Tuesday, February 26, 2013

mini Reviews (Feb 20-26, 2013)

---------- mini DC reviews

Green Lantern Corps #17
(w) Peter J. Tomasi     (a) Fernando Pasarin


"Wrath of the First Lantern" continues in Green Lantern Corps #17 with Volthoom (the eponymous First Lantern) seeking out various colored Lanterns from which to leech emotional energy. Already, this follow-up to "Rise of the Third Army" feels long in the tooth -- a person who has the potential to literally reshape the entire fabric of the universe is spending his time poking around the lives of mere mortals? "Wrath of the First Lantern" needs to be about more than just exposing our protagonists' emotional frailty because that's basically all "Rise of the Third Army" was about, and that turned out pretty unsatisfactory. It's unfortunate that, even with a new crossover to pump it up, Green Lantern Corps #17 is simply forgettable.

GRADE: 6/10

Green Lantern: New Guardians #17
(w) Tony Bedard     (a) Aaron Kuder


Green Lantern: New Guardians #17 is the third and final GL family title this week to step up to the plate and attempt to make "Wrath of the First Lantern" interesting, and it's also the third to fail. Volthoom, at this point, isn't a very menacing villain because all he does is toy with peoples emotions to gain strength -- and GL:NG #17 proves that he's not even very good at that. Kyle Rayner has mastered all the emotional spectrum and his now a White Lantern, which gives him an edge when Volthoom flips reality at a whim, but there's no sense of high stakes. Much like "Rise of the Third Army", it's frustrating to see so much going on with so little explanation, and being forced to wait for a payoff again with "Wrath of the First Lantern" is already annoying.

GRADE: 6/10


---------- mini Marvel reviews

Avengers #6
(w) Jonathan Hickman     (a) Adam Kubert


Again, Jonathan Hickman surprises and astonishes with Avengers #6, which finally answers the question, "Who is Captain Universe?" The 'deus ex machina' of Hickman's first arc, "Avengers World", was a normal human who somehow became the living embodiment of the entire universe who was able to stop the misguided Ex Nihilo and Abyss from wrongly destroying earth -- with no real explanation until now. Hickman promised a huge, epic, grand narrative that would interweave with New Avengers, and the advent of Captain Universe brings those plans one step closer to fruition. If you're not reading Avengers, you should be; simple as that.

GRADE: 9/10


The Superior Spider-Man #4
(w) Dan Slott     (a) Giuseppe Camuncoli

The Superior Spider-Man continues to be one of Marvel's best series due in no small part to Dan Slott's impecable grasp on Otto Octavius -- the more we see of Otto as Spider-Man, the more we get to know the real motives and thoughts of a man who has been a villain for 50 years. The biggest complaint about SSM so far has been the use of 'Ghost Jedi Peter' -- Peter Parker's phantom consciousness still tied to his body -- and The Superior Spider-Man #4 answers those concerns by dialing back Ghost Peter's appearances allowing Otto to be himself. Though, Peter's emotional bias against Otto (as well as Otto doing anything differently than Peter did as Spider-Man) is starting to make him sound like a twat for constantly getting grossly upset over Otto's way of doing things. And while it's all been relative fun and games for Otto so far, the return of the cold-hearted Massacre promises a challenge that not even the Superior Spider-Man is prepared to face.

GRADE: 8/10

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Nova #1

(w) Jeph Loeb     (a) Ed McGuinness

As a comic book reader who never took the plunge into Marvel's cosmic line in the past, the character Nova is still relatively new to me. I have a basic understanding of the mythos: there's a Nova Corps not dissimilar from DC's Green Lantern Corps, there are multiple character's who have gone by the title Nova, and Richard Rider is by and far the most popular of those characters. Other than that, it's all Greek to me, as they say.

From this starting point, Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness' Nova #1 is a blast. Loeb's balance of space action and rural American life is stark as it is believable in a world where a giant green man can demolish mountains and gods live in Oklahoma. And McGuinness' classic art style shines throughout these pages, juxtaposing Sam Alexander's mundane existence in Carefree, Arizona against his father's stories of weird space adventures with the Black Novas that may or may not be true.

The negativity I've seen toward this series seems rooted mainly in one thing: fandom. Richard Rider is considered the best Nova in Marvel's history, and he's been shelved for a new take on a classic franchise and that irks people. Another point of contention has been Jeph Loeb's explanation that this new, teenaged Nova is based on his own late son; part homage and part inspiration for the stubbornly loyal yet loving Sam Alexander. The complaint is that Loeb should process his grief elsewhere and let Richard Rider be Nova once again. The simple response to that is: us readers don't get to decide how writers are influenced or inspired. 

Instead of pining for the old, why not try and embrace the new? Loeb has introduced a whole new, secret branch of the Nova Corps! That should be an exciting prospect for anyone interested in Marvel's cosmic line because it means new stories and new ideas.

GRADE
8/10

Friday, February 22, 2013

Thor: God of Thunder #5

(w) Jason Aaron     (a) Esad Ribic

Thor's history is thick with Norse mythology, Asgardian legends, and a whole lot of general complexity that comes with tales about gods. Unless you're inclined to that type of storytelling and ready to do some backpedaling to understand what's happening, it can be frustratingly difficult to pick apart the obscurities that hold Thor's narrative world together. And each time Thor dies, only to get a new ongoing series, it complicates things even further.

I was skeptical of Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic's Thor: God of Thunder back when it was originally announced. I was not a fan of Aaron's run on The Incredible Hulk, and I was lukewarm, at best, to Wolverine and The X-Men (I've since come around on this front). Similarly, I never in the past was particularly fond of Thor, nor did I seek out his comics. Imagine my surprise when I was completely and totally addicted to Thor: GoT after reading the first issue. This months Thor: God of Thunder #5 wraps up "The God Butcher", Aaron and Ribic's seminal opening salvo that introduces readers to Gorr the God Butcher, the most deadly and vicious foe Thor has ever faced.

