Posts tagged Red Hood

Ladies Week: 0 to heroes!

September 20, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

It’s ladies week yet again! Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Batwoman are holding firm on my personal reading list, and on the other side, we’ve also got the origin issues of Catwoman and the first brand new issue starring Amethyst, the Princess of Gemworld over in Sword and Sorcery. Oh, and I’ve dropped Justice League. I’ve washed my hands of it, and I feel like a better person for it. But enough of my bitching. Seven books to go through today, may as well jump right in.

I figured I’d start this off with a lady whose name is literally Lady…the Twilight Lady, who features heavily in the Before Watchmen book, Nite Owl! You know, this reminds me of a recent plotline in Catwoman (I admit, I’ve been skimming the last arc), where a crazy dollmaker was kidnapping street workers, selling them for parts, and using their shells to make room after room of horrible ‘doll scenes’. Creep-o-rama. Anyway, the two different storylines, Dan’s and Walter’s, intersect in this issue. The clergyman Walter works for has been buying the missing hookers to kill them, as well as stealing people right off the street, those he considers to be ‘unclean’. Oh, and the rest of the issue is Dan and TL bumping uglies. Classy. Ah well, the kids are having fun between interrogating pimps and looking for missing hookers, who am I to judge?

Blue Beetle’s origin issue tells the tale of the scarab, Khaji-Da. I’m not going to lie, going through it hurt. A lot. You see, this issue was co-plotted by Keith Giffen, which got my hopes up. Keith ‘Bwa-ha-ha’ Giffen! Surely, this means that a certain weight-challenged brunette is going to show up somewhere? In a flashback, maybe? Surely, the scarab made its way into his hands at some point? I mean, they got Keith Giffen to work on this issue! Why else would they, if Ted Kord wasn’t going to pop up somewhere?
Spoiler alert.
He doesn’t. He’s nowhere to be found. Between his total exclusion in the DCnU and his write-of by murder in the DCAU, I don’t think I can take it anymore. A word to the wise: Never fall in love with a comic character, they’ll only break your heart.

Speaking of characters who’ll only break your heart, Brainiac 5, everybody! The Legion doesn’t really need its own origin issue; after all, they had a mini-series that already did that! So instead, we see the circumstances under which Brainy joins the Legion. It’s a fun issue, with a little twist at the end. It also shows us how Tharok got his Coluan-tech parts, which is cool. I’m a little bothered that Levitz was trying to keep up the early Legion Tinya/Brainy thing, but we all know how that turned out, so whatever. Also, I don’t praise Scott Kolins enough. He’s not my favorite Flash artist, but by damn did he knock the Legion kids out of the park! An overall good issue, if I do say so myself.

Supergirl made me cry. I said it. The Supergirl origin made me cry like a little bitch. It’s a story of hope, of a father’s love for his daughter being so great, that he’d do everything in his power to make sure she stayed alive as a world died around her. But what was the thing that really got to me? The panel where Kara comes out in her family crest for the very first time. She looks so happy, so hopeful, so proud. God. And it explains so much, too. Why she wakes up in such confusion. She didn’t even know the planet was dying until seconds before falling into a super coma. Jor-El wins father of the year, but he also gets an honorable mention in the douchebag category, because damn.

I’m spitting blood. Jesus take the wheel, and while you’re at it, get my red ring. Why am I still reading Red Hood and the Outlaws? I’d picked up this issue hoping that we’d finally get an origin for Roy, but nope. It’s the full story of the life, death, and second life of Jason Todd. I’m going to say right now that from this point on, pretty much everything is going to be a GIANT SPOILER.
But that means you were actually planning on reading this dreck at some point, so I feel no pity. In any case, Jason Todd’s life story is…not as important as the final four pages of the book? Long story short, the Joker decided to create a new Robin for Batman, so he made it look like his mother was dead and had his father shipped off to jail. Then he made sure Leslie Thompkins (who is super young and wicked hot now?) found Jason at his weakest, who then passed him off to Bruce. Which leads me to one conclusion.
Joker knows that Batman is Bruce Wayne in this new universe.
How else would he know to take Jason to Leslie? How else would he be absolutely sure that orphan collectin’ Wayne would take this wayward youth and turn him into a well-oiled justice dispenser?
Another thing, the re-imagining of A Death in the Family was worse than the scans of Deathstroke’s new origin that I’ve seen floating around. Fuck this, I need something to make me happy.

Batwoman: Elegy is one of my favorite trades of all time. It was Kate’s origin, from her youth as an army brat to her eventual expulsion from West Point because of DADT, to her finding a new way to serve and running with it. And I’d like to thank every deity, from major to minor, in all the various religions I don’t subscribe to that Batwoman #0 just added to it. It was like reading Elegy’s deleted scenes, stuff that had been cut for pages. And we got to see Renee (her name spelled Rene), if even for a panel. We got to see the things Kate had done to prepare to be Batwoman, and you know what? She’s more dedicated than Bruce. She trained harder, she suffered more. She was a soldier stripped of an identity because of her identity, remade as a night warrior. I love Batwoman. I have a poster of her on my wall. Batwoman, more than any other vigilante in her class, is my hero.

The ‘origin’ issue of Wonder Woman was…well. It claimed to be a reprint from ‘All-Girl Adventure Tales for Men’, and was, in itself, a spoof of a Golden Age Wonder Wonder story, featuring the lady herself back when she was Wonder Girl. Personally, I think it was just the creators way of having a bit of fun while also showcasing Diana’s compassion and warrior wiles. In any case, I liked it quite a bit. It was interesting, and wonderfully drawn, so of course I’m on board.

That does it for this week in comics, stay tuned for next week when we tackle Batman Inc, special National Comics one-shot Rose and Thorn, Teen Titans and, of course, the Flash! See you next time!

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Oh yes, it’s ladies week!

August 16, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve started to look forward to the second week of the month, if only for the fact that I get to think up new ways to use the term ‘ladies week’ in the title of my review. So, who are the ladies of this week, you may ask? My personal femininity trinity, Supergirl, Batwoman and Wonder Woman! Oh, and of course, Kori in RHatO, the lovely ladies of the Legion of Superheroes, and Brenda over in Blue Beetle. Rock on with your bad selves!

I’m kicking off ladies week with Green Lantern. Obviously, just trying to get the testosterone out of the way as quickly as possible. So, what have we learned this time around? Well for starters, Black Hand is terribly predictable when it comes to one-liners. “Death is at hand!” Really? Really, Geoff Johns? Actually, this issue is probably the first of this new Green Lantern book that I’ve just plain disliked. For one thing, we get to see what was kept from the old DCU in regards to the vast mythos that encompasses the Green Lantern Corps, sort of. John still blew up Mogo, as seen in War of the Green Lanterns. Blackest Night still happened, obviously. The war of light still happened. Kyle Rayner still carries the title of Torchbearer, which means that at one point, he was still Ion, which means that the events of Zero Hour and Green Lantern: Rebirth must have happened, too. How did I come to this? Okay. If Hal Jordan had never gone off the deep end and become Parallax, he never would have ended up destroying the Corps and then ultimately dying. Which means Kyle Rayner never would have gotten a ring of his own, eventually leading him to restoring the Green Lantern Corps and accepting the Ion entity into his body. In conclusion…DC, your reboot makes no fucking sense at all. Hard reboot basically everything else, leave Green Lantern, Legion of Superheroes, and Batman almost completely untouched. This is not how a reboot is supposed to work, get your shit together. Anyway, back to the issue at hand. Now, when I said that the plot twist was predictable, I meant it. It was ridiculously predictable, from the moment I read the words “Hal Jordan is not your enemy” in the Book of the Black. I mean it’s like, hello. If he’s not your enemy…obviously he’s going to be your greatest ally. That’s how comics work. There is no neutral ground with this stuff. In any case, I have nothing more to say about Green Lantern that isn’t a cheap shot at the Guardians being supposedly all-seeing, yet being unable to see that Hal clearly is still wielding a Green Lantern ring when looking right at him. Way to drop the ball on that, guys.

