Retracing even more of Robin’s roots

Robin: The Bronze Age Omnibus hardcover
DC Comics
Creators: Gardner Fox, Mike Friedrich, E. Nelson Bridwell, Frank Robbins, Denny O’Neil, Elliot S. Maggin, Bob Rozakis, Cary Bates, Gerry Conway, Jack C. Harris, Paul Kupperberg, Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Ernie Chan, Sheldon Moldoff, Chich Stone, Ross Andru, Gil Kane, Irv, Novick, Dick Dillin, Rich Buckler, Bob Brown, Mike Grell, A. Martinez, Al Milgrom, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (Praise Be His Name), Jose Delbo, Curt Swan, Don Newton, Marshall Rogers, Don Heck, Lee Elias, Jim Aparo, Juan Ortiz, Kurt Schaffenberger, Alex Saviuk, Charles Nicholas, Trevor von Eeden, Joe Giella, Mike Esposito, Murphy Anderson, Vince Colletta, Frank Giacoia, Dick Giordano, Frank McLaughlin, Jose Massaroli, Terry Austin, Bob Wiacek, John Celardo, Dave Hunt, Bruce Patterson, Dan Adkins, Frank Chiaramonte, Jack Abel, John Calnan, Larry Mahlstedt, Steve Mitchell, Mike DeCarlo and Rodin Rodriguez
Publication date: March 20, 2020

This is the latest volume I’ve read in tracing the history of one of my favorite characters – Dick Grayson, the original Robin and later Nightwing. Last spring, I read the two-volume Robin Archives, which collect Robin solo stories from Star-Spangled Comics in the 1940s and 1950s, which I talked briefly about on Facebook. A few months ago, I discussed the massive Showcase Presents Robin trade collection, which reprints a number of stories featuring Robin from 1969 to 1975.

Now I’ve finished reading through this even more massive Bronze Age Omnibus of Robin reprints. This volume collects stories featuring Robin from Batman, Batman Family, Detective Comics, DC Comics Presents and World’s Finest Comics originally printed between 1967 and 1983. As one might expect from comparing those original publication dates, there are a number of duplicate stories reprinted in both the Showcase and the Omnibus. In fact, out of the 49 stories in the Showcase volume and 79 in the Omnibus, 35 stories are reprinted in both. I admit that’s quite a bit of overlap, but there are still enough stories unique to each volume that it is worth it to own both, at least to me.

The stories reprinted in the Robin Omnibus take the character from being The Boy Wonder, fighting alongside Batman and in solo adventures across Gotham City, to becoming The Teen Wonder, first at Gotham High School, then later at Hudson University in New Carthage, and beyond. Robin teams up less and less with the Dark Knight in these stories, but he goes through a period of frequent pairings with his Dynamite Duo co-star, Batgirl. And later stories in the Omnibus collection coincide with the formation and early years of The New Teen Titans.

In fact, if there is a failing in this Omnibus collection, it is in the scattershot inclusion of some of these later stories. For instance, Dick Grayson and Robin spend a great deal of time in New Carthage on the campus of Hudson University in these tales. Dick attends classes and works at the campus newspaper while also solving crimes alongside the campus police.

In the very first preview appearance of The New Teen Titans — first printed in DC Comics Presents No. 26 (released on July 10, 1980, according to Mike’s Amazing World of Comics) and not reprinted in this volume, by the way — it is mentioned that Robin has left college. In “The Gotham Connection,” reprinted from Detective Comics No. 495, which came out shortly before The New Teen Titans debuted with their own first issue, Dick is threatened with expulsion for missing classes and opts to leave campus to pursue a ring of drug runners instead of dealing with the academic troubles. But that storyline goes nowhere. Other plot threads from Dick’s time at Hudson U are simply dropped, never to be addressed again, including a new romance with a girl named Jennifer Anne. The end of “The Gotham Connection” story seems to indicate the tale will be picked up again next issue, but it doesn’t appear that it ever was resolved in any story. At least not one I could find reference to anywhere.

I guess you can’t really fault this volume for not reprinting a story that was never printed anywhere to begin with. But other choices for what is included are not as easily ignored. The very next story in the Omnibus, “Shanghaied” from Batman No. 333, teams Robin with Catwoman in search of a missing Batman. I assume this story was selected for inclusion as it features Robin heavily and teams The Teen Wonder with someone he’s not usually paired with. But “Shanghaied” is a middle chapter of a multi-part story that begins and ends with cliffhangers, but no other chapters of this multi-part epic are reprinted here. Readers of this volume are simply dropped into the middle of the action and given no resolution.

Despite a few odd choices like that here and there in this hardcover volume, I can still heartily recommend it to any fan of Robin’s. Many of these stories show the beginnings of both Robin’s and Dick Grayson’s character development that later creators like Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Chuck Dixon would build upon to great effect. For instance, Gerry Conway pens an arc that begins in DC Comics Presents and continues in backup stories in five issues of Batman from 1981. First Robin runs into Superman and an old circus performer friend while visiting the Sterling Circus appearing in Gotham City. Later, Dick Grayson follows the circus clown, the old friend, to Hill’s Circus, where the young aerialist stays for a time, performing and rediscovering his circus roots. No mention of the Titans is made in these stories, but they all coincide with the issues early in the second year of The New Teen Titans comic.

As evidenced by the extensive list of creators above, this volume is an excellent showcase for a number of fine writers and artists, each lending their talents to shaping the character Dick Grayson and Robin would become and making it possible for other characters to take on the name Robin while Grayson moved on to become Nightwing. Some of these stories I’d read before in single issue form, either when they were first published or later after buying them as back issues. But many of these stories were new to me with this reading.

If you share my love of the character of Dick Grayson, you might also enjoy a podcast I discovered not long ago. “Taking Flight: A Robin and Nightwing Podcast” is by a gentleman named Tom Panarese. The podcast covers a lot of the stories and history included in this volume as well as other stories about The New Teen Titans and fellow Robins Jason Todd and Tim Drake. I heartily recommend you check out both Robin: The Bronze Age Omnibus hardcover and “Taking Flight.”

More early adventures of the first kid sidekick

Showcase Presents Robin, the Boy Wonder tpb
DC Comics
Creators: Too many to mention
Release date: 2008

I marveled recently about how Robin, the Boy Wonder, had a number of solo adventures in Star-Spangled Comics as early as the 1940s and 1950s. Dick Grayson is one of my all-time favorite characters, and I had not known that he headlined his own solo series that far back. Those stories are collected in the Robin Archives Volumes 1 and 2.