Aaron's structure for "The God Butcher" has focused on Thor in three different points in his life, each of which feature a run-in with Gorr and his unfeeling Black Berserkers. The best part about this arc has been how little it relies on previous mythology to propel the story. As I mentioned before, nearly all of Thor's adventures in the past have focused on his ties to Asgard and everything that comes with being part of the royal family. Here, Aaron begins building his own set of rules by which to play, and the result is one of the most engaging and introspective tales about the God of Thunder in quite some time that's also completely new reader-friendly.

Gorr's quest to rid the universe of gods reaches it's next phase this month as the God Butcher secures the final elements necessary to design something capable of enabling him to "explore new horizons of deicide." This isn't the end of the story -- rather, it's more like the end of the first act. Gorr has left a murderous trail of blood across the stars and even that's not enough for him, a being whose singular desire is to see "a godless age". Only total elimination will suffice.

Thor: God of Thunder #5 is an excellent conclusion to a great opening chapter for a character lost in his own world for far too long. Jason Aaron is bringing a storytelling style and creative direction that gives new life to Thor, making him a more relatable character while simultaneously taking him beyond anything he's encountered before. There are a lot of good series that resulted from the 'Marvel NOW!' creative team switch-ups. Jason Aaron and Thor is turning out to be one of the best.


GRADE
9/10

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Captain America #4

(w) Rick Remender     (a) John Romita Jr.

**MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT**

It boggles my mind when people tell me they don't like Rick Remender's Captain America. I get that many Cap fans these days are so because of Ed Brubaker's phenomenal run, and I understand the reluctance to get behind a new volume of Captain America that takes the character in the complete opposite direction. What I can't understand is the complete dismissal of the title simply because it doesn't follow the spy thriller format Brubaker made so popular. For the first time in a long time, Captain America is confronting problems he doesn't know how to solve. Even when things looked hopeless, Steve Rogers could always count on his training, his tactical genius, and his overall sense of justice to see him to victory. In Dimension Z, none of these things matter.

Much like how the previous issue leapt a year into the future, Captain America #4 throws readers for a loop by leaping another 11. That full black page with the stark, white "Eleven Years Later" really packs a punch as an issue opener. I let out a rather fawning "Whoa!" to the surprise of my wife sitting beside me. She commented about how rare it was for me to get so into a comic book like that, to exclaim out of sheer excitement.


The revelation at the end of issue three saw Steve Rogers infected by some sort of techno-biological virus that produced Arnim Zola's visage on Steve's stomach, similar to Zola's real face on his own body. So not only has Cap been stuck in a dimension where none of his previous experience helps him in any way, but he's also had a evil consciousness of Arnim Zola chipping away at his soul for over ten years While it's a bit weird that Steve is able to hide a glowing blue face on his torso from his adopted son, Ian, for over a decade, it's more about the idea that hiding this horrible truth represents: Steve is dedicated to protecting Ian from his horrible past.

Remender fleshes out Steve and Ian's relationship this issue, mostly because Ian is finally old enough to have a personality of his own instead of being a precious weight for the Captain as he navigated Zolandia. Now, Cap is training Ian to use the shield, trying to instill good values in the boy, and always looking for a way back to Earth. An in-tact map of the land gives the boys some home in returning home, but that hope raises the bigger issue for Ian: what is home? Now firmly in his early teens, Ian wants to know more than Cap is telling him, and the idea of returning to Earth isn't as desirable to him as it is to Steve, who's actually been there.

Captain America #4 isn't what I expected, but it's everything I wanted. Rick Remender's trademark long-form approach to storytelling means Steve Roger's sojourn to Zolandia isn't going to end any time soon. The first four issues of this series have been a marathon of steadily building up the emotional investment, creating a psycho-weird (a term I just created because no other seemed to describe Dimension Z well enough) reality that tests Cap at every turn, and raises the stakes for Steve and Ian in terms of their relationship and their mission to escape the influence of Zola. Yes, this Captain America is completely different than anything Ed Brubaker wrote in his seminal run. But if you step away from the continuity and just read Remender's Cap as-is, it's one of the most exhilarating, powerful titles to come out of the 'Marvel NOW!' initiative.

GRADE
9/10

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Spotlight: Justice League of America #1

(w) Geoff Johns     (a) David Finch

A lot of fans were upset with Geoff Johns' first issue of Justice League back in September 2011, with the main point of contention being that only a fraction of the League actually makes an appearance. It was Johns' attempt to decompress the origin story of the League, and it met with varied reactions. It seems like DC's Chief Creative Officer took a few pointers from that experience with Justice League #1 to help craft his approach to Justice League of America #1, a debut issue that hits all the right narrative beats, looks absolutely phenomenal, and feels like a natural next step for the 'New 52' universe after a year and a half of world building. Unlike nearly every other title from DC currently the characters, setting, and tone of this series all result from what we've been reading over the past 18 months instead of being blindly introduced to revamped or new characters. Here, with Justice League of America #1, the reader readily understands why this team is being formed beyond the context given in the issue -- we've seen the hints being dropped, the growing animosity within the superhero community, the world-shaking events that eventually had to lead somewhere.

My biggest surprise with Justice League of America #1 was honestly the art. My personal opinion on David Finch's art is like roller coaster, and I've not been happy with his work on Batman: The Dark Knight. But for some reason, Finch's pencils for JLA #1 are simply stunning as the artist finds an incredible balance between his desire to express realism and going all-out for a fun pulp look. Seriously, never have I been more satisfied with David Finch's artwork than in these pages.