I have exactly one complaint regarding Legion of Superheroes this month. One. And that’s this: Paul Levitz, you’ve been writing these characters for years. How in the hell did you seemingly forget that Nura is Naltorian? She’s not human. Speaking in a purely evolutionary sense, she’s more than human. Above humans. Other than that, way to go. Nura and Luornu kicking major ass, Chuck Taine at his most relevant in years, you even managed to showcase the talents of the new recruits. This was a great fight scene issue, hopefully next time, we get to find out what was up with Grava.

I quit. I’m done. Nothing can top this. I can’t even do an accurate analysis, let alone a proper review, of this month’s issue of Blue Beetle. It can be summed up in a sentence: Khaji-Da finds Jesus. I’m sorry. I’m laughing too hard to even focus right now.

And just like that, I’m back. Now, I’m not a fan of Fabian Nicieza. No, that’s an understatement. I loathed 90% of his Red Robin run, and firmly believe that the only good thing he’s ever written was a Babsgirl/Catwoman comic drawn by Kevin Maguire. So I’m going into this month’s one-shot issue of DC Universe Presents, starring Kid Flash, prepared to dislike it. I’ve not been pleased with the way Bart’s been shown in the reboot. Lobdell and Booth seem to have spliced together his pre-Max Mercury personality and that of the DC Animated Universe’s Wally West which, while not a terrible combination, has been used in the worst way. In fact, Bart has been passed from terrible writer to terrible writer for so long, I think I can honestly say that the only thing I’ve liked him in for the past, oh, eight years or so? Kid Flash Lost, by Sterling Gates. But that’s the past. And technically the present. Enough preamble; how is this issue? To sum it up in two words, not bad. Speedsters tend to be motor-mouths, they even think at the speed of light. I enjoyed all the internal dialogue in this issue, reminded me a lot of KFL. What I don’t understand, however, is how Bart managed to pull a Deadpool and break the Fourth Wall several times over the course of the issue, most notably at the beginning and end. Though I must say, I laughed out loud at, “If you’re a masochist, check out Teen Titans #12”. Something tells me Lobdell will be responding to that one in his usual fashion. Another thing I liked was the art style. Jorge Jimenez is a relative newcomer, I only recognize his name from a Batman: Arkham City comic I never picked up from last year…but I like him. His style reminds me a lot of the art in Empowered. A little bit manga, a little bit rock and roll. I especially enjoyed his take on Bart’s costume, and the design of the new character Teryx and Dac. He’s also amazing at drawing Bart in motion. I hope Brett Booth takes a lesson here, because wow. Okay. I admit it. I’m impressed. The issue managed to overcome the instances where Bart felt the need to flirt with Dac for no reason other than “GIRL SHE’S A GIRL OHMYGOD SHE’S A GIRL” by being completely awesome in other aspects. You win this round, Nicieza.

Guess what didn’t get shorted this week?! When I saw that I had a copy of The Shade in my pile, I got the overwhelming urge to hug the guy that pulls comics. I didn’t because, well, there’s only one person in my LCS that I can annoy like that and get away with it, and Chris ain’t him. Anyway! We’re now officially one issue from done, people! The best thing James Robinson’s done in years is going buh-bye. If you haven’t been able to find copies of the individual issues, please, please try and pick up the trade or trades, when they come out. We need to let DC know that we’re not ready to let go of Mr. Robinson at his best. As for this issue, wow. Wow. When I like a book like this, I find it hard to truly review. In a way, I don’t want to spoil the surprises for those who haven’t had a chance to read it yet. So I will say this and this alone: Richard Swift is a man who can battle gods and win…without killing his enemy, should he not wish to. I implore you, dear reader. Get this issue on your own. You’ll not regret it.

Star Wars cover? Really, RHatO? I…no. I can’t. I can’t take you seriously. Roy, no one will get that reference to an awful book. You are on a star cruiser orbiting a distant world. No one in space has read Fifty Shades of Grey. Oh. Oh no. This isn’t happening. I’ve spent a year badmouthing this book, dismissing it as tripe, I can’t suddenly be starting to…like it, can I? Allow me to explain. Despite Komand’r’s Czarnian makeover, she manages to do a particularly heel face turn and show her true colors…as forever loyal to her sister and Tamaran. On one hand, noooo. I’ve always enjoyed Komand’r as the ‘black sheep’ of the royal family of Tamaran, which is why I liked seeing her in her own right as Queen in the last R.E.B.E.L.S. series. But on the other hand, I do love a good story of betrayal. Because this is what it’s setting up to, right? There is no way the ultimate alien bad girl is…nice, right? Come on, Lobdell. Don’t do this to me. You can’t. You’ve done so much already. Just…let me have this. Broken trust, a nice, fragile emotional state for Kori to use as an excuse to push her friends out of her life. Please. I need this to be where this story is heading. Or else…I don’t even know. Also, next month, yet another fucking origin for Jason. Enough! I wanna know about Roy! Give Roy an origin!

Oh my good lord. I could weep. J.H. Williams III is back in the artistic saddle, and will you guess who’s come along for the ride this issue? The woman of bats and the woman of wonder, together for the first time. Oh, gosh. The issue could be a bit hard to follow, with several plots going on all at once, sometimes even two on one page! Wonder Woman’s story follows her battle with mythic creatures to protect the world. Batwoman’s story has her teaming up with Abbot the wolfman to fight Bloody Mary and discern the location of Medusa, who, as it turns out, is a person, not an organization. Bette’s story follows her recovery, and her desire to don a mask again as soon as possible. And Maggie’s story follows her helplessness at being unable to locate the missing children of Gotham. Thankfully, having read JHW’s stuff before, I didn’t find it very difficult from panel to panel. In fact, looking back at it once I got over being completely overwhelmed at first glance by all the detail that goes into a single page, the stories blend rather nicely. Diana is fighting a visible enemy. She’s getting her hands bloody, seeing her progress as it happens. Kate is fighting an enemy she cannot find. She’s not moving forward, or backward. Her progress is at a standstill. This is a story that should not be missed. If you haven’t been reading Batwoman so far, correct your grievous error and start.

I don’t like Simon Tycho. As bad guys go, he’s no Lex Luthor, but he’s certainly slimy. Harnessing alien technology only to turn around and sell it? Not cool, bro. In any case, whoops, revealed the big plot twist anyone could see coming from a mile away. Simon found the rest of Kara’s pod before she could…and he just wants to talk? I’m more concerned with the Superman/Supergirl interaction. I have a confession to make. I haven’t read a single issue of Superman or Action Comics since the reboot. All of my knowledge of Big Blue comes from Justice League and the appearances he’s made in Superboy and Supergirl. And…I don’t like what I see very much. He comes off as kind of a douche, with more concern for people Kara hurt accidentally than his cousin herself. I mean, Jesus Supes. At least offer to teach the girl English or something.

ERMAHGERD IT’S ORION
I’ll get to everything else in a second, but holy hell you guys. The New fucking Gods are coming back. That means Orion. That means Lightray. That means the most badass woman to ever walk the DCU, Big Barda. I mean, I know we got Darkseid back in Justice League, but this is a bit of a bigger deal to me. Darkseid…you can’t go more than a couple of years without Darkseid. He’s like that one really annoying sticky out hair that grows on the blind spot on your chin and will always come back, no matter how often you pluck it. But the rest of the New Gods, you guys! Highfather! The Forever People! Aaah, I can’t stand it!
Ahem, but back to what actually happened in the rest of this issue of Wonder Woman that wasn’t the very last panel. The throne of Zeus has been taken up by Apollo. Hera is banished and made mortal. But most importantly, the messenger of Olympus, the god of thieves, Hermes has shown his true colors. Stealing Zola’s baby just after it is born, he’s delivered it to his aunt, Demeter. But why? Why would Demeter want the baby fated to slay the king of heaven? It’s a mystery, all right, and one we’re not even going to get hinted at until October. Damn it, #0 month.

