megamorpho's remains. He also learns that Megamorpho was between physical states when she died. Meanwhile, Green Arrow has dinner with his daughter Arrowette and finds that she wants to start a super-team with Menta called "The Just". She begs him to let her do it and he gives her five trick arrows to use. Batman says that only one of the comics from Megamorpho's has an address from their world; all the rest must be coming from parallel worlds and infects everyone who reads them. Superman continues to try and convince Batman that Alexis is dangerous, when one of the Superman Robots knocks Superman unconscious. Alexis reveals that she and Jakeem Thunder have taken control of the robots as revenge for not being invited to the party. Sister Miracle's party is a major success, even as Alexis' robot army is en route to trash the place. And invaders from another universe are coming with no robots to stop them.
This is just one weird issue from Grant Morrison and Ben Oliver. You have to love what Morrison does in these books and, if you don’t have a sense of humor and a sense of the various universes in the DC Multiverse, then you would never get what this series is all about. Hey-we’ve got Batman snogging (go look it up!) Lex Luthor’s daughter(and she’s bald too!). Green Lantern has anger issues and Kon-El is dating Green Arrow’s twelve old daughter. Yeah-Grant Morrison is bananas…and bananas is good!
Friday, December 5, 2014
Monday, December 1, 2014
NEW 52 Month 35, Part 1
ACTION COMICS #35: Superman returns to Earth after sending Brainiac into a black hole and encounters Supergirl, who lets him know that only 13,612 died during the recent crisis. They go to the Fortress of Solitude where he learns that Phantom Zone Projector imploded, taking the menagerie and Shay Veritas with it. Kandor is also missing and hopefully in the Phantom Zone. He goes to Smallville where Lana tells him that Brainiac killed her parents and Clark should have been there to save them. She then introduces him to John Henry Irons, who is her new boyfriend. Returning to Metropolis, Clark writes an article that questions Superman’s role. Soon Lois is chewing him out, saying he doesn’t understand Superman at all. Lois writes a piece saying the world may not need him Superman right now, but he may need them. Lastly, Lana stands at her parents' graves when arms burst out of the grave plots.
Greg Pak and Scott Kolins tie up the final loose ends from the DOOMSDAY Saga in a totally satisfying way. But then, there’s that whole thing with the dead rising from the grave in Smallville. What is up with that? If that can happen, maybe that means we can bring back Clark’s parents long enough to go on a cruise, contract a tropical disease and die again (go check that reference, new fans). Or not. Either way, this book continues to entertain.
AQUAMAN #35: Aquaman invites Dr. Shin to come to Atlantis to conduct a knowledge exchange along with Doctor Evans. Arriving in Atlantis, Aquaman takes the rebels who tried to kill Mera out of their prison cell and exiles them to a deep chasm in Antarctica where they can have their own kingdom. Returning to Atlantis, it seems that Dr. Evans and Dr. Shin have found a way to stop the violent seaquakes that have been affecting the undersea kingdom. Arthur goes to his mother’s tomb and opens her casket to find that she isn’t there.
Jeff Parker and Paul Pelletier continue to stir the plot in this title and seemingly working to retcon Arthur Curry’s life and origins. We have gone through the whole Mera thing were her origins retold and have seen the once quiet world of Atlantis torn apart with the betrayal of one of Arthur’s closest advisers. And now: it seems that Atlanna never really died. I can’t wait for next issue. If only the other AQUAMAN title was as good as this.
AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS #6: Vostok-X is trying to convince the rest of the team that he is the real Vostok-X and not the clone. Aaron aggravates him enough that he leaves, still declaring he is the original. Ya’wara and Sayeh head to Tehran to visit Sayeh’s family as other members of The Others leave with the own agendas. A quiet, intimate moment between Mera and Arthur gets interrupted by Vostok, who tells them he will join the team. Meanwhile, Dominick and Aaron visit Gary Korec’s widow and lets her see him, even if only briefly. In new York, the senior Cole meets up with the KGBeast with unexpected and unpleasant results.
Dan Jurgens and Lan Medina continue to prove why this is the weaker of the two AQUAMAN titles. Mr. Jurgens: PLEASE stop writing like it’s 1987! I want characters that move me…not make me want to HAVE A MOVEMENT! UGH! I cannot STAND these characters! And to have Arthur and Mera decide to have an intimate moment and then have Cole pop in was just…creepy! I have said it before, but I’m pretty sure I mean it this time: finish the storyline and goodbye! Crappy characters + crappy reading experience= (-) MONEY IN MY POCKET!
ARKHAM MANOR #1: Arkham Asylum has been destroyed and the Mayor force the inmates into Wayne Manor. When word comes of a murder at the house, Batman arrives and makes his way to the victim’s cell. Harvey Bullock informs him this is the second murder at the Manor. Later, Bruce has a deceased homeless veteran's identity erased so he can be buried in a potter's field. Assuming his identity, Jack Shaw becomes an inmate at Arkham Manor.
For those of you who might be a little confused, the events here take place AFTER BATMAN ETERNAL #30. Gerry Duggan, who you might know from his work on DEADPOOL, HULK and UNCANNY AVENGERS slides into a chair at DC and crafts this interesting, Gothic kind of book based around the mysteries and goings on at the NEW home for the criminally insane in Gotham. The question is, when couple with the moody art of Shawn Crystal, does it work? Well for now, it’s a confusing mess where we all step in an find out that Arkham is gone…and then find out HOW two weeks later when BATMAN ETERNAL #30 came out. It’s a mystery tale with Batman in it-isn’t that what DETECTIVE COMICS is all about? For now, this one gets a thumbs in the middle rating as it'’ a bit early to tell. But I can say this: I never thought I'’ see Alfred getting mellow on a twenty year old Scotch.
BATGIRL #35: Barbara Gordon is awakened by her new roommates, Frankie and Liz, who inform her of the semi naked guy she was making out with last night and that he is still in the house waiting to see her. It appears, now that she has left Cherry Hill, she has been living a bit of a different life. Hungover, she heads to Chiroptera and checks her messages, finding her graduate research funding has been held up and her bank account is overdrawn. As she places her coffee order, she hears that someone’s tablet was stolen and decides the chase the thief in an alley. She beats up the perp and then proceeds to throw up into a nearby trash can. Back at her apartment, a surprised Barbara finds Dinah Drake sitting on her stairs, as she is looking for a place to lives following the fire from the night before. While she is concerned for her friend, she also knows that all of her equipment was hidden in Dinah's apartment and Dinah blames the fire on Babs, especially if it is super-villain related. In her apartment, Frankie is informed that Dinah will be staying a while. But it also seems that Barbara’s laptop is missing and so is Troy's phone. All of this goes back to dates set up using an app called Hooq. Frankie sets her up with a dating profile on Hooq, which leads to her being called by someone named Brad..
Barbara goes to work on a new Batgirl uniform before going out and taking down Brad, who has been stealing devices for Riot Black. Riot Black is connected to an online website called The Black Book that leaks sensitive data about people. She confronts Riot Black at a Burnside club but he is tough to stop do to a flash drive in his head. She makes a deal: he gives up the data and she will give him her secret identity. As proof, she sends him a QR Code with a virus deletes all of data within the flash drive. Unfortunately, Barbara's schoolwork and files wiped clean. As if that weren’t bad enough, Frankie confesses that she slept with Troy after the party ended. This doesn’t bother Barbara as she thought Frankie was a lesbian. Suddenly, she gets a text message from someone claiming to know her secret identity.
Hey DC: what part of NICE WAY TO TOTALLY MAKE A MESS OUT OF A TITLE DO YOU NOT GET!? This is absolutely awful! Awful is too kind! It’s ABYSMAL! Do you all realize how much you have pissed off the comic community? Are you TRYING to KILL this title? Seriously! Babs is sleeping around and getting wasted? She has surrounded herself with a whole host of lame supporting characters and it appears she is going to be using Social Networking to do her work for her as opposed to the “classic” Batgirl, i.e. Oracle, who used her brains and her computers. This book is a complete mess! Thanks to Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher and newcomer Babs Tarr for making it read like a book aimed at TWILIGHT teens and look like one designed for Tweens.
BATMAN #35: Alfred and Julia waken Bruce Wayne in his new base in one of the former Court of Owls hideouts. Wonder Woman crashes through the picture window and drags Bruce away but he uses a device he attaches to her head and breaks free. She tells him that she and the League are coming to kill him. He calls to Alfred and Julia to enact "Fenrir", which causes gas to be pumped through the sewers, allowing him to escape through the cloud and don a robotic Batsuit. Diana uses her sword, cuts off his hand and then runs him through with it. In actuality, he built the suit with the Bind of Veils built in, making her think she had killed him. The Flash is the next to attack, but a frictionless coating on the suit causes him to crash into a nearby building. Aquaman attacks and is defeated with a quick-hardening polymer. Julia warns him something big is coming, which turns out to be Superman, who damages the suit in the process. Demanding to know who did this to his friends, Superman responds that it's actually a funny story. He then knows that the Joker has returned. In the backup, five Arkham Manor inmates have escaped and doctors Mahreen Zaheer and Eric Border are wondering if they should be helping to find them. Mahreen has found they all had something in common and believes the Joker has freed them. Mahreen goes home and learns that the inmates are waiting for her. Ephram Snow claims the Joker is the devil who came to him twenty years ago. And then the Joker had told them all that they needed to gather an audience, of which Mahreen is part of. They need to return to the city and each needs to tell a story. Whoever tells the right story wins. Whoever tells the wrong story dies.
With the Bat Crew out of Wayne Manor, this leaves room for Arkham to move in(which we still are yet to see the reason why). And, although we haven’t seen him yet, we know that the big bad Joker is just around the cormer. Once again, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo present a Bat title worthy of some of the legendary runs in Batman’s history: Englehart and Rogers; Loeb and Sale; O'Neil and Adams; Finger and Sprang; Fox and Infantino; Haney and Aparo. Twists and turns, respect to the characters-this one has it all. In addition, we get a nice back-up by James Tynion IV and the always amazing Kelley Jones that apparently is going to tie in to this storyline by giving us some background. Looks like we’ve got a bunch of Jokerific action coming in the next few months!
BATMAN AND ROBIN #35: On Apokolips, Batman activates a cloaking device for his Hellbat Suit and rescues Lowlies about to be tossed into the pits. He grabs a Parademon and demands to know where he can find Glorious Godfrey. Meanwhile, Kalibak speaks at Darkseid's restoration chamber, explaining how he has gathered artifacts that will make his father heal faster and be stronger in the end. Batman gets to Godfrey's and throws him into one of the pits. At the same time, Kalibak uses the Chaos Shard and Damian's sarcophagus to destroy a nearby planet with his Chaos Cannon. Back on Earth and in the Batcave, the various member of the Bat Family arrive looking to help but can’t follow Batman as he took the Mother Box with him. Red Robin suggests using Cyborg and Alfred believes he has a plan. They also believe they should contact Batwing and Batwoman to fill in as Gotham’s defense in their absence. When Cyborg arrives, Batgirl explains they need him to help them shut down the holographic villain Batman used to distract Gotham’s protectors. When he plugs into the Bat Computer, an electrical shock knocks him out, allowing the Boom Tube in his suit to be activated. As they leap through, Cyborg awakes and jumps in, dragging Titus along with him.
I have nothing to say anymore about the work of Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason on this title. It is ALWAYS a GREAT READ and Gleason’s art ALWAYS LOOKS TREMENDOUS! Where this story will end is anyone’s guess except the creators and the editors. I cannot wait to ride the rest of this roller coaster.
BATMAN ETERNAL #26-30: In issue #26, Batman gets quickly patched up and plans on going back out into Gotham when Red Robin, Red Hood and Batgirl intervene. Batman tells them that Hush is the Mastermind behind all that has happened. Batman and Julia leave to visit Alfred at Gotham Mercy Hospital and Bruce tells her Tommy Elliot’s story, including how he killed his own parents. Meanwhile, Commissioner Bard declares martial law in Gotham City, announcing that a 9 o’clock curfew will be established. Stephanie Brown makes her way into the County Correctional Facility and visits her father. She goes to show him the post with her findings regarding Hush only to discover that her post has been over-written. Now it shows a hundred-million dollar bounty on her. Out in Gotham City, Batman’s allies take out the looter while Batman searches for Hush. But Alfred is missing as Doctor Thomas Elliot has had him transferred to Arkham Asylum and delivered into the hands of the Joker's Daughter.
In issue #27, Killer Croc continues his trek beneath Arkham to find Jade. He makes his way to the offices of Gotham Child Services and finds out, from Dr. Leslie Thompkins, that and demanding that Jade was delivered to her uncle, Drago Ibanescu. Jason Bard has a meeting with a very angry Batgirl, as she complains about her father still being in prison despite the evidence that proves he is innocent. Catwoman reveals to Batman that she told the Whisper gang knew about Ibanescu's drop and he warns her of the danger of playing the gangs against each other. Meanwhile, Ibanescu visits Ferryman with a peace offering: Jade. Batman almost gets into an accident with Flamingo's motorcycle but avoids it. The Spoiler informs him that he is so predictable he was able to save her without even being aware of it. Back at her apartment, Catwoman finds Jade waiting and apologizes for leading Ferryman here.
In issue #28, Starfire instructs Jason Todd insists that he stay in Gotham and say goodbye to Batgirl who is busy torturing Commissioner Bard. Red Hood tracks her down tells her this isn’t the kind of justice she delivers. He releases the rope and Batgirl grabs it, saving bard’s life even if it breaks his leg in the process. Later he says goodbye to her saying he could never be Dick Grayson. Meanwhile, Batman follows Flamingo, who has received an invitation Catwoman's murder, as she has been captured by Ferryman. As he prepares to crush Catwoman, Croc bursts in allowing her to distract him and break his legs. He tells Ibanescu to shoot Catwoman but he hits Jade instead. Batman bursts in to find Ibanescu and Jade dead, with both Catwoman and Croc devastated by the girls’ death. Later, at Blackgate Penitentiary, Calabrese receives a visit from his daughter, who tells him that Jade is dead. She then asks for his contacts so she can unite the families and take control herself.
In issue #29, we find that the Fear Toxin is tormenting Alfred while Deacon Blackfire is tormenting Jim Corrigan. Joker's Daughter finds a note sending her to Deacon Blackfire. She receives her orders from one of Blackfire's followers, who she then kills. Blackfire’s magic pulls the Spectre from Corrigan’s body. Batwing arrives in time to see a green light around Corrigan’s body, which explodes skywards. Batwing is running out of oxygen but has decrypted the Riddler's puzzle. He tells Julia to use the word "Enygma" as the keyword. When it decrypts, it reads: "Arkham is just a piece of the plan. If you can read this, you are smart enough to know your foe."
In issue #30, Batman sees the burst of energy explode from out of Arkham and is forced to send Batplane to intercept a 737 caught in the blast. He also watches from above as Arkham begins to crumble. Beneath Arkham, the Spectre bursts out of Corrigan’s chest, pulling Blackfire out of Maxie Zeus' body and crushes his spirit in his fist. The Spectre returns to Corrigan’s body and he and Batwing attempt an escape. But the building collapses with them and many others, including Alfred and Bane, still inside. Batman arrives and, suddenly surrounded by GCPD, dives into an open hole where he encounters The Joker's Daughter. She is wearing a vest of full of explosives and proceeds to activate the timer.
What can I say: this title is a non-stop thrill ride with cliffhangers straight out of the movie serials of the Thirties and Forties. This title, like all the other weekly’s, will end in April with CONVERGENCE. Until then, enjoy the roller coaster ride courtesy of Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins and Tim Seeley with art by R. M. Guera, Javier Garron, Meghan Hetrick, Simon Coleby and Fernando Pasarin
BATMAN SUPERMAN #14: Kaiyo has removed Batman and Superman’s memories. Bruce has learned he is a wealthy playboy and is about to make the best of it. Catwoman has already been taking advantage of Superman's amnesia, leaving Lois to have to deal with Mr. Mangubat's drone robots. Batman arrives and then destroys the drones. Meanwhile, Superman sees Toymaster working on a video project involving the Man of Steel and is fascinated by it. Catwoman tells him that, despite seeing this, he still doesn’t truly understand the man who he was. Lois learns that Batman is also suffering from amnesia when an explosion knocks them over, leading to Lois being taken hostage by the Scarecrow. Batman tires to free the wounded, who are shot dead by Scarecrow. Bruce tells Lois to call an ambulance and heads back home. With Alfred fixing him. Bruce admits that he can't remember anything, even when he is told about how his parents died. Superman crashes through the roof of Gotham City Hall declaring that he is the law now.
Greg Pak and Diogenes Neves bring us the next chapter in this saga and I find it more confusing than the last. I understand the importance of the tie-in the the forthcoming war, but, as much as I love Pak’s work, this is not his best. I just don’t have a love of the way the characters have been twisted and it feels like more of an “Imaginary Story” than anything else. Help: please end this story soon!
BATWOMAN #35: Batwoman and her team are in outer space trying to defend a satellite from an attack by Morgan le Fay and her army of demons. Red Alice's protective helmet has been damaged and she has Ragman use his Suit of Souls to preserve her soul. Meanwhile the witch quickly defeats Clayface and Etrigan who affixes her magic stone, even as Batwoman shoves an electrified rod through her back. Batwoman grabs the stone and the team tries to make iot back to Earth before Le Fay can recover. Clayface wraps himself around them all to keep them from burning up as they re-enter the atmosphere while Ragman uses his cloak to provide a bit of magic to them. Here’s hoping they survive what’s next.
Wow! That was strange little issue with a bunch of stuff happening I didn’t quite expect. Batwoman in Space? Sounds like the start of a great new TV show to me! Marc Andreyko and Georges Jeanty give us a quirky tale with a character who is know for having quirky tales. I miss the romance between Kate and Maggie and the charging cast of characters here makes this seem like Suicide Squad II in action.
CATWOMAN #35: Selina Kyle has become the heir and now leader to the Calabrese Family. Now she travels in style with her Antonia as her bodyguard and her cousin Nick as her driver. She has a meeting with her subordinates from the other families and explains that this is how business was done 30 years ago and it needs to be done this way now. She also notices that Hasigawa family is not present and vows to handle it by herself. She offers a business proposal to them that is conveyed by Hasigawa daughter Eiko. Meanwhile, Detective Alvarez continues to try and build a case against Selina even though his Lieutenant insists he drop the case. Selina attends a gala at the art museum and later gets a visit from Batman who warns that she can't keep the families united. She asks him to leave and, when she re-enters, Ward tells her he heard what she said and is told not to make threats towards her. Meanwhile, Black Mask and his gang raid a limo only to be interrupted by a man who promises that he can sell the city back.
Welcome to the new direction for the always dangerous Catwoman and it has her coming out of her catsuit and stepping into a designer suit. And that means this title is going through a major upheaval. This was always about being a super heroine or a super villain or, at the very least, a thief with a heart of goal with a warm spot for Batman. Now, with the blessings of her true father, she is prepared to run the crime families of Gotham. Welcome to THE SOPRANOS MEET GOTHAM. Genevieve Valentine is the new author and you probably don’t know of her unless you have read her Crawford Award winning novel: MECHANIQUE: A TALE OF THE CIRCUS TRESULTI. Garry Brown is a new artist to me but his work is nice. Will this book succeed where it has in the past? Let’s see. For now, I am willing to give it a shot.
CONSTANTINE #18: John Constantine's doing some drinking on his birthday while the invasion from Apokolips occurs. Meanwhile, another John Constantine finds himself surrounded by Parademons and he realizes he’s not on the planet he thought he was. Calling Constantine “Worldwalker”, Wotan explains how John has crossed onto Earth 2. John offers to use the Walls of the Soul's Home to get Wotan to our Earth, and in doing so, Wotan gets torn in half, as there are two Constantine’s existing here. He now knows he must find his double so he can get open and avoid the fate Wotan suffered.
Ray Fawkes and Jeremy Haun have dropped poor John Constantine onto Earth 2 and now we have two of them. Yeah, that probably isn’t good. I mean, if we have enough trouble from one Constantine, what kind of havoc can two of them cause? This is all part of the great Earth 2 war which is upcoming and looks to tumble over into our part of the Multiverse. All might be settled by the time CONVERGENCE happens…or it could all go bad quickly. Sit tight: I expect a bumpy ride.
DEATHSTROKE #1: Slade is offered a job by his middle-man Tiggs: go back to Russia and kill "Possum". His contact there is a woman named Angelica and we learn they have sexual history together. When he finds Possum sitting tied to a chair but then uses his mind to cause Slade to reveal a code that Possum wass looking for. He gets ready to cut Slade's head, but Deathstroke reverses it and shoves the handle through Possum's skull. Heavily wounded, he manages to make his way to an old man named I-Ching. When he wakes, he finds that the old man he brought him back from the dead and is told that nowhere is safe. I-Ching disappears and Slade realizes things are no longer the same.
DC had a DEATHSTROKE comic before this (actually, in both the NEW 52 and the OLD DCU) and none of them really lit up the comic shelves. But this…this title has potential as Tony S. Daniel is handling both the writing and drawing of this ultra-violent take on Slade Wilson. So it looks amazing and it’s hot and sexy and has some great dialogue floating through it. I hope this will be a title Daniels stays with and doesn’t dump parts of the creative process to others. If he is allowed to handle what appears to be his vision, I expect it to awesome.
DETECTIVE COMICS #35: Alfred insists Bruce take a few days' vacation. Sitting in his private jet and learns that a rogue plane is on its’ way in to the airport and it smashes through the airport terminal killing and injuring most. Batman gains entrance and discovers that everyone on the plane is dead and there is less than thirty minutes to figure out what killed them. Getting inside the cockpit, he finds an old man dying, joining the rest of the plane where everyone on board is in a state of decay. It’s learned that the flight came from Frankfurt, giving them an 8 hour window to solve the crime. A Stanford-Educated NGO worker called Magnus Magnuson is claiming responsibility and says that opening the plane released a contagion. He also claims that the US needs to withdraw troops from the Middle East or the deaths will be in the millions.
Once again, DETECTIVE COMICS presents us with another creative team change. Benjamin Percy and John Paul Leon give us a mystery with a time frame. I’m not totally familiar with Percy’s work but I have long been a fan of John Paul Leon going back to his days with Milestone. His art style is very noir and dark and moody and what else would you couple with a mystery book? I can’t wait for the conclusion to this mystery.
EARTH 2 #27: Kara, Helena, and Val remember their individual childhood while the Wonders of the World in Geneva. As they find a group of creatures, an emergency door cuts the team in half and one group finds survivors. Batman tries to talk to Helena about being her family. She admits to having family but says it isn’t him. She also discovers he has been using Miraclo to enhance his strength. Meanwhile, Dr. Massaquoi tells Lois that Bedlam opened a portal and unleashed monsters that infected the staff. She also tells Kara and Val that they can create an explosion of energy akin to a neutron bomb, which would destroy the virus. Kara breaks through the door and she and Val attempt to build up the needed energy to create the blast. Upon explosion, Batman seals off the room, letting Kara and Val fly into space to burn off the radiation.
This issue comes before EARTH 2: WORLD’S END #1 and that’s a good thing because when that title hits, as you will see, it’s hitting extremely hard. The creative team of Marguerite Bennett and Tom Taylor with art by Andy Smith, Trevor Scott, Marcus To and Scott Hanna takes this book to the point where the plot points are coming together and the stuff is hitting the fan. If you haven’t gotten into this book now is the time, especially with all of the events coming down..
EARTH 2 WORLD’S END #1-4: Issue #1 begins with events before the original attack by Apokolips upon Earth 2. We see Alan Scott and Sam Zhou together along with some of the other players like Dick Grayson, Jay Garrick and Clark Kent. We also see the evil machinations of Terry Sloan who, after Sam published what he and Alan had been working on, revealed himself to truly be a traitor. In the 9th Dimension, Steppenwolf made plans for the impending invasion of Earth. Batman and Robin arrest James Olsen for treason, even as he tries to explain that Terry Sloan is responsible for opening the portal bringing Parademons to Earth 2. That moment allowed the Parademons to attack major cities and resulted in the deaths of Selena Wayne and Lois Kent. The heroes fight but in the end, the Trinity die and Supergirl and Robin end up being transported to our Earth. And Terry Sloan discovers that he can take his revenge on Sam Zhou. Five years later and it began again. Sam died in an orchestrated train crash and Green Lantern was born. Sloan kidnaps Mister Terrific from another world, sends Sandman to capture Queen Marella, and used the Meta Humans that he was now commanding to go off and capture the new Wonders. Steppenwolf gets killed by Brutaal, in a battle that cost Captain Atom his arm and killed Red Arrow, and destroyed the Project Beyond space ship, Meanwhile Bedlam took control of Miracle, Terrific and Sloan so he could create a Boom Tube as large as a planet. A new Suprman was born in the form of Val-Zod and the world Army and the new heroes came together to once agin fight for their world. Refugee camps were set up around thew world, including one in Chicago where Dick and Barbara Grayson lived with their family. Supergirl and Robin, now known as Power Girl and The Huntress, return to what is left of their home. Huntress meets the new Batman, who is her grandfather while Power Girl reunites with her “momma”, Red Tornado. And then the Fire Pits explode all over the world, with K’Li of Apokolips arriving in Geneva to do battle.
In issue #2, the battle rages on while Apokolips begins to move closer to Earth and the heads of the World Army wait its’ arrival. Green Lantern battles in Brazil, Hawkgirl and Doctor Fate go to London while Aquawoman heads to South Africa. Mr. Terrific attacks Barda and Fury’s ship and Bedlam becomes trapped with Mister Miracle inside of the horror of Terry Sloan’s mind. In Geneva, K’Li battles the heroes and turns the dead humans into more Parademons. Her attacks also turn Lois, Power Girl and Huntress into her slaves and turns them loose on Batman and Val-Zod. With the heroes unconscious, K’Li prepares to turn them into her new slaves.
In issue #3, Val-Zod barely saves Batman from death and it takes Lois’ system rebooting to save the other heroes from their possessed state.. The Furies of Apokolips arrive around the world bringing pestilence, famine, and death. Meanwhile, the world leaders decide that it may be time to unleash the nukes to stop the invasion. Although they want to interrogate Mister Miracle, he informs them that Apokolips isn’t a planet, it is really a god. Things are going badly in the Chicago Refugee Camp and Dick Grayson finds himself fighting off looters. Jimmy Olsen connects with a device in the basement of where he is being kept while the authorities suggest it’s time to free Mister Miracle, Barda and Fury. With Green Lantern doing his best to hold back the monsters in Brazil, Aquawoman finds something horrible has happened in Atlantis.
In issue #4, The World Army convinces Fury, Barda and Mister Miracle to help them and in return, they will show Mister Miracle where his Mother Box is. They lead him to Jimmy Olsen who has bonded with the box somehow. Fury demands that the box purify her and, despite Miracle’s protests, allows it. She learns that her entire life was a lie; that Wonder Woman, her mother, was slain by Steppenwolf, her father. This changes her desires and now makes her want to be a part of the team against Apokolips. Meanwhile, Aquawoman warns the surface world that she is about to activate their ultimate weapon if that is what it takes to stop Apokolips and avenge her people. Green Lantern is about to go to Atlantis and help when he finds himself attacked by Grundy. In Chicago, Dick Grayson gives up his family’s supplies to save his family’s lives which angers her policewoman wife Barbara. And, in Geneva, the team led by Batman and Val-Zod prepare to descend into the firepits when Helena is kidnapped by Desaad.