This JLA is a totally different beast than it's pre-'New 52' iteration. In the past, the term 'Justice League of America' was more or less the de-facto name for the team that now -- in the 'New 52' -- simply goes by Justice League. The nature of DC's line-wide relaunch meant giving old ideas new life under a new framework. A.R.G.U.S. -- the superhero relations branch of the US government -- has a rather tenuous relationship with the League proper, so Amanda Waller decides to put together her own team of super powered individuals dedicated to protecting and serving the United States of America. While it's not dissimilar from Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. assembling a group of extraordinary persons, that's about the extent of the similarities. The JLA is a government-sanctioned team, but knowing Geoff Johns, that's going to complicate things more than make them smoother.

Justice League of America #1 plays out like a 'zero issue' without the pretensions of being a 'zero issue'. We get introductions to the major players (sans Simon Baz, for some reason) and well paced exposition that doesn't feel overbearing. Steve Trevor makes his first major appearance in a while, and it's mostly to be a surly curmudgeon. Nothing Waller says makes him happy, and everything seems like the worst idea in the world. I get that Trevor is still a bit jaded by how his relationship with the Justice League ended, but Johns is writing him like a jerk who's looking for something to complain about. Trevor's weird pessimistic comments aside, the various sequences focusing on recruits for the JLA are surprisingly fun and don't feel like rehashes -- we know all these characters already (except for Vibe, who I'll get to in a moment), so it's impressive to see Johns bring something new to the table for each one of them.

The US government is finally waking up to the reality that super powered people are now the norm and they're doing something about it -- if you can't beat them, join them. Team 7 (it seems) and the Justice League International were both failed attempts at taking a sanctioned stance against super-crime, and the JLA is a kind-of spiritual successor to those two ideas. Waller's team incorporates the public transparency of the JLI while employing dubious personalities who can get the job done. By the end of the issue, Johns has a firm direction in place for the world's newest super team, and it will pit them against one of the previous JLA's oldest and most ruthless enemies. Also, there's a single panel that makes a great case for a superhero schism being the focal point of the upcoming "Trinity War".

Justice League of America #1 is a joy to read. Geoff Johns has written on damn fine story that's already got me excited for the second issue. This series is the first one to grow organically out of the 'New 52'. Talon is similar for being a byproduct of the events in Batman, but Calvin Rose is a new character that readers are still getting to know, which makes it just as much an effort to invest in as any other 'New 52' title. JLA #1 features heroes and villains that have already made a name for themselves in the DCnU and now, we get to see them work together. Basically, if you like any of these characters, you're going to like Justice League of America #1.


GRADE
9/10

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Week (Feb 20-26, 2013)

------- Spotlight
Justice League of America #1
(w) Geoff Johns     (a) David Finch

------- DC Reviews
Green Lantern #17
(w) Geoff Johns     (a) Doug Mahnke

Justice League #17
(w) Geoff Johns     (a) Ivan Reis & Joe Prado

---------- mini DC reviews
Green Lantern Corps #17
(w) Peter J. Tomasi     (a) Fernando Pasarin

Green Lantern: New Guardians #17
(w) Tony Bedard     (a) Aaron Kuder

Wonder Woman #17
(w) Brian Azzarello     (a) Tony Akins

------- Marvel Reviews
Captain America #4
(w) Rick Remender     (a) John Romita Jr.

Nova #1
(w) Jeph Loeb     (a) Ed McGuinness

Thor: God of Thunder #5
(w) Jason Aaron     (a) Esad Ribic

---------- mini Marvel reviews
Avengers #6
(w) Jonathan Hickman     (a) Adam Kubert

Indestructible Hulk #4
(w) Mark Waid     (a) Leinil Yu

The Superior Spider-Man #4
(w) Dan Slott     (a) Ryan Stegman

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Review: Demon Knights #17

(w) Robert Vendetti
(a) Bernard Chang

Demon Knights has been in a unique position since it debuted with the 'New 52'. It's not a top seller, it features a group of characters that are either more obscure or brand new, and it's set in Medieval times. Under normal circumstances, this title would have been cancelled months and months ago. Fortunately for us readers, stellar writing coupled with an intimate look at the history of the 'New 52' has made Demon Knights a must-read title more months than not.

Robert Vendetti continues his run in Demon Knights #17 which sees an incomplete team tracking down their missing pieces. To stop the evil vampire Cain from taking the Amazon island of Themyscira -- and thus the whole world with the power of Amazonian vampires -- Al-Jabr has tasked Exoristos, Shining Knight Sir Ystin, and the Horsewoman with finding Jason Blood and his demonic alter-ego, Etrigan. It's a classic "get the gang back together" scenario, except it involves confronting one of their old allies, Vandal Savage, who keeps Blood as a prisoner and tortures him on a daily basis. Vendetti's characterizations of the Demon's Knights stay true to Paul Cornell's stellar interpretations, but he also adds a new layer of mystery that comes from not knowing what they've all been up to over the past 30 years. It's there, in the little one-offs and asides, that Vendetti truly captures the feeling of removal from these characters' ongoing tales. Obviously, we'll learn more as the story continues, but it's nice seeing old friends interact in new ways as a result of something we can all relate to: the passage of time.

As the 'New 52' moves forward, cohesion amongst titles has become an extremely important aspect of the storytelling process. Seeing Cain and his vampire horde traveling through Medieval Europe adds more credence and meaning to the events of I, Vampire, and we've already seen Etrigan pop up in Stormwatch. Robert Vendetti has stated that he's got a long-term game plan in place for the series, and Demon Knights #17 is another great example of how the setting for this title allows for fantastic storytelling because of it's distance from the rest of the DCnU.

GRADE
9/10

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Featured Review: Uncanny X-Men #1

(w) Brian Michael Bendis
(a) Chris Bachalo

Much like his work so far on All-New X-Men, Brian Michael Bendis strikes gold with the 'Marvel NOW!' relaunch of Uncanny X-Men #1. Since becoming possessed by a cosmic death god, taking control of the planet, murdering his father-figure and beloved face of all mutantkind, then escaping from prison, Scott Summers doesn't have a lot going for him. What he does have is a group of devoted followers who believe that mutantkind is in dire need of a revolution in the wake of a massive mutant population spike. Bendis' intimate writing style lends itself extremely well to the interpersonal relationships of the X-Men, combining the franchise's natural affinity for drama within his own framework of decompressed, character development-heavy storytelling. Uncanny X-Men has very much been 'The Cyclops Show' for the past few years, and though that doesn't seem to be changing, it's going to be a whole lot more interesting.