And that was this week in comics. Ahh, ladies week. Who cares that it’s 4 am. I feel happy and whole. Hope to see y’all back next week. Same place, hopefully not the same time.

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Ladies week strikes back!

July 19, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

This is going to be the biggest week I’ve done in a while, with eight new books and the issue of The Shade my comic shop was shorted last week, so if it’s all the same, I’m going to just jump right in.

So, a show of hands as to who figured the Silk Spectre book would dive headfirst into a plot about drugs. I kind of figured they’d deal with that sort of thing, San Francisco in the 60s hello, but second issue in order to make it the primary plot of the mini? That take balls. Calling it now, Laurie’s boyfriend Greg is going to die. That’s the reason she ends up going back to her mother. As usual, I’m more enamored by the look of this book than the actual story going on. Amanda Conner’s psychedelic clothing designs are really rocking my world, but believe it or not, they’re second to the backgrounds she’s been laying down. From the grim and gritty warehouse in the opening scene to the interiors of the hippie pad where Laurie is living, the scenery is just blowing me away. Here’s hoping DC gives Ms. Conner more work in the very near future.

I’m done with Justice League. I can’t stomach it anymore. I can’t. Steve Trevor hasn’t been mentioned in the Wonder Woman book once, yet he’s all over this book. Hell, he’s probably considered a main character. He’s dead now, though, so I hope none of you were very attached to him. God, this book. Eight pages dedicated to Diana and Hal having a slapfight that the entire League gets pulled into, six pages of stuff that’ll actually be relevant for more than an issue. Nope, I’ll pass. The back up is a bit better, somehow. Billy is still behaving like a little shit, but at least he’s a little shit that is thinking about others? No, I lied, this is still terrible. Ugh, next book.

Why am I doing this to myself? Most people would give themselves a little breathing room between terrible books, but not me, baby! I soldier on! And speaking of soldiers, time for Kori to get yet another origin story. Seriously, she’s had like, three in eleven issues. Give Roy a chance sometime. So anyway, in this new origin, Kori and her sister Komand’r actually like each other! I guess? Because Komand’r does a bit of a 180 by the end of the issue…oh yeah, and this issue is told as a flashback story from Roy’s point of view, so there’s that. For the most part, this isn’t a bad story. The pacing is a bit better, I’m really starting to like the character of Isabel, and Kori’s crew is pretty interesting as well. I don’t really have much to complain ab- hahaha Komand’r what are you wearing?! Girl, you look like you mugged Lobo for his clothes and eyeliner! Maybe it’s just me, but I’m actually losing my taste for Kenneth Rocafort’s art. His women have begun to seem a bit too flawless, and his men, especially Jason, look too scrawny. So, what’s keeping me here? Well, I love Roy Harper. I love Koriand’r. And while I’m not fond of this version of him, I love Jason Todd. It’s a devotion to the characters I adore that’s keeping me reading a book where they are at their worst. This…does not say good things about me.

This month’s issue of Batwoman really did a great job of marrying the three story lines into one flowing plot. Sune the shapeshifter has escaped from right under Kate and the D.E.O.’s noses, the Bette coma plot was resolved nicely, and Kate and Maggie are no longer in danger of breaking up. Let’s start with Bette who, after several issues of unconsciousness, was finally roused from her slumber. Did her body finally heal enough to allow her to wake up? Was she just too stubborn to die? Was the promise of getting to put a mask on again to tempting to pass up? We may never know, but I like to think that it was a combination of the three things that brought her back to us. The Kate and Maggie plot was resolved in a bit of a hurried fashion, with Kate disclosing information about her family, both dead and alive, and Maggie talking about her daughter seeming to bring them closer than ever before. It’s one thing to lose someone you care about, but losing everyone, and feeling like you’re alone in the world, is what really linked them. As for the Sune plot…it’s not over. Not by a long shot. Falchion is dead, and Sune is now in charge of the monsters he created. This story is in its middle game, with the end still out of sight. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I’m really enjoying Legion of Superheroes again, and all it took was Brainy getting kidnapped. So, to add to the things I was generally unaware of regarding Dominators: they eat people? I guess that can’t be considered cannibalistic, as the people they eat aren’t of their kind, but they still eat sentients. That’s kind of gross. I’m not ashamed to admit that Brainiac 5 is my favorite character in this book, but today, Mon-El came super close to winning my heart. Go Mon! You call Rokk out on his douchiness! In a final turn of ‘the fuck did I just read’, the biggest Legion fangirl in the known universe shoots a core Legionnaire in the back. Why, Grava? Why? I’m guessing post-hypnotic suggestion, as she does say that someone ‘told’ her to, but I can’t be sure. Guess we’ll have to find out next month…before our heroes end up as dinner!

I don’t know what it is with my shop and The Shade, but it’s like no one wants me to read it or something. Why is that? I love this book! The art has me a little thrown, but the writing! The dialogue! The banter, mother of god, the banter! I’m home. Truly, I am home. If The Shade has done anything at all, it has reestablished James Robinson as a fantastic wordsmith, not someone who is completely bugfuck insane. “Welcome to pain.” Pah! Nothing painful about this. In this eleventh issue, we finally find the rhyme and reason behind Shade’s world tour, and that’s…Egyptian gods? Yes, okay. I wasn’t really in this for the ongoing plot, anyway. You see, if there is one thing I’ve always loved about Richard Swift, it’s how clever he is. He sees that his great-grandson and company have gods powered down and enslaved, so he fakes powerlessness in order to free them. Smart man, that Shade. Though, now he has to fight gods to save London, so I suppose that intelligence is relative. The endgame approaches! Two issues until the sure to be stunning finale, and I’m on the edge of my seat. Here’s to not being shorted next month!

Okay, no. Just from the cover, no. Jaime, what are you doing. Booster, what are you doing. Stop that. Be friends. Ahem. The plot of this issue of Blue Beetle is actually pretty cut and paste. Jaime goes looking for someone who can help him, Booster says he can help him, it’s a trick, they fight, rinse and repeat. But the details…Blue Beetle exists to break my heart. I asked about Ted Kord at the New 52 panel at Florida Supercon recently, and I was told to “Forget about him for a while.” I know this issue was written long before I asked my question, but Jaime yelling at Booster that he thought they could be friends, and Booster replying, “Not in this lifetime!” just killed me. I will say, Jaime’s grandmother is pretty badass, and the Paco and Brenda subplot is going to be really good once it reaches its head, but goddamn, this book is just bringing on the heartbreak harder than the Mariah Carey cover.

And the comeback kid strikes another one out of the park! Supergirl is one of two books that clawed its way back onto my buy list simply by refusing to just give up and suck. Now, the fight scene in this issue was pretty interesting, but I’m more invested in watching Kara learn about her powers and slowly grow out of being alternatively terrified and angry at everything around her. Also, Siobhan and her brother Tom? Probably among my favorite new/retooled characters of the reboot, simply because they can just roll with a freaked out Kryptonian. That takes some serious balls. In any case, who remembers Simon Tycho, our Big Bad from the early issues? Looks like he’s paying people to find Kara again, which means that he’ll probably be back in the picture soon. Whoa oh, but not as soon as next month’s guest star, the big blue boy scout himself, Superman!

Diana really just needs to put a harness on Zola, the rate this girl gets kidnapped. Seriously, didn’t they just pull her out of hell? And now she’s ascended, alive, into the realm of the gods known as Heaven. Hey, at least she’s getting some sightseeing done during her pregnancy, right? In any case, with Cliff Chiang back on the art, Strife no longer looks terrifying! Hera, however…in her defense, Hera is just a terrifying individual. She was willing to give up Zeus’ throne to Apollo in order to get her hands on Zola. There’s crazy, and then there’s Hera crazy. You don’t fuck with Hera crazy. So, a battle for the throne is soon to be at hand! Though, an important question I’d like to ask, is Lennox…dead? Because he looked like he might be dying after that fight with Artemis. I hope not, I like him very much. I suppose only time will tell.

