(COMIC) AVENGERS vs. X-MEN #6 of 12

STORY: Jonathan Hickman
ART: Olivier Coipel and Mark Morales

In the last issue of Avengers vs. X-Men, the Phoenix was fractured into five pieces which bonded with Cyclops, Colossus, Magik, Emma Frost, and Namor. I was a bit skeptical as to Marvel's intentions with the 'Phoenix Five' - their appearance seemed to precipitate an even bigger fight between the Avengers and the X-Men. The kind of battle that levels cities.

Instead, Jonathan Hickman brings us into Act II of Avengers vs. X-Men with a somber overview of the new world order. This issue picks up ten days after the confrontation with the Phoenix on the moon. In those days, Cyclops has led the other Phoenix Forcers in reshaping the world into a better place. With the power of gods split between five benevolent beings (the possible exception being Colossus and his Juggernaut power, which hasn't been brought up yet), the X-Men personify the 'rebirth' part of the Phoenix omens, the part where this force can be one for major positive strange.

I'm actually pretty impressed with Marvel's decision to make this turning point one of growth instead of conflict. There's an obligatory stand-off at the issue's end, but it's only real purpose is to start the slow burn to the next big fight.

Avengers vs. X-Men #6 is all about the change being created by the Phoenix Five. Magik and Colossus are fertilizing once barren land, Namor has tamed the Aleutian Trench to provide fresh, clean, free water for the world's people, and Emma Frost has created a machine in the Gobi Desert that provides sustainable, renewable, clean, free energy for all. Oh, and Utopia is now a freaking paradise of technology and peace. Even the Avengers are a bit awe-struck by the X-Men's sheer force of good.

In this issue, Jonathan Hickman had to usher in a second act to the biggest Marvel event of the year, introduce a new status quo for the Marvel Universe, dedicate quality pages to both sides of the conflict, all while pushing the narrative forward. It's a big task and one that Hickman masterfully handles.

The mini-story dealing with the Electric Legion is a gem that sits right in the middle of this issue. The Avengers set out to stop the Legion from a rampage when Colossus shows up and talks it out. With the Phoenix powers, Pyotr just learns to speak Electric and brokers a deal for the Legion to power half of Europe. Iron Fist's disbelief starts a domino effect of disapproval with the Avenger's strategy to stand against the X-Men. Beast and Black Panther both see the Phoenix as a source of good that has only helped and improved the world since arriving. Wolverine, of course, stand by his convictions and Captain America, but many Avengers have begun to doubt.

Again, I want to emphasize the scope of Hickman's job here. Wanda Maximoff arrives at the end as the Avengers execute their covert operation to acquire Hope from Utopia. Cyclops is on the verge of taking out every single Avenger when Wanda's chaotic powers interfere with the Phoenix Force. Obviously, it's a sign that the Phoenix isn't omnipotent - it has a weakness.

And of course, Cyclops declares, "No more Avengers" on the last page, which is what we've been waiting for since Act II's announcement. Here goes nothin'!

GRADE

A

(COMIC) SUPERGIRL #10

STORY: Michael Green and Mike Johnson
ART: Mahmud Asrar

Supergirl is one of the most overlooked titles in DC's 'New 52.' It makes sense; Kara Zor-El is not one of the heavy hitters in DC's lineup of heroes, but she's also not as obscure as, say, Blue Devil or Vibe. No, Supergirl has pretty much always got the short end of the stick since her inception. I mean, this iteration of Supergirl is it's sixth volume. This is the sixth time Supergirl has been rebooted. That's absolutely ridiculous. Along with these reboots has followed a totally incomprehensible character history. So if you think about it, the 'New 52' was best for titles such as Supergirl - those lost in their own continuity, with nowhere else to turn. Like I said before, Supergirl is chronically passed over in favor of bigger titles like Wonder Woman and Superboy. This sucks because Michael Green and Mike Johnson have been building a pretty stable and well-structured world for young Kara. With a little more than just "Superman's cousin" to carry her title, Kara has been tested since the moment she arrived on Earth - including flying back to a ruined Krypton and fighting on a chunk of what was left with barely any powers - and has consistently come out ahead due to her unflinching determinism.


For the past few months, Kara's been kickin' it with Siobhan Smythe, a ballsy Irishwoman with a penchant for mastering foreign languages (including Kryptonian), and a bit of an evil spirit living in her that's being hunted by her father, the origin of that evil. Silver Banshee has been a longtime mainstay of the DC universe - mostly making trouble for Superman over the years - who here is recast as an anti-hero who has been cursed with this evil power by her father, Black Banshee - a new character created by Green and Johnson for this arc and one that I've really enjoyed so far.


While Silver Banshee's powers have mostly been based on her sonic scream (similar to Black Canary), ability to manipulate sound waves, etc. Black Banshee - on the worse hand - is all about the totally evil magics. He powers himself through sucking other souls into his own. This doesn't mean he eats souls to survive; he actually incorporates other souls into his own to make it stronger...more evil. That's a pretty twisted notion, and one that Green and Johnson take to it's literal extension when Kara attempts to 'overload' Black Banshee with her sun-soaked super-body. This tactic has the opposite desired effect and powers up Black Banshee more than he's ever felt.

The side effect of this amount of power results in a little bit of Kara manifesting itself within Black Banshee's soul, a world turned into a warped version of Kara's memories of Krypton. Green and Johnson write some pretty jarring moments as Kara travels through memories of moments that never happened; perversions of the memory of her previous life. Eventually, Kara meets Tom Smythe, Siobhan's older brother who sacrificed himself to Black Banshee years earlier to save his sister. Kara uses her residual energy to create a sword for herself and goes after Black Banshee, who has constituted himself as a Kryptonian flamedragon in Kara's memory.

The ending is what really makes Supergirl #10 interesting. After Kara and Tom are able to wound Black Banshee enough to force him to yak them out of his soul, Siobhan rears her silver head and lets loose a massive sonic scream that sucks Black Banshee into her own soul! She gives her dad a taste of his own medicine and traps him inside her own Banshee soul. It's an ending that's not only satisfying, but also promising for the future. Leaving Black Banshee alive (albeit, imprisoned) all but guarantees he'll be back to give Supergirl and Siobhan trouble in the future.

I'm seriously into Supergirl. Each month, it gets better and better. It completely outshines Superboy and Superman. The final pages of the issue introduce a character who uses a suit to change his shape (Chameleon, perhaps?), whose mission is to kill Supergirl! If Green and Johnson keep going with the same tenacity as before, things look good for the future of Supergirl.

