That’s a rather grand title. Rather than some deep analysis of why super-heroes should be based and from all over the world, this was just inspired by the fact that a). three super-heroes (at least) have re-located, and b). New York and Gotham have become ridiculously over-populated by super-heroes in Marvel’s and DC’s lines.
Four mini-reviews of graphic novels I have read over the last couple of weeks: Captain America: Road to Reborn and Reborn, Indestructible Hulk, Superman: Secret Identity, Wonder Woman (New 52).
Writer: Scott Lobdell | Artist: Kenneth Rocafort (#13-17,19), Aaron Kuder (#18), Tyler Kirkham (#18), Robson Rocha (#18) | Inks: Aaron Kuder (#18), Jaime Mendoza (#18) | Colors: Sunny Goh (#13-16,18), Blond (#17-19)
H’El has come to Earth. When a mysterious ghost from Krypton’s past comes to Metropolis in hopes of finding the lost planet’s last son, his arrival comes with disastrous consequences for not just Superman, but also for Superboy and Supergirl. H’El has decided that Earth is the place to resurrect Krypton, but the price the lives of everyone on the planet! Guest-starring the Justice League, Wonder Woman, Orion and more!
Collects: Superman #13-17 [+ #18-19]
Continuing my attempts to catch up on a few New 52 titles, before I… uh… give them up… I actually quite like the Superman series. It wobbled a bit early on when the DC Powers That Be (DCPTB) decided to tie it in to the daemonite/Helspont mess that dominated the story-arcs of Grifter and Voodoo, but also roped in Stormwatch (and maybe a couple others?). I liked the greater attention paid to Superman/Clark’s everyday life, as a journalist and as someone navigating the changing industry and also his personal relationships. This collection of issues had a lot of this, too, and I’m certainly glad I read it. However, it also features the Superman issues that tie into the Super-family Event, “H’El on Earth”, which presented some issues for me.
I haven’t shared any comic cover art recently, After I spotted this one, though, I had to share it (thanks to Abhinav, who shared it on Facebook, which is where I saw it first):
It’s Alex Garner’s cover for Batgirl #24, which is part of Gail Simone’s “Wanted” storyline. It’s pretty good, no? Internal art is done by Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion. Batgirl is one of the best DC New 52 titles, and it has rarely dropped below very good. I’m waiting for all the issues in this storyline to be released (Volume 4, in the collected hardcovers), before catching up. I’m rather looking forward to it.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot over the last few days. I’m not really sure what this post is supposed to achieve, either. But, I thought I’d write it down. Mostly, I think, it indicates a shift in how I’m going to read and review comics.
Since I started reading comics again, in September 2011 with the launch of DC’s New 52 reboot, I have slowly started to become more and more frustrated with the near-endless cross-over events. Sure, this is not a new complaint from comics readers, and certainly it won’t do anything to change things. But, it will change things for me.
I understand the business rationale for cross-over Events: it encourages people to try new series, which in turn could lead to consistent interest in previously-unread series. Or, at the very least, a short-term up-tick in sales that isn’t bad for the publisher, either.
For me, though, it is annoying. I’ve always approached Marvel’s titles with eyebrow firmly raised, because it’s a given that any title will be involved in an Event at least twice a year – and, in 2012-13, it seems like the rate of Events is spiraling so far out of control that the only conclusion is that Marvel’s brain-trust (or, more likely, executives) have zero imagination, and can’t conceive of any title surviving/succeeding on its own. Which is too much cynicism for creativity and long-term success, in my opinion. “Avengers vs. X-Men”, “Age of Ultron”, “Infinity”, and even in the Ultimate Comics line, we had “Divided We Stand/United We Fall” and the Ultimate Comics series will be brought to an end with the “Cataclysm” Event.
Let’s take a look at DC: First, there was the Bat-family “Night of the Owls” Event, which had one tie-in issue per series (more or less). Then there was the larger “Death of the Family” Event, which was pretty good (but a little flat, by the end), and quite expensive for anyone who wanted the whole picture/story. Now, Batman will also have the “Year Zero” event, which will include 10 tie-in issues from other series. Sigh. There was the “Throne of Atlantis” Event, which was relatively short, and only connected two titles together (Aquaman and Justice League). There is the just-completed “Trinity War” Event, tying together Justice League, Pandora, Justice League Dark, Phantom Stranger and Constantine. Now, we have “Forever Evil: Blight” (18 issues, total), which is a cross-over between Constantine, Pandora, Phantom Stranger, and Justice League Dark. In addition to this, there was the early, tedious daemonite cross-over mess that tied together too many series early on in the New 52’s history. Green Lantern series had the Rise of the Third Army and immediately-following Wrath of the First Lantern.