And that’s this week in comics. Ugh, late by two hours, again. My sincerest apologies, I’ve been plagued by a migraine literally since I woke up yesterday morning, and it has sort of impeded my ability to focus. I’ll do better next time. Until then dears, I am, now and forever, Touch of Grey.

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Welcome back to ladies week!

June 21, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

I’d like to once again welcome you to ladies week! We’ve got seven books to cover this week, and three of them are female-lead titles. Heck, this week, Outlaws focuses on Starfire so technically, that’s a female-lead issue too. Shall we?

Ha, I say it’s ladies week, and start off with Blue Beetle. This title has been growing on me lately. Yes, Jaime still reminds me of OYL Tim Drake, but he’s getting less whiny. This issue, Jaime seeks help from the D.E.O.. Now, for those not in the know, the D.E.O. is the Department of Extranormal Operations. They’re…not really known for being helpful towards metahumans. The D.E.O. has a bit of a bug up their butt, no pun intended, about aliens and masked vigilantes. See Batwoman for more information on them. If you have a problem with depictions of torture, you may want to skip this issue. It’s nothing major, but it could be triggering to people none the less. The thing that got me excited this month was the big reveal at the end of the issue…the Blue and Gold, together again for the first time! Now, this has me a little upset. This is really where we find out whether or not Ted Kord ever existed. If Booster meets Jaime, and has nothing to say along the lines of ‘I knew a guy with that name once’, I will cry. Not oh, boo hoo, internet tears, I will cry. I take my Blue Beetle very, very seriously.

Kori is a badass. This is the main thing you need to know about her, no matter the incarnation. New Teen Titans Kori was a badass, Teen Titans cartoon Kori was a badass, Red Hood and the Outlaws Kori is a badass. Writers can change everything else about her, but the character Starfire will always be one of the strongest extraterrestrials in the DCU. Now that that’s over with, let’s talk about Isabel. We met her a few issues ago, when she was flirting with Jason on their flight to Hong Kong. She’s…in way over her head. I don’t have a lot of faith that she’s going to survive her first trip to space. Romance isn’t exactly a focus of this title. Though, speaking of. I guess Roy and Kori are a couple now? With Kori settling into a relationship and letting her badassery shine through, maybe now she’ll get some actual issue to issue characterization instead of just being the pretty one with no clothes. Here’s hoping!

I’m not a fan of books that jump around in timelines, but for Batwoman, I’ll make an exception. This issue, we see several different narratives, which eventually culminate in a twist ending that made me curse out loud. For this, I offer to you a SPOILER ALERT.
I’ve said before, I like this book for all the different points of view it takes. But my favorite narrative this month, by far, was the one belonging to Jake Kane. I’ve liked his character since he was introduced in Elegy, and I feel that this fleshing-out he’s been getting lately is long overdue. Jake has spent nearly every moment of his days with Bette since she went under, and in a heartfelt soliloquy, confessed that he’d loved his other daughter, Beth, more than Kate because of her compassion. That’s really very hard hitting, if you think about it. Parents are rarely shown as ‘choosing favorites’, but in the last two weeks, two major members of the Batfamily have been outed as the favorite child. Why is that? And the parallels of them…Bruce Wayne’s younger brother, Thomas Jr., was the forgotten son, and he ended up a villain. Beth Kane, Kate’s twin sister, was presumed dead for years, until the unspoken favorite daughter also reappeared as a villain. It’s just interesting to think about. Also fascinating is Sune’s reveal at the end of the issue. As it turns out, both brother and sister are one and the same. Both, yet neither, a shapeshifter unnamed. Oh my, that rhymed!

It figures it would take an arc centered around Querl and Nura to get me back into Legion of Superheroes. So, taking what we know about the Dominators so far, they’ve kidnapped Brainy and DG to steal their DNA to add their skill sets into warrior clones to further the race. Not bad…except Brainy is a Dox. His entire race isn’t of a Level 12 intelligence, just him. So how do we know that simply stapling his cells to those of a Dominator clone warrior will create a being with a boosted intelligence? Actually, the fact that the scientists working on the project don’t know is what’s keeping our taken Legionnaires alive and waiting for rescue. And what a rescue it’ll be! Paul Levitz is having the X-men go after them! I’m sorry, the second I saw that splash panel, I knew I’d be making that joke. We’ve got a tracker, a body-splitter, a psionic, and a guy in a floating wheelchair forming a team, you look me dead in the eye and tell me that the first thing you think of isn’t the X-men cartoon from the nineties. And I will call you a damn liar. Also along for the ride is Grava from the Legion Academy, who I really do like a bit. She’s silly and more than a little annoying, but she’s also very sweet, and her character really grew on me back when Adventure Comics was focused on the Academy. In any case, I’m back on board! Wow me, Paul! Oh, I almost forgot. The cover of this issue has a penis allegory on it. The scientist Dominator is holding a jizz-stick. And their embassy, on the first page? Giant mound of vaginas. Just had to point that out.

Supergirl is a great book. Of all the New 52 books, it was the first to claw it’s way back onto my buy list, and I’m so pleased that it did. No longer is Kara the scared, confused girl who was constantly questioning herself and getting so entirely on my nerves I could scream. Now, she is a warrior. She fights for her friends. By giving Kara an actual supporting cast, the creators have truly given her new life, and a purpose within the new universe. Let’s hope they continue to make the best of her in the months to come.

Wonder Woman is the embodiment of love, that fact was drilled into us during Blackest Night. To the point where it became a holdover into the Nu52. But you know what? Brian Azzarello uses it well. Hades turns the lasso of truth into a noose and asks Diana if she loves him…which she does. She loves him. She loves everyone. But she is not in love with him, because in order for the Eros’ guns to have worked on her, he needs to have love for himself. It’s really a wonderful idea, and it was executed beautifully. Though I doubt we’ll be seeing Hades again for a while, I can’t wait to see what happens when we do.

That was this week in comics, ladies and gents! Next week will be a little more dude-centric with Teen Titans, Justice League, and a new issue of the Flash! See you then!

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Ladies week is back!

May 17, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

So, it’s the second week of the month again…hold me? I mean, on one hand, I’m really looking forward to Supergirl and Batwoman, but on the other hand, there’s Justice League and the Red Hood Night of the Owls tie-in. I’m a mixed bag of feelings, here. Best just jump right in.

Three words: Registering Metabolic Arousal. Tony. Why. I mean, it’s funny, because he’s a teenager and she’s scantily dressed, but really? I’m equally amused and ashamed. Though on the other hand, Jaime is slowly morphing back into that adorably awkward dorky kid that I begrudgingly fell in love with in 2006, while still mourning the loss of Ted Kord. He’s nervous around Bleez not only because she can, and would, kill him in a second, but because he’s trying to remember the stuff his parents taught him about being polite to the ladies, and figure out just how it applies to space aliens. I liked the character interaction in this issue more than I liked the fight, because the fight is connected to the next issue of New Guardians and…yeah. Crossover fever is hitting hard these days, and I’m not pleased about it. Also, and I may not have mentioned this before, but I really like Marcio Takara’s art. He draws a beautiful Jaime, and unlike Ed ‘Tits n Ass’ Benes, he makes Bleez’s suit look more like semi-functional armor than a bondage suit, which is always nice. A moment of silence for Glomulus, who will most likely be back in New Guardians.

