Teen Titans #19

(w) Scott Lobdell and Tony Bedard     (a) Eddy Barrows

I don't even know where to start.


** SPOILERS AHEAD **


What a mess of an issue. Seriously. Was Scott Lobdell just trying to throw everything that came into his head directly into Teen Titans #19? It's got the full team (minus Skitter, whom I'll remember but Lobdell certainly wont), plus appearances by Psimon, Raven, Beast Boy, and the evil demon, Trigon. Yes, it makes sense for Raven to be floating around seeing as she's Trigon's daughter, but beyond that, nothing in Teen Titans #19 has any semblance of cohesion.

Let me back up.

The ONLY good part about this issue is the revelation that Wonder Girl's father is none other than Lennox from the pages of Wonder Woman. It makes sense, and it finally makes a decent connection between Cassie Sandsmark and the Olympians. But it's only one panel, and it's not really a revelation because Cassie can't see Trigon's imagination. So basically, the audience now knows who Cassie's father is (if you've been reading Wonder Woman and shame on you if not), thereby achieving some fairly freshman-grade dramatic irony.Oh-la-la. Also, Scott Lobdell's inexplicable obsession with inner monologue is tempered quite a bit by Tony Bedard's co-scripting. Thank you, Tony.

Now let's talk about the bad.

First, we get a guest appearance from Beast Boy after the events of The Ravagers #12. For those of you who haven't read that particular issue, don't worry; it hasn't been released yet. So basically, disregard Beast Boy because his inclusion is based on events that haven't technically taken place yet, and he's not all that important to the story anyway.

Next, let's talk about Psimon. He's was a B-list villain (at best) before the 'New 52', but now, he's more like a flunky because Scott Lobdell has turned him into a sniveling, angst-ridden teenager who gets pouty when everything doesn't go his way. I suppose in an unintentionally metafictional sense, Psimon is a great interpretation of a teenage super villain, but that doesn't change the fact that he's just an asshole and all I wanted to do was get past any time he was in-panel. Oh, and there's a part where Beast Boy and Psimon battle until their powers "cancelled each other out" which makes no sense because one has mental psychic abilities while the other has physical shapeshifting. In what world do those two things coincide? My brain hurts.

None of this is to mention Scott Lobdell's dialogue, which I (think I) know is his because it's so much more awkward sounding than the stuff Bedard wrote. Like when Kid Flash is a huge prick after saving Superboy and says, "The words you're looking for are 'thank' and 'you'!" It's a minor complaint, but when has Kid Flash ever used more words than necessary? He's a speedster that gets things done quickly. Or the gem from Raven; "Why do humans visit such harm upon their children?" Well, first off, that's terrible diction. Visit? Sure it works, but it just sounds really dumb. And that's not even taking into account that fact that humans, technically, really didn't do any of this to these kids. It was Harvest, REMEMBER?!?!?! So why is the human race being judged?

Teen Titans #19 is another issue of terribleness from Scott Lobdell. Tony Bedard's co-scripting helped out, but there's little to be achieved by putting duct tape on a giant engine made of random parts that barely works and is constantly on the brink of completely falling apart.

Oh, and Red Robin is still being a huge dick for no reason whatsoever.

GRADE

3/10

Green Lantern: New Guardians #19

(w) Tony Bedard     (a) Andres Guinaldo and Raul Fernandez

I have a 'love/hate' relationship with Green Lantern: New Guardians. Well, more of a 'like/get-annoyed-at' relationship. Whether I enjoy it or not depends on the issue. For a series without a cohesive direction, Tony Bedard has been working hard to do justice by Kyle Rayner, the leader of this merry band of 'New Guardians'. It's been an up-and-down situation since day one, but that's just something I've come to expect.