And here we have four more exciting issues in this saga! The action keeps on coming courtesy of Daniel H. Wilson, Marguerite Bennett and Mike Johnson with art from Eddy Barrows, Tyler Kirkham, Eduardo Pansica, Jorge Jiménez, Paolo Siqueira, Ardian Syaf, Eber Ferreira, Jan Duursema(yes…you read right!), Jonathan Glapion, Jorge Jimenez, Tyler Kirkham, Joe Weems, Robson Rocha and Paul Neary. With four times the action of the monthly EARTH 2 title(not to mention that issue of the monthly title) you certainly have your Earth 2 fill!
THE FLASH #35: The future Flash has made it back far enough to fix the Speed Force and he has grabbed Barry Allen and dragged him to the Utah salt flats. He explains that when the monorail crashed, it broke the Speed Force which allowed Daniel West to travel into the past and that is pat of the reason why Barry has been losing time. Future Flash has gone back in time to fix everything and is now prepared to fix the tear by killing the present Barry and releasing the energy that fill fix the Speed Force. Present day Barry races full speed at Future Barry. They are torn apart by Wally West: the Flash of the Future. As Future Barry tries to kill Present Barry, Wally intervenes and dies, releasing Speed Force energy that closes the rift. This also leaves Future Barry stranded in this time with no way home. A dinosaur…and a robot drone are chasing the Present Barry, wherever he may be.
Another spectacular issue from Robert Venditti, Van Jensen and Brett Booth that continues to redefine the characters in this title. We now have a future Barry stuck in the past, the Present Barry stuck somewhere that is NOT the present, and Wally West of the future is dead. This was a major, action filled issue that completely raised the bar for issues
GOTHAM ACADEMY #1: Olive Silverlock and Mia "Maps" Mizoguchi have been called Headmaster Hammer of Gotham Academy. To inform them that Olive has been assigned as the "sherpa" Maps' to help her get used to the school. During her first day at school she meets occultist Pomeline Fritch and sophomore Colton Rivera, who tells about the rumor that the north wing of the school has a ghost in it. Back in her room, Olive meets her roommate Lucy, who complains about the mess. This leads Olive to find Maps and patch things up, as there is a connection between the two as Olive dated Maps brother Kyle. The pair decides to map everything on campus from the position of the bell tower and head there. Unfortunately a wall where they are collapses and they fall from their position; a fall that takes them past a window in a room where Bruce Wayne is speaking, Bruce looks surprised and startled, as it seems he recognizes Olive. While being checked by a paramedic, she meets Wayne and hallucinates he is Batman. Back in her room, she and her roommate stay up all night taking care of each other, unaware they are being watched from a crack in the wall.
I absolutely don’t know what DC is trying to do with this title. Best that I can tell, they are trying to appeal to the potential Tween girl readers who may get into comics. It reads like a bad girl’s adventure in the vein of an updated Nancy Drew. And the art looks like a U.S. take on Manga by someone that doesn’t realize what it should look like. The title is by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher with art by Karl Kerschl and I give it until the CONVERGENCE before it is gone. It’s not a lot of fun and just way to girly for the average reader.
GRAYSON #3: Spyral has been sent to collect the organs of a super named Paragon and they had recruited Barton Tare who had access to Paragon's eyes. But he got executed by a man named Christophe Tanner who had his ocular nerves to the barrels of his pistols. The assumption is that he wants to have Paragon's eyes transplanted. Meanwhile, Dick and Agent 8 target practice, where we learn that Dick doesn’t like using guns and that Agent 8 grew up in a place in Kansas that was smaller than Smallville. We also discover they have a sensual relationship. They go to Malaysia where Dick and Agent 8 attend to capture Tanner, who causes the helicopter Agent 8 is flying to crash. Despite Dick’s begging him to end the violence, Tanner insists that all he needs are the eyes. Agent 1 comes to Dick’s rescue and captures Tanner. Later, Dick has Batman do some research regarding Tanner and discovers that one of his allegedly deceased sons is enrolled at the school where they were apparently murdered. Dick heads to the school and finds Tanner on the roof spying on his boy. Dick convinces him to give up the eyes, which he does. That is when Agent 8 shoots Tanner and Tanner does the same with the result that both die. Meanwhile, Minos tells Matron he has discovered a hidden signal from within Spyral and assigns her to find the person responsible and unmask them.
Tim Seeley, Tom King and Mikel Janin gives us another weird issue. I cannot get used Dick Grayson Super Spy replacing Nightwing who replaced Robin The Boy Wonder. And I can’t quite figure out where DC wants to go with this. It’s a pretty bad read when the most interesting character is Mister Minos and you only get to see him for about 2 pages per issue. It’s not that the book is bad, it’s just a real confusing read. I like to use my brain when I read, but this title make my head hurt.
GREEN ARROW #35: Green Arrow is back and John Diggle is his bodyguard/partner as the rest of his team is either off training. At a meeting of the Queen Foundation, Oliver discovers that Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor want to join Queen Consolidated, LexCorp and WayneTech together and they could change the world. Oliver turns them down, refusing to pull his business out of the Glades. That night, Zehra tries to convince Oliver to reconsider the earlier offer from Wayne and Luthor, but he is too busy receiving messages from Diggle and leaves her alone at the restaurant. John warns Oliver not to enter the building where a hacker has been siphoning money from the hospital fund. Unfortunately the warning comes too late as Felicity Smoak introduces herself as the person hired to kill the Green Arrow. Elsewhere, Mr. King tortures someone to get information about Mia Dearden.
The new creative team of Andrew Kreisberg, Ben Sokolowski and Daneil Sampere begins the Emerald Archer’s new direction with lackluster results. We go from the innovative storytelling of Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino to the television drama of Kreisberg and Sokolowski and the somewhat generic art of Sampere. I hope the next few issues will improve or I’ll be returning this to where it was prior to Lemire/Sorrentino: off my reading list.
GREEN LANTERN #35: Previously reviewed as part of the GODHEAD review
HARLEY QUINN ANNUAL #1: Harley and Queenie are sunning themselves when Harley gets a distress all from Poison Ivy who has been put into Arkham. Harley goes to Kennedy Airport, steals a parachute and then launches herself via the Scatapult into Gotham City, where she lands in a pizza place. She steals a car and crashes into Arkham, where she is escorted into her own padded cell. She burps at an orderly, blinding him and searches for Ivy, finding her making a formula for someone named Master Edgar. Harley bursts in, glad to know that Ivy is not being held captive - but her friend doesn't seem to recognize her. Harley smashes a jar of hallucinogenic gas, which affects them all. Ivy hallucinates of meeting Swamp Thing, who eventually becomes Harley and they start to burn down factories that are polluting the environment. Success at hand, they go swimming in a pool of nectar inside a giant flower. A giant bee approaches filled with pickup lines, so they drown him. Dr. Bliss hallucinates he is a prisoner at Arkham. Bliss escapes onto a beach until a giant Harley Quinn dressed in a Godzilla costume begins eating swimmers. Harley's dreams about her comic book creation Hurl Girl. Dylana warns about a gun that has been invented to turn Harley into an animal and the Joker turns her into a bird and Harley into a cat. Harley rips the Joker’s face and eats it and then eats him too, causing her to throw up a huge hairball. She makes it her sidekick and they become the super-hero team called Harley Cat and Hairball. Dr. Bash's hallucination sees him and Bliss as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, until Jack the Ripper, who is really Harley, murders Bliss. When the drugs wear off, they find themselves talking to giant floating egg on a plate. He is Edgar Fullerton Yeung, master of the cosmos. He eventually reveals that he needed Doctors Bash and Bliss to get Ivy to make a potion that would make people like him. Harley offers him an apartment in her building. Tony convinces him to join the freak show to pay his rent. With Edgar moved in, Harley and Ivy go to the roof and release a concentrated version of the gas that is sure to have an effect on Brooklyn.
Since Harley Quinn has become one of DC’s more popular characters, it is only likely to flood the market with special after special and try to make each on different. Well, Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, along with John Timms, Stjepan Šejić, Joe Quinones, Ben Caldwell, and the legendary Kelley Jones, give us another fun filled issue. But this one has a twist: it features “Rub ‘N’ Smell” technology which results in two distinct versions, a domestic and international version; both of which were available as variant cover editions. Why the versions? Well, the “Rub ‘N’ Smell” means you rub your finger over certain s[pots and you get smells. You get the smell of rancid nachos, leather, pizza and, depending on the version, you either get “freshly cut grass” or “cannabisylocibe 7-A”. Don’t sniff it too much because you may end up hallucinating like Harley and company.
HARLEY QUINN #11: Madame Macabre’s son Mason returns and soon finds himself out helping Big Tony and Harley Quinn, who look down into a crater containing Power Girl. They bring her back to their apartment building. While she sleeps, Mason asks Harley out on a date, to which she agrees. Harley then decides to convince Power Girl that they are a superhero crime-fighting team and, when she awakens, is told her superhero name is The Bomb. They pair go shopping as Harley explains that they met Power Girl rescued her from a shark in Lake Michigan. They have lunch at a food court and Harley tells Power Girl that they would be rich except for Power Girl's appetite. Suddenly Sportsmaster and The Clock King appear and our heroes jump into action!
Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and Chad Hardin give us twice the excitement this month! Actually, this was kind of a let down after the ANNUAL. It was nice to see Chad Hardin back behind the drawing board. And, of course, there are the usual literary hijinx from Conner and Palmiotti. Okay…so maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. I guess I should just be glad this isn’t a weekly or I would be suffering from Harley overdose.
INFINITY MAN AND THE FOREVER PEOPLE #4: The Forever People come tumbling out a the Boom Tube and land in Ventura, California in the middle of a Dairy and Agricultural Farm owned by Wayne Industries. After a close encounter with a certain Bat Cow, they end up on a long bus ride back to Venice Beach, eventually arriving at a party. Once there, they run into Vykin’s girlfriend Azur Te, who admits that she was responsible for shutting down all the other Boom Tubes in the area. Mark and Vykin get into a brawl and it takes Serafina to break them up, before she wanders off and meets Doctor Skuba, giving him a cosmic cartridge to help change his life for the better. As things begin to heat up between team members, Guy Gardner arrives, giving them 60 seconds to leave the planet. Meanwhile, Himon has a discussion with The Highfather, telling him that the students are being such a success he doesn't want to pull them off of Earth. When Highfather leaves, Infinity Man arrives and threatens Himon, blaming him for trying to keep him from returning.
Dan Didio and Keith Giffen do great work on this book, even if the readers of the NEW 52 Universe don’t agree, as this is the lowest selling title in the line. That means I give it until the CONVERGENCE in April for it to disappear off the shelves. It’s a shame too, as I truly like this one. I especially like that the book opens with a scarecrow which looks exactly like Serafin from the ORIGINAL Forever People comic and that Bat Cow offers it to his black, female replacement in this world, Serafina. The book gives its’ share of nods and winks to the classic characters while pacing its’ own way. I will be sorry to see it go.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #34: Captain Cold wakes from a nightmare and prepares for his first full day as head of security for Luthor. While shaving, he gets a visit from Mirror Master and Snart tells his old friend he is getting ready to pull the biggest job of his life. Meanwhile, Lex blames Superman for attracting villains like Grodd to Metropolis. In Detroit, Shazam watches Cyborg get an upgrade before leaving to help in Metropolis. On the Watchtower, Flash examines the ring on Jessica Cruz' finger which feeds on fear. Using her will power, she forces the green energy back into the ring and declares that she doesn’t want the ring removed-she wants to learn HOW to use it. Meanwhile, Lex helps Wonder Woman bring supplies to a third-world country where he tells her his motivation is to build money and power. He is told the story of a girl in the village who offers him a flower and hugs her. Later, at Wayne Tower, Lex and Bruce finish the deal that will join their two companies together. Later, Bruce reports to Batman that Lex took their bait. At a press conference, Lex promises to tell how his role in the Justice League is the beginning of a new era. We also discover that he has made Owlman his ally in exchange for Superwoman's child.
Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins set the stones in place for Lex and Len to take on new roles as heroes to the Earth. Or do they? Lex cutting a deal with Owlman for Superwoman’s baby? Is that REALLY a good idea? And Jessica wanting to learn the power of the ring-is that also a BAD IDEA? Johns continues to make this one of the cooler reads each month and that all started with the FOREVER EVIL stories.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #35: Lex Luthor holds a press conference announcing his partnership with Bruce Wayne. Bruce joins in, telling how he wants to use his parents’ fortune to fight poverty and injustice. Inside, Bruce wants a tour of LexCorp and insists on seeing where Bizzaro was created and also Lex’s private lab. Inside, they meet Lex's sister Lena who fell ill and, despite Lex’ best efforts, is wheelchair bound for the rest of her life. Aquaman spots a man in armor who leaps off the ledge and explodes, catching Lena in the blast inside LexCorp. As the assassin heads towards Luthor, he heads for one of his Warsuits. One of the storage units breaks open releasing the Amazo Virus throughout Metropolis.
This issue does more to set up the next storyline than propel it forward. Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke and Ivan Reis set the plate for the next meal to be served on. Bruce has partnered with Lex to keep his identity safe and plans on watching him throughout it all. But now we have an assassin, probably set in motion by Luthor himself, who injures his sister Lena and releases something called the Amazo Virus. We all know who Amazo was but are we now introducing him through a virus that will affect the people of Metropolis? Wait until next month to find out.
Greg Pak and Scott Kolins tie up the final loose ends from the DOOMSDAY Saga in a totally satisfying way. But then, there’s that whole thing with the dead rising from the grave in Smallville. What is up with that? If that can happen, maybe that means we can bring back Clark’s parents long enough to go on a cruise, contract a tropical disease and die again (go check that reference, new fans). Or not. Either way, this book continues to entertain.
AQUAMAN #35: Aquaman invites Dr. Shin to come to Atlantis to conduct a knowledge exchange along with Doctor Evans. Arriving in Atlantis, Aquaman takes the rebels who tried to kill Mera out of their prison cell and exiles them to a deep chasm in Antarctica where they can have their own kingdom. Returning to Atlantis, it seems that Dr. Evans and Dr. Shin have found a way to stop the violent seaquakes that have been affecting the undersea kingdom. Arthur goes to his mother’s tomb and opens her casket to find that she isn’t there.
Jeff Parker and Paul Pelletier continue to stir the plot in this title and seemingly working to retcon Arthur Curry’s life and origins. We have gone through the whole Mera thing were her origins retold and have seen the once quiet world of Atlantis torn apart with the betrayal of one of Arthur’s closest advisers. And now: it seems that Atlanna never really died. I can’t wait for next issue. If only the other AQUAMAN title was as good as this.
AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS #6: Vostok-X is trying to convince the rest of the team that he is the real Vostok-X and not the clone. Aaron aggravates him enough that he leaves, still declaring he is the original. Ya’wara and Sayeh head to Tehran to visit Sayeh’s family as other members of The Others leave with the own agendas. A quiet, intimate moment between Mera and Arthur gets interrupted by Vostok, who tells them he will join the team. Meanwhile, Dominick and Aaron visit Gary Korec’s widow and lets her see him, even if only briefly. In new York, the senior Cole meets up with the KGBeast with unexpected and unpleasant results.
Dan Jurgens and Lan Medina continue to prove why this is the weaker of the two AQUAMAN titles. Mr. Jurgens: PLEASE stop writing like it’s 1987! I want characters that move me…not make me want to HAVE A MOVEMENT! UGH! I cannot STAND these characters! And to have Arthur and Mera decide to have an intimate moment and then have Cole pop in was just…creepy! I have said it before, but I’m pretty sure I mean it this time: finish the storyline and goodbye! Crappy characters + crappy reading experience= (-) MONEY IN MY POCKET!
ARKHAM MANOR #1: Arkham Asylum has been destroyed and the Mayor force the inmates into Wayne Manor. When word comes of a murder at the house, Batman arrives and makes his way to the victim’s cell. Harvey Bullock informs him this is the second murder at the Manor. Later, Bruce has a deceased homeless veteran's identity erased so he can be buried in a potter's field. Assuming his identity, Jack Shaw becomes an inmate at Arkham Manor.
For those of you who might be a little confused, the events here take place AFTER BATMAN ETERNAL #30. Gerry Duggan, who you might know from his work on DEADPOOL, HULK and UNCANNY AVENGERS slides into a chair at DC and crafts this interesting, Gothic kind of book based around the mysteries and goings on at the NEW home for the criminally insane in Gotham. The question is, when couple with the moody art of Shawn Crystal, does it work? Well for now, it’s a confusing mess where we all step in an find out that Arkham is gone…and then find out HOW two weeks later when BATMAN ETERNAL #30 came out. It’s a mystery tale with Batman in it-isn’t that what DETECTIVE COMICS is all about? For now, this one gets a thumbs in the middle rating as it'’ a bit early to tell. But I can say this: I never thought I'’ see Alfred getting mellow on a twenty year old Scotch.
BATGIRL #35: Barbara Gordon is awakened by her new roommates, Frankie and Liz, who inform her of the semi naked guy she was making out with last night and that he is still in the house waiting to see her. It appears, now that she has left Cherry Hill, she has been living a bit of a different life. Hungover, she heads to Chiroptera and checks her messages, finding her graduate research funding has been held up and her bank account is overdrawn. As she places her coffee order, she hears that someone’s tablet was stolen and decides the chase the thief in an alley. She beats up the perp and then proceeds to throw up into a nearby trash can. Back at her apartment, a surprised Barbara finds Dinah Drake sitting on her stairs, as she is looking for a place to lives following the fire from the night before. While she is concerned for her friend, she also knows that all of her equipment was hidden in Dinah's apartment and Dinah blames the fire on Babs, especially if it is super-villain related. In her apartment, Frankie is informed that Dinah will be staying a while. But it also seems that Barbara’s laptop is missing and so is Troy's phone. All of this goes back to dates set up using an app called Hooq. Frankie sets her up with a dating profile on Hooq, which leads to her being called by someone named Brad..
Barbara goes to work on a new Batgirl uniform before going out and taking down Brad, who has been stealing devices for Riot Black. Riot Black is connected to an online website called The Black Book that leaks sensitive data about people. She confronts Riot Black at a Burnside club but he is tough to stop do to a flash drive in his head. She makes a deal: he gives up the data and she will give him her secret identity. As proof, she sends him a QR Code with a virus deletes all of data within the flash drive. Unfortunately, Barbara's schoolwork and files wiped clean. As if that weren’t bad enough, Frankie confesses that she slept with Troy after the party ended. This doesn’t bother Barbara as she thought Frankie was a lesbian. Suddenly, she gets a text message from someone claiming to know her secret identity.
Hey DC: what part of NICE WAY TO TOTALLY MAKE A MESS OUT OF A TITLE DO YOU NOT GET!? This is absolutely awful! Awful is too kind! It’s ABYSMAL! Do you all realize how much you have pissed off the comic community? Are you TRYING to KILL this title? Seriously! Babs is sleeping around and getting wasted? She has surrounded herself with a whole host of lame supporting characters and it appears she is going to be using Social Networking to do her work for her as opposed to the “classic” Batgirl, i.e. Oracle, who used her brains and her computers. This book is a complete mess! Thanks to Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher and newcomer Babs Tarr for making it read like a book aimed at TWILIGHT teens and look like one designed for Tweens.
BATMAN #35: Alfred and Julia waken Bruce Wayne in his new base in one of the former Court of Owls hideouts. Wonder Woman crashes through the picture window and drags Bruce away but he uses a device he attaches to her head and breaks free. She tells him that she and the League are coming to kill him. He calls to Alfred and Julia to enact "Fenrir", which causes gas to be pumped through the sewers, allowing him to escape through the cloud and don a robotic Batsuit. Diana uses her sword, cuts off his hand and then runs him through with it. In actuality, he built the suit with the Bind of Veils built in, making her think she had killed him. The Flash is the next to attack, but a frictionless coating on the suit causes him to crash into a nearby building. Aquaman attacks and is defeated with a quick-hardening polymer. Julia warns him something big is coming, which turns out to be Superman, who damages the suit in the process. Demanding to know who did this to his friends, Superman responds that it's actually a funny story. He then knows that the Joker has returned. In the backup, five Arkham Manor inmates have escaped and doctors Mahreen Zaheer and Eric Border are wondering if they should be helping to find them. Mahreen has found they all had something in common and believes the Joker has freed them. Mahreen goes home and learns that the inmates are waiting for her. Ephram Snow claims the Joker is the devil who came to him twenty years ago. And then the Joker had told them all that they needed to gather an audience, of which Mahreen is part of. They need to return to the city and each needs to tell a story. Whoever tells the right story wins. Whoever tells the wrong story dies.
With the Bat Crew out of Wayne Manor, this leaves room for Arkham to move in(which we still are yet to see the reason why). And, although we haven’t seen him yet, we know that the big bad Joker is just around the cormer. Once again, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo present a Bat title worthy of some of the legendary runs in Batman’s history: Englehart and Rogers; Loeb and Sale; O'Neil and Adams; Finger and Sprang; Fox and Infantino; Haney and Aparo. Twists and turns, respect to the characters-this one has it all. In addition, we get a nice back-up by James Tynion IV and the always amazing Kelley Jones that apparently is going to tie in to this storyline by giving us some background. Looks like we’ve got a bunch of Jokerific action coming in the next few months!
BATMAN AND ROBIN #35: On Apokolips, Batman activates a cloaking device for his Hellbat Suit and rescues Lowlies about to be tossed into the pits. He grabs a Parademon and demands to know where he can find Glorious Godfrey. Meanwhile, Kalibak speaks at Darkseid's restoration chamber, explaining how he has gathered artifacts that will make his father heal faster and be stronger in the end. Batman gets to Godfrey's and throws him into one of the pits. At the same time, Kalibak uses the Chaos Shard and Damian's sarcophagus to destroy a nearby planet with his Chaos Cannon. Back on Earth and in the Batcave, the various member of the Bat Family arrive looking to help but can’t follow Batman as he took the Mother Box with him. Red Robin suggests using Cyborg and Alfred believes he has a plan. They also believe they should contact Batwing and Batwoman to fill in as Gotham’s defense in their absence. When Cyborg arrives, Batgirl explains they need him to help them shut down the holographic villain Batman used to distract Gotham’s protectors. When he plugs into the Bat Computer, an electrical shock knocks him out, allowing the Boom Tube in his suit to be activated. As they leap through, Cyborg awakes and jumps in, dragging Titus along with him.
I have nothing to say anymore about the work of Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason on this title. It is ALWAYS a GREAT READ and Gleason’s art ALWAYS LOOKS TREMENDOUS! Where this story will end is anyone’s guess except the creators and the editors. I cannot wait to ride the rest of this roller coaster.
BATMAN ETERNAL #26-30: In issue #26, Batman gets quickly patched up and plans on going back out into Gotham when Red Robin, Red Hood and Batgirl intervene. Batman tells them that Hush is the Mastermind behind all that has happened. Batman and Julia leave to visit Alfred at Gotham Mercy Hospital and Bruce tells her Tommy Elliot’s story, including how he killed his own parents. Meanwhile, Commissioner Bard declares martial law in Gotham City, announcing that a 9 o’clock curfew will be established. Stephanie Brown makes her way into the County Correctional Facility and visits her father. She goes to show him the post with her findings regarding Hush only to discover that her post has been over-written. Now it shows a hundred-million dollar bounty on her. Out in Gotham City, Batman’s allies take out the looter while Batman searches for Hush. But Alfred is missing as Doctor Thomas Elliot has had him transferred to Arkham Asylum and delivered into the hands of the Joker's Daughter.
In issue #27, Killer Croc continues his trek beneath Arkham to find Jade. He makes his way to the offices of Gotham Child Services and finds out, from Dr. Leslie Thompkins, that and demanding that Jade was delivered to her uncle, Drago Ibanescu. Jason Bard has a meeting with a very angry Batgirl, as she complains about her father still being in prison despite the evidence that proves he is innocent. Catwoman reveals to Batman that she told the Whisper gang knew about Ibanescu's drop and he warns her of the danger of playing the gangs against each other. Meanwhile, Ibanescu visits Ferryman with a peace offering: Jade. Batman almost gets into an accident with Flamingo's motorcycle but avoids it. The Spoiler informs him that he is so predictable he was able to save her without even being aware of it. Back at her apartment, Catwoman finds Jade waiting and apologizes for leading Ferryman here.
In issue #28, Starfire instructs Jason Todd insists that he stay in Gotham and say goodbye to Batgirl who is busy torturing Commissioner Bard. Red Hood tracks her down tells her this isn’t the kind of justice she delivers. He releases the rope and Batgirl grabs it, saving bard’s life even if it breaks his leg in the process. Later he says goodbye to her saying he could never be Dick Grayson. Meanwhile, Batman follows Flamingo, who has received an invitation Catwoman's murder, as she has been captured by Ferryman. As he prepares to crush Catwoman, Croc bursts in allowing her to distract him and break his legs. He tells Ibanescu to shoot Catwoman but he hits Jade instead. Batman bursts in to find Ibanescu and Jade dead, with both Catwoman and Croc devastated by the girls’ death. Later, at Blackgate Penitentiary, Calabrese receives a visit from his daughter, who tells him that Jade is dead. She then asks for his contacts so she can unite the families and take control herself.
In issue #29, we find that the Fear Toxin is tormenting Alfred while Deacon Blackfire is tormenting Jim Corrigan. Joker's Daughter finds a note sending her to Deacon Blackfire. She receives her orders from one of Blackfire's followers, who she then kills. Blackfire’s magic pulls the Spectre from Corrigan’s body. Batwing arrives in time to see a green light around Corrigan’s body, which explodes skywards. Batwing is running out of oxygen but has decrypted the Riddler's puzzle. He tells Julia to use the word "Enygma" as the keyword. When it decrypts, it reads: "Arkham is just a piece of the plan. If you can read this, you are smart enough to know your foe."
In issue #30, Batman sees the burst of energy explode from out of Arkham and is forced to send Batplane to intercept a 737 caught in the blast. He also watches from above as Arkham begins to crumble. Beneath Arkham, the Spectre bursts out of Corrigan’s chest, pulling Blackfire out of Maxie Zeus' body and crushes his spirit in his fist. The Spectre returns to Corrigan’s body and he and Batwing attempt an escape. But the building collapses with them and many others, including Alfred and Bane, still inside. Batman arrives and, suddenly surrounded by GCPD, dives into an open hole where he encounters The Joker's Daughter. She is wearing a vest of full of explosives and proceeds to activate the timer.
What can I say: this title is a non-stop thrill ride with cliffhangers straight out of the movie serials of the Thirties and Forties. This title, like all the other weekly’s, will end in April with CONVERGENCE. Until then, enjoy the roller coaster ride courtesy of Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, Kyle Higgins and Tim Seeley with art by R. M. Guera, Javier Garron, Meghan Hetrick, Simon Coleby and Fernando Pasarin
BATMAN SUPERMAN #14: Kaiyo has removed Batman and Superman’s memories. Bruce has learned he is a wealthy playboy and is about to make the best of it. Catwoman has already been taking advantage of Superman's amnesia, leaving Lois to have to deal with Mr. Mangubat's drone robots. Batman arrives and then destroys the drones. Meanwhile, Superman sees Toymaster working on a video project involving the Man of Steel and is fascinated by it. Catwoman tells him that, despite seeing this, he still doesn’t truly understand the man who he was. Lois learns that Batman is also suffering from amnesia when an explosion knocks them over, leading to Lois being taken hostage by the Scarecrow. Batman tires to free the wounded, who are shot dead by Scarecrow. Bruce tells Lois to call an ambulance and heads back home. With Alfred fixing him. Bruce admits that he can't remember anything, even when he is told about how his parents died. Superman crashes through the roof of Gotham City Hall declaring that he is the law now.
