Legends of Tomorrow: Season 2, Episode 2 - The Justice Society Of America

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.



Plot

The Legends discover a time abberation that threatens the existence of The Justice Society of America - a secret team of superheroes, who worked during World War II. The mission requires that they journey to Nazi-occupied Paris, to prevent the delivery of a magic amulet into Adolph Hitler's hands. Unbeknownst to them, however, The Reverse Flash has taken a hand in helping the Nazis to build their own army of superhumans.


Influences

The Godfather (Jax's line about Stein not being a wartime consigliere), Back To The Future (Stein's performing a song years before it is meant to be introduced), the JSA run of Geoff Johns, David Goyer and James Robinson, the All-Star Squadron comics of Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway and various comics by Gerry Conway (creator of Vixen & Baron Blitzkreig)


Goofs

If the JSA is meant to be a secret organization, why do their members wear such colorful and flashy costumes?

The CGI for the Super-Kreiger is perhaps the worst ever seen in any DCTVU show ever.


Performances

As Martin Stein notes, Sara Lance is the heart and steady hand of The Legends. By the same token, Caity Lotz is the heart and soul of the cast. From her delivery as an actress to her physical subtlety in scenes like Sara's reaction to a Nazi General question Stein's bluff to her skill as a trained fighter, she gives everything her all in this episode and one can see why the writers gave her all the heavy-lifting in this episode.

The interaction and one-sided antagonism between Atom and Vixen is well-played by both Brandon Routh and Maisie Richardson-Sellers.


Artistry

The fight scene between the JSA and the Legends is perfect on every level.

Bravo to the costume designers and prop-makers, for managing to bring several JSA members to life.

It's a small thing, but I love Caity Lotz ducking down trying to look shorter than Victor Garber when the Nazi General questions why Stein isn't over six feet tall when Max Lorenz was famously tall.

Victor Garber is a damn good singer. (His first film credit was playing Jesus in Godspell.)


Trivia Of Tomorrow

The episode opens with another new voice-over - this one by Sara Lance.

The Justice Society of America were the first superhero team in American comics history and first appeared in All-Star Comics #3 (Winter 1940-41). Made up of the most popular heroes published by All-American Comics - one of the companies that later merged to form DC Comics - the original idea behind the JSA was to boost comics sales by offering readers a chance to see all of their favorite heroes in a single title, fighting together.

Of the eight heroes who formed the first line-up of the JSA in the original comics, only Hourman is part of the JSA line-up in the DCTVU.

Unlike the JSA in the comics, the DCTVU Justice Society of America are a covert group kept secret from the public at large.

Rex Tyler a.k.a. Hourman first appeared in Adventure Comics #48 (March 1940). A chemist by trade, Tyler developed a formula which could temporarily give a person superhuman strength, speed, endurance and durability for one hour.. Tyler dubbed this vitamin Miraclo and used it to fight crime and help the needy as Hourman.

Rex Tyler's costume on the show resembles that of the second Hourman, Rex's son Rick Tyler.

Commander Steel first appeared in Steel: The Indestructible Man #1 (March 1978). Henry Heywood was a member of the United States Marine Corps. during World War II. A student of biology before enlisting, Heywood turned to his old professor after he was injured by saboteurs lead by the man who would become the Nazi super-villain Baron Blitzkerig. His professor performed several experimental surgeries on Heywood, replacing portions of his body with mechanical parts that gave him superhuman strength, speed, endurance and stamina. Heywood kept his newfound powers a secret, taking a desk job but secretly defending the homefront as the masked hero Steel. He was later given a commission as Commander by Winston Churchill and joined the Nazi-fighting superhero team known as The All-Star Squadron.

As in the comics, The DCTVU version of Nate Heywood is the grandson of Commander Steel.

The Vixen we see here - Amaya Jiwe - is the grandmother of Mari McCabe - the Vixen who stars in The CW Seed animated series, and was last seen in Arrow Episode 415.

Wielder of The Tantu Totem, Vixen has the power to access The Ashe - the life force or power - of the animal kingdom. The Totem allows her to access the special abilities of any animal on the face of the Earth, replicating the strength of a rhino, the speed of a cheetah, etc.

An interesting note about Vixen is that she was originally slated to be the first African-American heroine to star in her own solo-series. Unfortunately, her book was one of several to fall victim to the incident known as The DC Implosion, where multiple series were canceled as a cost-saving measure - some before they were published!.  Her first story was printed in Canceled Comics Cavalcade #2 (September 1978) but Mari did not officially appear in the DC Comics Universe until Action Comics #521 (July 1981).

Obsidian first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25 (September 1983). Todd Rice was one of the twin children of Alan Scott (The original Green Lantern) and Rose Canton (the villain known as Thorn). Put up for adoption by his mentally-ill mother, Todd was adopted into an abusive foster home while his sister - Jenny-Lynn - was adopted into a loving home. The two discovered each other years later along with the truth of their parentage.

Obsidian's powers came from a connection to a mystic realm known as The Shadow-Lands -a realm of darkness and fear, which his father had been exposed to during his adventures as Green Lantern. Much as his father had the power to create objects made of green fire and light, Obsidian had the power to manipulate shadows into solid forms. He could transform himself into a living shadow, becoming stronger and capable of flight and intangibility. He could teleport himself and other objects through portals leading through The Shadow-Lands. He could blind people temporarily. He also had weak telepathic abilities that allowed him to influence the dark-sides of people's souls, driving them crazy or trapping them within their worst nightmares.

Obsidian was one of the first openly gay superheroes in comics, confessing his love of his best friend, Nuklon during their time together in the mid-1990s Justice League.

Obsidian's costume here is a perfect adaptation of his costume form the original comics. He is not identified by name, but he displays the abilities of shadow creation, teleportation and intangibility.

Dr. Mid-Nite first appeared in All-American Comics #25 (April 1941). A physician by trade, Charles McNider was blinded forever after being injured by a grenade while treating an important witness who was due to testify against a local mob boss. Dr. McNider quickly discovered that while he was blind in the light, he could see in perfect darkness. McNider decided to devote his life to fighting the criminals responsible for his condition. By day he worked as a newspaper columnist, striking against corruption through columns dictated to his former nurse,Myra Mason. By night, he fought against crime directly as Dr. Mid--Nite, armed with a pair of goggles that allowed him to see into the infrared spectrum and "Black Out Bombs" that allowed him to block all the light in an enclosed space.

It is worth noting that the first Dr. Mid-Nite was a Caucasian male whereas the DCTVU version of Dr. Mid-Nite is an African-American male. The second Dr. Midnight in the comics was an African-American woman named Dr. Beth Chapel.

Dr. Midnite's costume here greatly resembles that of his comic-book counterpart. We are not given his full-name, but he is shown to have the special vision powers of his comic-book countepart, being able to see through Obsidian's darkness.

The girl who would become Stargirl first appeared in DCU Heroes Secret Files #1 (February 1999). Courtney Whitmore was an ordinary teenage girl, who was less than thrilled with her mother's choice of a second husband.  A mechanic by trade, his name was Pat Dugan and he had been - unknown to Courtney or her mother - the mystery man called Stripsey, who was the adult sidekick of a teen superhero known as The Star Spangled Kid.  Finding The Kid's Cosmic Belt among Pat's belongings, Courtney decided to become a costumed hero to annoy Pat.  To her surprise, he had built a suit of mechanical armor to get back into the crime-fighting game and began chasing after her under the new identity of S.T.R.I.P.E. Collectively they became known as Stars and STRIPE.

Despite this ignoble start, Courtney proved to have the right stuff to be a hero. She was invited into the modern incarnation of the Justice Society of America. Later, after the retirement of Jack Knight (the seventh hero to use the name Starman) Courtney was given his Cosmic Staff and took on the name Stargirl.

The Cosmic Belt gave Courtney enhanced strength, agility and invulnerability as well as the power of flight and the ability to fire electrical "shooting stars" from her hands. The shooting stars acted like a taser on humans and could short-circuit electronics. The Cosmic Staff granted Courtney the power to manipulate a unique form of cosmic energy, channeling it into energy blasts, force-fields and hard-light constructs. She could also use the staff to alter other energy forms and increase or decrease the effects of gravity around her. The staff was also attuned to her brainwaves, allowing her to control the Cosmic Staff telepathically.

