Now That's How You Do a Crossover

"Crisis On Earth X"
The CW's Arrowverse
Release Date: Nov. 27-28, 2017

Previous crossovers within the shows of the Arrowverse of CW shows have had some truly great moments, but this year's megacrossover was by far the best to date. In the past, the individual shows very much retained their own individual feel, leaving each chapter feeling like merely a special episode of "Supergirl," "The Flash," "Legends of Tomorrow" or "Arrow" with cameos, but the overall storyline would feel a bit disjointed.

This year's crossover event felt like four hour-long chapters of a single storyline that happened to star characters from each of the aforementioned shows. Even the intros and outros were specially created to contain elements from all four shows as a unified entity. Without an episode guide to indicate which hour belonged to which series, it was very hard to tell that they weren't a new unified show, which is as it should be for a project like this.

I confess, I haven't been keeping up with "Supergirl" this season; I just haven't had time to watch everything, and that show has fallen by the wayside. But the writers did a great job of briefly bringing viewers up to speed on the relevant status quo of each series without belaboring things, so I knew everything I needed to know about the "Supergirl" participants and where they were at coming into the crossover, without feeling like I was getting unnecessary exposition about the other shows I knew more about.

I also felt like there was a lot of character and plot development in this crossover for the individual series. Viewers of the next episodes of "The Flash," "Arrow" and "Legends" will definitely have some changes from the crossover to be addressed. I didn't see as much change in the characters from "Supergirl," but again, maybe that is because I'm not current on that show right now.

If there was a weak spot in the whole thing, I'd have to say it was the absence of some of the "Legends" cast until the very end. But let's be honest, this was a massive cast of regulars and new characters to service. I can't blame the creators involved for giving some of the "Legends" a little less to do until the big finale.

Now, a lot of what I've read since watching the crossover indicates that it was a lot of work coordinating on the part of the creators, crews and staffs of each show to pull this type of thing off. I'm sure it was. But the effort was well worth it for this kind of finished product. If all of the shows continue on, I hope this can continue to be an annual tradition, and that this quality level can be maintained.

Everything I Thought I Knew Gone In A Flash

The Flash Nos. 130-133 (1997-98)
DC Comics
Grant Morrison and Mark Millar, writers
Paul Ryan and John Nyberg, artists

I am NOT a Flash aficionado; let's be clear on that right from the start. I like Barry (Allen) and Wally (West) and Jay (Garrick), but I've just never followed any of their solo adventures on a regular basis. Mostly I've read of their heroics in conjunction with the various teams they belong to — the Justice Society, the Titans, the Justice League. But I know the basics.

Jay was granted his speed in the golden-age of comics by hard-water fumes, then Barry, and later Wally, were each doused in a combination of chemicals charged by a bolt of lightning in the silver age. Barry sacrificed himself to save a small number of alternate earths during Crisis On Infinite Earths, prompting Wally to end his career as Kid Flash, and take on the mantle of the Flash in his uncle's memory.

At first, if memory serves, Wally actually wore Barry's old costume as the Flash, but later he adopted his own with a few design tweaks here and there. Still later, Wally was able to generate a costume out of pure Speed Force, the energy the various speedsters tap into for their special abilities. This was around the time he started wearing a more shiny, almost metallic looking version of his costume with opaque white eye coverings — or so I thought.

Apparently, the shiny version of the costume pre-dates the Speed Force generated version by a few years. I know this now because I have just finished reading "Emergency Stop," the three part story that introduces the Speed Force costume.

Fan-favorite writers Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn had a very successful run on The Flash just prior to these issues, taking a break after issue No. 129 to focus on other projects. Following them was the writing team of Grant Morrison and Mark Millar, who started their short run with a bang, creating an imaginative, gripping and fun story that pushed Wally's Flash in new directions. In the course of a story I highly recommend, they first kill and then cripple Wally, leading to his creation of the Speed Force costume as seen above.

They quickly follow that three-parter with a done-in-one tale pitting the Flash against one of the Rogues, the Mirror Master. During their battles, Mirror Master splits Flash into seven rainbow-colored aspects of himself with a prism. Once Wally figures out how to reintegrate his seven personalities, the recombined Speed Force costume takes on the more familiar red and gold color scheme.

