Writer: Frank Tieri
Artists: J. Calafiore & Jack Purcell
This is the first issue of a nine-issue limited series about the Gotham Underworld after the death of Black Mask and with the villains dissapearing into Salvation Run. In other words, it ties into stuff in Countdown, or at least this issue does. Like any first issue, this one is all setup. Batman is undercover as Matches Malone, infiltrating the iceberg lounge as Penguin schmoozes with Two-face, wearing a really ugly suit. More villains show up, as does the suicide squad to cart them off to "Salvation." Robin talks to Jim Gordon, who judges Robin's entrances and exits as "passable at best", while Nightwing breaks up an illegal gambling bar, while Tobias Whale makes his move on the Gotham gangs. Frank Tieri doesn't really write anything here to make me praise or hate him, and J. Calafiore does the art with enough flair to make me pay attention to the panels. His art is certainly different than anything else in the Bat-books now, but there's nothing here to say that he's the definitive Bat-artist for this year (to me that's still Don Kramer). I'll try the next couple of issues to get a better feel of the story that Tieri is trying to tell, but I can't say that I'll definitely be sticking on for all 9 issues after reading just this one. So, to sum up and quote Commissioner Gordon, this issue is "passable at best." C
Writers: Geoff Johns & Richard Donner
Artist: Eric Powell
This issue was a little better and took me longer than 10 minutes to read. It may even warrant a re-read later on, but the first two books certainly didn't. This issue, like the last, is an all-out battle on Bizzarro World. Superman is trying to get Pa Kent off Bizarro World after he had been kidnapped by Bizzaro (Don't ask). The Bizzaro JLA show up, but only for 5 pages. The rest of the issue focuses on how the rather cool way that Superman makes Bizarro a hero on his own world. Bizzaro was hated by Bizarro world (dont' ask), so he wanted to destroy it, but here Superman helps him save it, but only after Pa Kent has to goad him to. This issue also features the debut of Superman-vision (don't ask) which I hope never makes an appearance again. Eric Powell finishes out this arc, and it's nice to see that there is an artist out there on a Superman book who can finish an arc without it being finished in the Annual. Carlos Pacheco I'm looking at you, as well as one of them Kuberts. Powell's art really only works for this type of an arc. I think if he were to do a non-Bizarro Superman story a lot of it would fall flat. He has all the energy that is needed for Superman, the iconic poses and all that, but he's certainly suited for stranger stories. Bring on Gary Frank next issue, which I think comes out next week? Won't that be great. It looks like DC is trying to win us back from this book's lateness more recently. C+
Writer: Geoff Johns & Sterling Gates
Artists: Pete Woods & Jerry Ordway
Another Sinestro Corps tie-in worthy of your money. This time it's Superman-Prime, formerly known as Superboy-Prime in Infinite Crisis. This book focuses on Superman-Prime as the Green Lantern books have been ignoring him. This issue is all battle and flashbacks. Superman-Prime lands on earth, takes on the heroes in an epic battle penciled by Pete Woods and interweaves his story with Jerry Ordway art. We see how he lived on his earth, how he got roped into the Crisis, and his corruption by Alexander Luthor. Now he's out to reclaim the Earth, and make the Anti-Moniter bow in his wake, after the Anti-Moniter has taken over of course. Johns uses a cool story point that Superman-Prime is still wearing his energy collecting suit, and thus is collecting the Yellow Sun after being imprisoned in that Red Sun on Oa for over a year. The heroes stand more of a chance against him since he's not at full power yet, making the battle less outrageous. It gives the heroes a chance, at least until the sun rises in a great scene. Also, Risk appears again, can you guess what happens to him when he tries to take on Superman-Prime again? That was the best moment of the book, even if there was som deja vu going on.