Stargirl's costume here is a perfect adaptation of her costume from the comics. She is not identified by name but wields a cosmic staff that releases focused blasts of light and energy capable of stunning night-club full of Nazis.

There are a surprising number of Nazi-themed villains in the DC Comics Universe with the surname Kreiger, who may have served as the inspiration for Baron Krieger.  The mostly likely candidate is Albrecht Krieger a.k.a. Captain Nazi, who first appeared in Power of Shazam #5 (July 1995). Genetically altered by his scientist father, Kieger was created to be the ultimate super-soldier for the Third Reich. He had the powers of enhanced strength, speed, invulnerability and flight in addition to enhanced senses.

Another likely candidate is Baron Blitzkreig, who first appeared in World's Finest Comics #246 (August 1977).  A frequent foe of the All-Star Squadron, he was a Nazi soldier who was experimented upon and given the powers of super-strength, invulnerability, flight and heat vision.

Baron Reiter - the main villain of the flashback sequences in Season Four of Arrow - was also based upon Baron Blitzkerig.

One of the items on display in the Waverider library is the helmet of the original Red Tornado.

Nate says that Baron Krieger and his men frequented a Paris nightclub called Folies Bergère. This is a real-world cabaret music hall, which has been in existence in some form or fashion since 1869. The hall has played host to numerous legendary performers in its time, including W.C. Fields, Marcel Marceau, Ginger Rogers and Josephine Baker.

Martin elects to infiltrate the club by impersonating singer Max Lorenz.  Lorenz was widely known as Adolf Hitler's favorite singer, due to his performances of various Richard Wagner operas. Ironically, despite being a favorite of Hitler (and, by proxy, the rest of The Third Reich), Lorenz was homosexual and married to a Jewish woman. Strangely enough, it was this later point that caused him more trouble when he refused to denounce his wife and it took a phone call from Hermann Göring himself to prevent his wife and her mother from being taken away by the SS.

Stein's line to his accompanist about trying to keep up with him is a direct quote from Back To The Future. Specifically, the moment when Marty McFly plays Johnny B. Goode before Chuck Berry did.

The song Martin Stein sings to entertain the club is Edelweiss from the 1959 musical The Sound of Music. He claims that it is an original work but very popular in Austria. This may be a nod to the fact that Max Lorenz moved to Austria following World War II and was buried in a cemetery for those who had been declared honorary Austrians.

Raymond Palmer's difficulty in saying "Heil Hitler" to maintain his cover may have less to do with good taste and more to do with a popular fan-theory that Ray (in the comics, at least) was of Jewish heritage, if not a practicing member of the Jewish faith. The main basis for this theory comes from a DC Comics Presents: JLA special which revealed that Ray Palmer's mother was Jewish and Justice League #188, where Ray visited a Jewish friend during Hanukkah  and Ray asked about the story, specifically noting that he was not religious. This would be an odd thing to note if Ray were not  of Jewish heritage.

In the comics, Black Canary has considerable experience in leading a team. While Barry Allen took on official leader duties in Mark Waid's JLA: Year One, Dinah was clearly the team's battle-field strategist, drawing upon her own knowledge of superhero tactics from studying the JSA for years. Dinah Lance was the field commander for the Birds of Prey after the team expanded during Gail Simone's run on the book. And Dinah was the official JLA leader during the Brad Meltzer and Dwayne McDuffie runs on Justice League of America.


Technobabble

When time changes, physical artifacts are altered faster than personal memories. This is why Nate Heywood's notes regarding the JSA change and why his grandfather's dog-tags disappear but his memories of what the notes said and his owning the dog-tags don't.

Sara gives Nate an ingestible translator - a device that, once swallowed, enables a person to speak and understand any language.

Ray notes that the "Super-Serum" is a bio-molecular enhancer - not a serum.


Dialogue Triumphs

Sara (Voice-Over): My name is Sara Lance. Last year, a former Time Master named Rip Hunter recruited a team of heroes and villains to save the world. And we did. But in the process we destroyed The Time Masters. Now, we've taken up their mantle of protecting the timeline from time criminals. We are no longer saving the world. We are saving history. But don't call us heroes - we are Legends.

Hourman: My name is Rex Tyler and I'm a member of the Justice Society of America.
Rory: Never heard of them, pal.
Hourman: That's because I'm from 1942. The same year in which all of you will-
Ray: Bite the bullet? So if we don't go back to 1942 we're safe, right?
Stein: Not to be rude, but how do we know you are who you say you are?
Hourman: You all have no idea what you're up against!
(Hourman begins to fade and fizzle.)
Hourman: If you return to 1942, the consequences will be catastrophic!
(Hourman disappears completely as the Legends just look to one another.) 

(Ray is gushing about how amazing the JSA are.)
Rory: Awwwww. Haircut's in love.
Ray: C'mon! Those guys are precise, professional and in constant agreement. We can't even agree on who's turn it is to make dinner.
Sara: Not it!

Stein: You disapprove of my plan?
Jax: I'm just saying we're dropping into the middle of World War II here and you're not exactly a wartime consigliere.
Stein: And let me guess - you are? Or perhaps you'd prefer the arsonist, the assassin or The Incredible Shrinking Man?
Jax: I'm just saying you're smart and analytical and stuff and real deliberate, but when bullets start flying, analytical's not going to cut it.
Stein: Well, thank you for pointing out my inadequacies.
Jax: C'mon, Grey-
Stein: That's -Captain- Grey now. (turns to exit)
Jax: (sarcastically)  Well, I'm glad it hasn't gone to your head.

Sara: I'm just trying to make sure you get home safe and sound.
Nate: So the lady does have a heart.
Sara: Don't tell anyone.

(Jax is upset after the Nazi General makes a request for no Negro music. Ray holds him back.)
Ray: It's not worth it.
Jax: It would be a little worth it.

(After Ray blows their cover by refusing to salute Hitler and punching the Nazi general.)
Jax: Why do you get to punch him?!

Stein: I think what's important now is for all of us to stop arguing.
Hourman: Does your team ever stop arguing?
Stein: Fair point.

Commander Steel: I do what I do, so that others don't have to. So you wouldn't have to.
Nate: My whole life people have been trying to protect me from the world. Your son included. Meanwhile, all I've ever wanted was to be a soldier like you.
Commander Steel: It's a parents job to protect their child. But it's a child's obligation to themselves to live their own life. You can - and should - do whatever you set your mind to. But you should know, you don't have to be a soldier to be a hero.

(As he tries to examine the super-serum through a microscope.)
Ray: This would go a lot faster if I wasn't handcuffed, I mean, what do you think - I'm going to escape using a microscope?

Vixen: How can you do this?! No member of the JSA would ever help the Nazis!
Ray: Neither would a Legend.
(Ray strikes one of the guards with the microscope as Vixen stands, still tied to her chair, and hits the other guard with it, breaking the chair. The two look at each other, surprised.)
Ray: Damn! I really wanted to do it with just the microscope.


Continuity

Stargirl's energy blast is capable of separating Firestorm.

Rex Tyler has no memory of ever meeting The Legends and doesn't belive in time travel.

The numbers on Commander Steel's dogtags are 070323. Those numbers are not recorded on any document, military or civilian. The tags have a dent from an assassin's bullet when Commander Steel saved President Roosevelt's life in 1939. He gave them to his wife upon the birth of his son in 1955. His son they gave the tags to his grandson, Nate Heywood.

We see the entirety of Rex Tyler's appearing to The Legends at the end of 116.

Eobard Thawne is responsible for giving the super-serum to Baron Kreiger.

Nate Heywood speaks German, French, Japanese, Italian, Latin and English.

Martin Stein is a competent singer and knows the lyrics to Edelweiss by heart.

The item that The Reverse Flash wishes to trade for the super-serum is an artifact known as The Askaran Amulet.

Nate Heywood is a hemophiliac.

Vixen is a fifth-degree black-belt and trained in edged weapons combat.

Sara Lance becomes The Legends official leader.

Ray injects Nate with the adjusted super-serum. It improves his vitals and stabilizes his condition.

The Reverse Flash steals The Askaran Amulet and kills Hourman.


Location

New York City 1942
JSA Headquarters 1942
Paris 1942
Fontainebleau Forest 1942


Untelevised Adventures

Hourman and The Reverse Flash apparently encountered one another several times. It was during their last encounter (from Thawne's perspective) that Hourman learned of their plans and went forward in time to warn The Legends.