** SPOILERS AHEAD**


Green Lantern: New Guardians #19 is one of the good issues. "Wrath of the First Lantern" is finally starting to gain some weight as Volthoom's manipulation of reality has resulted in the destruction of Korugar, Sinestro's home planet. Kyle and Star Sapphire Carol Ferris' search for Hal Jordan brings them to Sinestro, who is lamenting the death of his planet. In a desperate attempt to poke fate, Sinestro demands that Kyle use his newly harnessed White Lantern power to bring Korugar back to life.

Say what?!?

Grief is a powerful emotion (one that isn't part of the spectrum...yet) that easily consumes Sinestro. But unlike Wolverine's totally out-of-character decisions over in Age of Ultron, Sinestro has always been deeply loyal to his homeworld. Throughout his spotty career as a ringslinger, Sinestro has always, always done everything to protect Korugar. It makes sense that it's destruction would addle his priorities.

Guest stars Simon Baz and B'dg don't really add too much to the story beyond Simon's unique ability to connect with the white light of life. And even that is just a fleeting moment that feels shoehorned in to fit DC's "WTF" gatefold cover directive.

Kyle Rayner is such an interesting character that Tony Bedard has just begun to understand more fully. Green Lantern: New Guardians #19 doesn't do much to progress the "Wrath of the First Lantern" plot, but it's got fantastic character development for Kyle, Carol Ferris, Sinestro, and even Simon Baz.

GRADE

7.5/10

REVIEW: GREEN LANTERN - NEW GUARDIANS #14

(w) Tony Bedard
(p) Aaron Kuder

What a waste of an issue.

Tony Bedard's plans for Green Lantern: New Guardians in this "Rise of the Third Army" crossover have, thus far, left this critic sorely disappointed. Kyle Rayner is on a quest to master all the colors of the emotional spectrum. It's been a short voyage, one in which Bedard has been heavily compressing into one color per issue, and the result is a deeply fractured and undefined arc that doesn't really force Kyle to grow as a character even though that's what he's doing month to month.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #14 features Arkillo as the last representative of the Sinestro Corps, the last being with a yellow power ring in all the universe. And he can't get it to work. I know Arkillo's inner demons have been a focus of Bedard's story for quite some time now, but it's beginning to be a drag on the overall narrative process -- it's pretty annoying when Bedard forces a sequence about Arkillo just to show how pathetic the Yellow Lantern has become.

This issue, as well as all the issues dealing with Kyle's journey, have felt extremely rushed. Kyle mastered compassion seemingly before we even meet back up with him at the beginning of the issue, and finding his fear felt like it took no time at all, with absolutely no help from Arkillo. No, it is Kyle's ring that tells him he's got to give in and just accept the less desirable emotions as part of the spectrum and part of his journey, no matter what. Then, he's a Yellow Lantern! What? What's Kyle scared of? Sure, he gives some examples, but he's always been concerned and afraid of these things, so they can't really count if Bedard is talking about feeling more fear in order to break past Kyle's natural GL training and turn him into a Yellow Lantern.

Tony Bedard is losing his grip on Green Lantern: New Guardians issue by issue. Maybe he's putting more effort into his other series, but Kyle Rayner and his Rainbow Brigade have suffered for it exponentially. Each month now, I feel like the series is getting worse, and that's upsetting. Kyle Rayner has always been my favorite Green Lantern. I've come to accept that fans and editors alike don't seem to want Kyle in the spotlight, but to reduce him to some confused epic hero who's journey isn't all that hard is just depressing.

GRADE

5/10

GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #13

(w) Tony Bedard
(p) Andrei Bressan and Amilcar Pinna

What a game changer! Seriously, I was on the brink of letting Green Lanterns: New Guardians go after the overall low quality of the past few months. Even though Kyle Rayner is my favorite Green Lantern and always will be, Ton Bedard was struggling to find his footing with a team of multi-colored lanterns on a mysterious quest. It was far too chaotic for too long. Now, Kyle's quest to master all colors of the emotional spectrum has given Bedard some direction of his own, and Green Lantern: New Guardians #13 is the prime example of a how a little focus can reap amazing rewards.

