Dropping some recommendations for the holidays

This post is dropping the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, so I thought it might be appropriate to do something a little bit different. Instead of a single comic, trade or story arc, I’m going to briefly recommend a number of genre-related items that might have made very small posts on their own. Several are genre-related shows and films currently streaming, just in case anyone out there is looking for something to watch. I hope you enjoy them.

First up is something I recently enjoyed on Netflix with my family and can’t believe I failed to mention a few weeks ago: The Netflix re-boot of “Lost in Space.” I spent some time this fall discussing some Lost in Space comics. If you missed those posts, you can find them here, here and here.

I can’t believe I failed to even mention this latest incarnation of the Space Family Robinson’s adventures when discussing the comics. I discovered the show on the streaming platform shortly after it debuted in 2018 and, while it was very different from the original, I very much enjoyed the presentation. The third and final season of the program dropped on December 1, 2021, and the show did not disappoint. Again, the characters follow a very different path in this re-imagining, but there are echoes of the original show and a few cameos, too. I and my entire family enjoyed the show and heartily recommend it.

Next up is a fun little animated film streaming on the Disney-Plus platform right now called “Ron’s Gone Wrong.” I heard of it in a friend’s Facebook post. He said the entire family watched and enjoyed the film and laughed all the way through it. I thought it might make a good family movie night for my wife, my 10-year-old daughter and I, and we enjoyed it, too. The film took about 10 to 15 minutes to set everything up and get rolling, but then it was full of laughs. The story centers on one unpopular boy and his efforts to fit in while everyone around him is obsessed with personalized robots and the tech giant that sells them.

Another Facebook post led me to my next recommendation: “Slugfest,” a Roku channel original documentary about the lengthy rivalry between DC Comics and Marvel Comics. This 10-episode series just dropped on Christmas Eve, but each episode is only about eight- to 10-minutes long, so it runs pretty quickly. I’m a longtime comics fan myself, and there was not much new information in this series, but it was very well and entertainingly presented. Kevin Smith narrates, and a number of comics pros contributed to the series. There are also flashback segments showing the comics pros as younger men and women in past decades, and these creators are portrayed by several big name genre actors and actresses. If you’re still not sure, you can find a trailer for the series here.

My next TV recommendation is the just completed six-episode Marvel series "Hawkeye," also on the Disney-Plus streaming platform. I watched the original Marvel/Netflix collaborations on “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones,” “Luke Cage,” “Iron Fist,” “Defenders” and “The Punisher” as well as the more recent “Wanda/Vision,” The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and “What If...?” on Disney-Plus, and I’ve enjoyed all of them. But the latest, involving both Clint Barton and Kate Bishop was a very fun adventure. I’ve never followed Clint Barton in the comics much and don’t know a lot about Kate Bishop beyond the original Young Avengers series. But this was a nice little storyline with some interesting twists, creators playing on the expectations of comics fans and more development for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But mostly, it was a fun show to watch.

Switching from one archer to another and from one medium to another, I would also like to heartily recommend the two recent 100-Page Super Spectacular issues DC Comics devoted to the 80th anniversaries of Green Arrow and Aquaman. Both issues are collections of short stories taking place at various times throughout each characters’ publishing history. They touch on a number of favorite eras in each character’s history and include a number of familiar creators and co-stars along the way. Both books are great reads, but then I’m biased when it comes to these characters.

Lastly, I want to recommend one other creator and comic title: the Collectors webcomic by Eddie deAngelini. You can find the home of Eddie’s web comic here. Eddie write about himself, his wife and his collecting habit to very funny effect. I first came across Eddie’s art several months ago, once again on Facebook. I’ve read a number of his random comics in the months since then and liked them enough to back his recent Kickstarter campaign to publish the sixth annual collection of his comics. He’s a creative and funny guy I’m happy to support, especially because I can readily see myself and my non-collector wife in some of his comics.

So there you have it: a small collection of genre-related recommendations for the holidays. I hope you enjoyed them and maybe discovered something new along the way. Come back in two weeks for a more traditional post to kick off 2022. I’m thinking something from Image that proved to be a pleasant surprise for me. See you then!

That was a letdown … or was it?

Green Arrow (2016) No. 50
DC Comics
Creators: Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Javier Fernandez and John Kalisz
Release date: March 2019

I generally avoid talking about comics that disappoint me. I’d rather tout the ones I’ve enjoyed than waste time dwelling on disappointment. Especially since someone may have liked said book even if I didn’t.

I’m making an exception with this latest issue of Green Arrow, the Rebirth series finale, because I care so much about the character, I dislike the way he has been treated in stories of late, and I hope a change is coming soon. This issue was touted as a huge “event.” Whether or not it truly was remains to be seen. But the story seems a huge disservice to the character whose name is on the book.

Oh, and there will be spoilers, so read on at your own risk.

Green Arrow annual No. 2, released almost a year ago, was a tie-in to the "No Justice" event. The book as a whole depicted Oliver Queen’s activities while much of the rest of the DC Universe dealt with the "No Justice" crisis: Oliver stayed on earth, not really knowing what the other heroes were doing off-planet, but still having to deal with repercussions from those events. The annual ended with the Martian Manhunter giving Oliver a box containing “the key to destroying the Justice League should the need arise” for safekeeping. The exact contents of the box were left a mystery.

Now comes issue No. 50 of the ongoing Rebirth Green Arrow title, an abrupt end to the series, and the contents of that box are revealed when the federal government comes looking for it. It seems the powers that be know Ollie has it, they want it, and they enlist Black Canary’s help in getting it.

Green Arrow goes through a lot to keep the box he was entrusted with from falling into government hands. Along the way, he thinks to himself that he doesn’t even know what is in the box. So he looks. And finds the box apparently empty. This leaves Oliver feeling duped and unappreciated by his peers.

That is a common theme of much of the Rebirth run of Green Arrow. That theme also dominated a lot of the New 52 version of the character. And it is part of why I stopped buying the book on a regular basis. Yes, Oliver can be off-putting and is known for challenging authority and the status quo. But that should not be his sole personality trait to the point that no other heroes like or respect him as a hero. Yet that seems to be how Green Arrow is most often characterized in the last decade.