Valiant Comics have had at least two cross-over events, too. Which is rather excessive for a line that has only been going (after a renewal) for little over a year. And all of the Events mentioned in this post don’t account for all of the ones that have been unveiled, or are pending.
This endless crossing over, mixing is just too much. For me, anyway. So, I’m going to stick to a very limited number of New 52 titles, and also Ultimate Comics series, some older Marvel series (mostly Captain America-related), and explore more offerings from other publishers. Perhaps the only exception will be Vertigo Comics (the “mature” imprint of DC Comics), which has some truly excellent series – many of which are already complete, which makes it easier to plan purchases and reading.*
It’s just too expensive to get the whole picture with the Big Two. Marvel have been ridiculous for a long time. DC, after pulling off a great re-boot, seem to have caught the Cross Over Bug a little too hard, which has just killed my enthusiasm to fork over all that money. Getting the whole story is very important to me. As, I’m sure, it is for a lot of reading junkies. If you’re going to pursue a strategy that whiffs of gouging… Count me out. I have rent and food to pay for (which I can barely manage as it is).
So, yeah. I’m not really sure if this post really achieves anything. But there we go.
* That being said, even Vertigo are going to be running a Cross Over: Fables and Unwritten… It’ll hopefully be short, though, and does benefit from being comprised of two of my favourite comics.
Writer: Scott Snyder | Artist: Greg Capullo | Inks: Danny Miki | Colors: FCO Plascencia
Witness The New 52 origin of The Dark Knight in BATMAN: ZERO YEAR! Twists and turns are around every corner as Bruce Wayne takes the final steps toward his destiny! And in the backup story, learn more about how different Gotham City was at this dangerous point in time.
The second chapter of “Zero Year” delves into Bruce Wayne’s past with the Red Hood Gang and his run-ins with aspiring District Attorney Harvey Dent! And in the backup story, a secret moment from Bruce’s training abroad is revealed for the first time!
Covers & Best Variants for #21-22
These three issues comprise the beginning of a new, larger Batman story-arc. I thought I’d pick up with my comics reviewing, again, and this seemed like a perfect place to start. This storyline, “Zero Year”, focuses on Bruce Wayne’s evolution into the Batman. “Wait, hasn’t this been done before?” you may ask. Well, yes, it has. But Scott Snyder seems to have decided to go even further back, and take a little more time investigating Bruce’s change and development of the idea of the Batman.
Scott Snyder did a great job with “Death of the Family” (despite that going on just a teensy bit too long), so I was looking forward to seeing how he would approach the origin and evolution period of Batman. So far, on the strength of these two issues, he’s doing a great job, and I look forward to seeing how the story unfolds.
Someone asked me on Twitter if I was still reading comics (they pointed out I hadn’t posted many reviews of them lately). I have been, but because I’ve been reading them in big chunks, interspersed with work reading, as well as both fiction and (future-work-related) non-fiction books, I’ve been letting the comics reviews slide a fair bit. There is another reason, of course: not all of the comics have been single storylines, or complete storylines, which makes reviewing them really tricky. Once you get to around issue #10, anything you write about the story is likely to throw out spoilers. This, I think, is maybe a weakness of reading and reviewing comics on a weekly basis – and is really why I stopped doing that almost a year ago (that and financial considerations). Regardless, my insatiable need to read All The Things With Words means I have been reading a good number of comics via ComiXology’s app on my iPad. With the exception of the frankly phenomenal Hawkeye, I do not buy any issues full-price. I just can’t afford to. So, as and when things go on sale or are discounted (either one or two months after release), I’ve been collecting issues to read in bursts.