Oh, and Siobhan reunites with her brother who was trapped inside Black Banshee for 15 years. That happens.

GRADE

A

(COMIC) 4-SENTENCE REVIEWS #4!

Resurrection Man #10
(Abnett, Lanning, Saiz)

I've been a extremely avid fan of Resurrection Man since last September, mostly based on the fact that Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning were less concerned with creating some amazingly big story arc and more focused on just writing interesting stories. I was pretty upset when DC announced that the series would end after it's 'Issue Zero' this coming September, but after reading Resurrection Man #10, I'm wondering if maybe it wasn't all that bad of a call. This month, Mitch Shelley and Kim Rebecki are still on the hunt to uncover Mitch's mysterious past, but instead of advancing the story at all, Abnett and Lanning bring back the 'avenging angels' that came after Mitch way back in issue four or five, a move that shows that maybe these writers really don't have a solid future in plan for the man who can't die. It's far more likely that Mitch Shelley's story will have a super-satisfying conclusion come next month, but we'll just have to wait and see.

GRADE: B

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #1 of 6

(Darwyn Cooke)

Minutemen is supposed to be a look back at the original superhero team that set the (arguably) 'golden standard' for what the Watchmen eventually aspire to attain: the original idea of truth, justice, and the American way. And while we know the Minutemen had their own set of problems, they also operated in a simpler time when origin stories didn't involve intergalactic sentries or mystical interventions, but instead came from ordinary people looking to make their world a little bit better. In this first of six issues, Darwyn Cooke spends a lot of time going over the origins of each member of the Minutemen, and while this could come off as cheesy and overbearing, Cooke masterfully makes each introduction feel like you're meeting these characters for the first time. It's a phenomenal first issue and even better beginning to the Before Watchmen event.

GRADE: A

Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1 of 4
(Cooke, Conner)

In the first title dedicated to a member of the Watchmen (the first in the Before Watchmen series focused on the Minutemen, which features the Comedian, but none of the other Watchmen proper), and it's pretty damn good. Laurie Juspeczyk has grown up in the shadow of her mother, both in terms of training and studying to carry on the Silk Spectre name, as well as her infamous streak of compromising work after her days as a superhero ended. Laurie's tale starts as a romantic story with chisel-jawed Greg, a boy who knows about her mother's racy past and doesn't care - all he wants is to be with Laurie, and the two of them decide to run away from home and hitchhike to wherever. Darwyn Cooke has set up a very mid-60s story, complete with adolescent angst, social hierarchy, and a pinch of hippies to keep us interested for the next issue.

GRADE: B

(THE WEEK) JUNE 20-26, 2012 [update]

Avengers Vs. X-Men #6 of 12
(Hickman, Coipel)

Act II starts for Avengers Vs. X-Men! Now that the Phoenix Force has split and embedded itself in not two, not three, not four, but FIVE different X-Men, what will happen to the Avengers? Also, Olivier Coipel is one of my favorite artists, so the book will definitely be worth checking out if only for the awesome artwork!


Batman Incorporated #2
(Morrison, Burnham)

Continues the "Leviathan" story with Batman and Talia al Ghul fighting for over their son!

Before Watchmen: Comedian #1 of 6
(Azzarello, Wein)

I know I've been kind of lax with reviewing Before Watchmen thus far, but I'm going to get better at it! How do you review characters who've been in only one story for the past twenty years? I'll figure it out...

Blue Beetle #10
(Bedard, Guara)

Blue Beetle gets no love, even since DC reimagined him as a younger, more Hispanic hero who actually bonded with the scarab. This month, more about Jaime living in New York City...and Mister Bones! What could be better? Our inaugural review of Blue Beetle! Don't miss it!


DC Universe Presents #10
(Robinson, Chang)

Though I kind of fell of DC Universe Presents while it took a weird side step with "Challengers of the Unknown", James Robinson and Bernard Chang's "Savage" arc began fantastically last month, so I'm bringing back reviews of this series!


Green Lantern Corps #10
(Tomasi, Pasarin)

Peter J. Tomasi continues his quest to give us new information regarding plot advancement as. slowly. as. possible. I try to keep up.

Saga #4
(Vaughan, Staples)

This phenomenal series continues as our heroic duo (and baby) travel to planet Sextillion! What does that mean? Read the issue to find out and read my review to see why it's cool.


Supergirl #10
(Green, Johnson, Asrar)

Black Banshee has Supergirl trapped in his weird Black Banshee world! Weird! Also, Kara loses control!

(TV) DC ANIMATED UNIVERSE, ENTRY #1

It seems that 'DC Nation' will not be airing new episodes on Cartoon Network in the foreseeable future. Green Lantern: The Animated Series is waiting on a second season renewal, and Young Justice is on a hiatus. So in the meantime, I'll be covering some classic episodes of DC Animated Universe shows such as Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League (and Unlimited), Superman: The Animated Series, and Batman Beyond. I'll be reviewing two episodes per entry, sometimes of the same show, sometimes of two different programs. I hope you enjoy the (DCAU) segments until 'DC Nation' starts up new episodes again.




Justice League Unlimited
Season 1, Episode 12
"The Once and Future Thing, Part 1: Weird Western Tales"

After two fantastic seasons of Justice League and a successful relaunch, Bruce Timm & Co. decided to have a little fun with Justice League Unlimited's first season finale. Every episode of this first season (third, if you rightly consider JLU a direct continuation of the original Justice League) is self-contained, only hinting at larger story arcs. "The Once and Future Thing" begins in Neo-Gotham, during the timeframe of Batman Beyond - a great start for fans of the DC animated universe that know it all fits together.

We meet David Clinton, a meek, passive scientist who's mostly content with using his self-built chrono-suit to collect historical artifacts, careful not to upset the time stream and cause changes to the future. Of course, this all goes out the door when his wife wont stop nagging him to do something more with his life. This is where the conflict arises, as Chronos (as David starts calling himself) infiltrates the Watchtower to steal one of Batman's extra utility belts, an act he definitely considers "doing something more". It's a bold move - one influenced by panic and desperation - and when the League catches on to Chronos' presence, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern go after him through a (mysterious to them) vortex to places unknown.

The trio wakes up in the American West during the 1800s, a time of hardship, lawlessness, and vigilante justice. The writers of Justice League Unlimited understood how much freedom they had in this series. Where Justice League was pretty tightly structured in it's two-episode format, JLU was given a lot more liberties. And DC's history is full of awesome characters, so it came as no surprise when Jonah Hex, Bat Lash, El Diablo, and Pow Wow showed up to lend a hand against a man whose taken a nearby town hostage with weapons from the future.