I bought this giant phone-book sized black-and-white trade paperback collection when it came out back in 2008, but at that time, trades like this one were tossed onto a pile of stuff to read when I had more time. I decided to make the time after reading those Robin Archives volumes, and I’m glad I did.

This collection covers stories from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. It begins with a re-telling of Robin’s origin from Batman No. 213 from 1969. From there, it drops back to 1964 for World’s Finest Comics No. 141 and the formation of a Robin-Jimmy Olsen team. The junior partners fake their own deaths in an effort to aid their respective mentors.

Several other Robin-Jimmy Olsen team-ups follow from the pages of World’s Finest Comics and Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen, as well as Robin solo stories and team-ups with Batman, Batgirl, Superman and the Teen Titans from the pages of World’s Finest Comics, Batman and Detective Comics.

The adventures also see the Boy Wonder leave high school and Wayne Manor for the campus of Hudson University and the new name, the Teen Wonder. There’s even a two-part adventure with the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America in 1971 in issue Nos. 91 and 92 of the League’s own title. That last even has the Earth-1 Dick Grayson meet his Earth-2 counterpart and briefly adopt a new costume.

As sometimes happens with Silver-Age stories, some of these tales seem a bit dated now. But most all of them are fun reads showing the continuing growth and development of a classic comics character. I’m definitely calling this a worthwhile purchase!

No typical mysteries to solve here

Detective Comics No. 449
DC Comics
Creators: Elliot S. Maggin, Ernie Chan, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (PBHN), Mary Skrenes and Dick Giordano
Cover date: July 1975

This is yet another of those older Batman issues I’ve been looking at of late. This one in particular is a comic I bought and read off the stands at the time, subsequently lost track of for one reason or another, and purchased again in adulthood out of a sense of nostalgia.

I never forgot the cover to this issue’s main story, “The Midnight Rustler of Gotham City!,” as it isn’t every day you see Batman depicted on horseback amid stampeding cattle. And re-reading the issue now did not disappoint.

Commissioner Gordon seeks Batman’s help in solving the mysterious disappearance of several herds of cattle from slaughterhouses during a beef shortage. Batman tracks down a suspect and some of the missing cows in less than an hour, but something continues to nag at the back of the Masked Manhunter’s consciousness. This continues for a week before Batman’s sharp mind and keen detective skills ferret out the real mastermind, who is finally brought to justice, but not before the scene on the cover plays out with Batman on horseback trying to round up the remaining missing cattle that are loose on the roadways of Gotham.

One doesn’t usually expect to find horses and cows running through a Batman tale, but I think the reason this story continues to hold up is it again showcases the hero’s brains and his analytical mind. Batman has no powers, and he has honed not only his body but also his mind to allow him to stand side by side with other heroes with fantastic abilities.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the back-up story in this issue. As soon as I saw the title page of the Elongated Man story, “The Mystery Man Who Walked On Air,” I remembered it, too, and started to chuckle. I just hadn’t remembered that it was in this particular issue of Detective Comics. This is one of the few Elongated Man solo stories I recall reading as a kid, but I always liked the character in the satellite-era of the Justice League. This story is a fun romp as Ralph Dibny (the Elongated Man) tries to solve the mystery of this little old man who keeps showing up and defying the laws of physics. Turns out it is all a prank arranged by Ralph’s wife, Sue, for his birthday. It showcases the fun this couple often was in the Silver Age of comics.

So this issue once again earns a “great read” seal of approval from me! Come back in two week for a look at a nearly 10-year-old original graphic novel that is soon to debut once again.

The Curious Case Of The Charlatan

Detective Comics Nos. 777-782 (2003)
DC Comics
Ed Brubaker, writer
Tommy Castillo and Wade Von Grawbadger, artists

This is an excellent Batman story for a number of reasons: it introduces a brand new villain; the plot of the story allows the creators and the readers to visit a number of familiar rogues along the way; it focuses on the detective nature of the hero, a facet of his personality and procedures that can easily be overlooked; and it grabs your interest and holds your attention throughout.

Ed Brubaker spent most of his time in Gotham City writing Batman, but he did do a brief stint writing Detective Comics in 2003. At the time, DC was trying to differentiate the two books by emphasizing superheroics in Batman and deductive reasoning in Detective Comics. Hence, this mystery titled "Dead Reckoning."

The plot stems from a tragedy eight years in the past, yet still during Batman's career. It's rare for writers to pin down past events so concretely in comic stories where the passage of time is so elastic, but this tale does just that. It's not impossible to still fit that timeline into the typical 10-year span of Batman's career, but it does seem a little tight to me. Eight years ago would put it pretty early in Batman's career, yet portions of the story dictate that these events can not have happened too early in the criminal career of Two-Face. That distinction serves to narrow the window of occurrence for these events, because Two-Face first worked with Batman as crusading Gotham district attorney Harvey Dent. They had a great working relationship -- one depicted at times as almost closer than that between Batman and police commissioner Jim Gordon -- until Harvey was assaulted by a criminal in court and transformed into the two-obsessed Two-Face. Two-Face must have pulled at least a few criminal capers pitting him against his former ally, Batman, for the Dark Knight to become familiar with Two-Face's habits, and that familiarity is important to this modern story.

As for the villain, Charlatan, he's a master of disguise and a truly tragic figure, at least at the beginning. His obsessions lead him down a rather dark path, and ultimately, his poor decisions lead to his own downfall, but a great deal happens to this man that leaves readers feeling some sympathy for him. I don't believe he has ever appeared in another Batman comic since this initial appearance, although he would make an excellent addition to the Gotham City rogues gallery.

It's no secret I enjoy Ed Brubaker's writing, and he is a large part of why I like this story so much. There are a few bits of this six-issue arc that could have been shortened a tad; maybe four issues could have been enough to tell this tale without it bogging down in a few scenes.

The art is great for this type of story. I'm not familiar with Tommy Castillo's other art credits, but here, his illustrations recall the look and feel of "Batman: The Animated Series." Not identical, but still quite similar. That makes for a nice touch as Batman and Charlatan make their way through various familiar Gotham faces such as Commissioner Gordon, Renee Montoya, Penguin, Scarecrow, Killer Moth, Catwoman, the Joker and Two-Face.