Greg Pak and Diogenes Neves bring us the next chapter in this saga and I find it more confusing than the last. I understand the importance of the tie-in the the forthcoming war, but, as much as I love Pak’s work, this is not his best. I just don’t have a love of the way the characters have been twisted and it feels like more of an “Imaginary Story” than anything else. Help: please end this story soon!
BATWOMAN #35: Batwoman and her team are in outer space trying to defend a satellite from an attack by Morgan le Fay and her army of demons. Red Alice's protective helmet has been damaged and she has Ragman use his Suit of Souls to preserve her soul. Meanwhile the witch quickly defeats Clayface and Etrigan who affixes her magic stone, even as Batwoman shoves an electrified rod through her back. Batwoman grabs the stone and the team tries to make iot back to Earth before Le Fay can recover. Clayface wraps himself around them all to keep them from burning up as they re-enter the atmosphere while Ragman uses his cloak to provide a bit of magic to them. Here’s hoping they survive what’s next.
Wow! That was strange little issue with a bunch of stuff happening I didn’t quite expect. Batwoman in Space? Sounds like the start of a great new TV show to me! Marc Andreyko and Georges Jeanty give us a quirky tale with a character who is know for having quirky tales. I miss the romance between Kate and Maggie and the charging cast of characters here makes this seem like Suicide Squad II in action.
CATWOMAN #35: Selina Kyle has become the heir and now leader to the Calabrese Family. Now she travels in style with her Antonia as her bodyguard and her cousin Nick as her driver. She has a meeting with her subordinates from the other families and explains that this is how business was done 30 years ago and it needs to be done this way now. She also notices that Hasigawa family is not present and vows to handle it by herself. She offers a business proposal to them that is conveyed by Hasigawa daughter Eiko. Meanwhile, Detective Alvarez continues to try and build a case against Selina even though his Lieutenant insists he drop the case. Selina attends a gala at the art museum and later gets a visit from Batman who warns that she can't keep the families united. She asks him to leave and, when she re-enters, Ward tells her he heard what she said and is told not to make threats towards her. Meanwhile, Black Mask and his gang raid a limo only to be interrupted by a man who promises that he can sell the city back.
Welcome to the new direction for the always dangerous Catwoman and it has her coming out of her catsuit and stepping into a designer suit. And that means this title is going through a major upheaval. This was always about being a super heroine or a super villain or, at the very least, a thief with a heart of goal with a warm spot for Batman. Now, with the blessings of her true father, she is prepared to run the crime families of Gotham. Welcome to THE SOPRANOS MEET GOTHAM. Genevieve Valentine is the new author and you probably don’t know of her unless you have read her Crawford Award winning novel: MECHANIQUE: A TALE OF THE CIRCUS TRESULTI. Garry Brown is a new artist to me but his work is nice. Will this book succeed where it has in the past? Let’s see. For now, I am willing to give it a shot.
CONSTANTINE #18: John Constantine's doing some drinking on his birthday while the invasion from Apokolips occurs. Meanwhile, another John Constantine finds himself surrounded by Parademons and he realizes he’s not on the planet he thought he was. Calling Constantine “Worldwalker”, Wotan explains how John has crossed onto Earth 2. John offers to use the Walls of the Soul's Home to get Wotan to our Earth, and in doing so, Wotan gets torn in half, as there are two Constantine’s existing here. He now knows he must find his double so he can get open and avoid the fate Wotan suffered.
Ray Fawkes and Jeremy Haun have dropped poor John Constantine onto Earth 2 and now we have two of them. Yeah, that probably isn’t good. I mean, if we have enough trouble from one Constantine, what kind of havoc can two of them cause? This is all part of the great Earth 2 war which is upcoming and looks to tumble over into our part of the Multiverse. All might be settled by the time CONVERGENCE happens…or it could all go bad quickly. Sit tight: I expect a bumpy ride.
DEATHSTROKE #1: Slade is offered a job by his middle-man Tiggs: go back to Russia and kill "Possum". His contact there is a woman named Angelica and we learn they have sexual history together. When he finds Possum sitting tied to a chair but then uses his mind to cause Slade to reveal a code that Possum wass looking for. He gets ready to cut Slade's head, but Deathstroke reverses it and shoves the handle through Possum's skull. Heavily wounded, he manages to make his way to an old man named I-Ching. When he wakes, he finds that the old man he brought him back from the dead and is told that nowhere is safe. I-Ching disappears and Slade realizes things are no longer the same.
DC had a DEATHSTROKE comic before this (actually, in both the NEW 52 and the OLD DCU) and none of them really lit up the comic shelves. But this…this title has potential as Tony S. Daniel is handling both the writing and drawing of this ultra-violent take on Slade Wilson. So it looks amazing and it’s hot and sexy and has some great dialogue floating through it. I hope this will be a title Daniels stays with and doesn’t dump parts of the creative process to others. If he is allowed to handle what appears to be his vision, I expect it to awesome.
DETECTIVE COMICS #35: Alfred insists Bruce take a few days' vacation. Sitting in his private jet and learns that a rogue plane is on its’ way in to the airport and it smashes through the airport terminal killing and injuring most. Batman gains entrance and discovers that everyone on the plane is dead and there is less than thirty minutes to figure out what killed them. Getting inside the cockpit, he finds an old man dying, joining the rest of the plane where everyone on board is in a state of decay. It’s learned that the flight came from Frankfurt, giving them an 8 hour window to solve the crime. A Stanford-Educated NGO worker called Magnus Magnuson is claiming responsibility and says that opening the plane released a contagion. He also claims that the US needs to withdraw troops from the Middle East or the deaths will be in the millions.
Once again, DETECTIVE COMICS presents us with another creative team change. Benjamin Percy and John Paul Leon give us a mystery with a time frame. I’m not totally familiar with Percy’s work but I have long been a fan of John Paul Leon going back to his days with Milestone. His art style is very noir and dark and moody and what else would you couple with a mystery book? I can’t wait for the conclusion to this mystery.
EARTH 2 #27: Kara, Helena, and Val remember their individual childhood while the Wonders of the World in Geneva. As they find a group of creatures, an emergency door cuts the team in half and one group finds survivors. Batman tries to talk to Helena about being her family. She admits to having family but says it isn’t him. She also discovers he has been using Miraclo to enhance his strength. Meanwhile, Dr. Massaquoi tells Lois that Bedlam opened a portal and unleashed monsters that infected the staff. She also tells Kara and Val that they can create an explosion of energy akin to a neutron bomb, which would destroy the virus. Kara breaks through the door and she and Val attempt to build up the needed energy to create the blast. Upon explosion, Batman seals off the room, letting Kara and Val fly into space to burn off the radiation.
This issue comes before EARTH 2: WORLD’S END #1 and that’s a good thing because when that title hits, as you will see, it’s hitting extremely hard. The creative team of Marguerite Bennett and Tom Taylor with art by Andy Smith, Trevor Scott, Marcus To and Scott Hanna takes this book to the point where the plot points are coming together and the stuff is hitting the fan. If you haven’t gotten into this book now is the time, especially with all of the events coming down..
EARTH 2 WORLD’S END #1-4: Issue #1 begins with events before the original attack by Apokolips upon Earth 2. We see Alan Scott and Sam Zhou together along with some of the other players like Dick Grayson, Jay Garrick and Clark Kent. We also see the evil machinations of Terry Sloan who, after Sam published what he and Alan had been working on, revealed himself to truly be a traitor. In the 9th Dimension, Steppenwolf made plans for the impending invasion of Earth. Batman and Robin arrest James Olsen for treason, even as he tries to explain that Terry Sloan is responsible for opening the portal bringing Parademons to Earth 2. That moment allowed the Parademons to attack major cities and resulted in the deaths of Selena Wayne and Lois Kent. The heroes fight but in the end, the Trinity die and Supergirl and Robin end up being transported to our Earth. And Terry Sloan discovers that he can take his revenge on Sam Zhou. Five years later and it began again. Sam died in an orchestrated train crash and Green Lantern was born. Sloan kidnaps Mister Terrific from another world, sends Sandman to capture Queen Marella, and used the Meta Humans that he was now commanding to go off and capture the new Wonders. Steppenwolf gets killed by Brutaal, in a battle that cost Captain Atom his arm and killed Red Arrow, and destroyed the Project Beyond space ship, Meanwhile Bedlam took control of Miracle, Terrific and Sloan so he could create a Boom Tube as large as a planet. A new Suprman was born in the form of Val-Zod and the world Army and the new heroes came together to once agin fight for their world. Refugee camps were set up around thew world, including one in Chicago where Dick and Barbara Grayson lived with their family. Supergirl and Robin, now known as Power Girl and The Huntress, return to what is left of their home. Huntress meets the new Batman, who is her grandfather while Power Girl reunites with her “momma”, Red Tornado. And then the Fire Pits explode all over the world, with K’Li of Apokolips arriving in Geneva to do battle.
In issue #2, the battle rages on while Apokolips begins to move closer to Earth and the heads of the World Army wait its’ arrival. Green Lantern battles in Brazil, Hawkgirl and Doctor Fate go to London while Aquawoman heads to South Africa. Mr. Terrific attacks Barda and Fury’s ship and Bedlam becomes trapped with Mister Miracle inside of the horror of Terry Sloan’s mind. In Geneva, K’Li battles the heroes and turns the dead humans into more Parademons. Her attacks also turn Lois, Power Girl and Huntress into her slaves and turns them loose on Batman and Val-Zod. With the heroes unconscious, K’Li prepares to turn them into her new slaves.
In issue #3, Val-Zod barely saves Batman from death and it takes Lois’ system rebooting to save the other heroes from their possessed state.. The Furies of Apokolips arrive around the world bringing pestilence, famine, and death. Meanwhile, the world leaders decide that it may be time to unleash the nukes to stop the invasion. Although they want to interrogate Mister Miracle, he informs them that Apokolips isn’t a planet, it is really a god. Things are going badly in the Chicago Refugee Camp and Dick Grayson finds himself fighting off looters. Jimmy Olsen connects with a device in the basement of where he is being kept while the authorities suggest it’s time to free Mister Miracle, Barda and Fury. With Green Lantern doing his best to hold back the monsters in Brazil, Aquawoman finds something horrible has happened in Atlantis.
In issue #4, The World Army convinces Fury, Barda and Mister Miracle to help them and in return, they will show Mister Miracle where his Mother Box is. They lead him to Jimmy Olsen who has bonded with the box somehow. Fury demands that the box purify her and, despite Miracle’s protests, allows it. She learns that her entire life was a lie; that Wonder Woman, her mother, was slain by Steppenwolf, her father. This changes her desires and now makes her want to be a part of the team against Apokolips. Meanwhile, Aquawoman warns the surface world that she is about to activate their ultimate weapon if that is what it takes to stop Apokolips and avenge her people. Green Lantern is about to go to Atlantis and help when he finds himself attacked by Grundy. In Chicago, Dick Grayson gives up his family’s supplies to save his family’s lives which angers her policewoman wife Barbara. And, in Geneva, the team led by Batman and Val-Zod prepare to descend into the firepits when Helena is kidnapped by Desaad.
And here we have four more exciting issues in this saga! The action keeps on coming courtesy of Daniel H. Wilson, Marguerite Bennett and Mike Johnson with art from Eddy Barrows, Tyler Kirkham, Eduardo Pansica, Jorge Jiménez, Paolo Siqueira, Ardian Syaf, Eber Ferreira, Jan Duursema(yes…you read right!), Jonathan Glapion, Jorge Jimenez, Tyler Kirkham, Joe Weems, Robson Rocha and Paul Neary. With four times the action of the monthly EARTH 2 title(not to mention that issue of the monthly title) you certainly have your Earth 2 fill!
THE FLASH #35: The future Flash has made it back far enough to fix the Speed Force and he has grabbed Barry Allen and dragged him to the Utah salt flats. He explains that when the monorail crashed, it broke the Speed Force which allowed Daniel West to travel into the past and that is pat of the reason why Barry has been losing time. Future Flash has gone back in time to fix everything and is now prepared to fix the tear by killing the present Barry and releasing the energy that fill fix the Speed Force. Present day Barry races full speed at Future Barry. They are torn apart by Wally West: the Flash of the Future. As Future Barry tries to kill Present Barry, Wally intervenes and dies, releasing Speed Force energy that closes the rift. This also leaves Future Barry stranded in this time with no way home. A dinosaur…and a robot drone are chasing the Present Barry, wherever he may be.
Another spectacular issue from Robert Venditti, Van Jensen and Brett Booth that continues to redefine the characters in this title. We now have a future Barry stuck in the past, the Present Barry stuck somewhere that is NOT the present, and Wally West of the future is dead. This was a major, action filled issue that completely raised the bar for issues
GOTHAM ACADEMY #1: Olive Silverlock and Mia "Maps" Mizoguchi have been called Headmaster Hammer of Gotham Academy. To inform them that Olive has been assigned as the "sherpa" Maps' to help her get used to the school. During her first day at school she meets occultist Pomeline Fritch and sophomore Colton Rivera, who tells about the rumor that the north wing of the school has a ghost in it. Back in her room, Olive meets her roommate Lucy, who complains about the mess. This leads Olive to find Maps and patch things up, as there is a connection between the two as Olive dated Maps brother Kyle. The pair decides to map everything on campus from the position of the bell tower and head there. Unfortunately a wall where they are collapses and they fall from their position; a fall that takes them past a window in a room where Bruce Wayne is speaking, Bruce looks surprised and startled, as it seems he recognizes Olive. While being checked by a paramedic, she meets Wayne and hallucinates he is Batman. Back in her room, she and her roommate stay up all night taking care of each other, unaware they are being watched from a crack in the wall.
I absolutely don’t know what DC is trying to do with this title. Best that I can tell, they are trying to appeal to the potential Tween girl readers who may get into comics. It reads like a bad girl’s adventure in the vein of an updated Nancy Drew. And the art looks like a U.S. take on Manga by someone that doesn’t realize what it should look like. The title is by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher with art by Karl Kerschl and I give it until the CONVERGENCE before it is gone. It’s not a lot of fun and just way to girly for the average reader.
GRAYSON #3: Spyral has been sent to collect the organs of a super named Paragon and they had recruited Barton Tare who had access to Paragon's eyes. But he got executed by a man named Christophe Tanner who had his ocular nerves to the barrels of his pistols. The assumption is that he wants to have Paragon's eyes transplanted. Meanwhile, Dick and Agent 8 target practice, where we learn that Dick doesn’t like using guns and that Agent 8 grew up in a place in Kansas that was smaller than Smallville. We also discover they have a sensual relationship. They go to Malaysia where Dick and Agent 8 attend to capture Tanner, who causes the helicopter Agent 8 is flying to crash. Despite Dick’s begging him to end the violence, Tanner insists that all he needs are the eyes. Agent 1 comes to Dick’s rescue and captures Tanner. Later, Dick has Batman do some research regarding Tanner and discovers that one of his allegedly deceased sons is enrolled at the school where they were apparently murdered. Dick heads to the school and finds Tanner on the roof spying on his boy. Dick convinces him to give up the eyes, which he does. That is when Agent 8 shoots Tanner and Tanner does the same with the result that both die. Meanwhile, Minos tells Matron he has discovered a hidden signal from within Spyral and assigns her to find the person responsible and unmask them.
Tim Seeley, Tom King and Mikel Janin gives us another weird issue. I cannot get used Dick Grayson Super Spy replacing Nightwing who replaced Robin The Boy Wonder. And I can’t quite figure out where DC wants to go with this. It’s a pretty bad read when the most interesting character is Mister Minos and you only get to see him for about 2 pages per issue. It’s not that the book is bad, it’s just a real confusing read. I like to use my brain when I read, but this title make my head hurt.
GREEN ARROW #35: Green Arrow is back and John Diggle is his bodyguard/partner as the rest of his team is either off training. At a meeting of the Queen Foundation, Oliver discovers that Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor want to join Queen Consolidated, LexCorp and WayneTech together and they could change the world. Oliver turns them down, refusing to pull his business out of the Glades. That night, Zehra tries to convince Oliver to reconsider the earlier offer from Wayne and Luthor, but he is too busy receiving messages from Diggle and leaves her alone at the restaurant. John warns Oliver not to enter the building where a hacker has been siphoning money from the hospital fund. Unfortunately the warning comes too late as Felicity Smoak introduces herself as the person hired to kill the Green Arrow. Elsewhere, Mr. King tortures someone to get information about Mia Dearden.
The new creative team of Andrew Kreisberg, Ben Sokolowski and Daneil Sampere begins the Emerald Archer’s new direction with lackluster results. We go from the innovative storytelling of Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino to the television drama of Kreisberg and Sokolowski and the somewhat generic art of Sampere. I hope the next few issues will improve or I’ll be returning this to where it was prior to Lemire/Sorrentino: off my reading list.
GREEN LANTERN #35: Previously reviewed as part of the GODHEAD review
HARLEY QUINN ANNUAL #1: Harley and Queenie are sunning themselves when Harley gets a distress all from Poison Ivy who has been put into Arkham. Harley goes to Kennedy Airport, steals a parachute and then launches herself via the Scatapult into Gotham City, where she lands in a pizza place. She steals a car and crashes into Arkham, where she is escorted into her own padded cell. She burps at an orderly, blinding him and searches for Ivy, finding her making a formula for someone named Master Edgar. Harley bursts in, glad to know that Ivy is not being held captive - but her friend doesn't seem to recognize her. Harley smashes a jar of hallucinogenic gas, which affects them all. Ivy hallucinates of meeting Swamp Thing, who eventually becomes Harley and they start to burn down factories that are polluting the environment. Success at hand, they go swimming in a pool of nectar inside a giant flower. A giant bee approaches filled with pickup lines, so they drown him. Dr. Bliss hallucinates he is a prisoner at Arkham. Bliss escapes onto a beach until a giant Harley Quinn dressed in a Godzilla costume begins eating swimmers. Harley's dreams about her comic book creation Hurl Girl. Dylana warns about a gun that has been invented to turn Harley into an animal and the Joker turns her into a bird and Harley into a cat. Harley rips the Joker’s face and eats it and then eats him too, causing her to throw up a huge hairball. She makes it her sidekick and they become the super-hero team called Harley Cat and Hairball. Dr. Bash's hallucination sees him and Bliss as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, until Jack the Ripper, who is really Harley, murders Bliss. When the drugs wear off, they find themselves talking to giant floating egg on a plate. He is Edgar Fullerton Yeung, master of the cosmos. He eventually reveals that he needed Doctors Bash and Bliss to get Ivy to make a potion that would make people like him. Harley offers him an apartment in her building. Tony convinces him to join the freak show to pay his rent. With Edgar moved in, Harley and Ivy go to the roof and release a concentrated version of the gas that is sure to have an effect on Brooklyn.
Since Harley Quinn has become one of DC’s more popular characters, it is only likely to flood the market with special after special and try to make each on different. Well, Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner, along with John Timms, Stjepan Šejić, Joe Quinones, Ben Caldwell, and the legendary Kelley Jones, give us another fun filled issue. But this one has a twist: it features “Rub ‘N’ Smell” technology which results in two distinct versions, a domestic and international version; both of which were available as variant cover editions. Why the versions? Well, the “Rub ‘N’ Smell” means you rub your finger over certain s[pots and you get smells. You get the smell of rancid nachos, leather, pizza and, depending on the version, you either get “freshly cut grass” or “cannabisylocibe 7-A”. Don’t sniff it too much because you may end up hallucinating like Harley and company.
HARLEY QUINN #11: Madame Macabre’s son Mason returns and soon finds himself out helping Big Tony and Harley Quinn, who look down into a crater containing Power Girl. They bring her back to their apartment building. While she sleeps, Mason asks Harley out on a date, to which she agrees. Harley then decides to convince Power Girl that they are a superhero crime-fighting team and, when she awakens, is told her superhero name is The Bomb. They pair go shopping as Harley explains that they met Power Girl rescued her from a shark in Lake Michigan. They have lunch at a food court and Harley tells Power Girl that they would be rich except for Power Girl's appetite. Suddenly Sportsmaster and The Clock King appear and our heroes jump into action!
Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and Chad Hardin give us twice the excitement this month! Actually, this was kind of a let down after the ANNUAL. It was nice to see Chad Hardin back behind the drawing board. And, of course, there are the usual literary hijinx from Conner and Palmiotti. Okay…so maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. I guess I should just be glad this isn’t a weekly or I would be suffering from Harley overdose.
INFINITY MAN AND THE FOREVER PEOPLE #4: The Forever People come tumbling out a the Boom Tube and land in Ventura, California in the middle of a Dairy and Agricultural Farm owned by Wayne Industries. After a close encounter with a certain Bat Cow, they end up on a long bus ride back to Venice Beach, eventually arriving at a party. Once there, they run into Vykin’s girlfriend Azur Te, who admits that she was responsible for shutting down all the other Boom Tubes in the area. Mark and Vykin get into a brawl and it takes Serafina to break them up, before she wanders off and meets Doctor Skuba, giving him a cosmic cartridge to help change his life for the better. As things begin to heat up between team members, Guy Gardner arrives, giving them 60 seconds to leave the planet. Meanwhile, Himon has a discussion with The Highfather, telling him that the students are being such a success he doesn't want to pull them off of Earth. When Highfather leaves, Infinity Man arrives and threatens Himon, blaming him for trying to keep him from returning.
Dan Didio and Keith Giffen do great work on this book, even if the readers of the NEW 52 Universe don’t agree, as this is the lowest selling title in the line. That means I give it until the CONVERGENCE in April for it to disappear off the shelves. It’s a shame too, as I truly like this one. I especially like that the book opens with a scarecrow which looks exactly like Serafin from the ORIGINAL Forever People comic and that Bat Cow offers it to his black, female replacement in this world, Serafina. The book gives its’ share of nods and winks to the classic characters while pacing its’ own way. I will be sorry to see it go.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #34: Captain Cold wakes from a nightmare and prepares for his first full day as head of security for Luthor. While shaving, he gets a visit from Mirror Master and Snart tells his old friend he is getting ready to pull the biggest job of his life. Meanwhile, Lex blames Superman for attracting villains like Grodd to Metropolis. In Detroit, Shazam watches Cyborg get an upgrade before leaving to help in Metropolis. On the Watchtower, Flash examines the ring on Jessica Cruz' finger which feeds on fear. Using her will power, she forces the green energy back into the ring and declares that she doesn’t want the ring removed-she wants to learn HOW to use it. Meanwhile, Lex helps Wonder Woman bring supplies to a third-world country where he tells her his motivation is to build money and power. He is told the story of a girl in the village who offers him a flower and hugs her. Later, at Wayne Tower, Lex and Bruce finish the deal that will join their two companies together. Later, Bruce reports to Batman that Lex took their bait. At a press conference, Lex promises to tell how his role in the Justice League is the beginning of a new era. We also discover that he has made Owlman his ally in exchange for Superwoman's child.
Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins set the stones in place for Lex and Len to take on new roles as heroes to the Earth. Or do they? Lex cutting a deal with Owlman for Superwoman’s baby? Is that REALLY a good idea? And Jessica wanting to learn the power of the ring-is that also a BAD IDEA? Johns continues to make this one of the cooler reads each month and that all started with the FOREVER EVIL stories.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #35: Lex Luthor holds a press conference announcing his partnership with Bruce Wayne. Bruce joins in, telling how he wants to use his parents’ fortune to fight poverty and injustice. Inside, Bruce wants a tour of LexCorp and insists on seeing where Bizzaro was created and also Lex’s private lab. Inside, they meet Lex's sister Lena who fell ill and, despite Lex’ best efforts, is wheelchair bound for the rest of her life. Aquaman spots a man in armor who leaps off the ledge and explodes, catching Lena in the blast inside LexCorp. As the assassin heads towards Luthor, he heads for one of his Warsuits. One of the storage units breaks open releasing the Amazo Virus throughout Metropolis.
This issue does more to set up the next storyline than propel it forward. Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke and Ivan Reis set the plate for the next meal to be served on. Bruce has partnered with Lex to keep his identity safe and plans on watching him throughout it all. But now we have an assassin, probably set in motion by Luthor himself, who injures his sister Lena and releases something called the Amazo Virus. We all know who Amazo was but are we now introducing him through a virus that will affect the people of Metropolis? Wait until next month to find out.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
DC's NEW 52: Godhead Act 1
GREEN LANTERN/NEW GODS GODHEAD #1. Act 1, Part 1 of the Godhead Saga. In the beginning, there was The Void and then there was life. First there were the Old Gods and then there were the New Gods. And over the centuries, a feud existed between Highfather of New Genesis and Darkseid of Apokolips. Highfather and Metron examine The Source Wall and realize that Kyle Rayner had breached it during the Relic Wars. They return to the rest of New Genesis to announce that, by combining all of the colors from the Lanterns rings, it creates White Light and that produces the Life Equation. So their goal is to gather a ring of each color and create the Life Equation. On New Korugar, one of the Yellow Lanterns is the first to fall, losing his fingers and his ring. On Okaara, Larfleeze quickly loses his Orange Lantern ring. On Zamaron, Lightray arrives and leaves almost as fast. On Nok, another New God arrives are takes a ring off of an Indigo Lantern. On Earth, the last of the Red Lanterns from when corrupted Earthlings still has her ring which she willing gives up after freeing some trapped sex slaves. Orion and Metron head to Mogo, taking Mogo and Saint Walker’s rings. With all the rings in one place, Highfather unleashes the power of the Life Equation on the planet Aydin but it only wounds and corrupts the inhabits, leading Highfather to have the everyone and everything destroyed. They need to find the White Lantern because he is thew weapon that will destroy Darkseid.
This is the opening chapter in a long epic that will redefine not only the Lanterns but the New Gods and the denizens of Apokolips. Brought to you by the multi-talented team of Van Jensen, Justin Jordan, Robert Venditti, Charles Soule and Cullen Bunn with art by Ethan Van Sciver, Martin Coccolo, Goran Sudzuka, Chriscross and Pete Woods, this has the making of being another classic Green Lantern tale. Either that or a disaster that will cause fans to have to read titles they normally wouldn’t read…fans like me. .
GREEN LANTERN #35: Act 1, Part 2 of the Godhead Saga. The integrity of Planet Mogo is shutting down and the 84.6 billion on Aydin are in a load of trouble. At the Source Wall, Highfather demands that Metron figure out what went wrong on Aydin and how to make use of the Lantern Rings and find the Life Equation. Metron begins hacking the Green Lantern’s servers through the Green Lantern Ring. That leads to a confrontation between the Green Lanterns and Orion, Metron and a small army from New Genesis, with the Lanterns taking quite the beating. Orion opens a Boom Tube and Hal is determined to follow them. That is until he sees the army awaiting them on New Genesis. He orders Kilowog to evacuate Mogo. Meanwhile, Sinestro prepares for visitors.
In Part 2, Robert Venditti and Billy Tan do a nice job of moving the story along. So, it looks like Mogo is dying and Hal Jordan, finally, seems to have grown a set of testicles. My biggest complaint about Hal Jordan is that he has been so terribly whiny that I wanted anyone back in the driver’s seat of the Corps…ANYONE besides Hal. But Hal finally seems to have mustered some intelligence and some needed leadership. Let’s see what happens next. In other words: this is probably the BEST GREEN LANTERN issue in a long time.
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #35: Act 1, Part 3 of the Godhead Saga. The Green Lantern Corps are investigating the planet Aydin that the New Gods tried to transform into Paradise but failed because they didn’t have the key to the Life Equation. The Corps gets attacked by the transformed inhabitants of Aydin and get rescued by Uggha of the New Gods, who demands they turn over their rings. The Corps refuses and that leads to a deadly battle with the New Gods. One of the Nox warriors arrives and transports them away from the battle. Meanwhile, Metron brings good news to Highfather that he has found the White Lantern and Highfather plans to save him from himself.