While JLU was definitely aimed at a younger audience, the writers and producers were quite aware they had a large adult following who had been asking for an animated Justice League cartoon for decades that wasn't the epitome of embarrassment like Super Friends. Fan service became a part of the series early on, and the inclusion of DC's 'Wild West' heroes is fantastic. While I would have liked a little more attitude from Jonah Hex, lines like "You're time travelers," totally make up for it. Hex is one of those characters that's basically seen and done everything, so giving him the knowledge to spot time-displaced persons is a slam dunk.

"Weird Western Tales", at the end of the day, really just exists to give fans the characters that would never normally be able to have a part on Justice League Unlimited. The writers could have conceivably taken the trio anywhere in time, but they chose this specific era because of it's history in the DC universe. There will always be people who moan and groan about the authenticity of the translation to a screen format, but the fact that the producers were willing to include these characters at all is a sign that they respect and admire the original work.

Bruce, Diana, and John eventually find David Clinton and break him out of jail on the promise that David just wants to go home. Of course, it wouldn't be a very interesting two-parter if the villain gave up after the first act, so David double-crosses our heroes and makes a break for it through the time stream once again.

GRADE: A


 Justice League Unlimited
Season 1, Episode 13
"The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time, Warped"

The second part of "The Once and Future Thing" is really where the meat of the story comes from. After David Clinton escapes incarceration in the old west, he also evades arrest at the hands of Batman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. The trio follows David through the time stream, but the volatile nature of time travel - coupled with David's total control over their lack of any control - lands the League members in a Neo-Gotham ruled by Chronos.

While "Weird Western Tales" was great fan service for DC comics fans, "Time, Warped" is all about the DC Animated Universe! Immediately upon arriving in Neo-Gotham, Bats, WW, and GL are joined by the Justice League Unlimited, the future version of the Justice League, and a version with only four remaining members: Batman, Warhawk, Barda, and Static. The old Leaguers commiserate with Static about their adventures in the past (from various episodes of Static Shock!) and Warhawk is revealed to be the son of John Stewart and Shayera Hall, the Hawkgirl.

It's a pretty awesome twist in the DCAU, but one that makes total sense. I'm sure the original writers for Batman Beyond didn't ever plan for this when they created Warhawk, but if it ain't broke, why fix it? Instead, Justice League Unlimited just made it better. While all previous DCAU series were mostly autonomous, they had multiple connections, and this connection really marks a point where a full continuity begins to come into play.

Most of the episode focuses on finding and stopping Chronos (obviously), but David Clinton can jump anywhere in space and time that he wants, so it's a bit of a challenge. And like any time travelling-based story, the repercussions of messing with the time stream too much culminates in time itself devolving and twisting itself up, which is exactly what happens here in "Time, Warped". At one point, Wonder Woman disappears, then John Stewart morphs into Hal Jordan, who's already "up to speed" on the time craziness. This is all, of course, side note to Bruce Wayne meeting Bruce Wayne.

I'll say it again, fan service is the name of the game in "Time, Warped", paying homage to the comics, to the past of the DCAU, and to where the series could go from there. Bruce and Diana's romantic relationship is hinted at more and more, while John and Shayera are all but guaranteed to get together for an extended amount of time, which we don't get to see during the run of the series. Fortunately, this years relaunch of the 'DC Beyond' universe has been giving us "Beyond Origins" in the pages of Justice League Beyond.


"The Once and Future Thing", for many, cemented the DCAU as a staple of DC's gamut of useable universes. Where once it may have been just a TV vestige for comic book fans, Justice League and the subsequent Unlimited continuation really made the animated world a successful one that had it's own nuances, unique attributes, villains, and storylines throughout each show that actually affected one another, much like a comic book universe. While Young Justice is currently doing a damn good job creating a new animated world, this was the first and (still) the coolest.

GRADE: A+

(MOVIE) SUPERMAN vs. THE ELITE

STORY: Joe Kelly
DIRECTION: Michael Chang

In DC's ongoing effort to convert popular comic stories into movies, it's had a pretty high success rate. While you can't make everyone happy all the time, DC seems to be making most of it's fans happy most of the time, which is pretty damn good. Movies like Superman: Doomsday and Justice League: The New Frontier set the standard for comic-to-movie translations done right, while more recent films like Batman: Under the Hood and All-Star Superman have actually improved upon the source material. Warner Bros.' newest release under the 'DC Universe Animated Original Movies' title is Superman vs. The Elite, based on Action Comics #775 titled "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?" This issue was a metafictional response to years of ultra-violent titles in the vein of The Authority. Of course, the issue was more of a concept than an actual storyline - it's hard to tell a story over four or five issues let alone one. And while the boys over at DC animation sure do have a love for the source material, it's still hard to extend a single issue into a 76-minute feature film.

In a nutshell, Superman meets a new team of superheroes who call themselves the Elite. With members from England, China, Puerto Rico, and the USA, the Elite quickly gain popularity due to their international pedigree and their hard-lined stance against crime. At first, Supes teams up with them, but soon realizes that Manchester Black - the team's leader - will cross the lines Superman has never stepped over. Soon, Clark's nightmares come to life as the Elite begin executing super villains and terrorists. In the end, Superman appears to snap and get as violent as the Elite in an effort to bring them down. Manchester Black becomes increasingly terrified as Superman kills his teammates, one by one, with absolutely no regard for civilian life. By the time Clark reaches a sniveling, begging Black, he reveals that the entire thing was a ruse, a show to prove to the Elite - and their adoring public - how violence and fear were no way to win.

The main problem with Superman vs. The Elite is that the writers might like the story just a bit too much. It's weird to think that a comic book-inspired movie could be too good, but in this case, too much caring brought the entire film down.

Though there are action sequences - and they are done surprisingly well - most of the story is dedicated to monologues or dialogues that pad out a significant chunk of the film. I somewhat expected a bit of padding due to the simple fact that I felt a single issue providing content for a film was a bit much to expect. Either way, in the absence of more actual plot, Joe Kelly decided to throw in every conceivable speech - or rant, in some cases - about the duality of justice and how either way of thinking can be right in certain contexts. Superman talks about not falling to the same level as the villains, and Black explains how criminals will never change and how letting them live only perpetuates a cycle of violence.