This story is good comics!

Rucka Is The Master

Detective Comics 757 (2001)
DC Comics
Greg Rucka, writer
Rick Burchett, artist

I have mentioned before in this space that Greg Rucka's run on Wonder Woman from 2003-2006 is one of my all-time favorite runs for the character. Not too long ago, I also re-read and discussed Rucka's great run on The Adventures of Superman between 2004 and 2006. Rucka also handled a great run on Detective Comics from 1999 to 2002, a fact reinforced for me recently when I re-read those Detective issues.

There was a lot going on in this run to like. Rucka took over at the end of "No Man's Land" and did a lot of what would become groundwork for the later Gotham Central series he and Ed Brubaker co-wrote. The concept of the Wayne Enterprises board of directors insisting that Bruce Wayne accept a bodyguard allowed Rucka to introduce the character of Sasha Bordeaux, a character who he made a key part of the Bat universe for awhile, and later a big part of the overall DC Universe. The regular artist for much of the run, Shawn Martinbrough, is pretty great, too.

Rather than talking about this entire run this time out, however, I want to narrow the focus a bit to this excellent done-in-one stand alone issue that falls in the middle of Rucka's run on Detective Comics. None of the various subplots make an appearance in this issue at all. It is so very stand alone, it could almost be a fill-in issue, but Rucka's name is still in the credits. As for the art, Rick Burchett's Batman looks close enough to Martinbrough's usual pencils that it isn't jarring because none of the other characters in this issue are seen in the series again.

The first page introduces us briefly to a family of three approaching Gotham on a lonely stretch of highway late one night. We don't even get their names except the father calling his wife Hannah.

Turning the page, we get a seemingly unrelated voice-over by Batman. The Dark Knight is very annoyed by the direction his night is going. We also see four thugs fleeing a drug deal and gunning down at least two Gotham City Police officers as they go. Batman is in pursuit as soon as possible but is not able to catch the felons before they meet and force the family of three to drive off the road, their car dropping off a cliff into open water.

Batman has no idea of the plight of this family as he continues to pursue the thugs. Subsequent pages switch from showing Batman taking down the villains to the family fighting to survive as best they can. The parents are surprisingly calm and resourceful, but they can't get out of their car as it continues to fill with water. Batman finally becomes aware of the presence of another car and questions the final criminal before knocking him unconscious.

I like that the family in danger in the submerged car is able to survive as long as they do because they don't panic. Often in these kinds of stories, the heroes are all-knowing and brave while the people they save are helpless victims. That isn't exactly the case here. But the ending is also excellent as Batman saves the family and then apologizes to them for taking so long. The Dark Knight seems genuinely distressed by the inconvenience to these people.

But the mother replies, "You arrived just in time. Any sooner, the water pressure would have kept you from opening the door."

And Batman simply says, "I hadn't considered that."

Yeah, I just ruined the ending for you if you've never read this issue, but it's still worth your time to check out. There are a lot of details skimmed over in this synopsis, and this issue holds up well to multiple readings.

This is a fantastic story that shows Batman is NOT always infallible, but rather than making him less of a hero for that, it makes him all the more heroic for all he accomplishes without being perfect. This issue is definitely good comics!

These Are Their Stories

Gotham Central (2004-07)
DC Comics
Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, writers
Michael Lark, Stefano Gaudiano, and Kano, artists

If you've never checked it out, this 40-issue comic book run is one of the best written series out there. It is set, obviously, in Gotham City, but focuses on the detectives of the Gotham City Police Department's Major Crimes Unit rather than the costumed vigilantes who also populate that fictional city. The moody artwork and muted color palette add to the crime noir feel of this series, complementing the writing beautifully.

No purse-snatchings or jaywalkers will be found in these pages; remember, this is the Major Crimes Unit. Some of the crimes the detectives of the MCU investigate include the murder of a young girl walking home after a baby-sitting job; the deaths of two women, both employees in the accounting department of the same pharmaceuticals company; an apparent suicide leads detectives to reopen a cold case that involved the murder of an entire high school athletic team; and someone killing young men after dressing them up in costumes that resemble that of Robin, the Boy Wonder.

A couple of the cases force the MCU detectives to investigate other officers, too. A pair of crooked beat cops accidentally causes the death of a young homeless girl while trying to cover up their illegal activities. A crime scene investigator long suspected of being on the take causes problems with some ongoing investigations, but both MCU and internal affairs detectives have trouble making any charges stick. And in an early story, one of the MCU's own detectives is accused of a double homicide.

Of course, major crimes in Gotham are often going to involve some of the city's more colorful criminals. One homicide the detectives investigate looks like it might be the work of Catwoman. Poison Ivy is involved in the homeless girl case. In the very first issue, two detectives following a tip on an open kidnapping case run into more than they bargained for in a rundown apartment building. Firebug and the Mad Hatter also pop up in the course of other MCU cases.

The detectives of the MCU aren't just throw-away characters created solely for this series, either. Many of the detectives had a history in DC Comics before the debut of Gotham Central in 2004. Fan favorite character Renee Montoya, for example, was originally created for "Batman: The Animated Series" as a recurring uniformed police officer. She debuted in the comics at about the same time in Batman No. 475, cover dated March 1992, and was often paired with hard-boiled police detective Harvey Bullock, a longtime supporting cast member in the comics. After spending several years as a uniformed officer, Montoya was promoted to detective and continued to be a recurring character in the pages of Batman, Detective Comics and other Gotham City-based comics.

Another featured player in Gotham Central is Crispus Allen, who debuted in Detective Comics No. 742, cover dated March 2000. This was during the time immediately following the "No Man's Land" story arc in the Bat-books, a long series of arcs that left the Gotham City Police Department severely understaffed. This was also during a time when then-Detective Comics writer Greg Rucka shifted the focus of that book so that it emphasized the detective nature of Batman's character and the Dark Knight worked very closely with a number of the GCPD's finest. Detective Allen was a recurring character in Rucka's run of Detective Comics and would eventually become Montoya's partner.