Kyle Rayner's been an anomaly since the moment he was given the last Green Lantern ring by Ganthet as Hal Jordan, possessed by Parallax, literally decimated the Green Lantern Corps. In the years since that fateful night, Kyle kept the green light aflame when no one else could, helped rebuild Oa, siphoned the power of a god as Ion, traveled across the universe when Earth disappointed him too much, helped resurrect Hal Jordan, became Parallax himself for a time, and at the onset of the 'New 52', he was somehow able to wield one of every colored ring in the spectrum. It comes as no surprise that he's destined to master all six emotions and ascend into something greater to stave off the "Rise of the Third Army". Much like Green Lantern #13, the Guardian Soldiers only show up for a few panels near the end to make sure we remember that's going on elsewhere.

This month, Kyle is training with Atrocitus to master rage. It's odd how a character driven by absolute rage finds clemency enough to bother with beings he deigns to be lesser than. But, this is the 'New 52', so it's all about change. Hard as he might, Atrocitus cannot seem to drive Kyle to a rage-filled fury, even going so far as to throw Alex DeWitt's grave in Kyle's face as proof of his prior weakness. The revelation that Alex DeWitt still exists in the 'New 52' is a big deal, seeing as the compression of time could have cut that part of Kyle's life out completely. I'm glad Bedard is keeping Ron Marz's legacy alive. Eventually, Kyle is driven literally mad when he's made to watch - but not interfere with - a brutal execution while Atrocitus holds him back.

I have to say, Kyle's Red Lantern getup is probably the coolest costume he's worn in his many years wielding a green ring - it's that helmet that really dredges up thoughts of horror movies, y'know? Tony Bedard, in one single issue, has managed to reel me back in and take Green Lantern: New Guardians seriously again. I'm a bit miffed that Carol Ferris is taking Fatality's place as the team's Star Sapphire, but it makes sense in terms of GL family cohesion. Other than that, I really don't have a lot bad to say about this issue. Bedard knocks it out of the park, Andrei Bressan and Amilcar Pinna have a refreshing art style, and the new, clear direction for the book makes me want to continue reading it even more.

GRADE

7.8/10

BLUE BEETLE #0

STORY: Tony Bedard and Keith Giffen
ART: Ig Guara and JP Mayer

NOOOO!!!! TED KORD!!!!!! At least, I think that's how I should be reacting to Blue Beetle #0, which delves into the history of the plucky scarab, Khaji-Da with literally no reference to the original Blue Beetle. Of course, the scarab's time on Earth after separating from it's first host is somewhat glossed over, left to the readers' imagination as to where Khaji-Da travelled in the years before meeting Jaime Reyes. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Tony Bedard is joined by Keith Giffen for Blue Beetle #0, a (mostly) straightforward origins issue for the Reach scarab currently connected to Jaime's spine. We already know that Khaji-Da is a sentient scarab symbiote that latches onto a host to carry out the will of the Reach, a clandestine alien race that has millions of scarab soldiers at it's control across the universe. We also already know that Ol' Da can't control Jaime like the other scarabs can control their hosts' minds, but we don't know why. Beyond this basic information, not a whole lot has been unveiled concerning the scarab, until now.

"Sky Witness" provides a full character history for Khaji-Da, from the days before his creation, to his first unsuccessful mission, and through his time on Earth up until meeting Jaime. While the textbook-style narrative isn't exactly invigorating or engaging in any particular way, it serves to develop Khaji-Da beyond being the loony voice inside Jaime's head telling him to kill people and destroy the planet. And it does a good job! One of the most important aspects of the scarab - that Bedard makes sure is clear and understandable - is that they are actual sentient beings. It's easy to slip into thinking of these little blue bugs are simply just pieces of a larger technological goal, but they each have a voice, they each have a personality. I was hoping to meet another scarab this month, maybe one that's got an extreme personality to show the diversity of the scarabs.

