THE WEEK (JAN 2-8, 2012)

FEATURED REVIEW

New Avengers #1
(Hickman, Epting)
Jonathan Hickman's Avengers is already a homerun as far as I'm concerned, so I very much am looking forward to what he's got planned for New Avengers, which he's teased as being focused on the Marvel Illuminati attempting to stop the universe from colliding with another!

Batman Incorporated #6
(Morrison, Burnham)
Things have been getting increasingly better in Batman, Inc, and it has to do with Morrison finally breaking into some plot advancement instead of muddling around in mythos and talk of legacy and destiny.

The Flash #15
(Manapul, Buccellato)
Flash was absent from Justice League#15 due to Grodd's invasion of Keystone City. That's how important Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato's "Gorilla Warfare" storyline seems to be -- that DC is cool with not having Barry hanging with the League for a while. And it makes sense because "Gorilla Warfare" is just so damn good.

Justice League Dark #15
(Lemire, Nolan)
What more can I say about Jeff Lemire's Justice League Dark other than it's one of DC's best current series. The fallout of "War for the Books of Magic" has left a void in the magic stability of the DC universe, and it's up the JLD to figure out how to get things working again.

Superman #15
(Lobdell, Rocafort)
"H'el on Earth" has been piecing itself together since Superman #13, a prologue issue that did little to build up this so-called major crossover. Scott Lobdell's narrative in Superman seems to be the primary storyline, though a lot more has been revealed and/or told about H'el -- and the story in general -- in the pages of Supergirl and Superboy thus far. Hopefully, Lobdell has something up his sleeve to really get this crossover to the next level, whatever that means.

Teen Titans #15
(Lobdell, Booth)
Finally, Teen Titans crosses over with Scott Snyder's "Death of the Family" as Red Robin has apparently been taken hostage by the Joker in Gotham City. Naturally, the team rolls out to save dear old RR, but what does that mean for a group of kids with no prior experience with the Clown Prince of Crime?

Extra! Extra!

All-New X-Men #5
(Bendis, Immonen)

Batman: The Dark Knight #15
(Hurwitz, Finch)

Red Lanterns #15
(Milligan, Sepulveda)

Talon #3
(Tynion IV, Snyder, Ryp)

THE WEEK (NOV 28-DEC 4, 2012)

FEATURED REVIEW
FF #1
(w) Matt Fraction
(p) Mike Allred
This has got to be my most anticipated 'Marvel NOW!' series besides Young Avengers. It feels like Matt Fraction and Mike Allred are creating a book that's going to be something extremely special in this day and age. Don't miss it.

Reviews

Aquaman #14
(w) Geoff Johns
(p) Pete Woods
It's the aftermath of "The Others" and an unofficial prelude to next the upcoming "Throne of Atlantis" crossover with Justice League. The effects of Black Manta and Aquaman's face-off will be covered, I'm sure, and Ocean Master is making his 'New 52' debut!

Justice League Dark #14
(w) Jeff Lemire
(p) Lee Garbett
The conclusion of "War for the Books of Magic" brought Frankenstein and Amethyst into the fold as new members of the JLD. Jeff Lemire will "pick up the pieces" from the encounter with Nick Necro and get the next exciting arc going!


Superman #14
(w) Scott Lobdell
(p) Kenneth Rocafort
Being a 'Superman' event, technically, I guess I should have assumed we wouldn't get a bulk of the "H'el on Earth" story until an actual issue of Superman. Hopefully, Scott Lobdell can shed some light onto the machinations of H'el...please.

Teen Titans #14
(w) Scott Lobdell
(p) Ale Garza
Red Robin is missing -- presumably due to the events of "Death of the Family" -- so the Titans head to Gotham to look for him. Good idea, right? Nope.

Thor: God of Thunder #2
(w) Jason Aaron
(p) Esad Ribic
Jason Aaron continues his absolutely amazing new run with Thor: God of Thunder and the menace of the God Butcher. Esad Ribic's art seriously adds a whole new level of depth to the story, and Aaron's haunting tale of three eras is riveting.


Uncanny Avengers #2
(w) Rick Remender
(p) John Cassaday
It's been eight weeks since Uncanny Avengers #1, which is a little disconcerting. This is Marvel's new flagship series, and it's second issue was nearly a month late. Fortunately, Rick Remender and John Cassaday is a team I -- and many, many other fans -- am willing to wait for. Early reviews are putting this issue on a pedestal, so hopefully it lives up to the hype.

Extra! Extra!