The Bottom Line

Honestly, the only bad parts of this episode are the CGI for the super-soldier Baron and that for an episode named for The Justice Society of America, they barely feature into the episode at all. We don't get to see Hourman use his powers and Obsidian, Stargirl and Dr. Mid-Nite don't get much in the way of definition. Still, the action sequences are amazing and the script offers up a lot of witty brick jokes, with seemingly throw-away lines leading to bigger pay-offs later. The production team did a fantastic job on sets and costumes and the ensemble cast are all firing on all eight cylinders.

DC Comics: Six Books Out, Six Books In - My Thoughts

SOURCE: Six DC Comics Canceled But Six New Titles Are Planned To Keep The Magic 52 Number

Word is that the characters from the canceled series will be popping up in other titles, so not all is lost. Let's count them down.

THE CANCELED

Blackhawks - Unsurprising. The artwork was lackluster and the concept was basically G.I. Joe for adults. Problem is, most of the fans of that sort of book were buying the much more adult official G.I. Joe comic series.

Mister Terrific - This one hits me hard. I honestly enjoyed this series, though apparently I was one of the few who did. I think the series was just starting to find it's footing and needed a little more time to find an audience. Maybe the multi-dimensional storyline will get resolved in time for Michael Holt to find a place in the new Earth 2 title? We can only hope.

OMAC - Another good series aimed at a limited niche. I guess there weren't enough Jack Kirby fans willing to shell out three clams a month for a tribute book.

Men At War - Again, it was a good series for what it was. But there wasn't enough appeal to make it sell to the majority of comic readers who don't typically like war comics.

Static Shock- Unfortunate, but predictable. John Rozum leaving the book early on worried many long-time Milestone fans and Scott McDaniel - while a skilled artist - is relatively untested as a writer. Throw in the fact that the book opened mid-stream, with plot threads from previous Static comics going unexplained (such as why Virgil's older sister now had a clone) despite the series being meant to be a jumping on point for new readers, and it's not hard to see why this one failed to find an audience.

Hawk And Dove - Perhaps the least surprising cancelation of all, given poor reviews and the widespread hatred of Rob Liefeld among the comic-reading mainstream. The one thing this book had going for it was Sterling Gates' scripts. When Gates jumped ship, it was just a matter of time.

THE NEW BLOOD

BATMAN INCORPORATED – Writer: Grant Morrison. Artist: Chris Burnham.

The acclaimed ongoing writer of ACTION COMICS, Grant Morrison, presents a fresh take on BATMAN INCORPORATED, in which the Batman brand is franchised globally in preparation for a major international threat.

Despite generally enjoying Morrison's work, I'm not a big fan of the Batman Inc. concept. And do we really need another Batman book at this point? Still, this has been in the works for a while and I'm sure it will sell well.


EARTH 2 – Writer: James Robinson. Artist: Nicola Scott.

The greatest heroes on a parallel Earth, the Justice Society combats threats that will set them on a collision course with other worlds.

This series has also been in the planning stages for a while and I've been looking forward to it for several reasons. My fondness of Robinson's work is well-known but I also loved Nicola Scott's work on Birds of Prey and Secret Six. Putting Robinson in charge of the Earth 2/Golden Age heroes makes perfect sense given his track record with them and Scott's style will be well suited to such a title. A definite must see once it comes out.


WORLDS’ FINEST – Writer: Paul Levitz. Artists: George Perez and Kevin Maguire.

Stranded on our world from a parallel reality, Huntress and Power Girl struggle to find their way back to Earth 2. Perez and Maguire will be the artists on alternating story arcs.

Levitz work is hit and miss with me. His Legion work is largely inaccesible to me but I have enjoyed his Huntress mini-series. Despite this, having either Perez or Maguire on art duties would tip the scales in favor of me giving this book a shot. Having both of them clinched it. Can't wait to see this one.


DIAL H – Writer: China Miéville. Artist: Mateus Santoluoco.

The first ongoing series from acclaimed novelist China Miéville, this is a bold new take on a cult classic concept about the psychological effects on an everyman who accidentally gains powers to become a hero.

Unless this gets particularly rave reviews, I'll probably pass on this one personally. I've never been a big fan of the H-Dial concept. I'm not familiar with Miéville's work. And Mateus Santoluoco's artwork looks far too dark and dirty for my tastes though well-suited toward a psychological tale.


G.I. COMBAT – Writer: J.T. Krul. Artist: Ariel Olivetti.

Featuring the return of a classic DC Comics series, THE WAR THAT TIME FORGOT, along with rotating back-up stories and creative teams – including THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER, with writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti and artist Dan Panosian; and THE HAUNTED TANK, with writer John Arcudi and artist Scott Kolins.

Cancelling one war book to publish another? Even with Gray and Palmiotti doing a back-up, I'm having a hard time working up an interest.

THE RAVAGERS – Writer: Howard Mackie. Artist: Ian Churchill.

Spinning off from TEEN TITANS and SUPERBOY, this series finds four superpowered teens on the run and fighting against the organization that wants to turn them into supervillains.

Hey kids! Is Scott Lobdell's Teen Titans not angsty enough for your liking? Have we got a book for you!

Ignoring that the concept sounds like a blatant rip-off of Marvel's Runaways, there's still the matter of the creative team. Howard Mackie, lest we forget, was the writer of most of the Spider-Man Clone Saga. Ian Churchill is the poor man's Michael Turner, who was responsible for putting Supergirl into a stripper version of her own costume back when Jeph Loeb was writing her book.

Three words. DO. NOT. WANT.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Blackest Night: JSA #3

GOOD THING: We do get some insight into Jesse Quick's head this issue that - while not completely absolving her decision to go run with her Zombie Dad while her husband is getting his butt kicked - at least TRIES to explain her reasoning.

BAD THING: This final page, in which Mr. Terrific - the king of "Nothing Is Impossible" - explains just why the MacGuffin he put together to create a Black Lantern smiting smart-bomb can't work twice and why everything is now up to the Green Lantern Corps. Even if he couldn't get the same trick to work, this is Mr. Terrific we're talking about... he can out Batman Batman when it comes to coming up with plans!

There has to have been a more credible way to end the story. Have the Cosmic Rod break down. Have Fate warn that the stars are not right for his magics to duplicate that effect again. Have Alan Scott get hospitalized so they can't use his power anymore. Anything besides Mr. Terrific basically saying "That won't work again and there's nothing else we can do."



The Final Verdict: Easily skipped, even if you are a Blackest Night collector. Nothing much happens and - in the end - even the characters talk about how pointless their contribution to the overall story was. I expect better from James Robinson and Tony Bedard.

Blackest Night - The Week of 01/27/2010

The good news is that payday has come, my tab at the comic book shop is all paid up and I have all the books I wanted to get over the last month.

The bad news is that leaves me with 40-something books to cover.

Why is that bad news? Consider the effect that writing 40 something reviews in a timely manner would have on your friends' list to say nothing of my front page.

So rather than spam-bomb us all with individual reviews, I'm going to do this the old-fashioned way and just give you my Fast Thoughts on each issue, with comics scans as needed.





BLACKEST NIGHT: JSA #2 - I want to like this issue. I really do.

It was written by two writers - James Robinson and Tony Bedard - whose work I have both found extremely enjoyable (Starman and Birds of Prey) and, at times, extremely annoying (JLA: Cry For Justice and the 2008 Black Canary mini-series). They are capable of writing some truly beautiful character moments and - occasionally - completely screwing up characters in the name of story.

So I'm not sure where the finger of blame should fall here because I can easily see either of these writers... well, I don't want to say dropping the ball because this is just my opinion here... but I'd like to think that as many times as Jessie Quick has had a vision of her father, hale and hearty in the Speed Force, that she wouldn't be QUITE so quick to change into her old costume so she could go jogging with a zombie version of her dad, thus abandoning her husband during the middle of a supervillain fight.

I'm just saying.

I'm also somewhat concerned that the Earth 2 Lois Lane appears here (as does - eventually - the Earth 2 Superman) despite both apparently having been destroyed during the Blackest Night: Superman mini-series... also written by James Robinson. I know there's a lot to suggest that The Black Lanterns are capable of reforming so long as enough of the body remains... but still, it's a bit jarring to see them here after they were supposedly stopped by Superman, Superboy and Krypto.