The first half of the issue explores the origin of the scarab, followed by his very first test mission, wherein he finds a suitable host in the Stygian Expanse. Upon attempting to fuse with his new host - a small, blue/black skinned girl with four eyes - the scarab is rebuffed by a sudden explosion of psionic energy. Turns out that energy is coming from the child, who has tapped into her latent abilities to control antimatter. After being damaged, Khaji-Da recognizes his slim chances of survival, and escapes the girl who controls dark energy. Turns out she goes on to become Lady Styx, a villain on the same level as Darkseid before the 'New 52' relaunch. The scarab's first mission is important because it gives a possible explanation for Khaji-Da's inability to fully control Jaime - due to dark matter interference? - as well as sets up Lady Styx to be featured throughout the DCnU in the future.

The latter half of the book focuses on Sky Witness, a Mayan chieftain who descends into the wreckage of Khaji-Da's crash landing onto Earth's surface. The scarab was shot down by an unnamed Green Lantern, providing a second possible reason for the malfunction concerning total mind control. It's odd to feel sympathy for a robot bug whose sole purpose is to take total control of a host being and cause unspeakable destruction to worlds around the universe. But there it is: Khaji-Da is a good, good character.

Sky Witness uses the scarab to defend his home from the violent Nahua Tribe. The Nahua go on to start the Aztec Empire, according to Bedard, and Sky - in his scarab armor, of course - becomes known as the vengeful god Quetzalcoatl. Sky Witness's story comes to an end when even the scarab's advanced systems can't prolong his life any further. This is how Khaji-Da gets trapped in the ruins of a Mayan temple, only to be found years later by archaeologists unfettered by ancient signs of death and destruction.

I'm not exactly sure where Blue Beetle #0 should fit in chronologically amongst other issues. Even though a majority of the story is dedicated to the years before Jaime bonds with the scarab, the final few pages recap Jaime's journey so far, and we eventually get to the current day with Jaime stuck in Reachworld space after being abruptly transported there by O.M.A.C. in the pages of Justice League International Annual #1. So, one could place it before issue one purely for it's historical content, or it could go right after Blue Beetle #12. It's a conundrum for chronological perfectionists like myself. That one nitpick-y criticism aside, Blue Beetle #0 does a fantastic job giving readers a fleshed out, meaningful history of the scarab Khaji-Da, as well as placing the building blocks for future stories. And really, what more could you ask for from this series?

GRADE

B+

SWORD OF SORCERY #0

STORY: Christy Marx and Tony Bedard
ART: Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan

Okay, I'll admit it: I was seriously not ready to like Sword of Sorcery. The name alone kept it at a proverbial arm's length for the months leading up to this first zero issue. While I enjoy fantasy stories, I'm not into "hard fantasy", so I really just didn't pay this new series any mind. I offhandedly decided to review Sword of Sorcery #0 on "The Endless Reel" because I wanted to review all four of the "Third Wave" titles that DC is putting out this month, simply because there's a new one each week (unlike the "Second Wave" that dumped most of the new titles in the first week and left only two for the consecutive three weeks of the month).

I stand (or sit and writing, in this case) corrected. While the cohesiveness of the 'New 52' universe is nice, it's refreshing to see a series so far removed from the main line of books, similar to Dial H and Resurrection Man. I know, I know - a certain someone shows up in the final panels to put a slight damper on that notion, but "Amethyst" is such a cult favorite that I assumed it would be a total bust trying to interpret it for a modern audience, in a more modern comic book universe. It would seem like it's actually the perfect time for something like this.