All-New X-Men #2
(w) Brian Michael Bendis
(p) Stuart Immonen

Batman Incorporated #5
(w) Grant Morrison
(p) Chris Burnham

Batman: The Dark Knight #14
(w) Gregg Hurwitz
(p) David Finch

The Flash #14
(w) Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
(p) Francis Manapul

Red Lanterns #14
(w) Peter Milligan
(p) Miguel Sepulveda

REVIEW: RED LANTERNS #13

(w) Peter Milligan
(p) Gabriel Sepulveda

Red Lanterns hasn't been the best book of the 'New 52', but neither is it the worst, or even close really. Giving Atrocitus and the Red Lantern Corps their own series was a risky move, but one that has paid off in terms of the world-building - the greater good, if you will. While they are indeed fueled by pure rage, and their methods absolutely include torture and murder, the Red Lanterns are still good guys, technically, out to right the wrongs in the universe. Actually, Atrocitus has been one of the more multi-faceted characters throughout the entire 'New 52'. Without any sort of focused mission or crisis to follow, the Red Lantern leader has had to deal with his personal demons throughout the series, and that's not something a lot of comic book writers get to try. Even though the results have been mixed, the fact that Peter Milligan is ready and willing to delve into the psyche of the universe's angriest living thing is impressive in it's own right.

Red Lanterns #13 brings Atrocitus and his crimson cronies into "Rise of the Third Army" in style with the best tie-in this month. It's crazy that of all the Green Lantern Family titles, it's Red Lanterns that gives readers the most information and the best story leading into the event. The issue focuses on a young inhabitant of planet Arhtky named Taya. Taya's parents are murdered by a vicious warlord named Cord who has apparently been laying waste to the planet town by town. Taya and her sister are taken prisoner, and Taya is forced to be a dancer for Cord and his men. Milligan does a fantastic job conveying Taya's growing rage through these pages, and he hits an issue high when Taya's sister is murdered simply for offering herself in exchange for Taya's innocence. These pages are simply brutal, and honestly hard to read at some points. This is all to Milligan's credit, who's been struggling to find the right niche when it comes to the essence of rage. 

Soon, the story integrates Atrocitus, Bleez, Rankorr, and new Red Lantern Skorch as they descend upon Arhtky to lay judgement upon Cord and his men. Taya is mortally wounded in the chaos, and Atrocitus explains that the Red Lantern central battery isn't yet at full enough capacity to create new rings. When the Red Lanterns 'feel' Taya's rage half a universe away, they understand that since she won't receive a ring, it's up to them to seek vengeance on her behalf. Up until this issue, Milligan was again having difficulty justifying the Red Lanterns' actions against their supposed morality. The fact that Atrocitus comes to Taya's aid is a solid example of how the Red Lanterns act as a force of justice, however ruthless it may be.

The Guardian Soldiers also happen to be on Arhtky, and Atrocitus soon learns that the eyes are the weakness. I won't go into this part of the issue any more because it's the first real introduction to the Third Army, and it's worth reading. 

If you can't tell, I was seriously and pleasantly surprised by Red Lanterns #13. The main reason I've kept up with the series is because Green Lantern is my favorite character franchise, and I just wanted to collect all the GL Family titles. Simple as that. Now, I'm truly invested in Red Lanterns.

GRADE

9/10

THE WEEK (OCT 24-30, 2012)

FEATURED REVIEW

Teen Titans #13
(w) Scott Lobdell
(p) Ale Garza
Wonder Girl is forced to fight her ex-boyfriend for control of the Silent Armor! It's time to get back to Cassie Sandsmark's origin and her connection to the Greek gods, which has been my most favorite arc of the series thus far. 

The Flash #13
(w/p) Francis Manapul and Buccellato
After a lengthy bout against the various members of the Rogues, Flash must face Gorilla Grodd and his plans to steal the Speed Force from Flash! "Gorilla Warfare" promises to be an awesome arc in Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato's already amazing run with the character.

Justice League Dark #13
(w) Jeff Lemire
(p) Mikel Janin
It's the penultimate chapter in the "War for the Books of Magic" arc that will conclude later this month in Justice League Dark Annual #1. Remember a few months ago when that mystery man took control of the House of Secrets? Well now it's House of Mystery vs. House of Secrets!

Red Lanterns #13
(w) Peter Milligan
(p) Gabriel Sepulveda
"Rise of the Third Army" continues this week as one of the Red Lanterns gets taken by the Army! Atrocitus literally just finished up saving his Corps from the darkened soul of Abysmus, and now he's got to stave off a hive-mind army guided by the Guardians of the Universe? This guy has his work cut out for him.

