Bendis is hooking me again

Action Comics No. 1010
DC Comics
Creators: Brian Michael Bendis, Steve Epting, and Brad Anderson
Release date: April 2019

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Brian Michael Bendis taking over the Superman titles at DC, but I’ve enjoyed his writing in the past, be it in Avengers titles, Ultimate Spider-man, Powers or Daredevil. So I opted to give his runs a chance.

I very much like the dynamic stories he’s presenting in Superman, first taking us back to the Phantom Zone, then recounting Jon Kent’s adventures with his grandfather, Jor-El. The Ivan Reis and Joe Prado art certainly doesn’t hurt that title, either. I fell in love with these guys’ art when they helped relaunch the New 52 Aquaman title, and they are still at the top of their game.

But if I had to pick a current favorite Bendis Superman title, it would be the story arc going on in the pages of Action Comics, “Leviathan Rising.” Superman and his wife, Lois Lane, are both embroiled in an espionage tale that also involves all the clandestine groups from DC lore — A.R.G.U.S., the D.E.O., Checkmate, Spyral, Amanda Waller, Sam Lane, Mr. Bones. It’s all here, and I’m loving how Bendis is weaving it all together.

I’ve said before, here and in other forums, that Superman should be a light character. Superman represents the very best of what humanity can be. He is the shining light for which we strive. I believe Bendis gets that. And he’s wisely using the bright, shiny Superman sparingly in this story. Rather, he’s focusing on Clark Kent and Lois Lane, two investigative journalists who sometimes have to root around in the shadows to properly do their jobs and bring things to light. Take it another step darker, and even Lois and Clark are having to utilize assumed identities to go undercover. (That's them in the image above, if you didn't know.) Bendis' storytelling simply adds more and more layers to a mystery that desperately needs to be unraveled.

Getting Steve Epting for the art on this story was a great move, too. I have loved a lot of Epting’s past work, but he thrives illustrating this type of story, with shadows and subtle shifts, all the cloak and dagger stuff. He’s a brilliant choice for this arc.

It doesn’t hurt that this story is promising to explode out of Action Comics into other titles soon, either. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by that prospect, I’m looking forward to new titles like Event Leviathan and Lois’ solo title. That’s how good this story feels, and how excited I am to read each new piece of the puzzle.

I’m hooked, Mr. Bendis; please, don’t stop.

More Superman. But well worth checking out!

Action Comics No. 999
DC Comics
Creators: Dan Jurgens, Will Conrad, Ivan Nunes and Rob Leigh
Cover date: March 2018

Most Superman fans are eagerly awaiting next month's Action Comics No. 1,000, a super-milestone, to be sure. But Dan Jurgens and crew made this preceding issue one not to be ignore.

Why?

Because Jurgens shows once again why Superman is the first and one of the greatest heroes ever: his genuine compassion and concern for others, even the villains he faces.

The most recent storyline in Action Comics involved some time travel, both backward and forward from the present. I won't spoil that story either, but information revealed to Superman during the course of that story made him question the humane-ness of sending villains into the Phantom Zone, a dimension discovered by his father, Jor-El. In the Phantom Zone, individuals exist only as disembodied wraiths who can still see and hear events in the real world but never interact or impact those events.

Superman's own experiences within the Phantom Zone have revealed that there is more to it than that, however. That plane of existence actively acts to overwhelm a person's hope and will. That aspect of the Phantom Zone makes exile there a cruel and unusual punishment, Superman decides, and he moves to find another solution for villains too powerful for earthly imprisonment, one that is less punitive, more humane, for the convicted.

Nice job, Superman. You are truly a shining example for us to follow. And kudos to Jurgens and the team for a fine issue!

I Was On A Roll And Then I Ruined It

Panic In the Sky trade paperback collection (1993)
DC Comics
Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson and Roger Stern, writers
Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Dan Jurgens, Bob McLeod, Brett Breeding, Doug Hazlewood, Dennis Janke and Denis Rodier, artists

Last time, we talked about the Superman: Exile trade collection -- one I read recently for the first time and very much enjoyed. A large part of that story involves Superman running into Warworld, being forced to take part in its gladiatorial-style contests to the death, and the Man of Steel's attempts to change that system. In Exile, Warworld is under the control of the Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths version of Mongul.

In this trade collection from a few years later, Warworld, now under the control of Brainiac, is headed for Earth  to enslave the populace. Unlike Exile, I read this story arc in the Superman titles of the time -- Action Comics, Adventures of Superman, Superman and Superman: The Man of Steel. I was drawn to "Panic In the Sky" because Superman assembles a large team of heroes to assist him in fighting off the Warworld invasion. Several of my favorites at the time play roles in the story. The group Superman assembles is a hodge-podge of heroes and anti-heroes because there is no current Justice League team in DC continuity at the time of this story.

One of the nicer things about this trade collection, which I purchased along with the Exile trade, is the inclusion before each chapter of the various writers' and the editor's thoughts on the story and how it came about. Turns out "Panic In the Sky" was initially envisioned as one of those all-consuming crossover stories DC did every year at that time. Only later was that notion turned down and the story moved to being told solely in the various Superman titles for a few months.

I very much enjoyed "Panic In the Sky" when it first appeared in single issues, and it isn't a bad story as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Guy Gardner, Kilowog, Fire, Ice, Flash, Captain Marvel, Booster Gold, several of the New Gods and more battle to save Earth from the schemes of Brainiac and the forces of Warworld. But honestly, rereading it now in trade format 20 years after I first experienced it, the story doesn't hold up quite as well as I remembered.

In one of his text pieces, writer Dan Jurgens wrote about superheroes -- especially Superman -- merely reacting to threats after someone has been hurt or some crime has been committed. One of the goals of this story was to depict the heroes -- again, especially Superman -- being more proactive. But the Superman depicted here is just as reactive as usual. Sure he assembles a team of heroes to come together and go into space to fight Warworld before it reaches Earth, but only after Brainiac sends his robotic Head-Ship to attack Metropolis, wreaking a great deal of destruction, and announcing to the Man of Steel that Brainiac is now in control of Warworld and bringing the artificial planet to Earth. Superman has no knowledge of the threat before this initial attack, so he's still reacting. To make matters worse, some of the character interaction among the many heroes in this story makes Superman seem like kind of a weak leader. He's constantly being challenged by Guy Gardner and Orion, to name just two examples, and he's also shown as uncertain several times and uneasy leading all of these various heroes.

Another problem in hindsight is the inclusion of Deathstroke the Terminator among Superman's assembled team. Deathstroke had his own comic in the mid-1990s, and while he was still an anti-hero, his strong moral code was emphasized in his own title. The character became a bit more heroic than he was initially depicted and would be written in later comics. In another text piece by Jurgens, the writer expressed his initial concern about including Deathstroke; why would someone like Superman seek out such an individual for help? But Jurgens said he later came to see the value of Deathstroke's tactical contributions. Except, wasn't Batman known as the master strategist of the DCU heroes? With some of the things the character has been used for since "Panic In the Sky," Deathstroke really seems out of place in this story now.

Several other characters are barely used. Wonder Woman is among the heroes Superman assembles, but her role is limited to appearing in a few backgrounds and exposition scenes. She plays no real role in the battle against Warworld. Other heroes get the same treatment, showing up but contributing little. I was happy when these books debuted to see two of my favorites, Aquaman and Nightwing, included in the story. Happily, they get much more panel time and much more dialogue than Wonder Woman in the story, but sadly, neither contributes a vital role to the proceedings, I discovered upon rereading these issues.

