One To Beam Aboard

Star Trek Ongoing 1-3
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Stephen Molnar, artist

IDW has produced some great Star Trek comics since obtaining the license several years ago. This comic, set in the rebooted film universe, looks to be another fine addition to their catalog of Trek.

The first two issues of the series revisit events from the classic original series episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before," and the third issue begins a two-part re-examining of the events from the episode "The Galileo Seven." That doesn't mean these tales are simple re-tellings of events already played out. Keeping consistent with the premise of the J.J. Abrams movie from 2009, these tales incorporate some subtle and some not-so-subtle changes to what fans recall. And the art has just the right level of modeling the new actors' features one would expect from a property based on live-action television or film.

Of course, it would be nice to see these creators stretch and produce some completely original tales with these characters traveling a slightly different path than expected, but these initial three issues are a delight for long-time fans who can quote chapter and verse of what has gone before, and seem quite accessible and entertaining for someone new to the franchise.

Hitting The Ground Running

Nightwing 1-4
DC Comics
Kyle Higgins, writer
Eddy Barrows, artist

I'd been actually dreading this title quite a bit. I'd heard bad things about Green Arrow and had really low expectations going in, which likely helped me see the positives of that title. Aquaman, another favorite hero of mine, has gotten nothing but good press so far. So I'm anxious to read it and not nervous at all. Nightwing though, I haven't heard much about. I've always liked Dick Grayson, so I had high hopes for this book. But I don't care for the redesigned costume. I can live with it, but I prefer the previous version. I was afraid the same might be true of the story.

Well, the first story arc isn't quite over yet, but this is still MY Dick Grayson. I can see this character as being a slightly altered version of the one I've been reading for years, which is what I want from the New 52 when I already liked the character to begin with. Please, sir, just give me more of the same.

This has acrobatics, Haly's circus, a cameo by Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon, some sleuthing, some levity.
Kudos to the creative team of this series. Please, keep up the good work.

Two For the Price of One, But Both Disappointing

Catwoman 1-4
DC Comics
Judd Winick, writer
Guillem March, artist

Not much to say about this title. There have been some really good runs on Catwoman in recent years making her a solid headlining character in her own right and not just a Batman rogue. This series seems kind of like a step backward. I've liked Winick's writing on past titles, but he's rather disappointing here. There just doesn't seem to be much new territory here, and if all the title is going to do is rehash existing material, the first time around was often better.



Red Hood and the Outlaws 1-3
DC Comics
Scott Lobdell, writer
Kenneth Rocafort, artist

Another disappointing title. This one didn't even stay on my pull list for the fourth issue. I initially ordered the book for its ties to former Titans characters, but apparently only the names were being used. These two aren't the Arsenal and Starfire I know. I'd rather keep my untarnished memories of the past exploits of characters I enjoyed than try to find some semblance of those characters in these travesties.

All-Ages Honest-To-Goodness FUN!

Super Dinosaur 1-6, Origin Issue
Image Comics
Robert Kirkman, writer
Jason Howard, artist

This creative team was responsible for the 25-issue Astonishing Wolf-Man series which I very much enjoyed. They followed that title up with this one. The book follows the adventures of Derek Dynamo, a pretty brilliant young boy, his super-scientist dad, and his genetically altered tyrannosaurus Rex best friend. The T-Rex wears battle armor to enhance his natural, dino-fighting skills. There are other enhanced dinos, but they're some of the bad guys. So this series is all about fighting dinosaurs in battle armor. This is a truly fun book! Do you really need to know more?

He's the MONSTER; Frankenstein is the DOCTOR!

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. 1-4
DC Comics
Jeff Lemire, writer
Alberto P, artist

I don't like to ever call someone else's art bad. Even if I don't care for it, someone else may see merit and appreciate it, and even if no one does, odds are, the artist in question has done a much better job than I could've done. That said, this art is not for me. Especially when it is placed behind those gorgeous J.G. Jones covers this series features; that's what I would like the interiors of this book to look like.