Even though the focus is squarely on Cyclops throughout Uncanny X-Men #1, it's done indirectly through external narrative and and interwoven sequence featuring some new and improved Sentinels (because whenever there's a need for a menacing X-Men villain, it's all Sentinel, baby! But more on that later). Like a psychologist submitting a thesis, a mysterious traitor to Cyclops' movement presents his case against Scott Summers to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Maria Hill in the plainest and most succinct way he can. As Dean Pelton so eloquently put it, "Well I guess we don't see our patterns until they're laid out in front of us." Cyclops has a long history of struggle and hardship in his ongoing quest for mutant equality and proliferation, and in the most important moment of his life, he destroyed the symbol of hope and peace for all mutantkind.

Uncanny X-Men #1 hits a lot of important beats, but misses a few as well. The focus on Cyclops is done well because in his current situation, it's more important and sensible to analyze and study Scott externally. Bendis' style is all about the long haul, and it simply feels more organic see Scott from a more relatable viewpoint than from looking in on the (assumedly) chaotic thoughts of a man living in his own shadow. Similarly, Bendis' formal introductions of Tempus and Healer (he doesn't have a name yet, but he heals) are interesting and give enough information without feeling overbearing. Chris Bacahlo's artwork is usually a lot busier, but he manages to tone it down a bit in these pages, and his costume design (I'm thinking it's Bachalo's?) for Magneto is like Cyclops' only better. 

As far as the bad, there's very little to complain about. The use of Sentinels is a tried and true plot device, but it's one that became cliche in the mid-90s. It's not really even a big deal to use them every now and again, but didn't the Jean Grey School students get attack by Sentinels built by the Kid Hellfire Club not too long ago in Wolverine and The X-Men? The only other problem is that, as good as Bendis is, there's no escaping that this issue was mostly expository narration. It was interesting and plot-advancing, but at the end of the day, there was a lot of telling and now showing, and that kind of hits the brakes on the momentum from time to time.

Uncanny X-Men #1 is another solid entry in the 'Marvel NOW!' lineup. Brian Michael Bendis started his tenure as head X-writer strong with All-New X-Men, and he keeps it going here with Cyclops and the Uncanny X-Men. Sure, there's already a traitor in their midst in the first issue, but that's the kind of thing the X-Men franchise needs to shake things up. The status quo has changed and Bendis is taking the opportunity to do amazing things with these characters. Uncanny X-Men by Brian Michael Bendis is going to be different than any incarnation of the series before it, and that's more exciting than anything else.

GRADE
9/10

The Week (Feb 13-19, 2013)

------- Featured Review
Uncanny X-Men #1 PREVIEW

------- DC Reviews
  • Batman #17 Death of the Family Finale!
  • Demon Knights #17
---------- mini DC reviews
  • Katana #1
  • Superboy #17

------- Marvel Reviews
  • Fantastic Four #4
---------- mini Marvel reviews
  • Avengers Assemble #12
  • Powers: Bureau #1
  • X-Treme X-Men #10

Monday, February 11, 2013

mini Reviews (Feb 6-12, 2013)

------- DC Reviews

Normally, each issue gets four dedicated sentences, but because Animal Man and Swamp Thing interconnect on such a basic level, I've gone ahead and combined them in one, eight-sentence review that covers the entire "Rotworld: Finale."

Animal Man #17
(w) Scott Snyder & Jeff Lemire  (a) Steve Pugh, Timothy Green III, and Joseph Silver

Swamp Thing #17
(w) Scott Snyder & Jeff Lemire  (a) Andrew Belanger

This week, "Rotworld" finally came to a close with Animal Man #17 and Swamp Thing #17, a one-two punch finale that, unfortunately, succumbs to the law of diminishing returns and just doesn't feel all the satisfying after nearly two years of build-up. Even though the connections between Animal Man and Swamp Thing have only been official over the past six months, these series have been connected since issue one, and the threat of the Rot is starting to become a little long in the tooth. While nearly every other title in the 'New 52' has gone through at least two distinct story arcs, both Animal Man and Swamp Thing have been greatly decompressed to the point where it's hard to imagine either of these series outside their plight against Anton Arcane and the Rot -- when heroes start to be defined by their villains, you know something is wrong. "Rotworld: Finale" just doesn't live up to the hype Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire have been promising for what seems like forever now.

And the truth is, I don't really know why; Snyder and Lemire invested so much time, effort, and energy into crafting this massive crossover that would have lasting ramifications on these characters, yet in the final moments, it all comes down to something that's been in the equation since the beginning. I'm not a fan of "deus ex machina" situations like this where the answer has been sitting there the entire time because that kind of story betrays the intelligence of the characters and, by extension, the readers. I didn't dislike or hate "Rotworld: Finale" as a closing chapter of the ongoing Rotworld saga, but it's just not as explosive as I imagined it would be, and switching out Yannick Paquette for Andrew Belanger for Swamp Thing #17 was a mistake on DC's part because there's now a disconnect between the rest of the arc, which looks beautiful, and this final issue, which looks just passable. I'll continue to read both titles going forward, because Snyder and Lemire have amazing track records with them as well as their other work, but Animal Man #17 and Swamp Thing #17 both dropped the ball when it came to delivering a satisfying conclusion to the months-and-months long "Rotworld" narrative.