Christy Marx does an excellent job setting up Amy Winston in the opening pages of Sword of Sorcery #0. The "cool kids" chatter in the halls of a high school is a passable way to introduce readers to Amy and her current situation, but it's also a little sappy. It really gets interesting when Amy's mom takes her out in the evening for what seems to be battle training. Why is she training? Why is her mother so adamant about it? Why does this training interfere with regular life? Marx skillfully navigates this narrative, revealing only small bits of information at a time, and switching focus from Amy and her mother to the Queen of GemWorld, a planet (I'm assuming) that doesn't get much of an explanation - it stands to reason that a bit more will be revealed in issue one. In this regard, Marx has succeeded in truly writing a worthwhile "Issue Zero". She's given us readers enough information about the beginning of this tale to keep us interested, knowing that Sword of Sorcery #1 will start to answer some of the questions brought up in these pages.

Similarly, I was originally put off by the prospect of the "Beowulf" back-up story. Why, for goodness sake, do we need another Beowulf story? Hasn't this tale been done to death already in every medium imaginable? Again, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Tony Bedard's first chapter of this epic. And really, all that interest comes from the fact that Beowulf apparently exists in an advanced cryogenics chamber within an abandoned laboratory, while the world outside is seemingly dated somewhere in the Dark Ages. It's utterly fascinating. Seriously. All the Beowulf/Grendel stuff aside for now, the dichotomy of technology in a pre-pre-pre-industrial civilization is just so cool, I'm going to keep buying Sword of Sorcery if only for this back-up.

GRADE

B+

DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #0

STORY: Keith Giffen, Dan Didio, James Robinson, Rob Liefeld, and Tony Bedard
ART: Keith Giffen, Dan Didio, Scott Koblish, Tom Derenick, Marat Mychaels,

In true form, DC Universe Presents #0 offers an anthology of stories within an issue of an anthology series. Last May, DC cancelled six series to make way for the "Second Wave" of 'New 52' titles that included Earth 2, Dial H, World's Finest, Batman Incorporated, G.I. Combat, and The Ravagers. Some of these cancellations actually made sense - when a series didn't look to be going in any concrete direction - but some were canned purely for fiscal reasons. Either way, many of these titles gained a fan base, and DC wanted to do the cool thing and feature these characters left in the proverbial rearview mirror. With December solicitations out, the recently cancelled Captain Atom is featured in The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men, meaning DC seems intent on keeping these characters around, even if they don't have their own solo ongoing.

The first story is O.M.A.C., written and illustrated by former series regulars Keith Giffen and Dan Didio. I absolutely loved the adventures of Kevin Kho and Brother Eye - each issue was an homage to quirky, sci-fi books from the 60s and 70s that were about action and supernatural boogeymen. While this prequel story - "Origins Matter After Cancelation" - doesn't feature Kevin or his O.M.A.C. persona, Giffen and Didio take us back to when Brother Eye worked for Maxwell Lord and Checkmate. Mostly, Brother Eye gives Max an expository dump about how the satellite came to be and why. Of course, Max knows all of this, and info overloads normally make me cringe, this is Giffen and Didio's style for O.M.A.C., especially since this is only a short story intended to give more backstory that offers foreshadowing to future events. In that regard, it succeeds in spades.

Second at bat is James Robinson and Tom Derenick's Mister Terrific prequel. In essence, this short story reads just like the MT series - full of scientific jargon, quantum mechanics, and a willingness to let those two amazing elements do the heavy lifting. Especially in this story, wherein Michael Holt basically learns everything about his life by jumping through an uncalibrated portal technically linked to the Ninth Dimension. Robinson is careful to remind readers that this is one of many possible outcomes, leaving the door open for Michael's future to deviate from the visions of latter days. Of course, Mister Terrific can't be running around knowing his entire life's path, and Michael's memory is purged once he steps out of the malfunctioning portal door. I wish there was more about Michael Holt as a person and less foreshadowing for the future that only really served to clue in us readers. But for what it is, this tale does the trick.