Now I've just spoiled all of the details about how the Flash really got his Speed Force costume, but there is much, much more going on in both of these two story arcs than just the wardrobe drama. I heartily recommend these books for anyone who is a fan of the Flash, be it one of the various comics versions of the character or even the currently popular and quite fun Flash television series. The threats feel very real for our hero in these tales and the challenges he faces daunting, but Morrison and Millar remember that key ingredient to any great comic story — fun. These are enjoyable reads!



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Quick peak behind the curtain: Still very busy so forgive me if this post maybe isn't quite as polished as usual. I wanted to get something posted after missing a couple weeks, but I'm writing this just a few hours before it goes up if I am to make this week's deadline. Hopefully I'll be back with more next week!

What Went Wrong?

I tried Bill Willingham's book Fables shorlty after its debut in 2000. I bought the individual issues for the first story arc and read them all in one sitting and fell in love with the characters, their situation and the way Willingham's writing made each one of this huge cast a distinct individual I would either come to care about or despise. There isn't a lot of middle ground with many of the characters in the series. And that's not to say that the characters aren't well-rounded multi-faceted folk; they truly are.

To my knowledge, Fables was my first exposure to Willingham's work, but it made me think that he and his fellow collaborators on the main series and it's spin-offs (including fellow scribe Matthew Sturges) were just incredible.

But as much as I love Willingham's work with the inhabitants of Fabletown, I just can't get behind his writing when it comes to the superhero set.

I was sadly disappointed in Willingham's thankfully short turn at the helm of the now-canceled solo Robin title. Here's a creator whose work I enjoy working on a character I enjoy, I thought at the time. How can I lose? But reading the story, it just didn't ring right for me. I couldn't quite put my finger on the problem until reading an article somewhere online at the time of Willingham's Robin issues. The article said Willingham wanted to write a story about a young, inexperienced hero and the mistakes he made while starting out. Well, even though the Robin we're discussing in Willingham's issues was Tim Drake, the third young man to wear the Robin costume, Drake hadn't been a newbie hero for quite some time. The character debuted in the early 90s and several novice stories had been done at that time. Since, the character has been portrayed as not only a competent partner to such heroes as Batman, Nightwing and Oracle, but an accomplished, inventive hero in his own right and leader of a newer, younger set of Teen Titans. You can't shoe-horn the character into the role of a novice any longer, unless you clearly explain in your story that it is a tale from the character's past when he WAS still new, something Willingham clearly did not do. In fact, Willingham took pains to mention current continuity in his story to firmly place it in the current time. In my opinion, he had an idea and tried to make the character fit the idea, which rarely produces good stories.

That should explain my trepidation when it was announced several months ago that Willingham and Sturges would be taking over the writing chores on the Justice Society. I was worried, but I love this team and the legacies of many of the characters, so I gave the book a try. But once again, Willingham is not writing these characters correctly to my mind. Not only do several of the JSA members seem to be acting out of character for their established personalities, some aren't even being consistent from page to page or panel to panel.

Take Justice Society of America No. 30, Willingham and Sturges' second issue, for example. The Golden-Age Flash has just brought Dr. Fate to help him and Stargirl fight against a large number of super-villains. At the top of page 7, an obviously uncertain Fate turns to Flash and asks, "How am I doing so far?" and Flash replies with an OK sign and says, "Just fine, son. Keep it up." Just a few pages later, after the villains have been routed and the heroes are splitting up, Flash turns to the unmasked Dr. Fate and demands, "What about you, pal? You aren't familiar, but ..."

Flash went and got the guy, so he should know who Fate is. He also seems to know that a new person is wearing the costume when he reassures Dr. Fate during battle. But then at the end of the fight, he has no idea who this person is under the helmet of Dr. Fate and almost seems not to trust the individual. What gives?

I still read Fables every month, and it is truly a fantastic book filled with rich characterization and solid story-telling; I highly recommend it to anyone, from die-hard comic fan to someone who just enjoys a good story. But Willingham's super-hero work just seems to fall short for me.