Oy.

The artwork, at least, is gorgeous. And the action scenes are really good. It's just that a lot of the characterization is questionable. Still worth a read though.



THE ATOM AND HAWKMAN #46 - Issues like this are why I'm an unapologetic Geoff Johns fan.

As much a character study of the character of Ray Palmer aka The Atom as it is a slap-bang fight issue between two old friends (aka The Atom and Black Lantern Hawkman), Johns gives us more insight into Ray's character than we've gotten in anything I can remember reading. This includes the highly overrated Identity Crisis, which Johns manages to reference in this issue without making me feel ill.

We also, for those of you keeping track, get a clear definition of the powers of the Indigo rings. Apart from the usual flight, force-fields and energy manipulation, they can teleport to those who need them, copy the light signatures of other nearby Power Rings, heal physical wounds as well as emotional fatigue and send messages across great interstellar distances.



GREEN LANTERN #50 - Okay. It looks like I need to add a correction to what I said about The Phantom Stranger tie-in. Hal being nabbed by a Black Lantern possessed Spectre gets addressed in this issue as does the fight in Blackest Night: The Flash #2 where Barry frees the living Firestorm from the grasp of the undead one.

Sorry Geoff. I shouldn't have doubted you. So as much as I question the wisdom of Hal's plan here - to release Parallax and allow it to retake control of him again as Parallax is the only being they know of that was ever able to hold The Spectre in check - I have faith that this will turn out to be as jaw-droppingly awesome as every other thing you've written for Blackest Night so far has been.

And before anybody screams spoilers... the cover is a dead giveaway as to what has happened by issue's end.

Incidentally, I just love how the Orange Lanterns do NOTHING but argue with one another the whole issue. And the sheer joy of The Scarecrow during this scene steals the show.

One Good Thing And One Bad Thing About Blackest Night: JSA #1

GOOD THING: Very effective job on the early flashbacks recapping the origins and deaths of the JSA founding members who are returning from the dead. And, hey - JACK KNIGHT CAMEO!

BAD THING: The writing assumes you know who all of these heroes are and about the on-going story of JSA and all the relationships between all the characters. While it's a safe bet that the JSA fans who pick this up are that well-informed, the people picking up all the Blackest Night tie-ins (i.e. the new readers issues like this are meant to reach out to and draw into the story) probably aren't. So scenes like the above where Power Girl is hit by feelings of loss regarding her cousin (or is that Uncle?) are less effective for those who don't know about Power Girl's... shall we say, unique relationship... with the Superman of another universe.

The Final Verdict: Not a bad intro and a darn good story. Too bad you HAVE to be a JSA fan to have any hope in Hell of understanding half of this.

Fast Thoughts - A Goodly Number Of Reviews

DAREDEVIL #101 - For the last two years, this had always been the one Marvel Comic I could always count on enjoying. Part of this is because the creative team, Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark, were stolen away from DC Comics where they had an established track-record of being able to do good, gritty street-level stories. The other part of this was that Daredevil somehow managed to remain free of the contagious stupidity that infected almost every other Marvel title, thanks to countless, endless crossovers that promised to break the Internet in half.

I far these salad days may be over based on this last page.

I've only broadly been keeping up with what has been going on in New Avengers, but the short version is that relatively new criminal "The Hood" is making a bid to become the new Kingpin. So far, his plans have been limited to attacking Tigra (who, curiously, did not fight back against the man assaulting her, despite having always been one of the most temperamental of Avengers) and this apparent attempt to bring down Daredevil baddy Mister Fear.

I don't know how this is going unnoticed in Tony Stark's brave new SHIELD-run world. Perhaps The Powers That Be are too busy hassling the registered superheroes over paperwork and cracking down on unregistered superheroes to keep an eye out for this sort of thing?

Ignoring that, this issue is more of the same fine work that we've come to expect from Lark and Brubaker. I can only hope that The Hood's time here will be brief and not a precursor to a longer storyline tying into whatever Brian Michael Bendis is doing with his latest man-crush character.


GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE #6 - I find myself at a loss as to how describe this series other than to say that this is easily the best Green Arrow story in years. What Andy Diggle has presented here is a portrait of Green Arrow at his purest.

Diggle has managed the amazing task of retelling a classic origin story that has - for good reason - remained largely unchanged since the Golden Age of Comics while modernizing some of the trappings. He has taken the past continuity of not only Green Arrow's origins but of several key Green Arrow stories and added elements to this origin that will go on to foreshadow future adventures. What is most impressive is that he has done this in a way that is easily accessible to new readers while speaking to the old-fans like myself.

But even those words do little to convey just how perfectly Diggle has captured the essence of the character of Oliver Queen; who he is and what he becomes. And it certainly does nothing to display the skill of artist Jock, whose talented line-work has made this book as wonderful to look at as it is to read.

I think the only thing that can possibly convey the beauty of both the writing and the art is a scan of this page.

THIS is Green Arrow. He is Robin Hood in the modern world. The defender of the defenseless. The savior of the oppressed. The man who never gives up no matter what the odds are against him. The man who flips Evil the bird and then tries the impossible, rather than bargain or beg favors from it. The one who stands up and says "no".

He is all that. And a damned good showman to boot!

This is my Green Arrow and I will miss him until someone at DC has the good sense to put Diggle and Jock to work on the character on a monthly basis.


HELLBLAZER #237 - With the 20th Anniversary of John Constantine's monthly book's first publication fast approaching, it seems a fitting time to reflect upon what has come before while considering how things are now. This is ironic considering that despite the many changes this book has gone over two decades the state of things is remarkably close to how they were twenty years ago.

Andy Diggle made Hellblazer his own book from the very first issue and set about seeing John reborn. This was necessary since the last substantial run on the book, penned by Lucifer writer Mike Carey, ended with John alienating nearly every ally and friend he had left, most of the London magical scene and John destroying his entire storage-unit of magic books and artifacts. With none of his resources and connections, but all of his enemies and his tendency to attract trouble when he isn't actively looking for it, John underwent a magical rebirth of sorts and emerged looking slightly-older and somewhat-wiser but still the same loveable rogue he was way back during the Jamie Delano run.

The similarities between Diggle's run thus far and Delano's run extends past their portrayal of John as a character. Delano's stories drew heavily upon the history and legend of magic in England as well as the theme that while there are horrible things in the Earth, the true horror lies in the hearts of Mankind. Diggle has established the same themes in his Joyride storyline, as a dark magician uses the Druidic magic of England to develop his own power while simultaneously corrupting dozens of relative innocents by promising them the power to get revenge on their enemies.

I make this comparison as praise for Diggle's ability to exploit the continuity and themes that have come before him in order to tell new stories that ring true to the original intent of Hellblazer - not to suggest that he is ripping-off a long-established writer. Far from it.

Indeed, Diggle's work here is the work of a true master. Like all the great Hellblazer writers before him, his work has a unique voice all it's own and yet it still seems as if his vision of John Constantine - drawn as it was from the works of others - is true and definitive. I miss Mike Carey's work on the title but if he were to return, I would miss Andy Diggle just as much.

This skillful writing is partnered with an equally skillful artist. Leonardo Manco is a perfect choice for Hellblazer, which requires an artist who can depict in equal parts the horrific fiends and terrors of the Abyss as well as the more mundane horrors, such as a horrific hit-and-run accident and the facial expressions of an astrally-possessed punk, who finds out that he raped his own sister while he "slept".

Vertigo Comics longest running title is in good hands. I highly recommend that if you're not already reading Hellblazer, you start next month with #238 and the new arc.


JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #10 - I was, like many of you, nervous when the news came out that the Superman of Kingdom Come would become a part of the JSA team for some time. Kingdom Come was, of course, one of the best graphic novels written in the last twenty years and a tribute to the ideals of DC Comics, America and heroism in general.

Given the attempt to recapture that same magic with the lackluster The Kingdom mini-series to say nothing of the varying levels of success with which certain elements of the KC Universe have been added into the reality of New Earth (a time-displaced Thom Kallor as the Starman of three worlds and three times, Ma Hunkle's granddaughter as a new Red Tornado, Damage now wearing the costume of "The Atom" among others), we fans can be forgiven for being somewhat skeptical of this storyline.

We can be forgiven... but we can also be relieved.

