Nightwing #20

(w) Kyle Higgins     (a) Brett Booth

Last month, I gushed about how much I enjoyed the new direction for Nightwing. Moving Dick Grayson away from the Bat family was a stroke of genius so simple, it's a wonder it hasn't been done before (I'm not counting Bludhaven, which was right next door to Gotham). Nightwing #20 extrapolates on all the plot lines set up in the last issue.

One of the best parts about Dick moving to Chicago is that he's no longer being bankrolled by Bruce Wayne. It always bugged me that Nightwing so badly wanted to be his own hero -- with a separate name, sister city, the works -- yet he continued to accept financial support from Batman. I understand the logistical reasoning behind the decision, but it belied the concept of independence Dick was going for. Here, Kyle Higgins truly throws Nightwing out on his own. He's subletting a room in an apartment whose normal resident decides to stick around, a situation many people are all too familiar with. It's story elements like this that make Nightwing #20 a treat; Dick's civilian life needs just as much focus right now as his superhero side.

On the Nightwing side of things, Dick finally comes mask to mask with the Prankster, who is a far more menacing villain that I originally anticipated. Cyber crime and pranks don't sound too intimidating, but when it's paired with social responsibility, there's a charm to the Prankster's criminal tendencies. I really do like how Higgins is framing the Prankster as a champion of the disenfranchised, not because those kind of 'villains' don't exist, but because he's presenting it in a much more original fashion. The Prankster isn't some mercenary street general looking for a revolution. He's a sophisticated analyst who sees weaknesses and exploits them one at a time, bringing down his enemies through computer hacking and blackmail designed to cause emotional and professional damage.

Nightwing is getting better and better the more it's not focused on Bat family issues. Kyle Higgins is proving that Dick Grayson can stand as his own hero without having to live in Batman's proverbial shadow. He's an anomalous character because, unlike Jason Todd, Tim Drake, or Damian Wayne, Dick was able to properly process Bruce's teachings and heroic lifestyle. While the other three Robins mostly retained the darkness and bitterness, Dick stayed positive and is still the most optimistic member of the Bat family.

GRADE

9/10

The Week In Revue (May 15-21, 2013) (update)

------- Spotlight
Age of Ultron #8 of 10
(w) Brian Michael Bendis     (a) Brandon Peterson
BECAUSE KICK-ASS 3 GOT PUSHED BACK, AGE OF ULTRON GETS TO BE SPOTLIGHTED THIS WEEK!

------- DC Reviews

Nightwing #20
(w) Kyle Higgins     (a) Brett Booth
NIGHTWING'S AWESOME CHICAGO ADVENTURES CONTINUE AS HE BEGINS HIS HUNT FOR TONY ZUCCO!

Wonder Woman #20
(w) Brian Azzarello     (a) Cliff Chiang
NEW GODS. THIS IS WHERE THEY'LL BE. I LOVE THE NEW GODS. IN FACT, DC JUST NEEDS TO LAUNCH A NEW GODS SERIES WITH MISTER MIRACLE AT THE CENTER OF IT. BOOM.

------- Marvel Reviews

Avengers: The Enemy Within #1
(w) Kelly Sue DeConnick     (a) Joe Quinones
THE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE/CAPTAIN MARVEL MINI-EVENT BEGINS HERE! WATCH HOW DECONNICK CREATES SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL.

Iron Man #10
(w) Kieron Gillen     (a) Dale Eaglesham
"THE SECRET ORIGIN OF TONY STARK" PART 1

------- Other Reviews
X-O Manowar #13
(w) Robert Vendetti     (a) Cary Nord
WHEN I HEARD VENDETTI WAS TAKING OVER GREEN LANTERN A WHILE BACK, I CHECKED OUT THIS SERIES AND IT FLOORED ME. SERIOUSLY ONE OF THE BEST ONGOING TITLES RIGHT NOW.

Nightwing #18 (mini review)

(w) Kyle Higgins     (a) Juan Jose Ryp


**SPOILERS FOR BATMAN INC #8**


All these "Requiem" issues lamenting the death of Damian Wayne have varying levels of actual requiem-ing. For instance, Batman and Robin #18 processed the tragedy by showcasing Bruce's spiral into depression, working for days without sleep and becoming increasingly aggressive, all while losing himself in the thought of his dead son. On the flipside, Red Hood and The Outlaws #18 barely makes mention of the events that transpired. Nightwing #18 finds a middle ground with Dick Grayson's emotional fallout.

While Kyle Higgins does a good job navigating Nightwing through his feelings of guilt and depression, it's kind of overkill. And not because of how it's written, but because most of Dick's emotional eureka moments happen twice. He talks about the destruction of Haly's Circus twice, he gets pissed at Bruce for lying twice, and he mentions how he and Damian were like brothers twice. It would have worked better if Higgins had perhaps worked his way from having Dick simply understand his situation to Nightwing accepting and processing Damian's death. Instead, the sentiments are played out by the middle of the issue, leaving Higgin's big reveal as the main focus of the second half. It's an interesting enough surprise, but already feels contrived. So, we'll see.

GRADE: 7/10

Justice League #18

(w) Geoff Johns     (a) Jesus Saiz

Geoff Johns is taking the same route Cartoon Network's Justice League did in 2004 by expanding the roster of the League in anticipation of bigger, more ferocious enemies in the future. Honestly, it would have been nice to see more of the core team's adventures and interpersonal relationships before diving into team expansion. Sure, this is Justice League #18 and the 'New 52' has been around for close to two years, but in the modern age of decompressed storytelling, 18 issues has only produced a handful of conflicts that the League has faced. 

Back in the day, 18 issues could have been 18 different stories, a different approach to team building, but one that offered a more robust look at how said team works as a unit. Today, it's still somewhat unclear how the core League members truly work together, how their personalities play off each other, and how that affects their behavior. Johns has done an excellent job delivering character development where possible, but it's still frustrating to see new members coming in at this point. And that's not even mentioning Justice League of America, which also sees Johns bringing lesser known characters into the spotlight. It's just a geyser of new characters, it seems.


** SPOILERS AHEAD! **


Justice League #18 is an exciting issue because we get to see so many faces in one issue. With Hal Jordan out of the picture for the time being, and the near-destruction of Boston in "Throne of Atlantis", Batman and Cyborg decide it's time to reveal the Grid, a circumstantial database of all the world's superheroes. I say circumstantial because the entire Grid was a side-effect of the persistent flow of information into Cyborg's always-connected mainframe. Since he's basically a living supercomputer, Cyborg shares the curse of overabundance with Superman -- they're both continuously aware of almost everything around them. The difference is that Clark hears everyone while Victor processes digital information terabytes at a time. Thus, over the five years of the League's existence, Cyborg inadvertently collected all the known information on every superhero on Earth.

