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+

Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #9

Writer: Marc "Savior" Guggenheim
Artists: Ron Adrian & Art Thibert

You all know how much I hated issue #6 of the Flash. #7 and #8 weren't that great either. At last, writers Bilson & DeMeo left or were booted off the book, making way for Marc Guggenheim, who wrote the Civil War Wolverine Tie-In and is currently writing Blade for Marvel. He knows how to write comics, he's still a TV writer, but he's better than what we had on this book. What I immediately liked was how he handled Bart. Bart's internal narration referenced everything he's done in the past, being Impulse, reading an entire library, and growing up in the Speed Force. These are all things that Bilson & DeMeo chose to ignore. This issue is just a small starting point, it doesn't launch a new storyline, it is a single issue story just to get us started and interested in the character again. Bart feels like he used to be as Kid Flash, he still acts young and rash, but with a little added maturity. What also helped was the opening and closing conversation between Bart and Robin. It showed that Bart still has friends and didn't ignore them after coming back from the Speed Force at the end of Infinite Crisis.

The art by Ron Adrian didn't blow me away, but it was serviceable. He kept Bart young and lean, looking like a 20 year old rather than the buff 25 that Bart looks like on the great Ethan Van Sciver cover. It was a good simple little issue, if you got burned by the last arc, pick this issue up and give it a try. B-

Ion # 11

It's Wednesday night, and that means I take over with a ton of reviews! On to Ion #11!

Writer: Ron Marz
Artists: Greg Tocchini & Fernando Pasarin

The second to last issue of this series, and I'm still not sure what the point of it was. I liked the middle of the series where we found out that Kyle is now the super-lantern of the GL Corps, but we haven't seen him used as such in this series. I enjoyed the issue where he visited Radu, an old character from Kyle's GL days in New York. Even the last issue with Captian Atom and the Tangent characters was good, but I'm not seeing the big picture. When I first read this series, I thought that we would see an over-arching story similar to Batman Hush, but what we got was an arc for the first six issues and smaller ones after that. I liked this issue because we get some Kyle and Donna moments, as well as the return of Grayven. Who? Grayven Darkseid's son who wants to kill his father and rule Apokalips. When Kyle was Green Lantern, Grayven was the first major villain that Kyle really faced on his own. This story can be found in the Trial by Fire trade, check it out as it's a great story. It appears that Grayven has been planning and plotting revenge, so he's the villain behind Nero impersonating Kyle and all the stuff that's happening with his Mom's health. The "why" is never given here, and with one issue left, it almost seems like we might not get a good reason. We see another appearance of the Moniters here, they are showing up here more than in Nightwing, or Supergirl, so my guess is that Kyle poses a bigger threat to their grand scheme. Obviously this has to tie into the next big DC event. This is a good issue, it's just that I can't justify why this series exists. It feels more like an ongoing than a 12-issue mini-series. I wish we had this as an ongoing rather than a Green Lantern Corps series, or even the Confidential books. Ron Marz is clearly having a good time with the charcter he shaped, so why not let him continue?

Greg Tocchini, is absent for the last half of this issue, where all the action is. That is a shame, as I think the fight between Grayven would have benefitted from Tocchini's art rather than Pasarin's. If Tocchini is the main artist on the book, let him do the fight scene! Pasarin's art isn't as bad as some other fill-ins we've had on this book, and at points it imitates Tocchini's style, but in the end it is not the frenzied pencils that Tocchini has. But hey, the book is coming out on time right? Oh all right, fine, I guess I can't have both. I'm looking forward to the next issue, the last issue, hoping that we might have some revelation and a hint at things to come for the DCU that will define this book's existence for me, other than to show off Kyle's new costume, we haven't seen him explore manu aspects of his new powers, but I guess that goes back to the simplistic, "I'm still a Green Lantern, but don't need a ring or power battery" explanation. C+

The Brave and the Bold #1

Writer: Mark Waid
Artists: George Perez & Bob Wiacek

This was a fun book. An old fashioned superhero romp. At first I was not going to pick this up, but as time went on, I said, how can I not? It's George Perez, it's got to be good! Boy was I right. Perez's art-style may be as modern or slick as current artists, but the man can tell a story and frame an action scene. Mark Waid is not one of my favorite writers, but if he can keep each issue of Brave & Bold as fun as this one, he may soon be. The idea of this book is that is a journry through the DCU with a rotating cast. For this arc, it looks to be Green Lantern. Here he teams up with Batman, next issue Supergirl, and who knows after that. At some point it may switch off to another character who was last teamed with Jordan. Hopefully we'll see more than the standard Big Gun team-ups, which was used to launch the book, team-ups with a big character through an wacky adventure with oh, Ambush Bug? That would be a romp. You get the idea. Smaller characters can be explored through these team-ups and maybe get readers to latch on to them and pick-up the books they are featured in. I'm calling for a Blue Beetle team-up. That book needs more attention, but back to the issue...

