It Was Worth A Look

Night Force vol. 1
DC Comics
Marv Wolfman, writer
Gene Colan, artist

I've always enjoyed Marv Wolfman's writing to varying degrees. He is a large part of the reason I got back into comics as a teenager through his work on New Teen Titans. A few years later, he was incredible with his epic Crisis On Infinite Earths maxi-series. Even when I didn't just love something he wrote, I still enjoyed aspects of his work. But I never warmed up to this series when it first debuted in 1982. I tried the first issue or two, and at the time, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Fast forward several years and I have read and enjoyed a much larger array of comics and genres. I read and enjoyed Wolfman's and Colan's collaborations on Marvel's Tomb of Dracula, read for the first time in the recent Marvel Essentials collections. Night Force was billed as being by the same creative team and very much in the same creative vein as that series. So I decided to give it another try.

The premise centers around the enigmatic Baron Winters, a character whose exact age and origins are shrouded in mystery. What is known and/or surmised about Winters is that he has been around a long, long time, he rarely ever leaves the mansion in Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) wherein he resides, he assembles various agents to combat various supernatural, occult forces, and he really isn't a very nice man. Winters is always accompanied by and often speaks to a leopard named Merlin. Of his agents, little is known about how Winters knows these people or why. Sometimes they aren't even aware that they are working on his behalf as they go about what they believe are their normal lives. This means that, unlike most serialized fiction, you never know when a character might be killed or disappear never to be seen again, thus upping the suspense of the series.

To be honest, I was a little underwhelmed by the 14 issues that make up the mid-1980s first volume of this title. To be fair, these tales may have been more original when first published, but now there is little here that hasn't been seen before in other venues. The writing is still well done, and Colan's shadowy art style is best suited to horror. And I did become a little more engaged in the stories as the series progressed, but even at the time, the title found a very small, dedicated audience that wasn't large enough to keep Night Force afloat. So after 14 issues and four story arcs of varying lengths, Night Force was canceled. A text piece at the end of the final issue promised the title would return with a series of connected limited series in the next year or so, and while that prediction ultimately proved to be false, the title would return.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm

Earth 2 0
DC Comics
James Robinson, writer
Tomas Giorello, artist

We are finally given some background and context for the DCnU version of Terry Sloan with this issue.

Not much is known so far of the history of Earth 2 in this new continuity. We have the Trinity -- or the Ternion, as they are known on this world -- of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. We also know that the two male members of the Ternion, Superman and Batman, each have a female sidekick or protege, Supergirl and Robin, respectively. If we also count Catwoman, Robin's mother -- And why wouldn't we? -- we have six costumed adventurers known to have existed on this version of Earth six years ago.

We learn in this book that there are two more. We aren't given a name or any details about the seventh costumed hero working to repel the hordes of Apokolips, but we know a seventh hero exists because Terry Sloan, the narrator of this issue refers to himself as "Mr. 8, the eighth and final wonder of this world" and "the smartest man on Earth."

For the first time, we see Mr. 8 fighting alongside the other heroes. We also learn that the people in the areas of this world that have fallen to Darkseid are not dead; instead, the citizens of Italy, Brazil, South Africa and Pakistan are victims of the anti-life equation, whose effects were first seen in Final Crisis.

Sloan decides he is tired of winning small battles while barely making any headway in the war against Darkseid. He determines the best way to deal a truly crushing blow is to sacrifice the people of these fallen lands, but he knows full well his comrades-in-arms won't like that solution. What's an unappreciated genius to do?

The Old Gives Way To The New ... Maybe

Powers 11
Marvel Icon
Brian Michael Bendis, writer
Michael Avon Oeming, artist

This latest volume of Powers has had a VERY spotty release schedule, but here we finally have the last installment of the "Golden Ones" story arc, sorta. A godlike being has gone mad and decided to take out her frustrations on the human race. So she floods the entire city of Chicago, killing more than 6,000 people, leaving more than a million displaced and more than 1,000 people missing, including new Retro Girl Calista, Triphammer and homicide detective Christian Walker.

The fallout of this latest development was supposed to lead into the latest incarnation of Powers, wherein all powers-related cases are now under federal jurisdiction. The new title is planned to be Powers: Bureau. However, with all of the delays leading into Powers issue No. 11, the first several issues of Powers: Bureau are all also quite late. In fact, by coincidence, the day before I read this issue, I received a notice from my comic supplier that my previous orders for Powers: Bureau Nos. 1, 2 and 3 have all been canceled by the publisher. Likely they will be resolicited in the future and this is just a move to correct the lateness issue.