But it's just that: only the known information. Justice League #18 not only showcases established heroes like Black Canary, Zatanna, Firestorm, and Nightwing in a new light, but also gives minor and new characters a chance to shine with a chance at membership in the planet's most exclusive hero club. While the current members of the League all understand the where they are and what the stakes are going forward, most of the invited candidates have no idea what they're in for. It's this juxtaposition that provides a nervous tension that simmers throughout the issue. Even Nightwing and Batman's short interaction reflects their relationship post-"Death of the Family". And how could it not be awkward? Six of the most powerful beings on the planet are judging and choosing new colleagues to patrol everything, not just a city or neighborhood beat.

There's no escaping the fact that Justice League #18 is a good old-fashioned prelude issue. There's so much being set up from beginning to end that it's hard to squeeze a story-proper out of an issue like this. Fortunately, Geoff Johns stands up to the task and makes the entire affair feel completely fluid and natural. My bias for the structure of character development aside, JL #18 hits all the right marks. At the end of the day, it's really hard not to like seeing so many familiar (and some unfamiliar) faces in one issue.

GRADE

7.5/10

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

REVIEW: NIGHTWING #15

(w) Kyle Higgins
(p) Eddy Barrows
(i) Eber Ferreira

Dick Grayson's adventures in the 'New 52', as a whole so far, have been somewhat up and down in terms of quality and content. After an initial arc dealing with Haly's Circus, Kyle Higgins has had trouble finding his footing with Nightwing, including an underdeveloped arc about a cult of anarchists looking to 'take back' Gotham, and a short story about Lady Shiva, probably one of the most uninteresting villains ever. Nightwing #15, however, swings into action and utilizes it's "Death of the Family" tag to it's fullest. In other Bat-books, the Joker's methodology has been somewhat hazy--while everyone has theories about what's going on, Scott Snyder isn't letting the cat out of the bag, and there's only so much that can be said before a big reveal--this issue sees a very fleshed out attempt to break Dick Grayson. Not Nightwing, but Dick Grayson. This month's Batman #15 included Bruce's assurance that the Joker does not know the Bat family's identities, but it's pretty obvious he does.

Dick is under a lot of pressure. He's the owner and operator of Haly's Circus and he's trying to keep his newfound entertainment business in Gotham City permanently so as to build up the city's profile while also establishing more structured lives for his performers. It's a noble task, and one that Dick's impassioned about, but it's also a project that keeps getting sidelined for Nightwing-related activities. This month, Dick's heroic life meets his personal for the second time in the 'New 52' as Joker frees Raya from Blackgate Prison to make everything even more personal. Joker's shtick for Nightwing is the idea of being a 'knock-off', a pale comparison to the almighty Batman. Higgins employs a classic Batman trope by having Nightwing find Joker in a warehouse that used to make knock-off Wayne Enterprises products. It's poetic justice, and something only Scott Snyder has really been utilizing recently.

Nightwing #15 is one of the strongest tie-in issues for "Death of the Family" yet. Unlike the other Bat-allies, Dick's life is literally crumbling right before his eyes: everything he's spent the last year building is being destroyed in a succinct and straightforward way. This is what Joker's reign of terror needs to feel like across the board, in all the Bat-titles tying into "DotF"--full of terror, death, and lots of Joker's insanity.

GRADE

8/10

THE WEEK (DEC 19-25, 2012)

FEATURED REVIEW

Hawkeye #6
(Fraction, Aja)

Captain America #2
(Remender, Romita Jr.)

FF #2
(Fraction, Allred)

Green Lantern #15
(Johns, Mahnke)

Nightwing #15
(Higgins, Barrows)

Supergirl #15
(Johnson, Asrar)

Wonder Woman #15
(Azzarello, Chiang)

Extra! Extra!
All-New X-Men #4
Green Lantern: New Guardians #15
Indestructible Hulk #2
Red Hood and The Outlaws #15
Thor: God of Thunder #3
X-Men Legacy #3

REVIEW: BATMAN #15

(w) Scott Snyder

(a) Greg Capullo

(i) Jonathan Glapion

"Death of the Family" marches along this week in Batman #15 with a sort-of interlude issue for the whole event. This month, nearly all the Bat-books have a connection to "DotF", meaning there's a whole lot more narrative going on all around Scott Snyder's central plot. Of course, this isn't to say that this issue is boring, or any lesser quality than any other issue, it's just not as action-packed and/or thrilling as last issue's edge-of-the-seat chapter. Snyder knows how this story has to play out and what that means for Batman and his extended crime-fighting family. Batman #15 is really what this Joker-centric story is all about: the disintegration of Batman's support system. 

We know the Joker sees Batman as a king of Gotham who can't be his best because he has weights tying him down in the form of his allies. Each new Bat-hero that emerges becomes one more person Bruce has to worry about, just one more body to inevitably find, according to the Joker. He's not wrong. The best part of "Death of the Family" is that the Joker is absolutely right--while Batman might consider himself a loner (along with DC's editorial staff), the evidence of decades of sidekicks, allies, and frenemies says differently. Bruce's penchant for taking in outcasts and turning them into shadowy vigilantes points more to his obsessive need for family rather than his isolationism. Sure, every time a new Robin pops up, Bats gets pretty defensive about taking on a new partner, and he never really approved of Barbara becoming Batgirl, but the end result says that Batman needs a strong, extensive support system to maintain his desired crime-fighting lifestyle. Heck, he created Batman, Inc. just to have more allies/soldiers around the world. Bruce needs his family, and Joker knows it.

This month, Bruce reveals a shocking secret about his history with the Joker than sends Nightwing, Red Robin, Batgirl, Red Hood, and Robin into a hissy fit. The actual information isn't so important as the fact that Bruce kept a major secret from his allies. Bruce attempts to convince the others that Joker doesn't actually know anyone's identity and that it's all just a twisted mind game. The revelations from the past make Bruce's words somewhat hollow in the eyes of the others, and they start to question Bruce's ability to keep a clear head in the midst of this chaos. It very much feels like a turning point for Batman and his allies, that they might never fully trust each other ever again, that this is how the family falls apart.

