Superman New Krypton Special # 1 Review

Authors: Geoff Johns, James Robinson, Sterling Gates
Art: Gary Frank, Renato Guedes, Pete Woods
Inkers: Jon Sibal, Renato Magalhaes
Colors: Hi-Fi

I always hate when people say: If you aren't reading this book, you are missing out on a great story; If you aren't reading this book you are out of your fucking mind; If you aren't reading this book you are a fucking moron! So Instead of saying something similar I will just say if you aren't reading Superman comics you must be too busy reading a bunch of other shit that you should put down to make room in your hands for fucking Superman!

In the aftermath of the Brainiac story Superman faces two big changes in his life. One is the death of his father Jonathan Kent and the other is the fact that he no longer the last son of Krypton, but rather one of 100,000 plus Kryptonians living on Earth. Superman has choices to make in this first issue of a 9 part story. How will he deal with the fact that his father is dead and the man partially responsible is still alive? How is going to let over 100,000 Kryptonians run around on Earth (just in the few moments they've been here one of them killed an endangered whale)? Will he show more of his Kryptonian roots or the roots planted by his adopted father? Of course these Kryptonians are learning they too are gaining power because of the sun. Some of them are even calling this planet New Krypton. And how the hell is Lois going to react when she finds out her father is still alive and cooperating with Luthor.

The emotions that Superman goes through during and after his father's funeral was only magnified by the wonder that is Gary Frank. He's art makes this Superman come to life and while I know he didn't draw the whole issue he really stole the spotlight with those opening sequences. So much mixed emotion of rage and sadness is shown in these panels it's hard not to feel for Clark. Pete Woods and Renato Guedes do a fantastic job of telling their part of their tale and I can't wait to see what they do in their perspective series.

Damn, one of my new favorite writers and one of my all time favorite writers collaborating on a series that has brought new light to the character. Just when I thought they had told every Superman story possible Johns and Robinson show up to save the day. While we've had stories about Superman vs. the government, the way they come around it now seems really fresh. Like I mentioned before, they really make you feel for Clark and his loss in this issue; it even overshadows the reunion between Supergirl and her parents. You really don't have to be reading Action Comics or Superman to enjoy this story and this could be a good jumping on points for new readers. I wait for part two with a satisfied grin on my face. A

Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds # 1 Review

Author: Geoff Johns
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Scott Koblish
Colors: Hi-Fi

I'll be the first to admit that Legion of Superheroes has been a comic I have avoided like an STD. Well successfully avoided, but they do make shots....errr anyway. It seems that every time the Legion had a reboot I tried it out and couldn't get into it. Because Dan and Nick told me Waid's Legion was good I tried it out and ended up enjoying it. Went back and read the Legionnaires and some of Paul Levitz' run in the 80's. I guess what I'm trying to say is; you don't really have to know squat about the Legion to enjoy this book. You don't have to know anything about Final Crisis to get your money's worth either, because I have no fucking clue what it has to do with Final Crisis. At least Libra appeared in Rogues' Revenge and Revelations. But you know what? I'm not going to turn down a good story for that reason.

This is a follow-up to the Sinestro Corp and Legion story in Action Comics. All you need to know is Superboy/man Prime = bad and there is a nice recap of the Action Comics story in the court scene. The Time Trapper yanks Superboy/man Prime out the Countdown timeline and sends him to the future to destroy the Legion. He ends up going to a Superman museum in Smallville and is disgusted to find out a statue of him was never put up next to Superman's villains. He ends up destroying everything and heads for Takron-Galtos to free the Legion of Supervillains so they can help destroy the Legion. The United Planets wants to disband the Legion and kick out Earth from the federation (it's like watching Star Trek sometimes). R.J. Brande shows up to take up for the Legion, but he is shot by his old rival Leland McCauley. When a burning S is left in the remains of Tarkron- Galtos the Legion decide to stay together. There are missing Legionnaires or some who are out of commission, so the Legion looks for help elsewhere. When I mean elsewhere, I mean through fucking time and space. They yank Superman from our time and are willing to take the post Zero hour Legion and Mark Waid's Legion as recruits against this fight that is to come.

I loved this issue and coming from someone who really doesn't know that much about the Legion of Superheroes it says alot that the writer could still make things interesting. There are some things that I was a little lost on; for example when Superman says "I've met them both. We all did." I'm not sure who the we in that sentence is supposed to be. I have to say that Superman has more believe in the good in people than I do. Superboy Prime has destroyed a fucking planet and killed a handful of superheroes, but he still thinks that the solution is to redeem Prime. I guess that is why he has inspired people all the way into the 31st century.

What can I say about George Perez that I already haven't? The man is a penciling god! There is a reason why they hire someone of his caliber to draw a book with so many characters. His facial expressions are some of the best. I really got the sense of despair when the Legion where looking elsewhere for help. A great start to what I'm sure is going to be an epic battle and I can't wait for the outcome. A

Green Lantern Vol 4 28 Review

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Mike McKone

This issue of Green Lantern marks the end of the Sinestro Corps War Epilogue and the three-part Alpha Lanterns story, but really it is the first stepping-stone to the War of Light, which will bring on the Blackest Night. In this issue we get a ton of small events that move the overall scope of the next two years worth of events forward.