Okay, so here’s the reason I don’t read this book: it is a huge fight scene with a lot of dialogue. Oh, and we find out that Kyle lives, something most followers of the NEW 52 already new. Van Jensen’s story is action filled but could have been summed up in about three pages. And Bernard Chang’s art is a weak take on Ben Templesmith’s. Not a fan of this chapter at all.
GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #35: Act 1, Part 4 of the Godhead Saga.
The Guardians inform Kyle Rayner that he was the first to ever pass through the Source Wall and returned. They also admit that they allowed the Corps to think that Kyle was dead. He tries to fly off in anger but the Guardians hold him back. At one point he even believes that Carol is his dead girlfriend Alex. Highfather arrives and tells them his job has always been to protect the universe. Then he convinces Kyle and Carol to come with him to New Genesis to make the best use of the Life Equation he possesses.
Justin Jordan and Brad Walker provide one of the best chapters in this saga to date. Here we finally learn that this generation of Guardians are no better or trustworthy than the last group was. They have let the world think that Kyle was dead and claim it was to protect the Life Equation. “Meet the new boss…same as the old boss.” So Kyle and Carol (still can’t get used to her being with him instead of Hal) get ready to split when Highfather shows up, acting like the great savior. In actuality, he has his own agenda. This is like watching a reality show where the machinations of the players are more interesting than the actual show. Nice job, guys!
RED LANTERNS #35: Act 1, Part 5 of the Godhead Saga. Guy Gardner and Tora are getting some sun on the beach in Dubai before he suits up and handles a despot in Qurac by vomiting burning blood on Shahkavat’s face. Suddenly members of the The Wheel arrive via Boom Tube to take away Guy’s ring. Simon Baz arrives to save Guy’s life and fill him in on what has been happening regarding the New Gods. The pair get beat on by The Wheel before the trio head back to New genesis, leaving Guy confused and determined to continue the battle elsewhere.
I love Charles Soule’s writing and I have become a huge fan of J. Calafiore’s art, even more so after getting to mean him and see him in action. And this is a beautiful looking issue. But I found the plot dragging and wasn’t excited by it at all. Who is this guy in Qurac and why do I even care that he wants to be Black Adam? And it just so happens that these fighters from New Genesis arrive to get guy’s ring. Don’t they already HAVE a Red Ring? Yeah, I am a bit confused.
SINESTRO #6: Act 1, Part 6 of the Godhead Saga. Sinestro learns through Lyssa (along with the spy within Arkillo’s ring known as Despotellis) about the attacks by the New Gods that is decimating the other Lanterns in the universe. His daughter convinces him that they should go out and help the Green Lanterns and the Indigos; even Arkillo who Sinestro provides a new hand and a ring for. They launch an assault against the New Gods that are attacking the Indigos. Sinestro and some of his key players watch the battle as he prepares to “trim the fat” and initiates a self destruct protocol that kills most of the Sinestro Corps as well as Indigos and New Gods. Bekka remains alive and swears revenge.
Cullen Bunn just made Sinestro cross that line between anti-hero and villain by killing off most of his weaker teammates. Of course, we had to go through almost an entire issue of lame dialogue and some equally yawnable plot points to get there. On the plus side, as always, there IS the art of Dale Eaglesham. Come to think of it: that IS the plus side as the rest of this title is pretty bad.
This is the opening chapter in a long epic that will redefine not only the Lanterns but the New Gods and the denizens of Apokolips. Brought to you by the multi-talented team of Van Jensen, Justin Jordan, Robert Venditti, Charles Soule and Cullen Bunn with art by Ethan Van Sciver, Martin Coccolo, Goran Sudzuka, Chriscross and Pete Woods, this has the making of being another classic Green Lantern tale. Either that or a disaster that will cause fans to have to read titles they normally wouldn’t read…fans like me. .
GREEN LANTERN #35: Act 1, Part 2 of the Godhead Saga. The integrity of Planet Mogo is shutting down and the 84.6 billion on Aydin are in a load of trouble. At the Source Wall, Highfather demands that Metron figure out what went wrong on Aydin and how to make use of the Lantern Rings and find the Life Equation. Metron begins hacking the Green Lantern’s servers through the Green Lantern Ring. That leads to a confrontation between the Green Lanterns and Orion, Metron and a small army from New Genesis, with the Lanterns taking quite the beating. Orion opens a Boom Tube and Hal is determined to follow them. That is until he sees the army awaiting them on New Genesis. He orders Kilowog to evacuate Mogo. Meanwhile, Sinestro prepares for visitors.
In Part 2, Robert Venditti and Billy Tan do a nice job of moving the story along. So, it looks like Mogo is dying and Hal Jordan, finally, seems to have grown a set of testicles. My biggest complaint about Hal Jordan is that he has been so terribly whiny that I wanted anyone back in the driver’s seat of the Corps…ANYONE besides Hal. But Hal finally seems to have mustered some intelligence and some needed leadership. Let’s see what happens next. In other words: this is probably the BEST GREEN LANTERN issue in a long time.
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #35: Act 1, Part 3 of the Godhead Saga. The Green Lantern Corps are investigating the planet Aydin that the New Gods tried to transform into Paradise but failed because they didn’t have the key to the Life Equation. The Corps gets attacked by the transformed inhabitants of Aydin and get rescued by Uggha of the New Gods, who demands they turn over their rings. The Corps refuses and that leads to a deadly battle with the New Gods. One of the Nox warriors arrives and transports them away from the battle. Meanwhile, Metron brings good news to Highfather that he has found the White Lantern and Highfather plans to save him from himself.
Okay, so here’s the reason I don’t read this book: it is a huge fight scene with a lot of dialogue. Oh, and we find out that Kyle lives, something most followers of the NEW 52 already new. Van Jensen’s story is action filled but could have been summed up in about three pages. And Bernard Chang’s art is a weak take on Ben Templesmith’s. Not a fan of this chapter at all.
GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #35: Act 1, Part 4 of the Godhead Saga.
The Guardians inform Kyle Rayner that he was the first to ever pass through the Source Wall and returned. They also admit that they allowed the Corps to think that Kyle was dead. He tries to fly off in anger but the Guardians hold him back. At one point he even believes that Carol is his dead girlfriend Alex. Highfather arrives and tells them his job has always been to protect the universe. Then he convinces Kyle and Carol to come with him to New Genesis to make the best use of the Life Equation he possesses.
Justin Jordan and Brad Walker provide one of the best chapters in this saga to date. Here we finally learn that this generation of Guardians are no better or trustworthy than the last group was. They have let the world think that Kyle was dead and claim it was to protect the Life Equation. “Meet the new boss…same as the old boss.” So Kyle and Carol (still can’t get used to her being with him instead of Hal) get ready to split when Highfather shows up, acting like the great savior. In actuality, he has his own agenda. This is like watching a reality show where the machinations of the players are more interesting than the actual show. Nice job, guys!
RED LANTERNS #35: Act 1, Part 5 of the Godhead Saga. Guy Gardner and Tora are getting some sun on the beach in Dubai before he suits up and handles a despot in Qurac by vomiting burning blood on Shahkavat’s face. Suddenly members of the The Wheel arrive via Boom Tube to take away Guy’s ring. Simon Baz arrives to save Guy’s life and fill him in on what has been happening regarding the New Gods. The pair get beat on by The Wheel before the trio head back to New genesis, leaving Guy confused and determined to continue the battle elsewhere.
I love Charles Soule’s writing and I have become a huge fan of J. Calafiore’s art, even more so after getting to mean him and see him in action. And this is a beautiful looking issue. But I found the plot dragging and wasn’t excited by it at all. Who is this guy in Qurac and why do I even care that he wants to be Black Adam? And it just so happens that these fighters from New Genesis arrive to get guy’s ring. Don’t they already HAVE a Red Ring? Yeah, I am a bit confused.
SINESTRO #6: Act 1, Part 6 of the Godhead Saga. Sinestro learns through Lyssa (along with the spy within Arkillo’s ring known as Despotellis) about the attacks by the New Gods that is decimating the other Lanterns in the universe. His daughter convinces him that they should go out and help the Green Lanterns and the Indigos; even Arkillo who Sinestro provides a new hand and a ring for. They launch an assault against the New Gods that are attacking the Indigos. Sinestro and some of his key players watch the battle as he prepares to “trim the fat” and initiates a self destruct protocol that kills most of the Sinestro Corps as well as Indigos and New Gods. Bekka remains alive and swears revenge.
Cullen Bunn just made Sinestro cross that line between anti-hero and villain by killing off most of his weaker teammates. Of course, we had to go through almost an entire issue of lame dialogue and some equally yawnable plot points to get there. On the plus side, as always, there IS the art of Dale Eaglesham. Come to think of it: that IS the plus side as the rest of this title is pretty bad.
Monday, November 10, 2014
The NEW 52: FUTURE'S END, Part 2
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED: FUTURE’S END #1: Equinox has defeated a perverted animal trapper called Polargeist when she receives a call from the Martian Manhunter. En route, she stops in San Diego and visits Buddy Baker and his daughter Maxine. Dismissing Maxine, Buddy tells Equinox that he too got J'onn's message, but can’t go as he retired after Green Arrow was killed. She goes to the Justice League's headquarters and tells Cyborg and Vostok-X of J’onn’s message. There is a prison built on Mars to hold the most dangerous villains and that is where they need to go. Arriving there, Equinox learns from J'onn that a powerful telepath has set the villains free and are soon attacked by the freed inmates. Stormguard takes Dawnstar and Equinox to find J’onn, who has been captured by Grodd. Grodd explains that this wasn’t his plan, it was Captain Atom’s plan. This story continues in JUSTICE LEAGUE: FUTURE’S END #1.
Jeff Lemire and Jed Dougherty give us a great first part of a two-part tale filled with unexpected twists. While it started out rather slow with the whole Polargeist piece and the visiting with Buddy Baker. But once the League comes into play, with the addition of some new team members like Dawnstar(just how does she get into the League?) and the trip to Mars, it becomes a great comic story with an unexpected ending. I can’t wait to see how things turn out in Part 2.
JUSTICE LEAGUE: FUTURE’S END #1: It seems Captain Atom is blaming the Justice League for his turning to evil. The League believes he is responsible for the deaths of millions but he believes that what he did saved billions. He demands that he be set free or everyone on the planet will die and he destroys the prison in the process. Wildfire and all of the former members of Justice League United arrive to lend a hand as Equinox has managed to use her ice power to save all the prisoners. Captain Atom decides he will destroy himself and that the energy will kill everyone. Equinox distracts Captain Atom just long enough to allow J’onn to take over his mind and makes him believe he is Nathaniel Adam again. J’onn thanks Equinox for bringing the help and insists he will rebuild the prison.
What had so much promise to start with ended up being just an average comic story. Again, I understand that we need to experience the five years that lead up to this story, but I really wanted to know what Captain Atom did that caused the deaths of so many. Jeff Lemire and Jed Dougherty conclude this tale and find me wanting more. I still like the idea of seeing members of the Legion show up as members and ex-members of the various Leagues. So, for that alone, this ends up being an okay story that could have been a bit of a classic.
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK: FUTURE’S END #1: Zatanna has spent a long time trying to free the residents of the House of Mystery from the nothingness she put them into. While Zatanna and Etrigan have sex, Cassandra tries to find the future of each of the Justice League Dark members but only sees darkness. She does finally discover a man floating in the nothingness. After Etrigan retrieves the body and, surprised to find him alive, Zatanna goes into his subconscious to reveal his story. His name is Eric Maitland Augustine and he was a member of the Order of the Golden Age. He inherited a book that allowed him to open a doorway to other dimensions and eventually here in the Nameless. He finally awakens and they all spend the next two weeks finding their way to a dimensional portal that will set them free. Zatanna grabs Eric, the two of them enter the portal, and he attacks her with dark magic. She sees a giant stone head that explains that he is called Non and that Eric had actually died with the rest of the Order of the Golden Age. His body was absorbed to lure other visitors. Suddenly, the rest of Justice League Dark arrives and focus their magic at Non. Zatanna wonders why the others came back for her and Asa reminds her how she saved her from The Between. She orders Eric be killed to keep Non from returning.
J. M. DeMatteis, Len Wein and Andres Guinaldo give us a decent conclusion to this two part tale. The nice thing about it is that, with the exception of some key plot points, this could easily have dropped into current continuity. This was not the best of the FUTURE’S END tale and it certainly wasn’t the worst.
NEW 52 FUTURE’S END#17-21: In issue #17, John Constantine tells his companions, Midge and Tommy, that an entire village was murdered by someone or something seeking the same man they are seeking. There is a rumbling from under the ground and a geyser comes forth. Out steps a bearded Kal-El from with it. On Cadmus Island, Hawkgirl is about to be experimented on by Doctor Sook when the OMAC who broguht her here crushes his head. Elsewhere, Slade Wilson has Cole examine all the Earth 2 when the prisoners step out their cells and escape. Over on Vancouver Island, Emiko and Barda head towards a meeting with John Diggle. Emiko’s plan is to use a Queen Foundation owned freighter to get to Cadmus Island, kill Deathstroke and free the remaining Earth 2 refugees. In Metropolis, Lois Lane's watches Superman and Rampage battle.In the midst of it, he utters the word "Shazam!", bringing down the lightning and knocking Rampage out. Lois rushes to his side to find Superman gone and replaced by Billy Batson.
In issue #18, Constantine tries to convince Clark that they need Superman, tells them to go to the NEW Superman and finishes by saying he won’t be lectured to by a drunk. Constantine tells him that Brainiac is responsible. In Metropolis, Lois is crouched over Billy Batson before Rampage returns and throws him through the air. Luckily, Stormguard, who takes down Rampage and promises to get her the help she needs, catches him. Stormguard teleports Lois and Billy to the Justice League Satellite where he asks Lois not to report the story of who Superman is. Meanwhile, Emiko and Barda meet with John Diggle, who explains that this island they are on is the same one where Oliver became the Green Arrow. And that is when Oliver emerges from the jungle to greet them. On Cadmus Island, Faraday complains to the mysterious voice about the escape and soon realizes he needs to follow orders or many will die. Slade, Lana, and Cole Cash are hiding while Fifty Sue has gone with a list of demands " to see the wizard”, who is actually Brother Eye." At the same time, Power Girl is watching the three of them. Under Terrifitech building, Terry McGinnis and company plan their break-in.
In issue #19, Terry uses A.L.F.R.E.D. to track the Brother Eye satellite's orbit. He then trips the alarms and betrays Key and Coil. Plastique sneaks into the lab where her cyborg self is being kept. Terry finds her and, since the experience has shaken her, helps her escape. In Metropolis, Lois Lane decides to wait on publishing her story although Ty tells her she must. Billy arrives and explains that revealing to the world that Superman is not who they thought he is will destroy the meaning of the symbol. As he flies off, Lois makes her decision. Off in the Huron System, Ray Palmer is surprised when one of the Storm Lords appears on the remains of the Carrier and claims that Ray must lead Stormwatch. He explains that the rest of the team aren’t missing, but are at the mercy of Brainiac, who killed the last Stormwatch team. On Cadmus Island, Deathstroke and Lana are attacked by a possessed Power Girl. Fifty Sue reminds her that Deathstroke and Lana are under her protection and Power Girl leaves. Sue tells Slade that Brother Eye has possessed most of the Earth 2 prisoners and Cole. In New York City, Calvin closes up his bar and sees the newspaper headline where Lois has revealed that Shazam is now Superman.
In issue #20, Tim Drake breaks into the The Fast Lane only to find Lois waiting for him. He explains to her that he didn’t fake his own death. He was almost killed by a Paradmon when Red Arrow saved his life and paid for it with his life. That was when he gave up the world of tights. She tells him he needs to explain who he is to Madison Young. She shows him the box of items and he recognizes the arrow as the one that saved him. He guesses the map coordinates are for him, but he insists he is done with that life and leaves. Jumping ahead thirty years, Michael Holt learns that Brother Eye has opened Batman’s skull and learned how to travel through. It plans to have the Joker travel back in time and stop Terry McGinnis. Back on Cadmus Island, Fifty Sue, Slade, Cole, and Lana make their way to Faraday's office where they find him there waiting. He explains that he is also trapped by Brother Eye and Sue suggests they go to her secret bunker. At Terrifitech, Key and Coil get a visit from Mr. Terrific who tries to get them to tell him who they are working for. They reveal it to be Bruce Wayne. Finally, Tim confesses about who he really is and, feeling betrayed, Madison walks out on him.
In issue #21, Oliver welcomes Big Barda to his army. Red Arrow of Earth 2 explains that
Mister Miracle had put him in charge to make certain the refugees made it to Earth safely. Oliver explains how Earth Cards were issued to keep an eye on the refugees of Earth 2, who most blamed for the Apokolips war and how he had tried to keep Seattle Earth Card free. What he and Red Arrow discovered was that many of the Earth 2 heroes had been kidnapped by Deathstroke. They also discovered that Maxwell Payne had compromised defense codes days before the invasion. In doing so, Brother Eye transported the occupants thought dead by Barda, including Mister Miracle, away from the exploding ship. The Global Peace Agency wasn’t hunting the Earth 2 heroes, but Cadmus was. To work best, Oliver faked his own death and returned to his island where he built an army with the Outsiders. Barda agrees to join and help wipe out Cadmus.
So, now we all know that Oliver faked his own death, that Superman is really Billy Batson and that Lois Lane will do anything to make a headline. Never really trusted this version of that woman! Anyway, I find this another monster run of issues by Brian Azzarello, Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, Jeff Lemire with art by Patrick Zircher, Georges Jeanty, Scot Eaton, Aaron Lopresti, and Cully Hamner. So many fans and critics have dropped this title, spit on this title and totally disrespected it. But, with the creative team at the helm that is in place, I can’t see DC totally doing this without allowing consequences to be put in place. Remember: rumor has all things related to a CRISIS happening about the time this mini-series is set to end. Let'’ see what happens!
NEW SUICIDE SQUAD: FUTURE’S END #1: A one armed Deadshot along with Black Manta, who has had his brain scrambled by the government, are rescued from Belle Reve by Amanda Waller. They find and free Harley Quinn who has been kept in isolation because of her use of Venom. With her team back together, she explains that she suspects the government is using cloning technology to create their own super army. They break into the compound and find a nursery full of babies that Amanda believes have had the Squad's personalities downloaded. They soon encounter a pair of teenage boys that look like the Joker and Harley attacks them, getting a face full of acid for her trouble. Black Manta gets stabbed and Harley has a bomb stuck to her. Amanda grabs Deadshot and they flee before Harley explodes. A Deathstroke arrives and begins shooting at Floyd and Amanda. In a duel with swords, Floyd is seriously wounded, but manages to turn the table on the clone and blow his face off. As he dies, Deadshot hears that Amanda succeeded in shutting the project down.
Sean Ryan and Andre Coelho give us a rather depressing end to the legendary Suicide Squad. Of course this story makes me think how all these FUTURE’S END tales are connected. If Harley was in prison, then how could she have ended up on an island with The Joker in her own one shot? Both stories are set five years in the future, so how do we explain that? Does the Harley Special come first and then, somehow, she juices on Venom, gets caught and this story occurs? Or did the editors at DC just forget things like…continuity? Yeah: that’s it!
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, police and S.W.A.T. in Central City have surrounded a building where Jason Todd is holed up. Todd manages to distract them by blowing up the building and escapes. Back in the day, Todd was teamed up with Roy and Kori and fighting against the bad guys. But Kori went back to her homeworld and Roy replaced Green Arrow in the Justice League. On their last meeting, Roy shot Jason and vowed to capture him if he continued to hunt “villains”. Jason’s current target is Morgan Edge, the former owner of Galaxy Broadcasting. After sending on ominous message to Edge, the Metropolis Police Department surrounds his building to protect him. Jason arrives with a well-armed blimp and takes out all of the police before finally confronting Edge. One week later, someone in Vostok Russia receives an ominous message in the form of a red hood.
Scott Lobdell and Scott Kolins give us a decent issue this time. Kolins art looks great, if you like his style of art, which I do. And Lobdell’s tale, while it is filled with a number of unexplained plot holes, stands up well. So how did Jason Todd become such a violent vigilante, killing police officers in the process of taking out villains? What went on over a five year period that caused Jason to decide who was the most guilty? Again, I would like to have had more answers, but it ended up being a much better story than I had expected.
RED LANTERNS: FUTURE’S END #1: Bleez and Guy Gardner, who is now a Blue Lantern, are out to purge the universe of all Red Lanterns. They reflect on their mission, as they bring survivors to Ysmault. Meanwhile, King Jack, the Red Lantern known as Rankorr, plans his final assault and begins a battle with Bleez and Guy. Ultimately, Bleez draws his ring from him, as she has with all of the other Red Lantern rings in the universe. The power nearly drives her insane but words of wisdom from Guy Gardner allows him to draw away all the rings and destroy them, allowing a normal Bleez and a normal Jack to be together forever.
A great tale from Charles Soule and J. Calafiore, who I had to honor to meet at this year’s Rhode Island Comic Con(and thanks to my daughter for buying a beautiful piece of Harley Quinn art from him). I expected this to be just a fill-in issue to get us to the next month, but this was fun. Gardner is touched and obviously converted by the Blue Lantern energy and everyone gets a happy ending out of it. Thanks for this, guys: I thoroughly enjoyed it!
SINESTRO: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Sinestro and the “worst sentients” in the universe are imprisoned in the penitentiary known as Tartaros. There was a time when he was being followed by those who saw his means as villainous and that forced he and Lyssa to flee New Korugar. In his prison cell, Lyssa visits him and soon he leads a breakout with a newly crafted ring. He and a handful of prisoners escape the planet and head into empty space. Once there, he retrieves Lyssa’s skull and brings it on board the ship, before killing all and landing on Necropolis-what was later renamed New Korugar. The Apex League arrives to apprehend him, as he notes that everything and everyone on the planet died because he wasn’t there to keep Parallax from breaking free and eating everyone. He smashes Kyssa’s skull and it yields a black ring. Sinestro now leads the Black Lanterns.
Cullen Bunn and Igor Lima turn in one of the best single Sinestro stories since the first issue of this series. Sinestro has developed into one of those villains that tend to walk a very strange line. He’s part evil conqueror and part anti-hero. But his book hasn’t really lived up to his reputation. This issue does, as he gets imprisoned, breaks out, ends up on his reconstructed and now dead homeworld and eventually gains a modicum of revenge by becoming a Black Lantern. All in all, a really good issue! They should all be like this one!
STAR SPANGLED WAR STORIES: FUTURE’S END #1: In the future, a virus called "Black Ice" is infecting thousands including G.I. Zombie's partner, Carmen King. While a cure is still being created, he ends up being deployed to aircraft carrier that has been over run by virus infected zombies. While he attacks them, a helicopter fires a missile that cuts him in half and destroys the boat’s own missile system. G.I. Zombie puts his body back together as zombies attack Gotham City. The vaccine kills Carmen and then revives her. They end up going to Codsville and secure a crop-duster to deploy it. Jared and Carmen deploy the antivirus but gets shot at by an enemy chopper. Jared crashes into the enemy chopper and finds Gravedigger flying it. Jared demands to know why he is betraying his country and his told that the orders CAME from this country. Landing on the ground below, the two zombies battle, with Jared ripping off the head of his enemy and stuffing it in a bag. The antivirus is dropped as Jared promises to reconnect the head to the body so Gravedigger can stand trial for treason. In the end, Jared and Carmen have dinner as she reveals that she is retiring from duty. They agree to get drunk and say goodbye.
Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Scott Hampton deliver a great, action filled, zombieriffic issue! This one has it all and even gives us a semi-romantic ending. I truly love the monthly title and this just has that same vibe. Unfortunately, this title is going to end up going the way of much of DC’s “low hanging fruit”-rotting on the vine and going away sooner than later, I’m afraid.
SUPERBOY: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Superboy and his friends Roxy, Rose and Guardian have been hunting down the last remaining Superboy clones. When the last three clones arrive, they all battle. After absorbing the other two, the last one battles the team and is defeated. Fireworks erupt and the foursome leaves happy.
Yeah…this is why I stopped reading this title. Frank J. Barbiere gives us a lackluster and confusing story not helped at all by Ben Caldwell’s art. In some panels, Superboy has a Don Johnson two day old beard and on the next page, he’s completely clean shaven. This is the worst thing I read all month, hands down.
SUPERGIRL: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, the Cyborg Superman and Supergirl, also now a cyborg, return to Earth. Dr. Veritas tries to talk to her, but Supergirl will have nothing of it. Then Captain Comet intervenes and tries to make her remember that they were once part of a team. And they were also lovers until the Cyborg Superman took her away and turned her into a cyborg. When he orders her to kill Captain Comet, she revolts, turning against him and removing her cyborg arm in the process. The rest of the Wanderers arrive as the Cyborg Superman departs, leaving Supergirl, now somewhat back to her old self, to reunite with her team and her lover.
This counts as the SECOND WORST issue I read this month. Tony Bedard and Emanuela Lupacchino fill this book with lame, poorly crafted characters and a sad little love story featuring more cardboard heroes. I got nothing else to say except…I want my three bucks back!
SUPERMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Superman arrives at a fire and saves two children. Unfortunately, the police and firefighters do not thank him. He is vilified because he is not Kal-El. Later, Billy Batson arrives at Lois Lane’s apartment and tells her how he became Superman. During the war, he was betrayed by Black Adam and, just when Adam was about to kill him and steal the lightning, Superman arrived, sending Black Adam into the Phantom Zone. He then proceeds to explain that he has a mission to do alone, because “he” says so. While he and Lois talk, Ibac returns, forcing the two of them into battle. Defeating him at last, Shazam decides it’s time to walk away from the ruse and shed the Superman guise.
This was awesome! I really had some issues with Superman being revealed to be Billy Batson when it occurred in the pages of NEW 52 FUTURE’S END #17 and had even more issues when Lois turned around and shared the story with the world. But now getting the back story from Dan Jurgens, with some amazing art from Lee Weeks, I feel better about it. Seeing Black Adam betray the Earth for his own personal gains is typical and makes me want to see The Rock portray him even less than I did before. This was a wild read and it not only read great it looked AMAZING! Thanks guys!
SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: In the second part of a story that began in WONDER WOMAN: FUTURE’S END #1, Wonder Woman believes that Superman may be possessed by Nemesis, although he claims otherwise, saying that it is she herself being controlled. He has her Lasso of Truth around his neck, so she realizes that she has been infected by Nemesis and is actually in Tartarus. Clark helps her find the exit, telling her that he is Clark from four years ago who was sent here by Diana's generals. As they arrive in Themyscira, she learns that sees Nemesis' army has taken everything, including the League. Ordering her sisters to hold the city for as long as they can, she and Clark go to Mount Olympus and beg Apollo to let them use the scrying pool. Diana became possessed because Nemesis had started the war by killing the Goddess of Peace. With no Peace, there could only be war. She enters the tomb of the Goddess of Peace where she will convince her spirit that she was always meant to be that Goddess.
Okay, I am truly confused. Nemesis started the war? Is this the same war with Apokolips that resulted in the destruction of Earth 2? Is this even the same universe? And how is it that Apollo is still on the throne of Mount Olympus? Does this ruin the story that Brian Azzarello is trying to wrap up. Again-totally confused. With that out of the way, let’s just say that Charles Soule’s story is touching and typical Soule and art by the legendary Bart Sears makes it that much better. Maybe I need to go back and read this AGAIN to make sure I know who is fighting who.