That isn't to say that there is nothing of value here; Draaga's story in this trade continues from what was begun for him in Exile. His is a pretty compelling story and easily provides much of the heart of these issues. Supergirl/Matrix also has some interesting developments in this arc. And finally, events at the end of "Panic In the Sky" were directly used to help re-launch the Justice League title for this era. But all of these things also seem to make Superman a supporting character in his own titles for two months. That's really kind of sad for the hero known for inspiring all others.

Friends Again

Action Comics 11-12
DC Comics
Grant Morrison, writer
Rags Morales, Rick Bryant and Brad Walker, artists

During the infighting in the most recent issues of Justice League, Superman says at one point that he and Batman are friends and have worked together outside of Justice League missions. These two issues of Action Comics give us a glimpse of the beginnings of that cooperative relationship, and if handled properly in the future, this will be a nice return.

Batman is often portrayed in modern comics as aloof, always keeping himself distant and apart from his super-powered colleagues. This is often explained as a defense mechanism in Bruce Wayne's psyche as a result of his not having any actual super powers and never quite trusting the others who do. When handled well, that can be a valid portrayal of the Dark Knight Detective.

However, some of my favorite comic book stories from childhood have Superman working side by side with Batman and Robin, either as part of the larger Justice League of America or together alone in the pages of World's Finest Comics. It is nice to see these two acting as friends and confidants again. I hope this development lasts.

The reason Superman has asked for Batman's help is explained in the art above. Superman saved the life of his editor, George Taylor, from a bomb in the previous issue. But in doing so, it seemed to observers that Clark Kent died, and Superman allowed that belief to remain. But now he is regretting killing off his secret identity in favor of being Superman 24/7.

It's Completely Out Of Left Field -- Yet It Works

Action Comics 9
DC Comics
Grant Morrison, writer
Gene Ha, artist

The history of Krypton from Action Comics No. 5 seemed a little out of place on my first read until I realized the entire thing was being narrated by the rocket in which baby Kal-el arrived on Earth, and that the rocket is "speaking" to Superman when he discovers it while he's escaping from military custody. The story presented in Action Comics No. 9, "The Curse of Superman," seems to have no connection to the unfolding events early in Superman's public life. In fact, the entire tale takes place in another dimension on another Earth -- Earth 23 of the multiverse.

On Earth 23, Superman is a black man. Through flashbacks, we learn that his biological parents, Jorel (no hyphen) and Lara save him from Krypton's destruction by rocketing him to Earth. This Superman's Kryptonian name is Kalel, also without a hyphen, and his secret identity, the name his adoptive Earth parents give him is Calvin Ellis, and that he has recently been elected president of the United States without revealing his dual identity to his Earth's denizens.

The issue opens with Superman in the middle of a battle with Lex Luthor (no obvious differences here from the Lex readers are more familiar with) when they are interrupted by the sudden appearance of three dimensional travelers.

Two of the three travelers are struck down as they appear and the third is left to explain that their pursuer is an evil version of Superman. In their own universe, these three people thought up the idea of a Superman and wanted to make the concept a reality using a machine they had created that could temporarily give ideas solid form. They needed financial backing to improve upon their device, giving their creations permanence, but the ideals of Superman were corrupted along the way by their financial backers. It is this corrupted version of Superman that is tracking them through various alternate universes, slaying other versions of Superman along the way.

It isn't hard to see how Morrison has used this story to introduce the idea of alternate universes to Earth 23's Superman, and how that might be used in the future to bring this Superman into the main DC Universe where most of "our" Superman's stories take place. But there is not a single trace of anyone from that main DCU in this issue. There are also several interesting questions raised about this universe's Superman also being the leader of the U.S. For instance, he is an alien, not even human, therefore not legally able to hold the office of president without committing fraud. But also, any actions he takes in a foreign nation as a superhero also involve covert U.S. action by nature of his being the president. Many of these questions are raised by the Earth 23 version of Wonder Woman, who makes a brief appearance in this issue along with other members of this Earth's Justice League. Whether these questions and characters will be explored again in these pages or perhaps the long promised Multiversity saga from Morrison and DC, or even if they will be addressed again at all, remains to be seen.

Despite that uncertainty, this was another solid issue of this title.

Beware The Dreaded Kryptonian Calf

Action Comics 5
DC Comics
Grant Morrison, writer
Andy Kubert, artist

This issue of Action Comics might seem a bit out of place at first glance, telling as it does the origin of Superman. But the events being related here by the on-board computer in baby Kal-el's rocket ship make a sort of sense, not to mention reveal the punchline of a joke begun in issue No. 2.

The issue opens on Krypton as that dying planet's final moments begin, as one might expect, but the differences in this continuity become immediately apparent. Kryptonian scientist Jor-el plans to save his entire family -- himself, wife Lara, infant son Kal-el and dog Krypto -- by sending all of them into the Phantom Zone. This plan quickly goes awry, however, when the Phantom Zone criminals -- inmates sentenced there by Krypton's Science Council -- try to exact revenge on the Zone's discoverer, Jor-el. There is little time to develop a back-up plan, and so the doomed parents try to save their baby in an untested model rocket, ordering the on-board Brainiac computer to find a suitable world to take their son.

The rocket also relays how it came to arrive on Earth, crash-landing in Kansas. We see the young couple who happen upon the rocket and discover the baby inside. And we see the military's quick response to an unidentified flying object entering Earth's atmosphere and crashing down in the middle of the country. (This is also where we discover the true origins of what the military brass think is the true appearance of Kryptonians, as revealed in Action Comics No. 2.)

So why place this story after we've seen Superman's public debut in Metropolis and after he's captured and tested/tortured by the U.S. Army and Lex Luthor? When Superman escapes from military custody in issue No. 4, he sees his rocket ship being held by the military. This is the first time Superman has seen the ship since he was a baby, and when he touches the rocket, it "awakens" from a dormant state and speaks to him. I like to think the ship is speaking in this issue to Superman. His touch caused it to relate his history to the young man who previously knew nothing of Krypton or his true origins.

We also see the aftermath of that encounter with the military as Superman must leave without the ship. He tells it to protect itself and that he will be back. The ship speaks next of events we have yet to see and a dawning age of superhumans. And then we see four strange visitors arrive and break through the protective layering surrounding the ship.

Before the issue ends, we are also given a small back-up story which gives more details of the lives of Jonathan and Martha Kent before the arrival of the rocket ship from Krypton. These details aren't of the everything-you-know-is-wrong variety, but rather serve to flesh out the early lives of these characters who are so important to Superman's story, but often overlooked in and of themselves.

All in all, not a bad issue, and certainly a nice segment in the masterpiece Morrison and company are weaving.

The Man Of Steel Gets Pouty

Superman 1-4
DC Comics
George Perez, writer and breakdowns
Jesús Merino, pencils and inks (Nicola Scott, artist on issue No. 3)

We're back to being slightly underwhelmed with a title from DC's the New 52. These first four issues are not a complete story arc, and I confess I AM curious how the story will end, so in that regard, they've got me.

Unlike with the Frankenstein title discussed a few weeks ago, the art is not a problem this time out. Perez's covers are gorgeous, as one would expect from this longtime fan favorite artist. The same goes for the art from series regular Jesús Merino and fill-in artist Nicola Scott. This time, the problem is more the story, and to a lesser extent, the pacing.