GRADE

9/10

EXTRA! EXTRA! (OCT 17-23, 2012)

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #4 of 6
(w/p) Cooke

Minutemen #4 continues Darwyn Cooke's absolutely phenomenal take on the group that fought crime before the Watchmen formed by way of two stories - one focused on Comedian's time on a Japanese island during World War II, the other about the death of Silhouette. While Brian Azzarello tries in vain in Comedian to make Eddie Blake a relatable character, Cooke manages to do so with ease by placing the Comedian in one of his first morally ambiguous situations that changes the way he views war and the world. Silhouette's part of the issue is really more about Nite Owl Hollis Mason's relationship with Silhouette and how her death affects him and the rest of the Minutemen. This is truly the best title of Before Watchmen, and honestly, one of the best titles of 2012 - while I'm still generally skeptical of the entire prequel notion (see every other BW series besides Ozymandias and Silk Spectre), Minutemen directed by Darwyn Cooke has the potential to be an ongoing series...if only.

GRADE: 9.5/10

Blue Beetle #13
(w) Tony Bedard
(p) Ig Guara
(i) JP Mayer

Blue Beetle #13 picks up after the events of Justice League International Annual #1 wherein Brother Eye forced O.M.A.C. to transport Jaime Reyes to home planet of the aliens behind the scarab technology, Reachworld. Similarly, it's best to have read Blue Beetle #0 as well, seeing as the central antagonist is none other than the mysteriously resurrected corpse of Sky Witness, the man who wore the Khaji-Da armor before Jaime. And instead of finding an all-out brawl between Jaime and the Reach as expected, I found something even better - a Reach solider who desires autonomy after achieving self-thought for only a moment while fighting Blue Lanterns on Odym. Not only does this plot promote inter-title cohesion in creating a more complete DCnU, but it shows that the universe is not a static place that doesn't change - even alien cults like the Reach have mutiny within their ranks, and change doesn't always have to happen only for the good guys.

GRADE: 8/10

Catwoman #13
(w) Ann Nocenti
(p) Rafa Sandoval
(i) Jordi Tarragona

While this issue might be fashioned as a "Death of the Family Prelude", it's really not that at all, which means that I basically read an issue of Catwoman for no other reason that to read an issue of Catwoman, and in the 'New 52', that's kind of lame. Don't get me wrong; I'm sure there's an avid fan base for a Selina Kyle who over-sexualizes everything, looks like her skin fuses with her leather jumpsuit, and who can't seem to grow as a character. Unfortunately, I am not part of that fan base, nor have I ever really thought that Catwoman was a strong enough character to warrant so much focus. Anyhow, Catwoman fights (another) rich kid from Gotham who thinks the city belongs to them - it's not inventive, there's no 'twist' anywhere, and the connection to Scott Snyder's Joker-centric event is virtually non-existent (you wouldn't see it if you weren't looking).

GRADE: 5/10

Nightwing #13
(w) Tom DeFalco
(p) Andres Guinaldo
(i) Mark Irwin and Raul Fernandez

Nightwing doesn't cross over with "Death of the Family" for a few more months, so for the time being, Tom DeFalco is taking over with art by Andres Guinaldo to tell a tale about Nightwing and Lady Shiva - one of the most lethal assassins in the entire world. Nightwing #13 makes as much of a reference to the Joker as Catwoman #13 does, yet Dick Grayson's title get's no "Prelude" kind of treatment - who knows what goes on in the minds of DC editors. Dick is forced to track down Shiva on his own since the rest of the Bat Family is otherwise occupied, and it doesn't seem to go so well. By the end, Dick realizes he's been played in a game of bait-and-switch, surely leading to a more vengeful tone for Nightwing in coming issues.

GRADE: 7.8/10

Red Hood and The Outlaws #13
(w) Scott Lobdell
(p/i) Timothy Green II

The Outlaws wrap up their cosmic adventure as Starfire and her sister, Blackfire, take on the invading Blight and drive them away from Tamaran. In all honesty, Red Hood and Arsenal don't do a whole lot this month besides get in the way of Kori and Kom's fight with the Blight leader. Red Hood and The Outlaws #13 is mostly about tying up all the loose ends from this arc - Kori and her sister make amends for past sins, Jason Todd manages to keep his date alive despite getting caught in an alien war, and Roy Harper lives to narrate another day. It's the final page that holds omens for the coming months, ones that connect to RHatO #0 released last month.

GRADE: 7/10

Supergirl #13
(w) Mike Johnson
(p/i) Sami Basri

This might be the most disappointing issue of Supergirl to date - there's a lot of talking, some one-sided fighting, and a coincidental conclusion that isn't very satisfying at all. This is the first issue without Michael Green co-writing with Mike Johnson, and it shows; the fight between Supergirl and Tycho (the multi-billionaire from the first issue, only now with shape-shifting superpowers) really feels quite meaningless, as Tycho hasn't been seen or heard from since the debut issue, and because he doesn't seem to have any purpose in taking Supergirl, especially since he can speak Kryptonian now (somehow) and can communicate with her. The whole "story" feels like a big letdown, the only upside to which is a revelation about Kara's space-pod at the bottom of the sea. Beyond that, this issue really isn't worth reading - best wait for "H'el on Earth" to start next month.

GRADE: 5/10

Wonder Woman #13
(w) Brian Azzarello
(p) Tony Akins
(i) Dan Green

While the past two months of Wonder Woman have brought a lot of shock and awe - first with the tease of the New Gods in WW #12, then with a classic tale re-envisioned in WW #0 - this month's issue focuses on bringing some new conflicts into the lives of Diana and her companions. The goddess Hera has been made mortal, so she's hanging with the posse now, the gods on Olympus have to figure out who is going to usurp them all, and Diana's next step is finding another of Zeus' children to aid in the quest to restore Olympus to it's former glory. Brian Azzarello has such a distinct trajectory for Wonder Woman that this issue doesn't feel like filler, even though that's what it mostly consists of. Obviously, we're all waiting for the New Gods to show up because it's the New Gods and that's just freaking amazing - however long it takes Azzarello to get there will be agonizing, but it will be fun nonetheless.

GRADE: 8/10

4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (SEP 19-25) [update]

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #3 of 4
(Straczynski, Kubert, Kubert)

Eh - that's about the best and worst description I can give Before Watchmen: Nite Owl at this point in it's run. J. Michael Straczynski hasn't penned a bad story, by any means, but it also doesn't have the same emotional or narrative weight as Minutemen, Silk Spectre, or Doctor Manhattan, relying mostly on it's fan-service tendencies that feature Rorschach quite a bit. Dan Dreiberg may be a bit less hard-nosed than the other members of the Watchmen, but nearly every issue of Nite Owl presents Dan as more pathetic than effective - even when he's got his costume on, Dan comes across as skittish and nervous, which isn't who he is. Overall, Nite Owl isn't the weakest series in the Before Watchmen gamut, but it's down there with Comedian and Ozymandias.