I'm curious if this is a completely original take on the Frankenstein's monster character or if this version is based on the re-imagining of the character from Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers series. If the latter is true, I'm even more curious about finally checking out that series. So how about it, anyone out there who can give me an answer on this question?

Anyway, back to this title, I've always liked the concept of the Creature Commandos, and I liked the ideas used in the Flashpoint title which preceded this relaunch, Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown. I like some of the basic concepts presented here by writer Jeff Lemire and really want to follow this title. But that art is just ruining this book for me. I've been trying to make some cuts of late, and this title didn't survive the cut despite my wanting to enjoy it. Chalk it up to the art, at least in the case of this cut.

Great Setup; Uneven Follow-Through

Supreme Power (2011) 1-4
Marvel Max
Kyle Higgins, writer
Manuel Garcia, artist

The biggest problem with this limited series is its ending.

I first came to the concept of the Squadron Supreme with the 1985 12-part series from Marvel. The characters pre-date that limited series as occasional secondary characters in The Avengers and several other Marvel titles. Each of the various heroes on the team is a direct analogue of a member of the Justice League. A few years ago, the concept was rebooted as Supreme Power. The series ran for 18 issues, and then has had several follow-up limited series.

That initial reimagining by Gary Frank was very good, but some of the later series seemed to wander away from the core concepts a little too far. This series, focusing on Joe Ledger and Hyperion, returns the series to that core concept and is a very good read because of that fact and a marvelous story from Higgins. In fact, the only shortcoming of the series, as mentioned above, is the ending, or rather, the lack thereof. Obviously, this series is intended to lead right into another one, one which hasn't yet materialized almost two years later. That is a little disappointing.

Return of the Bat ... girl

Batgirl 1-4
DC Comics
Gail Simone, writer
Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes, artists

I've always liked the Barbara Gordon Batgirl, and I sincerely hope her book succeeds. Simone is a terrific writer who handled the character superbly as the brains behind the Birds of Prey team, and now that Barbara has been restored to her unassisted mobility, Simone is going gangbusters. Little detail has so far been given for how Barbara was healed and left her wheelchair behind, but the wheelchair history is not ignored, either.

Batgirl is again on the rooftops of Gotham City, enjoying the night, when she thwarts the plans of some thrill-seeking serial killers. While terrorizing a family, the killers freely admit they are breaking into homes, torturing and killing people, all for kicks. Batgirl interrupts the quartet's "fun," sending one of the thugs to the hospital. It is here that Batgirl first confronts the main villain of her debut DCnU adventure, a mysterious masked figure calling himself Mirror. His m.o. is to kill those who have cheated death somehow after first showing them their "true" face. Both the face of his mask and the inside of his dark cape seem to be constructed by shattered mirror fragments, reflecting back at his intended victims cracked visions of reality.

Between confrontations with Mirror and trying to track down his identity and motivations, Barbara sets herself up in a new apartment with a new roommate and a new post-Birds life that promises to be an interesting journey. And the art in this book is top notch. No complaints on that score this time out.

Batgirl is a keeper!

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.

Ewwwwwww ...

Animal Man 1-4
DC Comics
Jeff Lemire, writer
Travel Foreman, artist

Not quite sure what to make of this book.

I initially became aware of the Buddy Baker Animal Man character with Grant Morrison's re-imagining of the title as a Vertigo comic before Vertigo even existed. I liked the first five issues, and then dropped the title for some reason I can no longer recall, likely money and/or too many other titles I liked better. I later purchased the entire Morrison run on the title through the three trades DC collected them in. Not sure I was ready for the title when the individual issues came out, but I liked it enough to keep an eye out for the remainder of the series as it went through several subsequent writers. I have since purchased all of the issues of the Vertigo Animal Man after Morrison's run, but have not yet had/taken time to read them.