When Perez reinvented Wonder Woman in 1986, his first turn as a writer and not just an artist, he took a great deal of time revealing the history of the Amazons and the Greek gods along with the tale of his main heroine, Princess Diana. He seems to be following a similar formula here. Perez is not dealing overly much with the history of Krypton, leaving that to his Action Comics counterparts, Grant Morrison and Rags Morales, who are detailing Superman's early career. Instead, Perez is focused on the tapestry of Metropolis, the Daily Planet and familiar faces like Perry White, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and of course, Clark Kent.

The difference is that the Wonder Woman story being told back in 1986 was engaging on all levels: the story was interesting, and the heroine was challenged by a threat she truly might not be able to overcome. In this tale, Superman is mysteriously confronted by a series of seemingly alien threats. I'm curious about the nature of the aliens and what their true goal is, but almost any hero could be substituted for Superman so far with only minor changes. Having Superman be an easily replacable character in his own book isn't a great way to engage a reader.

The other draw for New 52 books, of course, is how have things changed from the staus quo readers knew before the reboot. Most of the changes to Metropolis, the Daily Planet and familiar faces like Perry White, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are pretty minor so far. The only character greatly changed is Clark Kent, and he is no longer as easily likable, which can only hurt the title.

I'm just not feeling it with this book.

Everything Old Is New Again

Action Comics 1-4DC Comics
Grant Morrison, writer
Rags Morales and Gene Ha, artists

This book has been so hyped, it offered few surprises; but it DOES offer a solid read with some pretty pictures to go with it.

The story line returns Superman/Clark Kent to his activist, ultra-liberal, fighting against The Man's injustice, 1938 roots. A young Clark Kent is finding his way in Metropolis as a reporter for the Daily Star, making friends with Jimmy Olsen, a photographer from a rival newspaper, The Daily Planet, and butting heads with Lois Lane, a reporter for the Planet. Clark's portrayal is more nerdy than bumbling.

And as for Superman, he's more angry, lone vigilante than his usual portrayal, but that works for this early stage in his career. The first time we see the Man of Steel in action, he plows effortlessly through the hired muscle, straight to one of the city's worst  robber-baron types, a man Superman quickly suspends upside down from the top of a building (in a patented Batman move) while he works to scare a confession out of the "rat."

There are changes in this book -- the S-symbol is a bit more stylized, life on Krypton isn't quite like previous portrayals, relationships are tweaked here and there for several familiar faces -- but all of the basics of the story remain the same. I'll continue to pick this book up for a while for Morrison's fresh take on the character.

Redefining Heroes

We’re going to begin this batch of retro-reviews with a misplaced annual. If you’ll recall, one of the many reasons for going back through the entirety of my comic book collection a book at a time is to correct any continuity errors I have created by the placement of specific books. Well, Green Arrow annual #7, published by DC Comics in 1995, presents a number of surprises and requires a number of decisions. And some of the decisions I made before can now be “adjusted.”

Let’s begin first by making a distinction in terms. I once read a brilliant entry online (I’m sad to say I no longer remember exactly where, although I am reasonably certain that it came from a discussion thread on the wonderful Captain Comics site, which explained the differences in several similar comics-related terms. Two of those terms, which apply to this situation, were retcon and revision. By this person’s definition, a revision is adding something previously unknown to a well-known story. The addition or change doesn’t so much change the overall story, but maybe adds a new aspect or significance. A retcon, on the other hand, a term short for retroactive continuity, changes the original story into something completely new, often taking the form of an “everyhting-you-know-is-wrong” type of revelation. Now either of these devices can be wonderful story-telling tools if used properly, and each can be disastrous in the wrong hands. But in general, it is accurate to say a revision builds upon what has gone before, while a retcon brushes aside as meaningless what has gone before in favor of something new.

The story in Green Arrow annual 7 is definitely a revision. All of the DC Comics annuals of 1995 shared a Year One theme, so naturally, this tale deals heavily with the secret origin of Green Arrow. All of the familiar elements are there: Ollie falling overboard from his own yacht and washing ashore on a seemingly deserted island where he has to use his wits to survive; along the way, he perfects his skills with a bow and arrow, and finally secures a ride back to civilization when he discovers a small band of drug smugglers on the island and captures them. This specific tale — created by Chuck Dixon, Rick Burchett, Eduardo Barreto, Chris Renaud, Gerry Fernandez, Lee Loughridge, Albert de Guzman, Darren Vincenzo and Scott Peterson — adds a “contemporary” (more on this in a minute) framing sequence and a few additional details between Ollie’s washing ashore on an island and discovering the band of drug smugglers. The addition does very little, if anything, to change those familiar elements, but adds some new ones into the mix, nonetheless.

In this tale, Ollie washes up on one island, develops his skills with a bow, etc., then learns he is not alone on the island. A shipwreck victim has been on the island for almost a year. He and Ollie, working together, manage to fashion a crude raft in an effort to escape the island. During the construction of the raft, Ollie learns something about his companion, which causes Ollie to leave the island alone. Being an inexperienced sailor, Ollie only makes it to another nearby island on his own. This second island is where Ollie discovers and captures the drug runners, and Green Arrow is born. However, what happened on that first island that led to Ollie leaving alone comes back to haunt him in the “contemporary” sequence of the story. It’s a great read, doesn’t change the essential origin story, but adds in the motivations for the current tale, while also explaining, in story, why some of the details of GA’s origin aren’t always repeated when this tale is retold. In short, it works wonderfully. I highly recommend it.

Now, as this story is part of the Year One theme, even the “contemporary” framing sequence of the tale is supposed to have happened within that first year of Green Arrow’s existence. However, that presents a problem. The only costume Green Arrow wears in this story is the one designed by Neal Adams in the late 60s/early 70s — the all-green version. However, the Silver Age GA, even post Crisis, has been shown to wear the green tunic and leggings with the red boots and gloves.

Sometimes I’ll “fix” such a costuming problem by assuming that the character’s memory is just a tad off. Hey, it happens to all of us sometimes. Do you remember exactly what you were wearing in all of your memories? This “fix” works best when someone else is doing the “remembering.” But since the framing sequence is the part with the wrong costume, this particular “fix” doesn’t work as well for this story.

So instead, I chose to ignore the Year One designation on the cover and simply assume that in my universe, the framing sequence actually happens a few years after GA’s public debut, after he has switched to the Neal Adams costume.

Now, however, another “fix” is open to me, allowing me to place this story a little farther back in time. Now that we’ve seen the events of Infinite Crisis and know about the reality-altering effects of Superboy-Prime’s efforts to break out of the dimension he’s “imprisoned” in, this can be a Year One story, and the different costume can be explained by a super-punch. Aren’t comics fun?

OK, moving on ...

The Warlord 108-113 (DC Comics, 1986-87) — Most of these issues are standard one- or two-part tales of Travis Morgan traveling through the hidden world of Skartaris in search of the wizard who may be able to cure his daughter, Jennifer, who has been afflicted with rapid-aging since #100. Traveling with Morgan is Shakira, an occasional ally of the Warlord who can transform herself into a cat, and Daimon, an old friend of Shakira’s who the reader has just met a few issues ago.