Extra! Extra!
A-Babies vs. X-Babies
(w/p) Various

Batman Incorporated #4
(w) Grant Morrison
(p) Chris Burnham

Batman: The Dark Knight #13
(w) Gregg Hurwitz
(p) David Finch


Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #4 of 4
(w) Darwyn Cooke
(p) Amanda Conner

Bravest Warriors #1
(w) Joey Comeau
(p) Mike Holmes

I, Vampire #13
(w) Joshua Hale Fialkov
(p) Andrea Sorrentino

X-Treme X-Men #5
(w) Greg Pak
(p)

4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (AUG 1-7)

Animal Man #12
(Lemire, Snyder, Pugh)

DC promoted Animal Man #12 as a recap of the series for new readers before Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder dive into the "Rotworld" story arc in October. Buddy Baker does reminisce about some things that have happened to him in this run, but the idea that this is a recap is somewhat of a mislead - indeed, this issue spends most of it's time uniting Animal Man and Swamp Thing, giving them each a visceral and concrete reason to help the other. It's nice that Lemire and Snyder are working together on these issues - you can even see Swamp Thing's artistic influence throughout Animal Man - for the sake of cohesion and general story advancement. Along with Swamp Thing #12, the "Rotworld Prologue" does a fine job of getting us ready for the event readers have been waiting for since each of these series started last September.

GRADE: A

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #2 of 4

(Straczynski, Kubert)

Brian Azzarello's Comedian aside, this whole Before Watchmen thing is coming along pretty well, and Nite Owl has been giving readers a lot of insight into the Watchmen's earliest days. J. Michael Straczynski's palpable take on Dan and Rorschach's relationship is spot-on, playing their different methods and pathologies against each other while also showing how their situation gets results; both Nite Owl and Rorschach had traumatic lives growing up, but it's their choices in how they dealt with that trauma that defines their adult selves and how they view the world. Kubert & Son falter this month, unfortunately, as Joe's pencilling looks severely rushed, coupled with Andy's apparent obsession with facial line work that makes characters in their mid-twenties look like they're ready to move into a home. However, the story more than makes up for awkwardly shaded breasts and Were-Nite Owl (seriously though, those face lines are everywhere!), meaning Nite Owl gets a pass this week in hopes the Kuberts can step it up next time.

GRADE: B-

Red Lanterns #12
(Milligan, Sepulveda)

For a series that's supposed to be all about rage, Red Lanterns has been wallowing in it's own pity for quite some time now - lot's of "poor me"s and "we are victims!" talk going around. Fortunately, things are looking up this month for Atrocitus and his Red Lantern Corps, as Peter Milligan finally delivers the rage-filled ones to their rightful place as a fully-powered Corps. Atrocitus' first experiment in creating the Red Lanterns, Abysmus, is finally throwing down and Atrocitus isn't taking to kindly to the beating, until Jack Moore (a.k.a. - Rankorr) shows up and ignites the spark of rage in Atrocitus once again. The Red Master grabs a 'rage seed' (or something. It's honestly not that important) from the belly of his first, hideous mistake, and uses it reboot the Red Lantern battery.

GRADE: A

4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (JULY 4-10)

Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1 of 6
(Wein, Lee)

Being a mixed bag of results thus far, Before Watchmen brings the origins of the most evil Watchman this week with a pretty comprehensive childhood flashback and the history of Ozymandias' supreme martial arts skills. Len Wein does an apt job navigating the life of Ozy, but the actual dialogue tends to sound stiff and flat. On top of that, Wein shoves a lot of plot into this one issue, which seems a bit overkill considering he's got six issues to flesh out the character. Overall, Ozymandias #1 isn't a bad read - in fact it's pretty engaging - there's just a feeling that there isn't much emotion in these characters, and that may prove to be a problem if Wein plans on attempting to make us connect with Ozy on a deeper level.

GRADE: B-

Detective Comics #11

(Daniel, Ferreira, Pansica)

Tony S. Daniel has really been letting Detective Comics slip since he ended the "Penguin" storyline and was somewhat pushed into making his title a part of "Night of the Owls". It seems as if Daniel is floundering, unsure of what direction to take the Dark Knight, resulting in a bunch of issues that feel disjointed, fractured, and (most of all) uninteresting. Mr. Toxic's introduction into the 'New 52' seemed like it would promise some fun panels, but instead we get an issue's worth of rhetoric pertaining to cloning and the way Mr. Toxic could be taking advantage of that technology. By the end of the issue, there are more questions than answers, which is just frustrating.

