JUSTICE LEAGUE #13

(w) Geoff Johns
(p) Tony S. Daniel
(i) Richard Friend and Batt

It's not often that Geoff Johns takes a breather. Usually, the man is constructing some massive arc that has major ramifications for the entire DCnU, and then some. It's not a bad quality at all. In fact, Johns' ability to make nearly anything he writes feel epic is what makes him such an amazing storyteller. For the past 13 months, Johns has worked magic with Justice League, a series that many journalists have criticized for having a lackluster opening arc and a mediocre second. Here's the thing - nothing is perfect, not even the Justice League. Fanboys - and increasingly, journalists - are becoming hardened against different interpretations of established continuity, no matter the situation. Why does it matter that Hal Jordan is a huge jerk? Why can't that be part of the variety of personalities on the team? Is it really a huge deal that only three members of the League appear in the first issue, even though it's the beginning of an origin story that spans six issues? Are we that jaded against change? Sure, Hal says annoying things from time to time, but I'd rather have him cracking bad jokes every once in a while than a set of seven perfect examples of human ingenuity and dedication who say the right thing every time.

Justice League #13 starts a three-issue arc focusing on the Cheetah, a classic Wonder Woman villain reimagined with a much better backstory. I mentioned Johns' penchant for the grandiose earlier because this issue proves how well he can write a smaller-scale narrative, as well. This isn't a planet-wide threat, or even a nation-wide one - "The Secret of the Cheetah" is a personal tale about Wonder Woman and Cheetah's past. It's also about a team willing and ready to help their fellow teammate without a moment's hesitation. Cheetah is largely considered to have been Wonder Woman's arch-enemy in the pre-'New 52' universe, so it makes sense that Diana's relationship with Cheetah cuts deeper than the team could know. Johns is applying his multi-layered narrative style to a more minimal stage, resulting in heavy interpersonal relationships and emotionally-driven plot advancement.

Tony S. Daniel is stepping in for a few issues before Ivan Reis and Joe Prado take over in a few months, and his style is a breath of fresh air. Jim Lee was doing some great issues for the first few months of the 'New 52', but the quality steadily feel through the summer and into the fall. It's nice to see more crisp detail and solid inking, and honestly, the artwork goes a long way in making Justice League #13 such a good issue. 

And while DC's website claimed that Johns' "Shazam" back up was still happening, in actuality, it's a story penned by Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire about Steve Trevor and Oliver Queen. Trevor is done working for A.R.G.U.S., and decides to drink himself into a stupor when Ollie Queen shows up to deliver some bad news that looks to be of some importance in the upcoming Justice League of America starting next year.

GRADE

8/10

TEEN TITANS #0

STORY: Scott Lobdell
ART: Tyler Kirkham and Batt

Just like with Superboy #10, Scott Lobdell proves with Teen Titans #0 that he's not completely inept at writing the characters he's been given. For this "Zero Month" issue, Lobdell gives us the origin of Tim Drake, better known as Red Robin: former protege of Batman. A few months ago, Lobdell shocked the fan base at San Diego ComicCon by announcing that Tim Drake was never an official 'Robin' of Batman's. Instead, Tim's been Red Robin since he became a caped crusader. In essence, Lobdell majorly altered the character history of arguably the most iconic Robin of them all (at least, on par with Dick Grayson) - this was a big pill for fans of the third Robin to swallow. But putting aside comic book fanaticism, it really doesn't make that much of a difference - Tim still fills the 'Robin' roll at Batman's side, his costume is basically an all-red Robin get-up, and he eventually moves on to let another youngster take the sidekick roll. The truly interesting thing about Teen Titans #0 is how well Lobdell reinvigorates a character who was more or less a carbon copy of Bruce and Dick when he was originally introduced.

Tim Drake is now a prodigy in both the physical and mental arenas. He excels at all intellectual projects, has the potential to be on the US Olympic gymnastics team, enjoys a completely happy home life, and impresses everyone he meets...and that's the problem. After observing Tim in person, Bruce rightfully decides that Tim doesn't shouldn't be Robin. Dick Grayson and Jason Todd came into the roll of Batman's sidekick because their lives had been shattered and broken, same as Bruce years and years ago at the hands of Joe Chill. Tim Drake's life couldn't be better - he's got a bright future and his parents love him. There's literally no reason for him to be Robin. But of course, Tim has a secret obsession with Batman's secret identity.

This is where Tim goes from being a Golden Child to being a multi-faceted character who has a huge flaw: pride. After falling into Bruce's trap by following set-up clues, Tim gets scolded by the Batman who tells him to lay off and just enjoy his life. Unsatisfied with that response, Tim uses his exceptional hacking skills to steal the Penguin's fortune. If this behavior seems alarming and odd, well, it is. Tim's meeting with the Bat didn't discourage him so much as it validated his actions - Tim took the next step in his fight against crime without Batman's consent because Batman even bothered to meet him at all. Lobdell has done good work in making Tim fundamentally different from Dick and Jason before him. His pride in himself becomes his weakness. Now, this wouldn't be a Batman-related story without at least some tragedy. The hacking stunt causes the Penguin to put out a hit on Tim and his parents.