For with Alex Ross assisting with the story and Geoff Johns (the one writer at DC Comics as trustworthy than Mark Waid in regards to respecting the past of the company) handling the writing chores, this story thus far is very true to the spirit of Kingdom Come.

Ross also contributes a few painted panels, but the lion's share of the artwork in this issue is ably illustrated by Dale Eaglesham, who is - as ever - a master of both high-action and facial expression. He is one of the best visual storytellers in the business and even during the confusing moment in which Superman must fight his way past the entire JSA, change into his costume and rush to save a woman attempting suicide, the progression of action is smooth and logical despite occurring in a matter of seconds.

This story isn't really a sequel to Kingdom Come. And as good as it is thus far, I doubt very much that this story may prove to be the equal of Kingdom Come. But taken on its' own merits, it is a damn fine story about Truth, Justice and The American Way. And that is all that it needs to be.


TALES OF THE SINESTRO CORPS: SUPERMAN-PRIME - Based on what I've seen on the message boards, you either hate The Sinestro Corps War or you love it.

Me? I love it. I love it as a brazen Green Lantern geek who has always dreamt of a story in which Sinestro gathered an army of like-minded individuals and set to spreading terror across the universe. I love it as a comic history geek who recognizes the numerous references to Alan Moore's work on Tales of the Green Lantern Corps as well as his unpublished proposal for a story involving the end of the DC Universe titled "Twilight of the Superheroes".

And this issue - despite some erratic artwork caused by two artists with dissimilar styles - I even love it because it has given Geoff Johns a chance to do what he does best and do something he wasn't allowed to do during Infinite Crisis. Namely, he has given us a look inside the head of Superman Prime a.k.a. the boy formerly known as Superboy Prime.

Johns spells out Prime's origin in detail. How he was the one superhero on his Earth. How he finally won the love of the girl of his dreams and had a chance to be the hero he wished to be as a child. How all of that was destroyed and how he sacrificed everything in order to save the multiverse and give it a chance to be reborn. All of this gives us an insight into his character that was lacking during Infinite Crisis. We now see how an idealistic young man - a Superman in the making - could come to be so filled with anger at the universe and become convinced that he had to make things right by any means necessary.

We also see how very different he is from our Supermen and the difference between them. While our Superman relishes the gratitude that others bestow upon him for his good deeds, he does not expect it. Superman Prime is still a lost child seeking the praise and approval of the parents and loved ones he lost a lifetime ago through the teaming masses he is working to "save". He is not worthy of the name Superman. He isn't even worthy of the name "man"

It is a credit to Johns' skill as a writer that he can write a tale in which we can feel both sympathy and contempt for the same character for the same reasons. And it is that level of writing which has made the entirety of The Sinestero Corps War a real treat.

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 7/11/07

It seems that my comic shop is failing me on a spectacular level.

Last week, I had to scramble to get a copy of Sheena because it wasn't added to my pull-list, despite my request when I opened my pull-list a few months ago.

This week, I found out that Green Arrow: Year One #1 wasn't on my pull-list either, as I filled out the paperwork to add both books (as well as any and all Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps tie-ins) to my list. It wasn't until I got home and started checking e-mail that I found out that Green Arrow: Year One #1 come out today.

Apparently my comic shop ran out of it before I go there, as I didn't see it on the shelf.

So for now, here's my fast thoughts on everything I DID get to read this week.

Look for a very special review of Green Arrow: Year One #1 later this week.



COUNTDOWN #42 - Page by page, my thoughts.

Cover - Shouldn't they have saved this for Mary in a bikini?

p. 1-3 - Hmmm... is this how it played out or is this just a nightmare?

p. 4 - Huh. So Deadshot found their costumes and dressed them up in their costumes before tying them up. Kinky. But I have to ask, why does Deadshot give a flying flip about someone killing a superhero? Answer - someone must be paying him to care.

p. 5 - Just two issues for them to go total fan-service on Mary's new skirt. Still, at least it looks like she IS wearing underwear, though it might be a thong.

p. 6 - I think Riddler is much more interesting as a good guy. There. I said it.

p. 7-8 - There's something about Harley Quinn doing acrobatics in a mini-toga that is just... so... inspiring of thoughts unworthy of an enlightened 21st century male. Hmm... I think I detect a theme with all of the reforming baddies.

p. 9-11 - How can we make the Donna Troy/Jason Todd storyline even more uninteresting? I know! Let's add the new Atom!

p. 12-13 - How DOES that skirt stay down with all that wind rushing around?

p. 14 - Yep. Defintely wearing a thong.

p. 15-16 - And here, guest-writing for two-pages... Judd Winick presents "The Snarky, I Hate Everyone" Batman!

p. 17 - Nice to see Lois Lane acting like Lois again instead of being Jimmy Olsen's cheerleader.

p. 18-19 - And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the scene I've been waiting ten issues to see: James Jesse doing what he does best.

p. 20 - That was sudden. Still, even though I know how Trickster going to get out of this one (he still has his Air Walkers) ... I did NOT see that coming... mostly because of the bad transition between 19 and 20. Also, who is talking; Trickster or Piper? Piper would make sense but the balloon is going to Trickster.

p. 21-24 - Blah, blah, blah. Is ANYONE even reading this History of the Multiverse thing?


FABLES #63 - Slowly building to the epic conclusion. I wish that we could cut to the chase, yet I wish it would last forever. Is this how it felt when The Sandman (which was just before my time, but only just...) ended?


GREEN LANTERN #21 - I loved this issue, but I fear it might be somewhat inaccesible to someone who doesn't know the full rich history of The Green Lantern Corps. I think perhaps I may have to write a column to do something about that. Something somewhat akin to Jess Nevin's website, but without getting bogged down in the names of every darn Lantern in the background artwork.


JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #7 - Now here is another book that is Geoff Johns doing what Geoff Johns does best, but somewhat more smoothly than in the new Green Lantern. A new hero is introduced in events that recall what happened in earlier issues of JSA but do not require you to have read that issue. You get introduced to the history but without it being a tedious lecture or a text box.

And as for this new hero... well, I'm interested to see what they do with him... which is more than I can say before I opened it, as I've never been a big fan of Commander Steel, Steel or any other character with Steel in his name apart from John Henry Irons.

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 5/31/07

AMAZONS ATTACK #2 - You know - I want to enjoy this story. Really. But am I the only one who just wishes they'd cut to the chase so we can get to Gail Simone's Wonder Woman?

I doubt it. Because somehow, nothing happens in this book that you don't know about if you're reading Wonder Woman (God help you), Countdown or Teen Titans.

Still, I am somewhat heartened to see that one company cares enough to TRY and do a cohesive crossover that actually makes sense. I just wish it was a series that took full advantage of the idea of the Amazons declaring war on the USA and wasn't bogged down with a HORRIBLE Wonder Woman book that has Diana and Nemesis arguing like Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd.


COUNTDOWN 48 - This was the first issue that I thought was exciting.

That's not to say I didn't like the other issues but this was the first one that I thought REALLY was pushing the promises that were made before this title started (i.e. an action movie set in the DC Universe). Which is weird as the main thing I was looking forward to in this book was the scenes with Flash's Rogues Gallery and this was the first issue without any such scene.

It remains on the pull list, though. Because Jimmy Olsen with super-powers, the death of a New God and all that jazz have me willing to wait for the build.

One question though: WHY HAS NOBODY ARRESTED JASON TODD YET?!?!


DAREDEVIL #97 - Damn you, Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark! Why do you have to keep making good books so I can't write Marvel off completely?

This book is intense, well-plotted and provides some genuine surprises every issue. The artwork is picture perfect too, no pun intended.

What happens? Well, if you really must know a reformed villain goes mad, Matt Murdock experiences trouble at home and in the streets of Hell's Kitchen. And if the conclusion is any indication, Matt may be burying yet another love interest...

If that doesn't get you to buy this book, I don't know what will!


GREEN LANTERN #20 - Okay. I'm totally jazzed about the idea of the emotional color power spectrum that is being postulated here. Enough that I'm going to do a whole other post about it later.

I also like how Carol Ferris gracefully takes herself out of the picture once she thinks Hal has moved on. What a shame the whole thing has to be spoiled with the news that she's divorced now. Don't get me wrong - a little romantic tension always makes a book more interesting. I just forsee this becoming one big super-powered Archie comic with Hal as Archie, Cowgirl as Betty and Carol Ferris as Veronica.

