The Comics Place Employee Reviews

The New 52, Round 1.

2011-09-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

Review by Roman Stadtler

Okay, it's been a while, so time to restart the Reviews with the Biggest Comics Event around, DC's New 52!! I've waited 5 days, so you folks could hopefully get 'em all read, but in case you haven't: Warning! There may be *SPOILERS* ahead! I'll strive to resist revelations (yes, revelations. "Reveal" is not a noun! Call me old school, call me a curmudgeon, just don't call me late for dinner), but sometimes one slips through, and I apologize. I hate when I'm looking up something online, and stumble over secrets! I found out who dies in Serenity, and who River Song really is, both prematurely on Wikipedia, dammit!

Fun Flashpoint Fact: keep an eye out for the mysterious hooded woman that spoke to Flash (Barry Allen) in the timestream in Flashpoint #5 (yeah, I know, that wasn’t a fact, more of a tip, but “Tip” broke the alliteration)! She appears in each new issue, usually in a crowd scene, sometimes glowing, sometimes not. She’s fun to look for (and hard to spot; I had to go back and search issues to find her)!

(I'll try to be brief; as I'm sure Chris will be getting his 52 cents [Ha! See what I did there? Ha-ho!] in, as well)

Justice League #1

Good dialogue, good interactions between Green Lantern and Batman (especially when Bats does a little trick w/the ring, right under Hal's nose!). I liked the parademon's versatility (I don't recall parademons having all these abilities before; they're usually just big savage bruisers w/blasters), and the fact the heroes don't know about Darkseid and Apokolips yet, and that Bats figures out what the Father Box (I'm assuming it's that, and not a Mother Box, 'cause Father Box was the Apokoliptian version of a Mother Box in the previous DCU) is, when GL's ring can't. I also got a kick out of GL's ring constructs; they were creative, and reflective of Hal's personality (loved the fire engine!), and his cockiness. I'm not a big Jim Lee fan, too many angles and sharp edges, but I am a Geoff Johns fan, so he’ll keep me interested. The art is nowhere near as good as the next title, however!

GRADE = B

Action Comics #1

This was The Big One, the most anticipated #1, and it didn't disappoint! Morrison is writing Supes as the Golden Age (which was now only about five or six years ago) social crusader he used to be, idealistic, super-confident (maybe a little overconfident), and with a hint of danger to those who deny his quest for justice. After he's stopped a crime, there's a couple of crooks dangling out of walls, punched through them head first, that must have severe head trauma or brain damage, or are simply dead. This Superman has more of the vigilante in him (he's no Batman, he doesn't shy away from the spotlight, but he's not afraid of getting dirty, and doesn't care about being friendly with the cops). This is in keeping with the Golden Age, too, when Superman would toss crooks off a building without a thought. There are further nods to the Golden Age by having Clark working at The Daily Star, for George Taylor (the precursors to The Planet and Perry White, and later placed into continuity on Earth 2. Um, the original, not the new Earth Two graphic novels).

Superman even does the classic (from comics and the wonderful Fleischer cartoons) stopping the train bit! It'll be fascinating to see Superman's beginnings concurrently with his new current self over in the monthly Superman comic. Morrison got to write Supes' swan song in All-Star Superman, and now he's writing the Action Ace at the very beginning of his career, as a young man susceptible to the particular pains, mistakes, and triumphs of youth, before he became the hero all other heroes look up to. I like how this young Superman is obviously rougher, unpolished, scruffier, than the accomplished Superman in Justice League (Rags Morales' art is excellent in portraying that boisterous, rough and ready exuberance of the Golden Age, while being more realistic and technically adept than most artists of that time). That begs the question, though; if Justice League is five years ago, and Superman's in the collared, shortsless costume there, how long ago are the events in Action? Seven years ago?

GRADE = A++

Animal Man #1

I loved Grant Morrison's Animal Man run of the late '80's, and this is in that vein, with Buddy Baker's family, and own his compassion being two focal points of the series, and the wonder and horror of the Red (created by Jamie Delano as a mystical interpretation of the morphogenetic field Morrison wrote of , that Buddy derives his powers from, and is analogous to the Green of Swamp Thing) being the third. It reads like Jeff Lemire is following the spirits of previous writers Morrison, Tom Veitch, and Jamie Delano's Animal Man, dealing with horror, the nature(s) of reality, and human/non-human perceptions. I like Buddy Baker, he's a good, regular guy, a family man who cares about people and animals, I like the horror elements of the Red, but I don't like Baker's new blue and white costume! I hope he returns to his old one, with the jacket, soon. Travel Foreman's art took some getting used to, but it fits such an unusual super hero book.

GRADE = A

Batgirl #1

It's a blast to see the best Batgirl back in action again! I'll miss the Oracle role, but Barbara Gordon is the Batgirl, and Gail Simone is a great writer (I'll miss her Secret Six, but I can't wait for her Fury of Firestorm!). This Batgirl enjoys her work, she smiles, but she's also got emotional scars left from the Joker shooting her (yes, Killing Joke still happened), and that trauma is a major plot point, handled very realistically and responsibly by Simone. All of Barbara's thoughts and feelings, and involuntary reactions, struck me as true. She's thrilled to be able to be Batgirl again, and shaky, out of practice a bit, and has doubts. I just wonder what happened to Stephanie Brown?

GRADE = A+

Batwing #1

This has potential, mainly in the setting. The political strife, violence, and social unrest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo can make for moving stories, and Batwing himself is visually striking. The story involves a mystery regarding an earlier African super hero (invented for this series), corruption in local law enforcement, and a villain named Massacre. Massacre reminds me of the Moon Knight villain Bushman, at least on the surface; both are African homicidal death-faced killers, favoring machetes. Hopefully, there's more to Massacre than that. I've only liked Winick's Green Arrow work and his screenplay for Under the Red Hood (of his super hero writing, that is), so I have reservations about this title, but I'll see how the next few issues go. The art was okay, but I don't like sparse backgrounds, lacking detail, and this is in that style, which would've been too static, except there's dynamic panel positioning that saves it.

GRADE = C+

Detective Comics #1

‘Tec was better than I expected! A solid Batman story; the Joker is a sick, maniacal genius, Batman is driven and methodical, but human, Alfred is refined and intelligently sarcastic, but just so. There's mystery and murders, a shocking turn of events, and good art. Check out the page depicting the Joker's first murder (of the issue), and the later panels showcasing Commissioner Gordon and Batman's talk; both very cinematically rendered, and full of emotion. A good test of visual storytelling is if you block out the text and can still get the story; that works here, and you arrive at the same cliffhanger, only missing some dialogue, but none of the emotion or gist of the story.

GRADE = B+

Green Arrow #1

I love Green Arrow! Unfortunately, not this one. I'm not sure if they're trying to make him look like the guy that played him on Smallville or what, but the Van Dyke is gone, as is the recurve bow. I can deal with the lack of facial hair, but I don't like the compound bow. GA is an amazing archer with any bow, of course, but I prefer his traditional recurve, or a longbow. It's more Robin Hoodesque. Ollie's got himself a couple of assistants, one designs his weapons but feels bad about it, the other is an attractive computer nerd with an antisocial attitude (both so original!). There's a trio of new uninspired villains, though one, Doppelganger, is kind of interesting, in a disgusting way. The main thing I liked about the issue was George Perez' inking. Everything else is pretty boring.

GRADE = C-

Hawk & Dove #1

Hahahahahahaha!!! . . . Oh, this is serious? Okay. Well, Liefeld's first major ongoing comics work was the 1988 Hawk & Dove series that introduced the female Dove, so I guest that's why he's doing this newest version. From his usual soulless, flat faces to his blocky thick oafish-looking people (blocky can work, Rob, look at Kirby. Blocky, but his figures had fluidity and grace, along with power) to ridiculous carelessness, all of Liefeld's usual offenses are in full display here. The silliest bit may be when, in the last panel of page 6 (not counting ads) where Hawk turns away from the zombie (or whatever it is), calling out to Dove, and he has two prominent upper fangs. Thinking this was some new manifestation of his Chaos avatar status, I turned the page. Oop, fangs're gone! Wait, that might be one . . ? But where's the other one? Then, no fangs in the next four panels. Oh, at least one fang back in the sixth panel! Aand no Hawk fangs in the rest of the issue.

Then there's the inexplicable panel where Dove, who's telling a story to Deadman while she's in costume, is shown with no mask on, her eyebrow and eyelash somehow being over her long blond hair (I thought she was white-haired in both identities?) and wearing hoop earrings. I flipped back a page, then forward. Nope, she's in costume, no earrings or blond hair, the pages before and after. This is another proof of the rule of good visual storytelling; if it wasn't for the text, I'd have no idea who this blond woman is, or why she's there. The text indicates she's Dove; but it doesn't make sense visually. Then there are some gape-mouthed men that are supposed to look shocked but just look like expressionless manikins with frozen open mouths, and the terrified kid on the last page who made me laugh, and lots of grimacing men. 'Cause men grimace most of the time, in case you hadn't noticed.

As for the writing, it's pretty lackluster, with some clunky exposition. There's an awkward recounting of the duo's origin, to their father (well, Hawk, and the original Dove's, father), who knew who they were, but apparently never bothered to ask how they became super heroes, even though they first appeared saving his life. Bad comic! Bad! Bad!

"GRADE" = F

Justice League International #1
Good characters, good conflicts between Guy Gardner & Booster Gold, and Rocket Red & August General in Iron, and a lot happens, but somehow it doesn’t feel very important. I was happy to see some heroes still exist that fans (well, me and Steve) have worried about; Metamorpho, and the Creeper, and even Freedom Beast (okay, maybe nobody was worried about him). Needs more Plastic Man!

GRADE = C+

Men of War #1

The first surprise of the bunch! Engaging, character-driven, two good stories, with interesting details on military lingo and weapons (explained in good ol’ fashioned editorial boxes that don’t interfere with the story). I was doubtful, afraid Sgt. Rock would be moved into the modern era, but this Rock is his grandson, a strong soldier and character, in modern conflicts, set firmly within the new DCU. The backup story was good, as well, the first part of a Navy SEALs 3-parter.

GRADE = B

O.M.A.C. #1

The second surprisingly good #1! If you’re a Kirby fan (and if you’re not, what’s wrong wit’cha?!), you’ll love this! Big bombastic Kirby style art and action from beginning to end! Giffen, one of the best Kirby imitators around, does a beautiful job here, and he and Dan Didio pace the writing perfectly with the art. They’ve also returned the One Man Army Corps to Kirby’s original ‘70’s SF concept, of being one normal guy turned into the OMAC by this mysterious satellite, for reasons unknown . . . so far. One new touch is his Mohawk seems to be more of a coruscating energy generator/computer/communicator dorsal fin than simple big hair. Cool. Also, Gobblers! Fun!

GRADE = A+

Static Shock #1

A very smart and fun comic, featuring the underused Static, who reminds me both of a young Peter Parker (except much more confident) and Ronnie Raymond, the original Firestorm (except smarter). Lots of science geekery on display here, amidst the action, and that was great fun. It’s nice to see a teen hero who’s cool, a science whiz, and not a clumsy dork.