I next got a taste of Animal Man in the pages of 52, which returned him to a more super-hero style, in my mind, but I like that Animal Man. He wants to be a hero and has super powers, but he's also a family man and the superheroing is kind of like a part-time hobby for him. It's an interesting and not too common dynamic for a superhero title.

Then with the announcement of the DCnU, I learned that Animal Man would be one of the new titles DC was starting out with. I was excited by the idea of a monthly Animal Man book, while also trepidacious about all the talk of it being a horror title by a writer known for horror.

Buddy still has his wife and two kids, and he's a former stunt man who developed the ability to draw on the strengths of various animals. He's a part-time hero/adventurer and a full-time family man. But that family life is threatened when his young daughter, Maxine, begins displaying some abilities of her own. Dead animals seem to be re-animating and being drawn to her. They share with her, and she tries to tell her father, about the dangers of something called The Rot about the same time three monsters, agents of The Rot, show up to try to destroy her. It seems Maxine is a defender of The Red — kind of a carnivore's equivalent to The Green for plants in Swamp Thing — and The Rot wants to corrupt her to its own ends. All of this is new to Animal Man, and he must defend his daughter from these opposing forces.

Well, now that I've read the first four issues, I'm not sure I would exactly call this horror, but it isn't exactly my taste either. This title also seems like it will be heavily interacting and crossing over with Swamp Thing and a few other similarly themed books I don't have much interest in buying. Not sure this is my style of book plus it will tie in with several other books I'm not reading equals this is looking like a book for me to drop.

And, unless this is a completely original take on Lemire's part, it is making me think I might not like some of those later issues of that earlier Animal Man run I have yet to read.

Back To Basics, And It Feels So Wrong

Justice League International 1-4
DC Comics
Dan Jurgens, writer
Aaron Lopestri and Matt Ryan, artists

I wanted to like this book. It features Booster Gold prominently as team leader and is written by the man who created the character and later helped bring Booster to, in my opinion at least, true greatness following the events of 52 and Geoff Johns' efforts to reshape him into the time-policing "greatest hero you've never heard of." And maybe, given time, Jurgens will bring that feel of competence and confidence back to Booster. But it isn't there yet.

Yeah, the whole point of the DCnU is to restart these heroes' careers, but Booster really feels like he's coming out a loser from this reboot. And while the characters might not remember what has gone before, I read and liked the stories which preceded the DCnU relaunch and feel shortchanged on their behalf.

This title follows the efforts of the United Nations to create an international super-powered group of heroes they control. You know, because the Justice League has only been around for five years according to the set-up and has saved the world how many times in that history, so they have no allegiance to any nation and can't be trusted. Anyway, weak rationale aside, they pick a known pitch man, Booster, to lead the team because he ought to be controllable, right? Then they fill out the team with Ice from Norway, Vixen from Zambesi, Fire from Brazil, Rocket Red from Russia, August General in Iron from China and Godiva from Great Britain. They also select Guy Gardner to include a powerhouse Green Lantern on the team, but Guy balks at first, especially if he has to take orders from Booster. Oh, and they decide they don't want Batman involved, but the Dark Knight, as always, has his own plans. Not a bad roster of characters, many of whom have been on this team during past timelines, so there's a nod to tradition.

The team's first mission does not go well, however, and it takes first Batman's uncharacteristic encouragement to Booster, and then August General's additional support to hold the various heroes together. They are not yet a cohesive team by the end of the fourth issue, but then, neither is the story arc over yet, so there's time.

As I said, I wanted to like this book. And really, it's not bad. It is, in fact, an entertaining read. But in trying to winnow down my pull list and re-assess my current collecting, I'm afraid this title isn't quite good enough to stay. These days, I'm not just looking for good; I'm looking for great. Sadly, this book is falling short of that so far.

Update: After I read these first four issues but before this post was published, it has been announced that JLI is being canceled following its 12th issue. Guess I wasn't the only one who found this title somewhat lacking.