GRADE: 7/10 (Animal Man)

GRADE: 6.5/10 (Swamp Thing)



------- Marvel Reviews

Iron Man #6
(w) Kieron Gillen  (a) Greg Land

Kieron Gillen and Greg Land are taking Iron Man into space with "The Godkiller", a story arc designed to preface Tony Stark's membership in the newest iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as provide some proper aftermath to last year's Avengers vs. X-Men. For the most part, Gillen is having fun with Tony in space because it's a setting where the character doesn't have a lot of experience, which means his normal processes -- both on the job and at-play -- have to be adjusted accordingly. Iron Man #6 mostly takes a look at Tony experiencing the wonders of deep space by trying to hook up with a purple alien babe made to look eternally from the 80s by Greg Land. Being the first of only three parts, I expected a bit more plot-wise from Iron Man #6, but it's still an enjoyable issue that fulfills it's goal as a bridge between bigger ideas.

GRADE: 7/10 

Review: The Phantom Stranger #5

(w) Dan Didio and J.M. DeMatteis
(p) Brent Anderson
(i) Philip Tan and Rob Hunter

If God is a DJ,

Life is a dance floor,
Love is the rhythm,
You are the music.

I'm not a fan of pop recording artist P!nk's music, but her 2004 single, "God Is A DJ", was one of those songs that was on the radio incessantly when I was in high school, and somewhere along the line, it kind of stuck with me whether I wanted it to or not. Same goes for Lenny Kravitz's "Again", Will Smith's "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It", the unfortunate Dixie Chick's cover of "Landslide", and the Creed songs, which I list as one entity because I can't tell them apart, only that they're Creed songs based on Scott Stapp's nasally vocals. But I diverge. I preface with this short diatribe about Ms. P!nk's single because the chorus for the song (shown above) is a rather amazingly, hideously perfect representation of what Dan Didio and J.M. DeMatteis bring to the table in The Phantom Stranger #5, an issue that sees the true introduction of The Spectre into the 'New 52', as well as plays around with cosmic entities like their action figures and consequences be damned.

Since it's 'Zero Issue' last September, The Phantom Stranger has been a sort-of look into the high cosmic happenings of the DCnU. Pre-relaunch, the Stranger was far more enigmatic, his true intentions and agenda never fully revealed. Earlier issues of the series have seen a Stranger with more clarity and focus than ever before, the introduction of fan-favorite Raven, as well as dealings with John Constantine and the Justice League Dark, amongst others. The Phantom Stranger #5 differs from previous issues because it throws subtly out the window and goes for broke to set up the highly anticipated "Trinity War" even though it doesn't have to.

Basically, Stranger believes the divine hand of vengeance, The Spectre, is to blame for the kidnapping of his family and their removal from the Earthly plane. Instead of communicating, Stranger and Spectre end up duking it out, and before they rip apart time and space, God himself (herself?) shows up to put them both in their place. Taking the form of a Yorkshire Terrier, God simply gives Stranger and Spectre a good scolding before telling them to play nice or else. Meanwhile, that's when the Question shows up at the home of Terrence Thirteen to get the Stranger's attention. 

This is where Ms. P!nk's song comes in. Dan Didio and J.M. DeMatteis are really playing fast and loose with god-like entities (and God itself) as if they are just like any other DC character. In the past, the sheer breadth of characters like the Phantom Stranger and the Spectre were regarded in a way that their core concepts stayed consistent even if their forms did not. In a way, it makes sense for these kinds of revelations to take place in a series dedicated to a member of the Trinity of Sin, but mostly, it feels like too much too fast. Part of what made the pre-'New 52' Phantom Stranger and Spectre great was that they were so mysterious, that not everything about them was known.

The Phantom Stranger #5 is a perplexing issue if only because it's such a drastic shift from the slow-burn of the previous issues to the rapid-fire storytelling seen in these pages. It's quite clear this series is starting the long journey toward "Trinity War", but it's doing so clumsily at this point and that somehow makes the entire endeavor feel a little less special. I don't want to have a bias going into DC's first 'New 52' major crossover event, so I'll take this issue's events with a grain of salt.


GRADE
6/10

Review: Young Romance - The New 52 Valentine's Day Special #1

(w) Ann Nocenti, Cecil Castellucci, Ray Fawkes, Peter Milligan, Kyle Higgins, Andy Diggle
(a) Emanuela Lupacchino & Jaime Mendoza, Inaka Miranda, Julius Gopez, Simon Bisley, Sanford Greene, Robson Rocha & Julio Ferreira

Since last October, DC has been celebrating the holidays with it's Li'l Gotham digital series written and drawn by fan-favorite 'chibi' artist Dustin Nguyen. For Valentine's Day, DC decided to go a different direction with an anthology issue of stories about young heroes in love. Interestingly enough, none of the characters from the Young Justice family of 'New 52' titles are featured in this issue, with Batgirl being the youngest featured character. But more on that later. Young Romance: The New 52 Valentine's Day Special #1 is an attempt to take advantage of a relationship-based holiday by highlighting some of the various romantic relationships littered throughout the DC universe. Unfortunately, this collection of six stories never manages to rise above mediocre because more that half of these stories just feel completely contrived and unnecessary.

To begin, there are a lot of logistical issues with Young Romance. As I mentioned earlier, Batgirl is the youngest hero included in this anthology. I wouldn't normally call this a problem, but the other meaning of the title is that the relationships featured are new ones, which is also a flawed claim. Aquaman and Mera have been together for years, and there's no indication that their story takes place early in their relationship. Superman and Wonder Woman have been together for a while now, for all intensive purposes. And what about all the other relationships in the 'New 52'? Instead of featuring, say, Kid Flash and Solstice, Superboy and Wonder Girl, or even Jason Todd/Roy Harper and Kori'andr, DC decided to create some new relationships out of thin air. I enjoyed seeing Nightwing find someone who can keep up with him, but the fact that Dick's story simply "END"s -- instead of possibly leading into something else like the other stories -- stops the momentum cold and leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Why create something new only to give it the "bottle episode" treatment and throw it away at the end?