GRADE = B+

Stormwatch #1

I read this mainly for the Martian Manhunter, and expecting that Paul Cornell would do his usual fine writing. He didn’t disappoint, crafting a good SF story, creating a new role for the Manhunter that doesn’t conflict with his previous portrayals, and setting up an interesting dynamic with a new super-powered individual who may be on par with Superman. Stormwatch is trying to recruit this guy, but there’s someone else who wants him! I’m not that familiar with the Stormwatch/Wildstorm heroes, but Adam, J’onn, and Harry Tanner are intriguing characters, and I’m curious where the story will go, so I’ll keep checking this out.

GRADE = B

Swamp Thing #1

Fantastic! Swampy’s back, in the eerie horror of his (it’s?) best stories of the past! There’s a lot to like here, behind that beautiful Yanick Paquette cover. A mystery around some mastodon bones, Alec Holland’s retreat from his former life and confusion about vague memories of being the swamp monster (but does he remember being an elemental avatar of the Green, practically a god? Did that happen in the new DCU?), and insights into how the vegetative kingdom is hardly the peaceful, benign place we think it is, drive the plot of this first excellent issue. I hope Anton Arcane, Swamp Thing’s ultimate nemesis, returns soon, and that a relationship between the Green and the Red (in Animal Man) is explored.

There’s nice little nods to Swampy’s history, too, like Holland staying in Totleben’s Motel (John Totleben was the inker on Alan Moore’s classic run), there’s construction machinery named for Len Wein (the creator of Swamp Thing), and Holland’s safe combo is 1971, the year Swamp Thing first appeared. One of the great touches is that Holland’s expertise in botany is used to full advantage, influencing the plot and character actions, just as Static, the soldiers in Men of War, and Animal Man all respectively use their particular knowledge and expertise. The writers of these books are doing their research, and it pays off in fleshed-out, realistic characters.

GRADE = A+

Batman: The Dark Knight #1 by David Finch

2011-01-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

Review by Chris Clow

When it comes to someone tackling the duties of both writer and artist, you have to respect whoever even attempts both duties from the outset. For some, those duties at the same time don’t manage to work very well, and for others, it works exceedingly well. Notable tacklers of both duties such as Frank Miller, Jack Kirby, George Perez along with more recent names like Darwyn Cooke, Tony Daniel, and Jeff Lemire have all managed to provide memorable stories while working their butts off in order to make their respective visions see print.

Now, we add renowned comic artist David Finch to that category, as he makes his first foray into both duties with Batman: The Dark Knight. One of the only two ongoing titles to currently feature the Bruce Wayne Batman (the others all feature Dick Grayson in the role), Dark Knight is the title of the original Dark Knight in Gotham City doing what he does best. The Incorporated story that’s going on across most of the Batman line has little to no bearing on this book, and Finch is crafting a Batman story that is very much trying to stand alone.

Finch’s first foray into the world of Batman arrived in comic shops a couple of months ago, when he penciled Grant Morrison’s Batman: The Return one-shot that brought Bruce Wayne back to full-time duty as Batman since his disappearance at the end of Final Crisis (You can check out my Batman-On-Film review of that book HERE). In that book, it was extremely apparent that David Finch’s artistic style fit Batman and his world like a proverbial glove: the darkness, the shadow, the formidable sense of power, and the coordination of deft action were all hyper-emphasized in Finch’s work on that book.

The story here on the art side is no different. Finch and Batman, and especially Gotham City, make it pretty clear that the man’s hands were made to render this character and his world. The level of detail is very, very strong, and it’ll be a great source for Bruce Wayne fans and DC fans to get stories featuring the Dark Knight in his natural environment.

The writing, on the other hand, tells a slightly different story. While it’s not particularly bad, the dialogue in a few places is a bit clunky and there are spots when certain characters just don’t sound right. The pacing is generally good, but the conversational stuff could use a little bit of work. It’s very easy to give the benefit of the doubt here, though, because this is Finch’s first issue as the writer of a very high profile title featuring (arguably) comics’ highest profile character. The stress for creating such a book must be immense, but it sounds as if Finch will have plenty of time to hone the writing side of his work here.

The story presents an interesting perspective of events surrounding some of the higher profile Batman rogues, and the strong artwork definitely make this a title not to miss. Because the artwork is so strong, it tends to distract away from some of the missteps in writing unless you’re specifically looking at that portion of the story. While that’s only a slight hiccup in the overall scheme of things, it’s pretty easy to say that it could go either way, but this first issue is definitely worth a read.

GRADE = B

Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis

2010-10-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

Review by Chris Clow

For about a straight decade, Marvel Comics' Ultimate line has been one of varied success. The first series coming out of it, Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis, presented the idea of a new, concurrently running continuity free from constraints of the mainline continuity, and allowed old, familiar characters to be reintroduced to new generations as if they had just begun. Over the years, the premise has allowed for great stories (The first 50 issues of USM, the first two volumes of The Ultimates) and for some badly delayed and lackluster ones (Wolverine vs. Hulk, Ultimatum). One of the questions on peoples' minds over the years has been whether or not DC would follow suit in some capacity.

Here's your answer: Earth One. After Geoff Johns' Infinite Crisis, the previous layout of the DC Universe was changed. What was Earth One (the mainline DC Universe) was moved to a "New" Earth. Over the last four years, we've seen other worlds presented across the new 52-world multiverse, but the one missing link was the current status of Earth One. Now we know: it's a new, modern DC Universe. Characters that are timeless in the DCU haven't even been seen yet, and appropriately, mimicking the real world to an extent, Superman is the first hero to present himself in this new Earth One.

Now, keep in mind, it pisses me off a bit that people rag on Superman for being "outdated," because I personally feel that who he is and what he represents are timeless ideals. It's only in the hands of an incapable writer, that doesn't know how to properly characterize him, that he comes across as a "boy scout." If people say he's a boy scout because he doesn't cheat on his wife with some super hero groupie, then they'd also probably see someone that points a gun at someone without killing them as a boy scout.

People don't even really know what that means. He's a moral leader, yes, but he sees a greater good beyond what, in his eyes and ours, can be seen as trivialities. If they got a writer for this project that would try and turn Superman into Edward Cullen or Justin Bieber, pop for the sake of pop, this would've been an absolute disaster. Fortunately, they got someone to do this job who cares about the Man of Steel.

Writer J. Michael Straczynski, who has a large reverence for the character of Superman, is the writer tasked with reintroducing him to this modern audience. Straczynski has proven himself on some of the biggest of characters in the super hero pantheon, particularly Thor and Spider-Man. When Straczynski made the jump to DC about 18 months back, this was a project that they announced relatively quickly. Straczynski is great at analyzing the motivations behind characters. He made the title of the God of Thunder and that place in Asgard Thor's motivation. He continued the tradition of Stan Lee and made responsibility Spidey's motivation throughout his run. In Earth One, Straczynski has an opportunity to change Superman's motivations into something else entirely. I'm relieved that he didn't, but he definitely revised the reasons those motivations are there.

Earth One's Clark Kent still has the farmland grounding everyone knows about, but this Clark seems to be more aware of his differences from everyone than justifying his similarities to everyone. This is a Clark Kent that actually toys with the idea of cashing in on his superior physical and mental attributes moreso than he's ever been shown pursuing that path. The world around Clark is decidedly more muted than his main world in the DC Universe. If you walk down any modern American city street today, it looks very much like this Metropolis. Not exactly a "City of Tomorrow," but also inclusive of reality moreso than the Metropolis we're familiar with.

This Clark also has a decidedly different aesthetic than the one we know about. He seems to be a fair amount shorter and stockier than the mainline version, he dresses a bit more "hipster," and he's not really trying to create much of a difference between himself and Superman other than his way of conducting himself in public.

The villain of the story I won't say too much about, but he's a new character that is an inspired choice. Straczynski has talked openly about the new villain's connection to the destruction of this universe's Krypton, and that was the most innovative idea to the villain's motivation. There are portions of this story that feel a little convenient, especially around the villain's unleashing of his campaign toward Earth, but the villain and his intentions are relatively fresh considering the climate of Superman stories we've been getting for the last few years.

As far as other familiar characters, Martha Kent is mostly unaltered. She's a bit more proactive in the formation of the Superman identity, but she's mostly the Ma we know. Perry White is largely unaltered except for the addition of more editorial language, but his verbosity and anger remains intact. Lois Lane may be the most unaltered character, I'm not seeing anything new from her here. The best alteration? Jimmy Olsen. He's a batsh*t crazy photojournalist that's ready to do whatever he needs to do in order to get a great picture, and would even die if it means seeking the truth. There's a fantastic moment in here where Jimmy stares down the villain in this story, ready to die.

Shane Davis' artwork is, in a word, stellar. His style gives the story a gritty reality that hasn't really been seen in a Superman story since maybe Gary Frank, but even Frank's work isn't as hyper-realistic/gritty as this. There's a distinct style, but he's able to render different faces for different characters very clearly and his cityscape looks fantastic. The Kryptonian structures and ship that appears here looks truly alien, and the villains, while humanoid to a degree, carry harsh spikes and alien-like colors that are very distinctive. The way he uses sunlight in the layouts of the images is also very strong, the entire work has a slightly sepia tone that is unique but also strangely evocative of realism.

Overall, this isn't as basic a reinvention as DC might have you think, but that's not a bad thing at all. The story does it's job of introducing Superman as a basically new component of our world, and allows a new story free of continuity to take flight. There are times when it dives, but for the most part, Superman: Earth One flies as gracefully as the Man of Steel himself.

GRADE = B

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #5 by Grant Morrison, Ryan Sook, and Pere Perez

2010-10-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

We've reached the penultimate chapter of the return of the one, true Dark Knight. And although this issue takes place just after the death of Bruce's parents, it has several ramifications in the "present day" battle with The Black Glove.

The issue is book-ended by a meeting of several DC heroes with Tim Drake, who is presenting his findings proving that Bruce Wayne is alive. Although they want their friend back, the heroes understand that Bruce Wayne's return to the 21st century. The story goes on to explain several components about Dr. Hurt's identity (is he really Thomas Wayne?), the Wayne’s new familial history thanks to Bruce's time jump, and the tone is extraordinarily reflective of old noir detective stories. There's a femme fatale, a rugged hero, all the way down to Venetian blinds in a detective office. From the Paleolithic era all the way through to the Wild West, Grant Morrison shows that he's very efficient at making you feel like you're actually in that particular period of time. Beyond all of the period components, Morrison manages to throw in some genuine Batman moments with him being the World's Greatest Detective down to some good ol' fashioned ass-kickery. As each issue goes along, regardless of the self-reflexive Morrisonian philosophy and mind trips, this has the undertone of a Bruce Wayne/Batman story more so than anything else out right now.

Ryan Sook provides 21 pages of artwork, and the rest are done by Pere Perez. Sook's work is great with detail, his faces are all different, the wrinkles in the clothing are realistic, and his shadow work is fantastic, not only for the images rendered here, but for playing into the tone of film noir. While this isn't truly noir (it's not black and white), Sook's style has the predominant feel necessary to pull it off. Perez's finishes are rather close to Sook's, it seems like he went out of his way to make the art style changes as low-impact as possible, and he does a good job of it. Jose Villarrubia's colors in this issue are appropriately washed out, evoking the colorless world of noir while still keeping the foot in the door of four color comic book action. This entire series has been a lesson in how to make an environment feel different through each time period. Seeing the collected edition will no doubt increase my respect for it.