I’m old enough that my personal “golden age” for the Justice League is the satellite era. The heroes of the DC Universe have strong personalities and may disagree or even fight with each other from time to time. But at the end of the day, these people all basically like and respect each other. They embrace their diversity, and that is what makes them the strongest force for good.

Along with the abrupt ending to the current Green Arrow series, it has been announced that a relaunch will shortly follow. I am hopeful that the relaunch will correct this mischaracterization of Green Arrow. Why? The final pages and the last panel of issue No. 50.

I don’t agree with everything Ollie says as he strips away his GA costume and changes to street clothes in the panels above. But maybe those statements signal a change in how the character will be portrayed going forward.

Even more, that very last panel of the book shows the “empty” box glowing from inside with a green light. My hope is that indicates the box is not empty. Perhaps some security measure conceals the contents from being visible most of the time. And if that is true, it signals that other heroes in the DCU do respect and like Ollie for what he brings to the table.

Please DC, let’s have more of that.

Merry Christmas, everybody!

No new post this week. Just wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday. Read some comics; you'll be glad you did!

Will My Green Arrow Please Stand Back Up

Green Arrow (2011) 41-43+
DC Comics
Benjamin Percy, writer
Patrick Zircher, artist

I know, I know. Last post was Green Arrow. But I felt moved to follow up on last time's follow-up.

The new creative team that started with this arc — Benjamin Percy and Patrick Zircher — did away with a number of the features I liked from the last team's wonderful arc. We're still in Seattle, but the cast is reduced to just Oliver, Emi and new tech guy Henry.

Having said that, I really want to stress that I very much enjoyed this team's first arc, "The Nightbirds." The story introduces a credible, real-world threat, albeit one pumped up with "killer robots" and a maniacal mastermind to make it fit more comfortably into the four-color world we all enjoy. It presents the kind of street-level problem Green Arrow is known for tackling with some fun moments here and there to keep the story from turning too dark. Percy has crafted a story with some subtleties that I appreciated, and Zircher has a clean, but moody art style that complements the narrative. Colorist Gabe Eltaeb also deserves kudos for matching the tone of the story with a limited, muted color palette.

The second reason I wanted to talk about this arc, though, is my problem with it. I enjoyed the story. It was an entertaining read expanding on the privacy versus security debate. But it was really only a Green Arrow story because it was in Green Arrow.

You could take Oliver out of the story, insert almost any other hero, and the basic story doesn't change. To get to the nutcase behind the plot, the hero has to go through the killer robots. Sounds like a classic Superman story. Ollie uses tech arrows to hack the robots' programming. Cyborg, anyone? Ollie has to do a little investigating to track down the villain. Batman could do that and would have been better and more efficient about it.

With the exception of a few subplots, there was nothing that made this story have to feature Green Arrow. And those subplots, likely laying groundwork for future arcs, were not integral parts of this arc.

Again, I liked this story. I was nervous about yet another creative team change on this title, but these guys have convinced me to stick around a little longer. That's their job: to get me to keep buying. If they want me to hang around for the long run, however, I need a little more reason for Ollie to be in the stories they are writing for his title.

And to peek ahead a little further, issue No. 44 is all about yet another character, George, introduced in "The Nightbirds." Now, I like George, and he has potential to be a nice addition to the cast. His origin was also an interesting read. But again, let's get some focus back on Ollie soon, please.

Not That You Asked, But …

Green Arrow (2011) 35-40
DC Comics
Andrew Kreisberg and Ben Sokolowski, writers
Daniel Sampere, Jonathan Glapion, Gabe Eltaeb and Daniel Henriques, artists

OK, I'm behind on my reading. If you're a regular follower of this blog, that isn't news to you.

So why am I talking about these issues that are nearly a year old? Since the launch of the New 52, Green Arrow has been hit or miss with me, a miss more often than not. I talked more about that here. And I also raised the hope that the return of Andrew Kreisberg to the title might mean an upswing in the title's likability for me. Thus, here is the post where I answer that burning question I left you all hanging with.

Kreisberg and scripter/co-plotter Ben Sokolowski continue the trend of bringing elements from the hit CW show "Arrow" into the mix. They keep Diggle, introduced in a previous arc, and have added other television show elements such as Felicity Smoak. Katana, too. I like "Arrow," but I don't want my monthly dose of Green Arrow comics to too closely copy the television program. Well, that isn't what Kreisberg and Sokolowski are doing here. These characters aren't exactly the same as their TV show counterparts.

Also, Kreisberg and Sokolowski have re-introduced elements from past comic incarnations of Green Arrow, helping to further differentiate the comic from the TV continuity. The setting, for one, is Seattle, not Star City or Starling City. This story arc, "The Kingdom," also introduces the New 52 version of Mia Dearden and brings back Tommy Merlin, now a dark archer named Merlyn. Further cementing this continuity as different from "Arrow" is the inclusion of a number of DCU guest stars, including Lex Luthor and Batman from Justice League and Arsenal from the New 52 title he shares with Red Hood.

All of that adds up to a very enjoyable story arc that gives me renewed hope for the Green Arrow title. I still have the two-month Convergence titles to read, but this creative team seems to finally have gotten this title on track, reminding me why I like the GA character and making me look forward to each new issue of his title.

But then I remembered that the creative team once again changes with the issues post-Convergence. I hated the frequent creative team changes on this title before. And it looks like they haven't stopped. Maybe DC doesn't want me to like this title. I swear I'm about to give up trying to like it. But hey, if you get the chance, pick up these issues or the likely trade collecting them. This story, and this creative team, at least, are worth the price.

Will My Green Arrow Please Stand Up

Rather than a specific issue or story line, today I decided to talk about the wandering failure that the New 52 has wrought upon one of my favorite characters, Green Arrow, aka Oliver Queen.

I first became aware of Green Arrow in the late 1970s and early 1980s when he participated in Justice League of America stories or his own solo adventures in World's Finest Comics. I missed out on the new "relevant" Green Lantern/Green Arrow series created by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams in the mid-1970s, but the new costume and personality these two creators gave to the Emerald Archer influenced his characterization for the next decade, at least, and the hero I was reading owed much to their work.

Going back and reading reprints of the O'Neil and Adams stories in 1983 is when I grew to really appreciate the character and come to see him as one of my favorites. That affection grew and was nurtured by the Green Arrow miniseries that same year by Mike W. Barr, Trevor von Eeden and Dick Giordano and was cemented by Mike Grell's fantastic Longbow Hunters series in 1987.

