About Heroes

Justice League of America #13
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Artists: Joe Benitez & Victor LLamas

Like the Wedding Special from 2 weeks ago, this issue is great.  McDuffie splits the team up to search where the other two teams dissapeared.  Batman breaks out of the straight jacket the Joker put him in and tries to free Diana, only to be stopped by the Injustice League.  It's a pretty action packed issue, fights and conflicts abound, something that we only got towards the end of Meltzer's first arc.  Joe Benitez fills in for Ed Benes, who returns next issue.  Benitez does an okay job, in some ways it's really similar to Benes' work, but it doesn't have the same grandeur that Benes' work does.  Some of Benitez' proportions are off, some characters look wonky in some panels, its kind of uneven.  I do like his Lex Luthor though.  I'm looking forward to how Benes will handle this new direction on the book, because these characters feel different under McDuffie, they feel right.  The only thing that I'm wary of, is that he teamed John Stewart with Hawkgirl, and I don't want that romance to be recycled from JLU, I like Red Arrow and Hawkgirl together, and I want to see what Hawkman thinks of it. B-

Batman #669
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: J.H. Williams III 

This three issue arc started well, but just fell flat for me here.  For two issues the "Club of Heroes" has been blaming the murders on their old financier, Mr. Meyhew, and for the actual mastermind to be that guy after the solicts and characters pointed fingers at each other as well was a huge letdown.    J.H. Williams III has some great pages here, but compared to the tone of the last couple of issues, the art just seems to be less impressive.  They layouts are experimental as always, but 3 issues in, it's just not new anymore.  Can we get to Ra's Al Ghul already?  D

Blue Beetle #19
Writer: John Rogers
Artist: David Baldeon

Another good one-shot issue of Blue Beetle. Suprise Suprise!  Giganta goes after La Dama, because she was hired to do so, and stuff hits the fan.  You know how Jaime's friend Brenda's aunt was the local supervillain?  You remember how Jaime and Paco were keeping this from her for her protection?  You remember how Jaime has two computer hackers in his "Beetle-Cave" alerting him to crimes and disasters?  Remember how we still don't know who they are?  All of these threads come together in this issue, rather beautifully in my opinion, for an issue that makes a great read.  Rogers gives Jaime a hard time dealing with Giganta, forcing him to call Traci Thirteen up and ask about magically super-sized humans.  On top of that, Peacemaker is back, giving Jaime some tough love.  It's all of these elements that make this book a great underrated read.  David Baldeon does the art chores on this issue, hopefully so that Raphael Albuquerque can do some awesome stuff when the Sinestro Corps comes to El Paso.  Grab this book and buy it.  Add it to your list.  I want everyone who reads this to comment and tell me if they are reading Blue Beetle, and give a reason why they are not.  There really isn't a good reason not too, as this book is consistently fun month in and month out.  B+