The second story is a backup where Lyssa Drak tells the story of another of the Sinestro Corps members to some Green Lanterns. It's written by Sterling Gates with art by Jerry Ordway, it's ok, not doesn't trump anything Johns did in his Sinestro Corps back ups with Dave Gibbons. This was a really good read and it fits in nicely with the stories in Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps, as they are focusing on Hal and Guy and not the villains all the time. Pete Woods finally is doing art with a good story after Amazons Attack! He does a great job here, and seems to work well with Johns and Superman, just see their great Up, Up, and Away arc. Go grab this book if your curious about what Superman-Prime has been up to after Infinite Crisis or are enjoying the Sinestro Corps War, you won't regret it. B+
Writer: Jim Starlin
Artist: Jim Starlin & Matt Banning
Attention new readers, this is not the comic for you. Go read up on Wikipedia about the New Gods, read the Fourth World Omnibus', and then return to this book if you dare. I'm no expert but even my average knowledge of the New Gods didn't help me much in reading this book. I know what the Anti-Life Equation is, who all the main players were, and the basic gist of the New Gods concept but reading this book I still felt utterly lost, like I was missing a major piece of the puzzle. Jim Starlin writes this cosmic tale and fills it with little or no action, setting up whatever may be to come with musings from Darkseid and Metron about how something is amiss in the Universe. We're told that New Gods are dying, but there is no disturbance in the Source whenever they die. Newer readers may not know these concepts and Starlin makes little attempt to give newer readers any background. Older readers may welcome this lack of expository dialougue but for a first issue that's supposed to attract new readers this issue could definately use some.
There is a small bit with a hologram of Highfather (who died?) explaining the origin of New Genesis and Apokalips and his finding of the Source, but there is nothing about the Anti-Life equation, what it does, or who posesses it. Apparently Darkseid has part of the Anti-Life equation (since when?), and Scott Free, Mister Miracle posesses the whole thing but does not use it. All this may be lost on new readers because there's no explanation of what the Anti-Life equation is (it lets you control people). Most of the issue's plot points may have been lost on me because of the lack of exposition which would have helped me understand the plot. Jim Starlin does the art here as well and does a good job. This is the first Starlin work I've ever read or seen so he's mostly impressing me with his art in this issue. He's no George Perez, and his regular guys look to me on the tall Skinny side, but he's definately not as bad as Al Barrionuevo on Teen Titans. I will pick up the second issue of this 8-issue mini-series since DC's website says it is coming out this month on Halloween, but if that fails to grab me I won't continue with this mini, whatever it's importance to Final Crisis may be down the line. D
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Artists: Ed Benes & Sandra Hope
I was a little wary about this issue. Ed Benes makes his return for the title after a one issue break and I was worried how his art would look with McDuffie's writing. Not the actual quality of the art, Benes has that in spades, but I was worried how McDuffie's amplified pacing would work with Benes' style. I thought Benes and Meltzer worked great together so I was wondering how Benes would adjust to McDuffie. So far, so good. Looking back, I suppose that Joe Benitez was a good pick for the last issue, as Benes' art comes off as a less stylized version of the same characters. Anyway, the characters here look good, Benes has had many issues to get that down, let's talk villians. By far, Benes' Luthor is the best. He's menacing and evil and the new suit looks so much better than the one that appeared in Superman/Batman or Supergirl. It's sleeker, and he can turn his head in it, making it infinitely better (there's a Batman movie joke in there somewhere).
After the events of last issue where every member of the League was captured except for Superman and Black Lightning, Luthor appears and goads Superman into getting angry and lashing out. Lex's theory is that Superman can only be beaten when he loses control, so the torturing of his teammates is meant to do that. Lex shows Superman all of the Justice League's female heroes held captive in the most gratuitous T & A shot I've ever seen in a comic without nudity. Everyone's boobs or butt are prominently on display. Superman and Black Lightning eventually make it to the Legion of Doom's (sorry, Injustice League) headquarters and try to free their teammates and put up a good fight but the amount of villains assembled here simply outmatches them. My favorite moment of the book was the inclusion of the Joker, he's just wacky and insane, and puts explosive Kryptonite paint into a device for Superman to find. It works, but it merely annoys Superman, which the Joker says was the point. It was a great moment. Right now, I'm really happy with McDuffie on the book. I'd never read any of McDuffie's stuff before his Fantastic Four run, and the Justice League is a little different than the FF, but after watching the JLU DVD's I'm confident that if McDuffie stays on the book for a long time we will continue to get quality stories. B+
Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Cliff Chiang
Well, those of you who haven't read the GA/BC Wedding Special read no more. You can't read the review for this issue without spoiling that...