GRADE: C

Green Lantern: New Guardians #0

(Bedard, Kuder, Bressan, Adams)

As much as I love the Green Lantern character franchise as a whole, Tony Bedard's Green Lantern: New Guardians has been testing my patience, and GL:NG #0 is no exception. First off, this issue breaks a very basic "Issue Zero" rule and doesn't take place before the first issue, which would be acceptable if there was a reason (like the introduction of Simon Baz in Green Lantern #0). But the only real event in this issue is that Carol Ferris becomes the new Star Sapphire representative for Kyle Rayner's fading New Guardians, and that's not a good enough reason to bypass a Kyle Rayner origin, seeing as this series is all about him! Even beyond this hugely wasted potential, the story isn't even all that good, and really only serves to set up "Rise of the Third Army" just a little bit more - poor form, Tony Bedard.

GRADE: D

Nightwing #0
(DeFalco, Higgins, Barrows, Ferreira)

Another fantastic Bat Family "Issue Zero", Nightwing #0 delves (obviously) into Dick Grayson's past, giving readers a thorough new backstory for the original Robin, The Boy Wonder. While the death of his parent's remains the same, Dick's involvement with the Batman comes about in a new and different way courtesy of Tom DeFalco (scripting only) and Kyle Higgins - instead of immediately being taken in by Bruce Wayne, Dick strikes out on his own to hunt down his parent's killer, often running into Batman who continually looks the other way. Eventually, Bruce adopts Dick as his son and begins to raise him while keeping his superhero identity a secret, only to have Dick discover it's Bruce under the cowl after reading Batman's body language. At first, it's only a monitor duty gig, but in the face of death, Dick springs into action with a self-tailored Robin costume (which we get to see for the first time this issue) that brings about the first era of Batman's sidekick - it's a hugely satisfying issue that should be read by any Batman or Robin fan.

GRADE: A

Red Hood and The Outlaws #0

(Lobdell, Ferry, Guara, Booth)

Of all the series Scott Lobdell is currently at helm, Red Hood and The Outlaws has been the only one I've enjoyed on a regular basis - for some reason, the man seems to pour all of his relatable, grounded work into this title. I'm not complaining and in fact, Red Hood and The Outlaws #0 is one of the most satisfying issues of the run, offering the origin of Jason Todd: the second Robin and eventual Red Hood, thorn in Batman's side and anti-hero extraordinaire! It's hard not to root for Jason, a boy whose life went from bad, to worse, to a bit better, then ends in horrifying tragedy only to be resurrected and have the whole cycle start all over again. The final four pages illustrated by Brett Booth are the most revealing of the issue, pointing to the Joker as the mastermind behind Jason's misfortunes as a master plot to create and destroy one of Batman's Robins - it's sick, twisted, and utterly shocking.

GRADE: B

Wonder Woman #0
(Azzarello, Chiang)

Wonder Woman has already been praised up and down for it's dramatic and groundbreaking re-envisioning of the Diana, Princess of the Amazons, and Wonder Woman #0 takes things to the next level with Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang offering up an updated tale from Wonder Woman's adventures in the 1940s! Diana is approached by Aires (War) who wants to turn her into the greatest warrior the planet has ever seen, meeting under the full moon each month to train in the ways of battle. In the end, when forced to kill to complete her task, Diana refuses and goes from being War's star pupil to being his greatest failure, only now she's a fully-trained, battle-ready warrior. Wonder Woman #0 is not only one of the best issues of the series to date, it's one of the best issues from the 'New 52' so far - Azzarello and Chiang hit a brilliant chord with this innovative decision, it pays off in spades, and it shows how creators can tell interesting, meaningful stories without all the intricacies and complexities that are standard protocol in today's comic book industry (just look at the chaos that is Teen Titans and Superboy).

GRADE: A+

Spider-Men #5 of 5

(Bendis, Pichelli)

While the rest of the critical world lauds Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli for Spider-Men, I tend to still see it as a self-fulfilling project that didn't meet it's potential because it attempted to reach into too many wells at the same time, in a span of only five issues. I want to stress that for what it is, Spider-Men is great - Bendis' writing is spot-on, and Pichelli's artwork is perfectly suited for Ultimate Comics - but there's just so many instances where the story falls short and misses emotional marks. There's a lot of story that can be mined from Peter Parker travelling to a universe where his teenaged counterpart has already died, but Ultimate Nick Fury puts the kibosh on any inter-dimensional travel and no one stands up to him or questions his authority at all - um...what? Again, I stress that the missed opportunities for this 616/Ultimate crossover are so numbered, it's really hard to accept the fleeting nature of this series as meaningful or important at all (or course, Peter looks up Miles Morales in his world on the final page to which his reaction is, "Oh my god!")

GRADE: C

UPCOMING REVIEWS (SEP 19-25)

Blue Beetle #0
(Bedard, Guara)
- Jaime Reyes is the current host of the Reach scarab Khaji-Da, but who wore it before Jaime? This "Zero Issue" brings a tale of the Reach solider that made Jaime's scarab a household name.

Captain Marvel #4

(DeConnick, Soy)

- Kelly Sue DeConnick has given Carol Danvers a whole new voice, and it's been for the better. After years of playing pawn to Marvel's major events, Carol is now getting the quality treatment she deserves from a writer who knows this character inside and out. I mean, DeConnick was recently given Avengers Assemble, as well, proving she has what it takes in today's comic industry. If you aren't already reading this one, I suggest you start.

DC Universe Presents #0
(Bedard, Robinson, Liefeld, Didio, CAFU, Mychaels, Derenick, Battle)
- In homage to some of the titles cancelled back in April to make way for the "Second Wave" of 'New 52' titles, DC Universe Presents #0 brings five stories about Hawk and Dove, O.M.A.C., the Blackhawks, Mister Terrific, and a special story about Deadman. DCUP has been an excellent anthology series thus far, so I'm excited to see how these smaller stories will fare.

Justice League #0

(Johns, Frank)

- Billy Batson is the focus of this Justice League origin issue, leading in from the "Shazam" back-ups in the pages of JL over the past few months. Will Shazam join the Justice League? How will Billy balance his attitude with his new responsibilities? Find out this week!