SWAMP THING: FUTURE’S END #1: Swamp Thing, ruler of the Green Kingdom, has spent the last five years preparing for his final battle and needs the help of the rulers of the other kingdoms. He visits the Grey, reminding the Avatar that if he brought a photo of a certain woman, the Avatar would do something for him in return. He agrees to join him and Alec goes to The Red, where the Avatar attacks him with a three-headed bear. Defeating the bear, he calls the Avatar an idiot and goes to the realm of the Divided, home to the bacteria of the universe. Alec presents the Avatar with the body of the bear as a gift and reminds here that her had promised her that he would help her expand her territory and, if she joins him, he will see that happens. In the realm of metal, the Processor quickly agrees to join him. He finally goes to the The Black, where he encounters the throne of Anton Arcane. Alec begs him to release his daughter-bride, Abigail, which he refuses to do. While Arcane plans to kill Alec, he tells him that he has brought the Swamp thing with him and he once possessed the White Lantern Ring, so Abigail is released. He plans on defeating The Rot and allowing the Grey, the Divided, and the Metal to take over for him. The light from the White Lantern Ring destroys Arcane and Abigail's body as Alec dies.
And thus the saga of this Swamp Thing comes to an end, at the hands of Charles Soule and Jesús Saíz. The long, rambling tale has a satisfying ending, although the whole trip to the various realms was a bit on the long side. In the end, we knew that Alec would have to battle Arcane. It was just interesting to see how Abby and the White Lantern Ring would result in his death. Overall, this is a great story and one of Soule’s best free-standing issues on this character.
TEEN TITANS: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Archimedes Grant is throwing a party at sea where laws do not apply to him. He is also trying to gain the influence of Senator Peter Strutz. He also has Earth 2’s Tempest in a glass tank and being chased by a shark. Suddenly he disappears, thanks to Klarion: the Earth 2 version who also makes a quick exit. Soon a female Kid Flash, joins him, also from Earth 2, and The Heretic, who wants in as part of this team to take down Grant. Two days later, Grant is hosting a party in New York City when the foursome arrives and engages Grant’s security team. Grant is soon escorted away by Alexia Santos, who battles with him. When she discovers he cloned a woolly mammoth only to kill it five years later and have it stuffed, Animal Girl knocks him through a wall. When all is said and done, Grant lives on through an Earth 2 immigration act named after him, thanks to the Senator. Unfortunately for the Senator, he receives a visit from the Teen Titans to discuss his future.
Will Pfeifer and Andy Smith present this tale of the new, new, NEW Teen Titans(I think that’s right, when you take into account this is the THIRD Teen Titans team since the NEW 52 debuted). And, with the exception of Heretic and possibly Animal Girl, they are Earth 2 refugees. Pfeifer’s story is fun if not a little confusing (the whole Teen Titans run by Earth 2’s Klarion makes me wonder if the Klarion in the forthcoming series is from Earth 2 or not) but Andy Smith’s art shines. At times, he crosses into that George Perez meets Phil Jimenez space and it really shows! Again, this was fun: probably more fun than the monthly title is!
TRINITY OF SIN PANDORA: FUTURE’S END #1: Pandora had figured out that the infamous box is actually a portal between worlds and it has taken her five years to put it back together and try to make it open for her. What comes out is what she once thought was the Seven Deadly Sins but are only versions of herself from another dimension. Each one has been responsible for the ending of their universes and now they attack Pandora. She brings all the others pieces of her back into herself so she can keep the Multiverse alive and subsequently explodes. This beckons a new day the Multiverse.
What Ray Fawkes has done here, at least what I BELIEVE he was doing here, is suggest that the infamous moment in FLASHPOINT was actually one of these alternate Pandoras trying to end another Multiverse in the hopes that the one that replaces it would be better. Let’s not forget that all those moments from the alternate FLASHPOINT timeline came together and only parts of it survived in the NEW 52, just like parts of the continuity from the OLD DCU survived here as well. Or…I could be totally reading into this when there is nothing to read into. All in all, this was a cool tale from Fawkes and artist Tom Derenick.
TRINITY OF SIN THE PHANTOM STRANGER: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, the Phantom Stranger pays the ferryman his last silver coin and is taken to the Rock of Eternity for his final judgment. There is a new council of seven to decide his fate: Trigon, Mister E, Neron, Eclipso, Sin Eater, Blight and Zauriel. Trigon plans on entering the Gates of Paradise but needs the Amulet of Origins to get in, which the Stranger possesses. Zauriel, now Trigon’s beloved, steals the amulet but, before she can give it to Trigon, is sent to Heaven by The Presence, who prepares to deal punishment to the seven. He sets The Stranger free, bringing him back to the boat he used to reach the Rock of Eternity. The ferryman is revealed to be Elena: his “wife” from a previous life. She gives him back the final coin and the Amulet as The Presence returns and the boat begins to sink, sending The Stranger off to help a world that needs him.
Dan Didio, J. M. DeMatteis and Phil Winslade send The Stranger off to a title that no longer exists, as he joins Pandora and The Question on the new TRINITY OF SIN title launching next month. This was a fitting, if not somewhat predictable ending as the stacked deck of seven meant SOMETHING GOOD was going to happen and since that little dog has been running around this title for MOST of this title, I sort of expected the Divine Puppy would save the day. The high point of the book? Phil Winslade.
WONDER WOMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Wonder Woman, God of War battle an entire enemy army on the fields of Korondor. Later, as she walks with her friend Hessia, she learns that the enemy has made its’ way through Swan Gate and she calls the council to plan a way to stop Nemesis. Drawing her sword and facing her men, the Army of the Dead, she asks why they fight for her. They respond that if they can help the living continue to live, their sacrifices are worth it. She channels her energy into a blast of energy to destroy Nemesis' army. And then she hears Superman’s voice and realizes he has been possessed by Nemesis.
As you already know, this story concludes in SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN FUTURE’S END #1. This first part, by Charles Soule and Rags Morales, is a nice set-up to that concluding chapter. We see Diana as the troubled God of War trying to make sense of everything that has happened. Soule’s writing continues to be at its’ best and it will surely suck for the NEW 52 Universe when he finally leaves here to his new exclusive home at Marvel. Until then, just enjoy his work and hope that the successors on his titles will be as good as he was.
WORLDS’ FINEST: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, we see Power Girl breaking into Cadmus Island. She steals a uniform from the laundry room and sneaks through the facility. Using her X-Ray vision, she discovers that Cadmus is studying super-humans in the cruelest of ways. Deathstroke, who quickly learns that conventional weapons like guns and knives are ineffective, attacks her and seems to be ready for a horrendous beating when Fifty Sue arrives. Karen’s protégé Tanya enters the scene but that battle is short lived and many innocents in the area are vaporized in the process. Collapsing, both are brought to a prison cell where Helena is also waiting. She now realizes that all hope is lost.
Or is it? If you have been reading recent issues of NEW 52 FUTURE’S END, you know that Power Girl has been corrupted by Brother Eye, as have many of the other heroes on Cadmus Island. Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen(who is credited as “advisor”) and Yildiray Cinar are responsible for this issue which only gets a thumbs up from me for illustrating, in a less than graphic way, how Cadmus “studies” it’s super-human captives. If this is studying five years from now, then the heroes of Earth 2 may be doomed.
Jeff Lemire and Jed Dougherty give us a great first part of a two-part tale filled with unexpected twists. While it started out rather slow with the whole Polargeist piece and the visiting with Buddy Baker. But once the League comes into play, with the addition of some new team members like Dawnstar(just how does she get into the League?) and the trip to Mars, it becomes a great comic story with an unexpected ending. I can’t wait to see how things turn out in Part 2.
JUSTICE LEAGUE: FUTURE’S END #1: It seems Captain Atom is blaming the Justice League for his turning to evil. The League believes he is responsible for the deaths of millions but he believes that what he did saved billions. He demands that he be set free or everyone on the planet will die and he destroys the prison in the process. Wildfire and all of the former members of Justice League United arrive to lend a hand as Equinox has managed to use her ice power to save all the prisoners. Captain Atom decides he will destroy himself and that the energy will kill everyone. Equinox distracts Captain Atom just long enough to allow J’onn to take over his mind and makes him believe he is Nathaniel Adam again. J’onn thanks Equinox for bringing the help and insists he will rebuild the prison.
What had so much promise to start with ended up being just an average comic story. Again, I understand that we need to experience the five years that lead up to this story, but I really wanted to know what Captain Atom did that caused the deaths of so many. Jeff Lemire and Jed Dougherty conclude this tale and find me wanting more. I still like the idea of seeing members of the Legion show up as members and ex-members of the various Leagues. So, for that alone, this ends up being an okay story that could have been a bit of a classic.
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK: FUTURE’S END #1: Zatanna has spent a long time trying to free the residents of the House of Mystery from the nothingness she put them into. While Zatanna and Etrigan have sex, Cassandra tries to find the future of each of the Justice League Dark members but only sees darkness. She does finally discover a man floating in the nothingness. After Etrigan retrieves the body and, surprised to find him alive, Zatanna goes into his subconscious to reveal his story. His name is Eric Maitland Augustine and he was a member of the Order of the Golden Age. He inherited a book that allowed him to open a doorway to other dimensions and eventually here in the Nameless. He finally awakens and they all spend the next two weeks finding their way to a dimensional portal that will set them free. Zatanna grabs Eric, the two of them enter the portal, and he attacks her with dark magic. She sees a giant stone head that explains that he is called Non and that Eric had actually died with the rest of the Order of the Golden Age. His body was absorbed to lure other visitors. Suddenly, the rest of Justice League Dark arrives and focus their magic at Non. Zatanna wonders why the others came back for her and Asa reminds her how she saved her from The Between. She orders Eric be killed to keep Non from returning.
J. M. DeMatteis, Len Wein and Andres Guinaldo give us a decent conclusion to this two part tale. The nice thing about it is that, with the exception of some key plot points, this could easily have dropped into current continuity. This was not the best of the FUTURE’S END tale and it certainly wasn’t the worst.
NEW 52 FUTURE’S END#17-21: In issue #17, John Constantine tells his companions, Midge and Tommy, that an entire village was murdered by someone or something seeking the same man they are seeking. There is a rumbling from under the ground and a geyser comes forth. Out steps a bearded Kal-El from with it. On Cadmus Island, Hawkgirl is about to be experimented on by Doctor Sook when the OMAC who broguht her here crushes his head. Elsewhere, Slade Wilson has Cole examine all the Earth 2 when the prisoners step out their cells and escape. Over on Vancouver Island, Emiko and Barda head towards a meeting with John Diggle. Emiko’s plan is to use a Queen Foundation owned freighter to get to Cadmus Island, kill Deathstroke and free the remaining Earth 2 refugees. In Metropolis, Lois Lane's watches Superman and Rampage battle.In the midst of it, he utters the word "Shazam!", bringing down the lightning and knocking Rampage out. Lois rushes to his side to find Superman gone and replaced by Billy Batson.
In issue #18, Constantine tries to convince Clark that they need Superman, tells them to go to the NEW Superman and finishes by saying he won’t be lectured to by a drunk. Constantine tells him that Brainiac is responsible. In Metropolis, Lois is crouched over Billy Batson before Rampage returns and throws him through the air. Luckily, Stormguard, who takes down Rampage and promises to get her the help she needs, catches him. Stormguard teleports Lois and Billy to the Justice League Satellite where he asks Lois not to report the story of who Superman is. Meanwhile, Emiko and Barda meet with John Diggle, who explains that this island they are on is the same one where Oliver became the Green Arrow. And that is when Oliver emerges from the jungle to greet them. On Cadmus Island, Faraday complains to the mysterious voice about the escape and soon realizes he needs to follow orders or many will die. Slade, Lana, and Cole Cash are hiding while Fifty Sue has gone with a list of demands " to see the wizard”, who is actually Brother Eye." At the same time, Power Girl is watching the three of them. Under Terrifitech building, Terry McGinnis and company plan their break-in.
In issue #19, Terry uses A.L.F.R.E.D. to track the Brother Eye satellite's orbit. He then trips the alarms and betrays Key and Coil. Plastique sneaks into the lab where her cyborg self is being kept. Terry finds her and, since the experience has shaken her, helps her escape. In Metropolis, Lois Lane decides to wait on publishing her story although Ty tells her she must. Billy arrives and explains that revealing to the world that Superman is not who they thought he is will destroy the meaning of the symbol. As he flies off, Lois makes her decision. Off in the Huron System, Ray Palmer is surprised when one of the Storm Lords appears on the remains of the Carrier and claims that Ray must lead Stormwatch. He explains that the rest of the team aren’t missing, but are at the mercy of Brainiac, who killed the last Stormwatch team. On Cadmus Island, Deathstroke and Lana are attacked by a possessed Power Girl. Fifty Sue reminds her that Deathstroke and Lana are under her protection and Power Girl leaves. Sue tells Slade that Brother Eye has possessed most of the Earth 2 prisoners and Cole. In New York City, Calvin closes up his bar and sees the newspaper headline where Lois has revealed that Shazam is now Superman.
In issue #20, Tim Drake breaks into the The Fast Lane only to find Lois waiting for him. He explains to her that he didn’t fake his own death. He was almost killed by a Paradmon when Red Arrow saved his life and paid for it with his life. That was when he gave up the world of tights. She tells him he needs to explain who he is to Madison Young. She shows him the box of items and he recognizes the arrow as the one that saved him. He guesses the map coordinates are for him, but he insists he is done with that life and leaves. Jumping ahead thirty years, Michael Holt learns that Brother Eye has opened Batman’s skull and learned how to travel through. It plans to have the Joker travel back in time and stop Terry McGinnis. Back on Cadmus Island, Fifty Sue, Slade, Cole, and Lana make their way to Faraday's office where they find him there waiting. He explains that he is also trapped by Brother Eye and Sue suggests they go to her secret bunker. At Terrifitech, Key and Coil get a visit from Mr. Terrific who tries to get them to tell him who they are working for. They reveal it to be Bruce Wayne. Finally, Tim confesses about who he really is and, feeling betrayed, Madison walks out on him.
In issue #21, Oliver welcomes Big Barda to his army. Red Arrow of Earth 2 explains that
Mister Miracle had put him in charge to make certain the refugees made it to Earth safely. Oliver explains how Earth Cards were issued to keep an eye on the refugees of Earth 2, who most blamed for the Apokolips war and how he had tried to keep Seattle Earth Card free. What he and Red Arrow discovered was that many of the Earth 2 heroes had been kidnapped by Deathstroke. They also discovered that Maxwell Payne had compromised defense codes days before the invasion. In doing so, Brother Eye transported the occupants thought dead by Barda, including Mister Miracle, away from the exploding ship. The Global Peace Agency wasn’t hunting the Earth 2 heroes, but Cadmus was. To work best, Oliver faked his own death and returned to his island where he built an army with the Outsiders. Barda agrees to join and help wipe out Cadmus.
So, now we all know that Oliver faked his own death, that Superman is really Billy Batson and that Lois Lane will do anything to make a headline. Never really trusted this version of that woman! Anyway, I find this another monster run of issues by Brian Azzarello, Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, Jeff Lemire with art by Patrick Zircher, Georges Jeanty, Scot Eaton, Aaron Lopresti, and Cully Hamner. So many fans and critics have dropped this title, spit on this title and totally disrespected it. But, with the creative team at the helm that is in place, I can’t see DC totally doing this without allowing consequences to be put in place. Remember: rumor has all things related to a CRISIS happening about the time this mini-series is set to end. Let'’ see what happens!
NEW SUICIDE SQUAD: FUTURE’S END #1: A one armed Deadshot along with Black Manta, who has had his brain scrambled by the government, are rescued from Belle Reve by Amanda Waller. They find and free Harley Quinn who has been kept in isolation because of her use of Venom. With her team back together, she explains that she suspects the government is using cloning technology to create their own super army. They break into the compound and find a nursery full of babies that Amanda believes have had the Squad's personalities downloaded. They soon encounter a pair of teenage boys that look like the Joker and Harley attacks them, getting a face full of acid for her trouble. Black Manta gets stabbed and Harley has a bomb stuck to her. Amanda grabs Deadshot and they flee before Harley explodes. A Deathstroke arrives and begins shooting at Floyd and Amanda. In a duel with swords, Floyd is seriously wounded, but manages to turn the table on the clone and blow his face off. As he dies, Deadshot hears that Amanda succeeded in shutting the project down.
Sean Ryan and Andre Coelho give us a rather depressing end to the legendary Suicide Squad. Of course this story makes me think how all these FUTURE’S END tales are connected. If Harley was in prison, then how could she have ended up on an island with The Joker in her own one shot? Both stories are set five years in the future, so how do we explain that? Does the Harley Special come first and then, somehow, she juices on Venom, gets caught and this story occurs? Or did the editors at DC just forget things like…continuity? Yeah: that’s it!
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, police and S.W.A.T. in Central City have surrounded a building where Jason Todd is holed up. Todd manages to distract them by blowing up the building and escapes. Back in the day, Todd was teamed up with Roy and Kori and fighting against the bad guys. But Kori went back to her homeworld and Roy replaced Green Arrow in the Justice League. On their last meeting, Roy shot Jason and vowed to capture him if he continued to hunt “villains”. Jason’s current target is Morgan Edge, the former owner of Galaxy Broadcasting. After sending on ominous message to Edge, the Metropolis Police Department surrounds his building to protect him. Jason arrives with a well-armed blimp and takes out all of the police before finally confronting Edge. One week later, someone in Vostok Russia receives an ominous message in the form of a red hood.
Scott Lobdell and Scott Kolins give us a decent issue this time. Kolins art looks great, if you like his style of art, which I do. And Lobdell’s tale, while it is filled with a number of unexplained plot holes, stands up well. So how did Jason Todd become such a violent vigilante, killing police officers in the process of taking out villains? What went on over a five year period that caused Jason to decide who was the most guilty? Again, I would like to have had more answers, but it ended up being a much better story than I had expected.
RED LANTERNS: FUTURE’S END #1: Bleez and Guy Gardner, who is now a Blue Lantern, are out to purge the universe of all Red Lanterns. They reflect on their mission, as they bring survivors to Ysmault. Meanwhile, King Jack, the Red Lantern known as Rankorr, plans his final assault and begins a battle with Bleez and Guy. Ultimately, Bleez draws his ring from him, as she has with all of the other Red Lantern rings in the universe. The power nearly drives her insane but words of wisdom from Guy Gardner allows him to draw away all the rings and destroy them, allowing a normal Bleez and a normal Jack to be together forever.
A great tale from Charles Soule and J. Calafiore, who I had to honor to meet at this year’s Rhode Island Comic Con(and thanks to my daughter for buying a beautiful piece of Harley Quinn art from him). I expected this to be just a fill-in issue to get us to the next month, but this was fun. Gardner is touched and obviously converted by the Blue Lantern energy and everyone gets a happy ending out of it. Thanks for this, guys: I thoroughly enjoyed it!
SINESTRO: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Sinestro and the “worst sentients” in the universe are imprisoned in the penitentiary known as Tartaros. There was a time when he was being followed by those who saw his means as villainous and that forced he and Lyssa to flee New Korugar. In his prison cell, Lyssa visits him and soon he leads a breakout with a newly crafted ring. He and a handful of prisoners escape the planet and head into empty space. Once there, he retrieves Lyssa’s skull and brings it on board the ship, before killing all and landing on Necropolis-what was later renamed New Korugar. The Apex League arrives to apprehend him, as he notes that everything and everyone on the planet died because he wasn’t there to keep Parallax from breaking free and eating everyone. He smashes Kyssa’s skull and it yields a black ring. Sinestro now leads the Black Lanterns.
Cullen Bunn and Igor Lima turn in one of the best single Sinestro stories since the first issue of this series. Sinestro has developed into one of those villains that tend to walk a very strange line. He’s part evil conqueror and part anti-hero. But his book hasn’t really lived up to his reputation. This issue does, as he gets imprisoned, breaks out, ends up on his reconstructed and now dead homeworld and eventually gains a modicum of revenge by becoming a Black Lantern. All in all, a really good issue! They should all be like this one!
STAR SPANGLED WAR STORIES: FUTURE’S END #1: In the future, a virus called "Black Ice" is infecting thousands including G.I. Zombie's partner, Carmen King. While a cure is still being created, he ends up being deployed to aircraft carrier that has been over run by virus infected zombies. While he attacks them, a helicopter fires a missile that cuts him in half and destroys the boat’s own missile system. G.I. Zombie puts his body back together as zombies attack Gotham City. The vaccine kills Carmen and then revives her. They end up going to Codsville and secure a crop-duster to deploy it. Jared and Carmen deploy the antivirus but gets shot at by an enemy chopper. Jared crashes into the enemy chopper and finds Gravedigger flying it. Jared demands to know why he is betraying his country and his told that the orders CAME from this country. Landing on the ground below, the two zombies battle, with Jared ripping off the head of his enemy and stuffing it in a bag. The antivirus is dropped as Jared promises to reconnect the head to the body so Gravedigger can stand trial for treason. In the end, Jared and Carmen have dinner as she reveals that she is retiring from duty. They agree to get drunk and say goodbye.
Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Scott Hampton deliver a great, action filled, zombieriffic issue! This one has it all and even gives us a semi-romantic ending. I truly love the monthly title and this just has that same vibe. Unfortunately, this title is going to end up going the way of much of DC’s “low hanging fruit”-rotting on the vine and going away sooner than later, I’m afraid.
SUPERBOY: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Superboy and his friends Roxy, Rose and Guardian have been hunting down the last remaining Superboy clones. When the last three clones arrive, they all battle. After absorbing the other two, the last one battles the team and is defeated. Fireworks erupt and the foursome leaves happy.
Yeah…this is why I stopped reading this title. Frank J. Barbiere gives us a lackluster and confusing story not helped at all by Ben Caldwell’s art. In some panels, Superboy has a Don Johnson two day old beard and on the next page, he’s completely clean shaven. This is the worst thing I read all month, hands down.
SUPERGIRL: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, the Cyborg Superman and Supergirl, also now a cyborg, return to Earth. Dr. Veritas tries to talk to her, but Supergirl will have nothing of it. Then Captain Comet intervenes and tries to make her remember that they were once part of a team. And they were also lovers until the Cyborg Superman took her away and turned her into a cyborg. When he orders her to kill Captain Comet, she revolts, turning against him and removing her cyborg arm in the process. The rest of the Wanderers arrive as the Cyborg Superman departs, leaving Supergirl, now somewhat back to her old self, to reunite with her team and her lover.
This counts as the SECOND WORST issue I read this month. Tony Bedard and Emanuela Lupacchino fill this book with lame, poorly crafted characters and a sad little love story featuring more cardboard heroes. I got nothing else to say except…I want my three bucks back!
SUPERMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Superman arrives at a fire and saves two children. Unfortunately, the police and firefighters do not thank him. He is vilified because he is not Kal-El. Later, Billy Batson arrives at Lois Lane’s apartment and tells her how he became Superman. During the war, he was betrayed by Black Adam and, just when Adam was about to kill him and steal the lightning, Superman arrived, sending Black Adam into the Phantom Zone. He then proceeds to explain that he has a mission to do alone, because “he” says so. While he and Lois talk, Ibac returns, forcing the two of them into battle. Defeating him at last, Shazam decides it’s time to walk away from the ruse and shed the Superman guise.
This was awesome! I really had some issues with Superman being revealed to be Billy Batson when it occurred in the pages of NEW 52 FUTURE’S END #17 and had even more issues when Lois turned around and shared the story with the world. But now getting the back story from Dan Jurgens, with some amazing art from Lee Weeks, I feel better about it. Seeing Black Adam betray the Earth for his own personal gains is typical and makes me want to see The Rock portray him even less than I did before. This was a wild read and it not only read great it looked AMAZING! Thanks guys!
SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: In the second part of a story that began in WONDER WOMAN: FUTURE’S END #1, Wonder Woman believes that Superman may be possessed by Nemesis, although he claims otherwise, saying that it is she herself being controlled. He has her Lasso of Truth around his neck, so she realizes that she has been infected by Nemesis and is actually in Tartarus. Clark helps her find the exit, telling her that he is Clark from four years ago who was sent here by Diana's generals. As they arrive in Themyscira, she learns that sees Nemesis' army has taken everything, including the League. Ordering her sisters to hold the city for as long as they can, she and Clark go to Mount Olympus and beg Apollo to let them use the scrying pool. Diana became possessed because Nemesis had started the war by killing the Goddess of Peace. With no Peace, there could only be war. She enters the tomb of the Goddess of Peace where she will convince her spirit that she was always meant to be that Goddess.
Okay, I am truly confused. Nemesis started the war? Is this the same war with Apokolips that resulted in the destruction of Earth 2? Is this even the same universe? And how is it that Apollo is still on the throne of Mount Olympus? Does this ruin the story that Brian Azzarello is trying to wrap up. Again-totally confused. With that out of the way, let’s just say that Charles Soule’s story is touching and typical Soule and art by the legendary Bart Sears makes it that much better. Maybe I need to go back and read this AGAIN to make sure I know who is fighting who.
SWAMP THING: FUTURE’S END #1: Swamp Thing, ruler of the Green Kingdom, has spent the last five years preparing for his final battle and needs the help of the rulers of the other kingdoms. He visits the Grey, reminding the Avatar that if he brought a photo of a certain woman, the Avatar would do something for him in return. He agrees to join him and Alec goes to The Red, where the Avatar attacks him with a three-headed bear. Defeating the bear, he calls the Avatar an idiot and goes to the realm of the Divided, home to the bacteria of the universe. Alec presents the Avatar with the body of the bear as a gift and reminds here that her had promised her that he would help her expand her territory and, if she joins him, he will see that happens. In the realm of metal, the Processor quickly agrees to join him. He finally goes to the The Black, where he encounters the throne of Anton Arcane. Alec begs him to release his daughter-bride, Abigail, which he refuses to do. While Arcane plans to kill Alec, he tells him that he has brought the Swamp thing with him and he once possessed the White Lantern Ring, so Abigail is released. He plans on defeating The Rot and allowing the Grey, the Divided, and the Metal to take over for him. The light from the White Lantern Ring destroys Arcane and Abigail's body as Alec dies.
And thus the saga of this Swamp Thing comes to an end, at the hands of Charles Soule and Jesús Saíz. The long, rambling tale has a satisfying ending, although the whole trip to the various realms was a bit on the long side. In the end, we knew that Alec would have to battle Arcane. It was just interesting to see how Abby and the White Lantern Ring would result in his death. Overall, this is a great story and one of Soule’s best free-standing issues on this character.
TEEN TITANS: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Archimedes Grant is throwing a party at sea where laws do not apply to him. He is also trying to gain the influence of Senator Peter Strutz. He also has Earth 2’s Tempest in a glass tank and being chased by a shark. Suddenly he disappears, thanks to Klarion: the Earth 2 version who also makes a quick exit. Soon a female Kid Flash, joins him, also from Earth 2, and The Heretic, who wants in as part of this team to take down Grant. Two days later, Grant is hosting a party in New York City when the foursome arrives and engages Grant’s security team. Grant is soon escorted away by Alexia Santos, who battles with him. When she discovers he cloned a woolly mammoth only to kill it five years later and have it stuffed, Animal Girl knocks him through a wall. When all is said and done, Grant lives on through an Earth 2 immigration act named after him, thanks to the Senator. Unfortunately for the Senator, he receives a visit from the Teen Titans to discuss his future.
Will Pfeifer and Andy Smith present this tale of the new, new, NEW Teen Titans(I think that’s right, when you take into account this is the THIRD Teen Titans team since the NEW 52 debuted). And, with the exception of Heretic and possibly Animal Girl, they are Earth 2 refugees. Pfeifer’s story is fun if not a little confusing (the whole Teen Titans run by Earth 2’s Klarion makes me wonder if the Klarion in the forthcoming series is from Earth 2 or not) but Andy Smith’s art shines. At times, he crosses into that George Perez meets Phil Jimenez space and it really shows! Again, this was fun: probably more fun than the monthly title is!