We have one more issue until the full-on return of Bruce Wayne, and it looks like he's bringing the full-blown apocalypse (Apokolips?) with him. I wonder, how will he kick its ass?

Won't be long until we find out

GRADE: B

Brightest Day #0 by Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi, and Fernando Passarin - A Review/Primer

2010-04-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

Review by Chris Clow

“Once dead, twelve heroes and villains were resurrected by a white light expelled deep from within the center of the Earth. Deemed a miracle by many and a sign of the apocalypse by others, the reasons behind their rebirths remain a mystery. But it will not be a mystery for long. This is the BRIGHTEST DAY.”

A common criticism I hear from people who see the posters for this series go along the lines of, “Oh great! Now DC’s stories are going to be happy, bright, and shiny! BOOO!” However, after reading this introductory issue to Brightest Day, #0, it appears that the stories within the pages for the next year will be far from light-hearted. This issue was full of a despair wrapped in a blindingly bright white light. Not the warm, reassuring kind of light. This bright light felt more as if it could be on the front of a train that you can’t see barreling toward you, and it seems that the heroes and villains that have returned, except for maybe Deadman, might not get out of that train’s way fast enough.

Osiris finds himself without a family after his return. Captain Boomerang is stuck in Iron Heights, and is bold enough to threaten the Fastest Man Alive. Aquaman’s return is rejoiced by his wife Mera, but the King of the Seven Seas looks in the water and sees himself as a Black Lantern staring back at him. Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch are the new Firestorm, but Jason’s hatred toward Ronnie for what his corpse did as a Black Lantern could fracture their partnership before it even begins.

And Deadman isn’t dead anymore, and is adjusting to life, and his larger role in the DCU. All the heroes that were resurrected by the White Entity no longer need to wear their White Lantern Rings. So, why can’t Deadman take his off? What does a man so defined by death do when the death that he touches gains new life? Is this a good second chance, or does his new life spell doom for our heroes?

A lot of questions, I know. But after reading Brightest Day #0, it seems that questions are exactly what you’re supposed to have. Issue #1 is on sale next week, and if you’re at all curious about what’s in store for the twelve resurectees of the DCU, Brightest Day is the book to read.

GRADE = B

Ultimate Comics: Enemy #3 by Brian Michael Bendis and Rafa Sandoval

2010-04-18T23:39:00.000-07:00

Review by Art Delgadillo

The cover for this issue was a great takeoff of “The Three Stooges” looking around the corner of a building. The story features a nameless attacker that has murdered Reed Richards and has tried to do the same to others. With more unanswered questions than answered ones, the attacker is trapped. Is it the same one, or someone different? Notice that I didn’t say who. Again, cover art was great, interior art was adequate; with Nick Fury’s eye patch shifting on page nine to the wrong eye. However, this issue had a good bathroom brawl. Issue #3 gets you set up for the ending of this four-part story. Will the Thing survive and can Reed really be dead? Hopefully, all will be answered next month.

I like a story that wraps things up fairly quickly in comic book time. One month between issues in a good story with strong characters can seem like forever. I won’t say it’s a must-read, but it is a good one.

Kickin' Nazzy as . . tail. (In case any youngsters're readin' this)

2010-04-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

The new Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers is set early in Cap's career, telling the pulse-pounding tale of his first mission with Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos! The Howlers & Cap are off to Wakanda to head off Hitler's attempt, led by Baron Strucker, to steal the African nation's Vibranium for use in their missile technology. Cap quickly runs afoul of T'chaka, the WWII-era Black Panther, and that leads into the next issue.

There's plenty of nasty Nazi business, a great battle scene right in the first few pages of the book, amusing dialog from the Howlers about this new star-spangled joker that never removes his mask (Nick Fury, particularly, is suspicious of him), but what really grabbed me with this first issue was Gabriel Jones' narration during the Howlers scenes. I'd never thought about how it might've been, being a black soldier, hand-picked by Fury himself, in an elite WWII commando squad. The Army's not desegregated yet, he's on this elite force with guys from Brooklyn & Kentucky, and they're heading into Africa for the first time (well, I think Fury had been there before). There's thoughtless comments and jokes about Africa from his teammates, and an impressive scene in the mess hall when Cap sits down right next to Gabe, doesn't have any silverware, and asks to uses Gabes, who is done eating. That's something you just didn't do back then (heck, I wouldn't do it now; not outa racism-that's just plain unsanitary w/anybody)! Actions like this, and Cap's fighting skills, yet ridiculous (to them, at that time) costume, have all the Howlers asking "who IS this guy?" When Cap first shows up, Dum Dum Dugan asks "who is this clown?" to which Fury replies "America's secret weapon." "I thought WE were America's secret weapon" is his response, shown in a tight close up of Dugan's shadowed eyes and hard-set jaw. Tension's a-brewing, right away!

These tensions of preconceived judgments and prejudices, roles, and battle action will make for a great Cap, Year One-style story with a little more than just Nazi-bashing (not that that ain't enough any day o' the week), if writer Reginald Hudlin (Black Panther) can keep it up. The art, by Denys Cowan (The Question) and Klaus Janson (tons o' stuff) is nice, too, lots of good character perspectives and cinematic transitions.

2010-03-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

Hey, this here is a blog, so I can write any ol' cr . . pearls o' wisdom, or goofy ramblin', even when I don't have a rollickin' review (I just realized this; kinda slow on the uptake with this here technology). So here goes . . .

My guess for the Red Hulk (sorry, I ain't calling him "Rulk." That's just stupid. And not even awesomely stupid) . . ? Colonel John D. Armbruster!

Ah, the collective gasp of recognition is deafening. "Who?" you're all asking. He died (or did he . . ?) in Incredible Hulk #185 (1975) stopping an exploding Glenn Talbot (he was an "organic bomb," y'see) from killing the president. BUT! Talbot is now back, as is Betty (maybe the ones that died were actually Skrulls! Yeesh, I hope not), so why not this guy?

Armbruster was another career military man, who had a mad-on for the Hulk. He even took over Project: Greenskin from General Ross, and was instrumental in stopping the Russian terrorist attack by a mind-controlled Major Talbot. The Red Hulk is a military man, a strategist, familiar with weapons, had a rivalry with "Thunderbolt" Ross, and I think he may've once been involved with turning people into gamma-powered monsters. And he died, supposedly with Talbot, in heat energy pit thingie (it may've even been a volcano; I can't remember), which combined with Talbot's "organic bomb" explosion, could, in fine comic book logic, explain how they survived, and Red can absorb energy. That ability, and his military & anti-Hulk background , could've made him a great candidate for the Intelligentsia's "create-a-Hulk" experiments.

Either that, or Red is really Uncle Ben.

We're supposed to find out in June, if any of still care by then. Meanwhile, it's already slipped who the Red She-Hulk is, but I won't spoil it here, in case you haven't heard. (. . . Maybe it's an alternate timeline Aunt May!)

Bad Dog

2009-07-14T02:15:00.000-07:00

Review by Neill McLaughlin

Bad Dog is a collarless mongrel, kicked bleeding and disoriented from the back of a pickup onto the side of a lifeless desert road, whose wounds are cared for by a family full of spirit, compassion, and true Americana. However, despite giving the animal a third lease on life, it still finds time to chew through, piss in, crap on, and openly hump everything that ‘Ma & Pa Kent’ value. A nomadic, uncivilized creature roaming from town to town, passing on whatever it picked up along the back alleys and shady truck stops to anyone merciful enough to give the flea bitten hound asylum. The type of mangy varmint that looks up at you with those tender eyes, and despite the dirt caked fur and glass cut paws, you just can’t stop yourself from picking it up and taking it home with you.

From the open mind of writer Joe Kelly (Deadpool, Four Eyes, I Kill Giants) comes a belligerently truthful dark comedy that empowers the medium by telling a story fixed best within the pages of comic books. Best described by the author, Kelly describes Bad Dog as "channeling a lifetime of bad behavior into two misfit bounty hunters incapable of catching a break, let alone a criminal... Lou is a werewolf who despises people so much that he refuses to shift back into human form and Wendell is a vertically-challenged, gutter-mouthed ex-preacher with a hair-trigger temper." A tattered tale about anti-heroes drinking there way to rock bottom on the dusty back roads of civilization, while hunting down the ever-failing dollar, howls straight from the heart of the Gonzo-fueled American Dream. The kind of comic that makes you stand up like a patriotic rebel and beg for the forgotten freedoms of our fore fathers.

Crafting a story drowned in alcohol and self pity requires an artistic balance that keeps the reader engrossed without grossing them out with the thought of vomit oozing off the pages. Enter Diego Greco, an Argentinean artist known for advertising, erotic comics, and a loser superhero story called Doméstico. With his soft brushes and enriched tones, Greco displays a style that is easy on the eyes yet comically engaging. Together, the team create a comic book that sets the mood for a bar brawl in the middle of a Don Bluth film; keeping every hurled glass bottle in focus, making every broken bone look enchanting, and polishing the toothless smiles of all ages brave enough to endure self destruction.

As you take Bad Dog out of the weekly comic grab, you see a fuzzy face full of golden brown fur, wearing Elvis shades, a white cowboy hat, and a dead cold stare. Once opened to the first page, it becomes apparent you have past far beyond the safety and sanity of so-called city limits a few exits ago. From page to page, the dialogue poetically rants like a drunken pastor slam dancing to hymns on shattered stained-glass windows, while the art gracefully shines a harmonious spectrum through each broken shard upon the floor. By the time you reach the middle of the story, you are already intoxicated by the recurring visits to dive bars and backwater saloons. If you can reach the end of the book, you will need two bottles of whiskey to cure the pounding headache where you once had a brain and the number to a back alley surgeon for an emergency liver transplant.

Bad Dog exists because, as much as we want to pretend we are ALL good people, some of us know deep down in the dank pit of our failed kidneys, that everyone is capable of both love AND destruction. That is why we all look when we drive past a car wreck; it's in our nature to observe, even when we want to poke our eyes out with olive picks. Bad Dog might not stay long with most crowds, but the few of us who welcome the disruptive truthfulness and rebellious abandonment will always have a spare room for this mongrel… Furniture and rugs be damned! And if MY carbonated ramblings haven't been enough to convince you to try a shot of this 100 proof series, you need the kind of help that only an enabler can give... When creator Joe Kelly was asked by comicbookresources.com to convince them to purchase a copy of Bad Dog in just 10 verbs, he replied,
"Drink. Shoot. Ponder. Drink. Laugh. &@%$%. Drink. Howl. Weep. Become. Aw, yeah... Artsy!"

Now THAT’S entertainment!

Green Lantern #43 by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke

2009-07-10T01:32:00.000-07:00

Review by Chris Clow

Wow.

I don't know why, but I am always surprised when Geoff Johns manages to take a previously lame villain and turn him/her into a complex psychological creature, but more importantly, into a frightening and imposing villain. Previously, my favorite example of Johns' doing this was in The Flash #218, where he spotlighted the Rogue Heatwave and made his infatuation with fire into a deeply perverse obsession that cost the character his entire family.

That favoritism, however, has shifted to Green Lantern #43 and the villain Black Hand.