Tim's parents don't die. Lobdell avoids his pitfall and instead puts the Drakes into the witness protection program. The twist comes when Tim is left behind in Gotham - as a perceived orphan at this point - to have the chance at good and successful life he wouldn't get being forced to hide who he is in witness protection. The end result is that even though he's seen and treated as Bruce Wayne's orphaned son, Tim's parents are still alive. Somehow, this is going to tie into future stories, whether it be the upcoming "Death of the Family" crossover (which would make a lot of sense, considering the familial elements at play in this issue), or future arcs.

All in all, Teen Titans #0 is fantastic. Scott Lobdell's writing usually leaves a lot to be desired for me, as a reader and a critic. This month, though, he really stepped up his game and gave a solid origin story for Tim Drake that may not be what hardcore fans wanted, but manages to change the character enough to make him interesting again.

GRADE

B+

GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #12

STORY: Tony Bedard
ART: Tyler Kirkham and Batt

In college, there were many times when I would listen to an entire lecture and find that, even though I had taken notes, I really couldn't remember what was said. I get a similar sensation from Green Lantern: New Guardians, a series that has thrown a lot at readers, none of which seems to result in anything truly meaningful. The first arc was about finding out who brought the team together, but instead led into the "Invictus" arc dealing with the Angel of Vega's Orrery, the solar system-sized space station intended to replace the Vega System, which Invictus believed to be corrupted by Larfleeze. Unfortunately, there wasn't any real conclusion to that arc either. Now, in it's 12th issue, New Guardians needs to be making more strides than it has. It's time Tony Bedard started connecting all the dots and revealing the bigger picture. What we get instead is a meaningless showdown with Invictus, fluffed up revelations about Sayd the Guardian's intentions with the various rings, and the team members all going their separate way. I give Bedard points for effort; he has a lot of ideas that could indeed lead to something more in the future. But I was expecting answers this month and none came.

There's been an alarming amount of indirection in the pages of Green Lantern Family books since the 'New 52' relaunch last September. And really, New Guardians now leads the pack with a "conclusion" issue with no resolutions at all. Continued from last month, Kyle confronts Sayd about killing various colored Lanterns to secure rings in her efforts to create the "New Guardians". In true comic book style, Saint Walker and Fatality force Kyle to back off until the ever-looming Invictus can be dealt with. Most of the issue is spent on the fight with Invictus, who seems to be a lot less powerful than he was four issues ago. Seriously, that's a huge oversight in this arc - Invictus' power fluxes from godly down to 'easy enough to beat in ten pages' very abruptly. The Weaponer's move this issue - that's sure to have ramifications in coming issues - causes Invictus' downfall, so it wasn't even really a victory for the Rainbow Brigade.

New Guardians has been lauded as one of the most underrated team books in DC's current lineup. It's surprising, really, when you've got amazing books like Demon Knights and Red Hood and The Outlaws that really do reinvent the team dynamic for a new age. New Guardians, on the other hand, tends to drift toward the cliche more than the innovative. Sure, Invictus is a cool villain, but he's done now, without ever really fleshing out his potential as an ongoing villain. It's frustrating, as the 'New 52' is supposed to be about bringing new ideas into the fold. Kyle's pep talk is a high point of this issue, but it's definitely not enough to be emotionally impactful, and the fact that the other members leave the team anyway is evidence to that fact.

These days, Green Lantern books are all about the future, which makes sense with "Rise of the Third Army" coming in October and November, but it can be off-putting to continually buy issues that are only leading to something else. I'm all for proper build-up and development, but when actual plot is sacrificed to create a trumped-up prelude, things start getting annoying.

GRADE

C

(COMIC) GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #10

STORY: Tony Bedard
ART: Tyler Kirkham and Batt

I find myself finally admitting it to myself: Green Lantern: New Guardians is the best GL book in DC's 'New 52'. Hal Jordan and Sinestro's troubles in Green Lantern are getting long in the tooth, and Green Lantern Corps is similarly going nowhere pretty slowly. Kyle Rayner, on the other hand, has had run-ins with an intergalactic angel, Blue Beetle in New York City, and now the Reach as they invade planet Odym, homeworld of the Blue Lantern Corps. Last month's beginning saw one of the Blue Lanterns lose hope, falling to his death out of sheer despair.