Narratively, Young Romance suffers at the hands of writers who don't normally handle these characters. Or in Ann Nocenti's case, mangles them. In "Think It Through", Batman and Catwoman's first meeting is basically just a flashback. Unfortunately, Nocenti only looks into the past to reveal how shallow Selina Kyle truly is before bringing readers back to the present day so Selina can remember all the things Batman said to her the first time they met. Yep: instead of actually showing Batman and Catwoman conversing, Nocenti decides to leave that all to ethereal dialogue boxes. It's an inane decision that makes absolutely no sense considering she had the ability to show the intimacy instead of telling it. Also, Batman's advice makes him sound like a misogynistic ass. Peter Milligan's "Seoul Brothers" is probably the best of the bunch because Milligan has been writing those characters and their relationship for quite a while. Aquaman and Mera in "The Dreamer" are also entertaining, but the Victorian-era love story that just so happens to mirror the current day almost exactly is grating from Cecil Castellucci's 'wink wink' attempts at cleverness.

As a first major attempt at a holiday themed anthology issue for the 'New 52', Young Romance feels like Maid in Manhattan when it should have felt like Sleepless in Seattle...or the other way around. I don't know which romantic comedies are considered good or bad. The point is that though entertaining, Young Romance feels underdeveloped, or perhaps overanalyzed. There's a lot of potential in these kind of issues, but this one misses the mark.


GRADE
6.5/10

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Review: All-New X-Men #7

(w) Brian Michael Bendis  (a) David Marquez

Alongside Jonathan Hickman's Avengers, Brian Michael Bendis' All-New X-Men is leading the 'Marvel NOW!' initiative in terms of sales figures and overall quality. Brian Bendis has led Earth's Mightiest Heroes for the past eight years, so now it's time for him to tackle the Children of the Atom. At first, the concept of bringing the original five X-Men into the present day sounded extremely limiting -- the idea seemed better suited for a limited series or part of a Marvel event of some sort. This status quo makes perfect sense for Bendis, a writer who specializes in long-form decompression (for example, his ten years on Ultimate Spider-Man covered roughly one year of in-comic time). Seven issues in, and this fact has been reinforced by the sheer amount of ethical, emotional, and logistical storytelling delivered. So far, it seems like only a few days have passed, and the O.G.5 (Original Gangsta' Five) are still mostly getting used to being 40 years in their future.

All-New X-Men #7 is a curious chapter in this second arc because, as much as Bendis is hitting a majority of the right notes with all the other characters, he's having a hard time pinning down Young Cyclops. As far as Marvel continuity goes, Scott Summers has been talking about being the teenaged leader of the X-Men for longer than he was the teenaged leader of the X-Men. In fact, that very concept of a young, naive Cyclops has been at arms-length from the character's ongoing narrative for so long, it's almost as if Bendis has to reconstruct what it meant to be an adolescent in the 1960s with mutant powers. Beast, Iceman, and Angel have their varying degrees of adjustment and acclimation, but Scott and Jean Grey are the two variables in this equation: Jean knows everything, and Scott knows nothing. Young Scott has a million conflicting thoughts zipping through his mind, and no one seems to be able to make any sense of them.

Mystique is one of the most interesting characters in Marvel's pantheon because she's just so damn good at what she does. Usually, a villain acts villainous, and evil begets more evil. Raven Darkholme is a whole helluva lot more clever than most super villains -- she truly understands the art of deception and uses those skills to manipulate almost any situation to her favor. Being a shapeshifter helps, but it's less to do with her appearance and more to do with hew attitude and how she carries herself. In All-New X-Men #7, Mystique shows up to explain that not everything is as it seems in this present day, that the O.G.5. are in more danger than Wolverine or any of the X-Men are letting on, and that no one will want to hear what Young Scott has to say because they've all got preconceived notions due to Elder Scott's horrifying past actions.

The element that makes All-New X-Men #7 most interesting is how Bendis characterizes Young Scott's feelings that he has no control over his life. Most teenagers (and adults, for that matter) have his same exact feeling at some point or another. This feeling can come from a number of different places -- heartache, bad grades, overbearing parents, lack of friends, sickness, depression, work, etc. -- but for Young Scott, it comes from his older self committing genocide then murdering his father figure who also happened to be the most respected man in the mutant community. And just like any normal teenager, Young Scott doesn't know what to think. All he knows is that the rest of the planet has made up their mind about him already, and he's got to figure out where he fits into this new world.

All-New X-Men #7 is another fantastic chapter in this fantastic series. Brian Bendis is bringing his unique brand of interpersonal relationships to the X-Men franchise, and it feels like such a natural fit that it's a wonder Marvel didn't do this sooner. In many ways, this sentiment is how I feel about 'Marvel NOW!' as a whole -- most of the creative team/title pairings now feel far more organic than in the past.


GRADE
9/10

Friday, February 8, 2013

Review: Avengers #5

(w) Jonathan Hickman
(a) Adam Kubert

The first three issues of Jonathan Hickman's Avengers showed just how big this team has become. While that air of grandeur still persists after the completion of "Avengers World", Hickman has narrowed his scope with the two issues following that arc to focus on Hyperion and Smasher, respectively. This is still the same narrative from the first three issues, just told through different lenses. Avengers #5 introduces Izzy Dare, a small-town Iowan that the randomly inherited the armor of a Shi'ar Imperial Guardsman, Smasher classification. While Izzy's turn-for-turn journey to the Shi'ar homeworld to learn about her new abilities is uncannily similar to becoming a new Green Lantern, Hickman manages to make the whole issue natural and organic enough for it to feel fresh and interesting. 

One of the biggest complaints I have about comic books, in general, is that an overwhelming number of characters experience little to no shock or mental anguish over gaining a power/mutation/ability/etc. This problematic habit is even more prevalent in comic book movies, where someone goes from normal life to aliens and starships without so much as flinching. It doesn't matter who you are: the concept of having abilities beyond normal human capacity is a psychological bomb that no person would be immune to. This isn't to say we'd all have nervous breakdowns, but some sort of reaction. Hickman somehow manages to balance his pace of storytelling with Izzy's utter disbelief at what's going on around her and it's just plan fun to read. Izzy is tough (she grew up on a farm), so she's taking it all in strides, but there are moments when her total wonderment shines through and those moments are golden.