That being said, the number of series I’ve been reading has also been steadily culled. I usually give each series a single “volume” – that is, what would appear in a collected, printed trade hardcover or paperback. It’s been a useful way of separating storylines, as well as providing a “book’s worth” to review. (Ahem, if I bothered to review them, that is…)
So which of DC’s New 52 have I kept reading? Which ones will stay? And which will have to go, and why? Below is a brief run-down (by no means exhaustive) of the titles I’ve been reading, collected by theme/larger series…
[I may add to this, over time, as I remember other titles I’ve tried, or just think of something else I’d like to add.]
I don’t really know what’s going on with “Villains Month” (I haven’t been following comics news as closely these past couple of months, partly because I’ve been reading my favourite series a couple months behind). It seems to be a way to release three extra issues of certain DC comics in a month. Not sure if they’ll tie in directly to the main series story-arcs, or if they’ll work as interesting asides, or side-stories for fans who would like a little bit more.
Whatever the reason/purpose of these issues, I was browsing DC’s press site, and found some interesting artwork, which I thought I’d share here.
First up, this rather good domestic Mr. Freeze page, from Batman: Dark Knight #23.1 – Mr. Freeze:
Writer: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Jason Masters
Cover: Guillem March
Next, two twisted and intriguing pages featuring the Joker and the Ape House, from Batman #23.1 – Joker…
Writer: Andy Kubert
Artist: Andy Clarke
Cover: Jason Fabok
And finally, this very moody, sinister page from Batman & Robin #23.2 – Court of Owls:
Writer: James T. Tynion IV
Artist: Jorge Lucas
Cover: Patrick Gleason & Mick Gray
I’ve only read the first volume of DC’s Earth 2. There was some great stuff in it (artwork in particular), but also some things that didn’t quite work for me. I’ve been told by a couple of other reviewers that some of the things that niggled are longer-term plot-points – an example of my approach to reading comics perhaps not being the best for seeing the wider picture.
Regardless, it’s a series I’m intrigued by, offering as it does an alternative DC Universe. The series is written by James Robinson. If I ever needed an excuse to catch up and keep reading it, though, the covers for issues #14-16 are it:
Cover by Kenny Martinez
Cover by Juan Doe
Cover by Juan Doe
I love these covers! The colours, the weathered-vintage style, the slight Soviet-influence. Really striking. I have no idea what the story is, by this point, but there are the (rather cryptic) synopses for the issues:
#14 – The bells of war ring loudly as Green Lantern, The Flash and Doctor Fate attack Steppenwolf head on – with the future of Earth 2 hanging in the balance.
#15 – Dr. Fate, Red Arrow, The Flash, Green Lantern and The Atom all fall victim to the Hunger Dogs of Apokolips as the war against the forces of Steppenwolf continues.
#16 – The war against Steppenwolf and the Hunger Dogs is over… all hope is lost!
The first two of these issues have been published, and #16 will be published October 2nd 2013. I will start saving up to catch up… now.
What started out as a rather distressing page in DC’s New 52 I, Vampire grew into something rather amusing. [Warning, there are some spoilers for the series, so don’t read ahead if you don’t want anything ruined…]
First, Andrew Bennett (who at this point is a badass, evil-as-hell uber-vampire) had a snack…
Poor Mishkin.
Luckily, we learn later that the dog has been turned! (Vampire dogs – something I’ve been seeing a bit more, lately… Amusing memories of Blade: Trinity: the cross-bred vampire Pomeranian. Heh.) Good ol’ Mishkin gives the good guys a hand.
Of course, in true apocalyptic-horror-fun, Bennett is no longer a bad-guy, and is fighting for the light side again.
Finally: “Goood vampire-doggy…”
I, Vampire ended with issue #19, sadly. It was written by Joshua Fialkov, with art by Andrea Sorrentino and Fernando Blanco. I think it was a pretty good comic: the artwork was perfectly suited to the horror and atmospheric storylines, and Fialkov’s writing was top-notch. I’ve read all 19 issues, and none of them were bad. There were moments that were a little cheesy, but I get the feeling Fialkov was aiming for Buffy-esque humour (especially towards the end).
Here’s Andrew and Cain, the first vampire…
R.I.P. I, Vampire. I’ll miss your nuttiness.
So DC Comics has decided to cancel four more of its New 52 titles – two from the original 52, one slightly new and one very new… Legion of Super-Heroes (#23), Demon Knights (#23), Dial H (#15) and Threshold (#8) will all come to an end in August 2013.