TRINITY OF SIN PANDORA: FUTURE’S END #1: Pandora had figured out that the infamous box is actually a portal between worlds and it has taken her five years to put it back together and try to make it open for her. What comes out is what she once thought was the Seven Deadly Sins but are only versions of herself from another dimension. Each one has been responsible for the ending of their universes and now they attack Pandora. She brings all the others pieces of her back into herself so she can keep the Multiverse alive and subsequently explodes. This beckons a new day the Multiverse.
What Ray Fawkes has done here, at least what I BELIEVE he was doing here, is suggest that the infamous moment in FLASHPOINT was actually one of these alternate Pandoras trying to end another Multiverse in the hopes that the one that replaces it would be better. Let’s not forget that all those moments from the alternate FLASHPOINT timeline came together and only parts of it survived in the NEW 52, just like parts of the continuity from the OLD DCU survived here as well. Or…I could be totally reading into this when there is nothing to read into. All in all, this was a cool tale from Fawkes and artist Tom Derenick.
TRINITY OF SIN THE PHANTOM STRANGER: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, the Phantom Stranger pays the ferryman his last silver coin and is taken to the Rock of Eternity for his final judgment. There is a new council of seven to decide his fate: Trigon, Mister E, Neron, Eclipso, Sin Eater, Blight and Zauriel. Trigon plans on entering the Gates of Paradise but needs the Amulet of Origins to get in, which the Stranger possesses. Zauriel, now Trigon’s beloved, steals the amulet but, before she can give it to Trigon, is sent to Heaven by The Presence, who prepares to deal punishment to the seven. He sets The Stranger free, bringing him back to the boat he used to reach the Rock of Eternity. The ferryman is revealed to be Elena: his “wife” from a previous life. She gives him back the final coin and the Amulet as The Presence returns and the boat begins to sink, sending The Stranger off to help a world that needs him.
Dan Didio, J. M. DeMatteis and Phil Winslade send The Stranger off to a title that no longer exists, as he joins Pandora and The Question on the new TRINITY OF SIN title launching next month. This was a fitting, if not somewhat predictable ending as the stacked deck of seven meant SOMETHING GOOD was going to happen and since that little dog has been running around this title for MOST of this title, I sort of expected the Divine Puppy would save the day. The high point of the book? Phil Winslade.
WONDER WOMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Wonder Woman, God of War battle an entire enemy army on the fields of Korondor. Later, as she walks with her friend Hessia, she learns that the enemy has made its’ way through Swan Gate and she calls the council to plan a way to stop Nemesis. Drawing her sword and facing her men, the Army of the Dead, she asks why they fight for her. They respond that if they can help the living continue to live, their sacrifices are worth it. She channels her energy into a blast of energy to destroy Nemesis' army. And then she hears Superman’s voice and realizes he has been possessed by Nemesis.
As you already know, this story concludes in SUPERMAN WONDER WOMAN FUTURE’S END #1. This first part, by Charles Soule and Rags Morales, is a nice set-up to that concluding chapter. We see Diana as the troubled God of War trying to make sense of everything that has happened. Soule’s writing continues to be at its’ best and it will surely suck for the NEW 52 Universe when he finally leaves here to his new exclusive home at Marvel. Until then, just enjoy his work and hope that the successors on his titles will be as good as he was.
WORLDS’ FINEST: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, we see Power Girl breaking into Cadmus Island. She steals a uniform from the laundry room and sneaks through the facility. Using her X-Ray vision, she discovers that Cadmus is studying super-humans in the cruelest of ways. Deathstroke, who quickly learns that conventional weapons like guns and knives are ineffective, attacks her and seems to be ready for a horrendous beating when Fifty Sue arrives. Karen’s protégé Tanya enters the scene but that battle is short lived and many innocents in the area are vaporized in the process. Collapsing, both are brought to a prison cell where Helena is also waiting. She now realizes that all hope is lost.
Or is it? If you have been reading recent issues of NEW 52 FUTURE’S END, you know that Power Girl has been corrupted by Brother Eye, as have many of the other heroes on Cadmus Island. Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen(who is credited as “advisor”) and Yildiray Cinar are responsible for this issue which only gets a thumbs up from me for illustrating, in a less than graphic way, how Cadmus “studies” it’s super-human captives. If this is studying five years from now, then the heroes of Earth 2 may be doomed.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
MULTIVERSITY: SOCIETY OF SUPER HEROES CONQUERORS FROM THE COUNTER WORLD #1
Immortal Man has returned to New York City and proceeds to answer a distress call from the skyscraper of Doc Fate. Once inside, he is greeted by Lady Blackhawk and her Blackhawks Squadron. He is then introduced to 18 year old Al Pratt. He is The Atom and the only person to ever complete the Iron Munroe Bodypower course. He is also soon warned to stop reading a comic book that Fate claims is the most dangerous thing in the room. It seems that Doctor Fate has managed to get all worldwide conflict to end. He notes that a parallel Earth on the edge of Bleed Space is on a collision course with their Earth. They form the Society of Super-Heroes and prepare to protect their Earth. On the other Earth, Vandal Savage learns from Felix Faust that the two Earths crossing paths only happens once every hundred thousand years. The cursed comic book has told him that they are all part of a Multiverse. Vandal Savage decides this allows him to conquer each one, leading him to conquer the United States of America. Five years pass and the battle between worlds rages. Green Lantern is dead and a creature called a Makara has burned The Atom. Doctor Fate tries to heal him as he shows him his Transmatter Cube and explains how the Monitor Race died and Nix Uotan became the protector of the Multiverse, making every super-hero his child.
Blockbuster bursts into the temple to try and kill The Atom. Al promises to hold the creature back while Fate continues to work on the Transmatter Cube. Al, uses the forbidden martial arts move known as the Deadly Atom Punch to kill Blockbuster. Vandal Savage battles the Immortal Man when the Blackhawk Squadron arrives to distract him long enough to continue to buy time for Doctor Fate. Faust and his Necro-Men break into the temple and Fate pistol whips him until he passes out. That is when Parallax attacks and eventually killed. Lady Blackhawk and Lady Shiva battle and Shiva is knocked into an alligator filled-infested swamp. He cuts then to pieces with her sword only to be shot to death by the Blackhawk Squadron. Meanwhile, Immortal Man and Vandal Savage, two enemies given eternal life by a meteorite, begin their dance of death. Green Lantern returns to destroy the entity of fear. He tells Al that using the Makara Plasma from Parallax will produce the energy they need to run the Transmatter Cube, which has the ability to bridge worlds. Fate believes that they can use the cub to contact others and recruit them to their cause. Vandal Savage attacks but is impaled on a spear Immortal Man has created. His death summons the god Niczhuotan and has caused the heroes of this world to become killers. This all led to a five-year war which also awakened Nix Uotan, the last remaining Monitor, who cannot be stopped by the Society of Super-Heroes. And hopefully, the heroes of the other worlds Uotan will go to can stop him.
Remember a great book by Rick Veitch called 1963? Well, picture that title with bits of the NEW 52 Universe thrown in and not as humorous and you have this book. Grant Morrison and Chris Sprouse have thrown characters into a blender and shot them out into a weird world with the 52 Universes. Morrison has dug into comicdom and twisted things together with bits from classic literature and world religions to turn out this bizarre tale which is designed to be connected with the rest of the series. You will find your head in a whirl if you try to make sense of this in the here and now. I believe each title needs to stand on their own and then it will all come together in the end. Will this effect the NEW 52 Universe? We’ll have to wait and see. Somehow, I believe it will.
Blockbuster bursts into the temple to try and kill The Atom. Al promises to hold the creature back while Fate continues to work on the Transmatter Cube. Al, uses the forbidden martial arts move known as the Deadly Atom Punch to kill Blockbuster. Vandal Savage battles the Immortal Man when the Blackhawk Squadron arrives to distract him long enough to continue to buy time for Doctor Fate. Faust and his Necro-Men break into the temple and Fate pistol whips him until he passes out. That is when Parallax attacks and eventually killed. Lady Blackhawk and Lady Shiva battle and Shiva is knocked into an alligator filled-infested swamp. He cuts then to pieces with her sword only to be shot to death by the Blackhawk Squadron. Meanwhile, Immortal Man and Vandal Savage, two enemies given eternal life by a meteorite, begin their dance of death. Green Lantern returns to destroy the entity of fear. He tells Al that using the Makara Plasma from Parallax will produce the energy they need to run the Transmatter Cube, which has the ability to bridge worlds. Fate believes that they can use the cub to contact others and recruit them to their cause. Vandal Savage attacks but is impaled on a spear Immortal Man has created. His death summons the god Niczhuotan and has caused the heroes of this world to become killers. This all led to a five-year war which also awakened Nix Uotan, the last remaining Monitor, who cannot be stopped by the Society of Super-Heroes. And hopefully, the heroes of the other worlds Uotan will go to can stop him.
Remember a great book by Rick Veitch called 1963? Well, picture that title with bits of the NEW 52 Universe thrown in and not as humorous and you have this book. Grant Morrison and Chris Sprouse have thrown characters into a blender and shot them out into a weird world with the 52 Universes. Morrison has dug into comicdom and twisted things together with bits from classic literature and world religions to turn out this bizarre tale which is designed to be connected with the rest of the series. You will find your head in a whirl if you try to make sense of this in the here and now. I believe each title needs to stand on their own and then it will all come together in the end. Will this effect the NEW 52 Universe? We’ll have to wait and see. Somehow, I believe it will.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
NEW 52 SEPTEMBER 2014 - FUTURE'S END and others
ACTION COMICS: FUTURE’S END #1: We begin five years in the future with Clark Kent trying to grow vegetables in the dry soil of Ethiopia. Meanwhile, a woman attempting to commit suicide finds herself flying, not falling. She is approached by a sand version of Superman. He tells her he is reclaiming the gift he gave her and she will now need to see the beauty in life from the ground up. In another instance, a gambler named Donny suddenly has strength to fight off the hired help of a local bookie. He decides he needs to use this new found strength to his advantage by breaking into the bookie’s and stealing his money. When he punches a brick wall, he breaks his hand, as the Sand Superman explains that he should not mistake strength for invulnerability. Elsewhere, a young boy named Jamie tries to stop his father from beating his mother, only to be hit with slaps and a walking stick-none of which he feels. He also tells his mother he can’t feel her either. Sand Superman explains that a lack of feeling is the price of invulnerability. Later, at the hospital, all three characters appear. The suicidal woman seeks psychiatric help while Donny sees a doctor for his crushed hand, and Jamie's mother receives counseling. Clark receives a visit from the sand man who explains he may be trying to fill the gap left by Clark’s Superman. He explains that he had visited people and tried to help them realize their true potential. Now he has come to repay Clark for the inspiration he had. The man flies up, exploding in a sandstorm. The follower’s last act was to turn the desert into rich soil. Does this mean that Clark needs to live up to HIS potential?
I recall seeing a Sand Superman before, back in the days when all Kryptonite on Earth was rendered inert and could no longer harm the Man of Steel. I want to say that was Cary Bates and Murphy Anderson but this story, set after the war that is supposed to change everything, is by Sholly Fisch with art by Pascal Alixe and Vincente Cifuentes. This is DC’s version of “with great power comes great responsibility”. It was okay, but I am glad I didn’t spend extra for the “3D Lenticular cover”, because that would have sucked!
AQUAMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Vulko, Tula and some Atlanteans is preparing to revive something to help them save Atlantis. Elsewhere, other Atlanteans attack Atlantis Island, calling Aquaman a traitor. Arthurs lives here now with The Others and is romantically involved with Ya’Wara. Apparently, after the war, Mera’s native land of Xebel has been wiped out. Mera is underwater with the remaining Xebelians. When Arthur goes down to visit, Mera and her followers and, even worse, Atlan-the Dead King, attack him. He defeats Arthur in combat and takes his seat on the throne next to Mera. Continued in AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS: FUTURE’S END #1.
Dan Jurgens and Alvaro Martinez are responsible for this first of two parts and it reads really well and looks awesome too, even if I don’t totally buy the Arthur/ Ya’Wara relationship. I mean, we all know how much Mera and Arthur love each other and also know how they are truly from two different worlds under the sea. But they have endured some pretty heavy stuff over the years, in both this Universe and the old one. So, I will be curious to see where Jurgens is going to go with this.
AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS: FUTURE’S END #1: Atlan and his army attack The Others, taking his helmet away from Vostok before The Others retreat. In Atlantis, Aquaman is behind bars where Mera and he debate whether the resurrection of Atlan is a good thing or not. The Atlanteans begin to attack Atlantis Island and Aaron’s grandfather is killed in the process. As Mera and Atlan prepare to take back the Atlantean relics, Arthur arrives and the battle truly heats up. But Aaron dons the Atlantean relics and takes out Atlan just as he is about to kill Arthur. Defeated, the Atlanteans agree to give Arthur and his team six months to work out solutions that will help everyone. And it appears that Aaron, now known as The Other, will be the leader.
Dan Jurgens finishes this FUTURE’S END story and does a nice job with it. Once again, Atlan goes to a watery grave and Aquaman and Mera sort of make up. Aaron becomes “The Other” and looks poised to lead the team. All in all, this was a nice story for a possible/probable future. And, looking back at recent issues of this title, I can actually see where the Arthur/ Ya’Wara relationship could be a reality. Oh yeah: Sean Chen’s art is a strong addition to this issue too.
BATGIRL: FUTURE’S END #1: Three years ago, Barbara Gordon married a cop by the name of Steven Harris. Among the guests at their wedding were her former roommate Alysia and her pregnant girlfriend Jo which prompted Steven to suggest they have children. Barabra’s brother James shows up and insists that Steven walk off the roof of the GCPD Headquarters to save the life of his sister, which he did. Two years later, we see the League of Batgirls, Cassandra Cain, Tiffany Fox, and Stephanie Brown, who work for Bête Noire. In the two years since her husband’s death, Barbara has managed to dismantle almost 70% of the crime syndicates in Gotham. She also trained with Bane’s men and eventually with Bane, who beat her in combat every night. She told him she didn’t want to beat him, but wanted to be him and he responded she would have to use the Venom. She became the Bête Noire, tried to kill him but couldn’t and left him. Now, he contacts her in her hideout and tells her he has placed six bombs in Gotham and he knows that the three Batgirls will never be able to stop them in time. The Batgirls return to find Barbara gone, having left a message that she plans on facing Bane alone. Bane admits that he has always known she was Barbara Gordon. Barbara removes her mask and reveals that she never used his Venom and proceeds to beat him into submission as he declares that her training is complete. He drops the detonator that Tiffany catches and thus saves the city. Barbara tells her wards that she wants to be known by her real name again.
Well, I guess we can call this Gail Simone’s swan song as issue #35 features a new creative team. I enjoyed this, even though I don’t know if I could ever see Barbara Gordon going to train with Bane, even on an undercover assignment of her own creation. I also enjoyed seeing Cassandra Cain, Tiffany Fox, and Stephanie Brown getting used in this future world. And the art by Javier Garron was pretty cool too. Nice job, DC: this didn’t suck!
BATMAN ETERNAL #21-25: In issue #21, Vicki Vale gets a visit from Jason Bard who informs her that he has been promoted to police commissioner with a kiss. In Blackgate, Carmine Falcone still manages to be amazed that Rex Calabrese is still alive after all this time. But now he is on his way to Hong Kong to take care of business. Unfortunately, Batman scoops him off the ground to have a little chat with him concerning the fact that Falcone lied about having nothing to do with Jim Gordon being framed. He claims someone who knew the Commissioner was going to be taken down invited him to Gotham. Later, at GCPD, Batman tells Bard that he doesn’t trust him and will never fill Jim Gordon's shoes. At Wayne Manor, an alarm is triggered and Alfred fails to lockdown the building. He brings Julia to a safe room and knocks her out, stealing her gun and locking her in the safe room. He gets grabbed by the assailant and injected with Fear Toxin. Moments before he passes out, he realizes his assailant is Hush. Julia, meanwhile, wakes, locked in the safe room, to the sound of her father's screams. Julia breaks out of the safe room to find Alfred screaming in fear. He gets a moment of clarity and tells her to turn the hands on the grandfather clock to ten forty-eight. Back at Blackgate, Jason arrives to pick up Falcone and arranges to release Zachary Gate. Bard then contacts “Mother” and says Batman doesn’t suspect a thing. He then proceeds to destroy the USB stick with the evidence proving Jim Gordon is innocent, saying that Gotham now belongs to them.
In issue #22, At the construction site for the Beacon Tower, the Architect and his men trip a proximity sensor causing Batman to check in to the Batcave. At Wayne Manor, Julia turns the clock to 10:48 and the front opens to a passage that leads her to the Batcave. Batman sees her on camera and demands to know what has happened to Alfred. She explains he's in the hospital and his condition is Batman’s fault. He explains to her that the Architect can kill hundreds and he needs her help. With Julia’s help via the computer system, Batman takes down the Architect, demanding to know who he is working for and Gate says that the building speaks in whispers. Batman hears the "shhhh" the building is making. He now knows the mastermind is Hush. With that, Hush kills Andrew Trondsen.
In issue #23, Catwoman watches a shoot out between a poacher known as Tiger Shark and his enemies, injuring a snow leopard in the process. She promises that the next time she sees Tiger Shark, she will make a jacket out of his skin. Mourning the death of the cub, a girl arrives, saying Selina’s father who wants to see her in Blackgate Penitentiary sent her. She crawls through the sewer to enter Blackgate and meets with her real father, Rex "The Lion" Calabrese. He explains that Gotham’s crime families need someone to bring them all together. He believes that would be her. Meanwhile, the Architect is taken down by Batman who demands to know where Hush is. Julia warns him that Gate turned on a device that is setting off an earthquake. In the Gotham Underground, Catwoman and Jade are in danger of being crushed, but escape. She takes the girl to Dr. Leslie Thompkins' clinic so she can be cared for. Following the earthquakes, Mayor Hady receives a visit from Bard, who tries to convince the Mayor to place Gotham City under martial law.
Issue #24 begins with Stephanie Brown spying on the Cluemaster. The person he is meeting with insists that Arthur needs to take out the loose end, which he promises to do. He is then told he has 24 hours to take care of it or one of them dies. Arthur reports that Signalman, Ratcatcher and the Prankster are all helping to make Gotham anxious. Hush tells him that the number one priority is to kill Stephanie. With the meeting over, Stephanie jumps down to find that her father is waiting for her. She escapes on his motorcycle and he gives chase. He crashes and is captured by the police, who she called during the chase. Meanwhile, Batman goes to an art gallery to find that a ghost warning Batman to save Gotham is killing patrons. He discovers the late Dr. Simon Ecks of Arkham Asylum. He calls Julia for assistance but gets no answer.
In issue #25, Vicki Vale is trying to convince her boyfriend, the new commissioner, from making her run a story about possible terror attacks against Gotham City. As much as she disagrees, Vicki agrees to run the story. Soon the city is in a panic and rioting in the streets occurs. Back in the Batcave, Julia is told that she needs to take her father’s place while he is in the hospital. She has learned that the person responsible for releasing the Architect from Blackgate was Jason Bard. Batman breaks into Bard’s apartment and finds a hologram of Hush saying he hasn’t even begun to rip Bruce’s life apart. He plans on incriminating Batman with pictures of him breaking into bard’s apartment and plans to kill off Bruce's allies. As the hologram disappears, the apartment blows up with Batman inside. Meanwhile, Tim Drake and Jason Todd visit Mercy Hospital to check on Alfred. Tim insists that they all need to act as a family to stop the attacks on family members. Jason calls Barbara, who is mad that her father is still in jail. She is told she got the wrong guy and tells her she needs to have a chat with everyone and Batman. Jason Bard stumbles into a meeting with Mayor Hady and claims he was the target of a terrorist attack. Hady agrees to declare Martial Law in Gotham City. Lastly, as Batman tries to escape the wreckage of the destroyed apartment, he finds that his help is coming from the rest of the Batman Family.
Five issues this month so we’re looking at 100 pages of action. And oh boy: Dr. Thomas "Tommy" Elliot is BACK! And Jason Bard reveals himself to be the creep we all kind of thought he was anyway. This gem, filled with tidbits all over the place, is by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, John Layman, Tim Seeley and Kyle Higgins, with art from Jason Fabok, Jorge Lucas, Dustin Nguyen, Ady Clarke, and R.M. Guera. This book personifies the old-fashioned movie serial concept and it’s great!
BATMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, we find that Batman is dying. He plans on extending the legacy of the Batman through cloning and is looking to steal something from Caulder Component that will keep the clones stable. Alfred warns him that he will probably be killed in the process of breaking into LexCorp. Once he gets inside, the security protocols drop into place and he has thirty minutes to do what he has to do. In a sub–basement, a holographic Lex tells him that he will either die from the gas in the room or the attack drone. Batman manages to vent the room and disable the drone and moves on. He makes it through the next room, and finally a room full of failed Superman clones. Before he can destroy the lab, one of the clones attacks him. Before he can do so, those clones attack him. Batman suit begins to crash and Alfred warns him to get out of the lab quickly. The clones continue their attack and communications go dark. Shortly thereafter, Batman returns to the Batcave with the Caulder Component in hand. Within nine months, Batman and Alfred have built clones and put memory implants containing everything up to the night when he decided to become a bat. This way, Gotham will have a Batman forever.
Okay, so we get a nice action filled and touching adventure of the Dark Knight courtesy Ray Fawkes, Scott Snyder and Aco. I like the pace of it and the whole idea of Batman cloning himself to make certain he lives forever is just a bit on the creepy but cool side. And, based on the way thigs have been going lately in the Batman world, I can see Bruce Wayne being that paranoid that he feels the need to live on forever rather than pass the mantle to one of his proteges. Which begs the question: which proteges are even still alive five years from now. We know that Dick Grayson is “supposed” to be dead, as is Tim Drake. Who else could have worn the mantle of the bat and won’t?
BATMAN AND ROBIN: FUTURE’S END #1: While Alfred is sending Duke Thomas, the current Robin all over Gotham, Batman is battling someone dressed like the Heretic. Alfred warns that this person is a close match for the Heretic that is believed to be dead. Batman is taking a ferocious beating and close to experiencing, a stroke when Alfred tells him that Robin wants to help, but Batman refuses. When Robin arrives, Batman is near death and jams two syringes into Heretic’s neck, which causes him to burst into flames. Batman has him grab a fire extinguisher and put out the flames. Batman gathers a DNA sample and sends it to Alfred who refuses to apologize for sending Robin.
Okay…I’m a bit confused here. So, who WAS this Heretic? I feel kind of cheated by this ending and the making of Duke Thomas into the new Robin? Okay, I really thought it would be someone else stepping into those shoes. And, since all sorts of references are made to the Damian, who we don’t see, can we assume that Damian ISN’T getting resurrected during ROBIN RISES? I love Ray Fawkes work and he writes a great story. And Dustin Nguyen does his usual killer work on the art. But, I just don’t see how this fits in the way it should.
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, after the war ended, Bruce Wayne woke in the hospital with a broken spine. The war had taken many casualties and Clark Kent was one of them. But Bruce managed to overcome this with spinal support column and a robotic suit. He thinks back to six months ago when he had made the decision to end the war and how Clark had come and destroyed the Bat Cave. He went to Hiro Okamura, who was responsible for making Batman’s suit. Then Batman went to the Fortress of Solitude and found Krypto and Steel, who told him he wasn’t allowed here anymore as he had used Superman. Bruce went to Comstock Air Force Base and shoved a Kryptonite rod into the ground, hoping to attract Superman’s attention. Unfortunately, it brought Metallo who eventually was defeated but left Bruce in a coma. When he awoke, Alfred explained that his back was broken for good this time. After Alfred left, he whispered Clark’s name, who never came. He decided that if Superman was too good to help the world, then it would be Batman’s job to be the hero.
Greg Pak writes a great story and this one, while being a little short on the action side, is full of details and characterization. So, whatever Bruce was planning to do to end the war was so heinous that Superman battled him and trashed the Cave. And then headed off the Africa. My biggest complaint is the unevenness of the art. The first ten pages are by Cliff Richards and the next ten are by Jack Hebert and Vincente Cifuentes. Other than that, it was a good read.
BATWING: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, a new criminal organization called Leviathan is trying to take over the existing criminal organizations. A group of the leaders from all these organizations gather with the single goal of eliminating Leviathan. Corvus Corax arrives and tells them that, for 10 billion dollars, he will tell them where they can find Leviathan. They discover that this Corvus is really a hologram. But his information sends them to Dinosaur Island. Upon their arrival, they discover that there is no Leviathan and it is all a trap set by Batman Incorporated and Corvus is really Batwing. They take out the bad guys and get a short congratulatory speech from a holographic Batman. In the story’s conclusion, Luke visits Tamara’s grave and reconciles with the rest of his family.
It’s kind of hard for me to judge this title as I didn’t read BATWING except for the first issue when he was Tinasha Police Officer David Zavimbe. And I know that around issue #20, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Eduardo Pansica took over, there was a changing of the guard, and Lucas Fox took over the role and kept the garb all the way till the title ended with issue #34. So, when Fox had a falling out with his family, when his sister died and anything surrounding all of this is a mystery. But, based on this issue, I may have to do a little backtracking for back issues. I mean, it’s Palmiotti, Gray and Pansica so it reads great and looks great too!
BATWOMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, Beth Kane, now known as the vigilante called Alice, needs to kill her vampire sister, Batwoman. Meanwhile, Batwoman is in the process of attacking Maggie Sawyer, claiming it is time for her to die and grabs her, taking her to the rooftops. Deciding she isn’t worth her time, she drops her, but is saved by Beth. Beth and Kate battle and Beth attaches a piece of clay to her sister’s leg, which turns into Clayface. Jason Blood tries to recite the incantation that will turn him into Etrigan, but Batwoman tears his throat out. Then she breathes fire on Clayface, which hardens him and then smashes him on the floor. Beth traps her sister in a net and she soon hears Kate's real voice begging to help her. Beth removes the net and shoves a stake through Kate's heart, turning her sister to dust.
Marc Andreyko and Jason Masters give up a killer issue…literally! Batwoman became a batwoman…literally! This was a great issue and paves the way for a possible future for “Alice”. Is SHE destined to be the next Batwoman? I have loved this title since the beginning, through the ups and downs and the upheaval of the creative team. Andreyko has done a decent job of picking up and moving the characters along. And Masters does a super job on the art here. This was a treat. Despite the gripes, I’m enjoying most of the FUTURE’S END books…to this point anyway.
BIRDS OF PREY: FUTURE’S END #1: Even though we are five years from now, we begin two years ago. Black Canary is running something called the Red League and they had recently stopped a human trafficking ring. One of the girl’s rescued agrees to join the Red League and is renamed Xi. Two years later and we learn that Paul Howe III is running the biggest trafficking ring in Gotham and the Red League is prepared to take him down. But midway through the Operation Bête Noire interrupts, accusing her of taking over the League of Assassins. She admits to it, saying she did it to destroy the organization. She also claims she has proof that Howe is not the bad guy Barbara thinks she is and demands proof. Dinah holds up a memory stick and Barbara walks away, saying she has plans for a team of her own(which we see in BATGIRL FUTURE’S END). As the Red League entered the mansion, they find that Howe has committed suicide. With Barbara in town, Dinah believes it’s time to move the Red League to another town.
Christy Marx and Robson Rocha, the regular team on the BIRDS OF PREY title, contribute this closing chapter to the series. And, believe it or not, this is probably one of the better issues. Seeing Dinah and Barbara get their aggression out and then go their separate ways was a break I have been waiting to see since about half way through the series. When it was the old Canaries, it was a bond. This Canaries was a loose amalgamation. I’ve said it before: bring back Lady Blackhawk and give Strix her own series.