GRADE: C-

Dial H #3
(Mieville, Santoloucco)

To describe Dial H as confusing would be to only scratch the surface of China Mieville and Mateus Santolouco's thrilling mystery surrounding the enigmatic nature of the dials that turn people into super-powered beings. While the narrative-proper might be dodging and weaving a bit too much for the casual reader, the adventures of Nelson as he delves deeper into the conspiracy surrounding these weird dials just keeps you hooked - even when Nelson is at his most pathetic, I found myself strangely rooting for him. This is a testament to Mieville's use of specific diction and syntax to convey certain ideas, a hard feat for any type of writer. In the end, Dial H is still one of the best books you can pick up each month, not only for it's exciting narrative, but also for the distinct artwork and it's space in DC's 'New 52' universe.

GRADE: B-

Red Lanterns #11

(Milligan, Sepulveda)

This month, Peter Milligan takes us down the path to the end of the Red Lanterns, an endgame he's been working toward since the beginning of the series last September. Atrocitus' power is severely weakened, mutiny threatens his Corps from multiple directions, and now he's got a rather strong Abysmus to deal with before he can even begin to start making the Red Lanterns a forced to be reckoned with once again. It's hard to keep focused on this particular story when DC's already announced that October's issue 13 will be a crossover with the other Green Lantern-related titles for "Rise of the Third Army", signaling that the Rage Team isn't going anywhere anytime soon. While Red Lanterns isn't one of the best titles DC currently offers, it also isn't one of the worst.

GRADE: A-

World's Finest #3
(Levitz, Maguire, Perez, Cheetham)

Keeping with the theme of the first two issues in "Rebirth", Paul Levitz and George Perez bring readers another issue of World's Finest that not only reveals more about Karen and Helena's working relationship, but also gives more insight into their years since arriving from Earth 2. While the stalker-ish Hakkou is obviously a parademon from Earth 2 forced to become more intelligent to survive on Earth Prime, Power Girl and Huntress still have no idea who they're fighting, which is kind of annoying, especially seeing as Huntress is the daughter of Earth 2's Batman. The past sequence pages start making connections between the girls' operations and their effects on the DCnU, like Karen's relationship with Michael Holt. While enjoyable, World's Finest suffers from a lesser version of Earth 2's problem, which stems from having a large chunk of history to squeeze in between the current-day narrative.

GRADE: C+

NEWS: GREEN LANTERN'S "THIRD ARMY" TO RISE IN OCTOBER

On Tuesday morning, DC broke the news that Green Lantern is getting a "Night of the Owls" crossover treatment with "Rise of the Third Army", an event that will take over every GL-centric title for the month of October. For quite some time, Geoff Johns - the architect of the current GL-world status quo - has been hinting at a dark turn for the Guardians of the Universe, a group so powerful, that their corruption has become all-encompassing.


The Guardians have it coming.


For years, these little blue aliens have been consistently revealed as some of the most cold-hearted and monstrous beings in the entire universe. While many readers can see how being immortal caretakers of the entire known universe might get under one's skin after a while, Johns and the team of writers penning this saga are hoping this move to replace the Green Lantern Corps will be enough to surprise even the most skeptical of fans.

Along with the announcement came the image of four interlocking covers from each of the involved titles - Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern: New Guardians, and Red Lanterns - yet none of them feature Hal Jordan or Sinestro, two characters who have been front-and-center with Green Lantern crossovers for the last eight years. It's interesting to note that DC has placed the mysterious new Islamic GL right smack dab next to John Stewart and Guy Gardner, with Kyler Rayner and Atrocitus rounding out the edges of the widescreen image. This month starts "Revenge of the Black Hand" in Green Lantern, so it could stand to reason that Hal and Sinestro have their hands full with William Hand. That being said, it would be awkward to have a Green Lantern crossover event that only barely featured the franchise's leading man.


"Rise of the Third Army" already shows a lot of symbolism, from imperialist tyrants and their dogmatic beliefs, to the nature of authority and how we act when that hierarchy becomes corrupt. Our planet is in a very dark time and Geoff Johns seeks to mirror this failure of governments to protect and provide for their people. The Guardian's made tough decisions in the past, decisions that have come back to haunt them. But up until recently, the little blue guys always seemed somewhat regretful of their choices. Now, they're obviously clear-minded and ready to destroy the intergalactic organization they spent millennia building.


Interestingly enough, the four Green Lantern titles have spent the better part of the past year telling their own, separate stories (save for a few minor crossovers due to team-ups) as opposed to constantly being interlocked in convoluted events, such as the pattern had been up until the 'New 52' reboot. Now, Johns and his peers are set to bring all the books together in a big way: the Lanterns must fight for their very right to exist. This might sound just like any other conflict, but having the right to exist is a whole different story than some enemy just wanting to kill them. This time, the Guardians believe that the job these Lanterns have dedicated their lives to now has no meaning. It's an interesting choice of narrative direction, for sure, but if anyone can pull it off, it's Geoff Johns.