Making Sense Of Division

Bear with me; I haven’t changed my focus to mathematics on you. The division I’m referring to is the split in the ranks of the various Marvel superheroes. For the most part, Civil War (at least through issue #3) hasn’t been bad, although I see no way that “the Marvel Powers That Be” can make anyone see Tony Stark as a hero again. But a minor quibble I’ve had is a disagreement with the side chosen by some of the various characters as depicted in the main series.

Now, at it’s best, a major crossover event like this one should have all of the basic story elements present in the main title, but give the reader some extra insights in the various tie-in issues. Let’s face it, that doesn’t always happen. Quite often, the various tie-ins add nothing to the overall story. Not so with the issues that are leading off today’s discussion, kiddie-cops.

The Amazing Spider-Man 534 (Marvel Comics) — Jennifer Walters loves the law. Sure she’s been shown as a rebel at times, but she’s an attorney, for crying out loud. Her support of the law of the land makes a certain sense. Ms. Marvel has a military background. She’s used to following orders and a chain of command. No surprise she’s on the side of the government. Not so Spidey. He’s the basic everyman. The down-on-his-luck, anti-establishment-because-the-man-keeps-him-down guy. Now the main Civil War title has given us some insights into how Iron Man is manipulating Spidey somewhat, but this issue paints that betrayal very clearly, as well as showing us some of the moral qualms Spidey is suffering going against heroes like Captain America. This was a good read and added to the overall story nicely.

Fantastic Four 538-539 (Marvel Comics) — These issues highlight the thoughts of yet another puzzler for me: the Thing. Ben has been seen on the periphery of some of the events in the main Civil War title, seemingly siding with Iron Man’s pro-registration forces. That seems out of character for him to me. Issue 538 shows some of the internal strife pulling at the various members of Marvel’s first family: Reed is very much pro-registration; Sue is very anti-registration; Johnny’s in a coma; and Ben is conflicted.

The events set up in issue 538 explode in #539 when the prisoner transfer and Captain America’s sneak attack clash. I bought these FF and Spidey issues based on a review I read by Tony Isabella, and I’m glad I did. Like the Spider-Man issue, these books give some insights, especially into Ben wrestling with what to do. Then the two groups of heroes clash on Yancy Street and the leader of the Yancy Street Gang is accidentally killed — collateral damage. Enter Benjamin J. Grimm — the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing — flipping one of the prisoner transports between the combatants, forcing them to stop for a moment and look around at the carnage they — these so-called heroes — have caused. At this moment Ben becomes the simple voice of reason, showing that neither side is completely blameless, all share some responsibility for the damage and death they are causing by their “war.” I have never been more proud of a hero than when Ben moves forward, carrying the body of the dead young man, and says, “ I barely knew him. But he had parents, he had a life, he had a future ... and you took all of that away from him! Don’t you see what you’re doing? Don’t you see that you’re tearing apart everything that makes this place worth fighting for?”

And then he blows it.

Each side responds by saying they are trying to stop the fighting, the loss, the insanity, and they just need Ben on their side to win and set things right. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not sure what Ben should or can do at this point that would be the right thing. Picking a side and joining in will only start the senseless fighting up again. But simply turning away and leaving — not just from this street or this battle, but from the country, abandoning it to its fate — seems wrong, too.

So, I’m a little disappointed in Ben. But stepping back a bit, this comic made me think. It made me feel. This is why I read comics. They’re fun entertainment, and every once in a while, like with any other medium, the stories and pictures, the characters, speak to you and make you think.

Now, for a couple other, somewhat shorter reviews:

Flash 4 (DC Comics) — I’d already dropped this book from my advance orders based on the first couple issues. This was the last issue that I had pre-ordered before seeing issue number one. I’m not saying this is a bad comic, but it’s just not for me. I found Impulse to be annoying when he was first created. The character grew on me somewhat under the creative hands of Peter David and Todd Nauck in the pages of Young Justice. I even liked him as a slightly more serious new Kid Flash in the modern Teen Titans. But this suddenly adult Bart Allen just does nothing for me. There’s no emotional attachment for me to the character in these pages.