Spider-Men #5 of 5
(Bendis, Pichelli)
- After an issue a bit too stuffed with big battles, I'm hopeful Brian Michael Bendis can pull Spider-Men out from just being another fan-service series and turn it into something that affects both Earth-616 and the Ultimate Marvel universe.

Supergirl #0

(Green, Johnson, Asrar)

- Questions will be answered! In a true "Zero Issue", we find out who sent Kara to Earth on the eve of Krypton's destruction. Also, Kara discovers who murdered her father! Supergirl has been one of the most consistently impressive series DC releases, so I have high hopes for this origins issue.

Sword of Sorcery #0
(Marx, Bedard, Lopresti, Ryan)
- To be honest, I'm seriously not very interested in this series, but I'm still willing to give it a chance to win me over. I've never been a huge "dragons and magic" fantasy buff, and it's looking more and more like that is what Sword of Sorcery is going to be, albeit with an alien world thrown into the mix. Plus, the "Beowulf" back-up just seems silly. But who knows - maybe I'll be wooed by Christy Marx's writing and Aaron Lopresti's artwork.

4-Sentence Reviews

* Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #3 of 4

* Green Lantern: New Guardians #0

* Nightwing #0

* Red Hood and The Outlaws #0

* Wonder Woman #0

BATMAN AND ROBIN #12

STORY: Peter J. Tomasi
ART: Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray

After a pretty awesome first arc and a better-than-average contribution to "Night of the Owls", Batman and Robin has really found a place as a title focused on the relationship between these two characters and how it differs from former Robins because Damian is Bruce's son. Damian is a very complex character that Grant Morrison created (kind of), built up quite a bit, then just left for everyone else to clean up. In many ways, it would be like having divorced parents with passionate political beliefs that were polar opposite from one another. Damian was raised a loyal Libertarian, and has been thrust into the world of Democrats that he's only now beginning to understand, though he still feels inclined to prove his self worth by any means necessary. Unfortunately, all of these excellent elements surrounding Damian's characterization only show up sparingly throughout this current arc, and not at all in this issue.

"Terminus Maximus" has been billed as the 'main arc' of the past three issues, yet until Batman and Robin #12, you could have fooled me and said the big story was "War of the Robins", a side story concerning Damian's desire to defeat each of the former Robins in an effort to prove himself the best of Batman's sidekicks. Indeed, the "Robins" arc is far more insightful and interesting, as it has to do with emotional ramifications instead of blind villainy. Damian is a 10 year old assassin child challenging much older, stronger men to bouts of strength and wits - tell me that's not more awesome than a plot about yet another psychotic villain who wants to kill Batman and give Gotham the "truth". However I feel about the quality of each story, "Terminus" takes the spotlight this issue, as DC billed the issue as "The Final fight with Terminus!" Though, this is the one and only meeting, let alone fight, that Batman and Terminus have had. I don't know why Peter J. Tomasi wanted to crush a six-issue story into three, but he does so here with as much grace as a Juggernaut in a china shop.

Terminus himself is a pretty by-the-books villain, one who believes that Batman has made the city worse through his actions. Now, Termy wants to make the city fear Batman by sending out an army of lunatics to brand civilians with a bat symbol. While that particular part of the arc is cool, the entirety of the attack on Gotham lasted less than one issue. This month, it's all about Batman vs. Terminus, though there's really not a lot of logic to it. Terminus takes his name because he's terminal, and also because he wants to terminate Batman, I'm going to assume. Beyond that, we don't know anything about this guy. He doesn't have a proper name, his sickness is never given adequate explanation, and his hatred for Batman never evolves past vague "your actions affected me negatively" emotions that aren't based in anything real.

It's a real shame that "War of the Robins" not only ends this issue, but also gets pushed to the severe edges of the narrative. As Bats and Robin take on Terminus and this thugs, Nightwing, Red Robin, and Red Hood show up to lend a hand to save their city from this villain-of-the-week. The panels featuring all the former (and current) Robins together are filled with witty banter and snaps at each other much like brothers in the backyard. It's really at this point, nearly 2/3 of the way through the issue, that things start getting interesting, and it's because Tomasi finally starts focusing on relationships for a moment.

Now that "Terminus" is in the past, we have Batman and Robin #0 to look forward to next month, hopefully shedding some light onto the formative years of Damian's life in the League of Assassins. Because really, I just want to forget Terminus was even a villain. Tomasi even had to throw in a biochemical warhead for Batman to stop to make Termy more that just another faceless threat. But even that didn't work.

GRADE

B

4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (JULY 18-24)

Avengers vs. X-Men #8 of 12
(Bendis, Kubert, Dell)

Avengers vs. X-Men #8 makes the series feel like its stuck in a rut, while simultaneously breathing a whole new life into Marvel's mega event for 2012. King Namor has gone a bit nuts - but who didn't see that coming - and proceeds to decimate Wakanda in the ongoing search for Hope Summers, something the Avengers don't take very kindly to at all. Because a hefty majority of the issue is spent fleshing out the battle in Wakanda - as Earth's Mightiest attack Namor one after another, only to be swiftly brushed aside - there isn't a whole lot of actual plot development, which is why this issue fell a little flat for me. Of course, Bendis packs a big punch at the end when Scarlet Witch basically disarms Namor, causing his fifth of the Phoenix Force to fuse with the remaining four, a twist that is sure to make things a bit harder for the X-Men going forward.

GRADE: B-

Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #2 of 4

(Cooke, Conner)

While Darwyn Cooke and Amanda Conner's first issue following the young life of Laurie Juspeczyk reminisced about the high school days of the 1960s - their innocence, simplicity, and comfort - Silk Spectre #2 explores the more groovy side of the era of peace, love, and rock 'n roll. Laurie and her high school sweetheart, Greg, ran off with a few hippies at the end of last issue, and a quick letter home to her "Uncle" Hollis Mason gives Cooke the chance to abridge Laurie's new life in San Francisco for the reader, similar to a film montage. Much like Cooke's neo-retro style is perfect for Minutemen, Conner's subtle, yet fully-featured, artwork is incredible for a series about what it was like being young and free in the 60s (and the fact that it resembles Archie doesn't hurt it one bit). Cooke's moving this series at a deliberate pace that's slowly bringing a world of corruption crashing into Laurie's life, forcing her to do what she knows is right and take up the Silk Spectre mantle.