What? The fly-boy who sleeps around, the hot blonde who is also one of the guys and the rich brunette with the love/hate relationship. Don't tell me I'm the only one who noticed it or is at least the first to comment on it. :)

Can't wait for Sinestro Corps, though.


JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #6 - I have similar feelings about this book as I do Amazons Attack. I appreciate the concept and I like the characters - but I want them to get it over with because the story is decompressed to the NTH degree and I'm more interested in the questions that aren't being answered - such as why Superman seems to have been visited by a different Legion than the Legion of the Legion of Superheroes title written by Mark Waid. Still, there's a lot of good character moments here - my favorite being Liberty Belle asking Wonder Woman about which single guys on both teams she'd consider going out with.


MAGICIAN APPRENTICE #7 - With a good deal of relief, I can finally give up this book. I wanted to give it a chance as Raymond Feist's Magician was one of my favorite books as a teenager and the artwork in the first few issues of this series was pretty good. But then Marvel bought out the company... and clearly whatever arangement they had for Raymond Feist to approve every issue personally was thrown out the window.

What makes me say that? Because this issue offers us our first look at The Mordehel aka The Dark Elves. Now because of D&D and certain characters in popular fantasy, it is assumed that all Dark Elves have ebony skin and white hair. And the Dark Elves that we see in this comic are colored in such a manner.

One small problem: Feist went through great pains in this work (and later books) to note that it is near impossible for a human to tell the difference between a light elf and a dark elf by appearances. Indeed, the only notable difference was an undefinable feeling of unpleasantness that dark elves inspire and the fact that they usually kill humans on sight.

I refuse to believe that Feist, who has always been one of the most protective of authors when it comes to his works, would sign off on this comic, take the money and run.

Regardless, they won't be taking any more of my money.


TEEN TITANS #47 - The promise of a Duela Dent funeral... and Countdown's two-page funeral had more time for mourning than this book that shows everyone standing around a grave on the cover.

Who do I talk to at girlwonder.org about protesting this? Because Deula had just been turned around in Teen Titans not ONE issue earlier and she had so much potential as a character ready to be used...

... only to go evil - not the silly prankster evil she did before but actual EVIL evil - and then get killed off as part of an effort to do something with Jason Todd other than to have him serve as a Deus Ex Machina in Judd Winick books.

And Again I Ask: WHY HAS NOBODY ARRESTED JASON TODD YET?!?!

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 4/25/07

52 WEEK #51: And we get back to the high quality moment here as we enter the home stretch. A lot of good character moments here, but if I had to pick a top five...

5. "Can we keep her?" as Starfire collapses on Animal Man's porch after saving him and his family from a group of alien assassins. Because honestly, what preteen boy wouldn't want his very own amazon space princess?
4. Buddy Baker's Homecoming. The perfect mix of silly and touching, especially the line about "He's got a hair-piece, I just flew across galaxies to get to you. I don't think there's any contest."
3. The explanation for Robin's new red and black costume - to honor Superboy, as those were his colors.
2. Clark's comment on Diana's new look in her new secret identity - "I like the glasses."
1. The return of Lobo as we know (and some of us love) him, making up for a year of almost complete pacifism in the only way possible - by killing a god.


AMAZONS ATTACK #1: You know, apart from one scene we really didn't need this book with Wonder Woman #9 out this week. But given the poor quality of Jodi Picoult's run on the book so far (more on that in a moment), I prefer to think that we really don't need that book compared to this one.

Why? Because the idea of the Amazons invading Washington DC - even without a single named character to latch onto as a focal point in the narrative - is infinitely more interesting than watching Wonder Woman and Nemesis banter back and forth during an ill-conceived jailbreak only to notice "Oh wow... Amazons invading Washington DC..."

Still, Hippolyta is back so that's worth something. Especially if we can get her back into the JSA. Yes, I know that's highly unlikely given that she's just tried conquering America, even if she has been doing it at Circe's whim. I'm just saying I miss having her in the JSA.


BRAVE AND THE BOLD #3: I missed this one last week and for the first time I don't feel like I missed much as this was the weakest issue of the series so far. Maybe it's because I'm so disinterested in the new Blue Beetle, but I kept bearing through those scenes hoping for a continuation of the Supergirl storyline. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed and we do get a quick preview of next month's promised team-up between Lobo and Kara.

By the way, Mr. Mark Waid and Mr. George Perez? If you read this, I just want you two to know something. Regarding the scene with Kara showing Lobo something that she thinks is good for credit on paying him for a ride? The one with the leather coat that completely covers her costume? And the panel where it looks like she's not wearing anything under said coat as she undoes it and we see Lobo looking shocked?

You are bad, bad men. And God bless you both for it. :)


CONNOR HAWKE DRAGONS BLOOD #6: The mini-series ends and without any further disturbing (or if you're Judd Winick, incestuous) scenes of Shado playing kissy-face with Connor but with a whole lot of last-chapter "What the-" exposition.

Seems that the whole plan to summon and kill a dragon had nothing to do with saving China and everything to do with creating a fountain of dragon blood that makes anyone who bathes in it faster, stronger and immortal. The whole thing falls apart if you think about it a bit. But this is good fun action, which is all you can really ask of a Chuck Dixon Book.


DAREDEVIL #96: Okay, this is officially the best book being published by Marvel Comics and one of the best books published anywhere right now. And I'm not just saying that because it's up for a well-deserved Eisner as is its' author. My one complaint is that I really don't want this story to be heading where I think it is heading.

Melvin Potter was a rarity in Marvel and indeed all of comics: a former bad guy who was trying to get help for his condition. Now, as someone who has had friends with mental health problems, most of whom have been more successful than not - I kinda like the idea of seeing one character in comics who beat the odds and didn't stay like Joker or Two-Face. Someone who was a sweet and basically innocent guy who had some issues, worked through them and was now redeeming his past.

Of course the writer in me knows that the drama behind taking such a character and reverting him back to his old ways is irresistible. And I'm fairly certain that Brubaker has a few twists left so that it will turn out that this isn't what it looks like. Still, I worry about the character. And that is what makes this book so great - that I enjoy the story even though the story itself has me annoyed and worried about what may happen to one of the characters.


DORK TOWER #36: Give John Kovalic credit: he does not got halfway on the drama. Which is kinda funny when you consider that this is supposed to be "a funny book". But between Igor planning a convention that promises to be a total disaster, Matt's last-minute attempt to get his comic ready to sell at said convention and Ken's relationship with Sujata falling apart after she panics when he proposes, there is enough drama here for one of those serious relationship comics.

And that, in itself, is pretty funny. Funny "makes you think", not Funny "ha-ha".

Sure, this comic has laughs a plenty. But what it does better than any other gaming-related comic anywhere is show that underneath the somewhat silly exterior of people who CosPlay, LARP or go to Renn Fests, they are still people. People who are not the least bit different than the so-called "normal" people who don't have "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" memorized and who are stunned to know there are dice made with more than six sides.


JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #5: I loved this issue, plain and simple.

Was it the presence of Doctor Destiny? Yes.

Is it the fact that all the old-school Legion stuff is now cannon again? Yes.

Was it all the Sandman References? Yes.

Was it Batman having to fight nightmare versions of himself, plucked from the dreams of Arkham Asylum inmates? Yes.

Was it finally getting to see Sanderson "Sandy" Hawkins in a story ever since he changed costumes and started calling himself Sandman instead of Sand? Hell yes!

The one downside? That this has to get tied into the lackluster JLA issues dealing with the same plot. Geoff Johns can rock a story line this. Brad Meltzer can't.


NIGHTWING ANNUAL #2:Another one that I missed last week, this time intentionally. My thanks to all of you, who through LJ and e-mail, let me know that my query last week about "And when are they going to explain when Babs and Dick broke their engagement?!?!?"

Well, the answers are here. And I loved this story. And I think that - Marv Wolfman, be damned - we need to Marc Andreyko writing the monthly title ASAP.

You don't want to get spoiled, don't read any further.



I have to agree with Mark Poa. "Dick Grayson is a dick."

Honestly, all you people who are complaining about the Green Arrow/Black Canary engagement and how Oliver Queen is the filthiest, lying dog cheater on the planet? Read this issue and get back to me on that.