I've never liked Rob Liefeld. Even in the 90s, I couldn't stand his artwork or his writing. It's one of the reasons I stuck to DC mostly during that era, and it's the reason I never got beyond the first issue of Hawk and Dove last September. Hawk and Dove is an example of a series cancelled because it was bad, plain and simple. The characters weren't engaging, the stories weren't interesting, and the artwork was classic Liefeld, which meant over-exaggerated everything. Liefeld smartly abjures the pencilling duties for this origins story, but it just makes his uninspired narrative all the more obvious. "Balance of Power" focuses on an argument between the celestial gods of Peace and War (how DC justifies their existence against the Greek gods in Wonder Woman is anyones guess) over the newest avatar of Peace, Dawn Granger. Similar to how Scott Lobdell info dumps on a regular basis in the pages of Teen Titans, Liefeld uses this debate between the gods as a means to give a character history. It's so damn boring! And it really doesn't even matter because I can't imagine DC is planning on reintroducing Hawk and Dove to any other book any time soon.

Next up is "Mother Machine", the origins story of the title's namesake, and prequel tale to Blackhawks, a series that could have been DC's equivalent of S.H.I.E.L.D. if they had handled it better. Unfortunately, there's not much to talk about concerning this story - beyond revealing that the Blackhawks participated in the battle against Apokolips' armies, this is all about Mother Machine coming to be. Everything makes a bit more sense now, as it's obvious Mother Machine came from an Apokoliptan Mother Box. The ending tagline says we'll see more of Mother Machine in the future, which could spell the return of Darkseid.

The final story about Deadman comes from Tony Bedard and Scott McDaniel, both of whom do a fantastic job telling the tale of Boston Brand's first mission of possession. In a cruel twist of fate, the goddess Rama sends Boston to save the soul of the man who murdered him. Of course, Boston rejects his task until he's forced back into the situation and winds up saving the day anyway. It's a telling moment for Brand, the moment he recognizes that his actions have consequences, not only for his own well-being, but also for those he's charged with helping. Deadman doesn't get enough page time in Justice League Dark, though I supposed I should be thankful he's a recurring character at all. Bedard's "Instant Karma" reminds one of why the first five issues of DC Universe Presents are still the best.

As a whole, DC Universe Presents #0 is a good read. As individual stories, the tales about O.M.A.C., Mister Terrific, and Deadman are considerably better than those about the Blackhawks and Hawk and Dove. Read them all, or just read the ones you want. It's kind of up to you when it comes to an anthology format such as this. I only read one issue of the "Challengers of the Unknown" arc because it just wasn't my cup of tea. But I jumped right back in with "Savage", then regrettably "Kid Flash". DC Universe Presents #0 is definitely worth the buy, if only for the fact that you get five stories from five different creative teams at a whopping 48 pages.

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

BLUE BEETLE #12

STORY: Tony Bedard
ART: Ig Guara and JP Mayer

Blue Beetle #12 is the culmination of a year's worth of stories. Sure, this might sound familiar to the likes of Batman and Action Comics, but for a smaller title such as Tony Bedard's about a teenager who suddenly inherits seemingly unending power, taking the longer, better developed path can be a risky endeavor. Fortunately for Jaime Reyes and his scarab, this gamble has paid off and Blue Beetle is one of the most solid, well rounded titles that DC offers every month. While the first few months felt a bit rushed and convoluted, it soon became clear that Bedard was emulating the adolescent experience - that of misunderstanding, universal awkwardness, and coping with change. Unlike Teen Titans or Superboy - both of which have spent their entire runs steeped in heavy superhero mythos - Tony Bedard has only lightly touched on grander plot points with Blue Beetle, opting instead to develop Jaime as a person, as opposed to simply another hero like, say, Bart Allen thus far,

 And really, the use of universal teenage emotions is only one of of the ways Bedard keeps Blue Beetle grounded, while also making sure that the armor gets a good workout each issue. I'm not a religious person, but I appreciate religious symbolism and it's inclusion in art when it's done with integrity and without bias. Simply put, Tony Bedard understands the that a lesson from religion doesn't translate into dogmatic belief. The issue's opening scene involves the scarab scanning Jaime's grandmother's apartment and focusing on the crucifixion hanging on the wall, and it's confusion over an idea like self-sacrifice for the good of others. It's a short scene, but one that resonates throughout the issue, then more specifically when Jaime goes up against the 'Blood Beetle'.