Having said that, I don't know why I didn't immediately pick up the Mike Grell ongoing Green Arrow series that followed Longbow Hunters. I swear, I really did love that series right from the start. At this point, I did have a local comic shop I frequented regularly for my comics, but I was not online much and hadn't even heard of Previews at the time, so maybe I simply wasn't aware of the existence of the ongoing for a while. Whatever the reason, I started in on that series about two years into the run reading forward each month as well as backward when I could find copies of the back issues I'd missed.

I was very sad to see Ollie killed off in No. 100 of that series, then being written by Chuck Dixon, and while he was a very different character, I enjoyed the adventures of Ollie's son, Connor Hawke, as the new Green Arrow. I'm not nearly as big a martial arts fan as Dixon seems to be, so some of the Connor GA stories were less to my liking than others, but I stayed with the series until it ended with issue No. 137.

After a few dark nearly-Green Arrow-less years, it was announced that Kevin Smith was going to bring Oliver Queen back from the dead in a relaunched Green Arrow title in 2001. Smith was joined by artist Phil Hester, and while I was less impressed with Hester's more cartoony art at the time, I was glad to have the character back. Smith left the title after 15 solid issues, and we were treated to one of novelist Brad Meltzer's first comics-writing turns with his excellent "The Archer's Quest"  and then after a few issues, Judd Winick took over the writing chores. Winick is one of those hit-or-miss writers to my tastes. I really like some of his books while others just leave me feeling meh. But he did a good job at the helm of Star City's resident bowman and stayed with the title for the remainder of this run and into the 2007 Green Arrow and Black Canary relaunch. That title had the added plus of fantastic art by first Cliff Chiang and then Mike Norton. The Green Arrow and Black Canary series finished its second half with excellent writer Andrew Kreisberg and then J.T. Krul on the final three Blackest Night and Cry For Justice tie-in issues.

All of that background is to show I have a history with the character, reading Green Arrow's adventures, and for the most part, enjoying most of the tales he is featured in. I don't agree with everything that happened in Justice League: Cry For Justice or the subsequent Fall of Green Arrow, but I liked both titles and could see Oliver acting and reacting the way he was portrayed in those stories. Less to my liking was the 15-issue Green Arrow: Brightest Day series where Oliver is all about his forest, but I think most of that series stemmed from editorial dictates and might not be where series writer Krul would have taken Oliver without the whole Brightest Day framework, which I liked with regards to other characters. I base this, in part, on the fact that another writer finished the final three issues of that series. I also haven't read Green Arrow: Brightest Day again since it was new; maybe my opinion of it would improve with a fresh look.

Then along comes the New 52, and everybody and everything is rebooted back to square one. Except Batman and Green Lantern, which were seeing a great deal of popular story lines already, so the rebooting wasn't quite so evenly distributed. But I was all set to accept a new, younger Oliver Queen as Green Arrow. A fresh start didn't have to mean disaster. And the first three issues of the New 52 Green Arrow were good with story by Krul and art by the incredible Dan Jurgens. Oliver has a bit of a team working behind the scenes to assist him, but subtracting a few years and changing up his costume were pretty cosmetic; I could still see this as the hero I liked, just a slightly different guy from a slightly different dimension or something.

The problem was, those three issues didn't last. Issue No. 4 saw a creative change to writer Keith Giffen, who was replaced by Jurgens by issue No. 6. Then we got Ann Nocenti, who's run on the title lasted until issue No. 16. But her run on the book was all about horn-dog Ollie who thought more with his groin than his brains. This guy wasn't really a hero so much as a screw-up. With each creative change, I liked the character less and less. And there seemed to be a lot of creative changes.

Jeff Lemire's run (issue Nos. 17-34) was very dark for my tastes and centered way too much on the mysticism of the various clans he introduced into Oliver's back story. Then elements from the CW television series "Arrow" started to creep into the book. Now, I've watched "Arrow" since the beginning, and I very much enjoy the show and Stephen Amell's portrayal of Oliver Queen. I'm very happy the show has lasted into a third season, and I'll be happy to see it continue for several more years. But it is the television version of Green Arrow. That guy exists in an equally valid, but alternate dimension from the guy I like to read about in the comics. Television and comics are two different media; they have different strengths and weaknesses, and I believe they are best served by different approaches. I love watching the TV show, but I don't want to read the TV show in my monthly Green Arrow comic.

So, why do I keep buying the monthly comic if I don't like what they're doing with the character and haven't for basically the last 30 issues? I guess that means I have more money than sense, but my wife would be quick to remind that we don't have that much money. So maybe I just don't have any sense. But the creative teams change on this title so often, every time I convince myself to just drop what I'm not enjoying, I think, "But wait, a new team and direction are coming next month; maybe it really will get better." Except so far, it hasn't.

I hope the comic will find its niche now that Andrew Kreisberg is back writing the character as I enjoyed his work on the title pre-New 52. But Kreisberg is also one of the producers of the CW televison series. I'm hopeful, but concerned as well. But I'm still buying the title each month hoping for the best. At least, for now ...

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If you enjoy reading this blog, you can get more by liking my page on Facebook and/or following me on Twitter. And of course, if you are looking for a good deal on some of the comics I am selling off to make room in our house, please check out my main Steve's Comics For Sale site or the StorEnvy version of the site.

Getting A New Lease On Life (In My Collection)

Green Lantern: Rebirth 1-6 (2005)
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Ethan Van Sciver and Prentis Rollins, artists

Getting back to actual comics this time out, today's subject was a surprise for me. I don't mean I'd never read this miniseries before; I read it when it came out. But these issues had been placed on the "sell" pile as part of my ongoing effort to winnow down my collection. I remembered liking the story that returned Hal Jordan to Green Lantern prominence, but Hal isn't one of the core characters I intend to keep following on a monthly basis. I've previously discussed how just because I'm selling an issue does NOT mean I did not like it; rather, I am selling off quite a few comics I liked very much. Again, I just don't have the space to continue to keep the thousands of comics I own(ed).