In the first arc, the trio comes to a frozen wasteland where the people are threatened by a vampiress. Eventually she is dispatched, but not before Daimon falls in battle. Issue #111 takes Morgan and Shakira to an underwater village, but the most important details of the issue are revealed on the letters pages. First is the announcement that new editor Bob Greenberger will be taking over with the next issue. The second is a response to growing criticism from readers that Morgan doesn’t seem to be in a big hurry to find the cure for Jennifer. Greenberger promises that the quest story line will be wrapped up in the next few issues, and that big changes are coming in the direction of the title.

Then in issue #113, we start to see some subplot elements being introduced that involve the surface world and fallout from the tale in Warlord annual #5, which also heavily involved the surface world. All of these issues of Warlord are new to me, but I suspect the surface world is going to begin playing a much heavier role in the events of Skartaris, and I feel that is a mistake. Morgan has been seen on the surface with other heroes during the Crisis, as well as a time or two during the late 1980s relaunch of Green Arrow by Mike Grell, also the creator of the Warlord. I have no problem with such occasional, mostly secret interactions. But on the whole, I like my Skartaris well-removed from the surface world Morgan comes from. I’m not sure if I’ll like these changes once they arrive.

Teen Titans Spotlight 1-2 (DC Comics, 1986) — When last we saw Starfire in the pages of New Teen Titans, she was leaving Tamaran for Earth, disgusted that her people had embraced the rule of her sister, Blackfire. The premiere issues of this new title depict her arrival back on Earth in a fashion too often neglected in science fiction stories. Starfire has been a Titan for several years by this point, but by and large, her experience of Earth is limited to New York City. When she arrives back on Earth, mistakenly landing in South Africa, she has no idea where she is, nor how to return to New York from her current location. Being a stranger in a strange land is complicated further when Starfire is confronted by the people of the region and the rule of the land, Apartheid. The young alien is manipulated by the South Africa government, and led to believe she has killed someone before she is able to sort out the seemingly insane behavior of the citizens of the land.

Jon Sable, Freelance 40-43 (First Comics, 1986) — These two two-issue arcs are straight-forward action-adventure fare. The first takes Sable to a marksmanship competition where a fan feels snubbed by Jon and sets about to gain revenge by setting up Jon for execution. The second issue involves Jon stumbling onto a terrorist plot and an “old” friend he thought was murdered. All four issues are recommended.

The New Teen Titans 24-25 (DC Comics, 1986) — The re-formed Titans return from the disastrous mission against Cheshire. Robin Jason Todd, Hawk and Speedy each decide to leave for his own reasons, leaving Wonder Girl, Jericho, Aqualad and the new Flash, Wally West. These four are reunited with Changling and Cyborg who relate their battles with Changling's step-father Steve Dayton, now driven insane by his Mento helmet. Meanwhile, Mento has decided that he should follow in the footsteps of the late Niles Caulder and create his own version of the Doom Patrol to help him kill his step-son and the other Titans. To achieve this end, Mento creates accidents, then saves the victims by turning them into monstrous members of his new Hybrid. Thus a pair of Greek archaeologists are transformed into Harpi and Gorgon, and a former Israeli soldier becomes Pteradon. In an initial attack, the three reluctant creatures are captured by the Titans and offer to help defeat their “creator.” But Mento sends a fourth member of the Hybrid, this one a willing participant in the experiment which transforms him, to free the others. This Behemoth, a former sumo wrestler, “rescues” Gorgon, Harpi and Pteradon, taking Aqualad captive in the process.

Action Comics 584 (DC Comics, 1987) — This is the first post-Crisis issue of Action Comics published. This incarnation of the book focused on team-ups between Superman and various guest-stars, this time the Titans. Apparently before they can attempt to rescue the captured Aqualad, Wonder Girl, Cyborg, Changling and Jericho must confronted a demented Superman, apparently drunk on his own power and destroying everything in sight. It takes a while, but the Titans are finally able to figure out that things are not quite what they seem.

And those are the retro-reviews for today.

Lightning Round

Hey, kiddie cops. I know it’s been over a week since I had a chance to post something. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading. In fact, since last time, I’ve finished the rest of the books received in my last shipment. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in and catch up a bit.

52 Weeks 24 and 25 (DC Comics) — I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again. Individual issues are not always great, but the overall story line this series was designed to tell is interesting. I’m curious where Ralph is headed. I like the story line with Montoya, Question and the Black Marvel family. The Steel/Luthor story seems to be old news, but is maybe going somewhere interesting. Green Arrow’s cameo was nice. Super Chief didn’t last long, did he?

Action Comics 844 (DC Comics) — This wasn’t a bad beginning, but it almost seems more a sequel to the Donner films so far more than a continuing story of the comic book Superman. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but is this story gonna “fit” in continuity? I mean, Jimmy isn’t an inexperienced photographer anymore.

Birds of Prey 99 (DC Comics) — Black Canary’s departure. I agree with scribe Simone that it feels right for Dinah to leave now, even though I’ll miss her. As far back as Longbow Hunters we’ve seen that Dinah wants children but wrestled with the issue of raising one while adventuring. Now she has one. It makes sense for her to step back now.

Captain America 23 (Marvel Comics) — A nice interlude with Winter Soldier/Bucky and Nick Fury in the middle of the Civil War tie-in. It updates us on the ongoing story line with Bucky, but doesn’t interupt the flow of the Cap Civil War events. Very nice.

Checkmate 7 (DC Comics) — I wanna like this title, but it just doesn’t seem to be as good as it should be. I know the Suicide Squad has its fans, but I can take it or leave it. I think this title should include some superheroes on the periphery, but for the most part, avoid overt superhero action and costumes.

Civil War: Front Line 7 (Marvel Comics) — Typical stuff here. The first two stories following the reporters and the former Speedball are excellent storytelling, while the Sleeper Cell bit does little for me, and the final bit just seems pretentious. I think one of the reasons Sleeper Cell is uninteresting to me is there is no tie-in to the Civil War. I assume this Atlantean faction is merely trying to take advantage of the strife above for their own ends, but that is just a guess on my part, not something we’ve been told.

Criminal 1 (Marvel Icon) — Not sure if this is a mini or an ongoing. Not even sure if I like it yet or not. But it was an OK beginning from I writer I really like, so I’ll hang around.

Daredevil 90 (Marvel Comics) — This issue seemed to slip just a bit. Matt is trying to track down who had Foggy killed because he doesn’t know Foggy isn’t really dead. Forget that Matt would be very hard to fool on that point, but I don’t like how easily he’s gotten sidetracked by this woman, even if she does have a power that explains why.

Donald Duck & Friends 345 (Gemstone Publishing) — Just good Disney fun. I’ve always liked Donald, and the mix of classic and newer tales is great. Plus, there’s always one story featuring someone else, this titme a great Goofy tale. Shouldn’t we all laugh more?

Fables 54 (DC Vertigo) — Sons of Empire continues. I didn’t think things could get much creepier than the Snow Queen’s plan for destroying both Mundies and Fables. I was wrong. Hansel is so far beyond creepy that he belongs in his own Mundie slasher series.

Jack of Fables 4 (DC Vertigo) — The promos for next issue seem to indicate this won’t happen, but wouldn’t it be too funny if after all this planning and helping all of the other escapees, Jack himself doesn’t make it out?

JSA Classified 18 (DC Comics) — The back half of a two-parter featuring Hourman, both the modern version and the Golden Age one. A solid tale from Tony Bedard, as usual. And besides, it isn’t necessarily that hard, but its always fun to watch someone out-think Bane.

