Descender #13 - A Review

With the exception of its last few pages, Descender #13 is almost entirely a flashback. This time the action focuses on Telsa - the UGC officer tasked with retrieving TIM-21. A born warrior held back by her General father's desire to keep her safe at any cost, this issue tells the story of how she sought training behind his back and eventually adopted a new identity in order to live the life she wanted.

My fondness for this series is growing increasingly faint.  Lemire is a great writer and Nguyen's artwork is as wonderful as ever. Yet the continual flashback issues have killed the momentum of the main plot and I'm starting to wonder if Lemire is padding things out to buy himself time to think of where the story goes from here. I think this story may ultimate read better in a single sitting rather than as a monthly comic.

Descender #12 - A Review

TIM-21 was overjoyed to find another TIM unit like himself among the robot resistance fighters known as The Hardwire. That joy turned to horror after his new "brother" became monstrous and tried to kill him, fearful that he would be replaced by the new TIM! How did TIM-22 become so twisted? The answers lie in this flashback tale...



Three months since the last issue of this series and Descender #12 still feels like filler. It's very well written filler with fantastic artwork but there's still a sense that this story didn't need to be told. It doesn't help that the trials and tribulations that TIM-22 went through in his past seem even more derivative of the movie A.I. than the base concept of this series, with a lost robot boy trying to find his family. Lemire managed to keep things fresh and interesting until now and one hopes the book will pick-up again in future issues.

Descender #11 - A Review

Tim-21's organic allies are starting to grow fearful of their prospects for survival once the rebel robots of The Hardwire are done probing Tim's memories for proof of a mechanized afterlife - a server where the memories of all dead synthetic life go!  Meanwhile, Andy and his party of Tim-21's friends have troubles of their own dealing with they cyborg cultists known as The Between.


I can't say enough good things about this series. Jeff Lemire puts a unique spin on story elements that might otherwise have been sci-fi cliches and the introduction of robotic religion in this issue is another idea I have seen done before but not so well as it is done here. And Dustin Nguyen's artwork continues to be as individual and memorable as Lemire's scripts.

Descender #10 - A Review

Transported to the secret Machine Moon that is home to the robotic resistance, TIM-21 and his friends are anxious to continue the search for Andy. But the robots of the The Hardwire would study TIM-21 first, for they believe his "dreams" of a robotic afterlife may be transmissions from a real place! Meanwhile, Andy will seek answers regarding where to find his robotic brother from the one person he least wants to talk to - the ex-wife who left him to join a cyborg cult.


It is no surprise to those who have read his work that Jeff Lemire is skilled at world-building. What is surprising, however, is how easily and subtly he expands upon the world of Descender even now. While cyborgs are nothing new, Lemire's concept of "The Between" is a unique take on the concept.


The artwork of Dustin Nguyen matches Lemire's scripts, beat for beat. There is a natural grit to Nugeyn's style that is perfectly suited to the grim world of Descender.Even the scenes on brightly-lit, well-cleaned spaceships seem to have a natural darkness to them!

Descender #9 - A Review

Tensions rise between Tim-21 and his rescuers in the the robotic resistance group known as The Hardwire. Meanwhile, Andy arrives on the planet of Gnish in time to witness the crowning of the new king.  Not surprisingly, he vows to double the planet's efforts to hunt down and destroy all robotic life... particularly those responsible for the death of the previous king.


Jeff Lemire is slowly building the drama of Descender. Not much happens in this issue in terms of pure action - the sole fight sequence involving the robot Driller's continued fight for survival in the arenas of Gnish. Still, there are a lot of the quiet, enjoyable character moments which Lemire excels in writing.


Dustin Nguyen's art continues to impress. The rough, sketchy appearance here is a good match for the gritty universe of Descender. Few dystopian comics have visually captured the feeling of a great empire descending into darkness as well as this one.

Descender #8 - A Review

Scrappers - the bounty hunters charged with hunting down rogue artificial intelligences - are scouring the whole of the galaxy searching for the robot boy TIM-21. But one scrapper in particular is hunting for TIM-21 a little bit harder. His name is Andy and decades earlier TIM-21 was his brother!


Jeff Lemire continues to impress with Descender. This issue tells two different stories, alternating between Andy's past and his present. Lemire maintains a difficult balancing act, yet also manages to expand upon the unique mythology of this universe while developing Andy's character.


Dustin Nguyen manages the same trick with slightly less subtlety.  The flashback scenes are rendered in monochrome while full colors are used for the present-day scenes. It's a typical trick but Nguyen renders it effectively and the artwork in both stories works well.

Descender #7 - A Review

TIM-21 has been saved from the robot-cullers of Gnish, thanks to the timely arrival of some rebels from the militant robot resistance known as The Hardwire. Unfortunately, TIM-21's saviors care little for his mission to find his lost brother or his desire to save his friends!  Elsewhere, another robot bounty hunter has taken up the search for the galaxy's most wanted robot - one with his own reasons for wishing to find TIM-21.


This series is a wonder of modern science-fiction. The script by Jeff Lemire puts unique spins on several classic tropes and every issue so far has found at least one way to surprise me. And the artwork by Dustin Nguyen is brilliant in its subtlety.