The final battle between Superman and The Elite is definitely the highlight of the entire film. Big Boy Blue seems to snap, causing him to finally understand what the Elite have been talking about the entire time: violence gets results. To prove how much he recognizes this, Superman murders each member of the Elite, all with a growl in his voice an an insane-looking popped blood vessel in one of his eyes. The animation for this sequence is excellent and really conveys the idea of a deranged Superman who has been pushed too far. The use of shadows and the expressions of the Man of Steel's face are what really sell the ruse. You see, Superman wasn't actually killing the Elite, and he didn't really stop considering civilian casualties, he was just making it look that way with the use of a fleet of Superman-bots from the Fortress of Solitude. (Side note: How does Superman have all these robots? Is it ever explained in the comics? And how does he repair them when they break? Clark Kent doesn't have any scientific knowledge about robotics or advanced artificial intelligence. What gives?)

The climax comes when insane-Superman has a raised fist ready to pulverize Manchester Black and an unnamed civilian steps forward to plead with Supes to stop. Other join in and soon, the world begins to see that ultra-violence isn't the answer. It's only then that Superman ends the facade and reveals his Super-bots. I know this is supposed to be a "eureka!" moment, but unfortunately, it only comes off as a cheap joke. For the entire film, Superman tried to prove that violence wasn't necessary when it comes to fighting evil - lowering oneself to the level of the villain is no better than being a criminal oneself.

You see, though, Superman does use fear and violence to prove his point. While he's not killing villains and lobotomizing the Elite, per se, he does manipulate emotions and perspective on reality to strike fear into people's hearts. Sure, it turns out he was just faking, but the fear is still there that a day might come when the almighty Superman lays waste to humanity. The film doesn't see things this way, instead making Superman's re-adoring pubic swoon over his initiative and clever ruse. What Kelly and Chang don't convey is that the fear of ultra-violent super-cops has only been replaced by fear of an ultra-violent Superman, something that (from the events of this movie prove) would be near impossible to stop.

And it's this lack of insight to the true nature of the story (whether it was fleshed out in the comic or not) that brings down the film from being an excellent film to only an alright one. If all you care about is the action and seeing the Elite brought to life from the page, then you'll probably like this movie just fine. If you're wondering how DC and Warner Bros. might choose to convey an ethical dilemma that contains many, many layers, you might be out of luck.

GRADE

B-

(COMIC) BATMAN AND ROBIN #10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GRADE

A

(COMIC) GREEN LANTERN #10

STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy

I've been holding off in admitting that Green Lantern is getting kind of boring. It's really unfortunate, seeing as the last few issues have been really action-packed and revelatory. Geoff Johns has taken four issues to give us the history of the Indigo Tribe, and even though it might sound weird, I wish it had only been three. Green Lantern #10 feels totally unnecessary. All the loose ends are wrapped up, and nothing really changes, which is really unsatisfying.

Last month, every Indigo Tribesman was set free from the control of their power battery, thereby releasing a legion of the worst criminals in the known universe against Hal and Sinestro, both of whom are running on fumes - both in spirit and in ring power. This sounds pretty awesome, right? Only thing; they never do any real fighting. Most of this issue is spent following Hal and Sinestro as they attempt to rebuild the shattered Indigo battery and quell the rise of violence. But like I said, there's not a whole lot of action in this issue, even though Doug Mahnke's artwork might make you believe otherwise.

At some point, Sinestro goes off to fight the horde of villains by himself to give Hal enough time to convince Natromo (Abin Sur's partner in founding the Indigo Tribe) to help rebuild the battery. But even then, we only get fragments of Sinestro's struggle, and they aren't even very good fragments. Most of this issue focuses on Hal Jordan and how he somehow has the ability to convince any alien to do what he wants. I mean, his speech wasn't even that good, and Natromo's all like, "Aight, yo - let's do dis."

The one "twist" in this issue happens when Iroque, the first to wear the ring of compassion, recognizes her crimes, even without the ring's power forcing her to feel for others. Sure, it's a nice twist, and one that actually gives Iroque some personal development beyond her role in the Tribe, but it's still a pretty flat scene.

By the end of the issue, Natromo has rebuilt the battery, all the Indigos are back under the control of compassion, and all's well that ends well. But a bow on it and call it a day. One of Johns' issues as a writer is awkward transitions between story arcs. Sure, he builds up certain elements to be used as he moves forward, but really, Hal and Sinestro finished up with the Indigos, and now they'll just head on back to Oa and go on with their lives. Maybe I'm just finding pins in stacks of hay, but Green Lantern #10 was sorely lacking.

Of course, the biggest news from this issue comes from Black Hand. Once the Indigo battery was destroyed, he was freed from their control and went off to search for an escape from planet Nok. Once Natromo gets the battery jiggy again, Hand's indigo ring goes after him. Panicked at the thought of being controlled by the Tribe once again, Hand throws himself off a cliff. Just like the spark of compassion from Iroque that was necessary to rebuild the Indigo battery, Hand's suicide is the spark needed for the creation of a new Black Lantern ring and his own dark resurrection.

But haven't we already done the whole Black Lantern thing? (Snore)

GRADE

C

(COMIC) AvX: VS #3 of 6

STORY: Jeph Loeb and Christopher Yost
ART: Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines, Terry Dodson, and Rachel Dodson

In the first totally enjoyable issue of AvX: VS, Colossus takes on the Thing while Black Widow and Magik take the fight to the demons in Limbo. While I previously lamented about how both Coloss-onaut and Thing have already been featured in VS, their fight was actually quite enjoyable. Similarly, Black Widow and Magik are generally evenly matched.

One cardinal sin of a comic book is not delivering on what it promises, and last issue's fight between Spider-Man and Colossus was totally boring because they didn't fight so much as Spider-Man quipped and quipped while Colossus destroyed a city while Spidey dodged until he ran away. This time, though, Colossus begins his fight with Red Hulk who knocks the new Juggernaut across the Blue Zone of the Moon to let the Thing take care of him. But unlike Red Hulk or Thing, Colossus' mind has been warped by Cytorak and the energy of the Juggernaut, making him unstoppable, not only in stature, but also in mind and spirit. While Thing tries to throw ol' Piotr off his game with verbal insults, Colossus just keeps going without distraction. Even though I've seen Colossus get into this mode before, he tends to go to the extreme and rage out - it's jarring to see him so focused.