Sigh, and it was going so well. I’ve never been a huge fan of the Dominators just because…well, they’re the Dominators. Everything they’re about is in their name. They invade worlds to expand territory, DC’s answer to Skrulls. And while this new storyline is going to focus on Querl and Nura (two of my favorite Legionnaires), and Nura is obviously going to be more ass-kicky than usual, I can’t help but feel anxious. Paul Levitz’s writing has always been pretty questionable to me. His setups are elaborate, but often don’t pan out into anything. I’m still waiting to find out if Mekt was lying about being born with a twin. Francis Portella’s art is fantastic, especially when drawing Nura fighting. Thank you, man who knows how to illustrate a realistic fight scene…with genetically mutated aliens. In any case, this issue is setting up the next arc. Brainy and Dream Girl were kidnapped by Dominators for undisclosed reasons, and Starman quit the Legion to get back the woman he loves without dragging the rest of the team into an interplanetary incident. Let’s focus for a moment on how fucking stupid this idea is. Thom may be Omega-powerful, what with his powers being those of gravity itself, but he’s still healing. He’s still in a goddamn floating wheelchair, but no biggie. He’s just going to steal a spaceship, fly to the Dominator planet, and make everyone fall over or something. Thom, look at your choices. They are bad.

Look at Justice League. No, I’m serious. Just look at it. Don’t bother reading it, you’ll be happier.
Actually, I’m not being entirely truthful. As always, the Barry/Hal interactions are adorably bromoerotic in nature, and Barry is…Barry, stop being so ridiculous. You better tell him what he wants to know, or he’s gonna be so upset with you. Also, can I point out that Bruce has the best way of asking Clark on lunch dates? These boys. These boys. Diana was, for once, less detrimental and more ornamental. She used her lasso, yes, but the main focus of this issue was on her former not-paramour, Steve Trevor. But honestly, don’t try and glean an actual plot from this issue, there isn’t one. It’s a team-up issue without everyone in the team being in the same place at the same time, with both halves of the team (minus Aquaman) coming to the same conclusion: A man named Graves is after them. The backup isn’t much better, because oh my god Billy stop. Stop existing. I would literally prefer this kid to not exist rather than read him like this. Not even Gary Frank’s great visuals can fix this disaster.

I’m going to take a moment to express my excitement over Jill Thompson being the one to tackle this particular issue of The Shade. I’ve always loved Thompson’s Scary Godmother, and her work with the various Sandman characters (especially her Little Endless story books, and the entirety of Brief Lives, my favorite arc), so having her attached to the best mini DC has put out in some time? Yay! This issue deals with Albert Caldecott, another one of Shade’s grandchildren, and tells the story of how his lover summoned, and was then possessed by, a minor servant demon known as a homunculus. That’s literally the entire issue, so let’s ignore it and talk about expressions. Thompson’s expressions are what made me a fan, the first time I read Brief Lives. She’s on par with Amanda Connor and Kevin Maguire when it comes to body language, and could probably do a silent comic without having any trouble telling the story of what’s going on. If you’re only picking up one issue of The Shade, though why you would do that is beyond me, make it this one.

Personal opinion time: Supergirl has gotten better since Kara was given someone to interact with. Siobhan was just the ingredient this book needed to go from yeow to wow! The saga of the Banshee family continues with a bit of history behind the father/daughter reunion. So, my one question is this: If Tommy’s sacrifice ensured that the curse would end and Black Banshee could never harm his daughter again, what plot hole is allowing this fight to take place? Hopefully, that’ll be explained next issue. Another interesting thing is to watch Siobhan struggle with the monster inside that wants to be set free. The fact that she’s fighting it with everything she’s got, rather than submitting to the hunger, is really admirable.

Red Hood and the Outlaws is terrible. So why do I keep reading it? Like I’ve said every time I review a Lobdell-penned book, his dialogue is amateurish, his pacing it enough to make me flip a table, and don’t even get me started on his Jason-narratives. But…then there are moments. Like Jay and Tim bonding over breakfast, or Roy using his arrows to keep a powerless Kori from going into cold shock, or this issue, where the Talon Xiao Loong calmly asks that Jason end his life on his own terms. Scott Lobdell is like…a spec of gold dust in a pile of shit. He’s capable of writing something good, but these spurts of brilliance are few and far between.

Surprisingly, Batwoman isn’t a tie-in to the Night of the Owls event, and I couldn’t be happier. I suppose it’s because this book actually has a plot that isn’t in any way tied to Bruce Wayne and his drama. Several different storylines are running through this issue, so hold on tight. First off, we’ve got the main story, Batwoman and Sune vs Falchion. Badass ladies being badass, I approve. Then there’s the Kate/Sune side-angle which…I don’t want to use the term revenge-gay, but yeah. That seems to be the case, at least until we learn more about her personality. And then, there’s Bette. Coma Bette. Dying Bette. I…I don’t know what to say about this. I’ve never been a huge fan of Flamebird as a hero, but I really did like Bette as a character. She was a minor Titan in the old DCU, and had the potential to become a strong member of the Batfamily…instead, it looks like she’s being fridged. I don’t know. I think this is the first time I haven’t been completely satisfied with an issue of Batwoman. My head hurts.

Oh, Wonder Woman. With every issue, my love for this title grows. How did I ever find you boring?! This particular series is so steeped in mythology, I just can’t handle it. I mean, look at the scene between Diana and her handmaiden. At first, you’re reading it, and everything’s cool…then BOOM the handmaiden is actually Persephone! Who foolishly tried to commit suicide to leave the land of the dead! You think Diana is just going to be getting a normal wedding ring, or maybe a bondage collar of some kind to show that she’s really committed to marrying Hades…then BAM! Noose! Aughhh. I love this book. Love it. But I’m not sure about the guest artist. Tony Akins is nice, but goddamn, bring back Cliff Chiang. Tony, your Strife is hella scary. 

And that would be this week in comics. I’m obligated to inform you that Catwoman and Nightwing came out this week, and they…weren’t complete dreck. They both tied into Night of the Owls and, like Red Hood, their purpose was to humanify one of the Talons. Who knows, maybe this crossover is doing something good, after all.

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And now, a first: An almost rage-free comic review!

April 19, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Seven books? But, it’s not the second week of the month! Ah well.

See, this is what I like. A Legion cooldown issue done well. The issue starts out with the discovery that someone out there is trying to recreate the Fatal Five, which will surely be the big focus of the next arc. But the real stars of this issue are the original three. Garth and Imra take Rokk out on the town for the night, and he begins to reconnect with his old lady-love Lydda Jath, former member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes. It was a good issue, for what it’s worth, and the first time I haven’t had mostly negative things to say about a Legion book.

Okay, I was wrong. Remember how I said I thought Supergirl was a fairly dull book? Wrong wrong wrong. One thing I was right about, though, was how the Irish girl from a few issues back would pay a larger part. Spoiler alert: It’s Silver Banshee! I’ve always loved characters, especially villains, that draw from mythology and folklore, so banshees have always held a soft spot in my heart. So, while I’d have liked more time between Siobhan and Kara’s meeting, and Siobhan becoming Silver Banshee, I liked the end-of-issue reveal all the same. You go, team Supergirl!

I’m still not fond of Blue Beetle. Jaime reminds me a bit too much of One Year Later Tim Drake to be entirely likable, but by god, at least the story is getting better. Stopwatch is a fantastic villain, and I see that Tony Bedard was drawing inspiration from the likes of Clock King, with a nice helping of tragic mad scientist to net him some fans, when he was writing him. It’s also nice to see a holdover from the old DCU, namely, the Reach scarabs hating Green Lanterns. My only real disappointment is that the first GL Jaime has ever met is going to be Kyle. I’d have liked to see how Tony would have written a Jaime/Guy fight. Then again, he’s also writing New Guardians, so I guess it makes sense for it to be Kyle. Wow, I think this is the most positive I’ve ever been about Blue Beetle, and it only took 8 months of bitching to realize that.