Everything Old Is New Again

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

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

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

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

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

It's A Team Book, Dammit

Justice League 1-4
DC Comics
Geoff Johns, writer
Jim Lee, artist

I've heard a lot of people complain that for a writer known for his character work, Geoff Johns has dropped the ball with this title because it lacks any real characterization, instead opting for little more than slam-bam fights and too-cutesy quips. The criticism is usually joined with the charge that this book, above all others as the flagship title of The New 52! relaunch, deserves better.

After finally having a chance to read some of the DCnU debut titles, I say that Johns DOES add character moments in this title, albeit small ones, and that because this is the BIG team book leading off the relaunch effort, it must be mostly big and splashy or fans would decry the effort as lackluster.

Those of you who've been to this blog before know I tend to be somewhat behind in my comics reading. Life intrudes and quiet moments to sit and read are often precious and few, especially with a new baby in the house. So now that I've finally reached the beginnings of the relaunched titles from DC, I opted to read the first four issues of the titles I bought to get a real feel for the books before commenting. I'm so behind much of the time anyway, maybe I should just trade-wait most of my comic purchases, and do on some titles, but haven't made that switch completely.

Anyway, back to Justice League. This book in particular benefits from reading four issues at once, or even the entire arc. I have no defense for anyone wishing to complain about this book being a little slow in monthly form. This truly is an arc that would be better as a trade so the reader doesn't lose momentum between issues. Because momentum is what a book featuring this many big guns is all about. Early on in their careers, these heroes all give new meaning to the term big guns. Each of these heroes is new to superheroing, and even newer to working with others. I can handle the excess bravado and one-upmanship amply on display here because of that lack of experience. Those attitudes should not continue once this book leaves behind the League's origin and moves to more contemporary stories where the heroes are seasoned by five years of working together.

Also, let's face it: Most of these characters -- all of them, in fact, except Cyborg -- star in at least one title of their own. Those books, most written by other creators, are where the early character development will happen for Aquaman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Superman and Wonder Woman. Those other creators would resent Johns stealing their individual character-defining moments for his group book.

This is a fun superhero romp, and I'm enjoying the ride. If you are wanting deeper characterization, seek out these heroes' individual titles. This book is all about the larger dynamic.

Let's Just Keep Them A Secret

Secret Avengers 16-20
Marvel Comics
Warren Ellis, writer
various, artist

I liked the first couple story arcs of this covert Avengers team operating under the guiding hand of a costumeless Steve Rogers. The book had several characters I like teamed for specific missions alongside series regulars Rogers, the Black Widow and Beast. They were fun team-book stories under the authorship of Ed Brubaker. Between Brubaker's tenure and the announced new writer, Rick Remender, taking charge, this title featured several done-in-one tales penned by Warren Ellis. I like the done-in-one concept, something all too often missing from today's comics, and there's no denying that Ellis is a fantastic writer. These five issues are imaginative, filled with both action and character moments, and the artwork provided by each creator matches the tone of the respective story nicely. And yet, these five issues left me feeling ... meh. The characterization for Steve Rogers seemed sometimes a bit too harsh. Cap is a soldier and has no problem giving orders, but he seemed a little on the cold and distant side, almost mean-spirited, in some segments where he is interacting with other members of his team. That is NOT Steve Rogers, at least not for me. That's a deal-breaker on this series for me.

Pulling It All Together

Zorro Rides Again 1-6
Dynamite Entertainment
Matt Wagner, writer
Esteve Polls, artist

I've always liked Zorro, so picking up Dynamite's first Zorro series penned by Matt Wagner was a no-brainer. That series lasted for 20 issues and served to re-tell the origins of the character in details that, if not completely original, were certainly new to me. Diego de la Vega received much of his training at the hands of a secret society of masked vigilantes in Spain. His adopting the identity of el Zorro, the fox, is in keeping with the traditions of this secret society, as all of the adventurers in the society have similar names and spirit animals.