So there I was, taking some time to scan cover images prior to adding issues to my site of comics to sell, when I came to the cover of Green Lantern: Rebirth No. 4 and noticed Green Arrow on the cover. "Oh yeah, Ollie made an appearance in this series, didn't he," I thought to myself, and flipped the book open while issue No. 3 was still being scanned. Low and behold, issue No. 4 opens in the middle of a scene with Ollie in it that is obviously continued from the previous installment.

Now, Green Arrow, aka Oliver Queen, IS one of the characters I have a pretty extensive collection of and plan to continue with, although his personal New 52 reboot has been pretty hit-and-miss so far for me. I hadn't remembered that Ollie had such a presence in this story arc, but flipping through issues 3 and 4 made me decide to re-examine the series more closely before putting it up for sale. Upon rereading Rebirth, it is clear that this is primarily a Green Lantern story, as expected. First and foremost, it is a Hal Jordan story. It is also a pretty important story for the Green Lantern Corps as a whole. And while it is not a critical piece of Green Arrow history, his involvement in the story is a pretty major one. But what finally made me decide to put this series back into my collection to keep is how key this story is to the overall DCU.

Many members of the Justice League and Justice Society play roles in this story and several other heroes from across the DCU have cameos. And while the exact nature of what is to come is not revealed in this story, seeds planted here play a major role in the Sinestro Corps War, then Blackest Night and finally Brightest Day, other series that affect the greater DCU and that I intend to hold onto.

One development in particular — the changing relationship between the restored Hal Jordan and Batman — begins in this series and is continued in a number of places including early issues of the 2007 relaunch of The Brave and the Bold, another favorite series I am holding onto. I'm not a fan of Batman never getting along with anyone, ever. But as one of the few non-powered members of an elite fighting team, I think the Dark Knight would have a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to a former comrade turned rogue announcing that he is "all better now." True to that characterization, Batman was slow to trust Hal Jordan again after the whole Parallax episode, and that begins right here.

Is this series without flaws? No, it's not perfect. But as I've come to expect from a Geoff Johns-penned story, it is a good read that takes you on an emotional roller coaster and plays up many key aspects from what has gone before as a treat for long-time readers while still being accessible to newer fans. And while I don't care for Ethan Van Sciver's interpretations of a handful of characters, by and large, his work on these larger, "epic" story lines is very pretty to look at and pulls a reader into the story quite nicely.

As I'm going back through my collection of comics, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do with most of them. There might be a few I wish to reread one last time before selling them, but in the end, they will still be sold. Space in our house is a finite commodity, and now that we've added a third person, albeit a small one, my share of that space is shrinking. But there have been a few that will catch my eye as I work my way through characters and titles that will grab me and make me question my initial judgment. This was one of those stories. Check it out for yourself and see if you agree.

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If you enjoy reading this blog, you can get more by liking my page on Facebook and/or following me on Twitter. And of course, if you are looking for a good deal on some of the comics I am selling off to make room in our house, please check out my main Steve's Comics For Sale site or the StorEnvy version of the site.

It's Not Exactly My GA, But It's A Valid GA And I Like It

Arrow tpb Vol. 1
DC Comics
Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg and others, writers
Mike Grell and others, artists

I think I've mentioned before that I tend not to like licensed comics based solely on movies or television programs. Quite often the comics seem like inferior versions of the properties' first medium. I don't like inferior versions of original things I've liked, and I don't care for comics that make the comics medium seem inferior.

A fairly recent example would be the Heroes trades based on the television series from a few years ago. These were short online-first strips that told further adventures of characters from the show or fleshed out events only hinted at in episodes that DC later collected. There were some genuinely good stories in those trades, but by and large, most of them were just -- meh. It didn't help that most of the stories had little real impact on the actual series. You can't have major revelations or critical events about a television show occur in another medium that not all viewers of the show will follow.

Every now and then, however, a licensed comic will fire on all cylinders. This is one of those comics. And I'm very glad that the promise of the Mike Grell artwork spurred me to take a chance on it. His art, as usual, does not disappoint. And neither does the storytelling in this trade.

Once again, these were short, online-first glimpses into the world of the CW's "Arrow," the series based loosely on DC Comics' Green Arrow character. Each chapter collected in this print version is a 10-page glimpse at events in that world. Early chapters are vague as not much was yet revealed to viewers about the series. But as time goes on, these vignettes provide some nice, but non-critical background. For example, during season one of the series, we learn that Moira Queen has a warehouse where the wreckage of her husband's boat, the Queen's Gambit, is stored. This is the sabotaged boat that Oliver and his father were on before Oliver ended up on the island for five years. One of the chapters in this collection shows how the wreckage was found and salvaged and how those remains of the ship ended up in that warehouse. Other chapters show defining events from the past in the lives of China White and John Diggle, two characters important to the show.

I would say you'd have to be a fan of the show to enjoy this trade collection. Not a lot of effort is made to explain who people are in the stories or how they relate to the overall narrative of the series; this collection is not new-reader friendly in that regard. But if you watch the show, you already know who the characters are and what roles they play.

For those of you who don't know, the show is pretty different from the Green Arrow/Oliver Queen depicted in the comics for the past seven decades. There are many familiar names and characters, and the basic origin story is pretty faithful, but the similarities end there. I am not one of those fans who is close-minded about different interpretations of characters; I think this incarnation of Green Arrow/Oliver Queen is just as legitimate, if done well, as the original one from the comics. And this television program is done well.

In fact, as a bit of a digression, I'm rather liking the CW version of Green Arrow better than I am the comic version of late. The first story arc in the life of The New 52! version of Oliver Queen was a good one, but then the title began to wander and start a downhill slide that continued until recent issues when Jeff Lemire took over the writing chores. I'm still unsure what I think of Lemire's run on the title; it's much better than what came immediately before it, but I'm still not quite sure where Lemire is headed or how I feel about his new direction. He is introducing characters and concepts from the television show, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I hope he is not trying to imitate the show too much. It is a different medium and a different, albeit very similar character, but I think it would be a mistake to make the regular DC comic too similar to the show. But that's just my two-cent's worth.

It Will Take Some Time To Tell

Green Arrow 17-18
DC Comics
Jeff Lemire, writer
Andrea Sorrentino, artist

After a great opening story arc, The New 52! version of Green Arrow started to falter. Apparently, DC got the message (eventually) and with this issue, a brand new creative team is debuting its brand new direction for the title and character. This is just the first two parts of a longer story arc so it is hard to tell much with any degree of certainty yet, but I'm willing to give these creators the benefit of the doubt, for now.