Apparently Legion and Dial H are as head-grabbingly-angsty about their cancellations…
iFanboy (a great site, FYI) had this to say about the cancellation: “It sucks that just about every book that DC tried to publish that was outside of the traditional superhero vein was met with abject indifference from the buying public.” Also, as Mark Waid pointed out, this is the first time in about 40 years that DC will not be publishing a Legion title. Having never read that series (New 52 or pre-52), I can’t say that it means anything to me…
Of these four series, I’ve read the first volume of Demon Knights (written by Paul Cornell, and which I rather enjoyed, but couldn’t afford to keep reading on a monthly basis), and some of Dial H (which I thought was rather weird, and continues to prove that just because China Miéville wrote it, doesn’t mean I’ll love it…). I had been waiting for the first volume of Threshold to be available on ComiXology before trying it (though was a little wary of the talking rabbit character, I must admit…). And I was never interested in Legion of Super-Heroes. I’m not sure why…
There are some new series on the horizon, too: Pandora, Superman Unchained (by the awesome Scott Snyder – #3 cover art, by Jim Lee and Scott Williams, below), Batman/Superman, Larfleeze, The Movement, and The Green Team
There are three series in DC’s New 52 that feature inter-dimensional travel shenanigans, so I thought I’d compile a joint review of all three: Earth 2, Mister Terrific and World’s Finest.
Mister Terrific actually travels between these dimensions, too, so he has a way of anchoring the series together (although, he features more in later issues of World’s Finest, which are not reviewed here). I’m not sure if I’m reading too many New 52 titles, now – I seem to have a shorter fuse when it comes to quality, and am finding myself more inclined to drop series quicker. Or, equally possible/likely, I’m more of a traditionalist, and just prefer the ‘core’ characters that make up the Justice League and their solo-series. Certainly, I’m finding myself really liking Geoff Johns’ series (Justice League, Aquaman and Green Lantern).
Anyway, back to these three series… I had very mixed feelings about them all, and was quite disappointed with two of them. I’ll keep these reviews short, therefore, otherwise I’ll just feel like I’m flogging a dead horse. Also, as with most books I read and don’t connect with, there are some spoilers below.
***
Mister Terrific Vol.1 – “Mind Games”
Writer:
Introducing the electrifying new villain Brainstorm, who is determined to bring Los Angeles to its knees – beginning with Michael Holt!
Collects: Mister Terrific #1-8
I picked up all eight issues of Mister Terrific during one of ComiXology’s sales. I read the first three. I’ve not read the rest of them, and each time I open up the fourth to start reading… I just give up before I turn a single page. This is my first DNF of the New 52 series collections (the panel, below, from issue #2 was just too apt to ignore and not include – it perfectly reflects my own feeling when reading this series). I’d be happy to put some of this down to a complete lack of familiarity with the character. But really, I just think this series wasn’t up to scratch.
I’m always amazed when a comic book, a visual-dominated medium, has more telling than showing in it. It’s littered with pseudo-science, cliché terminology, and frankly sub-par writing. I can understand fully why it was cancelled. Even the revelation at the end of #3 felt forced, where it should have had a huge impact on the story and reader.
The artwork’s not bad, though, and I think the premise has (or, at least, had) a lot of potential. But from what I read in the first three issues, I just can’t generate the enthusiasm to finish it – even though there are only about 100 pages left of the entire series.
If someone can tell me that it got better before the ending, I’ll get back to it. Otherwise…
*
Earth 2, Vol.1 – “The Gathering”
Writer: James Robinson | Artists: Nicola Scott, Trevor Scott & Eduardo Pansica | Colors: Ivan Reis & Joe Prado
Who are the heroes of Earth 2? When the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman of Earth 2 fall in battle, it’s up to a new breed of heroes to come together to combat the returning evil of Apokolips!
Collects: Earth 2 #1-6
I read and rather enjoyed the first issue of this series, when it came out. As with so many series, I decided to hold off until the first collected volume/storyline was available, and on the strength of the debut issue had pretty high hopes. Sadly, these expectations were not met. The premise is interesting, certainly, and I like the idea of alternative versions of these heroes fighting their own battles, completely removed from the ‘normal’ DC Universe heroes and storylines.