There's still a lot we don't know about the Black Lantern Corps in this issue and we didn't know exactly what their full function was until we opened up Blackest Night #1 on July 15th. But that mystery, coupled with the unnerving exposition of Black Hand and the steps he ultimately takes to embrace the power of death, is a big part of why this story is so compelling. Hal Jordan and the usual suspects don't appear in this issue in any large capacity. We get introduced to William Hand in a way we never have before, as a deep psyche evaluation that dives headfirst into his obsession with death, and everything that has to do with it.

What does living in a mortuary mean for someone who's so consumed by an unhealthy and sadistic love of corpses? What does this extreme personality do when he discovers a power greater than that of a man's? And what does that mean for the Blackest Night? This issue explains thoroughly why Black Hand is the way he is currently portrayed, and why he will be a force to be reckoned with, not only against the Green Lantern Corps, but the DC Universe. With a strong debut from new ongoing artist Doug Mahnke, the aesthetics coupled with the complex look into the mind of Black Hand is a total winner.

Green Lantern #43 leads into Blackest Night #1 in the best way possible: by showing how you, the reader, will absolutely love to hate this sadistic son of a b*^$%.

GRADE: A

Captain America #600 (Lead Story) by Ed Brubaker, Butch Guice, Howard Chaykin, Rafael Albuquerque, David Aja, and Mitch Breitweiser

2009-06-20T03:23:00.000-07:00

Review by Chris Clow

Ed Brubaker's 51st issue of Captain America has gotten the consolidation treatment, and we've gone from Volume 5 back to Volume 1 by assuming #600. This issue represents a tide change in the course of Brubaker's recent issues in the sense that, for the first time in 26 issues, a little over two years, this one is about Steve Rogers. Sure, he's been mentioned over the past couple of years and nearly deified in the eyes of many of Marvel's heroes, but Steve has become the driving force behind the Cap title again, because it's setting the stage for what some have been hoping and some have been dreading:

The Return of Steve Rogers.

On the anniversary of Steve Rogers' death, Sharon Carter begins to gain more and more of her memory from when she was under the control of Dr. Faustus. In short, the result is that she remembers a small but very important detail from the day she was forced to murder Steve Rogers: there was something...different about the "murder" weapon.

We are also taken around to various other reactions to the anniversary of Cap's death, including an appearance from the Grand Director, who ominously says he wants to be Captain America when he finds people that are "worth saving." The New Avengers and the current Captain America, Bucky Barnes, plan to attend the candlelight vigil that will be held for Rogers in full costume, but are convinced by the Black Widow to go in street clothes. As per usual, Norman Osborn takes the vigil as a publicity stunt, saying great things about a man he referred to only seconds before as a man who "died a traitor."

Sharon then appears before the New Avengers saying that she now knows that they all can "save Steve."

As he's my favorite character in Marvel's stable, I am positively thrilled about the return of Steve Rogers. This issue, however, fell a little flat for me because of the pacing. We're moving along rather quickly with the adventures of Bucky as Captain America and there's a sudden screech to make way for Rogers' supporting cast and his own return. I don't criticize the return itself, I think it's about a year overdue. But, I do think that Brubaker could've eased into it starting back at least at #45.

I can take it, though. He delivers the goods on emotional power and the simple dumbfoundedness that Bucky and the Avengers have when an ex-girlfriend walks up to them saying that they can "save" a man who's been a corpse for 1 in-universe year. What will Brubaker do with that gun? Why is it so different? How can it permit the return of Steve Rogers?

Great question to have as we await the arrival of Captain America: Reborn #1 and the one true Star-Spangled Avenger.

Grade: B-

The Flash: Rebirth #2-3 by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver

2009-06-14T02:25:00.000-07:00

Review by Chris Clow

The return of Barry Allen continues in parts 2 and 3 of The Flash: Rebirth. To get you up to speed, at the end of #1 Barry finds out that his touch has the ability to kill speedsters in the DC Universe. Using this knowledge and trying to find out how he could cause such things, he and Wally West go to Fallville, Iowa where they find the corpse of the Speed Force's apparition of death: the Black Flash. Upon this discovery, another manic speedster, the Lady Flash, arrives on the scene attempting to kill Allen, but when she touches him, it creates a surge so powerful that in addition to killing the Lady, it reveals why Allen is able to kill with his touch: he is the NEW Black Flash.

When the JLA and the JSA arrive on the scene in Iowa, they contain Barry. He warns Wally and the rest of them to stay away from him, fearing he could harm them. All the while, lightning strikes all around Barry, attempting to strike him. The combined efforts of the League and the Society decide it's best if Barry be moved, but instead Barry is released from his containment and says that in order to save everyone from himself, he will run back into the Speed Force to end his life on Earth once again. Superman takes off after him attempting to stop him, but Barry easily outraces the Man of Steel. When Barry is finally flung into the Speed Force, he sees his friends Johnny Quick and Max Mercury. After accidentally killing Johnny when touching him, he explains to Max that he's the new Black Flash. "It's not you!" Max says. "It's Professor--" BOOM! Suddenly they are pulled into another pocket of the Speed Force, where a man simply says, "Isn't it obvious what I've done to you, Barry? I've shifted you into reverse." It is revealed to be Eobard Thawne, the original Reverse Flash known as Professor Zoom.

Whew! Mouthful. If you're not a Flash fan, there are plenty of things to keep this book interesting. From the characters, to the locales, to the awesome speed effects from the mind of Ethan Van Sciver, this book looks great and reads like an action/adventure epic. BUT, if you ARE a Flash fan, it's even BETTER. Not only do we see some old beloved speedster characters in Quick and Mercury, one of DC's all-time greatest rivalries in Barry Allen vs. Eobard Thawne is brutally reignited leading into the next issue. Flash vs. Zoom is up there with the best of the DC Hero/Villain rivalries like Superman vs. Luthor, Green Lantern vs. Sinestro (also reignited by Johns and Van Sciver), and Batman vs. Joker. The conflicts and the stakes can only go up from here, and I thought we'd already reached the ceiling.

Johns continues his quest to make Barry Allen relevant by bringing the character's own belief of irrelevance into the forefront. Kid Flash Bart Allen makes an appearance in #3, and Barry, through inner monologue, thinks that if ever there was proof that his time was passed, it was in his grandson that stood right before him. How will this self-deprecating belief of Barry's change? Will it change? Will the arrival of Professor Zoom have the same impact on Flash that the reappearance of Sinestro had in Green Lantern: Rebirth?

Time will tell, but if you're not following this series, do it. Flash Fact: Rebirth kicks ass.

GRADE: A

Battle for the Cowl

2009-06-03T15:45:00.000-07:00

Review by Neill McLaughlin

It took an evil, despotic God to kill the world's greatest man, but how many will it take to replace him? Crime as thick as pitch has descended upon the dank alleyways of a city drowned in sorrow and fear. As the Dark Knight fades slowly into the onyx twilight, the duty of upholding Gotham's safety and sanity falls heavy on the shoulders of many costumed crusaders. Some have proven themselves worthy of such an honor, while others arrogantly believe the mantle to rightfully belong to them. Mentors, allies, and enemies alike gather beat back the growing darkness or take full advantage of it, either way, they all question their own intentions and the expectations placed upon them. One thing is for sure, the Batman is dead and another knight needs to be sired in or Gotham will burn.

Battle for the Cowl is a three part story written and illustrated by Tony Daniel, who came into the Batman franchise during Grant Morrison's monumental "RIP" story arc. From his gutter pictorial of Gotham City streets, to his cryptic revival of villains long forgotten, Tony Daniel has made his stake as one of the pioneer Batman artists. Using heavy shading to showcase the perpetual darkness that surrounds Gotham, Daniel highlights the beam of hope the Dark Knight shines on his citizens by snuffing the light around him. Both creators bring forth a masterful piece of work that shakes the very foundations of everything we have come to know about the Caped Crusader. After the heart stopping finale of "RIP," Morrison chills us to the bone with Final Crisis #6; as we witness the New God Darkseid and Batman destroy each other. Enter Neil Gaimen and Andy Kubert's "Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader?" two part funeral story, in which we witness Bruce, Batman, and the child that would never be transcend to his final reward through eloquently poetic writing and beautifully haunting art. With the vibrations of one man's death felt around the world, Gotham trembles from the aftershock and the foundation begins to crack at an alarming rate. The Bat Family is still reeling from the demise of Bruce Wayne, but crime waits for no man... no matter how statuesque he maybe. The streets have become more violent than ever before, with gangs warring over turf and civilian looting at an all time high. All the while, crime lords and colorfully dressed madmen take full advantage of the opportunity at hand, making a claim for the throne of Gotham's criminal underworld. The heroes and citizens in mourn must rise up, reluctantly placing their fears and grievances aside to stop the fire from consuming all of Gotham. With the Batman missing, Bruce's three adopted sons will strive to do what they believe to be the proper course of action. Nightwing, Robin, and Jason Todd all have their own agendas and plans for retaliation, but which one is righteous enough to don the cowl in the name of justice? Are any of these vigilantes actually capable, or even redeemed enough, to take own such an iconic role? The answers lie within the pages of Battle for the Cowl... or online if need be.

In recent comic years, numerous tie-ins have had little to do with the actual continuity of the main book and served as nothing more than $1 bin fodder. With Battle for the Cowl being only three issues, the tie-ins actually add some background to the who, what, when, where, and sometimes why some of us would ask. Of all the BFTC tie-ins, I recommend "The Underground," "The Network," and Azrael: Death's Dark Knight to get behind the faces patrolling Gotham's rooftops and lurking through its sewers, the two Gotham Gazette One Shots to understand the cast of characters that have cared for Bruce over all these vigilant years, and Secret Six #9... Because I believe Catman to be worthy enough for a nomination. The other tie-ins would strengthen your knowledge for future developments, but is not on a must read basis. With all that said, Battle for the Cowl is a great read, but not necessary to start Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's exciting new chapter, Batman and Robin. With Quitely on board to draw the first three issue story arc, Phillip Tan will take on the second three issue story arc, followed by Quitely for three more, this series will shake the conventional style of the franchise while keeping traditional and deep-rooted themes at the murky surface. For fans of Detective Comics, Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III will take over the monthly title while bringing Batwoman into the foreground as the central character. With all these titles becoming fresh again, I expect nothing but great things from the Bat Franchise in the years to come. Once again, I am getting ahead of myself...