After a marvelous 20-issue run, Wagner took a short break, but promised to return to the series. In the interim, Dynamite published a pair of limited series centered on the character. First was a four-issue tale by Don MacGregor, no stranger to Zorro tales. The second served to link the legends of Zorro and the Lone Ranger.

Now Wagner has returned for Zorro Rides Again, which has been billed as only a 12-issue run. These first six issues make it clear that Zorro has had many adventures since the origin tale Wagner first told and that this may well prove to be the hero of California's final outing. Already in just the first six issues, several characters long-associated with the legend of Zorro have either met a final fate or been changed in quite drastic ways. In the hands of a lesser writer, that might make this seem like less a Zorro tale than one featuring some other hero masquerading as the true Zorro. But in Wagner's hands, the story unfolds in a manner that seems quite natural for the characters, and gives the events a weight that makes the reader feel for these characters as though they were flesh and blood individuals.

The artwork in these issues is also top-notch. Polls brings a fluidity to the characters' movements that evokes the swordplay they are known for, and his California countryside backgrounds look spectacular. Adding to the feel of the artwork is the wonderful use of colors, so thanks and praise must also be extended to colorist Oscar Manuel Martin.

Everything(in this miniseries)'s Archie

Criminal: The Last of the Innocent 1-4
Marvel Icon
Ed Brubaker, writer
Sean Phillips, artist
***mature content warning***

This is another series I picked up based on the strength of previous work by these same creators, and once again, I was not disappointed. I've enjoyed Brubaker's and Phillips's Criminal titles and hope they return to that world before long. As with previous outings from this series, the pair showcase a world in which few of the characters are "good" people, but I still find myself empathizing with the characters and rooting for them to triumph despite the often long odds against them. The particular twist in this four-issue story arc is that while the names of the characters are not at all familiar, it is not much of a stretch to see them living out very nearly the same lives in a little town called Riverdale.

Brubaker tells the story both in the present and with flashbacks to the characters' childhood days. To further the mental connection with another gang of high school characters, Phillips uses his usual gritty, realistic style for the contemporary sequences and a style similar to that found in Archie Comics for the flashback scenes. Kudos to this team as they knock another one out of the park.

Check back Tuesday for another review!

What Is Up With That Chick's Eyes?

Rachel Rising 1-4
Abstract Studio
Terry Moore, writer and artist

The publicized premise of this black-and-white comic is that the title character mysteriously cannot die. The series opens with Rachel discovering that fact along with the readers as she has to dig herself out of a shallow grave. Upon doing so and making her way home from the woods where she was left, Rachel learns that she has been missing for three days. The young woman shows physical signs of having been strangled but doesn't recall that happening or who might have been responsible.

As if that weren't bad enough, some of her friends don't even seem to recognize Rachel. And those who do aren't much help trying to help her remember the circumstances from her missing three days.

But Rachel's problems aren't the only odd occurrences readers of this series are privy to. A mysterious blonde woman stood watching from a hillside as Rachel freed herself from the shallow grave in which she'd been buried. This same woman has just as mysteriously appeared to other residents of the town in which Rachel lives (lived?) and has compelled or goaded them into doing horrible things, sometimes without uttering a single word.

Moore is a wonderful writer, and I have enjoyed his previous series, Strangers in Paradise and Echo. I gave this series a try based on his talent displayed in those previous works. It can sometimes be hard to scare a reader with a book which can simply be put down and walked away from. But Moore has crafted a genuinely intriguing and downright creepy first few issues of this series, and I look forward to more of the same.

As a side note: I'm going to add another post on Friday and see how things go twice a week. Not saying the change will be permanent at this point, but definitely for a few weeks, I'm going to give it a try and see how it goes. So come back next Tuesday, as usual, but also look for an extra review on Friday, Kiddie Cops!

Update: Just realized you really can't see Rachel's eyes in the image above, so anyone unfamiliar with the series might not get the post header. Take my word for it that Moore draws Rachel's eyes in this series in a downright creepy way.