However, despite the strong start, this series is riddled with irritating storytelling. For example, the Green Lantern of this world: before he is the Green Lantern, he’s some high-flying celebrity. He proposes to his partner, and we get a good idea of how devoted they are to each other. Then, a handful of pages later, there’s a train crash. His partner dies, and he… moves on rather quickly and easily. I’m not sure if this was an editorial decision, just a way of quickly providing the character with a motivational life-tragedy (in itself, rather cliché). Certainly, given that the character was trumpeted as the first(?) gay major DC character, the quick dispatch of the love interest (whose name I can’t remember) smacked of tokenism.
The storyline itself was just rather flat, and didn’t compare favourably with Robinson’s other stories and series that I’ve read. Given that he’s broken with DC under not the happiest of terms, I can’t help but wonder if this series suffered from overbearing editorial control. In many ways, it’s playing it safe – great, big bad-guy, terrorising Washington, killing everyone (he’s some kind of death creature, Grundy). Instead of getting a sense of any real peril, the threat posed by this big bad ends up forming the crux of a team-building exercise.
The artwork is rather good, I must say, which only makes the lackluster storyline all the more disappointing.
If I’d taken any notes while reading this, I probably could go on at greater length about the things that niggled, but I don’t really think there’s much point. Overall, this was disappointing, leaving me rather nonplused and uninvested in the characters. Will I try the next story-arc? Well… perhaps. A couple of other comic fans, whose tastes are often similar to my own, enjoy this series quite a bit. So… maybe. But not in the near future. And only if I can find Volume 2 or the individual issues on sale.
*
Worlds’ Finest, Vol.1 – “Lost Daughters of Earth 2”
Writer: Paul Levitz | Artist: Kevin Maguire, Wes Craig (#0 & flashbacks), George Pérez | Inks: Scott Koblish | Colors: Rosemary Cheetham (#0 & flashbacks), Hi-Fi
Discover why these two heroes are stranded on our Earth – and what it means for the heroes of the DC Universe.
Collects: World’s Finest #0-5
The #0 issue (which originally came out mid-way through this story-arc) takes place two years before the events of Earth 2 #1. We’re introduced first to Helena of Earth 2. She is Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle’s daughter. She is also the Robin of this universe. We meet her on the hunt, shadowed by her mother, and afterwards we learn that Bruce is not at all happy that she went out without him.
Then we meet Superman, who is trying to train Supergirl, while mourning the death of Lois Lane. It’s a much quicker introduction than Helena’s, but it gives us pretty much everything we need to know.
The rest of this chapter tells us of how they met, and the tragedy that brought them together (though Supergirl still wishes to keep her identity a secret).
The first story-arc, then, takes place on the main DC world, is pretty good. The first chapter has a fun nod to Huntress’s past identities in the DCU (Bertinelli, the “mafia princess”, for example – above). I’d already read #1 before picking up the rest of the first issue volumes, and rather enjoyed it. The pair of heroines, who have very different approaches to their vigilantism are nevertheless fast-friends. They end up in Japan, and confront Hakkou, the irradiated man. Each issue also contains flashback sequences, which tells us of the first two years Helena and Supergirl-now-Power Girl spend in their new home. It’s a nice balance of action and a twist on a coming-of-age story (a “coming-to-terms” story, perhaps?).
There are clear connections between this series, Earth 2 and Mister Terrific – both of which, as mentioned above, were not as good as I’d hoped they would be. This series is more fun, but it also feels like it’s not quite settled, and a bit thinner than it could have been. We’re still learning about the characters, their dynamic, and so forth, so at least Levitz gives the impression of not being in as much of a rush as Robinson to establish this new team’s dynamic. It is pretty good, and I like the characters, so I have no doubt I will read some more. Given the slight shakiness, though, I’m not wholly sold on this – it does bear more examination, though, and I hope things will take off better in the second story-arc.
In terms of the artwork, I really like the style for for the ‘present’, but the flashback art seems much more inconsistent, with characters sometimes deformed or distinctly different in appearance than they should ever be (faces change shape, rather than expression, for example). There were a few emotional moments that were robbed of their punch because the artwork/pencils looked cartoony (especially the tragedy at the end of #0). Both styles feature nice, bright and sharp colours, though.