GRADE: A

Captain Marvel #1
(DeConnick, Soy)

I've always been a really, really big fan of Ms. Marvel - Carol Danvers is the kind of female superhero that's far more realistic than, say, Wonder Woman or Supergirl, and is way more interesting because he problems are more grounded. With Captain Marvel, Kelly Sue DeConnick throws away the 'Ms' and brings Captain America in a for a guest spot to give Carol his blessing to take the mantle of Captain that should have been hers years ago. While Steve Rogers' inclusion was touching in it's narrative reason, I feel split on why Marvel felt it had to include one of it's most iconic male characters in the first issue of a new series that's supposed to be focused on an awesome female character. On top of that, it feels like DeConnick doesn't really know who Carol Danvers is yet, which is something the writer will have to move past if she hopes to give Carol any sort of redeeming qualities in future issues.

GRADE: B-

Green Lantern Corps #11

(Tomasi, Pasarin, Hanna)

As much as I love Green Lantern, Peter J. Tomasi is taking Green Lantern Corps down a path that I'm not quite sure I'm all that invested in following."Alpha War" continues this month, but that name can be a bit misleading: the "war" is more of an Alpha Lantern hissy-fit that's gotten a bit too out of control, causing the Alphas to lock up all the Lanterns they can while Guy and John escape to the depths of Oa. What comes next is kind of silly, as John and Guy find the vast storage facility containing all the old decommissioned Manhunters, as well as a host of other biological experiments the Guardians partook in through the eons. While I'm sure having Guy and John reprogram these monstrosities to eliminate the Alpha Lanterns sounded good on paper, but it just comes off as pandering.

GRADE: D+

Nightwing #11
(Higgins, Guinaldo, Irwin)

While some critics have drawn comparisons between the "Court of Owls" storyline and the new arc from Kyle Higgins on Nightwing, stating that giving Dick Grayson his own "who rules the city?" situation is happening too close to the Batman's. This month, Higgins gives readers a bit more insight into Paragon's underworld army - and those in it who start to question their leader's sanity - as well as Detective Nie, one of Nightwing's more adement detractors over the course of the series. While Paragon struggles to retain supporters for his "righteous" cause, Nie reveals to Commissioner Gordon and Deputy Mayor Kavanaugh that one of the patrolmen supposedly murdered by Nightwing (see all the way back to Nightwing #1 for details) was his lover. Higgins uses this element to bring Nie and Paragon together at the end of the issue, but to what devices is still to be seen.

GRADE: B

Supergirl #11

(Green, Johnson, Asrar)

After ten issues of non-stop action, Michael Green and Mike Johnson take a break from throwing every conceivable threat Kara's way this issue and focus on the Supergirl's acclimation to Earth. After some beautifully drawn landscapes from around the world - as Kara learns more and more about her adopted world - Siobhan insists that her brother Tom take Kara out into the city and enjoy being a normal person for a while. Of course, what would a superhero comic be without a villain, so the nanosuited fellow from the end of last issue pops up to deal out some pain before Kara combines her x-ray and heat vision to basically lobotomize the man inside the suit. This fight with the unnamed assailant is less about introducing a new villain or plot, and more just another point in Green and Johnson's story about Kara's alien nature and how she fits into the human world.

GRADE: A

BATMAN AND ROBIN #11

STORY: Peter J. Tomasi
ART: Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, Keith Champagne, and Dustin Nguyen

This week at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Scott Lobdell revealed that Tim Drake went straight from a regular kid - with a knack for detective work - to Red Robin, without actually spending any time as Batman's official sidekick. This change sent waves through the comic book community, most of them negative. Tim Drake is definitely as popular - if not more so - as Dick Grayson, so it's odd that DC would so easily let Lobdell change continuity all willy-nilly. The reason I bring up this revamp is that Tim is still included in Peter J. Tomasi's "War of the Robins" story that's been the best part of Batman and Robin the past two months, even though he (now!) was never technically a Robin.

Damian takes his fight to Red Hood this issue, and DC has labeled it in promotional materials as the beginning of the newest Robin's quest to defeat all the former ones, even though he technically did beat Tim Drake last month in a battle of morality and ethical dilemmas. Perhaps this is DC's attempt to clean up the Robin retcon by saying Tim's encounter with Damian wasn't an actual fight that falls under the classification of "War of the Robins". But that seems a bit silly.

Nonetheless, Red Hood's turn is here. Jason Todd returns to his Gotham apartment, exhausted, only to find himself ambushed by Damian. Batman's son truly is a great character. What could have simply been a new Robin content to live a life of servitude under his father's wing has become a complex ten-year-old child leading a life of someone thrice his age. This facet of Damian was explored throughout the first eight issues of Batman and Robin, as Tomasi looked to show that Robin has problems and issues more akin to weathered assassins than his peers playing in schoolyards. Of course, Damin is 10 years old, so he's still got some insecurities that come with that age. One of which happens to be an inferiority complex when it comes to his mantle as Robin.


Damian Wayne is Bruce's only biological son, but the man has two other sons who he feels more connected with. Damian's dilemma isn't an uncommon one for children raised by a single parent - he's figuring out how to manage a relationship with the absent parent. And in this case, Damian feels that in order to prove himself to his father, he must defeat Bruce's former surrogate children.


Unlike last month, Tomasi spends a majority of this issue focused on Terminus. This slowly decaying villain has sent out a cadre of super-powered thugs to brand as many Gotham citizens as possible with Batman's symbol. Terminus has managed to turn the city's symbol of hope (no matter how dark and twisted that hope may be) into one of fear...again. At one point, Batman's just standing in a plaza, surrounded by buildings all triggered to explode at the same time. "Leave my city ALONE!" screams Batman as he has a hundred million times before. Tomasi is taking the easy way out, making Gotham the scapegoat in this pissing match riled up by Terminus for reasons unapparent so far. Sure, Tomasi threw us a bone last month with some cryptic flashbacks into Terminus' life, but they did little to give meaning to this villain's actions. All we know is that Termy sees himself as Gotham's true son and seeks to knock Batman off his high-and-mighty pedestal.


With two plot lines running simultaneously, Tomasi should be focusing on "War of the Robins", a narrative that actually has a purpose and can give real insight to Batman's various sidekicks throughout the years - it's a character-driven plot that has a lot more potential. Terminus' plot to make the city his own is one that has been done to death for the last sixty years of Batman's history, and it feels like more of a support story that's getting too much limelight.