Throughout Grant Morrison's exceptional run on Batman, he has taken us places few of us have been to. Places only a seasoned veteran would understand, let alone remember. For those new to the book, he brought a fresh take on the Bat-Mythos, allowing novice fans to jump aboard without bombarding them with too much information. The first story arc, "Batman and Son," is a jovial, roller coaster ride incorporating the same feeling of childlike intrigue and imaginative acceptance as the golden age, while adding a young and fresh feel to the characters with art by Andy Kubert’s. Fueling the dark knight nostalgia with pop art influenced backgrounds and Ninja Man Bats, the team craft a story rich in subtle detail and classic detective undertones that mix together like a thick gumbo. Taking from the idea originally instilled by Mike W. Barr and Jerry Bingham's phenomenal graphic novel "Son of the Demon" Morrison continues the controversial plot of Batman conceiving a child with Talia al Ghul, daughter of the tyrannical genius Ra's al Ghul . During the events of "Son of the Demon" Talia and Bruce contemplate marriage and parenting, while sharing a passionate night upon an ocean of satin. After Batman deciphers Ra's true goals and thwarts the despot like never before, Talia breaks it to Bruce like a knee to the back... she has miscarried. Shattered yet understanding, Bruce recovers back in Gotham while Talia secretly births the child and leaves him within an orphanage with only a jewel encrusted necklace as proof of his natural heritage. Many Batman aficionados claimed blasphemy on the new addition to the Wayne Family bloodline, and thus, the story continued on outside normal continuity as Elseworld stories where he would don the mantle Ibn al Xu'ffasch; roughly translated from Arabic to mean "Son of the Bat." When Grant Morrison got a hold of these loose threads, he not only added a more scientific and cohesive approach to the child's birth, but he gave him a name worthy of the adolescent’s malicious, precarious, and spoiled attitude... Damian. In Morrison's story, Damian was genetically produced within an artificial womb using both Talia al Ghul and Bruce Wayne's DNA to create a flawless physical specimen. Breed by the League of Assassins to be the perfect warrior, Damian became a master of the martial arts and a harbinger of death before he reached puberty. During "Batman and Son," Talia introduces Damian to his father as a way of disrupting Batman's work and allowing the violent teenager to confront his biological father accordingly. Though arrogant and full of piss & vinegar, Damian is still a Wayne and the rest of the family is determined to rehabilitate him or kill him in the process. Neither Alfred, Nightwing, nor Robin have any desire to help this devious boy along, but will not give up on the brat all the same. Somewhere deep down, they can all see the capacity for greatness that Batman saw in all of the boy wonders. In Batman #666, we see an older version of Damian (who looks remarkably like Grant Morrison) carrying on his father's quest for justice in a futuristic Gotham City, entertaining the thought of inheritance and redemption for the rebellious youth. A prophetic vision showing Damian violently sacrificing himself physically, mentally, and even soulfully; Is this the Batman of the future or is it all a hazy prediction? Shall the fate of Gotham City rest on the shoulders of the one taking up the cowl or does the future depend on a ruthless killer’s redemption? Only time, training, and tact will tell...

And it looks like you have some reading to do.

The Flash: Rebirth #1 by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver

2009-04-10T02:18:00.000-07:00

Review by Chris Clow

The saga of the Flash has been in flux ever since the conclusion of Infinite Crisis in 2006. When Wally West, the Flash since 1986, was swept off into the Speed Force, all that was left was young Bart Allen. During the One Year Later event, Bart swallowed his pride and accepted that as the grandson to the greatest Flash that ever lived, it was his responsibility to continue the legacy of lightning. But after being the DCU's main speedster for only a short while, he was gone and Wally had returned.

Things were different now, though. He has children, a new level of responsibility, and an entirely new demeanor. Could he even BE the Flash anymore? And before that question could even happen, the onslaught of the Final Crisis rocked the DCU to it's core. The greatest evil of the DC Universe descended on our heroes, and all seemed lost...

...until the greatest hero returned.

The man that sacrificed his life for the shambled Multiverse ran back into our lives like sheer light, and when he didn't leave when the Crisis did, we knew: he was here to stay.

Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver's The Flash: Rebirth brings Barry Allen into the multiverse and the modern age of comics with the force of a summer event. The first issue shows us a deeper side to the legendary character. After coming back from death, Barry deeply questions his return. Why is he here? What purpose does he have? But beyond that, this issue creates some deep issues to be explained over the course of the series. One in particular, how does one of the DC Universe's manifestations of death, well, die? What's happening to the Speed Force, and why does Barry seem to be the only one unaffected?

Geoff Johns weaves a classic in the making, and Ethan Van Sciver's artwork surpasses the already high standards so many hold for him. If you like your comics action-packed, suspenseful, and dripping with character, then jump on board the rebirth of one of the DCU's greatest heroes!

Grade: A

Lightning Strikes Again: April 1st

2009-03-28T02:23:00.000-07:00

Considered the consummate example of how to do an event series, Crisis on Infinite Earths gave us many things.

Among them, a streamlined DC Universe, allowing memorable takes on old characters. Crisis was the catalyst for John Byrne's reimagining of Superman in The Man of Steel. Crisis helped to give us a new look at the Amazonian cornerstone of the "DC Trinity" with George Pérez's Gods and Mortals. Crisis was even the catalyst to Frank Miller's timely and definitive take on the Dark Knight's genesis in Batman: Year One.

However, even above all of these, Crisis took something from us as well. A beacon of heroism that would shine like bright light (if he didn't run faster than it, that is). A character that arguably, single-handedly birthed the legendary Silver Age of comics into existence. A keen mind, a compassionate heart, and a defining character of the DC Universe.

His demise was epic. Sacrificing himself for the universe in Crisis, in the way that he did, is still talked about even today. But in the words of this character's new steward:

"When the greatest evil comes to the DC Universe, the greatest hero needed to return."

On the brink of the Final Crisis, the Rogues of Central and Keystone cities are alarmed to learn that this character is alive. Having to fight his successor, who tolerated games with his enemies, they knew that whatever fun time they had was over.

"The Rogues can't outrun him. Once the skies are back to blue, the game's back on... and if he is really back, there's no more rules in this universe to follow."

Newsflash, boys. He IS back.

All bets are off.

In store this week! Don't miss out, add it to your pull list TODAY!

Check out my review of The Flash: Rebirth #1 on April 10th!

Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter, Written by Alex Tse and Zack Snyder and Directed by Mike Smith and Daniel DelPurgatorio

2009-03-26T02:57:00.000-07:00

Review by Chris Clow

Comic book films are, more often than not, very tricky beasts. The fans want a great adaptation, but if the slightest details about the characters we love aren't exactly right (even though the filmmakers may have changed these things to try and give us a great adaptation), then they will shout, "Blasphemy!" to the skies above and jump on the message boards to cram the film down the dark path of rejection. When it finally looked like Watchmen was going to be made under the helm of Zack Snyder, many fans (including this one) were polarized.

"What if the cast sucks?"

"What if they don't highlight [insert Alan Moore tool of social commentary]?"

"WHAT IF THEY PUT PANTS ON DR. MANHATTAN?!"

Now, the film has been in theaters for nearly a month, and while it has it's detractors and has hardly been the darling of critics, we can safely praise or damn the piece as we see fit; As is our God-given right as fans. BUT, one noticeable omission was made to the final cut of the film. The tale of a man so torn by grief and fear that his mind fractures because of it. The tale of a raft of corpses attempting to warn the righteous of an impending invasion. A tale of suspense, and ultimately a tale of madness.

The Tales of the Black Freighter.

Adapted in animated form, this adaptation was released as a companion piece to the main Watchmen film, and I found it stunning. Horrifying, contemplative, visceral, and grotesque, Tales of the Black Freighter lets the animators stretch their legs and show us just how far this fair Sea Captain can take such physical and psychological trauma and the lengths he will go to not only to preserve his own survival, but the survival of his crew's already disgustingly disfigured corpses. I was able to view the film on the high definition Blu-ray format, and initially skeptical of the format's ability with animation, I will now never go back. The already stellar animation seemed fluidly enhanced by the clarity of 1080p resolution If you have access to view this film on this format, I heartily recommend it.

I found the real treasure of the disc, however, to be the new spin the team put on Hollis Mason's tell-all autobiography Under the Hood. Presented as an old-style news magazine show, such as 60 Minutes complete with period commercials, Under the Hood features interviews with the characters that explore the same themes as the chapter portions in the actual Watchmen graphic novel. By immersing us into the history of the Minutemen and the "modern" fate of the Crimebusters (sorry, or "Watchmen" as they're referred to in the film), this provides a great addendum to Watchmen the film and allows for a complete experience.

Now, here's where you probably skipped to in the review: do I think you should buy it? Well, if you're a huge fan of Watchmen, or even a casual one, then...no. Yes I do love both of these works and their adaptations on this disc, but I personally find this release redundant since all of the disc's contents are going to be integrated into Zack Snyder's almighty Director's Cut of Watchmen out in probably August or September.

So, I'll give this disc a grade of B. Rent it, watch it, but I'd say wait to own it when we can have the entire kit-'n'-caboodle under one roof with the Director's Cut of Watchmen.

History of the Green Lantern mythology

2009-03-01T01:55:00.000-08:00

Post by Chris Clow

I've heard many of you in the shop tell me a similar story when I recommend the Green Lantern titles to you. You say that you don't want to jump in because you may be confused by the mythology without having read it before. After some nerd-searching, I found a wonderful all encompassing video dealing with the entire history of the Green Lantern mythos, from the origin of Alan Scott in the '40's to Geoff Johns' 2004 relaunch Green Lantern: Rebirth.

No more excuses! :-)

Green Lantern #38 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis

2009-02-26T01:29:00.000-08:00

Review by Chris Clow

If you've been in the shop at all recently, a lot of the event-buzz isn't on the Norman Osborn-led Marvel universe, but about a slowly erupting universal war of light in which the blackness of death threatens to swallow the universe whole. The fear of the Yellow, the love of the Sapphire, the hope of the Blue, the will of the Green, and the latest to receive the spotlight, the rage of the Red, threaten an epic War of Light that promises to make the Sinestro Corps War look like ramen noodles cooking on a stove. We have yet to meet the other Corps that will shine their light across the DC Universe, but we've seen the first ramifications of these soldiers devotion to their Corps clash with the devotion others have for other Corps.

Throughout Geoff Johns' volume of Green Lantern, he has consistently had the Guardians of the Universe refer to Earth not only as the center of the multiverse, but also as the most emotionally rich and diverse planet in existence. By exploring the "emotional spectrum" that gives all these Corps their powers, he drives the point of human potential out of the park by having Hal Jordan experience three vastly different power sources that have a profound effect on him.

In this closing chapter of Rage of the Red Lanterns, we pick up exactly where we left off: Hal Jordan's furious anger at Sinestro for murdering Green-turned-Red Lantern Laira cause the deceased's red ring to travel to Jordan himself, overcoming the will with pure rage. Ready to murder Sinestro for retribution, the Blue Lanterns' power is revealed to be dependent on the presence of the Green. Since Hal's rage is coursing through his red ring, Blue Lantern Saint Walker has no choice but to shove a Blue ring on Jordan's finger and induct him into the Blue Lantern Corps.

The blue ring immediately senses the corruption of the red in Hal's body and purifies his body of the rage. Jordan is able to wield the Green and Blue simultaneously, asking Walker, "What did you do to me?"

Jordan appears to represent exactly what Johns has been saying about humanity: we are capable of feeling all of these emotions, and Jordan in this issue is literally wielding three different rings for a brief amount of time. What does this mean for the impending Blackest Night? Does this symbolize a larger role for Hal when the darkness falls over the light of all the Corps? This issue reinforces the consistent quality of Green Lantern, making it one of the best books we have the honor of placing on our shelves. All this title appears to be doing is making the wait for The Blackest Night that much more painful.

If you're not reading this title, I would seriously encourage any comic fan to jump in head first. From GL: Rebirth (available as a trade paperback) on up through Rage of the Red Lanterns (Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns and GL #36-38 all available in-store), the epic that Johns and his brain-trust are weaving is one of epic proportions that's likely to be remembered in the same vein we remember the O'Neil/Adams Batman run, or the best Lee/Kirby FF stories. This is comic history in the making, and I hope you're a part of it!

Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk #1-2 by Damon Lindelof and Leinil Francis Yu

2009-02-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

Review by Chris Clow

Three years ago, Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk burst onto the scene and people went mad for it. By literally starting with Logan getting ripped in half, the sheer force of and power of the forthcoming fight was partially realized, and aggressively whet the fans' appetites for the throw-down that would inevitably ensue.

Then, the series was plagued by delays and was seemingly dead on arrival. After over two years of literally hearing meaningless excuses that most thought would lead to the inevitable cancellation of the series, this past year in San Diego, the fans witnessed new life breathed into the rest of the series literally right before their eyes. Damon Lindelof, writer of the troubled series, slapped down the script to the finale issue #6 right in front of Marvel editor-in-chief Joe Quesada. #3-5 had already been completed, and artist Leinil Francis Yu was hard at work making sure that issues 3-6 would ship on a rigid monthly schedule.

Marvel recently reprinted the first two issues in preparation for the coming March 4th release of issue 3. Not having been a huge Ultimate universe fan, or much of a Marvel fan for that matter, I picked up the first two issues completely cold and decided to read through what so many people seemed to be eagerly anticipating. The most surprising thing for me, is that I loved it. Instead of being 44-pages of fist flying action, the first two-issues gave a decent back-story to why these characters have to fight in the first place.

Lindelof explores the motivations for why certain people belive that the Hulk should be killed, why Wolverine is the right man for the job, and there's only one real reason (at least so far) that Logan decides to take the duty on. Personally, I'm hoping for more of a reason for Wolverine to accept the job, but the reason he gives right off the bat is at least in-character.

Yu's artwork does a very good job of showing emotion, it always has. My critiques of his work lie more in character designs. Other than the Hulk, the most non-Human character in this story, all the people look relatively similar. Like his work on Secret Invasion, and even going back to my favorite story featuring his art in Mark Waid's Superman: Birthright, Yu's strengths are detail in action (not just fighting but even simple movement) and emotive characters. Hulk's anger is very easily visible throughout the series. Wolverine's shock, not only at the beginning of issue #1 where he sees that he's little more than a torso with arms and a head, but also at the end of issue #2 when he encounters Hulk, is very clear and almost empathetic.

The bottom line is that I recommend this series since it's a surprisingly good character study, and the forthcoming fight between two of the most brutal characters in Marvel's stable promises to be, in a word, epic.

Dark Avengers #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato

2009-01-22T02:54:00.000-08:00

Review by Chris Clow

I have to admit, this is a review that I didn't think I'd be writing.

For those of you who've spoken to me in the shop, you know that the DC Universe is where I prefer to hang my hat. I was very, very critical of Marvel recently for a number of reasons (which I still believe to be valid), whether it's jacking up their cover price to $3.99 without providing any extra story content, the questionable directions they've taken flagship characters (*COUGH!*SPIDER-MAN!*COUGH*), and the lackluster conclusion to Secret Invasion.

So, why did I decide to pick up Dark Avengers completely cold?

Even I have to admit that a team of supposed villains-turned-heroes, made up of doppelgangers of real heroes, led by (arguably) Marvel’s greatest villain, is an intriguing premise. I’m familiar enough with what happened in Secret Invasion and the setup for Dark Reign being a regular Invincible Iron Man reader, and surprisingly that was really all I needed to know. For his other faults, Bendis at least made the title (relatively) new reader friendly. But, before I can review the book well, I HAVE to get my misgivings toward Bendis out of the way. I notice certain things in every title of his that I’ve read.

Practically, every. Character. Sounds. The same. He changes his style of dialogue only minimally no matter who he’s writing, with the exception of Luke Cage and Spider-Man. He’s an exceptional web-head writer, but I noticed his lack of tonal dialogue shifts after reading the first seven issues of New Avengers for the first time. He also paces things about on-par with a Michael Bay-directed or Jon Peters-produced movie. There’s some kind of action beat practically every other page. Do I dislike action? No, but I also appreciate moments where character and purpose can shine through. And since I read a lot of superhero comics, I know action comes with the territory. But Bendis just tends to overdo it in my eyes.

Now, as for Dark Avengers, I actually enjoyed it. This is one title that he didn’t oversaturate with action. He showed us exactly who each and every character was (something I didn’t expect out of a Marvel first issue) and showed us how much of a powder keg this new “team” could potentially be.

Mike Deodato's artwork is awesome from top to bottom. His line is strong, and he has great anatomical consistency, with a little unique style thrown in for good measure. The coloring was, well, dark and appropriate for the tone (and title) of the book. No real qualms about the artwork (except that it might be better to see this guy drawing the Man of Steel :-P).

There are a few totally unexplained story points that irked me, though. Exactly what did Norman Osborn give to Mac Gargan to make him more “presentable?” What the hell is going on with Sentry? And why do certain characters agree to become facsimiles of their greatest adversaries? Wouldn’t it disgust these people? Isn’t the point of comic book rivalries to have palpable hatred between enemies? Why would Osborn even want anything remotely resembling Spider-Man on his team?

It goes a little against the tenets of Norman Osborn’s character, but I’ll actually recommend an Avengers title (the fourth ongoing, but who’s counting?) written by Brian Michael Bendis. Give it a shot and I’ll be happy to hear if you love it or hate it. Bottom line, it has me interested enough to stick around for #2.

Price: $3.99

A variant cover was released, but is no longer available through our store.

GRADE: C+/B-

Final Crisis #6

2009-01-19T17:35:00.000-08:00

Review by Neill McLaughlin

BUY IT!

For me to review this issue correctly, I would have to allow for spoiler alerts. In all good conscience, I cannot reveal ANYTHING to the fair reader because this issue was so poetic and triumphant as a single issue, you are just going to have to read it yourself.

After I read the sixth chapter of Final Crisis, I silently rose from my seat and replayed the issue in my mind like a bad memory. The kind that you witnessed first hand, but still can't believe it happened. Trying to piece everything together, as if you missed something. Not only did I reread the book five times in a row, I found myself flipping to specific scenes over and over again throughout the week. I'm not sure which scenes were better than others, because this issue is just so full of DC universe nerdgasms.

All I will say to make the review complete is... this is possibly the single, most important DC book out now. Put the Amazing Spider-Man 'Obama' book down and pick this up instead. Not only will you save about $50, you will not be disappointed.

Dead of Night featuring Werewolf by Night#1

2009-01-13T18:41:00.000-08:00

Review by Neill McLaughlin

BUY IT!

Dead of Night featuring Werewolf by Night #1 starts off snarling and bleeding from the gums, just like a true werewolf story should. One glance to the opening page, you realize this is not your father’s protagonist and by the time you finish this book, it hits you like a claw slash to the gut.

Werewolf by Night first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #2 in 1972, later gracing the pages of many other Marvel books; such as Moon Knight, Marvel Comics Presents, and Doctor Strange. Throughout the years, Werewolf by Night took on many different authors and artists but never really sank its teeth into the mainstream Marvel universe. All the fans could hope for was a slight mauling, that is, until now. Unlike the Marvel superhero facsimile, this Werewolf by Night is raw and cuts to the bone. This is what a REAL werewolf book is all about… savage, smart, and sickening!

Writer Duane Swierczynski & artist Mico Suayan are relatively new to Marvel but have already shown surprising talent during their short run so far; Swierczynski comes from a crime novel background and is the current writer of Cable and Immortal Iron Fist, while Suayan penciled issues #9-12 of the recent Moon Knight series. While Cable has had its ups and downs, I did enjoy his Moon Knight Annual; which revolved around a serial rapist and the women he violated, giving you a surprising and fitting end. Swierczynski knows the visceral visage of humanity and is not afraid to tell you just how brutal your fellow man can be, and Suayan illustrates like he was conducting a murder scene. With Dead of Night featuring Werewolf by Night, Swierczynski crafts a spooky campfire side tale that lures us closer to the beast than ever before and keeps us on the edge of our logs with every turn of the page. Suayan’s brooding pencil work and attention to detail underline the classic werewolf horror within the pages, as well as, giving us conflicting feelings of sorrow and fear at the same time. When combined together, the writer’s anonymous, literal disdain and the artist’s disturbing, emotional artwork; you get a werewolf story that plays like a serial killer film.

Dead of Night featuring Werewolf by Night #1 not only eviscerates your entrails for the entire world to see, it actually takes the time to display them in front of you, while giving a fresh look into the eyes of both man and beast.

X-Men: Magneto Testament by Greg Pak and Carmine Di Giandomenico

2009-01-04T23:37:00.000-08:00

Review by Brian Morgans

The Marvel Knights mini series always puts forth a story that pulls at our emotions and forces us to touch on thoughts, feelings and beliefs we might not have visited in some time. In short, they make you think and feel. These are pure gold in my opinion, deserving to be read as they are excellent.

X-Men's villain, or more specifically the foe of Charles Xavier is Magneto. This is Magneto's story of what events shaped him in his childhood. He grew up as a Jew in Germany during the thirties and forties. Magneto (or Max as his birth name is given) witnesses the slow constriction on the Jewish population within Germany and the surrounding countries. He sees firsthand how the Third Reich is taking everything from them, one thing at a time. Their belongings, their livelihood, their friends and families and even their identities. This is a horrific situation most of us can not even begin to imagine or understand. Greg Pak puts us in the midst of it all in as accurate a portrayal as is possible where we can get a glimmer of these authorities during this period of history. Carmine Di Giandomenico puts forth the artwork, completing the story wonderfully with emotion-filled visuals.

This story of which I've read the first three issues of five, has my mind and heart racing. I look at my friends and family and think about what would happen should the same thing occur here. One particular event of note is the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The Nazi Government removed the "Jews not welcome" signs just before the games began and promptly replaced them upon the completion of the last ceremony. I think to Beijing where they did a similar thing with their ban on cars to try and clean up their air for the games, only to recede the ban the second after the torch has gone out. History does indeed repeat itself to some degree. Governments and their propaganda never seem to change. This brief scene does show the darker side of humanity as Jesse Owens devastates Germany's best athletes in the Olympic Track and Field Events and then goes on to show how some of the German citizens take out their anger and frustration.

This story has been done with respect and does a service to those who have endured what no one should be subjected. I give deep thanks for my life and put into perspective my problems. It is remarkable that three comic books can evoke so many thoughts and emotions. The next two should be just as well done.

Final Crisis: Requiem by Peter Tomasi and Doug Mahnke

2008-12-13T23:01:00.000-08:00

Review by Chris Clow

One of the most sobering moments of Grant Morrison’s Final Crisis #1 was the sudden and shocking death of a founding Justice League of member. Within a page and a half, a DC mainstay was murdered in cold blood by a punk supervillain with the Secret Society crowded around him. Libra, a one off character that had one previous appearance before bursting onto the scene in Final Crisis was the one that finally put the one JLA mainstay through all it’s incarnations on ice.

J’onn J’onzz, the emerald shape-shifting Martian Manhunter, is dead.

Final Crisis: Requiem is the exploratory story of the immediately preceding and following events of J’onn’s death, as well as the impact it has on many heroes of the DCU. It’s also an excellent recounting of the character’s (seemingly) little known history: how his civilization rose to power on the red planet, who his parents were, how a civil war killed his race and his family, and how he ended up on our little blue ball in space. Before J’onn’s life is completely taken away from him, he sends a telepathic message to his closest friends, who wake up from their nightly slumbers and verbally recount J’onn’s entire history of not only himself, but his Martian civilization. As his final act, he entrusted the last memories of the Martian people and society to five former teammates.