Let's hope so anyway.

Secrets Revealed

Fairest 7
DC Vertigo
Matthew Sturges, writer
Shawn McManus, artist

This was a nice done-in-one story from this Fables off-shoot that lets readers in on a little secret of one of the longtime Fables characters. This tale is narrated by the Beast in the form of a letter to his wife, Belle or "Beauty," explaining a little mission for Fabletown he has undertaken. Set in the mid-1940s, Beast is tracking a beautiful but deadly female named Lamia. The two apparently have a history of such flights and pursuits. And while Beast is charged with once again apprehending Lamia, his recurring task is made more difficult by another pursuer who seeks to slay the fair fugitive. A tragic story with a twist, this is a must-read for any longtime Fables fan.

Prettiest Back-Up Plans On Any Earth

Worlds' Finest 0
DC Comics
Paul Levitz, writer
Kevin Maguire and Wes Craig, artists

Despite some tragic events, this book offers us a glimpse of the debuts of our two regular series heroines. We see young Helena Wayne, daughter of the Earth 2 Batman and Catwoman, take her first flight as Robin under the watchful eye of her mother, much to the chagrin of her father. We see some of Supergirl's early training under the tutelage of her cousin, the Earth 2 Superman. We also learn why this Superman wants to keep Supergirl in reserve as just a secret weapon instead of openly helping. It seems that during an early battle between Superman and the forces of Darkseid, Lois Lane was killed. Superman refuses to risk Supergirl openly for fear he will lose her, too. And lastly, we see the two girls meet when Supergirl is called to help rescue an in-over-her-head Robin, the latter distraught at the death of her mother.

This issue provides a nice glimpse of these two heroines' early careers. Well done, gentlemen!

This Issue Has Issues

Green Arrow 0
DC Comics
Judd Winick, writer
Freddie Williams II, artist

Right off the bat, this issue has some problems. The cover lists the writer as current series scribe Ann Nocenti, but apparently that is not the case based on the interior credits.

Next, DC has apparently taken a single character trait of Oliver Queen and made it his sole defining characteristic. Oliver -- especially young Oliver -- has always been irresponsible, but this guy is just brash and impulsive. After apparently being kicked out of several Queen Industries jobs, Oliver has been banished to a clerk's job on an off-shore oil rig. He opts to invite all of his friends and turn the rig into a metal beach party platform. Also in attendance are best friend Tommy Merlyn in a nod to the continuity of the new television show, "Arrow," and girlfriend du jour, Leena.

This new version of Oliver is not without a conscience, as he quickly steps up and tries to defend the platform when the party allows armored pirates to sneak aboard and attempt to steal some of the crude the rig is producing. But again, irresponsibly, he doesn't think his actions through and ends up causing an explosion that kills most of the workers, pirates and his party guests, including Leena. In fact, Oliver himself likely wouldn't have survived without the intervention of a badly burned Tommy. That's not just irresponsible; that's criminally negligent and/or reckless.

This is now how Oliver winds up marooned alone on an island where he hones his archery skills. I assume that part of this origin story is the same as before because that time is glossed over with just a few, nearly wordless panels.

Same goes for Oliver's partnership with Roy Harper. We get snippets over a couple pages that clue us in that Roy hacked into Queen Industries computers, got caught, was arrested and jailed. Oliver is so impressed with Harper's tech and weapons prowess that he bails Roy out of jail and offers him a job. We're given little evidence of this tech and weapons prowess, and we're left to assume that Roy becomes Green Arrow's sidekick, Speedy, and later the adult hero, Arsenal, much like in the old DCU. None of this is shown.

Even with a different writer, this story is still very weak, although Williams' art is MUCH better than regular artist Harvey Tolibao's. There's another creative change coming on this title in a few months. Fingers crossed the new folks do better by Oliver Queen.

Please Help Peter David

For any of my readers who don't already know him, Peter David is a very prolific writer of not only comics, but also prose novels, television scripts, and I think even a few movie scripts. If you like comics and/or science fiction, odds are you have read or seen something of his. But his work is not limited to those two fields.

Peter David recently suffered a stroke, and while he is recovering, the various medical and recuperation-related bills are mounting. The family continues to update Peter's fans about his condition through his blog at http://www.peterdavid.net/

The family has also suggested a number of ways that Peter's fans can help, either through direct donations or by simply buying his books, most available in either print or e-formats. And they've asked that any of Peter's fans with a blog help spread the word. Hence this extra post.