The Lone Ranger 2 (Dynamite Entertainment) — I stand corrected from my criticism of last issue. Black Bart is an enforcer, not the criminal mastermind. This issue hints that the individual who pulls Bart’s vicious strings is none other than Butch Cavendish, the villain from Ranger lore. Brett Matthews, you have my apologies for doubting you. Carry on.

Martian Manhunter 3 (DC Comics) — Enter the Justice League, which was good to see. After all the divisiveness stemming from Identity Crisis and leading into Infinite Crisis, it’s nice to see these heroes acting like colleagues and friends once again. Oh, wait. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman don’t seem to want to listen to J’Onn about what is going on. Right now, I’m willing to assume that maybe this wasn’t really the three heroes it appeared to be. So much subterfuge has been going on in this story dealing with shape-shifting Martians, that’s what I’m hoping anyway. Otherwise, this story might’ve worked better before IC.

New Avengers 24 (Marvel Comics) — This Civil War tie-in is the Sentry entry, but seems to be more about fallout from the House of M and the Inhumans than Civil War. It’s sad that the interaction between books that I love from DC is one of the things I don’t like about Marvel because I buy fewer of those books and am less interested in the intermingling there.

Omega Men 1 (DC Comics) — My knowledge of this team is limited to their interaction with the Titans in the “olden” days, but I liked their recent cameos in Adam Strange and Infinite Crisis, so I decided to give this a try. Andersen Gabrych’s usually great writing didn’t hurt either. But I have no clue what is going on in this title right now. That’s not good.

The Perhapanauts: Second Chances 1 (Dark Horse) — OK, this mini DOES seem to pick up right after the trade I just read, as I assumed it should. But the letters column has a bunch of people commenting on issue #104. Now, I could just assume the first mini was numbered funky and move on, but the letters also mention a story titled “The 28th Anomaly.” There’s no story with that name in the trade. Am I missing something here?

Secret Six 5 (DC Comics) — Did they really just kill the Mad Hatter?!?

Stan Lee Meets the Thing 1 (Marvel Comics) — Much better than the Spidey one-shot, the only other one of these I read. It’s been long enough now that Ben has come to grips with his appearance. Heck, most New Yorkers have, too. He’s a celebrity, not a monster now. Good to see that reflected here.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes 23 (DC Comics) — Cosmic Boy decides the Legion needs to deal with the superpowered delusional in their midst. So, does that mean Supergirl is going to be going away soon? Dunno if I trust these “Kryptonians.”

Superman/Batman annual 1 (DC Comics) — This is a totally bizarre story, but it’s a fun one. Accept it for that and it works. Look for more and it falls apart.

Tales of the Unexpected 1 (DC Comics) — I’ve heard this mini isn’t getting much interest online. Truthfully, it wasn’t great. But it was intriguing, and I liked Crispus when he was alive, so I’m intrested enough to hang with this one a bit longer. The Dr. 13 story left me cold, but then I’m not as familiar with the character.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 4 (DC Comics) — I thought this might be the exception to the mostly so-so minis DC is spitting out right now, but I’m starting to lose interest in this one big time, too. This is supposed to be an alien suddenly sitting in the White House and part of a shady government operation spitting out new metahumans like they’re no big deal, and no other teams notice? No Titans, no JSA, no Superman, no GLs. Just doesn’t ring true.

Whew! That was a bunch, but that’s all of the October releases I have. See ya next time.

And A Blind Man Shall Lead ...

Let’s talk some Daredevil for a bit today. I’ve seen some Daredevil comics from the previous Bendis/Maleev run, and I’m familiar with the overall story line: Daredevil has been outed as Matt Murdock by a tabloid, and the feds are pursuing possible charges against him for that; at the same time, DD has defeated Kingpin and set himself up as the replacement. But I haven’t followed every issue of the title until Ed Brubaker took over the writing chores. I liked what Brubaker had done with Gotham Central at DC and, more recently, Captain America at Marvel.

So, I’ve read the individual issues of The Devil in Cell Block D starting with #82 to now. These issues were very good, as we’ve discussed in some previous posts. And they served to make me curious about what came immediately before. So I recently purchased, and just read (all in one afternoon), the previous three Daredevil trades to catch up a bit. In all honesty, only one of these trades, the most recent one, really serves as a prequel to how Matt Murdock ended up in jail. The other two trades could almost occur at any time in DD’s past, but they were damn good stories.

Daredevil tpb 11: Golden Age (Marvel Comics) — This is a historical tale about the Kingpin of Crime who came to power before Wilson Fisk. The small-time hood rose to the big-time after killing a costumed hero, then was later brought down by a novice Daredevil. The current part of the story is this hood, Alexander Bont, as he is finally released from prison and goes about exacting his revenge on the man who put him away. It’s a very nice story with a lot of parallels between past and present events.

Daredevil tpb 12: Decalogue (Marvel Comics) — This collection is a very dark, demonic little tale that takes place entirely during an evening support group meeting where residents of Hell’s Kitchen have gathered to talk and share their common Daredevil experiences in light of recent events. What becomes clear as different people share their tales is that all these various people are linked to a common event which has put the red-garbed vigilante on the trail of one of them.

Daredevil tpb 13: The Murdock Papers (Marvel Comics) — This last collection depicts the actual capture and arrest of Matt Murdock as the incarcerated Wilson Fisk tries to make a deal with federal authorities for his own release in exchange for handing Daredevil over to them. The tale brings in various DD alums such as Black Widow, Elektra, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Bullseye, among others.

Daredevil 89 (Marvel Comics) — And then this is the current issue. At the end of the Cell Block D arc, Matt escaped from prison with the help of Frank Castle, the Punisher. Matt is now on the run from authorities and trying to track down the killers of his friend, Foggy Nelson, who DD doesn’t know isn’t really dead. This issue takes him to Monaco.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 3 (DC Comics) — The new Black Condor debuts as do a whole new team of characters with political jargon names. Father Time is still after Sam and the Freedom Fighters who left S.H.A.D.E. to assist Sam — the new versions of Doll Man, Human Bomb, Phantom Lady and Ray. And Firebrand, although he wasn’t part of S.H.A.D.E. First up is Chief Justice, Spin Doctor, Propaganda and First Strike. When they don’t fare so well, Father Time himself shows up. I want to like this series and these characters, but I find myself not caring that much about them.

The Trials of Shazam! 2 (DC Comics) — This book is going downhill fast for me, and I don’t think it will survive for all 12 issues. I’m not sure I really understand Billy’s new role or why it took over a year for this new manifestation of his powers to show itself — after all, in story, this is a One Year Later tale and Billy’s been in charge at the Rock of Eternity for that entire year. About the only thing I do understand is that he can no longer be Captain Marvel like he was, and that Freddy Freeman now must prove himself worthy of assuming that mantle.

Action Comics 843 (DC Comics) — Another great story; another placement headache. Story lines with lots of characters interacting usually are. This concludes the story line where an intergalactic “auctioneer” snags a whole bunch of Earth’s heroes. Superman, Nightwing, the new Aquaman, Firestorm, Skyrocket, Bluejay, the Veteran and Livewire lead the charge to free the others and stop the acquisitions. Very nice work.

Civil War: Front Line 6 (Marvel Comics) — This title continues to thrill and bore me. The Embedded and Accused story lines are incredible. The Sleeper Cell story added late in the series is OK, but not up to the standards of the other two. And the final installment in each issue just strikes me as pretentious. I get the symbolisms. Don’t beat me over the head with it so much.