Flash forward to the present day, and the Shi'ar Empire has come under sudden and mysterious invasion. Izzy gets an automatic distress beacon -- even across half the cosmos -- and brings her own reinforcements, the Avengers. During the flashback sequences, Izzy's Smasher suit gives her the breakdown about the Shi'ar Empire and it's standing in the universe, giving a nice framework for the present day battle and the various Shi'ar Imperial Guardsmen zipping around. It's becoming increasingly obvious that Marvel is moving to the stars for fresh storytelling ideas, and making Izzy the first human Shi'ar Superguardian is another move toward that end. 

Pushing the Avengers beyond Earth means pushing the definition of the team as Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Avengers #5 introduces a new female Smasher to the Marvel universe that already shows a lot of promise. She's got major leadership potential, and her ascension in the ranks of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard is another example of human influence reaching farther into space. Avengers #5 succeeds as a stand alone issue because of it's self-contained focus on Smasher, but also serves Jonathan Hickman's greater narrative that spans Avengers and New Avengers and the greater Marvel universe.


GRADE
9/10

Review: Earth 2 #9

(w) James Robinson  (p) Nicola Scott  (i) Trevor Scott

Before the series even began, James Robinson was giving interviews in which he explained how Earth 2 would be work as a series. He went into detail about how this wasn't just a Justice Society of America book, rather, that it was more about building a whole new world without the restrictions of the main DCnU. And so far, Earth 2 has been amazing -- Robinson is introducing new ideas, characters, and situations at a deliberate pace to make sure all the right narrative beats get hit. Plus, Doctor Fate!

Earth 2 #9 brings readers back to the 'main' story of the series after veering off for a month to focus on Steppenwolf and his protege, the Amazonian Fury. Alan Scott took off at the end of Earth 2 #7, so he gets no panel time this month. I know that sounds harsh, but Alan got the most character development throughout the first six issues of the series, so it's about time Robinson gave the same treatment Flash and Hawkgirl. Doctor Fate is the connecting element this month, as he starts the issue with Kendra Saunders (Hawkgirl) and ends it by assisting Jay Garrick (Flash) in escaping from the clutches of the World Army. The new Fate is Khalid Ben-Hassin, a reluctant recipient of powers who loses his grip on reality when he's forced to channel the spirit of Nabu and become Doctor Fate. Khalid's situation is unique in that using his powers causes a direct adverse reaction: temporary insanity. And while this is a good idea, Robinson doesn't go far enough in explaining what that's like and how it feels -- he could have easily thrown in some metaphors or symbolism to push the concept across all the better.

Nicola and Trevor Scott's artwork gets better every issue. Early on, they had difficulty producing real emotional nuance, but in recent months, the facial expressions have been better, and the body language has improved, as well. Khalid's reluctance to almost everything he does this issue is conveyed perfectly because that facial expression barely changes from panel to panel. 

The opening pages of Earth 2 #9 reveal that this new story arc is called "The Tower of Fate", implying we'll be getting at least three issues to flesh out Khalid's new gig as the hand of destiny. James Robinson is building up his version of the Justice Society very slowly, though he's mentioned that the team proper won't be together until the title's second year, which is approaching rather quickly. It will be interesting to see how Robinson puts all the pieces together in coming months, especially since a little over half of the classic roster of the JSA works for the World Army and is actively hunting the rest of the new Wonders.

GRADE
8/10

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Featured Review: Avengers Assemble Annual #1

(w) Christos Gage
(a) Tomm Coker, Mike Mayhew, Mike Deodato, Luke Ross, and Valentine de Landro

The Vision hasn't really been around much recently. Eight years ago, Brian Michael Bendis killed the character off in the pages of Avengers: Disassembled along with Hawkeye, Scott Lang, and a zombified Jack of Hearts. While all the deaths had major weight and significance, the Vision's was especially haunting because the murderer, or course, was Wanda Maximoff, Vision's wife. It's taken years, and a lot of savvy storytelling, but all of the characters who bit the dust due to Wanda's reality-warping freak out have come back (sans Jack of Hearts, due to his kind of already being dead). 

And again, Vision's resurrection was unique in that his reconstitution came at the cost of his memory, meaning he was only a shadow of a friend the Avengers held dear for so long. Later on, Vision regained his memories and adult form, but that's kind of where the story ended until Avengers Assemble Annual #1Christos Gage has used the 'Annual' format in one of the best ways I've seen in recent memory: reintroducing an old character that hasn't been used in a while but who has major significance in the greater scheme of things. 

The plot of "Company Man" is seems pretty run-of-the-mill at first; Dr. Arthur Dearborn is dying because of experiments conducted on him by his employer, Roxxon Corporation, and now he wants revenge. The situation gets a big more complicated when Dearborn claims Roxxon is purposefully letting him die because they have replacement subjects for their ongoing gene-altering experiments. Unlike many disgruntled employees, Dearborn is dying because his body is composed of living energy and it's slowly degrading. Now, after forsaking him in his time of crisis, Dearborn simply wants to destroy Roxxon completely. 

Gage doesn't hide the fact that Dearborn's situation mirrors that of the Vision. Both are men solely invested in their respective organizations, only to be taken for granted by said organizations they've given their lives to serve. For Dearborn, that means being left to die. For the Vision, that means being forgotten by the only family he's ever known while the world went to hell a few times over (see Civil War, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, Siege, etc.) Like the android he is, Vision logically understands why the Avengers couldn't reassemble him earlier, but that doesn't make the pain any less real for him.