For more information on how to donate or links to many of Peter's books, just go to this post from Peter's site. If you are looking for some of Peter's comics work, he had a very lengthy run on Marvel Comics' The Incredible Hulk in the 1980s and '90s and is the current writer of Exiles. Some of my favorites of his are also DC Comics' Aquaman in the 1990s and Young Justice in the early 2000s, as well as Fallen Angel, begun at DC, and later resumed at IDW Publishing.

Thanks for your time and attention for this special announcement.

I Didn't Get That

Phantom Stranger 0
DC Comics
Dan Didio, writer
Brent Anderson, artist

This was an interesting book, both for what it included and what (in my opinion) it didn't.

The DCnU version of the Phantom Stranger was first seen in the 2012 Free Comic Book Day special as part of the Trinity of Sin alongside the new Question and Pandora, apparently the architect of the DCnU. In the past, the Stranger did not have a definitive origin. That is not the case here. Though the names Judas Iscariot and Jesus Christ are never actually mentioned, there is little doubt that the Stranger used to be Judas before his judgment at the hands of the Council of Wizards for his betrayal of Jesus. He wears a necklace made up of the 30 pieces of silver Judas was paid for betraying Christ, according to the Bible. While the Stranger never had a definitive origin before, the idea of his being Judas is not a new concept. I first read it as one of four possible origins for the Stranger in the 10th issue of Secret Origins published by DC in January 1987. I can't say for certain if the version predates that book.

This book starts out replaying the judgment scenes from the Free Comic Book Day special, albeit from the Stranger's point of view this time. He acknowledges his guilt and begs for mercy from the wizards before being banished back to Earth to wander endlessly until he has atoned for his crime. The cloak he is given to wear is the one formerly worn by the one he betrayed, he tells us, and it seems that the cloak itself is what disguises his true appearance.

The Stranger is left to wander alone with his thoughts from ancient times to what appears to be the modern era but no date is actually given. Finally, a voice guides him to hot-headed police officer Jim Corrigan and we see the Stranger play a significant role in Corrigan's death and transformation into the Spectre, another classic DC hero being introduced to the DCnU for the first time. As the Spectre disappears to begin his own mission as God's spirit of vengeance, a single silver coin drops off from the Stranger's necklace and turns to dust. At this, the Stranger tells us he has learned the way he must earn his redemption, then wanders off to wait to be called again.

Here's my only major problem with this issue: There's no denying that the Stranger played a role in Corrigan being shot, killed and transformed into the Spectre. However, the Stranger was no more in control than Corrigan was of the situation. Corrigan was following the Stranger's lead and the Stranger was following the voice that led him to act. I get that for each act the Stranger performs at the bidding of this voice, he will lose one piece of silver until all 30 are gone and he is redeemed. But what exactly did he do? What exactly did he learn about what he must do besides follow a mysterious voice? That knowledge came in the form of the Who's Who page at the back of each of these Zero issues. In this issue, we have a Who's Who page on the Stranger that explains: "These callings are a double-edged sword for the Stranger. Although he can remove one of the 30 pieces of silver he wears as a cursed necklace, he is also eventually forced to betray those that he encounters as penance." This is nice information to have, but I don't know that I see this as betrayal when the Stranger doesn't know exactly what is going on either, and it would have been better if the story had made this key point clear, not the text page.

I've read complaints online about the writing on this book being weak, but other than the above, I have no problems with it so far. Plus, the next issue teaser mentions Trigon; as a confirmed Titans fan, I'm curious how Trigon will play into the Stranger's story. We shall see.

To The Death

Aquaman 10-12
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Ivan Reis, artist

This book is getting intense as one might expect from the subject matter.

Previously we have learned that Aquaman was part of a group called The Others before joining the Justice League. We also learned that all of these heroes had run-ins with Black Manta and that much of the Aquaman-Black Manta antagonism stems from the fact that these two men each killed the other's father. That's all pretty grim.

Aquaman gets some small measure of redemption in these issues as we learn that he did not mean to kill Manta's father -- he thought it was Manta he was lashing out at. The Marine Marvel was enraged at the death of his own father at the time. His father died of a heart attack during a previous assault on the pair by Manta. In a rage, Aquaman tracked Manta to a vessel at sea and lashed out at the vessel's sole occupant. Unbeknownst to Aquaman at the time, Black Manta was diving below the boat, and it was his father who remained aboard.