Tont Bedard has done a fantastic job handling all the characters in the pages of Green Lantern: New Guardians. Not only does he have to juggle the seven members of the Rainbow Brigade (Kyle, Arkillo, Fatality, Munk, Glomulus, Bleez, and Saint Walker), but this issue throws in most of the Blue Lantern Corps, the various Reach soliders (some of which were featured in the pages of Blue Beetle), and now the Qwardian Weaponer. 


DC kind of misled readers a bit in their preview blurb about the issue stating that the 'New Guardians reunite to save Odym!' In fact, Bleez, Glomulus, and Munk are all absent. Bleez is dealing with her own drama in the pages of Red Lanterns, Glomulus was disintegrated in Blue Beetle #9, and Munk is standing with his tribe in Green Lantern. So, it's a 'reunion' of Kyle, Arkillo, Fatality, and Saint Walker, which ain't so bad - besides Arkillo, the other three are considered the "good" Lanterns of the New Guardians. Other than this misdirect, the issue is quite enjoyable.


The Reach has basically already won as this issue opens. Kyle Rayner sees that Odym is already halfway cocooned and tries to reason with Saint Walker to not sacrifice his Blue Lanterns to a lost cause. Of course, the Blue Lanterns of Hope don't really understand the meaning of "lost cause", and they show it by uniting their rings into a single wave that they use to free the Reach soldiers from the scarabs fused to their spines. Many of the Reach begin to see the horrors they've unleashed, while others resist and continue fighting.


I'm a little worried about the direction Bedard is taking Green Lantern: New Guardians. The invasion of planet Odym feels like it should have warranted something like four or five issues, but alas, Bedard only gives it two. And while NG is definitely the best Green Lantern title currently running, it still feels broken and fragmented - not necessarily within individual issues, but in the overall narrative flow and how each story segues into another. It rarely feels natural and often happens suddenly, without much explanation until much, much later.


By the end, Saint Walker recognizes the source of all the New Guardians' troubles; the person who led the Reach to Odym, a world that's virtually undetectable; the one whose actions have ripple awful consequences for the entire universe: Larfleeze. Agent Orange went from being a monster to comic relief, and now - it seems - criminal mastermind, manipulating those around him to get what he wants.

GRADE

B

(COMIC) GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #9

STORY: Tony Bedard
ART: Tyler Kirkham and Batt

Green Lantern: New Guardians is the least straightforward of any GL-related titles in DC's 'New 52.' Hal Jordan and Sinestro are battling the Indigo Tribe, while Guy Gardner and John Stewart are getting ready for an Alpha Lantern incursion. Kyle Rayner, on the other other hand, is on his own, cut off from Oa and forced to ally with the other colored Lanterns in a string of events that's been somewhat hard to follow, but enjoyable nonetheless. After an initial arc where the Rainbow Brigade is pitted against galactic archangel Invictus, subsequent issues have focused on individual characters rather than the ensemble cast.

This month, the Reach has arrived Odym - the Blue Lantern homeworld - and plan to drain it's natural resources. The Reach is the alien cult responsible for the beetle Scarab that attached itself to Jaime Reyes in the pages of Blue Beetle. In fact, every member of the Reach wears a blue scarab that takes control of the host and turns he/she/it into a living weapon at the disposal of this galaxy-conquering parasitic force.

Saint Walker is revered as a demi-god on Odym - all of the new Blue Lantern recruits idolize him as The Blue Lantern, the first of their kind. It's not too far off base, as Walker has proved his tenacity over and over again. When the Reach invades, Walker is who they look to as their leader, and he takes the mantle with conviction.

One of the best scenes of the entire issue comes from a new character, Shon. A relatively new Blue, Saint Walker sends Shon off-planet to find a Green Lantern so the Blue Lanterns can use their rings offensively. When young Shon finds that the foot solider blitzkrieg was just a diversion for the 'cocooner' machines wrapping the entire planet in the Reach's control, he loses hope and his ring. With a cold, "HOPELESS", the ring flies off Shon's finger and drops him to his death. It's a harrowing scene that drives home the idea that the Reach is not to be messed with.

It's hard to make beetle-men seem intimidating, but Tony Bedard does a fantastic job of keeping the pace steady and giving more information on a need-to-know basis. Tyler Kirkham's art is spectacular in conveying the hopelessness of the Blue Lanterns' defense against the Reach. This GL: NG / Blue Beetle semi-crossover looks to be very interesting, not only from a narrative standpoint, but also for it's ramifications on the DC universe in general!

GRADE:

B+

(COMIC) GREEN LANTERN - NEW GUARDIANS #7

Written by Tony Bedard
Artwork by Tyler Kirkham and Batt

Green Lantern stories have a way of sneaking up on you. With eons of history in which to place new ideas, GL titles tend to introduce a new, mysterious threat that eventually gets explained near the end of the arc. While this sounds like a general storytelling technique, it's used abundantly for GL tales with good reason. Green Lantern: New Guardians #7 starts the 'wrap-up' phase of it's first arc by giving the readers a little history on Invictus and how he fits into the Lantern mythology.