Writer: Joshua Williamson | Artist: Sami Basri | Colors: Jessica Kholinne
Black Razor Agent Fallon has finally tracked down Voodoo and has her cornered! Now it’s time for revenge. But Voodoo knows the truth of her own origins and will decide if she's going to be a hero – or a villain! Then, Pris is forced to confront exactly what she has become after being experimented on by the Daemonites. She’s offered a deal by the Black Razors... but wherever way she turns, it’s guaranteed more blood will be on her hands.
Collects: Voodoo #7-12 & #0
This book brings the Voodoo series to a close. Given the critical reaction at its start, I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did. I liked the ideas the series included, and it’s a pity it had to end. That being said, some of the chapters in this book felt like the series had been written off.
It’s spring-cleaning at DC once again, with six more titles getting the axe. From the initial New 52 series, we see the end of Deathstroke, Fury of the Firestorm, and The Savage Hawkman – all with their 19th issues.
From the “second wave” of New 52, we see Ravagers cut at issue #11. And, perhaps more depressingly in terms of longevity, Sword of Sorcery and Team 7 – both of which were only launched in September 2012, will end with their seventh issues.
Of these, I’ve only read Deathstroke and Savage Hawkman, both of which I’ve had mixed feelings about, so I’m not exactly sad to see them go. Fury of Firestorm I was actually quite interested in, seeing as it was co-written with Gail Simone. I’ve decided to pick up the collected editions, once they are all released. I also recently bought the five-issue (2004-7) run of the character, written by Dan Jolley with art by ChrisCross, as part of this week’s ComiXology Black History Month Sale. I’m sure I’ll pick up the collected editions of the other New 52 cancelled series in the future.
In related news, DC has also announced two new titles that will be coming soon. Taking cues from contemporary American politics, these two titles – The Greem Team and The Movement – could be quite interesting, if they are done well. The fact that Gail Simone is writing The Movement certainly bodes well, though.
The two books were announced over on Huffington Post (which was interesting in itself), and Bryan Young was able to get Gail Simone on the record about The Movement:
“It’s a book about power – who owns it, who uses it, who suffers from its abuse. As we increasingly move to an age where information is currency, you get these situations where a single viral video can cost a previously unassailable corporation billions, or can upset the power balance of entire governments. And because the sources of that information are so dispersed and nameless, it’s nearly impossible to shut it all down… It’s an adventure story, but it really isn’t about mad scientists and jewel heists, it’s more about the injustices that can affect real people’s lives, just tarted up in costumes and superpowers.”
Sounds very Occupy Wall Street. It will be interesting to see what the team comes up with.
The tag-line for The Green Team – “Teen Trillionaires” – makes me a little worried, though. I’ve never been keen on books that feature kids as heroes or so centrally – there is a tendency, that I’ve experienced, at least – that the characters are invariably terribly written. Perhaps the only exception that I’ve been reading lately is Batman & Robin, in which Damian (Robin) is actually a complex, nuanced and compelling character (I’ve read up to #10).
Just a very simple artwork post, in the wake of my earlier post about I, Vampire’s end. Here is the cover art (without text, etc.) for the final three issues of the Josh Fialkov-penned and Andrea Sorrentino-drawn series. Let’s start with #17 (published February 27 2013):
I just really like the composition and sinister air to this piece. The imminent violence and (possibly) execution of Constantine. It’s quite eye-catching.
DC Comics has been wielding its Axe of Cancellation once again, with a slew of titles getting dropped. First up, announced a couple months ago, will be the sixteenth and final issues this month from Blue Beetle, Grifter, Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E., and Legion Lost.
According to CBR, it’s not surprising that Blue Beetle and Grifter have been dropped, given that they “are definitely the lowest-selling books in the New 52”. It is a pity, however, as I rather enjoyed Grifter. Blue Beetle is a series I’ve been meaning to read, but I’ve decided to wait for the second and final collected edition to be released, and then I’ll maybe do a double review or something. I’ll probably do the same for Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
Of the latest four cancellations to be announced, I really like two and have mixed feelings about another (the fourth I haven’t read and have no interest in doing so): I, Vampire and Paul Cornell’s Saucer Country (actually published through Vertigo) are the two I will be sad to see go. Both of them are superb, I thought, and I don’t understand why they haven’t been garnering enough interest to keep them alive. The former is a dark, beautifully illustrated horror comic, and the latter is an innovative, gripping mash-up of alien abduction lore and American presidential politics. Who wouldn’t like those?