BOOSTER GOLD: FUTURE’S END #1: We open with Booster Gold, who was just in the Justice League headquarters, in late 19th Century Gotham City. He knows he was on a mission but can’t recall what it was. He attempts to re-enter the Timestream just as a Batman takes over for him. Next he ends up tortured by Brainiac's droids. He gets ejected form the Timestream to the day he discovered that Superman and Wonder Woman were involved with each other. He manages to stop time and appears in front of himself. Before he can explain, he gets shot into the 30th Century and sees Validus and Tharok attacking the Legion of Super-Heroes. Before he can help, he ends up on Earth-4. He tries to approach Captain Atom, but he suspects him to be aligned with Spectro and attacks him. Again, he is pulled through the Timestream and ends up in a future run by talking tigers. Just as Ben Boxer and his friends appear trying to save their friend Kamandi, he again is yanked through the Timestream. He ends up in the 25th Century, where he meets with his sister Michelle. They both end up in the Timestream where they get to Booster's imprisoned other self. He realizes he is not the future Booster, he is from another universe. Brainiac arrives and Booster defends Michelle and his other self, but she falls hostage to Brainiac and begins to be tortured. The other Booster then swears to take Brainiac to Vanishing Point. The book concludes with the phrase “To Be Continued Where Worlds and Futures End”.
Okay, so when you’re talking about multi Earth crisis’s, Dan Jurgens is STILL the guy to call. And did the fanboy in me do a major dance when I saw Kamandi, Ben Boxer, Steve and Renzi. Yeah-I truly loved KAMANDI and the original OMAC! Or all you continuity geeks out there, like me, this issue falls after after SUPERMAN: DOOMED #2 as the final page sets all of this up. And what’s with the final message? Does this mean that the WORLD’S END and FUTURE’S END weeklies will come together and lead us into a new DCU? Anyway, this is a great story laying ground for the future. Thanks to the creative team of Jurgens, with Moritat, Will Conrad, Steve Lightle, Stephen Thompson, Ron Frenz, Brett Booth and Dan Jurgens handling the art! This becomes THE book to have in the collection of the FUTURE’S END titles as it truly reveals more than you probably expected it too!
CATWOMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future and we see that Catwoman is the head of a huge criminal empire and is desperately doing her best to make them a united criminal empire. She reminds them of what happened to Black Mask and, as Tusk refuses to follow her, Erin McKillen shoots him through the head. Following the meeting, Matt Falcone remind her that the others are only waiting for her to slip up so they can take her place. She reminds him that they can’t risk a gang war that would bring Batman down on them. They check to make certain her car isn’t wired to explode and then Matt excuses himself to take a call. He uses an app on his phone to detonate a bomb, which blows up the car with her inside. The other family leaders arrive to have Matt tell them that Selina is dead, which puts him in charge. To his surprise, he discovers that the bank accounts are dry and the others put him to death. Georgie Maroni announces there will be a gang war after all, for control of the united families. Six months later, Edward Nygma catches up to Selina Kyle, who has changed her name and is living on the French Riviera. She tells him she never wanted to rule the underworld. She just wanted to play a con game where she stole from the united crime families. She knows he wants to blackmail her but knows he won’t because he won’t give up the secret of the riddle.
This is quite possibly the best thing I have read from the mind of Sholly Fisch, who is typically relegated to back-up stories. And Pat Olliffe’s art is the usual great looking stuff. What I really like about this is how it has taken the plot that is fast becoming a reality in the current Batman side of the NEW 52 universe and not only making it a reality, it is playing the game to the end of the con. We see that Catwoman DOES become the Head of the Gotham criminal families and that her ulterior motive is to fleece the crooks, leaving Matt Falcone as the ultimate fall guy. This is a brilliant piece of storytelling and leaves me wanting to see who we get from point A to pint B over the five year period.
CONSTANTINE: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, John Constantine is no longer the man he was and he is in charge of the Helmet of Fate. He was given the chance to be the host the Helmet needs, but he needs to destroy the helm, as it has caused much tragedy and death. Librarian Mary Bowen receives the call from Nabu and heads to the hotel where the Constantine is holding the Helm, but is knocked out by John’s friend Lloyd. Meanwhile, Jun-Seo Lee hears the call of Fate and then gets choked and passes out. The Helm of Fate continues to taunt Constantine and finally it overtakes him. But Constantine has prepared well as he uses the Auditorium of Anubis spell to trap the Helm within his heart. He challenges it to a duel where Nabu must prove that he has actually cared about someone beside himself. If the Helm wins, Constantine’s heart will explode. He also suggests calling on the former wearer of the Helm, Khalid Ben-Hassin, as a character witness. Unfortunately he is currently trapped in Hell. With the challenge over, Anubis arrives and eats Nabu. But John had made a deal with an ifrit demon, which allows it to possess the Helmet of Fate. But it needs to perform acts of goodness and, so John won’t ever come after the demon. Heading downstairs, Constantine finds Lloyd among a pile of unconscious and dead bodies. The battle over, they both go to get a drink.
Okay…so this particular issue fell flat. Or did it? Constantine has the Helm of Fate and the previous wearer was Khalid Ben-Hassin. Wasn’t he on Earth 2? So how did Constantine end up with this? Well, I guess it all has to do with the war, doesn’t it? So, Ray Fawkes and Juan Ferreyra didn’t do that bad a job after all, I guess. That is, if everything we THINK will happen does. Of course, that still doesn’t explain how Constantine ended up with the Helmet of Fate. I guess that will be revealed soon…
DETECTIVE COMICS: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now and we see the Calendar Man has been holding the staff of Arkham Asylum hostage for the last week. This leads Batman to form an alliance with the person who designed Arkham Island to keep its patients from escaping-the Riddler. Batman convinces him to team up by telling him that if the Calendar Man can causes a blackout, it will eclipse the legendary blackout from Riddler's Zero Year. Batman takes responsibility for causing Julian Day's mental status by putting his son into a home and away from his abusive father. They make their way through a drain pipe and inside, even though Batman knows that metal plates in his body will send off alarms. When they get into the courtyard, the Riddler reveals his true colors, saying he delivered the man responsible for destroying Day's family. Calendar Man explains that his wife lost her life during Riddler’s blackout, which makes him responsible. Batman explains he has tricked Riddler into trapping himself and leaves him to the Calendar Man.
Leave it to the team of Brian Buccellato, Scott Hepburn and Cliff Richards to deliver a tale this wild and fun! I sure didn’t see that ending coming and then, to have the Dark Knight turn his back on one of his oldest, if not THE OLDEST, villains-PURE GENIUS! Again, I never saw that coming. I saw the heel turn by The Riddler coming but, knowing the history between Batman and Day, I thought sure that Day would definitely be ready to enact his own brand of justice. So-thanks guys for leaving this jaded comic guy smiling from ear to ear.
EARTH 2: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Michael Holt and Sonia Sato are examining his Boom Spheres, which creates a mini Boom Tube. Sonia, formerly the highest-ranking female soldier in the World Army, is a refugee from Earth 2 following the war. At a presentation of the T-Spheres, Terry Sloan shows up to hype his Origin Goggles that can see what world a person actually comes from. Holt asks what has happened to the heroes and we get the answer. On Cadmus Island, Earth 2’s Red Tornado discovers that she has not only been dismantled, but her eyes have been removed. Holt sends Sonia back to Holt Insutries and he goes into hiding. But it seems that Terry Sloan also has made a duplicate and together they break into Holt Industries to steal the Boom Spheres. Holt visits a Jimmy Olsen who is in the Epoch Center for Special Children. Olsen hasn’t spoken a word since he was found in one of the ships that crashed from Earth 2. Suddenly he speaks and words and images fly forth from the Rubik’s Cube he holds. At Holt Industries, the two Sloan’s begin to fight with each other as Holt arrives. Holt defeats Sloan and discovers that he is not from either Earth or Earth 2.
Daniel H. Wilson is an author and robot expert who wrote ROBOPOCALYPSE and is writing the upcoming EARTH 2 weekly series. Eddy Barrows is an established veteran. Together, they present an interesting story about some of the players from the EARTH 2 series and what has happened to them following the war. Most surprising of which was seeing Lois Lane, the Red Tornado, having been dismantled and blinded. We get a page about this and that is that! So, I haven’t quite figured out why he has even bothered to put it into the book in the first place. I also haven’t out where Terry Sloan came up with the Terry Sloan duplicate but I find it a little ridiculous. All in all, this is probably the weakest of this month’s titles to date. I’m curious to see how Wilson’s work reads when the weekly debuts.
THE FLASH: FUTURE’S END #1: While The Flash is helping people trapped in a landslide in Pakistan, the Reverse-Flash is attacking Central City. As Barry tries to figure how much time he has to get from Pakistan to Central City, another Barry Allen is already there battling the Reverse-Flash, claiming to come from the future to prevent Wally’s death and Iris ending up in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. As Daniel attempts to save Wally and Iris, Barry rips Daniel's head off and then saves the pair before the car hits the ground. Barry of the present arrives and the future Barry removes his mask, explaining how the Speed Force is broken and he has come back in time to fix it. The future Barry disappears into the Timestream and Wally learns he has acquired Speed Force powers. Present day Barry begs Wally to find his future self and the future version of Barry. Meanwhile, future Barry has ended up five years before the accident that was just prevented from happening, with Wally, the new Flash, close behind him.
The regular monthly creative team of Robert Venditti, Van Jensen and Brett Booth continue to weave this truly intricate story of two Barry Allen’s and how one of them is trying to repair the Speed Force by correcting everything that has yet to come in our time. This is truly becoming one of the great epic Flash stories in the history of the character. While not as legendary as the classic FLASH OF TWO WORLDS, this is truly a well crafted, beautifully drawn story that, even with or without the changes coming with the war, sets the future direction of this character. This is great stuff!
GRAYSON: FUTURE’S END #1: In the past, Batman told Dick Grayson that Tony Zucco had killed his parents and wondered is Batman would kill him for him. Batman explained he didn’t kill. When Dick went from being Robin to Nightwing, he started to have feelings for Batgirl. But she explained that would never work out because he needed someone in his life who was dark. After the attack by the Crime Syndicate, Dick faked his death and joined Spyral where he was teamed up with Helena Bertinelli. On one particular mission, he caused a rope bridge to snap cleanly. She made him promise that if he were ever dying he would explain the secret to her. Later, she brought him to a tattoo parlor and forced him to get a Spyral tattoo. This would be incentive for him to never get captured and killed by the enemy. She also had issues with him not wanting to kill and actually had to prove her concern about this on several occasions. Eventually, she seduced him and he would use the Cluemaster's code to show him she loved him. During the war, the pair went to work for the former KGBeast, who now ran the Russian government. In one instance, Dick finally revealed the secret of the rope trick. He used the same acid that had killed his parents, which he kept in a jar under his bed. After the battle, it was discovered that the KGBeast had killed women and children. He assured them that they had been working with the Parademons. They learned he had sent them to battle while his own men massacred the innocent. Dick knew he had to do find a way to keep something to prevent KGBeast from killing more people. At the ceremony, Dick snapped KGBeast's neck, meaning Helena would have to punish him. Helena sentenced Dick to his death by hanging.
What makes this whole story so hard to follow, and made it brutal to try and review, is that it is told in reverse order. It begins with Dick Grayson hanging by the neck from the end of a rope and ends with the Tony Zucco revelation. Tom King, Tom Seeley and Stephen Mooney give us a great story that, despite being confusing on the first read because of the end to beginning sequencing, gives us a final resolution to the life of Dick Grayson. While he didn’t truly die during FOREVER EVIL, he does here. It’s a great story and probably one of the most intricate of these one shots.
GREEN ARROW: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Emiko Queen is the Green Arrow and Naomi Singh is Dart and, after defeating the Vertigo Cult, they find Oliver Queen in their hideout and bleeding out. He explains he doesn’t have much time and gives Emiko a small green pyramid, telling her to get it to Lois Lane. By the next day, Oliver is in Prague, meeting with Shado when Emiko arrives, forcing Oliver to step between them. The rest of the Outsiders arrive and Oliver attempts to make peace with them, as he needs them to help on Cadmus Island, where many of the heroes from Earth 2 are being experimented on. If they join him, he would be the leader of the Arrow Clan and give up being the Green Arrow no more. Emiko. Later, Oliver appears on a Seattle talk show to announce his coming back to town. Following that appearance, Deathstroke breaks into Oliver’s home and kills him. The man was killed was actually Magus in disguise, allowing Oliver and the Outsiders to prepare for war against Cadmus and Deathstroke.
Well, this explains the death of Green Arrow in THE NEW 52: FUTURE’S END #1. It was all an elaborate scheme by Oliver Queen to fake his own death. So, Magus bites the dust and Oliver prepares to lead an assault on Cadmus and free the heroes of Earth 2. In what is the swan song for the creative team of Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino, the questions we have been asking get revealed. And what a great finish to an incredible but short run. Here’s to hoping the next creative team doesn’t screw it up!
GREEN LANTERN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Hal Jordan is visited by his father, who is now a Black Lantern. Hal’s father informs his that Krona is now leading the Black Lanterns. As the Green Lantern, Hal strikes a deal with Relic, who has freed himself from the Source wall. Teamed up together, they defeat Krona and the Lanterns, but at the cost of Hal’s life. Relic has a plan and attaches Hal to the Source wall, promising his father that he will do his best to find a way to set him free someday.
Robert Venditti turns in one of the most heartfelt stories featuring Hal Jordan in I don’t know how long! Instead of making him a complete, whiny little brat, Venditti humanizes him but not to the point of him being annoying. He sees his father for the first time since he died and handles it as expected: with raw emotion and surprise. And to have his father have to watch his son die, that was just so hard to see. Great looking art from Martin Coccolo and Aaron Lopresti help make this the best GREEN LANTERN book I have read in over a year! Nice job, folks!
GREEN LANTERN CORPS: FUTURE’S END #1: John Stewart is a Lantern with a mission. It seems he has changed a lot in the last five years, complete with killing a number of Lanterns and destroying Mogo with a single bullet. He meets with Kilowag and Salaak and decides to help them with their battle against The Quiet One and the Empire. He now specializes in long range kills with a Green Ring construct rifle, he drafts Feska and heads to Oa, where two of his friends have been taken hostage. Upon arriving, he manages to take out most of the guards and pursues Maro, who was trained by Stewart and who could have been one of the best of the Lanterns. As he is about to deliver the killing shot, he is blocked by Indigo-1, who wants to induct someone into the tribe. Indigo-1 takes Stewart to Zezzen, where they battle and Stewart mortally wounds her. They end up being transferred to her planet where she reveals that she had sought him out as her replacement. With her death, the ring seeks him out and he becomes a Indigo Lantern.
As a rule, I don’t read this Lantern title, unless it is part of an event or a key piece of a crossover. That having been said, I don’t know if this is an average issue, a below average issue or an above average issue. Van Jensen writes it, Igor Lima, Ruy Jose, Rodney Buchemi and Geraldo Borges handle the art and the tale is okay. I find the cover to be a bit of a spoiler as Stewart is depicted as a blind Indigo Lantern as he is on the final page of the book. So, with that being a bit of a spoiler, I guess I would give this book a thumbs down, especially because I kind of want to know a little bit of WHY John Stewart as become the Lone Gunman of the Green Lanterns.
GREEN LANTERNS NEW GUARDIANS: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Saysoran is fighting everyone who has been affected by the power of the White Lantern energy. She steals a spaceship and meets Yekop, who is one with the ship. She takes control of the ship and flies to the home of Kyle Rayner: the White Lantern. Taking the weapons from the skeleton that used to be Carol Ferris, she battles him, discovering that the Guardians tried to stop him when he became overwhelmed by the Life Equation. He reveals that he brought her here as a test. He is nearing the end of his life and becoming one with The Source. He leaves her the White Lantern ring and lets her decide to follow his work or not.
As with the last title, I normally don’t read this unless it’s a Big Event kind of thing. And now I know why. Justin Jordan writes it, Diogenes Neves illustrates it and I really don’t care for it. Jordan’s story is okay, but terribly preachy. The highlight is Neves art. So, if this were my first issue of the title, I wouldn’t buy it again because it left me wanting the OLD Kyle Rayner who was heartbroken about his girlfriend in the fridge and not this dweeb!
HARLEY QUINN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Harley has herself mailed to the Bahamas so she can go on vacation there. Unfortunately, bad weather leads to her being washed up on a tropical island with a dog that was in the cargo bay with her. She sends the dog to find Bernie her beaver and the dog keeps on running, deserting her. Harley draws a beaver face on a soccer ball and names it Bernie. As she searches for food, she finds Bernie's skull and hangs it around her neck. Harley finds an active volcano and natives. Their leader, Bouba, find her to be a goddess. During dinner, Harley asks for sexy entertainment and they give her two of their warriors, wrestling in coconut oil. A masked man throws weapons into the ring and the two cut each other to pieces. The next morning, Bouba takes Harley across the island to their god-king Tha'Jo-Kaa. When she reaches the top of the pyramid, she meets their god-king: The Joker. Over dinner, he explains how he would have the tribesmen dress up as super-heroes and submit them to trying to find their way out of deadly traps. But now Harley is here and they will be married at the mouth of the volcano. Bernie warns her that The Joker hasn’t always been so nice to her and she tosses his skull into an alligator filled swamp. The Joker says "I do" and Harley realizes he plans for her to be thrown into the volcano. Bouba tells him that he too must be thrown into the fires. Joker and Harley throw the celebrant into the lava. The volcano erupts, sending Harley flying through the air until she lands on the beach. She hears Bernie's voice from inside a dead alligator and pulls him out. Then a handsome man appears and offers to take her back to New York.
The regular creative team of Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner and Chad Hardin turns in an issue that really has nothing to do with being five years later except that they say it is. We have to assume that The Joker, who says he wanted to lay low and that is why he ended up and the island, was because of the war. THAT would be the only tie-in to FUTURE’S END. This could very easily be dropped into a regular issue of the series, except that Mr. J. is currently M.I.A. in current continuity. But, as with every issue of this series, it’s a fun ride. It’s a psycho killer who travels around with her stuffed beaver and meets an island god named Tha'Jo-Kaa? Yeah-a wild ride!
INFINITY MAN AND THE FOREVER PEOPLE: FUTURE’S END #1: Mark awakens from a nightmare with Dreamer by his side when they are attacked by Parademons. Alone for over a year, the pair must fend for themselves. Battling off the creatures, Dreamer tells how there was a final battle where the badly beaten team called upon Infinity man for one final time. But since only three of them summoned him, he was not infinite and was captured by a team of OMACs. It turns out that Mark is dead and Dreamer keeps him alive only in a dream. When he tries to leave, he discovers he is not real and disappears. Then Dreamer awakens and tries it again…forever.
Weak! Very weak issue here! Dan Didio and Keith Giffen have completely dropped the ball on this story, which is partially taken from every sci-fi anthology of the last fifty years. The never-ending dream. Not like comic and sci-fi fans haven’t seen that before. Pencils by Phillip Tan, with inks by Jason Paz only further to muddle the look and feel of the book. This is just plain boring!
I recall seeing a Sand Superman before, back in the days when all Kryptonite on Earth was rendered inert and could no longer harm the Man of Steel. I want to say that was Cary Bates and Murphy Anderson but this story, set after the war that is supposed to change everything, is by Sholly Fisch with art by Pascal Alixe and Vincente Cifuentes. This is DC’s version of “with great power comes great responsibility”. It was okay, but I am glad I didn’t spend extra for the “3D Lenticular cover”, because that would have sucked!
AQUAMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Vulko, Tula and some Atlanteans is preparing to revive something to help them save Atlantis. Elsewhere, other Atlanteans attack Atlantis Island, calling Aquaman a traitor. Arthurs lives here now with The Others and is romantically involved with Ya’Wara. Apparently, after the war, Mera’s native land of Xebel has been wiped out. Mera is underwater with the remaining Xebelians. When Arthur goes down to visit, Mera and her followers and, even worse, Atlan-the Dead King, attack him. He defeats Arthur in combat and takes his seat on the throne next to Mera. Continued in AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS: FUTURE’S END #1.
Dan Jurgens and Alvaro Martinez are responsible for this first of two parts and it reads really well and looks awesome too, even if I don’t totally buy the Arthur/ Ya’Wara relationship. I mean, we all know how much Mera and Arthur love each other and also know how they are truly from two different worlds under the sea. But they have endured some pretty heavy stuff over the years, in both this Universe and the old one. So, I will be curious to see where Jurgens is going to go with this.
AQUAMAN AND THE OTHERS: FUTURE’S END #1: Atlan and his army attack The Others, taking his helmet away from Vostok before The Others retreat. In Atlantis, Aquaman is behind bars where Mera and he debate whether the resurrection of Atlan is a good thing or not. The Atlanteans begin to attack Atlantis Island and Aaron’s grandfather is killed in the process. As Mera and Atlan prepare to take back the Atlantean relics, Arthur arrives and the battle truly heats up. But Aaron dons the Atlantean relics and takes out Atlan just as he is about to kill Arthur. Defeated, the Atlanteans agree to give Arthur and his team six months to work out solutions that will help everyone. And it appears that Aaron, now known as The Other, will be the leader.
Dan Jurgens finishes this FUTURE’S END story and does a nice job with it. Once again, Atlan goes to a watery grave and Aquaman and Mera sort of make up. Aaron becomes “The Other” and looks poised to lead the team. All in all, this was a nice story for a possible/probable future. And, looking back at recent issues of this title, I can actually see where the Arthur/ Ya’Wara relationship could be a reality. Oh yeah: Sean Chen’s art is a strong addition to this issue too.
BATGIRL: FUTURE’S END #1: Three years ago, Barbara Gordon married a cop by the name of Steven Harris. Among the guests at their wedding were her former roommate Alysia and her pregnant girlfriend Jo which prompted Steven to suggest they have children. Barabra’s brother James shows up and insists that Steven walk off the roof of the GCPD Headquarters to save the life of his sister, which he did. Two years later, we see the League of Batgirls, Cassandra Cain, Tiffany Fox, and Stephanie Brown, who work for Bête Noire. In the two years since her husband’s death, Barbara has managed to dismantle almost 70% of the crime syndicates in Gotham. She also trained with Bane’s men and eventually with Bane, who beat her in combat every night. She told him she didn’t want to beat him, but wanted to be him and he responded she would have to use the Venom. She became the Bête Noire, tried to kill him but couldn’t and left him. Now, he contacts her in her hideout and tells her he has placed six bombs in Gotham and he knows that the three Batgirls will never be able to stop them in time. The Batgirls return to find Barbara gone, having left a message that she plans on facing Bane alone. Bane admits that he has always known she was Barbara Gordon. Barbara removes her mask and reveals that she never used his Venom and proceeds to beat him into submission as he declares that her training is complete. He drops the detonator that Tiffany catches and thus saves the city. Barbara tells her wards that she wants to be known by her real name again.
Well, I guess we can call this Gail Simone’s swan song as issue #35 features a new creative team. I enjoyed this, even though I don’t know if I could ever see Barbara Gordon going to train with Bane, even on an undercover assignment of her own creation. I also enjoyed seeing Cassandra Cain, Tiffany Fox, and Stephanie Brown getting used in this future world. And the art by Javier Garron was pretty cool too. Nice job, DC: this didn’t suck!
BATMAN ETERNAL #21-25: In issue #21, Vicki Vale gets a visit from Jason Bard who informs her that he has been promoted to police commissioner with a kiss. In Blackgate, Carmine Falcone still manages to be amazed that Rex Calabrese is still alive after all this time. But now he is on his way to Hong Kong to take care of business. Unfortunately, Batman scoops him off the ground to have a little chat with him concerning the fact that Falcone lied about having nothing to do with Jim Gordon being framed. He claims someone who knew the Commissioner was going to be taken down invited him to Gotham. Later, at GCPD, Batman tells Bard that he doesn’t trust him and will never fill Jim Gordon's shoes. At Wayne Manor, an alarm is triggered and Alfred fails to lockdown the building. He brings Julia to a safe room and knocks her out, stealing her gun and locking her in the safe room. He gets grabbed by the assailant and injected with Fear Toxin. Moments before he passes out, he realizes his assailant is Hush. Julia, meanwhile, wakes, locked in the safe room, to the sound of her father's screams. Julia breaks out of the safe room to find Alfred screaming in fear. He gets a moment of clarity and tells her to turn the hands on the grandfather clock to ten forty-eight. Back at Blackgate, Jason arrives to pick up Falcone and arranges to release Zachary Gate. Bard then contacts “Mother” and says Batman doesn’t suspect a thing. He then proceeds to destroy the USB stick with the evidence proving Jim Gordon is innocent, saying that Gotham now belongs to them.
In issue #22, At the construction site for the Beacon Tower, the Architect and his men trip a proximity sensor causing Batman to check in to the Batcave. At Wayne Manor, Julia turns the clock to 10:48 and the front opens to a passage that leads her to the Batcave. Batman sees her on camera and demands to know what has happened to Alfred. She explains he's in the hospital and his condition is Batman’s fault. He explains to her that the Architect can kill hundreds and he needs her help. With Julia’s help via the computer system, Batman takes down the Architect, demanding to know who he is working for and Gate says that the building speaks in whispers. Batman hears the "shhhh" the building is making. He now knows the mastermind is Hush. With that, Hush kills Andrew Trondsen.
In issue #23, Catwoman watches a shoot out between a poacher known as Tiger Shark and his enemies, injuring a snow leopard in the process. She promises that the next time she sees Tiger Shark, she will make a jacket out of his skin. Mourning the death of the cub, a girl arrives, saying Selina’s father who wants to see her in Blackgate Penitentiary sent her. She crawls through the sewer to enter Blackgate and meets with her real father, Rex "The Lion" Calabrese. He explains that Gotham’s crime families need someone to bring them all together. He believes that would be her. Meanwhile, the Architect is taken down by Batman who demands to know where Hush is. Julia warns him that Gate turned on a device that is setting off an earthquake. In the Gotham Underground, Catwoman and Jade are in danger of being crushed, but escape. She takes the girl to Dr. Leslie Thompkins' clinic so she can be cared for. Following the earthquakes, Mayor Hady receives a visit from Bard, who tries to convince the Mayor to place Gotham City under martial law.
Issue #24 begins with Stephanie Brown spying on the Cluemaster. The person he is meeting with insists that Arthur needs to take out the loose end, which he promises to do. He is then told he has 24 hours to take care of it or one of them dies. Arthur reports that Signalman, Ratcatcher and the Prankster are all helping to make Gotham anxious. Hush tells him that the number one priority is to kill Stephanie. With the meeting over, Stephanie jumps down to find that her father is waiting for her. She escapes on his motorcycle and he gives chase. He crashes and is captured by the police, who she called during the chase. Meanwhile, Batman goes to an art gallery to find that a ghost warning Batman to save Gotham is killing patrons. He discovers the late Dr. Simon Ecks of Arkham Asylum. He calls Julia for assistance but gets no answer.