We also learn the "secret origin" of Aquaman's trident. It is one of six Atlantean relics discovered by The Others. Each member of the team took one of the artifacts, which once belonged to the first king of Atlantis, the individual responsible for the sinking of that ancient continent. We learn that there was actually a seventh relic and that this piece is what Black Manta is now hunting, along with Aquaman and his Others comrades. That seventh item is the Dead King's scepter, the very device that was used to sink Atlantis, and thus more powerful than the other six items. And Manta manages to uncover the scepter before Aquaman, Mera and the remaining Others can stop him. Along the way, Manta manages to slay another member of that team, Vostok.

Also, I'm certain it is no coincidence that the Dead King's scepter looks identical to the weapon Aquaman's half-brother, Ocean Master, used to wield in the old DC Universe. I think it very possible that we will see the debut of the DCnU version of Ocean Master before this arc is concluded in issue No. 13.

But before we get to that issue, it is time for DC's Zero Month. We'll have the first of those books to look at next time.

Farewell Epic

Captain America 14-16
Marvel Comics
Ed Brubaker and Cullen Bunn, writers
Patch Zircher, Mike Deodato and Scott Eaton, artists

These three issues wrap up the "Shock to the System" arc and launch the "New World Orders" arc, but as with this entire relaunch of Captain America, the big bad throughout is Bravo, along with his wife, the new Hydra Queen. The first arc of this relaunch introduced readers to Bravo, a World War II-era ally of Cap's who was lost in an alternate dimension during a mission and listed as missing ever since. He's managed to find his way back now and Bravo is out for revenge against those who left him behind.

So far, through various story arcs and manipulations, Bravo has caused Cap to lose his super-human abilities for a time and has led to the deaths of a number of Cap's former allies. Along the way, Bravo has also allied himself with a number of Cap's former foes such as Machinesmith and Baron Zemo.

"New World Orders" looks like it could be the final arc before Brubaker's tenure on this title is over with issue No. 19. And Bravo has upped the game to pit all of America against Cap, turning public sentiment against him in the form of reality television attacks. This promises to be a huge endgame for this huge story.

I Can Admit When I'm Wrong

Winter Soldier 8-9
Marvel Comics
Ed Brubaker, writer
Michael Lark, artist

Previously, I criticized Brubaker for losing some of his energy for this book since it was already announced the book was ending.

Well, the book is NOT ending. Brubaker will be leaving after the next arc, but the title will continue on with another writer at the helm.

An even more serious error on my part, I was wrong about Brubaker's energy level. The first installment of this arc, "Broken Arrow," left me feeling like Brubaker was acting like a short-timer, but these final two installments have shown me the error of my pronouncement. This was a high-energy conclusion as Winter Soldier and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. try to track down a rouge former-sleeper agent who has kidnapped the Black Widow. The Widow is hardly a damsel in distress, but Leo Novokov, the architect behind this scheme against the Winter Soldier, has bigger plans for her than that. He manages to successfully brainwash her into attacking her former comrades.

My humblest apologies to Brubaker and crew for ever doubting them.

... And Grow And Grow

Star Trek 11-12
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Claudia Balboni, artist

We've talked before about how this title is presenting new movie-universe versions of familiar "Star Trek" TOS episodes and how the differences between the two timelines are growing, and these two issues offer no exception. Fan-favorite episode "The Trouble With Tribbles" gets remade here as "The Truth About Tribbles."

In the classic version, the Enterprise responds to a priority distress call, rushing quickly to Deep Space Station K-7. Once there, they are "ordered" to guard grain samples from possible Klingon saboteurs. Lt. Uhura acquires a single tribble while taking part in shore leave on the station, and the tribbles' natural tendency to reproduce at an alarming rate threatens to bring disaster to the station and the startship, but the furry little creatures also expose a Klingon spy.

In this new version of events, there is no space station. Instead, the Enterprise is ordered to explore the Iota Germinorum system, and finds a Klingon bird of prey there, well outside normal Klingon space, a treaty violation. Before warping away, the Klingons deliver a garbled message about "dire threats" and "executions." The Enterprise crew beams down to the fourth planet in the system, apparently the home planet of the tribbles, which are a new species to the Federation members. All of them anyway, except one, which offers a nice nod back to events from J.J. Abrams' 2009 Trek reboot film.

Upon beaming down to Iota Germinorum IV, the crew finds the tribbles, their natural predators and a number of Klingon bombs. Kirk assigns Scotty and Chekov to disarm the bombs when the tribbles' aforementioned rapid reproduction starts to threaten the away team. To add to the crew's troubles, they soon learn that tribbles are also threatening to overrun the population back on Earth. It quickly becomes a race against breeding to save both planets.