Quick history lesson: Millions of years ago, Larfleeze - the Orange Lantern - attacked the Vega system and it's protectors, the Angels of Vega. After discovering he couldn't steal the Angels' souls to use as orange constructs, Larfleeze slaughtered all the Angels, their souls merged into their lone surviving brother, Invictus. In their final battle, Larfleeze cast Invictus into another universe where he stayed trapped for eons.

Tony Bedard's history of Invictus finally gives some context for the galaxy-inspired orrery ship. In his grief, the lone Angel built a new Vega system for himself in the universe of exile, complete with genetic copies of the species that inhabited the various planets.

The story of the Angels of Vega points to Larfleeze as the culprit behind the creation of the New Guardians. In a somewhat annoying info dump, Kyle Rayner explains how Larfleeze was the one who stole the various-colored rings and sent the team on their mission to kill Invictus. The manic-depressive Invictus finally shows some restraint and decides to not replace the current Vega system with his copy. How nice! Instead, he wants Kyle to kill Larfleeze. Who's ready for next month's issue? This guy.

GRADE:

B-

(REVIEW) Green Lantern: New Guardians #6

Written by Tony Bedard
Artwork by Tyler Kirkham, Batt, and Nei Ruffino

It's just another day for the Rainbow Rangers. After last month's rather weird foray into the...artificial solar system...this issue is all about the fightin'. At the end of issue five, we see a priest incur the wrath of Invictus, some sort of guardian god. I'll argue that they should have thought up a better name - maybe not one used as the title of a rather recent hit movie. Nonetheless, Invictus is a beast. And while us loyal readers are still nowhere near anything resembling a plot, it's fun to see the Rainbow Rangers together, slinging rings and kicking ass.

Invictus shows up to bring the pain to the ring-bearers, who he claims are "Sinners!" whose darkness can be defeated by his light. As the fight plays out, he doesn't seem to be wrong. One by one, the Lanterns fall to Invictus' power as he lays waste to their constructs. The only hint of a storyline still lies in Glomulus and his orange tint acting as a spark for violence. Invictus sees Glommy and immediately starts babbling about the orange beast and his power.

I really wish there was more to write about, but that's pretty much it - Invictus beatin' up on Lanterns. By the looks of it, next month might give us some insight as to what's going on, but for now, it's still a mystery and damn frustrating one at that. Art-wise, things are still a clean and crisp as ever. I noticed some weird coloration in Kyle Rayner's hair from time to time, but other than that, things were looking good.

Review: Green Lantern - New Guardians #5

Review




Green Lantern: New Guardians #5
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Tyler Kirkham and Batt

This title is all sorts of a mess. First of all, it's called New Guardians, which would imply that they are similar, in at least some respect, to the current Guardians of the Universe. This is not so. Second, with five issues under his belt, Tony Bedard still can't make up his mind about the direction of the title. And lastly, it feels nearly like a chore to read through the pages and pages of nothing but dialogue.

Let's start with the 'Guardians' part. I don't know if DC just couldn't decide on a better name, or if there will eventually be some crazy awesome connection to the original Guardians, but right now, there doesn't seem to be any discernable reason why the book should be called New Guardians. Others might see this as a trifle and simply move past it to analyze the content inside. I feel like the title is a misdirect, and one that keeps me from fully understanding the characters' actions.

The 'story' thus far in New Guardians has been that everyone attacks Kyle Rayner, then they all go to Oa (only to get kicked off), then they go out in space a bit before running into a solar-system sized spaceship. It's an alliteration that might sound cool, but in effect looks like a universal mobile. And in this fifth issue, we're introduced to the (apparent) villain, Invictus. As some sort of 'sun god', Invictus literally wakes up from sleeping in the sun to come bring some pain to those who bear the Mark of the Beast. Turns out the beast is...Larfleeze? And these people are pissed because little ol' Glomulus is puttering about? Seriously? I just don't know where Bedard is going and it's becoming a little frustrating trying to guess.

While this books should be awesome, showcasing huge battles involving all the different Corps members, we're instead treated to Kyle & Friends Wax Poetic about Life, Power Rings and Bein' Gangsta. The different plot elements seem placed simply to allow the characters to go on and on about their problems, plans or insults. It's all pretty boring.

One good thing about this issue was the banter between Kyle and Glomulus, one of Larfleeze's more popular constructs and possibly the cutest villain in DC history. Glommy and Kyle start getting into conversation and Glomulus' very nature - as simply a construct or a living, thinking being - comes into question.

I want to like this book. I love Green Lantern and Kyle is my all-time favorite GL, so I keep reading, sticking it out hoping that things will get better. Fortunately, this month's Blue Beetle promised a pretty awesome new arc starting with issue #10. Here's hoping things get better by June.


Grade: C-