GRADE

C+

(COMIC) BATMAN AND ROBIN #10

STORY: Peter J. Tomasi
ART: Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray

In the month after "Night of the Owls", all the Batman-related books are starting new story arcs. Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's Batman and Robin #10 might be simultaneously the most interesting and the most boring new story of the bunch. Since Big Ol' Bats already has three series dedicated to his solo outings, Tomasi has been focusing on Damian Wayne quite a bit, not only dealing with his daddy issues throughout the first arc, but also with Damian's talent for strategic battle during last month's Talon incursion. This has been a consistently smart move on Tomasi's part.

Batman and Robin #10 kicks off "Terminus", but you'd barely know it if you didn't want to. The so-called Terminus takes a far, far back seat to the issue's main events. All the same, this guy obviously has criminal intentions, and his body seems to be falling apart. Terminus spends the issue regenrating in some crazy regeneration machine. That's it. I'm sure there will be more to this, but it also doesn't seem very interesting. At this point, Terminus is just some dude who wants to kill Batman - hold the phone! No, the real meat in this issue comes from the 'War of the Robins' storyline.

Bruce has called all the Robins, former and current (except for Jason Todd, for obvious reasons), together for a family portrait at Wayne Manor. One of the best things about the Robin mantle is that there isn't one type of person who becomes Robin - they come in all shapes and sizes and personalities. Within minutes, Tim Drake and Damian are at each other's throat. Dick Grayson loftily sits above their squabble, as his position as Robin can never be questioned (he's the O.G., baby!)

The feud between Tim and Damian is interesting, mostly because it stems from simple disrespect. Whenever Batman and Superman had disagreements, they never lost respect for one another, but neither boy here regards the other in any good light. For Damian, Tim is stuck-up and looks down on Damian, while Tim feels that Damian is a psychopath and unworthy of a title he and Dick worked hard to maintain. That's pretty much the description you're going to get anywhere else. The truth of the matter is much deeper, even if Tomasi doesn't know it.

Tim Drake was the son Bruce never had. Sure, Dick was the first Robin and literally had no parents and was adopted by Bruce, but they've always had a stronger working relationship (at least in my memory. Maybe I need to go back and reread old Silver Age issues). Tim, on the other hand, was the one who figured out who Batman was, the one with the detective skills to rival Bruce's own, and the Robin that took the name from respectable to iconic. Like I said, Tim was the son Bruce never had. Until Damian. Tim's real beef is that Damian is a real Wayne and Bruce's actual son. Obviously, it's painful to see your mentor and father-figure move on to a new apprentice, a new disciple. And sure Tim left of his own accord, but he keeps the mantle Red Robin, an obvious homage to his former title which means he still has deep emotional ties to the name and the job. Dick, conversely, left and took the name Nightwing, moved to a new city and generally tried to distance himself from Batman for quite some time.

Damian, of course, lives in Tim's all-encompassing shadow. Tim held the mantle for so long and did so well, it's obvious to Damian that Bruce is looking to make Damian more like Tim. The entire first arc of Batman and Robin was about Damian's issues with his upbringing as a killer, and in a sense, he was able to make a good step forward in dealing with those issues. But Tim is always there - a constant reminder of how good a Robin can be and how lacking Damian is compared to Tim.

The night after their blow-up at Wayne Manor, Damian calls all the former Robins together, even extending an invitation to Jason Todd, the Red Hood! When they all show, Damian declares "war" on them. Damian explains that at some point, he will confront each of them and defeat them at something they consider themselves the best. Of course, they all immediately assume Damian means a fight, but the little Robin's much smarter than that! His only goal with Tim is to get Red Robin to admit he'd had homicidal thoughts. Tim rebuffs this by saying he's never acted on those thoughts, which is what separates them.

I really do tend to enjoy superhero stories where the heroes are in-fighting, and the "War of the Robins" portion of Batman and Robin #10 is totally awesome. My psychoanalytical critique aside, these characters are all awesome and now, they've got an arc slowly building that will pit them all against one another in a variety of circumstances. FANTASTIC. Terminus will probably continue to be a boring sub-plot that will eventually slip it's way into the main story, pulling the entire arc down as a result, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, awesomeness.

GRADE

A

(DC NATION) JUNE 2, 2012

Young Justice
Season 2, Episode 6
"Bloodlines"

"Your name is Tim? And yours is...Dick?" -- Beast Boy

The writers saturated "Happy New Year!" with a host of new characters. Since then, they've been slowly building up these characters - including Blue Beetle, Wonder Girl, Batgirl, Tim Drake Robin, Lagoon Boy, and others - while not really introducing any new ones. That changes this week with the arrival of Bart Allen, a.k.a. Impulse.

That's right: IMPULSE! AND HE'S VOICED BY JASON MARSDEN!

Impulse was Barry Allen's descendent and one of the founding members of Young Justice in the comics who came from the 30th century to meet his ancestor and make a name for himself in the past. Young Justice edits this backstory a bit - Bart is now Barry's grandson from a post-apocalyptic world 40 years in the future. It's some pretty heavy stuff. And if that wasn't enough, the writers finally tie up the 'Real Roy Harper' storyline. The inclusion of Impulse to the Team's lineup shows that the writers intend to stock this show full of characters - old and new - that represent the idea behind 'Young Justice'. It's not a show strictly about the team from the comics, and it's not a rehash of the Teen Titans, no matter how much it may have seemed throughout the first season. Also, Bart reveals Nightwing and Robins' secret identities to Beast Boy, who responds with the quote at the top of the review.

While Impulse might be the focus of "Bloodlines", this really is a Flash-centric episode. When mysterious new villain Neutron attacks Central City, Flash is forced to team up with Impulse and Kid Flash - coming out of early retirement for his in-costume season two debut - and later on Jay Garrick doning the iconic tin helmet and blue pants. Until the final few minutes of the episode, Neutron is your basic faceless villain in place only to get these heroes together. He wears a power suit that shoots energy, but also emits cascading rings of energy - one after the other and overlapped - so the Flashes cant run up to him. It's a pretty far-fetched premise, even for a comic book series like this. There must have been an easier way to get the speedsters working together without crazy pseudo-science. How do the energy waves dissipate?

Flash and Impulse end of creating a funnel to stop the energy waves and Neutron overloads and explodes. But his body reconstructs itself into a confused and scared man who has no idea who he is and can't control his radiation. Bart ends up curing the man of his 'metagene' affliction using science from the future before anyone can see, chalking it up to coincidence when asked about what happened by the others.