(THE WEEK) JULY 4-10, 2012 [update]

Action Comics #11
(Morrison, Morales)
- "The Death of Clark Kent" continues with the revelation of Superman's new alter-ego! And the back-up story by Sholly Fisch answers the question, "where did all those 'S' t-shirts come from?"

Animal Man #11
(Lemire, Pugh)
- The war between against the Rot was supposed to start last month, but it was more of a prelude than anything. Hopefully, this conclusion of "Extinction Is Forever" will bring about the actual warring!

Avengers vs. X-Men #7 of 12
(Fraction, Coipel)
- Matt Fraction picks up where Jonathan Hickman left us last month, with "No More Avengers!"

Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1 of 4
(Wein, Lee)
- I'm actually extra-excited for this series, as Ozy' was the villain of Moore's original Watchmen - it will be interesting to see how his past is framed.


Dial H #3
(Mieville, Santolouco)
- Nelson's situation gets a little bit better when he gains an ally! Check out one of the best series going on right now!

Earth 2 #3
(Robinson, Scott)
- Last month's thrilling cliffhanger started the cogs turning for the revamped origins of Earth 2 Green Lantern!

Justice League International #11
(Jurgens, Lopresti)
- As JLI winds down, "Breakdown" comes to a conclusion with some deaths, apparently! Let's see how DC plans on dismantling one of the best teams of the 'New 52'... :(

4-Sentence Reviews

The Cape: 1969 #1
(Hill, Ciaramella)
- Last years fantastic The Cape series surprised everyone with it's dark take on the concept of gaining powers and deciding how to use them. Now, Joe Hill takes us back in time to the Cape's origins in the thick of the Vietnam War!

Detective Comics #11
(Daniels, Benes)
- Tony Daniels announced his stepping fown from Detective Comics after issue 12, so I'll be interested to see how he handles Hypnotic and the connection to Wayne Industries before his run ends!

Powers: FBI #1
(Bendis)
- I've always been intrigued by Powers, but never took the plunge into the ongoing series. Now that it's getting a reboot at the federal level, I'd like to give it a shot and see how I like it. Who knows - maybe it'll inspire me to read the first three volumes!

Red Lanterns #11
(Milligan, Sepulveda)
- I have really covered Red Lanterns before - mostly because I cover every other GL title - but things are starting to move a little more, and I want to take a look at how things will unfold as "Rise of the Third Army" gets closer and closer.

World's Finest #3
(Levitz, Perez)
- Paul Levitz brings us a big more history from Huntress and Power Girls' last five years on Earth Prime, along with their hunt for the mysterious assassin who came through the boom tube all those years ago!

(DC NATION) MAY 26, 2012

Green Lantern: The Animated Series

Season 1, Episode 13

"Homecoming"

SAINT WALKER!!!!!!

I know I've ragged on GL: TAS before. Multiple times, actually, and with some pretty solid malice behind my words. And honestly, this show struggled for the first six or seven episodes before it really shifted into it's groove and became comfortable with Hal and Kilowog actually using their power rings. Fortunately, the latter half of this group of episodes has been getting better and better each week. Bruce Timm, the show's Executive Producer, obviously has a lot of love for Green Lantern, as evidenced by his various fan service inclusions this season like the Zamarons, the episode about killing a GL for his ring, Saint Walker, Mogo, the Thanagarians, and oh so much more. "Homecoming" is by and far the best episode of GL: TAS, marking a turning point in quality and content.

This episode, the Red Lanterns are moving in full-force toward Oa as Atrocitus has stolen the GL Interceptor, and the rest of the fleet moves toward the path through the asteroid field and into Oan space. Oh, and Hal, Kilowog, and Razer are stuck at the edge of Guardian space, and 18-month flight away from the Guardians and Oa. It's not looking too good for the Green Lanterns right now.

Hal and Razer travel to Zamaron to get help teleporting across a great distance like the Sapphire's did to Carol Ferris in "In Love and War", while Kilowog stays at the asteroid field to stave off the Red Lantern invasion fleet all by himself. Though Hal is able to travel to Earth - based on his base emotions for Carol - and therefore much closer to Oa, he loses his memory in the process. This sequence seems somewhat unnecessary since amnesia usually lasts a long time, and it takes Carol all of ten minutes - after she realizes Hal doesn't even know what a Green Lantern is - to find Hal's power battery and "reboot" him. Again, it simply feels unnecessary. Why couldn't Hal just come to Earth and fly off? That's what ended up happening anyway, it just took longer.