It's interesting how little the major players from The Avengers have been used in Avengers vs. X-Men so far. Outside of Captain America and Iron Man, Earth's Mightiest have been represented by the likes of Red Hulk, Thing, Protector, Ms. Marvel, and Luke Cage. While all great characters in their own right (except Red Hulk - that shit still makes no sense to me), it's hard for new fans to relate to a team with the name they recognize with faces they don't. Fortunately, Black Widow is front and center in the second match of the issue against Colossus' sister, Illyana Rasputin, a.k.a. Magik. Illyana's mutant power allows her to teleport through a demon dimension known as Limbo, which is a great defensive power, but really puts her on the same offensive level (or under, arguably) as Natalia Romanova. Also, setting their fight in Limbo was a great decision, as it gives readers a new location to sink their eyes into. And it's about time the X-Men started winning matches! For real!

GRADE

B

(COMIC) SUPERBOY #10

STORY: Scott Lobdell
ART: Sebastian Fiumara

Either I'm just getting used to terrible writing, or Scott Lobdell is finally, finally, finally hitting the half-serious half-cheeky tone he's been searching for most of the last ten months. Or it could be that he's finished with that N.O.W.H.E.R.E. ridiculousness that literally went nowhere. Whatever the reason, Superboy #9 is my favorite issue of the series so far. I've also come to terms - at least a bit - with the fact that Lobdell is going to keep Superboy and Teen Titans interwoven for the foreseeable future. Wonder Girl 'guest stars' in this issue as she and Kon (thank Jeezus I don't keep having to call him Superboy every single time) search for the rest of the Titans on Mystery Island, which is shaped like question mark.

One of my biggest gripes with Lobdell's writing, thus far, is the shallow way he chooses to develop characterization. Inner monologue can be effective if done well, if it's believable and relatable to how normal people think and act thereon. Unfortunately, Lobdell's use of inner monologue is frighteningly hollow and redundant. Until now, it seems.

Granted, the first few pages are pretty cheesy (Kon refers to himself in the third person at some point), but otherwise, the minimal use ends up being effective. It seems that isolating Kon and Cassie has given Lobdell a bit more legroom to work with each character. Instead of juggling every Titan or the numerous N.O.W.H.E.R.E. cliche villains, playing these two juggernauts against each other actually works. I found myself, on multiple occasions, thinking, That ain't haflf-bad!

Even the part where Kon uses hi telekinetic powers to 'feel' the ground and see Cassie topless was kind of endearing in an awkward adolescence kind of way. Yeah, it's a pretty weird couple of panels, but they give both of these characters some much needed personality. Up to now, Cassie has been a total bitch and nothing else, while Superboy's entire existence has been focused on N.O.W.H.E.R.E. It's a whole lot easier to like these two when they have more layers like real people.

At the end of the issue, Superboy and Wonder Girl find a mysterious set of stairs leading into the earth, down below the surface. They end up coming out upside down? It's a pretty heady page and one that promises an awesome continuation in Teen Titans in a few weeks. Keep this up, Lobdell, for real. I was one more bad issue away from not reading Superboy anymore, but now I'm hooked. Kudos.

GRADE

B+

(COMIC) BATMAN #10

STORY: Scott Snyder
ART: Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion

** HEAVY SPOILERS. READ ISSUE BFORE READING REVIEW**



Now that "Night of the Owls" is over, most of the other Bat-books have gotten back to their regularly-scheduled story arcs, except for Batman, Scott Snyder's golden series that cannot seem to do any wrong. Every month, Snyder and Greg Capullo combine intricate, devastatingly good narrative with sharp, clean art that actually conveys emotion and behavior. Basically, Batman has been a joy to read and look at since issue one. Every month, I sit back after reading Snyder's work and just think about how good it was - I don't write the review immediately, and I don't reread it again for a few hours. I like to go over the events, think about how Capullo's artwork makes Snyder's words even better, and how everything is always leading to something bigger.  Batman #10 keeps Bruce on the trail of the Court of Owls, intent to take them down for good.

In fact, Bruce tracks them down to Harbor House, the building he ventured into decades earlier, hoping to connect the Court of Owls to the murders of his parents. As a boy, he found nothing, but this time, Batman knows the Court is there; he knows that he's got them all cornered.

Until he discovers they're already dead.

Honestly, this first act of the issue is pretty anti-climactic. The Court has been a chilling presence to be reckoned with since it's first images in Batman #1 back in September. Their owl masks and dapper appearances made them villains with an intense duality of enigmatic means and public wealth. Not unlike the best secret societies throughout the history of human culture, the Court's power comes from their secrecy and their secrecy comes from their power. Snyder is forced to take out the entire Court with a mass suicide through poisoned wine in order to advance the story to it's conclusion. Ever the skeptic, Bruce makes sure the members of the Court are legitimate before descending into frustration.

The second - and shortest - act of the issue shows us Bruce's detective skills telling him it doesn't add up; the Court's collective suicide was a facade for something bigger.

I'm just going to come out and say it:

LINCOLN MARCH IS BRUCE'S BROTHER, THOMAS WAYNE JR.!

The final act of Batman #10 brings back Lincoln March after his swift death at the hands of a Talon last month. In a grand, final twist in the entire "Court of Owls" saga, Scott Snyder reveals that Lincoln March is actually the youngest Wayne son, defective at birth and sent to live at a children's hospital to heal. When the Wayne's were suddenly murdered, Junior was lost to the system, leaving him ripe for the picking by the Court as a moldable man - someone they could build and change to suit their needs. It's a pretty devastating reveal (one that will have ramifications for years to come, I'm sure), not to mention Lincoln/Tommy-J. injected himself with the reanimation syrum before the Talon got to him. Yep, he's a zombie now. And he's got the Court's newest Talon armor they had been developing before they decided to reanimate the old Talons. The issue ends with the new Owlman lunging toward Batman with the hate only a long-lost brother can harbor.

It was a pretty bold decision to not only introduce Bruce's brother, but also to revamp him as Owlman, a character that has traditionally been an evil, alternate version of Batman from the parallel Earth-3. I'm not sure how much I like these decisions yet, but they're HUGE nonetheless.

GRADE:

A

(COMIC) SPIDER-MEN #1 of 5

STORY: Brian Michael Bendis
ART: Sara Pichelli

Spider-Men is an event that, this author feels, might become a bit long in the tooth. Fortunately, Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli may have also recognized this, seeing as the series is only five issues, not quite a mini-series, but not a mega-event like Avengers vs. X-Men or last year's ridiculously long and boring Fear Itself. Indeed, Spider-Men seems to be a perfect length; long enough for a popular character such as Spidey, while not overdoing it and losing readers in the process. Of course, this is all speculation after reading only Spider-Men #1. And actually, this first issue really should be called Spider-Men, Part 1: Peter Parker because Miles Morales is only on the final page, for one panel.