Some of the story beats in this issue are familiar territory for Oliver Queen from his pre-New 52 days. But that's not to say that Lemire is rehashing an old story, necessarily. It's more like a theme that is being repeated, one that worked well for the character in the past.

The tone of the book has also changed, but that can only be a good thing, as the previous tone seemed to be Oliver treating life and himself like a joke. How could the readers see him as anything different than the writer obviously saw him?

As for the art, I'm still on the fence. This artist's work seems similar in tone and look to Green Arrow: Year One from 2007 illustrated by Jock. It is a darker, grittier art style and that fits with the darker tone of this story. But there are a few panels that are a little too muddy to follow easily. That detracts from the story.

As today's header says, I'm going to have to give this new team some time to see what I truly think of the changes. But in the plus column for them, I'm willing, and even interested, to see where they are going. Time will tell.

************

Addendum: On a related note, I jus finished watching the season finale of the CW's Arrow, which aired last week.

Wow!

The television version of Green Arrow has been a bit uneven on the whole, but they have produced some really good episodes, and they have ended on a very good note. The finale was both gripping and moved the characters along. Well done for all those responsible.

Moving a character like Green Arrow from one medium to another, like television or film, often necessitates changes. This show is quite a bit different from the comic character, but it has often been better in its execution than the current comic title. The show gets my recommendation, for what that's worth.

This Issue Has Issues

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Perhaps I Spoke Too Soon

Green Arrow 9
DC Comics
Ann Nocenti, writer
Harvey Tolibao, artist

I defended the DCnU version of Green Arrow here based on the first story arc; I thought it was a different but still good take on the character and especially enjoyed the technology-junkie, celebrity-craving villains. The next arc had some slight changes in the creative department, and those changes seemed a little for the worse because the story seemed a little lacking, as discussed here. But further creative changes were coming, I said with hope in my heart.

Frequent readers on this blog may have noticed that I haven't reviewed the title since. I'm still buying and reading the title as I enjoy the character, but I'm not liking the latest creative changes at all. The art used to be crisp and clean, and the covers, like the one from this issue by Howard Porter, still are. But the interior artwork on this title is less crisp, very sketchy and often hard to follow. Mostly the art is inconsistent as in one panel Green Arrow will seem to be standing on his feet like a normal human being, but then the next panel will make him look like maybe his knees are double-jointed and he's actually standing on his calves -- either that or his feet and/or boots have inexplicably stretched beyond recognition.

And the plot isn't much better, IMHO. I get that a new writer might mean a change in direction, but a wholesale change in characterization is a bit much. Green Arrow likes the ladies, I get that. Sometimes he even likes ladies who are dangerous. But this plot has him attacked by and then shacking up with three blondes, ending up in Alaska and presumed dead, losing control of his companies as a result of his disappearance, meeting the blondes' whacked-out dad, the mastermind behind the genetic engineering plot that spawned the three blondes and several animal-monstrosity hybrids, and the plot meanders between fight scenes and bedroom scenes for four issues, all the while making the supposed hero of the tale out to be a stupid, careless jerk.

As I said, I've still been buying and reading this title, and I already have the next few issues ordered, but I am NOT enjoying this title. So I'm not going to order this one in the future unless there is yet another creative change. The cost just isn't worth it for a book I'm not enjoying in the HOPE that it might get better.

Talk About Your Uneven Match-Ups

Green Arrow 5
DC Comics
Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens, writers
Dan Jurgens and Ray McCarthy, art

I didn't find fault with this title in the first four issues, reviewed here, but others did. That prompted this first of two recent creative shakeups on the title.

Keith Giffen joins Dan Jurgens to split plotting duties with this issue and the results are a somewhat mismatched mash-up.

A red-clad ninja attacked Oliver Queen in the previous issue and was surprised when Green Arrow showed up and defeated her. This issue finds her returning to her partner to rest up before challenging the Emerald Archer once again. Her partner, a dark hulking figure, is revealed for the first time in this issue as a Swamp Thing-type creature composed entirely of toxic substances. This individual, not named in the issue at all (but I'm guessing he's the "Midas" from the story's title), decides to go after Green Arrow himself to prevent the ninja, Blood Rose, from being defeated again.

This seems like it would be a rather uneven fight, especially in the panels above when Midas strikes Green Arrow in the face with his toxic hand and draws blood. Who knows how many toxic substances entered our hero's blood stream in that moment and the fight likely would be over right there. But no, GA emerges from this and a few other direct contact moments with seemingly few ill effects.

As a friend pointed out, this is superhero comics, which often rely on a healthy suspension of disbelief, but this seems like a glaring inconsistency, and far less than I would expect from two solid creators. Hopefully Giffen and Jurgens come up with better for the next round promised in issue 6. But if not, thankfully, yet another writer is soon to take over the reins of this book.

Fresh Face, But Same Attitude

Green Arrow 1-4
DC Comics
J.T. Krul, writer
Dan Jurgens and George Perez, artists

Now this is a book I can sink my teeth into.

I've read some complaints online that Green Arrow is leaving readers cold, but as a longtime fan of the character, I like this book, and I think it lives up to what I believe the DCnU is trying to do. The hero of this title is not the same archer I was reading about before the rebooted universe came into existence, so it is a new start for new readers looking for something fresh to latch onto. Having said that, though, there are quite a few similar traits in this Oliver Queen to not alienate a longtime fan such as myself with a character I can no longer feel a connection to.

This first arc introduces us to a young, confident Oliver Queen who has inherited Queen Industries from his father. But instead of having a young heir run what is likely a multi-billion dollar conglomerate of companies, Oliver heads the trendy gadget division Q-Core, which produces Q-phones and Q-pads and other high-tech toys for those who can afford them. Q-Core also secretly produces the special arrows and other devices Oliver uses in his covert work as a superhero, and a small team of creative types at Q-Core help the young adventurer create his arsenal of weapons and coordinate his costumed activities.

It makes sense that if GA really existed, he wouldn't be as effective operating completely alone, without the help of a team of support folks. And it is also more realistic that he would have a board of directors and numerous division heads over the various aspects of a real company such as Queen Industries.