Kilowog, on the other hand, has a very necessary role and is soon joined by Saint Walker, complete with his new Blue Lantern ring and the ability to super-charge Green Lantern power rings. Of course, "two soliders won't change anything," as Kilowog points out. That's when Mogo shows up. Like I mentioned earlier, this is my favorite episode of the series thus far and part of it comes from this scene. Seeing Kilowog, Mogo, and Saint Walker ripping up some Red Lantern armadas was breathtaking and something that should have been on the screen years ago. It's such a compelling scene that I had to pause my DVR and just sit for a moment and think about how awesome it was.

Atrocitus succeeds by landing on Oa and nearly bringing the Guardian's to their knees. I was a bit confused by this scene at first. I kept wondering, "where are all the GL's?" Of course, they've all been sent toward the asteroid field to prepare for Atrocitus' armada. But this is a plot point that was only glossed over a few times in the past couple of episodes, and it just kind of felt like a way to get rid of the Green Lantern Corps so the animators wouldn't have to render 3,600 GL's at the same time. Salaak - the Guardians' right-hand-man/secretary/assistant - makes a fantastic appearance and even throws his computer module aside in favor of four energy daggers that seriously make Salaak cooler than he's been in years in the pages of the comic books.

I really have loved watching Green Lantern: The Animated Series grow from a childish, non-ring-having show that could be about any old space travelers, to a solid series that takes the legacy of Green Lantern and molds it into a more digestible form for a wider audience. If Blue Lanterns, Mogo, and Villius Vox as the leader of the Red Lanterns doesn't excite you for second season (which, at the time of this writing, hasn't been announced), then this just might not be the show for you. If space odysseys, the Rainbow Brigade, and action is your thing, I'll see you right here when season two begins!

GRADE:
A+

Young Justice

Season 2, Episode 5

"Beneath"

So far, what's made Young Justice: Invasion compelling has been the deft way the writers balance the A and B stories each episode. In the first season, there was a group of six main characters to follow, so splitting them up was usually confined to one-on-one interactions. This season, however, the extended cast gives writers room to create diverse teams that can be interchanged whenever they want. At the same time, more characters means more character development, which is never a bad thing. This week, Blue Beetle stars in his own solo adventure, while the Team's female furies - Miss Martian, Bumblebee, Batgirl, and Wonder Girl - gather to investigate one of Queen Bee's many illegal military compounds for signs of alien technology.

The girls, the girls.

Jaime Reyes' background has been tweaked a bit (as seen in last week's "Salvage"), but he's still the same character at his core - constantly fighting with the voice of the Scarab in his head. This episode, though, Jaime spends little time as Blue Beetle, instead forced to keep the Scarab at bay as he attempts to investigate the disappearance of his friend, Ty. It's not the most interesting plot, but it's nice to see any character in street clothes and it gives Jaime more personality that simply being the crazy kid who seems like he talks to himself.


On the other side of the globe, the girls' mission in Bialya takes a turn for the worse when Wonder Girl is spotted and taken down by a group of metahumans led by Psimon - who was thought to be safely under watch in an induced coma. Again, this is not a very plot-heavy tale. I would even argue that it was simply a narrative designed to bring the female members of the Team together in some meaningful way. There didn't need to be a very deep story, so there wasn't.


Overall, this might be one of the weaker episodes of the season plot-wise, but as far as fan service and character inclusions, this one's a winner.

GRADE:

B-

(DC NATION) APRIL 21st, 2012

*Apologies for missing (DC NATION) last weekend. I could say it was because there was a family emergency or some work thing, but the truth is that I simply forgot. Again, sorry for the missed week!*


Young Justice
Season 1, Episode 26
"Auld Acquaintances"

When Cartoon Network put Young Justice on a four month hiatus to prepare for 'DC Nation', it irked many fans. Primarily, people were upset because the first season was being cut in half, a mistake very prevalent in this final episode. What made this first season so great was the overarching storyline involving 'The Light' - some unseen entity/group that was controlling the villains connected to the Justice League and, by proxy, the Team. The writers did a fantastic job of creating self-contained episodes that all connected to a single endgame. By splitting the airing of episodes by a large amount of time, a lot of the momentum the show had built on the first 2/3 of the season was lost on the final run of nine.

The good news is, this is stilla fantastic episode of Young Justice. Last week, Vandal Savage was revealed to be one of the masterminds behind the mole within the Team, Red Arrow. Turns out ol' Roy Harper isn't actually Roy Harper at all, but a clone created and programmed by Cadmus Labs. Savage (and Klarion) have taken the entire Justice League hostage using Starro mind-control technology. Though it's never actually explained, it can be inferred that the tech comes from the alien Starro, famous for once taking control of Superman in the comics (and in "The Call, Part 1 & 2" from the Batman Beyond animated series). Savage goes on a little 'info dump' monologue explaining the season's worth of events and how they all connect back to him.