Bendis spends the entire issue in Peter Parker's head, following his stream of consciousness as he swings around New York City and beats up some bad guys. Eventually, Parker sees a mysterious glow, follows it, fights Mysterio for a quick mo',  then gets sucked into the Ultimate Universe through the mysterious glowing....thing. A lot of things are left vague and open at the end of Spider-Men #1, and it's hard to tell if it's on purpose or if Bendis is just trying too hard to make Spider-Man more insightful than he is. And though Mysterio is supposed to be the 'villain' of this arc, he literally has less than a paragraph's worth of lines, mostly relegated to lines like, "NO! Not you!" and the ever-popular-and-cliched, "You have no idea what I am capable of!"

And really, that is what irks me about Spider-Men #1: it's not really a crossover yet. If Bendis wanted to do a lead-in to their meeting, he should have done it in an issue of The Amazing or The Avenging Spider-Man instead of taking 1/5 of his narrative about TWO Spider-Men and only focusing on the one. I finished the issue thinking Well, maybe issue two will be in Miles' head, then immediately thought how boring and tedious THAT would be! Bendis is a great writer - one that seems to be a bit overworked these days - and I have faith that Spider-Men will get better, but based on this first issue alone, there's a lot left to want for.

GRADE:

C+

(FEATURE) NEWS, NEWS, & MORE NEWS!

It figures that the weekend I'm out of communication with the civilized world - sleeping in the fields of Manchester, Tennessee and attending four straight days of nigh-constant music - the comic book world gets bombarded with news concerning cancellations, new titles, and anniversary events! Well, here's a little rundown of DC's weekend activities and how they will affect "The Endless Reel"


'NEW 52' THIRD WAVE & ZERO ISSUES ANNOUNCED

Announced this weekend, September will be see every title under the 'New 52' banner receive their very own "Issue Zero" to commemorate the anniversary of DC's imprint relaunch. Every issue will get a 'Zero' issue in September, continuing with their 13th (or 5th, in the case of 'Second Wave' titles) issue in October. DC has also announced FOUR new series being added to the 'New 52' lineup, bringing the total number of titles to a whopping 55, seeing as Justice League International will be ending in August, with an Annual issue in September.

The first new title is Talon, a spin-off from Scott Snyder's Batman that will feature Calvin Rose, the only assassin to ever escape the Court of Owls. Snyder's work on Batman over the past year has been phenomenal and the Court's influence over Gotham is a vast entity that's only been scratched at the surface. Hopefully, Talon will be as good as Snyder's current work, though it will be written by co-plotter James Tynion IV. Second is the Dan DiDio-helmed Phantom Stranger, a character we were only offered a glimpse of in this year's Free Comic Book Day issue, The New 52 #1. The Stranger's connection to magic seems more overt in the 'New 52' universe, but his mystery will most likely be just as enigmatic and tight-lipped as before. Sword of Sorcery will be DC's newest mystical jaunt with a fan-demanded "Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld" tale coupled with a "Beowulf" back-up story by Tony Bedard with art by Jesus Saiz. "Amethyst" will be written by Christy Marx and pencilled by Aaron Lopresti, whose work on Justice League International has be great for it's entire run. Finally, Team Seven will merge the DC and Wildstorm universes even further with an - obviously - team-based series set in this universe's pre-superhero days with characters like a young Steve Trevor, Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Amanda Waller, a pre-Grifter Cole Cash, Alex Fairchild, John Lynch, and the Deathstroke: Slade Wilson. T7 will be written by Justin Jordan with art by Jesus Marino.

Come September, I'll be covering all "Issue Zero"s for Talon, Sword of Sorcery, Phatom Stranger, and Team Seven to determine which series (or two) I'll add to the list of regularly scheduled coverage in October. Based on page hits and '+1's, I'll make a decision.



GREEN LANTERN #0 TO POSSIBLY INTRODUCE ARAB GL

In DC's Free Comic Book Day offering this year, The New 52 #1, the final pages of the issue revealed a massive fight between some of the most iconic characters from the 'New 52' so far, along with an array of reintroduced characters like Elemental Woman (from Flashpoint), Black Adam (supposedly), the Atom, Vibe, as well as a mysterious new Green Lantern that seemed to have darker skin.

Now, with promotional art from Green Lantern #0 coming this September, we can see this new Green Lantern busting through the cover with an Arabic phrase tattooed on his right arm. Roughly translated to courage, bravery, or fearless - appropriately - the tattoo marks a second drive toward diversity for the Green Lantern brand in less than a month, considering Green Lantern Alan Scott's announced sexual orientation. While this new GL's first image also has him brandishing a handgun for some reason, it's safe to say DC isn't looking to make one of it's most iconic and famous characters a 'bad' person in any way. But everything is relative, and next year's promised "Trinity War" event seems to be part of this new GL's story.



DC CANCELS THREE MORE 'NEW 52' TITLES

After announcing four new titles being added to the 'New 52' lineup, bringing the total to 55 starting in September, DC quickly announced, just today and only one two days after it's initial announcement, the cancellation of three more titles on the heels of Justice League International in August. While they will still receive their "Issue Zero"s, Captain Atom, Resurrection Man, and Voodoo will all end in September, making way for the 'Third Wave' titles. While all three titles were performing poorly, Resurrection Man is a featured title here at "The Endless Reel" and will be missed, along withe Justice League International. Both JLI's Annual issue and Resurrection Man's "Issue Zero" will be covered here in September to give them proper send-offs.

In cancellation-related news, Dan DiDio did also announce that DC Universe Presents #0 will feature the Blackhawks, Hawk and Dove, O.M.A.C., and Mister Terrific, all characters whose series were cancelled during the 'Second Wave' back in May. This shows that DC is committed to it's characters, even if their series don't work out. This means that, hopefully, we'll see more of Mitch Shelley and the JLI in the future, somewhere in the pages of the 'New 52'.

(THE WEEK) JUNE 13-18, 2012

COMIC COVERAGE


AvX: VS #3 of 6
(Yost, Loeb, McGuinness, Dodson)

Featuring Black Widow vs. Magik and Colossus vs. Thing! Why Marvel decided to give us a fight between two characters already featured in the VS series is anyone's guess, but the fight should still be interesting!


Batman #10
(Snyder, Capullo)

The "Night of the Owls" may be over, but Bruce's fight with the Court of Owls continues this month as Batman discovers the true face of the Court!

Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1 of 4
(Cooke, Conner)

Continuing our weekly coverage of Before Watchmen with the Silk Spectre!