The last work I read by Christos Gage was The First X-Men, a series I started reading and stopped after the second issue. I found the entire concept to be completely unnecessary. On the flip side, Gage's story in Avengers Assemble Annual #1 is a stunning example of how the writer can handle a story with a little more significance under its wings. The Vision is a fan-favorite character that's been absent for too long, and Gage brings him back in style while also forging an exciting new path for the android who has served everyone but himself since he was first switched on.

GRADE
8/10

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

The Week (Feb 6-12, 2013)

------- Featured Review
Avengers Assemble Annual #1

------- DC Reviews
  • Earth 2 #9 PREVIEW
  • The Phantom Stranger #5 PREVIEW
  • Young Romance: A New 52 Valentine's Day Special

---------- mini DC reviews
  • Animal Man #17 - Rotworld: Conclusion, Part 1
  • Swamp Thing #17 - Rotworld: Conclusion, Part 2


------- Marvel Reviews
  • All-New X-Men #7 PREVIEW
  • Avengers #5
  • The Superior Spider-Man #3 

---------- mini Marvel reviews
  • Iron Man #6
  • New Avengers #3

EXTRA! EXTRA! (Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2013)

Avengers #4
(w) Jonathan Hickman (a) Adam Kubert

After a brilliant opening salvo, Jonathan Hickman brings Hyperion back into the fold of the main Marvel universe with a beautifully written and drawn backstory outlining Hyperion's journey from his dying universe into ours, as well as a great main story about A.I.M. scientists experimenting on one of the Origin Bomb landing sites. Hickman is not one to let plot points dangle, and even though Ex Nihilo and Abyss aren't trying to remake Earth anymore doesn't mean their actions don't have lasting consequences. It also takes a lot of talent to make A.I.M. scientists feel like a real threat, but that's exactly what's happened in Avengers #4, which turns the fledgling terrorist organization into a dark and foreboding group that has agendas we won't see for a while yet. Even though Avengers #4 brings the focus to Hyperion, the entire issue still feels as big and grand as previous three.

GRADE: 9/10

Batman, Incorporated #7
(w) Grant Morrison (a) Chris Burnham

As Grant Morrison starts winding down his years-long Batman epic, Batman Incorporated #7 introduces a more lethal and less subtle version of Leviathan than we've ever seen before. And even though we know Talia al Ghul has been behind it all, it's the concept behind Leviathan that's become the true villain; Leviathan cannot be defeated because Leviathan is an idea to inspire fascist terror worldwide the same way Batman is an idea to inspire fear in his enemies. At this point, Batman Incorporated is the best Batman series currently being published, most due to the fact that Batman's history wasn't erased with the 'New 52', meaning Morrison's epic stayed in-tact and we're finally getting to a conclusion nearly seven years in the making. Grant Morrison has been molding Batman into a specific image for a long time, and Batman Incorporated #7 signals the beginning of the end, both for the Morrison era of Batman, as well as the war between Batman, Talia, and Damian Wayne -- something that will surely have huge ramifications for the Bat Family's future.

GRADE: 9/10 

Superman #16
(w) Scott Lobdell (a) Kenneth Rocafort

Yet again, Scott Lobdell comes up severely short with Superman #16, a "H'el on Earth" chapter that basically only serves to reiterate what's been happening in Superboy and Supergirl, even though those aren't very interesting either. Really, nothing happens in this issue beyond plot exposition and a blink-of-the-eye fight between Superman and H'el  that's over before the next panel -- there's nothing redeeming about Superman #16 because there's nothing new. The only saving grace for this issue is Kenneth Rocafort's gorgeous artwork (how they get such a talented artist to stick with such an awful writer is beyond me). "He'l on Earth" has been a generally disappointing crossover that hasn't offered much in the way of quality storytelling, cool revelations, or interesting character development.

GRADE: 6/10

Saturday, February 2, 2013

REVIEW: JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #16

(w) Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes
(a) Mikel Janin

Justice League Dark continues to be one of my favorite series from DC's 'New 52' thanks to it's unique take on the superhero genre. Jeff Lemire has crafted an incredible ongoing narrative that isn't confined to separate arcs, but rather builds upon itself with each storyline. Things started off with "The Black Room", which quickly turned into "War for the Books of Magic", and now, we're shoulder-deep in "The Death of Magic" that's bringing Lemire's big epic to a head. 

Though it sits in the middle of this newest arc, Justice League Dark #16 doesn't fall prey to the 'filler syndrome' -- it's full of intense action, story development, and some not-at-all-annoying exposition that gives readers a better look at how magic originated in the DCnU. I've mentioned in past reviews how much Lemire's Justice League Dark resembles a serial television drama in it's structure and pacing. Much like LOST, True Blood, or Game of Thrones, each issue of JLD has enough self-containment to feel satisfying as a stand-alone story while contributing to a much grander vision.

Using context clues, it's been pretty evident that this world our heroes have found themselves in was once a magical realm that has since been taken over by a fascist, scientific society. The somewhat lengthy history lesson about Timothy Hunter's ancient mystical ancestor reveals a lot about how things came to be in this world known as Epoch, how men became jealous over their inability to wield magic, and how that led to a campaign to exterminate all magic from their world. Lemire is doing a absolutely amazing job at mixing traditional fantasy tropes with high concept superhero drama, and it shows in the way he seamlessly juxtaposes the mystical concept of the series against a world where magic is considered the ultimate heresy.

Mikel Janin's artwork is beautiful as ever. While many of the characters featured in Justice League Dark are featured in other titles, they seem to always look the best when Janin is as the table (except for maybe Bernard Chang's Madame Xanadu in Demon Knights). Especially John Constantine, whose facial expression perfectly match his confused and frustrated feelings over losing his silver tongue.

Justice League Dark #16 is another excellent chapter in "The Death of Magic" and the series in general. Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes have such a knack for fantasy writing it's uncanny. There are so many different elements that affect the story at any given time, and each of them is handled with care and precision to create one of the most entertaining and fun books DC currently publishes.

GRADE
8.5/10