A murdered man is found in space, and Hal Jordan takes the case to Batman, the premier detective in the DCU for help. The two investigate and get attacked in the Batcave, and travel to Las Vegas. Batman in Vegas? No. Bruce Wayne in Vegas. Let's hear the collective, ahhhhhh.... In a really cool scene we have Bruce pimping the waitresses to get special treatment, and Hal Jordan playing Blackjack so recklessly that he schools Bruce in the game. It was this moment that made the book for me. Both of our heroes bonding out of costume, how often do you see that in super-hero books? Get this book for that moment alone. The way Perez draws the end of the scene is great. Hint, watch Hal's chip count. It's actions like these whether planned by the writer or artist that make comics worth reading, just a little something extra to re-enforce the characterizations. Bully for Mark Waid and George Perez, let's keep it up fellas! A+

Superman #659

Writer: Kurt Busiek & Fabian Nicieza
Artists: Peter Vale & Jesus Merino

After a few months between apocalyptic Superman stories, Busiek teams up with Fabian Nicieza to bring us a nice single issue story. Here, we find Superman contemplating how he affects the Earth after Arion told him he will help destroy it in the last issue. The issue is a recollection of Superman of his early days in Metropolis about a woman who was inspired by him to clean up her neighborhood. Some of you may not want to get this book reading that it's not continuing the story, but I urge you to keep reading. Superman saves this devout Christian woman from being hit by a car, and she sees him as an angel. A few days later, this woman sees an act of violence and prays for a angel to stop it. Naturally, Superman arrives and stops the violence, and after a few more times, this woman thinks she can "summon" Superman. Supes realizes what she is doing, so to keep her from getting hurt he tunes his ears to her whispering prayers. Which each time Superman shows, the woman gets bolder, enough to actually hunt down and instigate situations in her slum of a neighborhood. Things go bad when Superman can't get there in time. Rather than teaching the old woman a lesson, she teaches Superman a lesson, that his acts of good bring people up and inspire them so do good themselves, that he affects more lives than he thinks he does. It's a touching story, in the same way that Busiek's first story on the book "On Our Special Day" was. It's a good read and worth picking up.

Rather than getting an issue with Carlos Pacheco, he gets an issue to breathe, and we get some great guest pencils from Peter Vale. The first and last pages look like Pacheco drew them, but the flashback is a different art style. If Peter Vale channeled Pacheco for the pages that are happening in the present he did a good job. The imitation adds to the story in that we see Superman currently looking back on his past, so a younger-different looking Superman makes sense. Superman is remembering, and memory is always a little blurry, so it's cool that Supes looks a little different. Vale's biggest strength is his handling of the old woman. She looks very firm in her beliefs, in her faith, and in Superman. Her facial expressions and posture are drawn well enough that we can all recognize someone we know in this woman. Rather than skip this issue because it's a fill-in, pick it up because it's a fill-in. It is a good break from the story we have been reading and will sastisfy your emptiness from Civil War's conclusion. B