Capt. Maggie Sawyer is another name comics fans might recognize from beyond Gotham Central. Margaret Sawyer made her debut in Action Comics No. 595, cover dated December 1987, early in the post-Crisis reboot of Superman. The character's back story is that she was originally from Star City and moved to Metropolis to head up the new Metropolis Police Department's Special Crimes Unit. Sawyer was a mainstay in the Superman titles during the rest of the late-1980s, the 1990s and into the early 2000s. The character was popular enough among Superman fans that she was included in the cast of "Superman: The Animated Series" and even appeared in some episodes of the live action "Smallville" television series. In 2002, Sawyer's character moved from Metropolis to Gotham City to lead the GCPD's Major Crimes Unit.

One notable Gotham City cop not featured prominently in Gotham Central is James W. Gordon, who most casual fans know as the police commissioner in Gotham. Gordon has retired or been forced from office in elections a number of times in the history of Batman stories, but he rarely stays away from the familiar job for long. The entire run of Gotham Central hit at a time when Gordon was no longer serving as commissioner. In his stead, a man named Michael Akins serves in that role, but Gordon is still a Gotham City citizen and makes a number of cameo appearances in the title for various reasons. After all, in a city known for its often-corrupt police force, most of the detectives in the Major Crimes Unit were handpicked by Gordon for their positions, a source of pride for many of them.

Several of the other recurring detectives in Gotham Central had appeared in other comics prior to this title's debut, many of them during Rucka's run as writer of Detective Comics. These other characters include detectives Marcus Driver, Tommy Burke, Josephine MacDonald, Romy Chandler and Nate Patton and Sgts. Vincent Del Arrazio and Jackson Davies.

Of course, Batman also makes appearances in the title during the course of its 40-issue run. Again, this IS Gotham City. But the majority of the issues don't include Batman at all, and the ones that do have a specific purpose for including him, and they rarely involve more than a panel here and there. Mostly that is by design, as the writers truly wanted this series to be about the cops in Gotham City and their lives, not another superhero book, although these characters exist in a world populated by superheroes. In fact, the name Batman never appeared in the title of the individual issues, although later collected editions often were named Batman: Gotham Central.

From a storytelling standpoint, the absence of Batman is explained by the timing of the series. During a large portion of Gotham Central's three-year run, Batman and the GCPD were on the outs with each other as a result of another Bat-centric crossover called "War Games" and its sequel, "War Crimes." Rest assured, though, this run can mostly be considered a self-contained read requiring very little knowledge of events in Batman or other DC Comics of the time. In the few instances where a previous comic story is relevant to understanding a Gotham Central tale, references are available in the specific issues or in the trade collections.

More Quickie Reviews

I still haven’t made it quite all of the way through the December-release comics in my stack, and I’ve already received the January releases. Needless to say, I’m running a little behind where we usually are at this time of the month, so here are some more short and sweet reviews as I try to catch up just a bit.

Checkmate 9 (DC Comics) — Sarge Steel and Sasha Bordeaux verbally spar in this issue over who can best take down the terrorist organization Cobra, and over who most screwed things up last issue. I’ve heard rumors that this book may not have much longer to live, which would be sad, but so far, it hasn’t really lived up to its potential.

Teen Titans 42 (DC Comics) — This issue is a nice recap of the history of Kid Devil. I knew most of Blue Devil’s story, but not Eddie’s, so this was nice.

Civil War Front Line 9 (Marvel Comics) — Sally slaps down Captain America during an exclusive interview as she points out that both sides of the war see themselves as right and will stoop to any low in order to bring down the other side. Morally, I’m on Cap’s side, but as we’ll see in a bit, Cap has a parallel with Iron Man’s side using bad guys.

Civil War: War Crimes (Marvel Comics) — Captain America’s rogue heroes make a deal with the Kingpin in an effort to doublecross Iron Man’s band of zealots. I think I would have liked this better if Captain America himself had not made the decision to work with Kingpin. Other heores can make an occasional mistake: Spidey was on the wrong side of things for a bit, then wised up, for example. But Cap should be above reproach in his actions.

The Lone Ranger 3 (Dynamite Entertainment) — A few more changes to the story I’m familiar with, but nothing that really detracts or lessens the overall origin of the masked man. This is a good comic.

Fables 56 (DC Vertigo) — Very nicely done Christmas tale introducing us to holiday-themed Fables while also providing hints of things yet to come involving not only Snow, Bigby and the cubs, but also Flycatcher.

Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of War (Marvel Comics) — The two heroes meet on neutral ground in an effort to talk things through. Captain America states that such a thing would’ve been much easier before the Thor clone killed Goliath, which is true, but no less tragic. These two heroes have fought before, but will this be the last time?

New Avengers: Illuminati 1 (Marvel Comics) — This series is starting off to be a little disappointing for me. This first issue takes us back to the time of the Kree-Skrull war and shows exactly how the six members of this secret cabal tried to persuade the Skrulls to leave earth alone rather than retaliate. The plan is disastrous at first, but the newly formed group manages to succeed in the end. If each issue of this limited series is going to look at a specific event from Marvel history, then this series is nothing more than an expanded version of the Illuminati one-shot from a few months ago.

Athena Voltaire: The Collected Web Comics (Ape Entertainment) — This trade collects the first two story arcs introducing 1930s aviatrix Athena Voltaire as she takes on Nazi plots, mysterious yetis and vampiric descendants of Dracula. The stories in this collection are a little more raw than the current miniseries starring the same heroine, but they depict the origins of the character and her creators.

52 Week 34 (DC Comics) — This was a sad installment of the weekly comic as we see not only the death of the Question, but also the betrayal of the Black Marvel family, some of the best characters in this series. And Luthor decides to literally pull the plug on his Everyman project.

Batman 661 (DC Comics) — I am seriously losing interest in the Grotesk story line. Why couldn’t this tale have been done in two issue instead of four? John Ostrander can be an exceptional writer, but this is a case where writing for the trades truly hurts the medium. As a fill-in story, this arc wouldn’t fit into a trade collection with either the Grant Morrison story before it or the one after, so it has to be long enough to support its own trade collection, but the story feels artificially padded by being four issues.

Detective Comics 827 (DC Comics) — This Batman tale, on the other hand, kept me guessing. Paul Dini brings back Scarface, but who is in control and who is pulling the strings, the dummy or the brand-new Ventriloquist?