Continuing that reality-based theme, this first arc pits GA against a gang of young, super powered villains who don't commit crimes so much for the monetary gain as for the celebrity they receive filming themselves committing crimes and terrorizing people, then posting those videos online. These individuals thrive on the ego-boost they receive from hits and views online.

I hear this is one of the books slated for some creative personnel changes in the near future. I hope I continue to like this book, because so far, for this fan, this one has not disappointed.

Iron Man: Demon in a Bottle

This little gem was re-released in 2008 as Marvel Premiere Classic Hardcover Vol. 9.

It collects Iron Man Nos. 120-128, written by David Michelinie and Bob Layton, illustrated by John Romita Jr. and Carmine Infantino and inked by Bob Layton. And it was previously collected in trade paperback form under the title The Power of Iron Man, which was my first exposure to the stories.

These comics, to my mind at least, are Marvel Comics' version of the socially-relevant comics trend most often attributed as starting with DC Comics' Green Lantern/Green Arrow run by Denny O'Neal and Neal Adams. Those DC books had lefty Green Arrow and right-wing Green Lantern butt heads over social issues such as over-population, race relations, class warfare and drug abuse. They are credited with bringing a social conscience to comic-book stories. In Marvel's Iron Man case, the topic was alcoholism, and the writers used the star of the book to tackle the problem head-on in his own life.

But no simple preaching is found in the pages reprinted in this volume. Rather, this is good, compelling story-telling at its finest. Tony Stark (Iron Man to the uninitiated) had been dealing with a number of conflicts in previous issues leading up to No. 120 beyond the usual superhero slugfests. As these stories begin, those problems continue to get worse and grow in number, prompting Stark to turn increasingly to the bottle rather than his friends or his armored alter ego. As one might expect, rather than helping, the alcohol merely adds to Stark's problems. In that regard, there aren't many surprises in this story.

What is unexpected is how the alcoholism is dealt with by these creators. The problem isn't resolved in a matter of panels or even a few pages. Instead, they take the "hero" of the book lower than might have been expected, then allow several issues' worth of time for even the beginnings of a resolution to take shape. In this way, Michelinie and Layton make Stark's problems seem all the more real, and his eventual victory, never in doubt as this is a monthly superhero title, more powerful for its portrayal.

I had never been much of an Iron Man fan prior to reading The Power of Iron Man, and only picked up the book on a whim. This story gave me an appreciation for the character under these creators' care and has been read and re-read to the point that the original trade has almost been worn out. With that in mind, I recently purchased the new hardcover edition and re-read this story for the first time in maybe 10 years. It was well worth the price, and the writing and artwork are still spectacular! I have no hesitation whatsoever about recommending this book for anyone to whom it might be a new read or a refresher on a true comics classic.

Guest-Starring The Batman

I’m both excited about the upcoming return of The Brave and the Bold, and more than a couple of today’s comics, while not strictly Bat-books, do, in fact, guest-star a certain Dark Knight Detective. What can I say? Sometimes a theme just comes to you; other times, you have to make one up as you go along.

Tales of the Unexpected 4 (DC Comics) — Former Gotham City police det. Crispus Allen, now joined with the spirit of vengeance as the Spectre, has been keeping pretty close to his old stomping grounds. So, it’s only surprising that it has taken Batman this long to show up. And he’s none to happy about the Spectre claiming lives in his town. The lead story in this book just keeps holding my interest as a well-written, down-right creepy detective story. The Dr. 13 backup — the less said, the better.

Green Arrow 70 (DC Comics) — The Red Hood has traveled to Star City for an arms deal with the Brick. Batman has followed him. So we have GA and Bats against Brick and a former Robin. Two issues in and this story is still in the opening acts, but next issue promises to be a little more action-oriented. And writer Judd Winick is doing some nice characterization in this story.

Justice Society of America 2 (DC Comics) — I love this book right now. The sense of history. The feeling of family and legacy. I wish they would tone down Damage’s attitude just a bit as he seems a bit more angry than I remember him from previous appearances in the DCU. And, at least so far, Starman is just too crazy to safely keep around young heroes in training, in my opinion. But otherwise, this book, with just the right mix of new characters and ones picked up from other books in continuity, is a great read.

Outsiders 44 (DC Comics) — OK, no Batman in the last book. None here, either. But not just one, but two former Robins. This issue of Outsiders begins explaining where the Outsiders were during 52, and how they went from a divided super-team to everyone believing they were dead. Obviously Nightwing is part of the group, although at the beginning of the flashback, he’d be with Batman somewhere, and the Red Hood is to figure prominently in the story. I’m curious to see where this one goes.

Squadron Supreme: Hyperion vs. Nighthawk 1 (Marvel Comics) — OK, not really Batman in this one, either, but Nighthawk is obviously an “elseworlds” version of Bats. This limited series pits the two heroes against each other as expected, but uses the real-world events in the Sudan as a backdrop.

52 Weeks 37 and 38 (DC Comics) — The bulk of the first issue is taken up by the explanations about Supernova — who, how and why. Rip Hunter, Booster Gold and Skeets all figure into that mix. Plus, a quick check-in with the space heroes reveals that Animal Man is, in fact, not dead, but still in trouble. Next comes the unveiling of the monstrosities the mad scientists have been concocting and more on Montoya’s efforts to get the Question to Nanda Parbat before he dies.

Green Lantern 16 (DC Comics) — We really are back to Batman guest-starring this time as the entire Justice League descends on Russia to assist Hal. Doesn’t mean things are going well for the ring-slinger, though. In fact, the son of the late Abin Sur, the “villain” of this story, is quite happy at the end of this issue. On a personal continuity note: the League members depicted in this issue are not generic Leaguers, but rather the exact members from the new book. So obviously, this GL tale must “take place” after the new team is officially formed.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 48 (DC Comics) — The new Aquaman, King Shark and the Dweller in the Depths are on the “road” seeking injustices for Arthur to right when they run afoul of the Fisherman gone just a tad freaky. Y’know that goofy-looking hood he always wears? It ain’t just a hood!

Birds of Prey 102 (DC Comics) — I’m really wondering what Manhunter’s secret agenda is here. The other agents coped quite nicely without Oracle’s help. And all I can say about Lois Lane is — classy. I really think she enjoyed baiting Barbara just a little bit, but I should’ve known she’d never betray a friend.