Probably the weakest part of the issue is the actual 'moral of the story'. In the middle of the final fight, Jaime wishes he could find a way to remove the armor's medical implant without killing Paco in the process. Contrary to it's explanation during the Beetles' first bout some issues back, the scarab is able to remove the 'med-tick' only by cloning part of Jaime's heart to replace the implant. It's a risky procedure, apparently, but it pays off; Paco is safe, the med-tick is safely back within the scarab armor, and Jaime is reunited with his friends. Jaime asks the scarab why it didn't just save Paco in this fashion the first time around, to which the scarab replies, "Because victory through self-sacrifice was an alien concept. Until today." It's because Bedard is so good at subtly conveying ideas and emotions that it's jarring when he changes pace and writes more frankly.

The ability to make a generally lesser-known character more popular is an under-appreciated skill these days. Characters like Wolverine, Batman, and Superman have a built-in fan base. Now, that's not to say that writing these characters doesn't present their own challenges, but starting from scratch can be a daunting task for any writer. Tony Bedard aptly handles the teenaged Blue Beetle, offering up a narrative flow that keeps the series grounded enough to be relatable, but includes enough weirdness to keep it interesting. If you haven't read Blue Beetle, you should.

GRADE

A

BLUE BEETLE #11

STORY: Tony Bedard
ART: Ig Guara and JP Mayer

One constant throughout Blue Beetle thus far has been the misunderstanding concerning the scarab attached to Jaime Reyes' back and whether he presents a threat to the human race. it doesn't help that the scarab is, in fact, a tool of an warmongering intergalactic cult known as the Reach, or that a few questionable pictures pinning Jaime as a violent menace have received worldwide media coverage. Add to that a piece of scarab getting lodged in Jaime's friend Paco - turning him into a bloodthirsty Reach solider - and you get one hell of a story about a kid just trying to understand what's happening to him.

If Jaime's predicaments sound familiar, they are. Much of how Tony Bedard tells Beetle's story is symbolic of normal, regular, everyday teenage issues. Now a part of his body, the Reach armor continues to surprise Jaime with new and unusual abilities, an element of this narrative that parallels the changing bodies of teenagers, however uncomfortable that is to type. Similarly, the pictures and video of Blue Beetle lashing out at innocent people has turned Jaime into an enemy of the state purely because of miscommunication and out-of-context situations, both sentiments of which almost any teenager has had to endure from their parents, school administrators, police, and adults in general. Lastly, the constant scarab "voice" in Jaime's head is representative of the many new elements of a teenager's life that influence his/her decisions and actions. There are a lot of other examples, too: no one wants to listen to Jaime, only control him; strained relationships with his friends due to his new responsibilities; the search for a mentor; and even running away from home. While some of these are more subtle than others, Bedard uses all the ammo he can to show how becoming a superhero isn't that different from being an awkward teenager.

This month brings the long-awaited (by me, at least) reunion of Booster Gold and Blue Beetle! While the Silver Age Beetle doesn't seem to be active in the 'New 52' (at least not yet), this team-up hearkens back to the days when Michael John Carter and Ted Kord would bumble around town, tripping over each other just trying to do good deeds and be remembered for them. Of course, DC's relaunch has been about reintroducing characters and relationships in a new way. For Blue Beetle, that means making Booster Gold at-odds with Jaime from the get-go. Booster gets the spotlight for the first few pages, appearing on a talk show where he chides the more conservative guest over bullying Beetle without hearing the boy's side of the story. And actually, their meeting starts out innocently enough; Jaime introduces himself and goes on about being grateful for Booster's desired friendship. That's all before Booster sucker punches him across the bay.