Justice League of America 5 (DC Comics) — Finally, this story is starting to make a shred of sense and flow in a somewhat linear fashion. All of the various players have been brought together more by chance than by Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman’s selection process. But they’ve all agreed to work with Solomon Grundy in an effort to stop the latest incarnation of Amazo in Red Tornado’s body. I’m hoping things continue to get better to the point where this all makes sense at some point.

Lastly, here’s another book from that stack of out-of-continuity trades and graphic novels I read from occasionally. This time out, we have Neal Adams’ Monsters (Vanguard Productions) — This beautifully illustrated graphic novel presents an original tale featuring the three most popular movie monsters — Count Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and the werewolf — together in one story. In addition, the book offers notes and sketches from Adams, a truly revolutionary comic artist and story-teller.

That’s it for today, Kiddie Cops. Next time we’ll hopefully finish up the last holdouts from December and move into January. Until then, happy collecting.

Time To Play A Little Catch Up

January is better than half over, and I’ve yet to post a single tidbit about the December releases. Let’s rectify that just a little bit right now.

52 Weeks 30 and 31 (DC Comics) — Not sure I enjoyed the glimpse of Batman’s activities as much as I expected. This issue almost seems as if Dick and Tim are abandoning Bruce to his demons. We also get some glimpses into the beginnings of plots from the Mystery in Space and the Omega Men miniseries. We also learn that while Supernova is not a reincarnated Superboy (no surprise there), he is someone we are familiar with under an assumed name. Right now I’m figuring the safe guess is Booster Gold trying to start over.

Captain America 24 (Marvel Comics) — I was a little disappointed in this issue, the last of the Civil War tie-ins for this title. This comic read more like a fill-in issue to me. There was the big reveal of Arnim Zola at the end, but I’m not that familiar with this WWII villain, so that wasn’t an emotional moment for me, really.

Green Lantern 15 (DC Comics) — This book was also a little disappointing. This Wanted: Hal Jordan story arc was supposed to include guest appearance by Green Arrow, Batman and others who have yet to make an appearance.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 46 (DC Comics) — This issue, on the other hand, was a nice surprise. I don’t dislike Kurt Busiek’s run as writer on this title or his “new” Aquaman, but I like the classic hero better. This is the first of a two-part tale featuring the classic Artie, which is A-OK with me.

Powers 21 (Marvel Icon) — I read the image issues of this series in trade paperback form, reading complete story arcs in one sitting. It’s a bit of a change reading these single issues as they come out. I still like the story lines Bendis and Oeming are creating, but things seem to drag a lot more by comparison. It’s also sad how the only remaining letter column in comics today has so many inarticulate idiots who give fans a really bad name.

Teen Titans 41 (DC Comics) — I like Geoff Johns’ writing. I like the Titans and the legacy the team has. So why don’t I like this title so much of late? Maybe Bombshell hit it with her taunts to the newly revived Joseph Wilson, “The glory days are over, Jericho. The Teen Titans will never be the family they once were. ... No one trusts anyone. Hell, they don’t even like each other.” Hopefully, now that this arc is winding down, that will change.

Batman 659 (DC Comics) — Grotesk from John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake begins, and it gets off to a good start. Classic Batman comics here.

new universal 1 (DC Comics) — I have never read any of the original New Universe comics in the concept’s first go ’round, so I’m coming into this series with no knowledge of how things were done before, no insight about in-jokes and special tribute moments. But I also have no preconceived biases about the series. After this first issue, it looks promising.

Agents of Atlas 5 (Marvel Comics) — This series surprised me. I fell for the teaser of a double agent last issue pointing to Venus. That is what I was supposed to think so I’d be surprised when the double agent was revealed to actually be M-11, sort of.

Detective Comics 826 (DC Comics) — Dini is having a wonderful run on this book; this one is another done-in-one great.

Outsiders 43 (DC Comics) — I’m not quite sure what it is, but this story arc that ends with this issue just feels like a final story line of a title. Maybe just because I’m losing interest, although I am curious about the flashback story beginning next time.

Manhunter 26 (DC Comics) — Excellent return to a great comic. Glad to have Manhunter, Andreyko and Pina back.

Nightwing 127 (DC Comics) — This issue was a little confusing and jarring, not quite as good as Wolfman’s first two. I like Nightwing’s focus as he struggles to free himself from the deathtrap, but some of the recap/backtracking took a couple reads to figure out.

Welcome To tranquility 1 (Wildstorm) — Another promising start to a new series, but this one is almost a little too cartoony. I’m not ruling it out yet, but I’m hoping for great things from Gail Simone.

Special Bonus Review
Sandman Mystery Theatre Book 1: The Tarantula (DC Comics) — This trade collects the first four issues of the 1993 series by Matt Wagner and Guy Davis re-imagining Wesley Dodds’ Sandman character from the WWII era. While these stories are set in the late 1930s, they include a darker, more modern storytelling style which makes these books not for the faint of heart. But the book is well worth a read if you like noirish, gritty crime drama.

More Post Crisis Retro-Reviews

Welcome back, Kiddie Cops. As promised, here are some more retro-reviews from my personal comic book collection. Now, we’ve already covered a large number of comics since discussing the mega-crossover event of 1985, Crisis On Infinite Earths, but many of those comics were produced later and only happen to “occur” chronologically in my collection immediately after the Crisis as history is being re-written. But in the real world, the Crisis lasted into 1986, eliminating a number of characters and titles from the DC Universe. Just like DC is doing now, creating several new titles in the wake of Infinite Crisis, back in 1986 and early 1987, the company began to launch several new titles or tweak the premise of existing titles. And what better way to accomplish that task than to launch yet another, albeit smaller, crossover.

Legends 1-6 (DC Comics, 1986-87) — Darkseid launches a gambit to turn the populace of Earth against its heroes using the persuasive powers of Glorious Godfrey. The plot focuses heavily of the legends surrounding the heroes, hence the name, and includes a running verbal battle between Darkseid and the Phantom Stranger as they watch events unfold from Apokolips. Darkseid has some initial success crushing the spirit and even lives of some heroes, and does indeed turn much of the populace against the heroes. In a parallel to Marvel Comics’ current Civil War, the growing outrage against superheroes even prompts in-story President of the United States Ronald Reagan to declare all heroes who do not cease their activities outlaws. Superman is sidelined; Captain Marvel is demoralized; the Detroit-era Justice League is decimated. But the Phantom Stranger points out that Darkseid has failed to account for one segment of the population who will always believe in heroes and their legends — children.