Dick Grayson hasn't been one of my favorite characters in a while, but he was in my top 5 back when Chuck Dixon was still writing the book. Still, it's a bit disturbing to me that Dick and Barbara's "first time" came six months after her accident and how it was a spur-of-the-moment thing that happened as Dick was coming to give Babs an invitation to his wedding.

I'm not saying that I can't see it happening and that something like this isn't in character for Dick. He's had spur of the moment romances before. I'm just saying that I'm still disturbed by it given the long romance between the two. Thankfully, this issue does explain just why things never quite reached that point until then as well as the Wuthering Heights-style chain of events that kept them apart as well as what point they are at now.

Incidentally, am I the only one amused that Starfire's "lounging around the house after a night of loving" clothes actually cover more than her regular costume?

Despite the infidelity all over the place, this was a very cute and surprisingly sweet issue. There's a lot of touching moments along with some laugh-out-loud comedy involving Dick having the natural reaction to being locked in close-quarters (i.e. a safe) with Batgirl and trying to disguise that fact afterwards by walking hunched over once he gets out. Can you say "doing math problems at the chalkboard"? :)

I recommend it to all of you old-school Nightwing fans who, like me, had been steering clear of the title since the dark days of Devin Grayon's run.


WONDER WOMAN #8: I had one of my local Comic Shop Guys ask me, as I was telling him about how badly Jodi Picoult's has been received and how all the fans on the web are clamoring for Gail Simone to take over sooner than Issue #13 say "She's a published novelist so she must be a good writer."

Now, I haven't ready any of Jodi Picoulet's books, admittedly. I can't say one way or another if she can write a good novel with original characters or not. I suspect, however, that she may be a writer who can do good work with original characters, but can't change their own style or internal speech-patterns when writing an established one. That's the only reason I can think of why Wonder Woman, in these last three issues, has sounded and acted like a Cybil Shepherd to Nemesis' Bruce Willis.

I think Ragnell nailed this last week when she said that the greatest part of Diana's personality is confidence. No matter where she is or what she is doing, she does not back down from her right to be there or to do what she thinks is right. She should not sound like a confused sorority girl, worrying about how popular she is, what people think of her or any of the normal things that female characters in modern literature obsess over.

And on a personal note: Wonder Woman should not ever call anyone a pervert.

Fast Thoughts - The Week of 3/21/07

There's quite a few books out this week that I want to say something about. Hence, I shall be doing a column packed full of reviewy goodness this weekend. But as a little teaser for that... here's my fast thoughts on everything I read this week - one sentence per book.



BIRDS OF PREY #104 - Please don't let this one be a fake-out.

BRAVE AND THE BOLD #2 - What is it with Hal and blonde teenage alien girls?

CONAN #38 - Finally - Rogues In The House!

FLASH THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE #10 - Finally, Rogues in the house!

ION #12 - Eat it all of you who wanted Kyle to die!

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #4 - Remember Kids: Hawkman says Nazi's bones break just like anybody else's!

MAGICIAN #6 - Why is a medieval princess wearing a spandex bicycler outfit under her nightgown?

SUPERGIRL #15- Best issue since the Secret Identity story in #10.

Looking To The Stars: Crisis of Infinite Reviews!

The quick-read among you may have noticed that it has been quite a few weeks since I have written a review for the regular reviews section of This Ol’ Nexus. The reason for this has been a combination of weeks when I wasn’t picking up that many books or the result of me asking for a break due to a vast workload in class.

I won’t bore you all with details or excuses. Suffice it to say that I will be well and pleased when I finally get my Masters Degree and I never have to do a group project where I am one man doing the work of four again.

But since I spent over $40 on comics this past week, the result of most of my pull list coming out the third week now… I think it long past time I let loose with some opinions.

Amazing Spider-Man #519

Would that this issue had come out a week or two earlier. Then I could have been spared the rantings of a thousand Mark Millar fanboys about the new writer of Marvel Knights Spider-Man had no idea how to write Peter and why was he biting Wolverine’s head off and wasn’t it sudden how Peter moved into Tony Stark’s tower? Here, all is explained. How Peter, MJ and Aunt May moved on up to the East Side. How Peter started getting really possessive of MJ around the hairy midget with the thing for redheads. And how Hydra is coming back in force. I’m not digging the Peter as an Avenger idea so far, but with JMS writing like this, it may grow on me yet.

Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Birds of Prey #81

Oddly enough, they repeated the JL Unlimited titled “The Cat and the Canary” this past weekend and this issue has that title on the cover. Black Canary and Wildcat team-up to take down drug-dealers in Singapore. Meanwhile Huntress, who walked out on the team last issue, reemerges in Gotham with two other Oracle agents gone rogue, apparently intent on taking over the Mafia in Gotham… as Helena Bertinelli. I was liking the way Helena was really starting to play of Barbara and Dinah as a team player, but I’m sure Simone is going somewhere good with this. And any story with Helena sneaking into the Mafia that updates her status in the wake of Greg Rucka’s atrocious “Cry of the Huntress” mini-series is okay by me.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Conan #15

Cary Nord takes a break and Greg Ruth takes his place this issue. And Ruth does a good job in this story showing the early days of Conan as an eight-year-old warrior in training. This is another title that everyone should read.

Score: 9 out of 10.

Conan and the Jewels of Gwahlur #1

The writing and art style is different than that of the regular monthly title, but this three-part special by the legendary P. Craig Russell is no-less enjoyable. Russell proves himself as skilled as any writer who has ever adapted Howard before and his art is fine as ever. All fans of heroic fantasy, as well as Russell’s work at Vertigo will want to pick this up.

Score: 8 out of 10.

Ex Machina #10

This book got nominated for an Eisner in writing for every category it was eligible for. That says a lot more for it than I ever can except that it is bloody good and everyone should be reading it.

Score: 10 out of 10.

Fables #36

I don’t know why, but this introductory issue to the saga of Boy Blue trying to infiltrate the lands of the forces of darkness just seemed a little flat to me. Not bad by any means, but not nearly as entertaining as I usually find Fables. Perhaps it is because we are looking at general monsters and not the specific reimaginings of classic storybook characters that the book usually centers on. Regardless, this is merely a good issue of a great book.

Score: 7 out of 10.

JLA Classified #6

Every issue of this comic seems like a black comedy now. The more the Countdown to Infinite Crisis continues, the more it seems that characters in this book disappear. The real shame is that this title interests and me more than the “excitement” over in OMAC Project. But then again, I’m a sucker for any story with Etrigan. The REAL Etrigan who is, I just realized, also on the way out thanks to John Byrne. I’d be laughing a lot more if this book weren’t so sad thanks to other people’s work. As it is, I’m still laughing a lot.

Score: 9.5 out of 10.

JSA #72

Geoff Johns is still writing it. It is still one of the best books out there. If you’re not reading it, you should be… whether you’re a DC fan looking for more info on Infinite Crisis or just a fan of good writing in general.

Score: 9 out of 10.

Knights of the Dinner Table #102

With all the big “event” stories going on, it is to the credit of KenzerCo that this issue did not promise a big surprise on the cover. For we did get a big surprise of major importance to the Knights history in this issue with little fanfare. And yet, that makes it all the bigger news. I won’t say what because I’m hoping that maybe some of you non-gamer types might give this book a shot.

Score: 7 out of 10.

Lucifer #61

With a little over a year before this title comes to its’ appointed end, things are starting to wind down to a big war between the Angels of Heaven and the children of Lilth (both by demons and by a rogue Angel named Sandalphon). And somewhere in the middle is the retired adversary himself, his half-angel niece Elaine and Jill Presto- a stage magician impregnated by a living Tarot Deck. This is one of the strangest and certainly one of the best books put forth by Vertigo and I will miss it when it is gone. This is a very difficult book to jump into, so new readers would be advised to start with the Trades and work their way up.

Score: 8 out 10.

OMAC Project #1

It’s a good thing I had recently read the revised Batman: The Ultimate Guide by Scott Beatty. Otherwise, I might have been totally lost as to who the heck this Sasha Bordeaux woman is. I read most of the Bruce Wayne: Murderer storyline and I still had to struggle to remember her. Odds are I’m not alone and Greg Rucka really would have done well to have explained her background a little more and not assuming the readers are all brazen fanboys; Particularly on a series which, according to editorial, is meant to bring in new readers. As it is, I am still deeply worried about the darkening tone of the DC Universe but I’ll probably still read this for another issue if only to see where this is going. As it is, this is a rather poor introduction that explains little and keeps the reader wanting more only because so little is given to us.