Booster reveals that he knows about the Reach, giving a little more credence to his violent outburst. But like most adults in this series, he basically refuses to listen to Jaime, opting instead to shoot first and ask questions later. Their fighting takes them across the city and into Washington Square Park where the citizens of New York City watch in horror as Booster Gold beats the Blue Beetle down. A pause in the fist-throwing lets Beetle attempt to explain his unorthodox situation to Booster while the people in the park listen in and start to see that a there's a scared, confused kid trapped in a suit of armor being framed for crimes he didn't commit or couldn't control.


Booster Gold knows about the Reach and is convinced Jaime is under it's control, yet is forced to stand down when the surrounding crowd, and Jaime's grandmother in particular, starts chastising the adult hero for beating up a kid. Lying through his teeth, Booster covers his tracks by claiming it was all a test to be a member of the JLI and giving Jaime a more open-minded chance to prove himself.

GRADE

B+

(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) BLUE BEETLE #10

STORY: Tony Bedard
ART: Ig Guara and JP Mayer

Blue Beetle has had it's ups and downs since day one. While the first arc re-introduced us to Jaime Reyes and his relationship with the Blue Beetle scarab - an artifact that we came to know is actually a malfunctioning tool of the Reach, an intergalactic hive-empire that can destroy entire worlds with a single soldier - it wasn't especially interesting. Beyond the spacefaring origins of the scarab, Jaime's run-ins with El Paso's criminal underground felt forced and came off as underwhelming. Nonetheless, Blue Beetle is an extremely interesting character and Jaime is written very well - his personality shines through Tony Bedard's clumsy plot, and this fact remains the title's anchor as far as quality goes. Throw in an upcoming crossover with Green Lantern and you've sold me. This month, however, focuses on Jaime's dealings with the Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO) and it's director, Mr. Bones.

Bones is a staple of the old DC universe, using his cunning intellect and detective skills to help out the big-leaguers. Fortunately, our skull-headed friend has made several appearances now in the 'New 52', which is a good sign for the future of the character.


Blue Beetle #10 pulls an Alias on readers by starting the issue with scenes of Jaime's torture on Bones' orders before flashing back seven hours earlier on page three. Jaime is still buzzing around (pun definitely intended) New York City, but he doesn't really have a plan of action. One reason Blue Beetle is fun to read is how relatable Bedard has made Jaime. If you were somehow connected to a crazy interstellar beetle that intermittently took control of your body and turned you into a whack-job hero/menace, would you have any clear-cut plans? Last month, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner (who didn't actually reveal his identity to Jaime) suggested that Beetle go to the DEO and meet with Bones. With little else to do, Jaime takes Kyle's advice only to be handcuffed and escorted down to the department's lower basement levels.


This is where things get interesting. 


Bones has the bounty hunter from last issue (who was after GL) locked up and he immediately recognizes and talks with Jaime. A quick mention of the scarab's connection to the Reach - and it's true potential as a weapon of mass destruction - sends the DEO agents into a frenzy that ends with Jaime fastened to a torture machine. Bones is a great character because he's actually intelligent. When Jaime escapes, Bones knows they shouldn't go after him. More often than not, there's a chase because it gives more room to have more fighting. Instead, Bedard writes Bones like a rational detective: he hears Jaime's side, sees the evidence, and realizes that authority is not the right way to approach the Blue Beetle. Again, intelligence is often lacking in enemies these days.


The end of the issue brings back up the unfortunate video footage of Blue backhanding a girl in El Paso. Some reporters are yammering on about the difference between writing Blue Beetle as a hero, or as a menace. The decide on the latter, hoping to turn a one-off situation into a scandal, when Booster Gold shows up to put a stop to it.


This is what excited me most about this issue. Blue Beetle and Booster Gold have a long history together - when the Blue Beetle was Ted Kord, albeit - so it's fantastic that DC is building that relationship once again. In the 'New 52', Ted Kord is only a memory (I assume), so it will be interesting to see how a dead character will affect events throughout DC's imprint.

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-