The series brought about real change in the DC Universe on the heels of the Crisis, change as permanent as any in comics. The series served as a springboard for a new Cosmic Boy miniseries, as the time-traveling Legionnaire was in the past when Darkseid’s assault began. It launched the beginning of a new era for Captain Marvel and the Flash as Wally West assumed the costumed identity of the late Barry Allen. It ushered out the Detroit-era Justice League and relaunched the team with many principle characters from Legends — Dr. Fate, Batman, Captan Marvel, Guy Gardner, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter and Blue Beetle. And it provided an early glimpse of the soon-to-be-relaunched Wonder Woman.

Detective Comics 569-70 (DC Comics, 1986-87) — This two-parter came out at the same time as the Legends miniseries, but actually has to “occur” slightly before. In Legends #4, one scene has Batman in battle with the Joker and declaring, “After what you did to the Catwoman, I ought to kill you, Joker ——” referring to Detective Comics #570. However, Robin appears prominently in the Detective story arc, but is hospitalized throughout most of the Legends series for injuries sustained in Legends #2.

So, what did Joker do to Catwoman? Contemporary issues of Batman and Detective Comics had Catwoman semi-reformed and working alongside Batman and Robin in their nightly crime-fighting activities. Additionally, Batman had revealed his dual identity to Catwoman, and Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle were dating out of costume. In this arc, the Joker is out of sorts, lacking the creative spark that will inspire a challenge with Batman until he is reminded by one of his henchmen that Catwoman is now working with the Dark Knight. Joker flashes on the idea of taking Catwoman away from Batman, both literally by kidnapping her, and figuratively by then brainwashing her into returning to a life of crime. In this, the Joker succeeds, with the help of Dr. Moon.

Along the way, Joker demands that the recently brainwashed Catwoman reveal to him Batman’s secret identity. What she tells him is lettered very small, indicating a faint whisper, and leads Joker to an innocent family named Benson where the story’s final showdown takes place. But the panel where Catwoman tells Joker Batman’s secret identity clearly says “Robert Redford.”

The Warlord 114-15 (DC Comics, 1987) — These two issues of Warlord continue the quest storyline, but also tie in with the Legends miniseries of the time. DeSaad is dispatched to Skartaris by Darkseid to attack the legend of Travis Morgan, the Warlord. In the end, DeSaad is dispatched, but not before Morgan’s reputation has taken a severe hit among the denizens of the inner world.

That's it for today, Kiddie Cops. Happy collecting.

He’s Back! He’s Back!!!!

Probably a short entry today as time of late — both for reading and posting — has been a little in short supply, but I want to lead off today’s post with the return of Marv Wolfman to the life of Richard “Dick” Grayson, aka Nightwing, formerly the original Robin, the Boy Wonder.

Nightwing 125 (DC Comics) — Wow!

I don’t like some of the things Devin Grayson did with the character near the end of her run, but I can chalk them up to Dick feeling guilt over his role in Blockbuster’s death and, despite what he told other heroes he ran across at the time, that he had not really gone rogue prior to the destruction of Bludhaven but was instead weaving an elaborate trap for Deathstroke and trying to salvage Ravager. C’mon, is all of that any more of a stretch than the “rogue” behavior he is showing over in the Outsiders right now?

But then the Crisis (Infinite Crisis) occurred, and all other plans were abandoned in an effort to save everything from destruction. Then, as depicted, he went off with Bruce and Tim to train and re-dedicate himself.

I’m not overly fond of the confusing storyline Bruce Jones brought Nightwing back with One Year Later, either. I can buy the re-animated and slightly off-kilter Jason Todd/Red Hood confronting Nightwing, but the rest of the story line was just bizarre, including, when did Dick start jumping into bed with every girl he meets?

But all of that is over. Now, the writer who re-imagined the Teen Titans and got me interested in comics again, has taken the reins of one of those characters. This isn’t a return to the character the way he was 20 years ago, nor should it be. Dick has grown and experience much since last he led the Titans. I see those characters as always having emotional ties, bonds, to each other, but these characters are no longer teens or members of the current Titans roster. Life moves on.

But Marv doesn’t settle for “erasing” everything either. Like any true writer should, he takes the work of previous creators and incorporates it with his own as part of the character’s history while still finding his own direction. This Nightwing is still in New York, but still getting to know the city as his encounters with Jason, Cheyenne and the rest in the previous arc didn’t leave him much time to get acclimated. He meets some new people, including one young woman who seems particularly interested in him, yet does not hop into bed with her right away. He’s acting like the well-trained, confident, capable pro he is after all of his years of crime-fighting, and he is showing the detective skills he has displayed in the past as the protoge of the Batman.

This new direction with the new creative team (Dan Jurgens’ art is great, too; too bad he isn’t sticking around) is full of new people and new situations, but a recognizable main character and an overall positive attitude that has been lacking for some time. Kudos.

Fallen Angel 9 (IDW Publishing) — Lee is back in town just in time for the big reveal at the end as this story is suddenly and surprisingly tied into her first adventure as a fallen angel on earth. Along the way, the mystery that is Bete Noir is heightened. This is a fun book to read. So much so, that I think I will be giving some Fallen Angel trades as gifts to people I think might enjoy this series.

Detective Comics 824 (DC Comics) — Another great Paul Dini story, this time featuring Penguin, more from the Riddler, cameos by Lois Lane and Zatanna. I am loving his run on this book, including the touches he brings to the series from the Animated universe.

Justice league Unlimited 26 (DC Comics) — Speaking of the Animated universe, this comic is like having new episodes of the series, this time with Aquaman, Dr. Fate, Superman and Booster Gold confronting Felix Faust and Black Manta.

52 Week 28 (DC Comics) — Black Adam takes another page from the Marvel family by granting a portion of his power to Isis’ brother, Amon, creating Osiris, and we see where all the evil geniuses have ended up as Will Magnus is kidnapped to their island. Each individual issue of this series is giving what seem to be smaller and smaller pieces along the way, but this is truly a great ride.

Green Arrow 67 (DC Comics) — Continuing the look at Ollie’s missing year, we see him training with an assassin to further hone his fighting abilities. We also see the beginnings of his mayoral campaign as news reaches him of events back in Star City. Unfortunately, we also learn that the money he raised to finance his adventuring and campaign were not gained through strictly legitmate means. Not new ground for the character for anyone who has read the Longbow Hunters, but somewhat more disturbing than that event.