These Heroes Are Lost In More Ways Than One

Project: Superpowers
Dynamite Entertainment

I really enjoyed the initial volume of this title from Dynamite Entertainment. While he wasn't handling all the art chores, who doesn't like a little Alex Ross eye-candy in the form of covers and character sketches? But I find that I am typically more a story person, and Project: Superpowers Volume 1 was an interesting idea presented very well.

The concept of the series is to take any and all golden-age comic characters who have since disappeared from the publishing world and not only bring them back, but make an in-story reason for their many decades' absence. In Volume 1 of this title, readers learn that many of these colorful heroes and heroines were trapped in a magical urn,  the mythical Pandora's Box, in the 1940s. There's the story of the man responsible for their entrapment, not necessarily the evil villain one might suspect. There is the way the world has changed after having an abundance of super-powered humans show up and then just as mysteriously vanish. And when the entrapment is ended in modern times, the heroes must not only deal with being people in a time and world unfamiliar to them, they must also deal with how they themselves have been changed by their time away. Volume 1 made for a great read.

Then after a break, Volume 2 came out and the series seemed to lose some of its focus and direction. The story from Volume 1 was being continued, but also several of the characters were broken off into solo series with varying degrees of success. The overall narrative seemed to suffer under the weight of its own scope along with trying to incorporate events from the various other series. More and more characters were spotlighted and given a chance to shine, but there were so many, few of them really seemed to reach any kind of potential.

It's been about a year since any new books in this line were published or solicited, so I can only guess that I'm not the only reader who felt the series began to suffer in its second year. That doesn't mean there aren't any gems among the various titles and issues of Project: Superpowers Chapter Two. And, as I've already said, I found the first volume to be an excellent tale both told and illustrated well.

Check them out and see what you think or feel free to chime in with your thoughts if you've already read either series. And check back next Tuesday for more.

You CAN Go Home Again ... But Should You?

Going to talk today about the most recent incarnation of DC Comics' The Warlord. I did not buy the original series when it debuted in First Issue Spectacular back in 1975. Instead, I discovered the series' creator, Mike Grell, in the pages of Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters. From there, I went back and learned more about Grell's earlier comics work on Jon Sable, Freelance, from First Comics, and The Warlord from DC, slowly collecting various back issues of each series.

The Warlord character starts out as Travis Morgan, a U.S. Air Force pilot, flying a spy mission to photograph equipment over Russia. Morgan is spotted and intercepted by Russian MiG fighters and ends up being shot down over the North Pole. But instead of crashing, his plane descends through an opening in the earth, landing in an inner world of eternal daylight. This fantastic inner world is filled with dinosaurs, mythological creatures, magic, science and warriors. Morgan earns the title Warlord and finds a mate while adventuring in this new land called Skartaris. The Warlord's adventures continued through more than 130 issues, but Grell left the series after issue No. 71.

The series was brought back by DC and its creator in 1991 for a six-issue miniseries. The title was next re-imagined, albeit unsuccessfully in 2006 by Bruce Jones, and finally relaunched in 2009, once again with Grell at the helm.

This latest incarnation of the Warlord, like Grell's return to the characters in 1991, was really a continuation of his earlier run, and in all honesty, I have to say was somewhat lackluster. Not bad, just not really great, either.

If you are a fan of Grell's Warlord stories, there is little new territory covered in either the 1991 series or the 2009 version. The stories included are mostly re-treads of plots and situations handled in the initial run of the series. Completists will like that Grell finally resolves one major plot thread left dangling from the initial series' first couple years in this latest series. The most recent series also serves to bring Morgan's story to a close, if the reader so desires. While it was nice to have Tinder's and Morgan's dangling plot thread at last resolved, and while the writing was still good and the art truly excellent, this latest relaunch was still little more than eye-candy, unfortunately.