Checkmate 10 (DC Comics) — Pawn 502 gets lucky, or does he? This story arc concludes and I have to say: This is what this comic should be about. The heroes of Shadowpact were involved in this story line. That’s OK. Checkmate operates in a world filled with superheroes and supervillains; that fact should be acknowledged. But by and large, this should be a spy series. This story was. Kudos.

Fables 57 (DC Vertigo) — Snow and Bigby take the cubs to visit their grandfather, the North Wind, and the children promptly get into trouble — very dangerous trouble. Plus, a peek in on Pinnochio and Gepetto reveals a rather nasty temper on the part of the Adversary. Have I mentioned that I like this book? A lot.

That’s all we have for today, Kiddie Cops, because that closes out the comics I have until the next box arrives in a week or two. That means I’m caught up, which means next time we’ll have some more retro-reviews from 1987. However, that may or may not be next Tuesday as I will be out of town for a few days. See ya next time.

Welcoming A New All-Ages Comic

Most comics really aren’t written for kids anymore. As the average age of comics readers has gone up, stories have gained in sophistication and use of continuity. It’s gotten to the point where the big two comics publishers have created specific all-ages lines in recent years, catering to a younger audience.

All-ages comics are a necessary idea. Most current readers didn’t become readers as adults; they began reading as youngsters and either continued the habit or went back to it after “growing out of” it at some point. The way to keep interest in comics growing is to attract new readers, preferably younger ones who will be around for a while.

Enter the Guardian Line of comics which debuted in December. I have not yet received the first issue of The Seekers or Genesis 5, but two other titles have definitely debuted. Code seems to be a little darker in tone, certainly more cryptic in its first issue, and thus might appeal to a slightly older audience, but Joe and Max is a quintessential all-ages comic.

All of the Guardian comics have a basis in Judeo-Christian beliefs, but at least in the first issue of these two books, there is little that would specify denomination or exclude other mono-theistic religions. A belief in God, the battle between good and evil and the concept of angels is all that is required. I highly recommend both Joe and Max and Code, and look forward to reading The Seekers and Genesis 5.

Joe and Max 1 (Guardian Line) — Max is an angel charged with protecting elementary schooler Joe so that Joe will be able to grow up and defeat the evil Steven Dark. Only Joe can see Max, and after their initial introduction, Max can only speak in biblical quotes. This first issue sets all of that up by having Dark confront Joe one day after school with a vision and an offer. Dark shows Joe the future where an adult Joe brings an end to Dark’s evil, then vows to kill the boy if he does not renounce God and agree to work with Dark. Max shows up to save Joe after the boy refuses to renounce God and this pair is off and running for some exciting adventures.

Code 1 (Guardian Line) — Code is a mysterious man without a past. All he knows when he wakes up in the morning is that he is a soldier of God with a mission to fulfill. As he begins his day, he meets other denizens of New Hope City who say he has been around for six weeks. He also knows that a man named Steven Dark is evil and must be defeated. That’s when the demons start coming after him. None of the demons are killed, but they are dispatched by Code using a variety of fighting techniques. That is, until the final scene when three specific agents of Dark gain the upper hand and threaten to behead Code.

Justice Society of America 1 (DC Comics) — Wow! This book’s relaunch is everything Brad Meltzer’s Justice League is not. It’s a coherent story that builds on the past while justifying the new first issue by providing a new beginning for the team. There are several cameos and great little character moments without the story seeming disjointed and confusing.

Martian Manhunter 5 (DC Comics) — Why do friends/teammates never trust each other when one of them is featured in a miniseries? In this issue, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Black Canary, Vixen and Zatanna confront J’Onn about his recent actions. I give writer A.J. Lieberman some credit in that he has the heroes start out talking instead of just swinging fists, but the conversation all too quickly degenerates, nonetheless.

Green Arrow 69 (DC Comics) — Batman visits Star City follwoing the trail of the Red Hood. Too soon to comment on this arc, although there were some nice character bits included in this first chapter.

JSA Classified 20 (DC Comics) — Scott Beatty, Rags Morales and Michael Bair turn in a grissly finale to their two-part Dr. Mid-Nite/Ultra-Humanite storyline.

Short entry today, its true; but at least the last entry wasn’t weeks ago, right?

See ya next time, Kiddie Cops.

Redefining Heroes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OK, moving on ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And those are the retro-reviews for today.

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.

Give It A Try (Reprise)

I’ve already given my thoughts on trying new things — and not all that long ago — so I won’t rehash the entire thing again. Suffice to say, I think it’s good to try new stuff from time to time. You find some duds along the way, but the gems you uncover make the hobby worth it.

My latest “trial” yielded some quality moments in a rather odd-looking trade paperback, the collection of an initial four-issue series which is very soon to be followed up with another limited series. Based on this trade, the new series is going on my “pull list.”

The Perhapanauts: First Blood tpb (Dark Horse Comics) — Writer Todd Dezago and artists Craig Rousseau and Rico Renzi brought about this somewhat disjointed tale about a group of paranormal investigators working for the Bureau of Extra-Dimensional Liabilities and Management (BEDLAM). The organization tracks down unexplained phenomena, figures out why they/it/whatever is/are here and sends them/it/whatever back. There are two teams, red and blue, but our focus is primarily the five-member blue team which consists of a psychic, a mystery guy, a ghost, a mentally-enhanced sasquatch and a comic-relief Chupacabra. The characters are immediately likable, and they seem to be an accomplished, if slightly less than perfect, team. The story combines humor, drama, mystery and suspense in just the right measures to keep the reader entertained and wanting more.

The story begins with blue team taking on a chimera, then an aswang, along the way providing glimpses of the members of red team and the history of BEDLAM. As I said, the story is a tad disjointed at times, at least in the trade. Maybe the individual issues were presented somewhat differently. And the story presented in the trade really doesn’t end. But it is good enough — and fun enough — a story to make me anxious for the next limited series and willing to seek out more of this team.