Batman 657 (DC Comics) — This is the third installment of Batman and Son. Bruce brings Damian home to Gotham where the boy proceeds to use his assassin’s training on his rivals for his father’s affections. By the end of the issue, Damian has done something off-panel with Alfred and left Tim injured and bleeding in the cave while adopting parts of Jason’s enshrined costume and pronouncing himself the new Robin. Could he be any more his mother’s son?

Secret Six 4 (DC Comics) — This issue proves once again that this comic is a good one, but not nearly as good as its predecessor, Villains United. I can’t quite put my finger on what, but something is missing.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes 22 (DC Comics) — What to say about this title? I’ve tried Legion titles before, stay with them awhile, then lose interest. The concept of this latest incarnation sounded quite good. Then they added Supergirl and it seemed to flounder a bit. Then it got good again. This issue wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great.

Captain America 22 (Marvel Comics) — With this issue, Cap’s own title catches up with the events in Civil War. Cap is in hiding, and S.H.I.E.L.D. has decided to use Agent 13, Sharon Carter, Cap’s liaison and girlfriend, to trap him. And Sharon is torn: she truly believes Cap is wrong and that superhero registration, as the current law of the land, should be upheld, yet she doesn’t want to betray her lover. And hey, one of the villains, according to the last page, is Dr. Faustus; I don’t follow that many Marvel Comics on a regular basis, but I don’t think he’s been seen in quite a while. Good stuff.

JSA Classified 17 (DC Comics) — This first part of two focuses on Hourman, the original and his son, as they are forced to work side-by-side with Bane. This story posits that the basis of Bane’s former drug-of-choice, Venom, is originally based on Rex Tyler’s formula for Miraclo, the source of Hourman’s power. I’m not certain, but I think that idea has been used before, but this isn’t a bad tale, so far.

Jack of Fables 3 (DC Vertigo) — This book is just as funny as the original Fables, but decidedly wickedly so.

Justice League of America 3 (DC Comics) — OK, this book is starting to worry me. I want to like it. I really do. But the story is starting to seem severely disjointed. The triumvirate of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are shown still voting on the roster for the latest incarnation of the League, but they’re rehashing the same candidates as before. They vote on Nightwing in this issue after Batman and Wonder Woman shared a humorous exchange about Dick in the last issue. The first issue made it seem like the team had been formed and the voting was mere flashback, but this issue makes it seem like the current mission of Arsenal, Black Canary and Green Lantern know nothing about a new League. And the pacing seems to indicate that 12 issues is going to be waaaaay too long for this arc.

Stan Lee Meets Spider-Man 1 (Marvel Comics) — I was a little disappointed in this comic. It was a tad humorous, and I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but this was just not quite as good as I’d hoped. I’ve also ordered the Thing comic in this series. Maybe I’ll like it better.

Next post, we’re back to the past as this was the last of my current comics from my last shipment and the next hasn’t yet arrived. Until then, happy collecting, kiddie cops.

Return With Us Now To Those Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear ...

Those words are most likely familiar to fans of the Lone Ranger radio program, as well as to those of a more recent animated incarnation of “the masked rider of the plains.” And they seemed a fitting header for today’s post which leads off with a discussion of the most recent beginning for John Reid and his “faithful Indian companion, Tonto,” the newly-launched Dynamite Entertainment comic book.

Dynamite seems to be making a name for itself with the comebacks of a number of licensed properties from Red Sonja, Xena, Battlestar Galactica, Army of Darkness and others. Now, the Lone Ranger joins those ranks.

The Lone Ranger 1 (Dynamite Entertainment) — Overall, I’d have to say that this first issue, by Brett Matthews, Sergio Carriello and Dean White, is a solid start to what I hope will be a lengthy and spectacular run. I’ve always liked the Lone Ranger and Tonto, and while this isn’t a letter-perfect depiction of the character’s beginnings, it is a solid interpretation that is well worth a look.

Let me stress that I don’t profess to be an expert on the character or his history, but I have been a fan of the Lone Ranger for many years. I’ve heard recordings of some of the original radio broadcasts, I’ve seen most of the television incarnations, and many of the film adaptations. While the character’s brother, Dan Reid, has almost always been a part of the original story, I don’t remember any other incarnation making use of the boys’ father, also a fellow ranger here. But then, other characters have come and gone from time to time, including a nephew, Dan, on the radio shows and in some comic book versions. While new to the mythos, the boys’ father is a fine addition in this incarnation as he is used to show where young John Reid learns some of the early lessons that will later shape the ethics of the Lone Ranger.

Bryant’s Gap, the canyon where the six Texas Rangers are ambushed and left for dead, is not named in this tale, but again, that is nothing new, and an omission is not necessarily a mistake. Collins, the man who leads the rangers into the ambush, is also changed somewhat in this issue, but not in a way that changes the outcome. In most other versions of the tale, Collins was a tracker or a witness to crimes and escapes who leads, offers or is hired to lead the rangers to outlaws. Here, he is a thief himself being tracked by the rangers. But the essential part of the tale, that he leads the lawmen into a trap, remains intact.

And lastly, I have heard or read a very few re-tellings of this origin tale wherein the gang of outlaws, specifically their leader, remains unnamed, but in most all renditions, the outlaw gang is named for and led by Butch Cavendish. In this tale, the man seems to be named Julius Bartholomew, aka Black Bart. I’m not sure why this change, or if maybe their is precedent for the name, but for me, both these names are merely aliases for Cavendish.

Otherwise, as far as I can tell, this first issue is a solid re-telling of the tale of six Texas Rangers led into an ambush, all slaughtered except for one man, a man with an East Coast education as well as his Texas sense of justice, who manages to survive the attack through the timely intervention of a lone Indian who nurses him back to health. It’s a good story, well worth a look.

Another header considered for today’s post was “Everything Old Is New Again” as we have a number of first issue relaunches besides the Lone Ranger. So, moving along ...

Mystery In Space 1 (DC Comics) — I’ve never really followed the adventures of Captain Comet, the main star of this series. I remember seeing his cameos in the original Crisis, and he played a role in Infinite Crisis, as well, so I was curious. Still am after reading this first issue, which is what I assume Jim Starlin, Shane Davis, Matt Banning and Al Milgrom — the creators — had in mind. In the first of this eight-issue series, we see Captain Comet die and be reborn, along the way, rebooting another character, the Weird, from a previous DC event. I’m intrigued enough to stick with this series to see what is going on.

The Trials of Shazam! 1 (DC Comics) — This is another relaunch following Infinite Crisis and the Spectre’s destruction of all magic. Apparently magic still exists in the DC Universe, something we’re also learning about in the pages of 52, but the rules have changed. One such change is that Billy Batson is now the resident at the Rock of Eternity and the wizard, Shazam, is dead. I’m curious enough, and this issue was good enough to bring me back for more, but I don’t know much at all yet.

Agents of Atlas 2 (Marvel Comics) — Still liking the combination of superheroics and spy elements in this story bringing back a number of old Atlas characters by Jeff Parker, Leonard Kirk and Kris Justice. If the quality on this book keeps up, I’d like to see this as an ongoing.

Action Comics 842 (DC Comics) — Continuing the tale of intergalactic traders discovering several bit of merchandise on earth, attempting to acquire them, coming across superheroes for their trouble, and deciding to take possession of said heroes, too. Not a bad Superman tale by Kurt Busiek, Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods, and the addition of several other heroes only adds to the appeal.