Okay, I’m confused. Isn’t Justice League supposed to take place 5 years prior to everything else in the DCnU? Oh wait, last issue, they kicked it up to present day. Why? Why is that a good idea? The only way I can live with the characters in Justice League acting as completely out-of-character (or in some cases, acting as parodies of themselves) as they do is because they’re young. Just starting out. Taking time to grow and mature. But no, five years later, they’re still a bunch of bickering children…and Barry. I think Geoff Johns is trying to make up for his Road to Flashpoint arc of the previous Flash series by making Barry as caring and concerned for others as he possibly can. Oh, look, it’s time again for Grey to talk about the technical areas of the comic book! Speaking of creators, I’m convinced. Jim Lee truly is one of a kind. There are three guest artists on the book this week, including Ivan Reis who worked with Geoff on the old main Green Lantern book, Blackest Night, Brightest Day, and the current Aquaman series…and none of them have the ability to make these horribly written people look as good as Jim does. But back to the actual story, and the giant middle finger it loves to wave at us. I haven’t been reading the new Green Arrow series, nor have I been keeping up with StormWatch. So today, I was finally introduced to DCnU Ollie and J’onn (I’m not counting his appearances in Green Lantern Corps). Now, I’ve never liked Ollie. But J’onn J’onzz used to be the heart and soul of the Justice League. He was truly my favorite Martian. And now…he’s probably never going to appear as a friend of the League, ever again.
So, how about that Shazam? As soon as I saw the other characters in this backup, I realized that, oh snap, we’re going back to Flashpoint S!H!A!Z!A!M!. These are literally the same kids, and with their reveal, the name change makes sense. By the way, in case anyone was wondering, yes, Billy is still an awful little shit that you just want to beat into a pulp. Mary is fairly badass, though. And after all the crap DC put her through before the reboot, she deserves to be seen as something other than a joke.

Scott Lobdell, I sincerely hate your writing. I do. You’re awful. Suzie Su? She is literally just a fat ball of rage. That’s her character. That’s who she is. You dedicated almost an entire issue to that bit of nothingness…then wrote two pages of the best character interaction between Jason and Tim outside of fanfic. How. How is this. I can’t. How are you a person with some kind of depth to you, as well as at least a basic understanding of how people interact, and still put out three awful titles a month? I don’t get it. I’m so confused right now.

God, I love Batman. No, not Batman. God, I love the creative team behind Batman. Only Scott Snyder could write a story where a centuries-old Illuminati discovers the secret of Batman, and Alfred squishes one of them with the giant penny. Only Scott Snyder could do this, and not be called completely insane. The Night of the Owls has begun. It has already touched books like Red Hood and the Outlaws, Nightwing, and Catwoman. The first crossover event of the new year, of the new universe, and it promises to be a good one.

It has come to my attention that last month’s issue of Wonder Woman wasn’t generally well-received by my peers, namely, female comic fans. So here, have a rant from last month: http://touchofgrey37.tumblr.com/post/19720812353/im-seeing-a-lot-of-rage-and-sadness-and-hate-towards
As for this month, however. Wow. It’s all I can say. All I need to say. Cliff Chiang has a grasp of anatomy and movement that is unmatched by any on this mortal plane. Brian Azzarello is an amazing worldbuilder. In so many other adaptions of myth, the Underworld is a place where the dead are tortured, or trapped, or just generally miserable. Azzarello’s denizens of the Underworld are things, places. They fight for their master, when called upon. And the idea of them makes the concept of life after death all that much scarier. Of course, the twist at the end of the issue had me flipping pages. Had Hephaestus set her up, with the guns? Did Hermes know, as soon as he saw Zola, that he was only leaving with one woman? In any case, next month, Hades liked it, so he’s putting a ring on it!

Oh, wow. This week was so…positive. I don’t know what happened. Is it possible that comics are getting…good? No, can’t be. My sincerest apologies for posting this at 1 am. I had to go into work unexpectedly, and didn’t actually get to the comic shop until 8 pm. Hope to see you back next week!

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Two out of three ain’t bad…when we’re talking about the Trinity, anyway.

March 22, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

For my own reasons, I simply can’t continue to read Green Lantern Corps and Nightwing. As it is, we’ve got eight books on our plate today, including what seems to be the end of Kick-Ass 2. Let’s go!

I’m sorry, but I don’t see how anyone in this gang could possibly be Chinese. Is it a bad artist? I mean, he’s clearly seen Asians before. Harmonia is proof of this. Is the future of China just…an explosion of white folks? Okay…

I really like the designs of the Worldkillers, they’re certainly well done. Also, I’d like to be the first to decry the theory that Kara is another Worldkiller. After all, Reign said that only a Worldkiller can defeat a Worldkiller, and Kara was clearly losing her fight against them. This issue was…interesting. It was fairly slow, for an issue that was essentially one big fight scene. Though at the end, it stands to wonder. Did Reign and her Worldkillers take down the force field? It’ll be pretty awkward if they didn’t. Oh well, we’ll find out next month.

Justice League is completely unlikable. The team is made up of dicks. Well, dicks, Diana, and Barry. I haven’t really seen enough of Cyborg to make a informed decision as to whether or not he’s a dick yet. Though I do have a thing to say about Diana. With the whole ‘rejection of Steve Trevor’ thing, is it possible that they might explore a theme that has been speculated on for decades? Namely, the theory that Wonder Woman could be, dare I dream it, queer? I really, really want that route to be traveled, I just don’t want Geoff Johns to be the one to do it.
Now onto the second feature. Holy fuck, what did you do to Billy Batson? Billy ‘sweetest kid on the planet’ Batson. Billy ‘I’m going to make Black Adam’s magic word chocolate egg cream just to fuck with him’ Batson. Well, he’s apparently a brat now. Thanks for that, Geoff Johns. I will say, I always enjoy seeing Gary Frank’s art. I just wish it wasn’t attached to…this.

I love Wonder Woman. I’ve never said that before, but I say it now. This issue is just…fantastic. The perfect marriage of art and writing, simply amazing. Diana and her band of gods and demigods have sought out Hephaestus to arm them for their journey into hell to retrieve Zola, and on the way, learn the answer to a very good question. How is it the Amazons have only ever had girl-children? Answer: they haven’t. The ‘failures’ of Amazons have been traded to Hephaestus for weapons, and he raises them instead. They are not his slaves, as Diana assumed, but his children. This was a good, good issue. It showed that Diana isn’t always right, it introduced us to more members of her extended family, and it also answered a question that had not been answered before. If you haven’t been reading Wonder Woman before, it’d be a good idea to start. Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang have made fans out of a former Wonder Woman neutralist.

Wow, today is just a day for adoration. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t like Bruce Wayne. I’m not a fan, never have been. But under Scott Snyder’s pen, something has happened. While he isn’t exactly likable, Bruce Wayne has become something. Perhaps something he’s always been, but I’ve just been too blind to see. Stripped to his core, he is…an unhinged, emotionally-stunted manchild in a Bat costume. And for some reason, I really, really like that.

I have my problems with Red Hood and the Outlaws, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. I think my major issue is that this All-Caste thing would have worked just as well attached to a new character, not one as well-established in the DC universe as Jason Todd. That being said, I do like the backstory of Essence. Revealing her, as well as Ducra and the Untitled as a whole, to be Vandal Savage-esque immortals was pretty cool. And the designs are fantastic. But…it just doesn’t feel like a book Jason Todd should be attached to. That’s just my two cents, like it or leave it.

Kick-Ass 2 ended in an interesting way. Red Mist is defeated, the superheroes get their shining moment, Mother Russia gets a particularly gory decapitation scene…it wasn’t bad. It’s clearly not the last we’re going to see of Hit-Girl, if the fact that Millarworld is going to be putting out a solo title about her in June. Yes, that’s right, Millarworld. A company where Mark Millar writes everything. And he’s got the gall to advertise it in the back of a Marvel comic with the line, “The Big Two just became the Big Three” attached. Um. Hi, there’s this other company, goes by the name Image, it’s got one of the most popular comics on the market right now? And said comic spawned a TV show? Yeah, get in line for number 3 status.

Hm. Okay, want my opinion? Of course you don’t, but I’m giving it anyway. Jaime is in New York City. Virgil is in New York City. They should totally team up. By the way, the phasing villain here bears a striking resemblance to the other phasing villain who showed up, connection? Perhaps. I’m still not enjoying the Blue Beetle book, but at least I’m hating it less that usual so…progress?