Outsiders 40 (DC Comics) — Not a bad issue, but I’m still puzzling over why and how the team went “underground,” and especially how the Nightwing in this book fits in with his actions in his own title. Winick needs to delve into that territory soon as, from what I hear, this title is beginning to lose its readers. Most of the team was captured last issue by Mallah and the Brain. In this issue, Katana and a “piece” of Metamorpho help free them by setting loose a bad clone of Superman — bad as in poorly done, not evil, but then calling him good or evil is ascribing too much brain power to this behemoth. In the end, the Outsiders learn that Mallah and Brain are in cahoots with Dr. Sivanna.

Boneyard 22 (NBM) — The latest story line for this black & white Richard Moore comic involves a gathering of all the various nether-creatures on earth. Representing the graveyard, Abbey and Michael arrive in the hopes of staying on the good side of their host, the Illuminary. First they find Nessie and Ralph in attendance after Abbey specifically told them to stay home. Next they spy a couple more less-than-welcome guests, one of whom manages to spike the normally reserved Abbey’s drink causing her to act quite drunken and embarrassingly. Things do not look good. Oh, and back home at the cemetery, Glump has unleashed yet another death machine now out of his control — but what else is new. This is just a fun comic. If you aren’t reading it, you should be.

Justice League Unlimited 25 (DC Comics) — Another fine issue, this time focusing on Blue Devil.

52 Weeks 19-21 (DC Comics) — The first issue here raises the ideas of a new Booster Gold and Supernova being Superboy. And Lobo’s found religion?!? Then we see Steel acting the part of the hero once again in the next issue; that’s a welcome relief from his whining in previous appearances. That scene also leads to the beginnings of Steel uncovering Luthor’s agenda behind the Everyman Project. Supernova is seen rummaging through the Batcave, and the space stars are on the run again. The third issue here reveals more of Luthor’s hidden control over, as well as the death of, one of the Everyman heroes. The issue focuses mostly on those Everyman heroes, now called the new Infinity Inc. and a run-in with the current Titans roster, just before most of them quit. This title is just good stuff.

Martian Manhunter 2 (DC Comics) — J’Onn raids the secret government base from which the dead Martian escaped only to find several more captives being held and tortured. Many of the base’s personnel escape while J’Onn helps at least four refugees to freedom. I go back and forth on this series, but I am curious, so I’ll hang around a bit longer.

Captain America 21 (Marvel Comics) — This is the conclusion to the Twenty-First Century Blitz story line, and, in a way, a bit of a resolution to the entire series, so far. Cap and Bucky are reunited, albeit briefly; the stage is set for Bucky to “come in from the cold;” the Red Skull is “back;” and the other villain of the last few arcs, Lukin, has been cleared of suspicions. Ed Brubaker has been weaving some fantastic stories in this title, and Steve Epting’s art is gorgeous.

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis 44 (DC Comics) — Our band of heroes moves in to rescue the captive Atlanteans and learns that the ultimate villain behind their enslavement is Ocean Master. I don’t dislike the new Aquaman, although I have several burning questions about his origin and ties to the original, but I still long to have the “real” Aquaman back. This issue’s confrontation between Ocean Master and young Arthur seems to have set the stage for old Arthur to regain his memory and lose the Dweller in the Depths moniker. I hope that’s the case.

Fables 53 (DC Vertigo) — Sons of Empire part 2 shows us the Adversary’s war council and reveals the plans the Snow Queen ultimately has for the mundy world — our world. They are truly chilling. This is another great title everyone should be reading.

Green Arrow 66 (DC Comics) — This issue begins to fill in the missing year and the new training Oliver and his companions went through. I’m interested in seeing this story, but from every indication, Winick isn’t going to answer all the questions I really have. His One Year Later story line has made it clear that Oliver, Conner and Mia went away to retrain and better themselves in much the way that Batman, Nightwing and Robin did. Winick’s story so far makes it obvious that part of that early time also involved Green Arrow healing from the life-threatening wounds he received just before OYL began. It doesn’t explain his healthy appearance in the final issues of Infinite Crisis unless the destruction of Star City came later, and also doesn’t address his appearance alongside other heroes at the attempted resurrection of Superboy in the pages of 52. He seemed pretty healthy then, too. What gives?

Superman 656 (DC Comics) — I like the methodology of Superman in this issue by Kurt Busiek. He has seen so many threats, it is unfortunately natural that he would begin to see a monstrous appearance as the only important indicators of a rampaging beast. Solution: stop it first and ask questions later. Then, once the Man of Steel learns that his adversary can reason and think, he immediately tries to reason. That makes sense to me. Superman is not without compassion, but he’s seen so many threats, he jumped the gun. Unfortunately, the damage has been done, and there is no reasoning with his sparring partner by the time Superman realizes that might have worked. In fact, the only thing I don’t like about this story line is the inclusion of Arion. I admit, I don’t know much about the character and have never followed his adventures before. But man, he’s a sanctimonious jackass in this tale.

Birds of Prey 98 (DC Comics) — OK, I admit it. I thought the new Batgirl was gonna be Barbara, just like Black Canary did. OK, obviously that was wrong, but she obviously does know Canary and Huntress, but I don’t know her. We’ve seen her face now, but who is she? Should we know at this point? I’m still confused. But at least I’m regaining my interest in this title again.

Checkmate 6 (DC Comics) — The Suicide Squad is back. The Society is obviously not happy about it. What I don’t understand is, are they back at Waller’s behest, in spite of Waller, some combination of both I haven’t worked out yet? But, whatever the motivations and who knows what, I am betting I’m supposed to be confused at this point, because that seems to be the style for this book.

Civil War 4 (Marvel Comics) — OK, as everyone probably already knows, Thor is NOT really back, but Reed and Tony cloned him. And the clone messed up in battle, killing Goliath. Some of Cap’s rebels are seeing this as a reason to get out before they are killed. Some of Iron Man’s troops are questioning how far they are willing to support him. Again, I like this series, and I don’t see how the Marvel Universe can be the same afterwards unless they Wanda (I doubt I coined a new term here; somebody’s used that before, right?) this whole thing away at the end. Too many heroes are acting unheroic right now.

Donald Duck and Friends 344 (Gemstone) — Curiously, the “and Friends” is gone from the title on the cover this issue, but it still appears in the Reader Services box, so I guess they aren’t changing the name. This issue features a new version of the Carl Barks classic Pawns of the Loup Garou.” Donald and a werewolf. How can you go wrong?

And I think we’ll call it an entry for today.