DC Universe Present is a bit of a mixed bag: I enjoyed the first story-line from this variety series (featuring Deadman), but really didn’t enjoy the second story-line (Challengers of the Unknown). I’ve been keeping an eye on the recent story-lines and featured characters, and it actually looks quite good. I’ll pick up the final volume. The all-ages series Superman Family Adventures will also come to an end, but I don’t have any interest in reading that. These series will cease with their April 2013 issues.
Writer: Tony Bedard | Artist: Tyler Kirkham & Harvey Tolibao (#2,3) | Inks: Batt | Colours: Nei Ruffino
Green Lantern Kyle Rayner finds himself at odds with the Guardians of the Universe when rings from all the separate Lantern Corps come to claim him. But the other Corps aren’t too keen on the Green Lanterns stealing their rings…
Collects: Green Lantern: New Guardians #1-7
Continuing my Green Lantern reading binge, Green Lantern: New Guardians is a bit of a different title. It follows another human Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner (I haven’t yet figured out why there are so many from Earth…). He has the typical anti-authoritarian streak that characterizes most of the human Lanterns, and is a bit more cheeky to boot. The story isn’t as tight as Geoff Johns’s from Green Lantern, but it’s fun and action-packed nevertheless.
Writer: Geoff Johns | Artists: Doug Mahnke, Ethan van Sciver, Pete Woods, Renato Guedes & Jim Calafiore | Inks: Keith Champagne, Christian Alamy, Mark Irwin, Doug Mahnke, Tom Nguyen, Ethan van Sciver, Renato Guedes, Jim Calafiore & Cam Smith | Colours: Alex Sinclair, Hi-Fi & Tony Avina
Hal Jordan and Sinestro find themselves investigating a crime that leads them deep into the homeworld of the Indigo Tribe. As their situation grows more and more dire, the unlikely team of these two Lanterns uncovers a secret that will change the Green Lantern Corps forever!
Collects: Green Lantern #7-12 & Annual #1
Following hot on the heels of the excellent first collection, “Revenge of the Black Hand” ups the ante and continues the strong story-telling I’ve found in the whole series. Consider me a convert to Green Lantern and its related series. This is another great book.
Writers: Dan Jurgens, Geoff Johns, Dan DiDio, Ethan Van Sciver & Joe Harris | Artists: Aaron Lopresti, Jason Fabok & Yildiray Cinar | Inks: Matt Ryan, Jason Fabok, Marlo Alquiza & Norm Rapmund | Colours: Hi-Fi & Jeromy Cox
Trying to collect themselves after an extra-terrestrial attack and death of a teammate, members of Justice League International expected to bask in glory and appreciation. However, Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Batman and company are learning that's not the case as a new threat, one far more dangerous than anyone dared suspect. Called Breakdown, he emerges and attacks with dire results, forever altering the team and sending it in a bold, new and unexpected direction!
Collects: Justice League International #7-12, Annual #1
This is the final volume of Justice League International. And, sadly, I can see why the series was put out to pasture. The series was amusing in its slight-badness in the first volume, but the first couple of chapters in this book perfectly highlighted the flaws and weaknesses in the series. I can’t speak to whether or not the authors just didn’t have their hearts in it, but it never reached the heights it should have. Also? That’s an awful lot of cooks in the creative roster...
Writers: Tony S. Daniel & James Bonny | Artists: Philip Tan & Cliff Richards | Colours: Sunny Gho
Carter Hall is back as the Savage Hawkman. Carter’s skill at deciphering lost languages has led him to a job with an archaeologist who specializes in alien ruins. But one of his latest discoveries is Morphicius, whose deadly power helps to spread an alien plague through New York City. With innocent lives in the balance, Carter Hall must use the power of the Nth metal bonded to his body to don his wings and become Hawkman…
I’ve already reviewed the first three issues of this series on the site, but this is a complete review, and incorporates some of my earlier comments. My initial thoughts stuck around for the whole series, and I think it is a pretty strong overall story, complemented by some great artwork. The antagonists are interesting and original, and the struggles against them are fast-paced and pretty no-nonsense. It’s not the best series in the New 52, but that’s not to say it’s bad.