Batman and Robin #10
(Tomasi, Gleason)

It's a meeting of the Robins! Someone has called together all those who have taken the mantle as Batman's sidekick, and even Red Hood may show up!

Green Lantern #10
(Johns, Mahnke)

The history of the Indigo Tribe is finally revealed in the penultimate issue of "Secret of the Indigo Tribe!" Hal and Sinestro must take on the entire Tribe by themselves.

Resurrection Man #10
(Abnett, Lanning, Saiz)

Even though Resurrection Man is coming to an end in September, I'll be bringing you coverage through issue zero! Mitch Shelley keeps getting closer to discovering the mystery of his past, but where is the Transhuman?

Superboy #10
(Lobdell, Coello)

Scott Lobdell continues to intertwine Superboy with Teen Titans, making sure that neither get the character development they both so desperately need.


DC NATION COVERAGE


Young Justice
Season 2, Episode 8
"TBA"

I'm still not sure if there will even be a 'DC Nation' airing this week, but if there is, I'll be covering it!

(COMIC) 4-SENTENCE REVIEWS #3! [UPDATE]

Dial H #2
(Mieville, Santolouco)

While Dial H's first issue was a twisting maze of nigh-incomprehensible narrative descriptors stuck between amazing artwork by Mateus Santolouco, this second issue sees China Mieville beginning the obviously slow and gradual process of piecing together an actual plot that gives the dial reason beyond a few hours of novelty superpowers. Nelson is a generally unlikable character who seems to be getting more benevolent with each appearance; while his initial reasons for using the dial made him seem selfish, more and more, Nelson is using it to keep people (albeit, ones of his choosing) safe. The latter half of the issue serves to introduce new characters, most notably the Squid-  a metahuman who looks more like Killer Croc or the Lizard from the Marvel Universe - who kills Nelson's friend Darren, "because you told us not to," as the Squid tells Nelson (as Iron Snail) in a moment that begs the question how Nelson's relationship with the dial will begin to affect his real life. Dial H has only increased it's quality since last month and in on the path to being one of the most intricate and compelling comics in ages.

GRADE: A

Earth Two #2

(Robinson, Scott, Scott)

James Robinson is slowly - and beautifully, thanks to Nicola Scott's art - weaving his own world together in the pages of Earth 2. This month we see the genesis of Jay Garrick's super-speed, a gift from the dying god Hermes, as well as the oh-so-controversial revelation that Alan Scott is now a gay man! Robinson also brings Mister Terrific to Earth Two by way of quantum tunneling as seen in the final issue of Mister Terrific, a move that is both exciting and mysterious, considering he was attacked as soon as he arrived. Robinson has done a fantastic job - in two short issues - of really giving readers a sense that this Earth is different without being overtly unique, and it's just going to get better next month with the birth of Green Lantern!

GRADE: A

Action Comics #10
(Morrison, Morales, Bryant)

Grant Morrison's deconstruction of Superman throughout the first arc of Action Comics is about to be rivaled by his second arc that looks to tell the tale of the 'Death of Clark Kent'! While being tracked by a master hunter, Clark is dealing with the repercussions from his expose on Glen Glenmorgan, namely being offered work at the Daily Planet, a position Kent long held in the old-DCU. Morrison takes this chance to really shake things up and masterminds the martyrdom of Clark Kent to a bomb-carrying man at the end of his rope out for revenge against the Daily Star. The 'New 52' has given writers the chance to really change things up for a pantheon of characters, and while most are content to give them new origins and (somewhat) new villains, Morrison is looking to reinterpret every facet of Superman - from his origins and early years, to his alter ego(s?), and even to his personality and clout within the Justice League (an element that used to be untouchable).

GRADE: B+

Justice League International #10

(Jurgens, Lopresti, Ryan)

As Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti's Justice League International winds down to it's announced cancellation after a twelfth issue and an Annual, it gives readers perspective on the events unfolding within the pages of this tenth issue. The villain Breakdown gathers his posse of super-thugs to unleash his righteous plan to destroy modern society in an effort to make civilization more equal for the poor people around the world. Jurgens takes half the issue - before the JLI faces off against Breakdown - to show the team members during their 'off time'; Guy Gardner visits Ice in the hospital, while Batwing goes to Vixen's bedside, and August General in Iron gives O.M.A.C. a much-needed moral boost concerning the blue dude's irreversible condition to lead the rest of his life as a living weapon. It really is unfortunate that JLI is ending after September; with a sold roster of interesting characters that encounter more grounded problems than those of the Justice League proper, Justice League International could have been a launching platform for new characters, a home for those in limbo (like O.M.A.C.) and much, much more.

GRADE: A

World's Finest #2
(Levitz, Perez)

Paul Levitz has done a great job - not unlike James Robinson with Earth 2 - fleshing out both Karen Starr and Helena Wayne as best friends who developed a friendship deeper than most when they became the only two people from their dimension living in the Prime timeline. Their relationship is really the focal point of the series, and Levitz conveys that through their casualness with each other and how they protect one another, not only in battle, but also in life. This first arc's villain, Hakkou, is obviously one of Darkseid's parademons from Earth 2 that's developed a higher intelligence, but Levitz is smartly letting this fact evolve naturally instead of forcing it like, say, Scott Lobdell. While World's Finest #1 somewhat floundered a bit for me, this month's issue is really turning the adventures of Power Girl and Huntress into one of my favorite titles.

GRADE: A-

(THE WEEK) BON(NAROO) VOYAGE!

Hello, Readers!

This week, my wife and I will be going to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. We'll be spending the 6th through the 10th seeing a lot of amazing music and camping in the 100 degree weather. It's gonna be awesome!

This means I won't be around to cover this week's new comics, unfortunately.

Look forward to an extra-long '4-SENTENCE REVIEWS!' next Tuesday before the new week starts on June 13th.

So have a great week and stay safe, America. Here's the lineup, if anyone's interested!

- J

(COMIC) 4-SENTENCE REVIEWS! #2

4-Sentence Reviews come about when I've gotten lazy or something unavoidable comes up and I'm not able to cover all the regularly scheduled issues for the past week. These reviews cover normally-reviewed issues of the comics I read each week, but condense the information down to four sentences. Enjoy!

Wonder Woman #9

STORY: Brian Azzarello

ART: Tony Akins and Dan Green

Diana is engaged to Hades and she's actually pretty alright with the whole situation, at least, that's what Brian Azzarello would like us to believe. Now that Zola is out of Hell, the other gods - Hermes, Apollo, and Hephaestus - have to figure out a way to rescue the Amazonian princess, even if it means going straight back into the Underworld! Azzarello and Tony Akins have a good, minimalistic rhythm that only gives out crucial information, and only when you need it. While some might criticize the book as 'slow moving' or 'too simple', Wonder Woman is actually doing a fantastic job reinventing a character who became stale back in the 1970s.