In issue #25, Vicki Vale is trying to convince her boyfriend, the new commissioner, from making her run a story about possible terror attacks against Gotham City. As much as she disagrees, Vicki agrees to run the story. Soon the city is in a panic and rioting in the streets occurs. Back in the Batcave, Julia is told that she needs to take her father’s place while he is in the hospital. She has learned that the person responsible for releasing the Architect from Blackgate was Jason Bard. Batman breaks into Bard’s apartment and finds a hologram of Hush saying he hasn’t even begun to rip Bruce’s life apart. He plans on incriminating Batman with pictures of him breaking into bard’s apartment and plans to kill off Bruce's allies. As the hologram disappears, the apartment blows up with Batman inside. Meanwhile, Tim Drake and Jason Todd visit Mercy Hospital to check on Alfred. Tim insists that they all need to act as a family to stop the attacks on family members. Jason calls Barbara, who is mad that her father is still in jail. She is told she got the wrong guy and tells her she needs to have a chat with everyone and Batman. Jason Bard stumbles into a meeting with Mayor Hady and claims he was the target of a terrorist attack. Hady agrees to declare Martial Law in Gotham City. Lastly, as Batman tries to escape the wreckage of the destroyed apartment, he finds that his help is coming from the rest of the Batman Family.
Five issues this month so we’re looking at 100 pages of action. And oh boy: Dr. Thomas "Tommy" Elliot is BACK! And Jason Bard reveals himself to be the creep we all kind of thought he was anyway. This gem, filled with tidbits all over the place, is by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Ray Fawkes, John Layman, Tim Seeley and Kyle Higgins, with art from Jason Fabok, Jorge Lucas, Dustin Nguyen, Ady Clarke, and R.M. Guera. This book personifies the old-fashioned movie serial concept and it’s great!
BATMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, we find that Batman is dying. He plans on extending the legacy of the Batman through cloning and is looking to steal something from Caulder Component that will keep the clones stable. Alfred warns him that he will probably be killed in the process of breaking into LexCorp. Once he gets inside, the security protocols drop into place and he has thirty minutes to do what he has to do. In a sub–basement, a holographic Lex tells him that he will either die from the gas in the room or the attack drone. Batman manages to vent the room and disable the drone and moves on. He makes it through the next room, and finally a room full of failed Superman clones. Before he can destroy the lab, one of the clones attacks him. Before he can do so, those clones attack him. Batman suit begins to crash and Alfred warns him to get out of the lab quickly. The clones continue their attack and communications go dark. Shortly thereafter, Batman returns to the Batcave with the Caulder Component in hand. Within nine months, Batman and Alfred have built clones and put memory implants containing everything up to the night when he decided to become a bat. This way, Gotham will have a Batman forever.
Okay, so we get a nice action filled and touching adventure of the Dark Knight courtesy Ray Fawkes, Scott Snyder and Aco. I like the pace of it and the whole idea of Batman cloning himself to make certain he lives forever is just a bit on the creepy but cool side. And, based on the way thigs have been going lately in the Batman world, I can see Bruce Wayne being that paranoid that he feels the need to live on forever rather than pass the mantle to one of his proteges. Which begs the question: which proteges are even still alive five years from now. We know that Dick Grayson is “supposed” to be dead, as is Tim Drake. Who else could have worn the mantle of the bat and won’t?
BATMAN AND ROBIN: FUTURE’S END #1: While Alfred is sending Duke Thomas, the current Robin all over Gotham, Batman is battling someone dressed like the Heretic. Alfred warns that this person is a close match for the Heretic that is believed to be dead. Batman is taking a ferocious beating and close to experiencing, a stroke when Alfred tells him that Robin wants to help, but Batman refuses. When Robin arrives, Batman is near death and jams two syringes into Heretic’s neck, which causes him to burst into flames. Batman has him grab a fire extinguisher and put out the flames. Batman gathers a DNA sample and sends it to Alfred who refuses to apologize for sending Robin.
Okay…I’m a bit confused here. So, who WAS this Heretic? I feel kind of cheated by this ending and the making of Duke Thomas into the new Robin? Okay, I really thought it would be someone else stepping into those shoes. And, since all sorts of references are made to the Damian, who we don’t see, can we assume that Damian ISN’T getting resurrected during ROBIN RISES? I love Ray Fawkes work and he writes a great story. And Dustin Nguyen does his usual killer work on the art. But, I just don’t see how this fits in the way it should.
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, after the war ended, Bruce Wayne woke in the hospital with a broken spine. The war had taken many casualties and Clark Kent was one of them. But Bruce managed to overcome this with spinal support column and a robotic suit. He thinks back to six months ago when he had made the decision to end the war and how Clark had come and destroyed the Bat Cave. He went to Hiro Okamura, who was responsible for making Batman’s suit. Then Batman went to the Fortress of Solitude and found Krypto and Steel, who told him he wasn’t allowed here anymore as he had used Superman. Bruce went to Comstock Air Force Base and shoved a Kryptonite rod into the ground, hoping to attract Superman’s attention. Unfortunately, it brought Metallo who eventually was defeated but left Bruce in a coma. When he awoke, Alfred explained that his back was broken for good this time. After Alfred left, he whispered Clark’s name, who never came. He decided that if Superman was too good to help the world, then it would be Batman’s job to be the hero.
Greg Pak writes a great story and this one, while being a little short on the action side, is full of details and characterization. So, whatever Bruce was planning to do to end the war was so heinous that Superman battled him and trashed the Cave. And then headed off the Africa. My biggest complaint is the unevenness of the art. The first ten pages are by Cliff Richards and the next ten are by Jack Hebert and Vincente Cifuentes. Other than that, it was a good read.
BATWING: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, a new criminal organization called Leviathan is trying to take over the existing criminal organizations. A group of the leaders from all these organizations gather with the single goal of eliminating Leviathan. Corvus Corax arrives and tells them that, for 10 billion dollars, he will tell them where they can find Leviathan. They discover that this Corvus is really a hologram. But his information sends them to Dinosaur Island. Upon their arrival, they discover that there is no Leviathan and it is all a trap set by Batman Incorporated and Corvus is really Batwing. They take out the bad guys and get a short congratulatory speech from a holographic Batman. In the story’s conclusion, Luke visits Tamara’s grave and reconciles with the rest of his family.
It’s kind of hard for me to judge this title as I didn’t read BATWING except for the first issue when he was Tinasha Police Officer David Zavimbe. And I know that around issue #20, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Eduardo Pansica took over, there was a changing of the guard, and Lucas Fox took over the role and kept the garb all the way till the title ended with issue #34. So, when Fox had a falling out with his family, when his sister died and anything surrounding all of this is a mystery. But, based on this issue, I may have to do a little backtracking for back issues. I mean, it’s Palmiotti, Gray and Pansica so it reads great and looks great too!
BATWOMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, Beth Kane, now known as the vigilante called Alice, needs to kill her vampire sister, Batwoman. Meanwhile, Batwoman is in the process of attacking Maggie Sawyer, claiming it is time for her to die and grabs her, taking her to the rooftops. Deciding she isn’t worth her time, she drops her, but is saved by Beth. Beth and Kate battle and Beth attaches a piece of clay to her sister’s leg, which turns into Clayface. Jason Blood tries to recite the incantation that will turn him into Etrigan, but Batwoman tears his throat out. Then she breathes fire on Clayface, which hardens him and then smashes him on the floor. Beth traps her sister in a net and she soon hears Kate's real voice begging to help her. Beth removes the net and shoves a stake through Kate's heart, turning her sister to dust.
Marc Andreyko and Jason Masters give up a killer issue…literally! Batwoman became a batwoman…literally! This was a great issue and paves the way for a possible future for “Alice”. Is SHE destined to be the next Batwoman? I have loved this title since the beginning, through the ups and downs and the upheaval of the creative team. Andreyko has done a decent job of picking up and moving the characters along. And Masters does a super job on the art here. This was a treat. Despite the gripes, I’m enjoying most of the FUTURE’S END books…to this point anyway.
BIRDS OF PREY: FUTURE’S END #1: Even though we are five years from now, we begin two years ago. Black Canary is running something called the Red League and they had recently stopped a human trafficking ring. One of the girl’s rescued agrees to join the Red League and is renamed Xi. Two years later and we learn that Paul Howe III is running the biggest trafficking ring in Gotham and the Red League is prepared to take him down. But midway through the Operation Bête Noire interrupts, accusing her of taking over the League of Assassins. She admits to it, saying she did it to destroy the organization. She also claims she has proof that Howe is not the bad guy Barbara thinks she is and demands proof. Dinah holds up a memory stick and Barbara walks away, saying she has plans for a team of her own(which we see in BATGIRL FUTURE’S END). As the Red League entered the mansion, they find that Howe has committed suicide. With Barbara in town, Dinah believes it’s time to move the Red League to another town.
Christy Marx and Robson Rocha, the regular team on the BIRDS OF PREY title, contribute this closing chapter to the series. And, believe it or not, this is probably one of the better issues. Seeing Dinah and Barbara get their aggression out and then go their separate ways was a break I have been waiting to see since about half way through the series. When it was the old Canaries, it was a bond. This Canaries was a loose amalgamation. I’ve said it before: bring back Lady Blackhawk and give Strix her own series.
BOOSTER GOLD: FUTURE’S END #1: We open with Booster Gold, who was just in the Justice League headquarters, in late 19th Century Gotham City. He knows he was on a mission but can’t recall what it was. He attempts to re-enter the Timestream just as a Batman takes over for him. Next he ends up tortured by Brainiac's droids. He gets ejected form the Timestream to the day he discovered that Superman and Wonder Woman were involved with each other. He manages to stop time and appears in front of himself. Before he can explain, he gets shot into the 30th Century and sees Validus and Tharok attacking the Legion of Super-Heroes. Before he can help, he ends up on Earth-4. He tries to approach Captain Atom, but he suspects him to be aligned with Spectro and attacks him. Again, he is pulled through the Timestream and ends up in a future run by talking tigers. Just as Ben Boxer and his friends appear trying to save their friend Kamandi, he again is yanked through the Timestream. He ends up in the 25th Century, where he meets with his sister Michelle. They both end up in the Timestream where they get to Booster's imprisoned other self. He realizes he is not the future Booster, he is from another universe. Brainiac arrives and Booster defends Michelle and his other self, but she falls hostage to Brainiac and begins to be tortured. The other Booster then swears to take Brainiac to Vanishing Point. The book concludes with the phrase “To Be Continued Where Worlds and Futures End”.
Okay, so when you’re talking about multi Earth crisis’s, Dan Jurgens is STILL the guy to call. And did the fanboy in me do a major dance when I saw Kamandi, Ben Boxer, Steve and Renzi. Yeah-I truly loved KAMANDI and the original OMAC! Or all you continuity geeks out there, like me, this issue falls after after SUPERMAN: DOOMED #2 as the final page sets all of this up. And what’s with the final message? Does this mean that the WORLD’S END and FUTURE’S END weeklies will come together and lead us into a new DCU? Anyway, this is a great story laying ground for the future. Thanks to the creative team of Jurgens, with Moritat, Will Conrad, Steve Lightle, Stephen Thompson, Ron Frenz, Brett Booth and Dan Jurgens handling the art! This becomes THE book to have in the collection of the FUTURE’S END titles as it truly reveals more than you probably expected it too!
CATWOMAN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future and we see that Catwoman is the head of a huge criminal empire and is desperately doing her best to make them a united criminal empire. She reminds them of what happened to Black Mask and, as Tusk refuses to follow her, Erin McKillen shoots him through the head. Following the meeting, Matt Falcone remind her that the others are only waiting for her to slip up so they can take her place. She reminds him that they can’t risk a gang war that would bring Batman down on them. They check to make certain her car isn’t wired to explode and then Matt excuses himself to take a call. He uses an app on his phone to detonate a bomb, which blows up the car with her inside. The other family leaders arrive to have Matt tell them that Selina is dead, which puts him in charge. To his surprise, he discovers that the bank accounts are dry and the others put him to death. Georgie Maroni announces there will be a gang war after all, for control of the united families. Six months later, Edward Nygma catches up to Selina Kyle, who has changed her name and is living on the French Riviera. She tells him she never wanted to rule the underworld. She just wanted to play a con game where she stole from the united crime families. She knows he wants to blackmail her but knows he won’t because he won’t give up the secret of the riddle.
This is quite possibly the best thing I have read from the mind of Sholly Fisch, who is typically relegated to back-up stories. And Pat Olliffe’s art is the usual great looking stuff. What I really like about this is how it has taken the plot that is fast becoming a reality in the current Batman side of the NEW 52 universe and not only making it a reality, it is playing the game to the end of the con. We see that Catwoman DOES become the Head of the Gotham criminal families and that her ulterior motive is to fleece the crooks, leaving Matt Falcone as the ultimate fall guy. This is a brilliant piece of storytelling and leaves me wanting to see who we get from point A to pint B over the five year period.
CONSTANTINE: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years in the future, John Constantine is no longer the man he was and he is in charge of the Helmet of Fate. He was given the chance to be the host the Helmet needs, but he needs to destroy the helm, as it has caused much tragedy and death. Librarian Mary Bowen receives the call from Nabu and heads to the hotel where the Constantine is holding the Helm, but is knocked out by John’s friend Lloyd. Meanwhile, Jun-Seo Lee hears the call of Fate and then gets choked and passes out. The Helm of Fate continues to taunt Constantine and finally it overtakes him. But Constantine has prepared well as he uses the Auditorium of Anubis spell to trap the Helm within his heart. He challenges it to a duel where Nabu must prove that he has actually cared about someone beside himself. If the Helm wins, Constantine’s heart will explode. He also suggests calling on the former wearer of the Helm, Khalid Ben-Hassin, as a character witness. Unfortunately he is currently trapped in Hell. With the challenge over, Anubis arrives and eats Nabu. But John had made a deal with an ifrit demon, which allows it to possess the Helmet of Fate. But it needs to perform acts of goodness and, so John won’t ever come after the demon. Heading downstairs, Constantine finds Lloyd among a pile of unconscious and dead bodies. The battle over, they both go to get a drink.
Okay…so this particular issue fell flat. Or did it? Constantine has the Helm of Fate and the previous wearer was Khalid Ben-Hassin. Wasn’t he on Earth 2? So how did Constantine end up with this? Well, I guess it all has to do with the war, doesn’t it? So, Ray Fawkes and Juan Ferreyra didn’t do that bad a job after all, I guess. That is, if everything we THINK will happen does. Of course, that still doesn’t explain how Constantine ended up with the Helmet of Fate. I guess that will be revealed soon…
DETECTIVE COMICS: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now and we see the Calendar Man has been holding the staff of Arkham Asylum hostage for the last week. This leads Batman to form an alliance with the person who designed Arkham Island to keep its patients from escaping-the Riddler. Batman convinces him to team up by telling him that if the Calendar Man can causes a blackout, it will eclipse the legendary blackout from Riddler's Zero Year. Batman takes responsibility for causing Julian Day's mental status by putting his son into a home and away from his abusive father. They make their way through a drain pipe and inside, even though Batman knows that metal plates in his body will send off alarms. When they get into the courtyard, the Riddler reveals his true colors, saying he delivered the man responsible for destroying Day's family. Calendar Man explains that his wife lost her life during Riddler’s blackout, which makes him responsible. Batman explains he has tricked Riddler into trapping himself and leaves him to the Calendar Man.
Leave it to the team of Brian Buccellato, Scott Hepburn and Cliff Richards to deliver a tale this wild and fun! I sure didn’t see that ending coming and then, to have the Dark Knight turn his back on one of his oldest, if not THE OLDEST, villains-PURE GENIUS! Again, I never saw that coming. I saw the heel turn by The Riddler coming but, knowing the history between Batman and Day, I thought sure that Day would definitely be ready to enact his own brand of justice. So-thanks guys for leaving this jaded comic guy smiling from ear to ear.
EARTH 2: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Michael Holt and Sonia Sato are examining his Boom Spheres, which creates a mini Boom Tube. Sonia, formerly the highest-ranking female soldier in the World Army, is a refugee from Earth 2 following the war. At a presentation of the T-Spheres, Terry Sloan shows up to hype his Origin Goggles that can see what world a person actually comes from. Holt asks what has happened to the heroes and we get the answer. On Cadmus Island, Earth 2’s Red Tornado discovers that she has not only been dismantled, but her eyes have been removed. Holt sends Sonia back to Holt Insutries and he goes into hiding. But it seems that Terry Sloan also has made a duplicate and together they break into Holt Industries to steal the Boom Spheres. Holt visits a Jimmy Olsen who is in the Epoch Center for Special Children. Olsen hasn’t spoken a word since he was found in one of the ships that crashed from Earth 2. Suddenly he speaks and words and images fly forth from the Rubik’s Cube he holds. At Holt Industries, the two Sloan’s begin to fight with each other as Holt arrives. Holt defeats Sloan and discovers that he is not from either Earth or Earth 2.
Daniel H. Wilson is an author and robot expert who wrote ROBOPOCALYPSE and is writing the upcoming EARTH 2 weekly series. Eddy Barrows is an established veteran. Together, they present an interesting story about some of the players from the EARTH 2 series and what has happened to them following the war. Most surprising of which was seeing Lois Lane, the Red Tornado, having been dismantled and blinded. We get a page about this and that is that! So, I haven’t quite figured out why he has even bothered to put it into the book in the first place. I also haven’t out where Terry Sloan came up with the Terry Sloan duplicate but I find it a little ridiculous. All in all, this is probably the weakest of this month’s titles to date. I’m curious to see how Wilson’s work reads when the weekly debuts.
THE FLASH: FUTURE’S END #1: While The Flash is helping people trapped in a landslide in Pakistan, the Reverse-Flash is attacking Central City. As Barry tries to figure how much time he has to get from Pakistan to Central City, another Barry Allen is already there battling the Reverse-Flash, claiming to come from the future to prevent Wally’s death and Iris ending up in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. As Daniel attempts to save Wally and Iris, Barry rips Daniel's head off and then saves the pair before the car hits the ground. Barry of the present arrives and the future Barry removes his mask, explaining how the Speed Force is broken and he has come back in time to fix it. The future Barry disappears into the Timestream and Wally learns he has acquired Speed Force powers. Present day Barry begs Wally to find his future self and the future version of Barry. Meanwhile, future Barry has ended up five years before the accident that was just prevented from happening, with Wally, the new Flash, close behind him.
The regular monthly creative team of Robert Venditti, Van Jensen and Brett Booth continue to weave this truly intricate story of two Barry Allen’s and how one of them is trying to repair the Speed Force by correcting everything that has yet to come in our time. This is truly becoming one of the great epic Flash stories in the history of the character. While not as legendary as the classic FLASH OF TWO WORLDS, this is truly a well crafted, beautifully drawn story that, even with or without the changes coming with the war, sets the future direction of this character. This is great stuff!
GRAYSON: FUTURE’S END #1: In the past, Batman told Dick Grayson that Tony Zucco had killed his parents and wondered is Batman would kill him for him. Batman explained he didn’t kill. When Dick went from being Robin to Nightwing, he started to have feelings for Batgirl. But she explained that would never work out because he needed someone in his life who was dark. After the attack by the Crime Syndicate, Dick faked his death and joined Spyral where he was teamed up with Helena Bertinelli. On one particular mission, he caused a rope bridge to snap cleanly. She made him promise that if he were ever dying he would explain the secret to her. Later, she brought him to a tattoo parlor and forced him to get a Spyral tattoo. This would be incentive for him to never get captured and killed by the enemy. She also had issues with him not wanting to kill and actually had to prove her concern about this on several occasions. Eventually, she seduced him and he would use the Cluemaster's code to show him she loved him. During the war, the pair went to work for the former KGBeast, who now ran the Russian government. In one instance, Dick finally revealed the secret of the rope trick. He used the same acid that had killed his parents, which he kept in a jar under his bed. After the battle, it was discovered that the KGBeast had killed women and children. He assured them that they had been working with the Parademons. They learned he had sent them to battle while his own men massacred the innocent. Dick knew he had to do find a way to keep something to prevent KGBeast from killing more people. At the ceremony, Dick snapped KGBeast's neck, meaning Helena would have to punish him. Helena sentenced Dick to his death by hanging.
What makes this whole story so hard to follow, and made it brutal to try and review, is that it is told in reverse order. It begins with Dick Grayson hanging by the neck from the end of a rope and ends with the Tony Zucco revelation. Tom King, Tom Seeley and Stephen Mooney give us a great story that, despite being confusing on the first read because of the end to beginning sequencing, gives us a final resolution to the life of Dick Grayson. While he didn’t truly die during FOREVER EVIL, he does here. It’s a great story and probably one of the most intricate of these one shots.
GREEN ARROW: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Emiko Queen is the Green Arrow and Naomi Singh is Dart and, after defeating the Vertigo Cult, they find Oliver Queen in their hideout and bleeding out. He explains he doesn’t have much time and gives Emiko a small green pyramid, telling her to get it to Lois Lane. By the next day, Oliver is in Prague, meeting with Shado when Emiko arrives, forcing Oliver to step between them. The rest of the Outsiders arrive and Oliver attempts to make peace with them, as he needs them to help on Cadmus Island, where many of the heroes from Earth 2 are being experimented on. If they join him, he would be the leader of the Arrow Clan and give up being the Green Arrow no more. Emiko. Later, Oliver appears on a Seattle talk show to announce his coming back to town. Following that appearance, Deathstroke breaks into Oliver’s home and kills him. The man was killed was actually Magus in disguise, allowing Oliver and the Outsiders to prepare for war against Cadmus and Deathstroke.
Well, this explains the death of Green Arrow in THE NEW 52: FUTURE’S END #1. It was all an elaborate scheme by Oliver Queen to fake his own death. So, Magus bites the dust and Oliver prepares to lead an assault on Cadmus and free the heroes of Earth 2. In what is the swan song for the creative team of Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino, the questions we have been asking get revealed. And what a great finish to an incredible but short run. Here’s to hoping the next creative team doesn’t screw it up!
GREEN LANTERN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Hal Jordan is visited by his father, who is now a Black Lantern. Hal’s father informs his that Krona is now leading the Black Lanterns. As the Green Lantern, Hal strikes a deal with Relic, who has freed himself from the Source wall. Teamed up together, they defeat Krona and the Lanterns, but at the cost of Hal’s life. Relic has a plan and attaches Hal to the Source wall, promising his father that he will do his best to find a way to set him free someday.
Robert Venditti turns in one of the most heartfelt stories featuring Hal Jordan in I don’t know how long! Instead of making him a complete, whiny little brat, Venditti humanizes him but not to the point of him being annoying. He sees his father for the first time since he died and handles it as expected: with raw emotion and surprise. And to have his father have to watch his son die, that was just so hard to see. Great looking art from Martin Coccolo and Aaron Lopresti help make this the best GREEN LANTERN book I have read in over a year! Nice job, folks!
GREEN LANTERN CORPS: FUTURE’S END #1: John Stewart is a Lantern with a mission. It seems he has changed a lot in the last five years, complete with killing a number of Lanterns and destroying Mogo with a single bullet. He meets with Kilowag and Salaak and decides to help them with their battle against The Quiet One and the Empire. He now specializes in long range kills with a Green Ring construct rifle, he drafts Feska and heads to Oa, where two of his friends have been taken hostage. Upon arriving, he manages to take out most of the guards and pursues Maro, who was trained by Stewart and who could have been one of the best of the Lanterns. As he is about to deliver the killing shot, he is blocked by Indigo-1, who wants to induct someone into the tribe. Indigo-1 takes Stewart to Zezzen, where they battle and Stewart mortally wounds her. They end up being transferred to her planet where she reveals that she had sought him out as her replacement. With her death, the ring seeks him out and he becomes a Indigo Lantern.
As a rule, I don’t read this Lantern title, unless it is part of an event or a key piece of a crossover. That having been said, I don’t know if this is an average issue, a below average issue or an above average issue. Van Jensen writes it, Igor Lima, Ruy Jose, Rodney Buchemi and Geraldo Borges handle the art and the tale is okay. I find the cover to be a bit of a spoiler as Stewart is depicted as a blind Indigo Lantern as he is on the final page of the book. So, with that being a bit of a spoiler, I guess I would give this book a thumbs down, especially because I kind of want to know a little bit of WHY John Stewart as become the Lone Gunman of the Green Lanterns.
GREEN LANTERNS NEW GUARDIANS: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Saysoran is fighting everyone who has been affected by the power of the White Lantern energy. She steals a spaceship and meets Yekop, who is one with the ship. She takes control of the ship and flies to the home of Kyle Rayner: the White Lantern. Taking the weapons from the skeleton that used to be Carol Ferris, she battles him, discovering that the Guardians tried to stop him when he became overwhelmed by the Life Equation. He reveals that he brought her here as a test. He is nearing the end of his life and becoming one with The Source. He leaves her the White Lantern ring and lets her decide to follow his work or not.
As with the last title, I normally don’t read this unless it’s a Big Event kind of thing. And now I know why. Justin Jordan writes it, Diogenes Neves illustrates it and I really don’t care for it. Jordan’s story is okay, but terribly preachy. The highlight is Neves art. So, if this were my first issue of the title, I wouldn’t buy it again because it left me wanting the OLD Kyle Rayner who was heartbroken about his girlfriend in the fridge and not this dweeb!
HARLEY QUINN: FUTURE’S END #1: Five years from now, Harley has herself mailed to the Bahamas so she can go on vacation there. Unfortunately, bad weather leads to her being washed up on a tropical island with a dog that was in the cargo bay with her. She sends the dog to find Bernie her beaver and the dog keeps on running, deserting her. Harley draws a beaver face on a soccer ball and names it Bernie. As she searches for food, she finds Bernie's skull and hangs it around her neck. Harley finds an active volcano and natives. Their leader, Bouba, find her to be a goddess. During dinner, Harley asks for sexy entertainment and they give her two of their warriors, wrestling in coconut oil. A masked man throws weapons into the ring and the two cut each other to pieces. The next morning, Bouba takes Harley across the island to their god-king Tha'Jo-Kaa. When she reaches the top of the pyramid, she meets their god-king: The Joker. Over dinner, he explains how he would have the tribesmen dress up as super-heroes and submit them to trying to find their way out of deadly traps. But now Harley is here and they will be married at the mouth of the volcano. Bernie warns her that The Joker hasn’t always been so nice to her and she tosses his skull into an alligator filled swamp. The Joker says "I do" and Harley realizes he plans for her to be thrown into the volcano. Bouba tells him that he too must be thrown into the fires. Joker and Harley throw the celebrant into the lava. The volcano erupts, sending Harley flying through the air until she lands on the beach. She hears Bernie's voice from inside a dead alligator and pulls him out. Then a handsome man appears and offers to take her back to New York.
The regular creative team of Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner and Chad Hardin turns in an issue that really has nothing to do with being five years later except that they say it is. We have to assume that The Joker, who says he wanted to lay low and that is why he ended up and the island, was because of the war. THAT would be the only tie-in to FUTURE’S END. This could very easily be dropped into a regular issue of the series, except that Mr. J. is currently M.I.A. in current continuity. But, as with every issue of this series, it’s a fun ride. It’s a psycho killer who travels around with her stuffed beaver and meets an island god named Tha'Jo-Kaa? Yeah-a wild ride!
INFINITY MAN AND THE FOREVER PEOPLE: FUTURE’S END #1: Mark awakens from a nightmare with Dreamer by his side when they are attacked by Parademons. Alone for over a year, the pair must fend for themselves. Battling off the creatures, Dreamer tells how there was a final battle where the badly beaten team called upon Infinity man for one final time. But since only three of them summoned him, he was not infinite and was captured by a team of OMACs. It turns out that Mark is dead and Dreamer keeps him alive only in a dream. When he tries to leave, he discovers he is not real and disappears. Then Dreamer awakens and tries it again…forever.
Weak! Very weak issue here! Dan Didio and Keith Giffen have completely dropped the ball on this story, which is partially taken from every sci-fi anthology of the last fifty years. The never-ending dream. Not like comic and sci-fi fans haven’t seen that before. Pencils by Phillip Tan, with inks by Jason Paz only further to muddle the look and feel of the book. This is just plain boring!
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