Fun stuff!

She's Haunting Comic Shelves Again

Ghost: Resurrection Mary (Dark Horse Comics Presents Vol. 3, 13-15)
Dark Horse Comics
Kelly Sue DeConnick, writer
Phil Noto, artist

Or is she? Because this reimagining doesn't seem to be the same Ghost character as in the last go-round.

Ghost was one of several "superhero" characters created by Dark Horse Comics in the mid-1990s. That series, by writer Eric Luke, centered around Elisa Cameron, a former reporter apparently killed while working on an investigative piece in the fictional city of Arcadia. At first, Cameron does not recall who she is or how she came to be this ghostly apparition. Through several specials, one-shots and finally a 36-issue ongoing series, she battled the mystical villains and underworld types who populated the very dark Arcadia. I enjoyed that first run of Ghost because the character was smart and used her brain, unlike many other female comic leads at the time, but I dropped the book once Ghost learned the truth about her death.

Apparently, there was a relaunch that ran for another couple years shortly after the initial run, still focusing on Elisa Cameron as Ghost but changing some of the details of her back story along the way.

Now this three-part serial in Dark Horse Comics Presents is reintroducing Ghost, and I am definitely signed up for the ongoing that is following. This Ghost may or may not be Elisa Cameron. Not even she knows who she is after she is forced to materialize by two television "Phantom Finders" using a strange device while taping an episode of their program. The pair are trying to summon a spirit named Mary Bregovy, after all, and since this serial is subtitled Resurrection Mary, I'm not assuming this is the same Ghost we've seen before.

"Phantom Finders" host Tommy Byers seems to be a smooth-talking young con man who doesn't really believe in the phantoms he "finds." The character puts me in mind of the host on a real ghost adventures show I've seen. His "partner" and video man is Vaughn Barnes, a former newspaperman who isn't "former" by choice. Vaughn may not be any nicer a person than Tommy, but at least he's honest about it, which gives him an endearing quality.

We don't have much information on the device they have except that Tommy acquired it through mysterious means. After using the device to make Ghost materialize and capturing the event on film, Tommy tries to cash in on their video proof of an afterlife, a move which Vaughn sabotages. While the two argue about that incident, the former owners of the device show up wanting it back. Ghost also reappears and saves Tommy and Vaughn by killing one of their assailants. Vaughn decides that they now owe it to Ghost to help her figure out who she is/was and drags Tommy, reluctantly, along. And that is where this setup ends.

The writing on these three short installments is good, and the art is terrific, so hopefully DeConnick and Noto will continue into the new ongoing. The action is fast paced, and I'm definitely along for the ride to see where this is headed. If you happened to miss these three issues of Dark Horse Comics Presents, you can pick up all three chapters collected in Ghost No. 0, released the month before No. 1.

That's What I'm Talking About!

Time Bomb tpb
Radical Comics
Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, writers
Paul Gulacy, artist
***mature content warning***

Happy New Year, everyone!

This is an incredible done-in-one trade telling a very cinematic action movie type of tale that gets the blood pumping and makes you want to finish the book in one sitting.

A civil works project in modern-day Berlin accidentally uncovers a massive underground facility, almost the size of an entire city. Agents from several governments are quickly dispatched to determine the purpose and origin of this astounding find. But they unwittingly trigger what is believed to be a Nazi doomsday device left over from World War II.

A missile launches only to explode after climbing about a mile into the atmosphere. That explosion releases an airborne virus that is killing the entire population of Berlin, and spreading outward from there. It is quickly estimated that the human race has about 60 hours of existence left on this planet.

Fortunately for the world, a little-known U.S. government project has proven that time travel is possible. Unfortunately, the process isn't exactly perfected.

A team of four adventurers is chosen and assembled to be sent back in time, but as it is explained to them, the scientists in charge have very little control about destination time. The formulas involved are little more than guesswork. The quartet is being sent back sometime before the doomsday device was triggered, armed with government contact names and numbers for several decades and video proof of what has happened. The hope is that they can convince the powers that be whenever they materialize to find the device and disable it in the past before its destruction can be unleashed. And they have just 24 hours to complete that mission before the time travel is reversed and they are yanked back into the present.

Oh, and there's the unsettling fact that the time travel device is called a "time bomb." Not the most comforting of names.

If only things had gone according to plan.

If you like action/adventure and/or science fiction, check out this book. You'll be glad you did!