52 Week Eighteen (DC Comics) — I mentioned this series in the Shazam blurb. In this issue, the Croatoans (who the hell are they?!?) gather, as they do every so often, apparently, and discover that one of their number has been liquified after finding the helmet of Dr. Fate. Elongated Man, one of the Croatoans, believes the helmet is speaking to him, but the others don’t hear it. Is he still not quite right in the head, or is this more magic rebooted? And if the helmet IS talking to him about the reordering of magic, is this when and why Aquaman was changed? (That sure looks like him on page 16 sprouting tentacles.) Oh, and Montoya and the Question decide to join forces with Black Adam?!?

Nightwing 124 (DC Comics) — This was an odd tale, but then this whole arc by Bruce Jones has been odd. I can’t quite make up my mind about it as there were things that I hated (so many transitions seemed disjointed and jarring) and things I liked (the inclusion of Jason Todd — the idea if not the execution). I may have to let these issues sit a while, then re-read them to decide. The best thing I can say about this issue now is, next issue starts the Marv Wolfman/Dan Jurgens run. Yay!

The All-New Atom 3 (DC Comics) — I am hemorrhaging interest in this book fast. Not sure quite why. I love Gail Simone’s work on other titles. Just not really caring about these people or this town at all.

OMAC 3 (DC Comics) — Not too sure about this title right now. It’s a limited series, so I may stick with it since I started, but I’m not sure I care anymore about this one.

Detective Comics 823 (DC Comics) — Paul Dini does it again. The animated series proved that he “gets” the character of Batman. And there are subtle similarities between his writing on this series and the show. But these books are exploring themes a little darker than even the show did. With Poison Ivy’s portrayal over the years, it is clear she cares little for or about people. This issue takes that to the next level, and goes to town with the resulting concept. Wow!

Closing Out July On The Heels Of August

Today we have reviews for the last of the comics which came out in July, as well as a few older comics I managed to read before the August shipment arrived at my door this weekend. I’ll get those books ready to read so the next batch of reviews should be of August books, which is good since August is almost over.

Daredevil 87 (Marvel Comics) — So DD is out of prison now. He managed to escape while salvaging his secret identity thanks to some help from others, and he can start getting to the bottom of who’s setting him up. So really, this entire last arc didn’t really advance the overall plot at all, but damn, it was sure some good reading.

Birds of Prey 96 (DC Comics) — This title seems to be floundering somewhat since Infinite Crisis. Don’t get me wrong; Gail Simone has a great writer’s voice for these characters, but I just don’t care so much for some of the storylines, particularly this one about Black Alice. I just don’t care about her much, I guess.

Civil War: Front Line 4 (Marvel Comics) — More of the same from this title: I really enjoy the insights offered in the Embedded storyline about the reporters covering the events in the Marvel Universe, and I am loving reading about Speedball’s persecution in The Accused, but I’m not so sure about the Sleeper Cell storyline, and don’t much care for the pretensious parallel story that always ends the book. I get the similarities between the Civil War storyline and real world events such as the Patriot Act and the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, etc. I don’t need to be beat over the head with it or made to feel like these stories are more emotional than they are.

Action Comics 841 (DC Comics) — Not sure about this arc yet, but decided to give it a try since it seems to guest-star Nightwing and the Titans. Seems people outside of Metropolis are concerned about whether or not the newly-returned Superman is the real deal or just another pretender. Nice tie-in to previous events. After what happened when Superman died, I can see why people might be suspicious.

New Avengers 22 (Marvel Comics) — Another good Civil War tie-in. Last issue showed us Captain America’s views on the registration act. This issue focuses on Power Man Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and their newborn daughter. Nicely done.

Batman 655 (DC Comics) — This is the opening arc of Batman and Son, the follow-up to an earlier Batman graphic novel in which Bruce and Talia have a son, a boy whom Bruce believes was stillborn. This story has a great deal of potential for emotional conflict considering Bruce’s feelings on family responsibilities. Not too many impressions so far, although this version of Talia seems somewhat darker and colder than usual.

JLA Classified 22-25 (DC Comics) — I’ve never been a big fan of the Detroit-era Justice League, surprising in that I have always liked Aquaman, and he was in charge of that incarnation of the team. But I didn’t know the other main new characters. However, I have always been rather fond of the various incarnations of the Royal Flush Gang. I don’t know why, they always seem kind of lame, power-wise. But I’ve just always liked them. This story ties together a couple different incarnations of the Gang, retroactively adding some sense and cohesion to the two teams, while also making me care a little bit about the Detroit Leaguers. It was a fun read, and is making me look forward to the sorta sequel in JSA Classified 14-16.

Jack of Fables 1 (DC Vertigo) — I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I don’t much care for Bill Willingham writing superhero comics. His run on Robin was mostly bizarre and seemed to take the character back to being a novice, ignoring about 10 years’ worth of stories in the process, not to mention current continuity. But the man can write these Fables characters. I have been hooked on the original title since it began, and decided to give this new spin-off a try. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it or not, but I WANT to see issue #2 right away after reading #1. That doesn’t happen very often anymore. I’ve read enough comic books that good stories leaving me wanting to read the rest and see what happens, but not really anxious about it. I’m anxious to read this book next month.
Retro-Reviews

Crisis On Infinite Earths 5-7 (DC Comics 1985) — These books comprise the heart of the series. The first four issues are a lot of set-up. Issue 5 comes along with the revelation of the Anti-Monitor as the villain. Issue 6 brings the final five remaining earths together and introduces the coming villains coup. And issue 7 gives us origin and back story details for the new characters created for this series as well as the intensely dramatic death of Supergirl. Heroes and villains have died before this point, but Supergirl’s death lets everyone know that anyone could be next. For those still not convinced, check out issue 8 for the death of ... but we’re not there yet. (Like somebody out there hasn’t read this series yet.)

DC Comics Presents 87 (DC Comics 1985) — This story is one of the better Crisis tie-ins taking place right after Supergirl’s death. Superman is mysteriously taken to Earth-Prime, the earth that is supposed to be the one we readers live on. While there, he witnesses the dawning of powers on Superboy Prime, a character who will play a role in this Crisis, as well as in the later Infinite Crisis. A good book to have if for no other reason than that.

Well, that’s it for today. See ya next time.

Comic Book Revew Whirlwind

OK, I’m back again today, and as promised, we have a lot of comic book ground to cover, so let’s get started.

Manhunter 23 (DC Comics) — I really like this series. Apparently sales weren’t too good, as DC announced the title would be canceled after issue #25. Well, this issue promises a reprieve through #30 because so many fans protested the cancellation. This issue continues to explore Kate Spencer’s family history. The previous arc, just before One Year Later began, revealed Kate’s super-hero grandfather and the villainous madman her father was. This issue reunites Kate with her equally heroic grandmother. I won’t reveal who the heroine is for anyone who hasn’t yet read this book, but I must say one of the reasons I love DC Comics so much is their acknowledgment of the heroes who have gone before, familial ties to the heroes of today and the sense of legacy this creates within their line of books.

The New Avengers 20 (Marvel Comics) — This is the final installment of The Collective story arc, which picks up plot threads from the House of M event from last summer. I didn’t follow that series, and I don’t follow most of Marvel’s ‘X’ books on any kind of regular basis. I like some of the mutant characters, but X-Men just doesn’t hold my interest on a monthly basis. Maybe that’s why, but this story just didn’t hold my interest very well.