Vandal Savage sports some tiger claw scratches...? and some giant lips. whoa.

What makes this finale less than satisfying is the anti-climactic end. In conversation, Aqualad explains how it's a miracle that S.T.A.R. Labs was able to create an antidote to the Starro-tech, thus allowing the Team to fee the League of Savage's control. With such a build-up to the use of this mind-control against the Justice League, you'd think the writers would give more than (technically only) half an episode to the fight against the world's most powerful superheroes. Also, Clone-Roy's mini-breakdown is a little too 'mini' and fast-paced to feel authentic. Within minutes, it seems, the clone has come to terms with the grand questions of life and has resolved to find the real Roy Harper. It just feels forced, and that's always a bad thing when it comes to superheroes.

And then, we see a group of villains - led by Ra's al Ghul - breaking into Cadmus to steal not only the psychopathic first attempt at a Superboy, but the real Roy Harper as well (apparently sporting an amputated arm). This little vignette is necessary after Savage and Klarion escape and the immortal man explains how all this was just "phase one".

GRADE:

B+

Green Lantern: The Animated Series

Season 1, Episode 8

"Fear Itself"

After last week's stellar "Reckoning", I was hoping Green Lantern: The Animated Series would start some sort of roll and air a string of great episodes. I was half-right. While this week's "Fear Itself" doesn't devolve all the way back to the likes of "Into the Abyss", it also doesn't have as much awesome ring-play and Red Lantern action as "Reckoning" did.

Bruce Timm & Co. did something in "Feat Itself" that many TV shows - no matter if they're for kids or adults - neglect to address: food. Hal and Kilowog are stuck in deep, deep space with no means of receiving supplies from Oa, or any Lantern at all for that matter. In their efforts to secure rations, Hal lands the Interceptor on a planet that seems to have edible stuffs for them. Hal and Kilowog separate immediately because 'Wog wants to follow his nose while Hal wants to use a fancy machine Aia made for them. It's the stupidest, most forced reason to separate these two Green Lantern Corps members with (supposedly) years of training and experience that would tell them to stay together on a new planet.

Hal has a grilled cheese sandwich....from a can.

Maybe part of my beef with Green Lantern: TAS is that instead of employing actual stories from Green Lanterns 60+ years of history, the writers insist on jamming cliched kid show storylines into narratives about space cops with the most powerful weapon in the universe. It doesn't really work. This week, the cliche conflict comes when Hal and Kilowog meet the two species occupying the planet. Hal's species mines the yellow crystals that caused the GL rings to stop working. This jellyfish-like race of mutes feeds on the yellow crystals, but they also know that it's harmful to other living things. Kilowog, on the other hand, meets the more sentient-seeming race that thinks the jellyfish are out to get them, trying to steal their crystals, which they become dependent upon for a variety of uses. Soooooo forced.

It comes down to a misunderstanding made violent by the ogre-looking race's use of the yellow crystals, which technically poisons their minds and makes them go nuts. So obviously, Hal and Kilowog fight a bit before Hal is finally able to get through to him. Another cliche. Unless GL: TAS takes a hard right turn and starts up with some inter-connected episodes and Red Lantern business, I'll stop watching this show.........who am I kidding? I love Green Lantern and I'm going to keep watching whether it gets better or stays the mediocre series it seems to be content with being right now.

GRADE:

C

Monthly Recap: January 2012

Monthly Recap




January 2012

***SPOILERS AHEAD***
The first month in 2012 has been a somewhat hit-or-miss for DC's 'new 52' titles. While previously strong titles like Action Comics and Resurrection Man suffered slight hiccups, other strong titles such as Batman and Green Lantern kept their momentum and readers' attention.

Red Lanterns saw an interesting turn as it gave some back story to some of the lesser-known members of the Corps that feels only rage. Doing this allows for more ranged storytelling, possibly in an 'A-story, B-Story' style that could intertwine or connect with other Green Lantern-related books.

In Supergirl, Kara flies back to Krypton hoping to find something where there is nothing. Frustrated and confused, she is approached by a mysterious warrior calling herself Reign. After a brief fight, she reveals herself to be a living weapon of mass destruction searching for the same answer - the reason for Krypton's destruction - as Kara. We're left with Supergirl unconscious in the dead city of Argo floating around a dead sun.