Ok, now that those losers are gone, we can get to the book. I like Judd Winick. I like Judd Winick on Green Arrow, and thus I like Judd Winick on this book. He writes strong characters, and if anyone needs to be written strongly it's Green Arrow and Black Canary. After Dinah killed Ollie on their wedding night, she goes on a rampage, beating the tar out of criminals. Connor Hawke, the other Green Arrow stops here from accidentally killing some criminal and takes her home. Next we get a wonderfully structured comic montage of the various DCU heroes offering their condolances over Ollie's death. The hook here is that Dinah believes that the Ollie who dies was not here Ollie. Thing is, every scan, DNA test, and other medical exams all say it's the real deal. Even Hal's Green Lantern ring says it's Ollie. Dinah still doesn't believe it, and neither does Batman. What follows next is gruesome, as Batman and Dr. Mid-Nite (who needs a better job than Superhero Mortician) perform an autopsy on Ollie's body, down to the cellular level. They could've put Ollie in a yard mulcher for all the cutting they did off camera. Essentially, it's not Ollie, and the one person who's been overused in the past 6 months after 52 ended is finally killed. At least I hope so. Anyway, the hook of the book so far is that Ollie is alive, and Dinah is out for blood looking for him. I liked the last Green Arrow book, and I think I'll continue to pick up this new book because Judd Winick is still writing Green Arrow and it's a good yarn he's spinning so far.
Cliff Chiang is awesome on this book. After reading his Crisis Aftermath: The Spectre 3 issue mini I was a fan of his art. He draws a really clean line, and is confident in his art. It's not over-rendered like Ed Benes or the new Joe Quesada. I'd liken his style to Matt Wagner or Freddie E Williams II. It's good clean art, and works for the book. Chiang can do the action scenes, and the emotional scenes. There are some funny moments in this book and Chiang's art is just cartoony enough to pull it off. Also, Chiang kind of continues the Phil Hester and Scott McDaniel art-vibe that Green Arrow has had since he was brought back from the dead earlier in the decade. I think it's this consistency in art over the course of the old book, and now the new one that makes this book work. This could be issue 76 of the old series with a new artist than the entirely new book it is. I'm looking forward to seeing who was behind Ollie's impersonation, Dinah kicking ass, and what Winick has in store for us after that. I don't want to see Ollie and Dinah having constant marriage problems. Let those start at issue 50, let them enjoy their newly-wed status and team-up and bond with the reader for a good long time. B+
Writer: Sean McKeever
Artists: Jamal Igle & Rob Hunter
If you thought the last foray into the multiverse was a superfluous tour of Wildstorm, and that these one-shots would do nothing to add to the DCU, grab this comic. If you liked the Wildstorm issue, grab this comic. There is a lot to like in this issue. Unlike the format last time where it was essentially and expanded story from the pages of the abysmal Countdown, this issue delves directly into the character of the Jokester who is currently hitchhiking with the "Challengers of the Beyond" in the pages of Countdown. We meet the Jokester, who's real name is never given, who was a struggling comic until he found his gimmick in making fun of Owl-Man, the Batman counterpart of Earth-3. This soon rocketed his popularity until Owl-Man came to collect his revenge and sliced the Jokester's mouth open, creating the permanent smile. Jokester decides to fight Owl-Man and his sidekick Talon (last seen in 52, and the 2-page spread of Titans in Titans Around the Wold) and eventually joins up with the Riddler Family (The Riddler, Three-Face, and Duela Dent). We find out Duela's true origin, so anyone confused by where she came from in this New Earth look to this issue. I really enjoyed this issue because we got an origin of a character, and it really let me get a feel of the earth, unlike last issue. The best part? The "Challengers" only appear in the 2 last pages of the book!
Jamal Igle does the art on this book, and it looks a little different from the great work he was doing over on Nightwing. While I'm glad DC got a well-known artist to do this one-shot, I'm sad that he had to leave Nightwing to do it, as the book kind of fell apart when he left, and he was only on it for seven issues. In interviews he gave the impression that he was going to be on Nightwing for the long run with Marv Wolfman, similar to his long Firestorm run. But alas, that turned not to be true. Igle brings his best work to the issue, and with the writing from Sean McKeever it helps the comic seem important and worthwhile and not superfluous. If you are even vaguely interested in Earth-3 or the Jokester, pick up this book, you will not be dissapointed. B+
P.S. The Earth-3 Crime Society is different from the Crime Syndicate in the Anti-Matter Universe created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely in their great graphic novel. Also, apparently, that Anti-Matter Earth still exists and is different from this Earth-3. Go figure. That's what they are saying over at Newsarama...