Fallen Angel 8 (IDW Publishing) — Another solid issue of this title. I purchased the original Sachs and Violens series based on George Perez’s art. Those two characters are a nice fit with the other denizens of Bete Noire. I just hope Violens isn’t really dead. Otherwise, Jubal is taking to his job as magistrate better than I expected, and new villain Siroco is intriquing. Hey, I just noticed the title character wasn’t even in this issue.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 2 (DC Comics) — As much as I didn’t like Battle for Bludhaven (There were just too many new characters for most of them to be developed much, and the pre-existing characters were unrecognizable.), that’s how much better this series is. Uncle Sam is a great character, and while some of the other re-imagined Freedom Fighters are not very likable people, this title shows promise.

Nightwolf: The Price 1-2 (Devil’s Due Publishing) — Apparently I have missed some earlier books in this series as there has obviously been some history before these issues. And there are some moments where the story seems to jump a bit, forcing the reader to figure out a transition which should be more seemless. But overall, these issues were a good read. A young Man named Davey Doyle is turned into a werewolf and slays his parents and sister. In an effort to atone for this, he creates Nightwolf, an anti-heroic persona who targets evil-doers. This series starts out as Davey tries to direct his wolf form against a street pimp, but slays a cop instead, albiet a possibly crooked cop. I’m interested enough to seek out more of these issues.

And, I think that’s enough for today. As always, feel free to chime in with comments if you agree or disagree, and thanks for reading, kiddie-cops.

Silver Age Redux

We’re closing back in on the “present” — 1986 — as we look at superhero revamps following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths. So far, we’ve seen the changes in Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, the Justice League and Robin, as well as a collection of villains. Next up is Captain Marvel as DC tries once again to introduce the denizens of Fawcett City into the DCU.

The Power of Shazam! (DC Comics, 1994) — Jerry Ordway updates the lives of the wizard, Shazam, Billy Batson, Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Black Adam and Sivana, among others. Things start out with Billy and Mary’s archeologist parents and explode from there.

Legends of the DC Universe 6: Robin and Superman (DC Comics, 1998) — Through team-ups in the pages of World’s Finest, Superman is almost as much an influence on the man young Dick Grayson will grow up to be as Robin’s “father,” Batman. This story reflects that influence and pays homage to those classic silver age tales by teaming the Man of Steel and the Boy Wonder.

The Brave and the Bold: Flash and Green Lantern 1-6 (DC Comics, 1999) — This is yet another tribute to the friendships and team-ups of the silver age, focusing on the friendship between Hal Jordan and Barry Allen. But along the way, their various extended families and relationships also play a role, so there are cameos by Iris West, Carol Ferris, Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, Ralph and Sue Dibny, Wally West, Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance and Roy Harper.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight 127-131 (DC Comics, 2000) — “The Arrow and the Bat” brings Green Arrow and Batman together and let’s the sparks fly between these two intense and explosive personalities. Along the way, both heroes are forced to examine the reasons why they put on their respective costumes and battle crime.

Batgirl Year One 1-9 (DC Comics, 2003) — Batgirl Barbara Gordon was another character changed pretty drastically by the Crisis, but mostly by accident. The character wasn’t seen much in the few years preceding Crisis. During the various revamps of Batman’s origin, the Dark Knight’s supporting cast was changed to the point where it was no longer possible for Barbara to be Police Commissioner James Gordon’s biological daughter and still be the right age to be Batgirl. So Barbara becomes Gordon’s niece, and later, his adoptive daughter. Still intact is the young girl’s fascination with Batman. This series also shows how others also inspired the young Batgirl, heroines like Black Canary.

The Batman Chronicles 9 (DC Comics, 1997) — Another element retained in Batgirl’s new origin is the infatuation Robin had for the new crime-fighter and how Batgirl felt the same way, up to a point. In the silver age, the two young heroes shared a number of adventures together. The first story in this comic shows more of that budding relationship that wouldn’t mature until several years later.

Legends of the DC Universe: Flash 15-17 (DC Comics, 1999) — These three issues focus on an early adventure of the Flash, or rather, his alter-ego, police scientist Barry Allen, and showcases a number of the Flash’s colorful rogue’s gallery.

Short entry today, but not as much time this time around. Check back next time for more stories revamping the past of the DC Universe in the wake of Crisis.