Wonder Woman #4

Writer: Alan Heinburg
Artists: Terry & Rachel Dodson

Wonder Woman #4 is a good book, in fact it might almost have been a great book if this had come out in October or November. But besides all of that, this is a really good story and will read great in trade whenever the fifth issue come out, which has now been postponed without any idea of when it's coming out. This book had a great first issue, Donna Troy was Wonder Woman, for all we knew, it was going to stay that way. By the time the second issue came out, we had already seen Diana in Justice League #0 and #1 as Wonder Woman, so it ruined the mystery of who was going to be Wonder Woman. Even though we know that Diana will remain Wonder Woman, with this issue it is clear that Diana is the focus of the book. As issues 2 and 3 came out, the focus turned completely away from Donna, and we saw Diana acting as a human, to re-establish her humanity, which she lost in Infinite Crisis. This book is all about the journey, and the title of the story "Who is Wonder Woman" is both literal and metaphorical. Diana must find herself before she can resume the mantle of Wonder Woman. Last issue saw the villainess, Circe capture the gods' powers and become a new Wonder Woman. Diana, Donna, Cassie, and Hercules are now powerless, and are trying to get the power back from Circe. Diana journeys with the demi-god Hercules to find Circe's home and find something to bargain with in order to regain the power of the gods. There's a good twist in the book, a cross, and double-cross, which made the book for me. I never saw it coming. Alan Heinburg has a great story written and plotted, just poorly scheduled in terms of delays. The only complaint I have about this book is that it's late, but I can't knock anything else, it is a good book.

Terry Dodson needs to fire his agent or whoever schedules his projects. It it's him he needs to find a lucky charm, as he seems to be stuck with late books. First it was Spider-Man/Black Cat and now Wonder Woman. The man can't catch a break. He's a great artist, but he's under used because he gets backlogged on these delayed projects. I think his Marvel Knights Spider-Man run with Mark Millar was the only thing recently that hadn't been greatly delayed. Of course, with these delays, it gives Dodson the chance to really take his time and shine. His art here is perfect. There is not one panel where I felt the art was weak compared to others. If anything is benefitting from the delays, it is the art quality. Sure, Dodson may be a little cheesecake, but it's nothing like Michael Turner or Joseph Micheal Lisner. Dodson's focus is here is on the story, and if he gets to draw a beautiful woman while doing it, so be it. I think Wonder Woman is a perfect fit for Dodson. The man draws women as godesses, so in a book about Gods, demi-gods, and super-heroines, he is perfectly suited for it. I would not put him on Batman, for sure, as he lacks that dark touch that Batman artists need to have. Dodson is good at lighthearted fun art, so Wonder Woman, Superman, or Spider-man are perfect for him. Now if only he could get to work with some on time creators. Maybe when Jodi Piccoult comes on with issue 6 we'll see Dodson start to output a greater volume of work a year. B

Batman #663 Review

Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: John Van Fleet

This by no means is your standard comic book. There is no sequential art, no word balloons, no caption boxes, nothing. What this issue contains is prose along with some few illustrations, like out of a third grade storybook. This explanation is by no means a critique of the issue, as Morrisson has crafted a great Joker story, almost as good as Paul Dini's recent Christmas issue. Morrison has written an incredibly detailed, metaphoric, and deep story about the re-birth of the Joker. His main point here is that each time the Joker is incarcerated, or defeated, a new "persona" arises. This can possibly explain all the different Joker's we've had over the decades in Batman books. By having this new theory, Morrison makes the Joker seem even more evil and insane. I think it is brilliant. The story starts out with some old Joker henchmen dying off, clowns, the dwarfs from "Killing Joke", and a few others. They way Joker kills them is really cool, and it's more subtle than he's done in the past. But, the Joker is in Arkham recovering from being shot in the face way back in Batman #665, how can this be? Enter Harlequin and the start of what the Joker wants to be his magnum opus. Morrison really suprised me with his writing, he could almost be a novelist if he didn't use such wacked-out descriptions here. Wacked-out is putting it softly, this is pure un-filtered Morrison.

The art by John Van Fleet is digitally painted, which in the description made me think of Freddie E Williams II and Alex Ross combined, but what we get looks like bad video-game screen shots. I don't know if these are 3-D models posed and framed or actual paintings, but they look like 3-D models. What these don't do is capture any sort of drama, suspense, or action that normal comic art might do. If you don't want to read this issue, go ahead and skip it, I almost did, but be warned that you are missing out on what my turn out to be one of the new premier Joker stories of this decade. If you're interested at all on how messed-up Grant Morrison's mind is, pick this issue up. B-

Justice Society of America #3

This review was submitted by Knightwingbk

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Dale Eaglesham and Ruy Jose

After last issue's amazing pages featuring Hawkman and Starman, this issue of JSA feels less great than the first two. It is still however, great. Johns is still doing great writing, and Eaglesham is still delivering the best pencils of his career, so there is nothing to hate in this book. We go back to the picnic of last issue where our Nazi villains and Hawkman appeared. These Nazis are tearing apart the people here, a speedster whizzes her arms through people, cutting them in half while others are torn apart, smashed under trees, or turned to steel statues. Meanwhile Wildcat is still talking to his lost son, as the other JSA'ers realize that the families of Golden Age heros are being killed. They only know this because Sandman appears and tells them that he had dreams about the attacks. The team splits up to go protect the next families to be targeted.