Captain America 19 (Marvel Comics) — I’ve always liked Cap, but these stories by Ed Brubaker are truly dynamic. It’s a little hard to place these issues in time along with the events of Civil War also running through most Marvel titles right now; Cap’s opposition to the hero registration act has led to S.H.I.E.L.D. declaring him a criminal, yet in his own title, he is clearly working with the spy organization, particularly Agent 13, Sharon Carter. But the whole Winter Soldier storyline and the events that have led directly from that arc are some incredible storytelling, keeping me coming back each issue to see what happens next.

Birds of Prey 95 (DC Comics) — I’m not sure how I feel about the most recent arc of this title. Chuck Dixon did an excellent job when he created this book. His departure meant the book floundered a bit until Gail Simone took over the writing chores. I don’t agree that only a woman can write the book since the main characters are all heroines — obviously, Dixon did it — but Simone was a great fit nonetheless. Most of the changes introduced as part of One Year Later, however, have also been undone as of the conclusion of this arc, or at least seem to be. So is everything just back to status quo? That seems to be somewhat of a letdown from such a good writer.

Fallen Angel 6 (IDW Publishing) — The relaunch of this title continues to explore the origins of the title character. The first arc moved the overall storyline ahead almost 20 years, but also gave us a glimpse of why Lee was cast out of Heaven. This arc continues to explore the origins of the character by picking up immediately after Lee was stripped of her divine abilities and landed on earth. It also reveals a bit more about her relationship and attitudes about God as her first “good deed” among humans does not go “unpunished.”

Marvel Westerns: Outlaw Files (Marvel Comics) — I was disappointed in this book, but I think that has more to do with my misunderstanding of what it was intended to be. Essentially, this is a Marvel Handbook edition featuring the Western characters from Marvel’s past and present. I would much rather read some of the classic stories featuring these western characters than just text pieces, and somewhere along the way, I thought that was what this book was going to be. I was wrong.

Flash (2006) 1 (DC Comics) — This wasn’t a bad story. I bought it mainly to satisfy my curiosity about who would be the Flash in the wake of Infinite Crisis. I don’t know that I will continue with the title beyond knowing this detail. It’s not that I don’t care about the character; I’ve followed some of his solo adventures and some of the team books on which he was a member and enjoyed them quite a bit. I’m just not sure I care that much about the direction this book seems to be headed, and I’ve been needing to make some cuts in the number of titles I buy each month. This one may be cut, again, not because it isn’t good, but just because I don’t care as much about it.

Superman/Batman 27 (DC Comics) — This was a fun comic. I’m pretty sure it was a stand-alone issue. I simply can’t talk about this one without some spoilers; it’s been out long enough, I assume that’s OK; if not, you’ve been warned. OK, taking Superman and Batman and putting them into women’s bodies has a certain adolescent charm. The male heroes having to function as women isn’t a new concept, but it’s not what sets this issue off so nicely. It’s the fact that the Superman and Batman team in this issue are the heroes from Earth 2 and the Huntress in this issue is Batman’s daughter, not Helena Bertinelli. It’s nice to see these Golden Age heroes in action again, probably for the last time as the Earth 2 Superman was killed in Infinite Crisis.

Young Avengers 12 (Marvel Comics) — This is another title that may be going bye-bye from my buying list. Writer Allan Heinberg has made me care about these young heroes and their adventures over the past year, but again, something’s gotta give and this is an easy target that doesn’t affect other books I collect. This issue is also a good jumping off point as it wraps up the Family Matters arc and the first year’s worth of formative stories.

52 Week Eight (DC Comics) — I’m still along for the ride, but this series is raising way more questions than answers right now. Biggest question right now is: What’s up with Green Arrow? This is only eight weeks; how is Ollie not in a hospital or dead from the multiple stab/arrow wounds he received in the last issue of his own book before One Year Later? Next biggest question: Who is this new hero they haven’t revealed to us yet? Third biggest question: I don’t care how mad she is, what is Natasha irons thinking going to Lex Luthor for help?

Batman 654 (DC Comics) — The conclusion of Face the Face, the first Bat story One Year Later. James Robinson did a solid job on this tale re-introducing not only Batman and Robin to the DC Universe after their one year away, but also nailed the characterization on returning supporting cast members Two-Face and Gotham City Police Commissioner James Gordon. This arc is well worth the bucks.

Action Comics 840 (DC Comics) — As great as Face the Face was, that’s how great this storyline started out. Up, Up and Away! reintroduced Superman to the DCU One Year Later. It started wonderfully, showing us a non-powered Clark Kent confident and at the top of his game following Infinite Crisis. But as the story progressed and Clark’s powers began to slowly return, the story seemed to lose focus. Luthor’s plan seemed desperate and not well-thought out. Superman managed to defeat him, but mostly through luck and brute force, not the clever cunning he displayed when Clark kent was all he was. This story started well but ended leaving me feeling cheated somehow.

That’s enough for today. I’ve got more books in the stack that have been read but not reviewed, but I don’t want this post to grow too large. So, more to come.

Back to the Future

OK, short post this time. Got my current month’s worth of comics over the weekend, got ’em added to the database and read just a couple over the weekend. Since I get the bulk of my books once a month when so many folks get theirs on a weekly basis when they’re released, I’m always behind when I get a shipment. But I keep track of which books arrive in the stores each week, and that’s the order I read my new ones in, oldest first. Since I’ve been talking about some of the storylines I’m reading or re-reading as I go back through my older comics, I figured I’d just continue that motiff with the new ones, too. So, here’s some mini-reviews/thoughts on the first three books I read from this latest shipment.

52: Week Four (DC Comics) - This series is starting kind of slow, but I’m intrigued by a number of the storylines. For instance, I’m not sure where the whole thing with the Question and Renee Montoya is going but I’m definitely willing to come along for the ride and find out. I also like the emotional ploy of using Ralph “Elongated Man” Dibny as a central character. And speaking of Ralph’s story, what the hell’s going on with Wonder Girl and this cult of Superboy? I’m not as interested in the Booster storyline right now; I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it. Same with the Steel storyline as I haven’t followed the charcter much of late. And holy crap, what’s up with the return of the space heroes? Especially the enormous Hawkgirl and the apparently now one-eyed Alan Scott? I know Scott is shown in Checkmate as wearing an eyepatch, but he doesn’t have it in current issues of JSA so I figured maybe something happened between those two stories, maybe something in the current JSA Classified storyline with Vandal Savage. Now, I’m not so sure.

Action Comics 839 (DC Comics) - The Up, Up and Away story reintroducing Superman has been pretty good so far. Writers Geoff Johns and Kurt Busiek brought me to this storyline but I don’t normally stay with the Super titles very long. I like Superman, but his stories just aren’t my cup o’ chocolate milk most of the time. Maybe this round will be different.

Crisis Aftermath: The Spectre 1 (DC Comics) - I was looking forward to this one. I’ve always like the occasional appearances of Det. Crispus Allen in the Bat-titles. He’s one of the reasons I first gave Gotham Central a try when that title debuted. I was shocked when he was gunned down in the final issue of that series just before Infinite Crisis. His death made more sense when the Crisis aluded to his reincarnation as the new Spectre. I’m looking forward to this journey, and this first issue seems to hold a lot of promise.

And that’s all I’ve had a chance to read so far. Look for more soon.