Short Weekend Of Solid Reading

I read some good comics over the weekend, so let’s just jump right in to today’s batch of reviews.

52 Weeks 11 and 12 (DC Comics) — The first of these books features the costumed debut of Batwoman; the issue also focuses mainly on Montoya and the Question and their investigation into Intergang’s move on Gotham with just a few side bits on Ralph Dibny’s investigation of the Cult of Conner. The second issue continues this narrow focus on just a few characters, leaving other storylines unadvanced for entire weeks. If anything, I think that is this title’s biggest failing. It’s an anthology of unrelated stories taking place during a common year. This time, we spend the bulk of our time with Black Adam, witness the creation of the new Isis, see that Captain Marvel is not fairing too well, and see Ralph finally catch up to Wonder Girl. But when was the last time we checked in on the trio of heroes lost in space or the unfolding time weirdness with Booster Gold. I know it’s been at least three weeks since we saw anything with Steel and Luthor. Are we to believe absolutely nothing happened with these characters in this time? But hey, I love the glimpses we are getting.

Flash, The Fastest Man Alive 2 (DC Comics) — I’m just not feeling it with this series. I understand the writers, Danny Bilson and Paul Demeo were involved in the Flash TV series. It was OK, but I’m just left not caring much about this suddenly-adult Impulse. Look for these first issues to show up on my Web site in the coming weeks.

Checkmate 4 (DC Comics) — I like this book a little more with each issue, although I’m still not sure if I like it overall. Is Alan Scott really leaving? Will that take away why I like the title? I don’t know, but I’m still along for more of the ride.

Aquaman 43 (DC Comics) — I’m torn by this book. I like Kurt Busiek. I’ve never cared that much for Butch Guice. I love Aquaman and I love this young Arthur Curry currently dominating the book, but I miss getting to read about the Aquaman I know. I also wonder with the introduction of this new, younger “Aquaman,” how much of this storyline was motivated by the Aquaman TV pilot. (I haven’t seen it yet, but I’ve heard it is available on YouTube.) But think about it: If the pilot had been picked up, the comic would more closely mirror the series. Hmmmmm

Manhunter 24 (DC Comics) — Since the announced cancelation and reprieve on this book, the quality seems to have dropped just a bit. I dunno if they had to rush to get the next few issues done once the reprieve was announced or what, but I hope it returns to it’s accustomed level soon.

Civil War 3 (Marvel Comics) — Wow! Is this book going to make it all the way to the final issue before everyone in the Marvel Universe is forced to kill everyone else? I didn’t expect a major clash of the big guns like this so soon. And for the record, I can see Iron Man’s belief in registration, but some of the other characters who have sided with him baffle me. Thing, She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel seem more naturally to fit with Cap’s rebels, the correct side in this war of liberties versus security.

Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes 20 (DC Comics) — I said this book was suffering from the addition of Supergirl. I’d now like to amend that statement. The first few issues after Supergirl’s arrival spent a lot of time focusing on her. Now she’s just another one of the characters in this team book, and she seems to fit somewhat better. So it wasn’t her presence that threw things off, but the imbalance of her role. That seems to be corrected now.

Crisis Aftermath: The Battle of Bludhaven 1-6 and Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 1 (DC Comics) — I haven’t much cared for Battle at all. The Titans seem out of character and out of continuity in this title. All of the other characters in this rambling, disjointed tale are modern re-inventions of old characters, and they’re done poorly. Every team’s origins and motivations are kept cryptic in hopes of later revelations in their own titles, but without any kind of payoff in this title, who cares about hanging around long enough to find out. I am curious about the new Doll Man and the new Phantom Lady a bit. That’s why I signed on for Uncle Sam. But where’s the payoff?

Justice League of America (2006) 0 (DC Comics) — This book is just the opposite; it’s all payoff. If you follow DC Comics at all, you already know what is presented in this book. All of the history will be well-known to you, the present-day stuff is just the big three agreeing to reform the League (no surprise since the title is relaunching) and the future teasers may never come to pass because of the impossibility of predicting exactly what will become of these characters through the infinity of publishing history. But damn, this was fun to read.

And that makes a perfect place to bring this post to an end.

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.