Powers 20 (Marvel Icon) — My only complaint about this book is how much time passes between new issues. This book was easier to read in trade form — the way I first discovered it — so you can get a complete arc at once. Otherwise, it is hard to remember what happened last time by the time a new issue arrives.

That’s it for today, kiddie cops. Happy collecting.

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!

Spending My Time Among Fantasy Worlds

Just reviews today. Not much time to post. So, here we go:

Detective Comics 822 (DC Comics) — This is the second issue penned by Paul Dini, one of the geniuses behind the animated DCU. As with that continuity and the first issue of his run here, this man “gets” Batman. This was a good solid read with some fun at the Riddler's expense along the way. Now it just remains to be seen if anyone else runs with the “Edward Nigma, Detective” thread started here.

Justice League Unlimited 24 (DC Comics) — This book is, of course, based on that same animated DCU. The stories are simple and easily enjoyed by youngsters, while containing depth for adults that really satisfies. In short, these are quality, fun comics to read. This taps into the Martian Manhunter’s greatest fear, something very different from his greatest weakness, fire.

Agents of Atlas 1 (Marvel Comics) — Another good read. This is exactly what you want from the first issue of any series, limited or not: A solid introduction to the main characters without giving everything away; a set-up which lets you know more is to come and leaves you wanting to know what that more is.

52 Week 14 (DC Comics) — This wasn’t a bad comic, but it WAS more of a fill-in issue than anything else. We check back in on Steel briefly and see that he is still very upset over his niece’s defection to Luthor. We learn a bit more about what Doc Magnus has been up to besides visiting his friend and mentor T.O. Morrow and see that Morrow has escaped his holding facility. And we follow Montoya and the Question to Khandaq on the trail of Intergang, where they immediately get into trouble. With the exception of the Khandaq trip, most of the action of this issue takes place off-panel and we only see the results.

Superman 655 (DC Comics) — I like the idea of Superman as a character, and I like him as part of a team dynamic, but I usually get bored with his monthly adventures pretty quickly. That’s what I expected to happen here, too, especially after the first One Year Later arc ended so weakly for me. When this issue started out with a less-than-flattering glimpse of the 1600s life of Arion, it did little to quell my fears. But I must say, after reading the entire issue, I am curious to know where this tale is going and what happens next. Keep it up, Kurt Busiek.

Green Arrow 65 (DC Comics) — Good to see Speedy back in this issue, but she is part of the problem I have with this book right now. Judd Winick weaves such intricate and interweaving storylines that it can be hard to establish continuity. And he doesn’t seem to care. The final issue of GA leading into Infinite Crisis shows Oliver stabbed twice through the chest by arrows. Now, One Year Later, we are hearing that he went away to an island for a year to recuperate and re-train. Same with Conner and Mia who were nearly killed in the explosions which leveled much of Star City. Except it’s already been said in Teen Titans that Mia was active as Speedy with the team during the missing year, and we’ve already seen Oliver up and around in the pages of 52. Normally you could write this off as poor communications between writers, but Winick is supposed to be one of the writers on 52 and involved in the whole “charting a new course” plans. That makes the discontinuity seem just plain sloppy. Hopefully future issue will prove me wrong.

Secret Six 3 (DC Comics) — This series is not quite as good as its predecessor, Villains United, in my mind. The storyline seems a bit more disjointed and meandering. Almost like a decision was made at the last minute to do a sequel because the first series was so popular, and this is what could be thrown together last minute. I don’t know any insider stuff on how this series came about, but that is my suspicion. If anyone knows more or something different, feel free to chime in.

And lastly, Fables 52 (DC Vertigo) — Sons of Empire part 1. As usual, just Wow! I love this book.

Why I Hate Supergirl

OK, kiddie-cops, I’m back for another lightning round of comics reviews looking back over mags that I’ve recently read. And starting us off is

Supergirl (2005) 7-8 (DC Comics) — OK, I cheated a little bit here in reading order since #8 didn’t come out until almost the end of July, but I didn’t expect to like either of these books much, so I read ‘em both together. Why buy them if I didn’t expect to like them, you ask. It’s the problem with advance ordering your comics. I didn’t expect to like them after reading #6 a couple months ago, but by that time, I’d already ordered these two. I have NOT ordered #9.

I like the original Supergirl. And I’m not necessarily opposed to updating and reintroducing old characters as new ones. I like the new Supergirl, Matrix, introduced after Superman’s revamp. I just don’t like this latest ultra-teen, sorority-chick, stereotype that DC is parading around as the Maid of Steel.

I could handle her introduction in the pages of Superman/Batman. I’m not altogether certain if she truly had an evil personality to begin with or if Darkseid “created” one when he kidnapped her, but that tale was passable, and even had some memorable moments. Her next adventure, kicking off her own title, wasn’t too bad either, tying in with the events of Infinite Crisis and Luthor and such, and the use of her evil side was a nice touch. But the story was so drawn out what with all of the delayed issues, it was a little hard to follow. But now, the midriff-baring whiner moves into One Year Later, dragging Power Girl along with her, into a twisted vision of the bottle city of Kandor. Making this story, even more lame, in my opinion, is the use of Ultraman and the evil Saturn Girl from another Superman/Batman arc. I’m just not buying it, literally.

Detective Comics 821 (DC Comics) — New writer Paul Dini is not the first scribe to return this title to one that lives up to its name, but as a creator on Batman, The Animated Series, he’s proven he gets Batman, isn’t afraid to use Bruce Wayne in a story as more than a fool, and above all, shows us why Batman is known as the World’s Greatest Detective. He doesn’t just punch his way to a resolution in this done-in-one tale, he searches out clues, follows leads and uncovers a new villain with good, old-fashioned detective work.

Teen Titans 37 (DC Comics) — I’ve been reading a lot of people bashing this title of late online. I’m starting to agree that maybe it's lost its focus a little bit with the jump One Year Later. I’m not opposed to having new characters in the group, but its almost like Johns is bored with keeping Cyborg, Robin and Wonder Girl around but feels he has to to keep his audience. Or maybe he’s stretched a little thin right now with all he’s doing. It’s the Titans; I have high hopes, so I’m not dropping it yet, but I’m disappointed in this most recent arc.