Score: 4 out of 10.

PS238 #11

You know, maybe it’s because the market is becoming saturated with several books along this theme (most of them coming out from Image in the near future), but this humor book about an elementary school devoted to super-powered children has just been a little bit stale for me lately. I think perhaps the problem may be that I am not the target audience, since Williams’ stories of late have centered more upon the magic of childhood than on superheroic satire, which is more my speed. Also, the book just hasn’t has seemed as funny since it adopted the non-powered Tyler as a main-character. There’s only so much that can be done with a non-powered kid screaming in terror or diving for cover as things happen around him. The stories here could take a page from the recent Death Jr. book and take a good look at the lives of each kid without using Tyler as an everyman. Because sadly, Lil’ Spawn’s vague descriptions of the realm he was born of and the brief speeches by Lil’ Dream (aka Murphy) are so much more amusing than the idea of a 4-Square tournament of Doom!

Score: 5 out of 10.

Spectacular Spider-Man #27

Spidey swings into the sunset on the cover as Paul Jenkins swings into a long rest and this title swings into antiquity. Thanks be to Marvel, who had the good graces to let Jenkins close out the title he started after a long and often ignored run on this book as well as on Peter Parker: Spider-Man. Aside from giving us one of the best “character” issues of all time, we also get a cute little tribute to the long lost Calvin and Hobbes comics of my youth. Take a bow, Mr. Jenkins. You deserve it. Rest well and get better. I’ll want to see you writing Spider-Man again someday.

Score: 10 out of 10.

Ultimate Spider-Man #76

Sadly, I got more entertainment value out of the comic at Spider-Fan then I did this issue or indeed the entire Hobgoblin storyline. There’s no sense nor motivation to Harry’s transformation other than foreshadowing what might happen in Spider-Man 3 and adding more unnecessary drama to the Peter/MJ relationship. It seems that all claims that Bendis is getting stretched too thin with his current workload and getting lazy are justified. At least Bagley’s artwork is still good.

Score: 4 out of 10.

Tune in next week. Same Matt time. Same Matt website.

JSA #70 - A Review

Written by: Geoff Johns
Penciled by: Don Kramer
Inked by: Keith Champagne
Colored by: John Kalisz
Lettered by: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Publisher: DC Comics

This seems to be a week for classic film references in my reviews. Earlier, I reviewed Batman: The Man Who Laughs, which took its title from a 1928 film, whose tragic hero was part of the inspiration for the appearance of The Joker. Now, I find Michael Holt (a.k.a. Mister Terrific) quoting In The Heat Of The Night as he is faced down by a group of angry Klansmen who demand to know what they call him up North.

“They call me… Mister Terrific,” he says with only a moment’s hesitation as he too gets the joke.

This is why JSA is one of my favorite titles. There’s lots of little “in-jokes” for those who get them. But unlike most comics which attempt such Easter Eggs, you don’t have to have an encyclopedic knowledge of DC Comics history, old movies or the minutia of 17th century Scotland’s economic turmoil to enjoy the basic story of JSA.

The story right now is complex, but capably covered by Johns writing. A time-traveling baddy by the name of Degaton has gone throughout time and killed off most of the modern incarnation of the Justice Society of America. The last surviving members of the modern JSA, all second or third generation heroes, have gone back in time to talk to their mentors and convince them not to break up the team in the wake of being asked to unmask by Congress during the height of McCarthyism. The team’s break-up, all part of Degaton’s plan, will be the cause of a huge disaster which will eventually lead to the destruction of the present day.

Trust me: it reads much better spread over three issues than in a one paragraph summary.

Don Kramer’s artwork is a perfect match for this book. He has to draw a wide variety of characters in a huge variety of settings and manages to make every single one of them look unique. Even the simplest thug will have a distinctive face and personality; something many artists will “cheat” on when doing a book with such a wide and varied cast.

Looking To The Stars: Slap-Dash

I have a pile of comics to my right, a large cup of tea to my left and a keyboard in front of me. Sounds like the time for some quick reviews.

Aquaman #21

While I've never been one of his detractors ("He's useless. All he can do is talk to fish!), I've never been a big fan of Aquaman either. Will Pfeifer, in one story, not only shows Aquaman for the cool character that he is; he also creates a new villain for Aquaman who is, like him, underestimated by many but potentially deadly in the right environment. In this case, the villain is a psychic with the ability to mentally control large amounts of water. While a minor annoyance to Batman in the relatively land-locked downtown area of Gotham City, he proves quite the danger when armed with scuba gear and set upon the sunken California town of Sub Diego. Creating waterspouts at will and boiling the very water in a person's body are just a few of the tricks he uses. But Aquaman proves no weakling here, using his powers in equally creative ways, summoning a flock of poisonous lionfish (One spine can throw a healthy adult male into cardiac arrest) to corral a group of henchman. Shame he's leaving the title in 3 issues, as Aquaman hasn't been this well written since… well, ever!

Final Score: 7 out of 10.

Ex Machina #5

It's been neck-in-neck for a while, but this is, quite simply, my favorite book being published right now. Tony Harris does his finest work since the good ol' days on Starman and Brian Vaughan shows why he is one of the best writers working in comics today. The story of a man given a great power, who abandons superheroism for the greater responsibility of political office is one not often explored in comics and never to any great detail. This series promises to do just that and more.

Final Scote: 10 out of 10.

Hawkman #33

I wish I could say that this comic doesn't feel like a gratuitous plug for Jimmy Palmiotti's new series "The Monoloith"… but honestly, how else can you justify Batman, Mister "I Am The Lone Avenger Of The Knight" Himself, calling Hawkman and Hawkgirl into Gotham to help him track down a crime-fighting, giant stone golem? Still, the comic isn't a total wash. The scenes at the end with the two avian heroes going to a movie and talking about their relationship and where it stands is quite good and easily makes up for the cheap commercialism of the rest of the book.

Final Score: 5.5 out of 10.

JSA #66

There is nothing for me to explain in this issue after my profile of The Hourmen some weeks back. The tease we get of future issues here suggests I'll have quiet a lot to explain later about some other time-traveling characters. But since I don't have a time machine myself, we're all going to have to wait and see what I say about that. For now, go read this current issue and enjoy the here and now.

Final Score: 10 out of 10.

Knights of the Dinner Table #96

For once, the funniest parts of this magazine came not in the comics, but in the columns. This is not to say that the comics this time were not funny. Indeed, a new comic centering upon the self-devouring gamers of The Black Hands Gaming-Society and their latest attempt at a western-themed role-playing game is one of the best strips in recent memory. And another, parodying a recent gaming release (a gaming adventure titled "The World's Largest Dungeon", changed here to The Biggest Damn Dungeon Ever) promises a lot of humor in the next issue. But the funniest part of the magazine this time around came in a missive by Noah Antwiler, about why we can expect Star Wars, Episode 3 to do nothing to save the franchise by pointing out the numerous continuity problems that will have to be solved and the four ways in which Jar Jar Binks could be turned into a useful character.

Final Score: 8 out of 10.

Swamp Thing #8

It's funny how a writer can be so good on one book and so wrong for another. Case in point; while I loved his work on Aquaman, Pfeifer's two-part tale for Swamp Thing seems rather bland and lifeless. Mind you, it isn't an easy task following up the smashing introduction that Andy Diggle gave this book in its' first six issues. Still, after an epic battle with multiple elemental forces, a cameo by John Constantine and the announcement that his loyal wife was leaving Alec Holland/Swamp Thing, this issue demanded something special. This story, about a big game hunter hunting a mysterious swamp man, isn't it.

Final Score: 4 out of 10.

Ultimate Spider-Man #66

The cover title, "Even We Don't Believe This", says it all. Peter Parker and James "Logan" Howlett star in Freaky Friday. A grand story in the tradition of the old Lee/Ditko "The writer has gone insane and I don't want to draw this… help me" stories of the past, as Wolverine and Spider-Man trade more than spaces. It's hard to pick just one funny moment in this comic to share… so save us both the trouble and read it yourself.

Final Score: 10 out of 10.

Tune in next week. Same Matt time. NEW Matt Website.