Writer Peter Tomasi shows us that he is not only well aware of the character and his history, but Tomasi’s sheer reverence for the Martian Manhunter pours from this story. He treats it as if a dear friend of his own has passed away, and shows us the solace that we can take in our memories of loved ones. Artist Doug Mahnke, normally known for gritty artwork from a run on Justice League Elite, the main Batman title, and the popular one-shot Batman: The Man Who Laughs, maintains the grit for J’onn’s death but also brings a much gentler approach to the grieving process J’onn’s dear friends go through.

Unlike other comic book deaths, there are no hints or hopes of a resurrection that are laid through this story. There are no tongue-in-cheek winks at the reader that say “gone today, here tomorrow!” This story and the characters in it are genuinely crushed at the loss of their friend, and bear the full weight of responsibility for carrying on not only the memory of J’onn himself, but of his entire race. After reading it, letting the full scope of this death settle in a way that Final Crisis #1 didn’t provide, it feels like a punch in the gut.

One of the most beloved and fun aspects of the character was his love of Oreo cookies, or as they’re called in the DCU, “Choco’s.” I found the ending of this issue highly appropriate. Batman, left alone with J’onn’s transparent casket, laid one of his favorite cookies on the lid, and simply said, “Goodbye, my friend.”

Goodbye J’onn. I hope to read some new stories about you one day, but until then, thank you for the memories.

Final Crisis #3-4, and Submit by Grant Morrison (#3-4, Submit), J.G. Jones, Carlos Pacheco (#3-4), and Matthew Clark (Submit)

2008-11-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

Review by Chris Clow

Final Crisis is exhausting.

In multiple ways. The story is exhausting in the sense that "what else could Morrison possibly throw at our heroes?" The artwork is exhausting because of the ability of J.G. Jones...and now a few others. Even the scheduling is exhausting, because whatever day Final Crisis was supposed to come out on, it hasn't, which is mostly due to the exhausting art. The guy that the art is taking the biggest toll on is J.G. Jones. You've probably heard about how Jones has been joined by Carlos Pacheco to help get the issues out on time. I was pretty okay with that, it's reasonable. However, now we've found out that J.G. Jones will not have any interior artwork in the series finale issue #7.

I'm bummed, to say the least. I was blown away by Jones' work on the first three issues, but the man is such a perfectionist that he just can't get the work done fast enough. He's already issued a public apology about his inability to finish the series, and he seems genuinely disappointed. So I'm not going to lambaste the guy because there's no point, and he's done a hell of a job with the parts he's had.

Anyways, I was going to write the review to issues 3 and 4 together when I realized that three by itself seemed a little disjointed, and would probably read better in the context of the next issue's events. Unfortunately, four was delayed until this past week (10/22). If I'd have known that, I would've done this sooner. I'm also going to be reviewing the one-shot tie-in Submit, since it leads in really well to the events off issue #4.

In a nutshell, evil has won. If you'll recall, after #2 we saw the return of Barry Allen (which made me yell happily) outrunning the Black Racer in an attempt to save Orion from being assassinated. He failed, and felt miserable. Wally is with him, completely dumbstruck that his uncle has returned to the land of the living. In issues #3 and 4, as well as Submit, the Dark Knight is out of the picture. he was one of the Dark Side Club's first targets, and has not been seen since he was overtaken by the crazed club/cult.

Superman is also out of the picture. After seeing his wife nearly die in an attack on the Daily Planet, he stood by her side until a being said he could save her by retreating into "limbo" and finding his answers throughout the multiverse.

In the meantime, the big event that happens is the mass distribution of the Anti-Life Equation. The Dark Side Club with Libra as it's figurehead captured Metropolis Police Officer Dan Turpin and began undressing him, strapped him down on a table, and began reciting a strange incantation.

As the Equation spreads like wildfire, people realize the hopelessness of existence and surrender themselves completely to the "will of the dark side."

In Final Crisis: Submit, after the equation was let loose, we're given an interlude story involving JLA member Black Lightning and the new Tattooed Man. Tattooed Man is a Green Lantern villain, the most recent incarnation of which was introduced in my favorite issue of the current Green Lantern series, #9, where Hal Jordan and Batman put their differences aside to defeat and apprehend him. TM has many preconceived notions about superheroes being messianic and self righteous, but begins to change his tune when he sees the sleflessness Black Lightning has while trying to save TM's family.

In the end, Black Lightning holds off the hordes of people overtaken by the Anti-Life Equation and allows TM and his family to escape to safety, while Lightning himself is absorbed and possessed by the Equation.

In issue #4, we see the army of heroes united by Green Lantern Alan Scott as well as Shilo Norman, the new Mister Miracle, attempting to keep the heroes in the know by giving them information taht doesn't come from the posseessed outside world. At various Watchtowers around the planet, Mr. Terrific, Green Arrow, and Alan Scott attempt to help survivors of the Equation. At the Hall of Justice, the possessed wage an attack and invasion of the hall. Green Arrow stays behind and allows Black Canary and others to teleport up to the JLA's orbiting satellite, and is promptly taken over by his turned comrad Black Lightning.

After stopping their run, Wally West and Barry Allen and up a month in the future, surrounded by the possessed. Barry tells Wally that they ahve to save everyone, but "family comes first." They run to Iris Allen's, and see that Barry's wife has been possessed. Wally is mortified, but Barry simply walks up to her and kisses her, lightning flaring all around them, as Iris is restored.

In the meantime, Dan Turpin's body is graying. He tries to fight with his mind, but he cannot. The Dark Siders clothe him in Apokoliptian armor, and beckon Darkseid himself to enter his "new host." The crazed "reverend" proclaims, "Give us a sign, great Darkseid! Thumbs up for the triumph of the human spirit! Thumbs down to summon a day of holocaust that will never end!" Turpin's eyes redden as his skin becomes darker. Turpin's mind is lost...

...and Darkseid puts his thumb down.

I love this story, I can't say that enough. The artwork is solid (even with it's changes) and Morrison's storytelling is just as unpredicatble and crazy as it is over in Batman, if not moreso. I continue to wait to see how the DCU can bounce back from this, because it's been a pretty wild ride. For new readers, it isn't very accessible. But 45 minutes on Wikipedia or the DC Database Project, or buying the new edition of the DC Comics Encyclopedia (and supporting BOF in the process!) can fix that. We've seen the day evil wins, and since it's DC Comics, and they've suffered a crushing defeat, just imagine how grand their victory will be.

Grade: A

Nightwing #140-145 - "Freefall" by Peter Tomasi and Rags Morales

2008-10-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

Review by Chris Clow

The following arc will be available as a trade paperback in-store on November 5th!

The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul was a transitioning point where the Robin and Nightwing titles are concerned. For Nightwing, Marv Wolfman finished (what ended up being) a relatively lackluster run on the title, and handed off the reins to Fabian Nicieza for the two parts that intersected with the Resurrection storyline. Many fans in the good ol' Comics Place were surprised at the quality coming out of Nicieza's two issues on Grayson's book, but I was a little nervous knowing he wasn't staying onboard after the Resurrection parts were completed.

That is, until I heard who was coming on as the new regular writer.

Peter J. Tomasi, an editor for the better part of 15 years at DC Comics, had been a fill-in writer from time to time on such titles as JSA, The Outsiders, Steel and his own creator owned miniseries The Light Brigade. In 2003, he was promoted to the role of senior editor, and worked on JSA, Aquaman, Hawkman, and most notably Green Lantern and Batman. Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver attribute much of the credit for Green Lantern's current success to the mind of Tomasi, as he was an essential part of the brain trust that saw Hal Jordan's rebirth and the war with the Sinestro Corps.

Last year, in a relatively unexpected move, Tomasi resigned his editor position to become a regular writer with an exclusive DC contract. He was appointed the regular writer on two monthly titles: Green Lantern Corps (which he helped revive 18 months prior) and Nightwing. He joined GLC at the tail end of the Sinestro Corps War, in an issue featuring a knock down drag out brawl between Superboy-Prime and the new Ion, Sodam Yat. (Jump on the Wikipedia if those names are unfamiliar to you, it's good stuff. -Chris) Tomasi's other major work for DC, Final Crisis: Requiem, was particularly terrific because he gave meaning to a death in the main Crisis series that we didn't have time to really process. A fitting end considering the way the Martian Manhunter went out, especially with the final scene between the Manhunter's lifeless body and our favorite Dark Knight.

Then, his first issue of Nightwing came about with issue #140, which kicked off a seven-issue storyline entitled, "Freefall." I was immediately impressed with the first issue. If anyone had any doubts about Dick Grayson's place in the Batman family, they were put to rest. We start with a conversation between Bruce, Tim, and Dick which features Bruce opening up to them and telling them how important they are to him. How he would trust them with his very life in any situation. We're even given insight into Dick's relationship with Superman. The title gets it's name from something Dick does to relax. He goes up to the very top of the atmosphere and jumps; An extreme form of skydiving. He always feels safe swinging around the streets of New York, because there's usually a flying hero within earshot that can catch him when he falls. He says this is the closest he'll get to feeling the same way he did while in the circus doing a death drop: it was thrilling.

We're then thrown into the story. When the bodies of fallen villains begin to disappear, Nightwing is drawn into a conspiracy involving Talia al Ghul and a deranged doctor. Along the way we see Superman (whom Tomasi writes exceptionally well), other Batman family members, and of course Talia. Tomasi crafts an inaugural tale that single-handedly puts Wolfman's run to shame, and makes us believe in Dick Grayson as a beacon for the DCU. In his own way, Batman even looks up to him. One part in particular caught me:

Dick saves a couple from falling to their death, and spends time with them, letting them hug him and laugh together, before taking off. Batman doesn't do that. Robin or Batgirl don't, and even Superman rarely does. But Nightwing is different. He can afford to, and he's that much more heroic for being "that guy."

I highly encourage anyone to read this story. The current story tieing into Batman R.I.P. is suffering slightly, but I believe that's because it's most likely an editorial mandate. When it passes, Mr. Tomasi will be able to spread his wings again and give us a tale that surely rivals this one.

Final Crisis #2 by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones

2008-06-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Review by Chris Clow

The threats just got a whole lot bigger.

Final Crisis #2 is still an issue of build-up, but with that build-up comes a whole lot of interesting actions between many different characters of the DC Universe. We start with the introduction of a Japanese hero (at least I think he’s a hero) named Sonny Sumo. He’s a really big guy, and someone comes along that wants to fight him. Sumo tears out his heart and walks to the bathroom, where he’s met by Mister Miracle.

Why? I don’t know yet.

We get to see the Martian Manhunter’s burial on Mars, with Superman providing a tight but emotional eulogy. One part in particular I liked was at the end, when he said that he and his colleagues will “pray for a resurrection.”

So many times in comics, heroes are always extremely surprised when someone returns to life, even though it’s kind of a mainstay of superhero comics. I like that Superman at least acknowledged the possibility while still showing heartfelt sorrow for the loss of his friend.