GRADE: B+

Superman #9

STORY: Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens

ART: Jesus Marino

Ol' Supes has been thrown around quite a bit in his eponymous title, and it's just getting worse in Superman #9, which sees the Man of Steel up against Anguish, a villainess who can touch but not be touched - basically, she's immaterial when she wants to be. Meanwhile, an obsessed blogger named Victor Barnes is out to reveal Superman's identity through deduction and circumstance. Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens are doing a great job setting up narratives that have the potential to carry on for years to come. Overall, Superman hasn't been an essential read in the 'New 52' thus far, but it's looking to become one with these more intricate plots and build-ups for bigger things in the future.

GRADE: B

(DC NATION) JUNE 2, 2012

Young Justice
Season 2, Episode 6
"Bloodlines"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GRADE:

A

(FEATURE) ALAN SCOTT IS TOTALLY GAY

Earlier today, DC unzipped their mouths and let the beans spill about the "iconic" character that would now be gay in the 'New 52' universe. While speculation ran wild from Jay Garrick in Earth 2 to Barry Allen and Dick Grayson, Alan Scott - Green Lantern in Earth 2 - was announced to be the character receiving a new sexual identity.


Fans and critics alike have already sounded off about the mislead in describing Scott as "iconic", claiming that media hype led most to believe it would be a 'top-tier' character, one more on the public eye. The funny thing about the Alan Scott revelation is that the general public is already confusing Scott with Hal Jordan as Green Lantern.

Let's look at this logically. Gay rights (or lack thereof) is an extremely controversial topic in the United States today. While my personal ideology precludes me from understanding why giving every single person equal protection and rights under the law, the debate exists nonetheless. When DC announced - just a week ago - that it would be revamping one of it's characters with a new sexual preference, One Million Moms (a conservative Christian organization) came out in defiant protest of the decision. They stated that comic books are marketed to children and that including a topic as mature as sexual identity would confuse impressionable youths. Of course, this was just the tip of their prejudiced iceberg. And all of that was over the announcement.

Alan Scott from the old DCU.

If DC were to make, say, Superman gay, this change would capture the attention of the nation. It would be a huge step to reimagine an American symbol in a homosexual light. There would be nothing wrong with this decision. If Alan Scott draws the wrath of one conservative Christian group, think of the hate and bigotry that would display itself if Bruce Wayne was gay. Though it saddens me to say, America isn't ready for a gay Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, or Flash.

As an avid Green Lantern fan, I'm ecstatic that Alan Scott was the choice. The Green Lantern mantle has always been an avenue for diversity. In the old DCU, Alan Scott's son, Obsidian, was gay, as well as GL Kyle Rayner's personal assistant, Terry. John Stewart was one of the first prominent black superheroes, and in the 1960s, Hal Jordan and Ollie Queen (Green Arrow) took a Guardian of the Universe on a road trip to show the Guardian the more compassionate side of life and how good and bad are not as black and white as the ancient beings would like to believe. Revamping the original Green Lantern into a gay man was a bold and smart move.

I'm proud to be a Green Lantern fan, now more than ever. As society moves forward and our culture becomes more accepting of diverse lifestyles, it's up to the media to convey and present these changes to the status quo. In the 1940s, women were rarely featured as prominent characters. African American heroes were unheard of until the 60s, and the first gay kiss in comics happened in 1998. It's time for the comic book industry to embrace new lifestyles and cultural norms to better relate to their readers and create more believable stories in the process.

(COMIC) AQUAMAN #9

STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Oclair Albert, and Andy Lanning

"The Others" has been a fantastic narrative, thus far, that has opened up a whole new chapter in Arthur Curry's life that readers have never seen before. Of course, Geoff Johns is making Aquaman's team before the Justice League a new incarnation, but that's just the funniest thing; the 'Others' seem so familiar and normal that it feels like they've been around for years and we're just now getting to know them. I'm sure that's the sentiment Johns was going for, but he pulls it off spectacularly well. Paying a writer to pen an origin story?: $2,000 (I'm thinking, I don't know). Feeling close to characters you just met?: Priceless.

In Aquaman #9, the search for the rest of the Others continues with the Prisoner, a man who can construct things out of water? It's not entirely clear at this point what the Prisoner's powers are as opposed to what power he gains from the golden gauntlets when Black Manta attacks him in his hospital bed. Ya'wara and Arthur discuss the rest of the gang: Vostok is coming to meet them from his self-imposed isolation on the Moon, the 'Operative' "will find us. He always does," explains Arthur, with only the Prisoner's fate left up to chance. Aquaman is so good because it builds and shows rather than tells readers what is happening. Basically, Aquaman is the exact opposite of Scott Lobdell's Superboy.

The latter six or seven pages are dedicated to Dr. Shin's recount of Arthur's history with Black Manta. An understandably impatient Mera demands the tale out of the cowardly doctor who reveals that, indirectly, it was Shin himself who was responsible for most of Arthur's misfortune. After studying and helping Arthur for years during his childhood, Shin expressed interest in taking Arthur's abilities public. Arrhur's father, Thomas, hated the idea and immediately took Arthur and cut off all ties and communication with Shin. Shin went on to publish his findings, but without proof, he became a laughing stock in the scientific community. Desperate to reclaim his reputation, Shin hired Black Manta to retrieve a sample of Arthur's DNA. Manta and Thomas Curry fight and Manta manages to escape, albeit without the DNA. See, this was the point in the old Aquaman story where Manta killed Thomas Curry and sent Arthur on his path toward righteous redemption. This time around, Thomas lives. Unfortunately, he dies of a heart attack a week later and - in a fit of rage - Arthur murders Black Manta's father.

...

See what they did there? THEY JUST BLEW OUR MINDS! It's interesting and awesome how writers are using the 'New 52' relaunch to make DC's heroes more human. No one is perfect, and the original origin stories that have followed my favorite characters around for decades made them all look like saints and martyrs in every way. Reality is less polished and writers like Geoff Johns and Scott Snyder know this, which is why their books are consistently the best ones.

Johns has fundamentally changed the game between Aquaman and Black Manta. While their histories still intertwine significantly, Arthur's former golden-boy status is gone and Manta's evil ways are no longer as arbitrary. Everything is better than the pre-'New 52' Aquaman and it shows no signs of slowing down soon.

GRADE:

A+