That was this week in comics! I wrote a lot less that I thought I would, hm. In any case, I was barely driven to insane rage this week, fantastic! Let’s hope next week goes just as well. Until then, my lovelies!

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We’re starting with chicks, we’re ending with chicks…I dub this chick week!

February 16, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Oh goodness gravy gracious, seems like it’s the second week of the month again. Eight books, including two DC 52’s I’ve only recently picked up, Batman and Wonder Woman! Shall we begin?

So, remember how I said I was annoyed with Kara’s characterization? Well, I still am, sort of. But at least she’s kicking ass now! Somehow managing to regain her yellow sun-caused powers, Kara saves herself from Argo’s fate, flying back to Earth just in time to start fighting Reign in New York City. It was sort of a slow issue, with random scenes (will the Irish girl play a bigger part in later issues), flashbacks, and a strange hallucination bit, but it was well-written and well drawn, so I guess I can excuse it. Though I have to say, I’m still confused as to the purpose of the knee holes in Kara’s boots.

Still not understanding how Green Lantern Corps is my least favorite Lantern-related book. I feel like I should love it, but it’s so…long-winded and boring. Even the action sequences are snooze-worthy. Ugh, how is this happening?!

Interesting. Maybe it was her name, maybe it was the way she was drawn to look like another Caucasian biped, but I had no idea Dragonwing from Legion of Superheroes was supposed to be Chinese…I think. Fairly certain, at least. I’m not too invested in this book anymore. Though, the scene with Dream Girl smooching Thom, then princess-carrying him back to his own chair was pretty cute. Girl power! Not to be confused with Power Girl, who looks nothing like Nura Nal. Speaking of people not looking anything like they should, has Francis Portela ever been to China? Because everyone there seems to be white in the future. I don’t think that’s a very good future, do you?

I’ve been trying to like Nightwing, I really have. But between the uninspiring art, the lackluster storyline, and Dick’s own recently bland personality, I’m afraid I just can’t find anything to enjoy. I’m sorry, Nightwing. I’ve failed you.

Ah, now this I can get into. Of all the little origin stories I’ve seen since the reboot, the one I’ve hoped for the most was this one, how Jason and Kori met. Long story short, he blew up a submarine and ended up marooned on the island she called home. We learn a lot about Kori’s character during this issue, and hopefully, a lot of the slut shaming will stop now. She was in a relationship with Dick Grayson, and presumably, he ended up hurting her, and they broke it off. She chooses not to dwell on her past with him, and actually sort of blocks him out, except for the happy times when they were together. The end of the issue actually brings up something interesting. Were Jason and Kori actually together, or were they just friends who had sex? It’s not an important question, or even one I hope to have answered right away, but it is a good question nonetheless. Oh! And another thing. In one of her Dick-related flashbacks, we see Kori with both Dick and Roy during a mission. So…did Kori know Roy previously? And if so, why hasn’t that been addressed? Did Roy forget her as a side-effect of the drugs he’d been on? I’m hoping they cover Roy’s history next, as I’m now very, very curious.

I only started reading the DCnU Batman title last month. And I’m actually pretty sad that it took me this long to hop on board the bandwagon. Those of you who have been reading this blog, or know me in real life, know I’ve got a pretty low opinion of Bruce Wayne. He’s just not an interesting character to me. And then someone pointed out that his book was being written by Scott Snyder. Now, I loved Scott Snyder’s work with DickBats, and I actually own the hardback trade of The Black Mirror. The man does quality work. Such quality work that, for the first time ever, I’m now committed to buying a monthly title focusing solely on Bruce Wayne. I’m a sucker for conspiracy theory stories, and secret societies, so this first arc is just sucking me right in. This latest issue is possibly the trippiest thing I’ve read in ages. The long-awaited confrontation between Batman and Talon of the Court of Owls! It’s certainly a good fight, visually, though there’s very little exposition to drive the story forward, until the last page. Basically, the Court is Caesar, and Talon is the champion gladiator. They take people from above who get too close to the secret, and have them run around in their labyrinth until they can’t go on, and then Talon ends them. I’m going to have to take a second now, before I start the next book, to thank Scott Snyder for making me like Bruce Wayne. Thank you, Mr. Snyder. You’re doing an excellent job.

I am not happy with Tony Bedard. I am not happy with DC. Why does everything have to be edgy and gritty? It’s 2012, not 1993. Jaime Reyes was a normal kid with good friends and a loving family…that happened to accidentally acquire the most powerful suit of living armor on the planet. And you’ve taken that away from us. The Scarab isn’t his friend, Brenda isn’t his friend so much as a love-interest-in-training, his parents’ personalities are warped, Jaime’s personality is shot to hell…the only real similarity I can find is that he still cares so much for the people in his life, that he would get as far away from them as he could just to make sure they’d be safe. I can’t look at you right now, Blue Beetle. Just, just go away.

You know what bugged me about Wonder Woman, when I read the first five issues last month? Why was it that she was the one to get the big re-origining? Batman’s parents are dead, Superman still came from a doomed world, but now Wonder Woman is actually the daughter of Zeus? Personally, I always loved the Perez origin, how she was made from clay and blessed by the goddesses. But hey, at least she’s not ‘edgy’. I really like the designs used for the different gods and goddesses in this book. Hades as a child with a head of candles, and Poseidon as a crowned sea monster are especially interesting. It’s also nice to see that Azzarello is paying attention to the classic depiction of Hera as a raging bitch. Though, the assumption that a woman could not rule the heavens without a man is pretty awful. All in all, Wonder Woman is a fairly good book, a nice blending of classic myth and modern adventure. I approve.

That’s this week in comics, everyone. On a personal note, I hope all of you enjoyed the recent holiday, whether with a loved one or by yourself, throwing Molotov cocktails at cars in city dumps. Hope to see y’all here next week!

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I dub thee, DC what are you doing week.

January 18, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , ,

It’s a…well, it’s a week. Six books, two of which are on their last chances. Sigh. Okay, enough stalling.

Green Lantern Corps, what are you doing? Peter J. Tomasi has effectively integrated the mythical hammerspace into DC continuity. For those not in the know, hammerspace is the term used in some anime fandoms to describe the place where characters keep previously unnoticed weapons or supplies. But instead of hammerspace being a dimensional rip, he’s made it into an actual planet. Okay, sure. Also, way to have aliens carrying around and trading completely random Earth weapons. Ugh. I’m actually pretty glad I’m not paying for this title anymore.

Nothing happened in Legion of Superheroes this month. Nothing. Unlike in the various downtime comics the post-Zero Hour Legion had, this one didn’t have any sort of underlying plot. It just showed the characters…existing. Which, I guess was okay. We see that Salu and Ayla are still lovers, that Imra and Garth went back to Winath to raise their kids, and that Glorith doesn’t really like being in the Legion. Okay, that shows a little bit of character development. But there’s just so little of anything going on, I nearly fell asleep. And don’t even get me started on that art. Good god, what is that art even trying to accomplish? Sorry, LoSH, you’re officially in-store.

Oh wow. Oh snap. I can’t even right now. Remember how I was hating on Blue Beetle last month? Jaime stabbed Paco through the heart, though not of his own will, and Paco was dying. Well, this month, Jaime had the Scarab save him…except the Scarab lied. Instead of inserting a, a healing bug into Paco, Khaji-Da turned him into a sleeper agent for the Reach, a Red Beetle. It was a twist I wasn’t expecting, and it certainly made this issue incredibly interesting. Blue Beetle, you are safe for another month.