Batman is suspicious of J’onn’s death and believes that the passing of both Orion and J’onn are somehow connected. The Guardians of the Universe dispatched an Alpha Lantern (Green Lantern internal affairs), Kraken, to follow up on the JLA’s investigation of Orion’s murder, and she disagrees with Batman’s assessment. John Stewart is investigating the crime scene where he is seemingly attacked by another Green Lantern. We then see a group of Alpha Lantern’s arresting Hal Jordan, thinking that he tried to kill Stewart.

Batman corners the Alpha Lantern about Jordan’s arrest, but is beaten down by the Lantern after she implies that she is, in fact, Darkseid’s prophet Granny Goodness. Batman is locked in a chamber and his head is injected with…something.

At the Daily Planet, Clark Kent sees Jimmy Olsen take a paper down to copy from Lois, but he thinks he just saw Jimmy in another room. We actually see that “Jimmy” is Clayface, and he blows up the newsroom of the Planet Just as he makes an escape. We see Superman, his Clark Kent suit in tatters around his red and blue uniform, screaming for his wife.

Meanwhile, in Central City, Wally West and Jay Garrick find Metron’s chair after a tip from Batman. A portal opens up, and, imploring them to run for their lives from the Black Racer…

…Barry Allen returns.

A lot has happened in this issue, and I apologize if my distillation seems a little incoherent. It really does make sense when you read the issues, but as far as the review goes, this issue surpassed the first. Morrison is telling a story on an absolutely epic scale, and is setting up for a very large encounter. The day that evil wins is supposed to come in issue #3…but there are still four more issues after that. I am also stoked beyond belief that apparently, the greatest Flash of them all has finally returned.

What’s next? I don’t have a clue! Morrison is a master at unpredictability, and like Batman R.I.P., I am desperately awaiting the next part of the story to see what happens to comics’ original universe.

Grade: B+ (Must Read)

The Comics Place Remembers

2008-06-28T13:59:00.001-07:00

Logan #1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Eduardo Risso

2008-06-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

Review by A.J. Burgin

Being a fan of Pride of Baghdad and Runaways, I get that Brian K. Vaughan has a flair for the dramatic. I expected a bit of a melodrama going into Logan, but this was too much. The opening says it all: “I’ve made a hell of a lot of enemies over the decades, but I don’t lose sleep over ‘em. No, it’s the women that keep me up at night, the handful of girls I was dumb enough to fall for over the last century or so. See, I can recover from just about anything…Anything but getting my heart ripped out.” I hate to say it, because I really like Vaughan, but Logan looks like it’s shaping up to be a bad emo song, with Logan haunted by lost love.

The storyline could be fairly interesting: Logan wakes up in a Japanese POW camp during World War II, fights his way out with an American soldier, and meets a Japanese woman named Atsuko. Logan turns hero as he prevents the American from killing Atsuko, at which point she takes him home to hide and feed him. The story is refreshingly different from your standard “Wolverine as ultimate badass” story, and reveals a new side of everyone’s favorite X-Man. Unfortunately, it is also surprisingly offensive. The romance between Logan and Atsuko reads like a throwback to the World War II era narrative of the Western man (soldier) who rescues the timid Japanese woman who then falls wildly in love with him and needs him in her bed. In real life, this fantasy scenario often led to rape, so it’s surprising to see the usually conscientious Vaughan employ such a shoddy trick.

The disappointing writing is at least well contrasted by Eduardo Risso’s artwork. His renderings of Logan humanize the character in a way that few artists have. The work is dark and powerful and adds the subtlety to the characters that the writing lacks. The attention to detail coupled with Dean White’s coloring makes for truly beautiful pages. Perhaps what I appreciate most about Risso is the really unusual portrayal of the sex scene: no real nudity. Atsuko strips herself for Logan, an occasion during which most artists would relish in drawing the lines and details of her body. Instead, Risso is able to show what is happening while keeping Atsuko’s body almost completely shadowed. Vaughan’s writing objectifies Atsuko far more than the artwork.

Overall, Logan #1 proved disappointing, but Risso and White’s artwork may be worth giving the mini-series a chance.

Helen Killer

2008-06-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

Review by Roman Stadtler

Well, here's some words I never anticipated writing: Helen Keller, as a super-human government agent, is a actually a good comic! Yeah, I know, I can't believe it either.

Helen Keller is given a device by Alexander Graham Bell that lets her see and hear, gives her super-human strength and agility, and an intense violent aggressiveness (or is it repressed anger about her disabilities, given a fantastic outlet/manifestation?), becomes an agent for the U.S. government to protect Prez McKinley, and finds she can also perceive more than anyone guessed. It's a fantastic premise, with sci-fi elements and Victorian mystery, that holds great promise.

I've never read any biographies of Keller, but the writer of Helen Killer, Andrew Kreisberg, has, and it shows. He's done his research, and there's good representations of Keller contemporaries like Bell, McKinley, Annie Sullivan (Helen's teacher), and real historical events, like the McKinley shooting. There's a nice text piece of historical factoids at the end of the first two issues, providing more items of interest to history geeks like me (oh no, I don't limit my geekiness to just comics!).

Keller is presented as intelligent, politically and socially savvy, independent and free-thinking, just as she was in real life. She's shown as not trusting the invention that gives her sight, because she doesn't trust the intensity of the feelings that accompany it, and, perhaps, because it could somehow lessen the achievements of her life up to that point.

There's plenty of dramatic tension around Helen's relationship with her teacher, Annie, and the way Helen's new abilities and role changes their relationship; Helen's own emotions and inner life (given form, perhaps? A mystery abounds....); and a possible romantic interest(?); plus a larger Evil afoot.

Plenty of action, too, though that wasn't as interesting to me as the actual characterizations and solid storytelling in what I expected to be just another crappy "hot chick kickin' ass" book. The art is better than the average low budget indy book. There was one ridiculous acrobatic bit using an American flag in the second issue, but that's the only complaint I have in the entire first two issues! Check it out!

G.I. Joe America's Elite WWIII

2008-06-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Review by Brian Morgans

G.I. Joe was the title that got me into comic books. Marvel was the first back in the 80's to release these stories about an elite military team taking on this dangerous world terrorist force. Most people know about G.I. Joe through the cartoons or perhaps through the toys. The cartoons were weak and the toys seemed to become more and more ridiculous as they were introduced to the market. Really, what military value does a bouncing pod with missiles and guns have? Leave it to the writers to give this POS a solid purpose. The writers were able to look at the situation both strategically and tactically to put together a smart, intriguing story that had me hooked. (Turns out bouncing pods are really hard for computers to target and pop out of no-where giving them the element of surprise.)

Fast forward to the present after a few G.I. Joe titles have been put out and wrapped up and here we are in the midst of World War III G.I. Joe style. Gone are the days where Cobra went toe to toe with the Joes. They are a smarter bunch now. No more wicker baskets with mechanical snakes that spew knock-out gas. No more surprise Cobra surrenders for no good reason. And no more giant forts shaped like a cobra.

The glory days have returned to this story line by Devil's Due Publishing. The strategical and tactical elements have returned pitting Cobra Commander against General Colton. I've enjoyed the ride as it has taken me back to the intelligent and intriguing stories that hooked me back as a child. This is like watching two great leaders maneuver and counter-maneuver with well thought out methods in military and political warfare.

While the main story is compelling, I have to admit some of the side stories which will impact the main story are somewhat predictable. Fortunately, it hasn't distracted from my reading enjoyment. I am hoping this all doesn't end suddenly out of the blue due to some neglected Cobra officer pushing the self destruct button. I'm not seeing this come to fruition thus far.

This is a title where you can come in on the story at issue #25. This is a fantastic cover which has each and every G.I. Joe on the cover along with a key on the inside telling you who's who. Data Files occupy the last few pages of each issue that provide additional detail to enrich your appreciation of the good guys and bad guys you just read about.

Zorro by Matt Wagner and Francesco Francavilla

2008-06-02T11:06:00.000-07:00

Review by Brian Morgans

Dynamite's Zorro written by Matt Wagner and drawn by Francesco Francavilla is working for me. The third issue has hit the stands and it is still delivering. Pretty much everyone knows who Zorro is and how he is unmatched with a rapier but this story arc is giving us the backstory for why and how he became the mysterious man we all have come to know.

I love the character development of Zorro. Wagner shows us the passion and emotion behind the mask that drives Zorro to fight for those who are oppressed. We see his childhood and can see his fire begin to burn bright as he witnesses the injustices inflicted upon those around him. This provides a purpose early in his life as he gains skills and knowledge from a variety of sources.

Normally I cannot stand a story that flips from one time frame to another with no apparent rhyme or reason. We see Zorro as a child and then we see the present day Zorro and then back again. This doesn't bother me at all as the back story sets up the present day events nicely. You may wonder how your hero knows what he knows or why he might care about his cause or purpose in life. Wagner answers those questions immediately by either priming the pump with a bit of back story and then shows us Zorro taking down some thugs or gives us the big "A-ha!" moment with a major panel after some present day action.

I am loving this comic plain and simple. The artwork is good and the story is outstanding. This was a pleasant surprise.

Final Crisis #1 by Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones

2008-05-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

Review by Chris Clow

Four years have passed since this was all set in motion. Brad Meltzer's Identity Crisis, the "personal threat," took the DC Universe and turned it on its head. Not long after, the event that "put the greatest odds against the heroes," Geoff Johns' Infinite Crisis, showed the resiliency and determination of the DC Characters by facing down a multiversal threat.

Then, the Countdown began (Poorly, I might add), and fans everywhere begged the question, "what's it counting down to?" Well, the clock hit zero weeks ago. And now it's here.

The road to "the day that evil won" has made its last stop: Grant Morrison's Final Crisis.

A lot happened in issue #1, and in order to make it as spoiler free as possible, I'll try and condense the events as much as I can.

The namesake of Death of the New Gods was witnessed in that mini-series, but Final Crisis shows us that out of death can spring rebirth in unexpected places. When Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart come across one of the dead ones, however, it's a very big deal. A code 1011, which they've never responded to due to its rarity: Deicide.

Elsewhere, the villain Libra has joined the Secret Society and promises that he can fulfill their heart's desire. How does he show this?

Quite simply: by murdering one of the founding members of the Justice League of America. If you've looked at other sites, you probably know who it is. It's so sudden that it's hard to fully process until the issue's last page, when we see one hero react angrily. I was saddened quite a bit, and hope to see some retribution leveled in Libra's direction.

We were able to get a glimpse of the Monitors for the first time since Countdown, and they were pissed that Universe-51 was decimated by Superboy-Prime. So, they take some disciplinary action on it's Monitor that's pretty wild to see, and also gives some insight into their growing individuality.

Back to the unexpected rebirth of some New Gods, we meet a man named "Boss Dark Side," who has kidnapped children that have now grown "beyond redemption." A real Children of the Corn moment.

And, as usual, the Dark Knight has the most insightful things to say at a JLA meeting.

Overall, I was impressed. J.G. Jones is doing the best work of his career. This, of course, was an issue of pure setup and nobody should've really expected otherwise. I saw a lot of complaints online along the lines of, "it was too slow!" Or, "They didn't jump right into the story!"

That's not what the first chapter in any story is for, folks. This puts us on the path to the day that evil wins, but beyond that, it feels like one of the most epic stories I've had the pleasure of reading in years.

Grade: B+ = MUST READ.

NEXT ISSUE: Batman's being crucified on the cover, and a hero returns from the dead…let there be lightning.