You Can Go Home Again

New Teen Titans: Games
DC Comics
Marv Wolfman, writer
George Perez, artist

I've been thinking about getting back into the habit of posting reviews, and I have a number of them lined up in the coming weeks. But when I decided I definitely wanted to resume the blog, I wanted to wait until I'd had a chance to read this book and review it as my first entry back.

It was the New Teen Titans by Wolfman and Perez that got me into serious comic collecting, so it seemed appropriate. After all, this book was begun in the mid 1980s when the Titans popularity was at its height and finally saw completion and release in time for the group's 30th anniversary celebration. I'll let you look elsewhere on the web (or even in the foreword and afterword of the book itself) for the details behind that long creation process, but this book has been rumored and promised many times and very anxiously awaited by fans of the series.

And it does not disappoint.

These two creators who have worked on so many characters over their respective careers have flawlessly returned to these characters, bringing them to readers in a way that feels like visiting old friends. Much has happened in the intervening years in the fictional lives of Nightwing, Starfire, Cyborg, Troia, Changeling, Raven, Jericho and Danny Chase. They are all very different characters today, the ones still around, but this is not meant to be a contemporary story, and these are YESTERDAY'S Titans.

The story doesn't fit quite perfectly into the existing continuity of the time; fans so inclined would have difficulty trying to place the events of Games firmly between two issues of the regular Titans series of the time. It obviously would have to happen before the tragedies involved in the Titans Hunt story line yet after Raven's redemption and adoption of her white costume, and after the arrival of Danny Chase. Much pinpointing beyond that would be difficult, but should not diminish what is a wonderful story.

If you were a fan of the Wolfman/Perez Titans in the past, do yourself a favor and seek out this book. If you've never read a Titans story from that era, but enjoy more recent incarnations of the team, I imagine you'd still like this glimpse of what came before. And even if you've never read a Titans story before, but enjoy a good superhero thriller with elements of espionage and mystery thrown in for good measure, you could do a lot worse than this tale.

This is one of the great ones, Kiddie Cops!

Be back next Tuesday for more.

She's Ba-a-ack!

Today I'm going to throw some thoughts out on a more recent book involving the re-introduction last year of Batgirl to Gotham City. Batgirl Rising collects the first seven issues of the new Batgirl ongoing series by Bryan Q. Miller, Lee Garbett and Trevor Scott.

I didn't plan to buy this book. Not the trade collection we're discussing today and not the single issues which led to the trade. That's because, apparently, I'm not much of a detective.

In the wake of Batman's "death" at the end of Final Crisis (If you don't know why "death" is in quote marks, you're probably not reading this anyway.), DC launched a slew of new Gotham-centric monthly titles, one of which was to be a new Batgril title.

Before those new titles began, however, DC used a couple of bookend titles to preview the new directions for a variety of characters. These books were titled Gotham Gazette: Batman Dead? and Gotham Gazette: Batman Alive? Gotham Gazette: Batman Alive? featured glimpses into the lives of Harvey Bullock, Leslie Thompkins, Stephanie Brown and Vicki Vale. It also seemed to indicate to me that the new Batgirl, whose identity the company had been keeping a closely guarded secret, was going to be Vicki Vale, a truly horrendous choice, in my opinion.

So I opted NOT to pick up the new Batgirl title.

And when the title debuted, sure enough, the new Batgirl was revealed to be — Stephanie Brown?!?

I did not see that coming at all. I approve of that casting, but I did not pick up on that from the Gotham Gazette vignette. Thus, I'm a little late arriving at this party.