I say first stepping-stone but it could be argued that the first stepping-stone was part 11 of the Sinestro Corp War. But in this issue we get the second new law and it pretty much paves the way for the war grants so much more freedom to the GLs. We also get the upbringing of two more emotions: Rage and Greed (Red and Orange). Though it seems there was no problem creating the rage rings and power battery, greed is going to take some extra time to develop for reasons that haven’t been addressed yet.

Laira has her trial, which is extremely short and though it probably wouldn’t have been the most interesting piece to read about, I would have preferred a much longer court battle. The issue was not nearly as black and white as the arguing sides made it out to be. There was a lot of gray area within the crime itself, and if it was all going to be swept under the rug and ignored than they should have written the crime in a much more obvious direction. Basically what I would have liked was a greater argument on if Laira was justified in killing Amon Sir because he still had on his ring and the law made it clear that though the initial war was over the fight against the Sinestro Corp threat was still going on. I didn’t agree with how the Guardians and the Alpha Lanterns ruled, but I think that was on purpose, we—the readers—are supposed to find holes in the Guardian’s arguments. I wanted more opposition to the Guardians and the AL than just Hal and Laira. I feel like the trial and the AL themselves were pushed aside to further the other sentient emotions coming into existence. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing how those other spectrums come to life but I wanted the story to be about what it was supposed to be about. The side note should have been the spectrums, when instead I think the trial was the side note. I mean we already have a new color lantern at the end of this story, I thought the rise of the Light War was going to be much slower. And I was excited about that. I wouldn’t mind each color getting its own story line; they all seem interesting and important.

The amount of foreshadowing in this book is truly overwhelming. I didn’t know foreshadowing could really be so overwhelming to be perfectly honest. It seems like without a doubt the Guardians are going to become evil or at the very least corrupt and in some way side with Sinestro, hell I see Sinestro taking over the GL Corps in some twisted way for a short period of time. I don’t know what that means for the Sinestro Corps, I guess they just become the Yellow Lantern Corps then. Though this issue was awesome for the fan boy inside of me, I wanted more from it, and the more I think about it the less I liked it, B-.

Action Comics #858

Writer: Geoff Johns

Action Comics #857

Writers: Geoff Johns & Richard Donner

Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman-Prime

Writer: Geoff Johns & Sterling Gates

Action Comics #856

Quick Reviews for 9/12/07

Booster Gold #1

Action Comics #846

Writers: Geoff Johns and Richard Donner
Artist: Adam Kubert

Wow! As late as this book is, it's still fantastic. Donner and Johns have really crafted and interesting story and are ramping it up more than I ever could have imagined. A quick re-cap here. In 844 we had a ship crash to earth and reveal that there was a small boy inside. Superman learned that the boy was Kryptonian and brought him to his parents' house to ask about raising him. In 845 we saw Clark bring the boy, "Chris" to Metropolis, where Bizarro attacked and tried to capture the boy for Lex Luthor. Clark and Lois decided that they wanted to raise the boy as their own. At the end of that issue we learned that the boy was the child of General Zod and Ursa, as they somehow escaped the Phantom Zone in the arctic. This issue starts with the Zoners going to the Fortress of Solitude and speaking with Jor-El's hologram. We learn that many people were sentenced to the Phantom Zone, not just these three. In Metropolis, Clark and Lois are bringing the Chris to the Daily Planet for some unknown reason when the Zoner's just attack. Non pummels Clark, Ursa attacks Lois and tries to take her son back, while Zod pontificates how they will make Earth the new Krypton. The writing and characterization are spot on. I thought this arc would simply be a fight between the three Zoners and Superman, but it is shaping up to be so much more. After this issue's two cliffhangers, (TWO!!!) now I am really mad that I won't be seeing the rest of the story until May.

The art is fantastic. Adam Kubert, inking complaints and ugly Supermans aside, is doing some great work. The backgrounds are fantastically detailed. Each of the book's three double-page spreads contain a sense of awe and grandeur. Kubert's panel layouts and angles are really cinematic. It may not be the best work of his career, but it's up there. Damn the wait on the next issue of this book, go get it. B+

Action Comics Publishing Delays

Action Comics was good then it got delayed. 844 and 845 came out in October and November respectively, but where is the third issue? It's supposed to come out on February 28th, but we'll see. Meanwhile Issues 847, 848, 849, and 850 are all fill in issues. Here is the schedule below.

844 october Johns Donner & Kubert Part 1
845 November Johns Donner & Kubert Part 2
846 February 28th Johns Donner & Kubert Part 3
847 March 28th Dwayne McDuffie and Renato Guedes (spin off for Johns' story) Part 3.5
848 April 25 Fabian Nicieza and Allan Goldman (separate storyline Part 1)
849 May 16 Fabian Nicieza and Allan Goldman (separate storyline Part 2)
850 May 30 Kurt Busiek and Renato Guedes (Supergirl on Cover)

Issue 847 is a fill in for the current arc "Last Son" and is ties in with the same story, everything else after that is separate from what Johns and Donner are doing. Johns said on Newsarama that he and Donner would be back with issue #851 and then an arc with Goon creator Eric Powell on art. You can read that here.