One of the most underrated books of the 'new 52' is Blue Beetle. While it sometimes comes across as cheesy and/or unconvincing in terms of adolescent behavior, it provides a solid tale of a teenager coming to possess powers he can't fully comprehend. While it's an obvious attempt to mimic Marvel's success with Ultimate Spider-Man (which creates an even bigger connection now that Ultimate Spidey is also Hispanic), Blue Beetle offers an integral part of DC mythology with a great multi-cultural setting. As the intergalactic legion responsible for the creation of the Blue Beetle scarab comes searching for their missing unit on Earth, they get called to join the invasion fleet heading to attack the Blue Lantern home world of Odym, a war promised to be covered starting in Green Lantern: New Guardians #10 this coming June. It's a great one-off to a future event that promises to be a great read.

Red Hood and The Outlaws is a fun read. While not as coherent as some of the other Batman-related books (and I use this connection in the loosest sense), Jason Todd's journey as Red Hood joined by Arsenal and Starfire is pure comic fun. Poised as DC's "renegade" superheroes, this 'team' operates purely out of self-motivation and personal conflict. And while they're sometimes targeted by outside forces, it's usually about them. This month, the Outlaws didn't do much, but Red Hood gets a good shot in the nuts about who he's fighting and why.

Overall, DC had a good showing this month. With the announcement of the Second Wave of New 52 titles, I'm interested to see how their inclusion will shake things up.

Analysis: Green Lantern in the New 52

Analysis




Green Lantern in the New 52


Green Lantern is my favorite superhero. Part of what led me to the character was that my favorite color growing up was green and Green Arrow was too much like Robin Hood. The other part came after reading "Emerald Knights", a Kyler Rayner-era arc involving Kyle being thrown back in time to the days when Hal Jordan was the Green Lantern of Sector 2814.

Kyle meets the Corps, a sight he'd never been given the chance to witness, before the Guardians demand his immediate return to the future, as time travel is obviously dangerous. Hal gets accidentally sent forward in time and has to come face-to-face with his crimes against the Corps when he donned the name Parallax.

In the end, Hal learns to accept his fate, and becomes a stronger person for it. For continuity's sake, Hal's mind is wiped upon his return to the past. Kyle, John Stewart and Guy Gardner all remember the events, but it's more of a moot point by the end of the story.

The reason I wanted to summarize "Emerald Knights" is because I feel like it really conveyed something that Green Lantern has been missing for some time: character growth. Ever since Green Lantern: Rebirth, which was a fantastic return for Hal Jordan into the world of the living, good ol' GL has had a rather tumultuous run. After Geoff Johns left the title, writing duties were passed around from arc to arc, creating a rather splintered perspective on the Emerald Warrior. The second volume of Green Lantern Corps fared much better, partly because it could be more character-based.

Then came "Sinestro Corps War", "Blackest Night", "Brightest Day" and "War of the Green Lanterns", perpetual events that have dominated the past five years of Green Lantern stories and have thus left Hal Jordan a mere shell of the character he used to be. Instead of spending time focusing on things like Hal's second chance at life, earning the trust of the Corps and his friends again, and becoming better than before, Johns and Company saturated the franchise in mythology.

Now, I'm all for a rich mythology. Johns' work in Rebirth was a perfect blend of modern writing with a new mythology that retroactively worked to create a compelling story. Apparently, Johns saw this as free reign to totally whip up an expanded history for the Green Lantern Corps and more specifically the faults and failures of the Guardians of the Universe. Again, I enjoyed every last bit of GL lore thrown at me from the last half-decade, but as a new reader, it can be nigh impossible to break in without doing weeks of reading (or a week, if you're dedicated.)

Which is why I was actually disappointed in the Green Lantern presence in DC's new 52. Four books feature characters primarily connected to Green Lantern: Green Lantern v5, Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern: New Guardians, and Red Lanterns. Nearly all of GL's continuity from the pre-new 52 universe has carried over. It makes sense, seeing as "Blackest Night", "Brightest Day" and "War of the Green Lanterns" collectively took three years to tell and it would be a damn shame to flush it all down the toilet the moment it wrapped up. Also, "Blackest Night" was DC's most popular event of the past ten years, so they sure as hell didn't want to alienate all the new readers brought it by that story.

Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps pick up exactly where they ended in their previous runs. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if it was revealed that some of the work done for the scrapped "War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath" was used in these issues. Even New Guardians and Red Lanterns sees their main characters as they are immediately after the events of the "War."

I still love Green Lantern, and no amount of new mythology will change that. It's a bit unfortunate that the character didn't receive an awesome reboot treatment like Aquaman or Superman. Fortunately, Hal Jordan no longer has a ring, Kyle Rayner is intertwined in some weird new super-group made up of Lanterns from each color Corps, while John and Guy are holding down the fort in their own title. This is the chance writers have to tell interesting stories without having to resort to cosmic events to do so.