Stephanie is the fifth character to wear a Batgirl costume. During the early Silver Age stories, Batman and Robin had female counterparts in the form of Batwoman and Bat-Girl. This Bat-Girl, later a member of Teen Titans West in the late 1960s, was Kathy Kane's niece, Bette Kane. The character was later ret-conned into using the codename Flamebird in Titans history. The second and most famous Batgirl was Barbara Gordon, daughter of Gotham City Police Commissioner James W. Gordon. (Pointless trivia quiz: Anybody know what the W. stands for? I do.) Barbara served the longest in the role, debuting in the late 1960s and continuing in the role until being crippled by the Joker in The Killing Joke graphic novel in 1988. Barbara later re-invented herself as the computer-savvy Oracle and continues in that role.
After Barbara, future Batgirls wore the uniform for only brief periods. The all-black costume debuted during the story arc No Man's Land and was worn by the Huntress, trying to gain acceptance by Batman following the earthquake that hit Gotham. Her identity was quickly revealed and she abandoned the guise, which Batman handed over to Cassandra Cain, a young Asian child trained to be an assassin her whole life. Cassandra had a tumultuous run as Batgirl, her behavior always at war with itself as she tried to please both surrogate fathers, the assassin who first trained her and Batman, who tried to redirect her talents in a non-lethal direction. The first issue of this new Batgirl series shows Cassandra handing her costume to Stephanie and vowing to quit being Batgril in the wake of Batman's apparent death.

As far as I know, Stephanie Brown debuted in the pages of Robin's solo title after Tim Drake took over as the third Robin. The teenager assumed the costumed identity of the Spoiler to fight crime as a means to atone for her father's past crimes. Stephanie's father was the third-rate Batman villain the Cluemaster. Stephanie soon caught the attention of Batman and Robin. The older hero tried to disuade the inexperienced crimefighter, but Robin eventually took her under his wing, so to speak, and the two often teamed up, even starting a relationship for a time. That situation was complicated by the fact that Robin knew Stephanie's real identity but could not reveal his own without compromising Batman's real identity.

The two teens became a mainstay in Robin's solo title until a falling out between Batman and Tim, prompting the youth to give up being Robin for a time. Batman temporarily offered the role of Robin to Stephanie to continue her training, and she jumped at the chance, driving a wedge between herself and Tim. But Stephanie's career in the red vest and yellow cape was very short-lived. She sparked a gang war on the streets of Gotham while trying to prove herself to Batman and seemingly ended up dying at the hands of the Black Mask for her mistakes. The young woman hadn't really died, however, and returned some time later seeking to again assume the role of Spoiler, much to the chagrin of Batman and Tim, once again in the role of Robin.

It is at this point that Stephanie finds herself being handed a Batgirl costume, which she naturally puts on and begins fighting crime. Wearing a bat outfit in Gotham City draws a lot more attention than Stephanie bargains for as she not only confronts criminals, but also Oracle, and the new Batman and Robin team of Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne.

My only real complaint with this first trade is the new Batman's initial reaction to Stephanie's role as Batgirl. He is very harsh and critical, which seems a little out-of-character for the former Nightwing, who has mentored a number of younger heroes from Tim Drake to later incarnations of the Titans and even to Damian, a somewhat less than willing pupil when it comes to non-lethal superheroics. I would expect him to be somewhat wary and concerned about Stephanie, but Dick is shown as being quite condescending at first. But over the course of these first seven issues, Stephanie wins over both Batman and Oracle, the latter even agreeing to mentor and work with the new Batgirl.

The inclusion, and mentoring role, of Oracle in this book is part of what I like about this series. Stephanie is shown to be somewhat competent on her own, as she should be to have survived as the Spoiler for so long, and to have won the confidence of Batman and Robin in the past. But there is obviously more she can still learn from a veteran hero like Oracle. Stephanie only tackles street thugs rather than major, recognizable Bat villains in the first few issues, but again, that seems natural for a series just starting out. About midway through this trade, she is confronted by the Scarecrow, then later takes on Roulette and some other major baddies, but Stephanie faces these latter foes with the aid of Oracle, Batman and Robin.

All in all, this trade has shamed me for my own lack of detective skills, but also won me over to following Stephanie's further adventures in this new role, at least for the time being. I've been picking up the single issues since No. 7, now I just need to find the time to read them.