I loved the first couple of issues of Supergirl. They were wonderfully drawn and interestingly written. But now? This, ‘oh god where is Krypton what are these powers what’s going on’ Kara’s been saddled with has really begun to irritate me. I mean, jeez. I’ve heard broken records that occasionally play different songs. Anyway, in this issue, Kara discovers what happened to Krypton by way of her home of Argo City, which was protected from the destruction by a giant force field, though it has since died. And then we get the fight scene. This seems to be a pattern with Supergirl. Kara is confused and scared, someone superpowered appears, she gets angry, there is a fight. I really hate to do this but…I’m benching this book.

I think this may be ‘what are you doing’ week. Because Nightwing had me saying that every couple of pages. We’re in New Orleans this month, so of course there’s going to be a voodoo priestess. I mean, why not? And of course she’s Jimmy the clown’s ex-wife. And of course Raya is hooking up with the guy who’d liked her forever and also fought Dick a couple of issues ago. Next to no progress was made with that book subplot, so I guess we can write this issue off as filler..?

Oh god, I can’t even. Even? It’s gone. Knocked out of the park. Red Hood and the Outlaws, as I may have said before, is a book that gets better with every issue. Most of this month is focused on Jason’s fight with the Untitled in hiding as well as Jason’s past with the All-Caste, though the other plot, Kori and Roy versus Crux, is also pretty prevalent. Let’s talk about that first. Roy’s character in the reboot seems to be that of a man who plays the fool, but still has a lot of heart to him. He proves that by not really saying anything when Kori reveals that she’s been depowered, just sets out to help her the best he can. Any other person would probably dwell on her powerlessness, but not him, and that’s nice. Kori is also showing a bit of heart this issue, especially in her scene with Roy, and at the end, where she doesn’t immediately agree to use her, very lethal, powers on the angry mob chasing Jason. Speaking of whom, wowzers. Aside from wielding the most badass weapons (swords that seem to require your own blood to work, holy shit) I’ve seen in quite a while, he also shows an amazing ability to not give a flying fuck. His own murder? Batman being a douche? Ignore all that, let’s kick some ass. Wow.

And that was this week in comics! I’ve got a teeny, tiny social life to go sustain now, so I must be off. By the way, Tumblr officially convinced me to go out and buy the first five issues of Wonder Woman and Batman, so I may do a mass assessment of the two books later, once I read them. If not see y’all next week.

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This week: Kill everyone!

December 22, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Despite the fact that Catwoman and Birds of Prey both came out today, I’ve decided that I won’t be touching them with a ten-foot pole, in order to concentrate on better titles. This month is my cut-off month. No more waiting for a title to magically get better. If it doesn’t wow me this month, it’s cut from my buying list, and will eventually be cut from my reviewing list as well.

I feel really bad to admit that the only plot within this arc of Legion of Superheroes that I like involves Brainy and Glorith. Science meeting magic, with science desperately attempting to unravel the mysteries of magic just appeals to me. It doesn’t hurt that Brainy is my favorite member of the Legion, and Glorith is my favorite member of the academy.

How did Green Lantern Corps, one of my favorite books from pre-reboot DC, become so…uninteresting? Even with the big surprise reveal of the last few pages wasn’t enough to get me to care about this book. The central Earth Lanterns of this book are Guy and John, so I feel like I should like it more but…I really don’t. Hm. Sorry, GLC, you’re in-store only from now on.

I don’t like Nightwing anymore. Oh, not the character. I love Dick Grayson when he’s not characterized as a man-whore. But…I just can’t handle the eventual Dick/Babs pairing that is going to come about. I can’t do it. I’m not interested in that particular relationship, which seems to be a lot of peoples OTP. There was very little non-romance driven plot this month until the last two pages, and even then, it was vague and not exactly suspenseful. Sorry, Nightwing. Until you clean up your act, you’re in-store only.

Remember how I mentioned that there were some titles I read purely for the character interaction? That’s Red Hood and the Outlaws. Roy is a dork with issues, Jason is a jerk with issues, and Kory is an alien with issues. It’s the issue club! Gonna focus on Kory’s role in this issue, rather than the stagnant plot that is Jason’s vengeance quest against the Untitled. In this issue, Kory fights the super-intelligent, mutated, xenophobic human, Crux. I don’t expect to see this guy in more than three issues, as he seems to be a generic, exposition-spewing villain, and Lobdell could do better. Still, goddamn, Kenneth Rocafort. You’re spoiling me with this art! Does this guy have an official fan club yet? Because I want to be part of it.

Speaking of comics with amazing art and meh writing, Justice League! No, really. Where Green Lantern is fantastic, Justice League is atrocious. Sure there’s a lot of quipping, but when it comes down to it, the League is just a big penis-waving title about who has more power. The only people that even seem, well, like real people are the Flash and Wonder Woman. Diana in this book is new to the world of man, fresh off the boat from Themyscra, if you will. She’s learning about the United States from the government, which doesn’t seem like the best idea, but she’s still an Amazon, always ready for a fight. Flash is, well, a cop. An everyman, really. Superman soars above you, Batman hides from you, Green Lantern lights up your world but Flash? He runs along side you. Barry seems to be this incarnation of the League’s conscience, common sense, and heart, all rolled into one. Aquaman, who was introduced this issue, has the air of a king, and it’s pretty cool. I haven’t been reading the Aquaman title, because the character never interested me, but I hear he’s being written well there, too, so maybe I’ll check it out. The big, big reveal this issue, however, was Darkseid. I’ve heard people call Darkseid DC’s office joint, because he’s passed around so much. Need a big villain? Send in Darkseid. Need a horde of unstoppable monsters? Send in the Parademons of Darkseid. I’ve never been a huge fan of Darkseid, if only because in recent years, he was used so often, his effect was dimmed. Reboot Darkseid is supposed to be bigger and meaner than old DC’s Darkseid, but really, it looks to me like they’ve just turned him into Galactus and had him lose the tunic skirt. As reveals go, it was sort of cheesy, though very well drawn. Speaking of art, this issue’s ‘making of’ feature is Jim Lee’s redesign of the Flash, as drawn by Francis Manapul. It’s really a great redesign, even if it is a bit more detail-oriented than any other Flash costume ever. Something that pissed me off, though, were the little character details on the left page below the close-up of his waist. First appearance was on the cover of Justice League #1, 2011? Fuck you, first appearance was Showcase #4, 1956.

Supergirl is one of the best female-lead books in DC’s line. Kara Zor-El has never really been a favorite character of mine, I prefer her angrier, bustier, alternate-universe cousin Kara Zor-L, but there is no denying that she’s an interesting person. Younger, yet older, cousin to the Man of Steel, Supergirl has all the powers of Superman in a smaller, blonder package. Last issue, we met Mr. Tycho, Supergirl’s own Lex Luthor. Committed to making the world a better place, so long as he makes a lot of money doing it. Kara spends a good portion of this issue just trying to escape from his space station, so this issue can technically just be written off as one big fight scene. There is one part I didn’t like, when one of Tycho’s minions decides that he doesn’t want to see Kara in pain from the Kryptonite, so he gets her out of her pod and…is shot for his efforts. Dick move, Tycho. Still, it was an overall decent issue, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

So, you know how Suicide Squad is my guilty pleasure and Teen Titans is my abusive boyfriend that I can’t leave? Blue Beetle is turning into a combination of the two. I loved the first Blue Beetle series with Jaime Reyes more than any non-speedster focused series ever. It was creative, innovative, and funny, with interesting characters and an original plot. This new series? Tony, what the hell are you doing?! It’s like he’s trying to take everything I loved about the last Blue Beetle series and tear it to pieces. Bianca Reyes was an understanding, supportive mother. Here, she doesn’t even want to listen to what her son has to say. And Khaji-Da…don’t even get me started. He used to be inquisitive, even sort of playful. Now he’s just this controlling, monstrous…thing. And that last-page twist I just, I can’t. Don’t do this to me, Tony Bedard. I used to love you so much, don’t start to rely on cheap shocks to sell a book.

That was this week in comics. For those who weren’t aware, tonight is the second night of Hanukkah, and I’m off to have some soup and latkes, then catch the season finale of American Horror story. See you here next week!

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