This is definately Johns' book, he has a firm grasp on each character, and their personalities come across in their dialougue. His skill of building tension is on display here as the true mastermind is revealed. Next issue looks to be an all out fight, because everything is set in motion here. If you thought the first two issues had too little action, this issue delivers! Dale Eaglesham and colorist Jeromy Cox rock on this book, there is just no better way of saying it. Everything is so vivid. Colors, reflections, motion blurs, the wind from new member Cyclone, it's all great. If you are not reading this book, and you are a DC fan or a team book fan, there is something wrong with you. B+

Outsiders #45...damn dude that's harsh

Writer: Judd Winick
Pencilers: Fredie Williams II & Carlo Barberi

Does anyone wanna read a comic that has the most fucked up flow ever? No?

The recent issue of Outsiders came out and yeah…..not good. The first five pages or so we see Roy “Arsenal” Harper coming home to visit his daughter, then….it stops. Now when I say stop, I mean stop, no transition, no explanation, nothing. The next page leads you back to where the story left off, with the Red Hood talking to Nightwing.

Is anybody getting the feeling nobody gives a flying fuck about the Outsiders anymore, cause that’s the feeling I get from Winick. Instead of thriving in this title Winick has slowly been drowning. Mind you Winick’s characterization of Nightwing is tolerable but, given Jones’ & Wolfman’s latest incarnations, that isn’t saying much. I guess I just expect more from this title. How do you go from a good arc involving Monsieur Mallah and the Brain….to this…..crap. The most interesting part of this whole issue was the Arsenal side story…the one that seemingly connects to NOTHING. I don’t care about the current story, the characterization for Black Lightening feels flat and yeah just.. no. Gail Simone and many others have done great jobs reinventing ‘b-list characters’ such as Catman, Black Canary, etc. but, Winick just can’t seem to do it with Black Lightening and it hurts this story. Maybe things will come to fruition in future issues but, if the story is constructed in such a way as this issue was, why pick up another. It almost seems like this story is being written as a trade rather then an ongoing title, and not even that good of a trade so far. Winick man, I love your Green Arrow run but, you have to do better then this if you want me and others to keep reading Outsiders. More energy needs to be put into this title then is seen with this issue and this non-transition transition crap must never EVER be done again, lest you want to incur the wrath of DC fans…..which is less like the Wrath of Khan, more…like the wrath of Stormtrooper #1 in Star Wars: A New Hope, oh sure he looks alright but, you know when blaster fire starts the guy is gonna start some shit, maybe pick up C-3PO use him as a shield.

The artwork throughout this issue was “alright”, that’s all I can say, it becomes a tad annoying half the time when everybody looks EXACTLY the same, what’s ironic is, there were two different pencilers in the issue. Same general jaw lines for Waller, Alan Scott, Mr. Terrific, AND Black Lightening. The Red Hood & Deathstroke….same guy….oh yeah didn’t you know….he just switches masks…least if page 15 is any indication. See 17 and 18 for the shocking revelation that Jason Todd and Dick Grayson are actually TWIN BROTHERS!!! DUM DUM DUMMMM. Again I reiterate, it seems like the same faces keep getting repeated, much like me and my bitching of the faces. In short the art just adds to this issues’ overall SUCK.

Oh on a side note, Checkmate, good gosh Checkmate. I didn’t like the ongoing series and I don’t like when they make “guest appearances” in different DC titles. You want a sure fire way to slow a title down, put a pointless appearance of the Checkmate team in it. I keep thinking that DC has a memo circulating wherein all titles must have at least one appearance by Alan Scott, Mr Terrific, Amanda Waller, or all three.

To close this all up, transition problems, uninteresting characterizations, storylines, Checkmate, and artwork make this possibly the worst issue of the Outsiders I have ever read…EVER. If this title is gonna survive, the writing as well as the artwork has gotta get better, and soon. I’d give this an F but it gave me an excuse to make a Star Trek & Star Wars reference in the same sentence. D-