Secret Six 2 (DC Comics) — Just not quite sure about this one either. Gail Simone is such a great writer and Villains United such a great read, I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt so far. But this follow-up miniseries seems even more violent, and with somewhat less focus, so far.

The Thing (2005) 8 (Marvel Comics) — Now this is good comics, people!!!! Naturally, it’s the last issue. I don’t like everything Dan Slott writes. I just don’t get the appeal behind his latest reimagining of She-Hulk. It’s just not that funny to me. But he did right by bashful Benjy, the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing. And in true style for a fun comic, Slott takes this book out on a high note. Just about evertbody who’s anybody in the Marvel Universe shows up in this blowout final issue for a rollicking Superhero Championship poker match.

Slott went out on such a high note, how can I do any less? That’s it for today. Happy collecting.

More Reviews From Early June

Hey, had a chance to read a few more books this week, so let’s jump right in with my thoughts on ’em. Not sure if I’ve said it before or not, but some spoilers will be included from time to time.

The Thing 7 (Marvel Comics) — This is a fun book. I didn’t care so much for writer Dan Slott’s humor in his revamp of She-Hulk a couple years ago, but as I’ve said in discussing the 1983 Thing series, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Fantastic Four’s monstrous quarter. Well, Slott succeeds quite nicely with bashful Benjy’s adventures in this series, at least as far as I’m concerned. Naturally, next issue is the final as this title has been canceled waaaaaaay before its time. This issue has Ben trying to surprise one-time girlfriend Alicia, a blind sculptress, by taking her back in time to witness the creation of the Venus de Milo, her favorite sculpture. Naturally, things don’t work out quite like Ben intended, and maybe even a little history is re-written.

Superman/Batman 26 (DC Comics) — I can’t quite make up my mind about this issue. The Superman/Batman book can be fun, but I really didn’t like issue #7, the first to focus on Robin and Superboy instead. The characterization just seemed off to me. Not so much Superboy and Robin’s personalities, but Batman and Superman’s. The elder heroes seemed to not even like their younger counterparts, let alone trust them. Issue #26 is a continuation of that earlier story in more ways than one. It’s a fun little tale, and the true-story behind its origins tugs at the heart, but again, the adult heroes seem overly judgmental concerning the teen titans.

JLA Classified 16-21 (DC Comics) — First, a side note: Whenever I’m buying a multi-part story that doesn’t fit into continuity, I wait and read the whole thing when I have all of the issues — kinda like “waiting for the trade” without really waiting all that time for the actual trade. Most of the tales in Classified happened sometime in the undefined past, so they fit this bill. That means I just read all six of these issues for the first time this week. Conclusion: This is the Justice league done right!!!!! They work together as a team. They don’t always agree, but they like each other. Even Batman. He’s unquestionably their strategist. He’s coordinating the moves of the others in the final battle in spite of the fact he’s the only one of them without some fantastic power. But he’s not ordering them about like his own personal pawns. He tells them the plan ahead of time so they can better play their respective roles. Gail Simone turns in great plots each month on Birds of Prey. This arc proves she gets more than just the girl heroes.

52 Week Five (DC Comics) — We learn more about the messed up condition of the returning space heroes. And sure enough, Alan Scott is missing an eye (actually two of them as he points out in the story). That was one of the most significant things for me in this issue because it messed up my system of ordering these books. Scott has two good eyes in current issues of JSA, or seems to at least. That means I have to place the current story arc from JSA somewhere before the events of Infinite Crisis when he went out into space since he returns without the eye. Since the beginning of the story arc involves the golden-age Superman, placing this arc before Infinite Crisis can’t be done. I’ll have to wait and see when each arc wraps up, but maybe the solution will have to be that GL went out into space, lost an eye, came back, and has ring-created sight in the JSA arc in question. The fact that Alan lost his eye in space also blows my theory that he was going to lose it in the current JSA Classified arc with Vandal Savage.

Anyway, back to 52, they’ve delayed telling us about what happened to John Henry Irons in the last issue. He’s too busy trying to help the injured now to bring it up to anybody, but it looked like his armor took him over. Whatupwidat? It’s nice to see that Adam Strange, Starfire and Animal Man aren’t dead, but where the heck are they? Why did DC turn Renee Montoya into such a butt-head when they made her gay? I don’t care that she’s gay although that turn of events seemed to come outta left field, but since she came out she’s been angry and bitter and self-destructive. I’d almost say they are moving her into position to be the new gay Batwoman, but that character is supposed to be a re-vamped Kathy Kane. Oh, and one more 52 question, why is the backup History of the DCU so un-interesting so far? I like this series but I don’t like parts of it a lot.

Detective Comics 820 (DC Comics) — I’m enjoying this Face the Face story bringing Bats back after his year away, and I’m really liking the Jason Bard backup feature. I hope it doesn’t go away when Robinson ends his run as writer, but I imagine it will. This is a competent Batman who likes and works together with Robin and Commissioner Gordon. Finally.

JSA 86 (DC Comics) — I’ve heard some grumbling about the incoherency of this final JSA story arc before the book ends. I don’t see it. The sequence of events isn’t that hard to follow to me, and since I’ve never followed Hawkman to any large degree, I have only a passing knowledge of the Gentleman Ghost, so there’s less history to contradict for me, if this story does indeed contradict what has gone before. I’m liking this ghost story by DC president and publisher Paul Levitz and golden-age artist extraordinaire Jerry Ordway.

Outsiders 37 (DC Comics) — Since One Year Later began, this title has taken a decidely darker turn. I’m not opposed to that on principle. Darker stories can be good stories. But each issue recently has made me worry about reconciling Nightwing’s behavior here and in his own book. I don’t want to drop this book. I like the concept and I like what Winick did before the Crisis. But this issue’s confrontation between Nightwing and Superman, I mean, this issue’s Nightwing threatening Superman, I just don’t know ...

Justice League Unlimited 22 (DC Comics) — This book is just plain fun. It follows the characters as they were envisioned in the Timm-verse of the recent departed Justice League cartoon. The stories aren’t simplistic, but they can be equally enjoyed by youngsters and older fans alike. They are filled with nostalgia, wonder and awe. Bravo to Adam Beechen and Rick Burchett for their outstanding work month in and month out.

Whew! That’s a bunch, but that’s what I read since the last post.