On the Red Arrow side of things, 'Ray' Harper and Cheshire are in Tibet to follow their final lead to find the read Roy Harper. The unfortunate thing about this B-story is that it's pretty small considering the amount of time dedicated to Impulse's origin story. Red Arrow and Cheshire's plot all probably takes place within a ten minute window (in YJ-universe time), while the Central City plot takes the better part of an hour or two. So while they RA/Cheshire scenes are shorter and less abundant than the Flashes, it doesn't feel like we're missing much. The duo (with their dumb baby) end of actually finding Roy Harper, missing arm and everything. It's a little anti-climactic, but there's no doubt that next week's episode will be the fallout of Roy's return.

The big 'whoa' moment of the episode was the flashback to Bart Allen's future where the world has been burned and ash fills the skies. Like I mentioned earlier, it's pretty dark. Fortunately, the writers do a little full-circle action and reveal that Neutron knows Bart in the future and it was Neutron himself - who'd rather be called Nathaniel - who supplied Bart with the means to take away his powers as Neutron.

I wrote this review extra-long this week because Green Lantern: The Animated Series has ended it's first season and there is no announcement even for a second. I'm sure there will be, as Cartoon Network plans of releasing the season one DVD, inferring that there will be more seasons. Until then, I'll keep things going with Young Justice.

GRADE:

A

(NIGHT OF THE OWLS) BATMAN ANNUAL #1

STORY: Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV
ART: Jason Fabok

While not exactly a tie-in to "Night of the Owls", Batman Annual #1 does a fantastic job of bookending the event and bringing a revised Mr. Freeze into the 'New 52' with a mixture of elegance and horror that is impossible to put down. Scott Snyder has been deftly handling Batman since the relaunch, and this first Annual really delves into the characterization of one of the Dark Knight's most notorious villains. In Red Hood and The Outlaws, we learned that Mr. Freeze invented the compound that the Court of Owls was using to resurrect their legions of Talons. It was a quick revelation, and Freeze is quickly defeated by Jason Todd and taken to Batgirl for transport to Arkham Asylum, which is where Batman Annual #1 begins.

Snyder and James Tynion IV take us six years into the past, when Victor Fries worked for Wayne Industries and hadn't become all iced out yet. Upon Bruce Wayne's return to Gotham City - after his initial globetrotting training expedition - Fries explains his research to Wayne's complete dismay. Bruce doesn't much care for cryogenics research and wants it halted in favor of newer procedures like organ vitrification. Fries is none too happy about this and fights to keep his program going, and Bruce reluctantly gives in. A short jump forward in time takes us to Fries continuing his research after Bruce finally decided to end the cryogenics work. Bruce confronts Fries and fires him, even after Fries begs on behalf of his frozen wife, Nora, who he wishes to reanimate.

The entire scenario is chilling (not to get too punny) and masterfully shows how Fries could develop a grudge against Bruce Wayne. Honestly, it's hard to spend a lot of time creating rich histories for most characters these days. More often than not, readers have to learn to love their favorite heroes while said hero is growing one issue at a time. Snyder and Tynion IV handle Mr. Freeze with such care and dedication that all I want is to read more Batman/Mr. Freeze stories. Hell, I'd even settle for a viewing of Batman: Sub-Zero.

Freeze is super-pissed at the Court of Owls, who used his compound before attempting to assassinate him (in the pages of Red Hood and The Outlaws #9). Now he just wants to retrieve Nora and get out of Gotham. Nightwing and Robin show up at Wayne Industries and switch Nora's cryogenic tank, and hold of Freeze until Batman arrives

This final confrontation between Batman and Mr. Freeze is the gut-punch point of the entire issue. Freeze is a lot more nutty than his pre-'New 52' self. Turns out, Nora isn't his wife at all! She's actually the first human ever cryogenically frozen and she was put under almost 100 years ago. Snyder and Tynion take the old Freeze mythos and make him even more demented. Of course, the man is still a scientific genius - he did invent the reanimation process, after all - but the meaning he has prescribed to his relationship with Nora is disturbing. Freeze is no longer a good man with a frozen heart, but rather a demented psychopath with a wholly perverted notion of love.

Along with his newfound neuroses, Snyder and Tynion have given Freeze more than just a biological condition and an ice gun. His skin now exudes cold and he can spit ice from his mout. While Greg Capullo's artwork in Batman has been fantastic thus far, Jason Fabok does a ridiculously good job conveying the sub-zero temperatures and all the insane new ways Freeze has at his disposal to kill people. All around, Batman Annual #1 is great - Mr. Freeze is not firmly established, not only in the 'New 52', but as a reimagined horror that has been part of Bruce Wayne's life for years.

GRADE:
A+

(THE WEEK) MAY 15-21, 2012

COMIC COVERAGE

Avengers vs. X-Men #4 (of 12)
(Hickman, Romita Jr.)
Wolverine is out of the Avengers! And his relationship with Cyclops is no better. What's next for everyone's favorite claw-snapping anti-hero? Find out!

AvX: VS #2 (of 6)
(McNiven, Gillen, Dell, Larocca)
The premier tie-in to Avengers vs. X-Men continues this week with Spider-Man vs. Colossus and Captain America vs. Gambit!


Birds of Prey #9
(Swierczynski, Foreman)
Bonus coverage as part of the "Night of the Owls" crossover event! I'll tell you if Gotham's premier all-female team fares better than Batgirl when it comes to engaging stories.
[featured as a mini-review with Catwoman #9]

Catwoman #9
(Winick, March)
Even MORE bonus "Night of the Owls" coverage following Selena Kyle as she gets her fur in a twist when owls infest her city!
[featured as a mini-review with Birds of Prey #9]

Green Lantern Corps #9
(Tomasi, Pasarin)
The "Alpha War" begins with John Stewart on trial for murder!

Justice League #9
(Johns, Lee)
Geoff Johns and Jim Lee begin their second arc, "The Villain's Journey".

Nightwing #9
(Higgins, Barrows)
This week is just chock-full of "Night of the Owls" coverage, and it continues with this month's Nightwing. More mysteries are abound when Dick meets another Talon with a connection to the Graysons.

Red Hood and The Outlaws #9
(Lobdell, Rocafort)
Last month brought Red Hood, Arsenal, and Starfire to Gotham City and "Night of the Owls" is keeping them there!

Supergirl #9
(Green, Johnson, Asrar)
Supergirl must team up with the all-new, 'New 52'-revamped Silver Banshee against the evil Black Banshee!

Wonder Woman #9
(Azzarello, Chiang)
Apollo and Ares have plans in store for Diana as she continues battling her way through Hell.


OTHER COVERAGE


DC Nation for May 5
- Young Justice Season 2, Episode 4 - "Salvage"
- Green Lantern: The Animated Series Season 1, Episode 12 - "Invasion"