If you haven't given Descender a chance yet, this is the perfect jumping-on point.  This issue is the first part of the second story arc - Machine Moon. And a handy blurb at the front of the book tells you everything you need to know. I'd still suggest tracking down the first six issues or picking up the TP collection, though.

Plutona #1 - A Review

It is a world of super-heroes and super-villains. But this is not their story. This is the story of four pre-teens whose friendship (if it can be called that) is based more on proximity than common ground and the search for a lost younger brother that leads them to a horrifying discovery.


I must confess dissatisfaction with the above summary. It tells you about Plutona #1 in only the broadest of terms. Yet that is the only way I can describe this book without giving away the game. The only way to truly appreciate this book is to go in blind as I did. To say more, even in comparing it to a classic work of literature it demands comparison to, would be to deny you of one of the best reading experiences I've had in some time.


I can say this much.  What Jeff Lemire, Emi Lenox and Jordie Bellaire have created here is immediately and obviously special. And you'd be a damned fool not to pick this book up immediately.

Descender #6 - A Review

The sixth chapter of Descender takes us into the not-too-distant past of the great robotics expert Dr. Quon. Or rather - the NOT so great Dr. Quon. For this flashback issue reveals the lie of his life and that all of his revolutionary ideas came about because of an ancient artifact stolen from his mentor - evidence that ancient civilizations had robots so advanced as to seem like organic life!


This issue beautifully builds upon last month's shocking cliff-hanger. It is a credit to Jeff Lemire's skill as a writer that this issue manages to be so gripping despite a lack of action until the final pages. Such is the tale that Lemire is spinning.


The artwork by Dustin Nguyen continues to impress.  Nguyen's style is uniquely streamlined yet simultaneously packed with detail.  The final scenes showcase Nguyen's talent for character design as we see even more uniquely modeled robots.

Descender #5 - A Review

The Luddite planet of Gnish is not a pleasant world and it is doubly worse if you're a robot. Or someone who is responsible for creating robots. Or a member of the United Galactic Council. It is here that TIM-21, Dr. Quon and the rest of our heroes find themselves, with half our heroes scheduled for dismantling or questioning while the other half are thrown into the planet's famous battle pits, where robots are made to fight to the death!


Dustin Nguyen continues to amaze with the artwork on this series. There is a certain simplicity to Nguyen's designs that is simply enchanting. Yet he also brings amazingly intricate levels of detail to the proceedings.



I cannot praise Jeff Lemire's skill as a writer enough. While the individual components of this story are Classic Science Fiction 101, Lemire somehow finds a way to make even the most solid of tropes seem brand new. Simple put, this is one of the best books on the market right now and a must read for all comic fans.

Descender #4 - A Review

Tim-21 has been recovered and proven most agreeable to helping Captain Telsa and her team in uncovering the origins of the deadly Harvester robots. But their troubles are far from over. For another team of Scrappers - the bounty hunters who track and kill robotic life-forms like Tim-21 - is hot on their scent and ready to claim their prize!


This issue of Descender has a much slower sense of pacing than the previous ones, with all of the action coming at the end. Still, this proves a welcome change as the conversations between our cast - now together for the first time - prove as riveting as any fight scene. And the down-time allows the character of Captain Telsa to be given some much-needed character definition.

Dustin Nguyen continues to amaze with his artwork. He can make even the most staid conversation interesting to look at. And it goes without saying that the action sequences - once they come - are exciting and well-done.

Descender #3 - A Review

Robotic youth companion TIM-21 has been left badly damaged by the attacks of the scrapper team that detected his illegal reactivation. Fortunately a United Galactic Council science team, including his creator Doctor Quon, is on their way to save him. But what will they make of the revelation that the robot boy has begun to dream dark visions of the deadly Harvester robots that lay waste to the UGC home worlds, when everyone knows that androids do not dream - of electric sheep or otherwise?


I commented before that Jeff Lemire's story for Descender borrowed heavily from a number of classic science-fiction stories and tropes.  This issue brings forth a twist that owes a clear debt to the works of Philip K. Dick.  Despite the homage being apparent, the tale Lemire tells here is wholly original while seeming wonderfully familiar.


Dustin Nguyen's artwork is as original and compelling as Lemire's story. Nguyen's aesthetic is oddly minimalist and sketchy while simultaneously possessing subtle detailing.The final product is a perfect fusion of art and writing and I would highly recommend this series to anyone who is not already reading it.

Descender #2 - A Review

Ten years ago, robot armies decimated the core worlds of the United Galactic Council. Since then over 90% of the sentient robots have been destroyed by the bounty hunters known as Scrappers. All of this is news to Tim-21 - a robotic child companion who went dormant ten years ago, only to reactivate on an abandoned mining colony. Unfortunately, his awakening has summoned The Wreckers...


This new series by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen borrows from a lot of classic science-fiction. The story combines elements of Astro Boy, Blade Runner and A.I. while the artwork is reminiscent of Robotech and the films of Miyazaki. Yet the combined aesthetic is entirely original and uniquely memorable.



Descender has proven to be one of the best new series of 2015. It's a must read for all fans of good comics as well as sci-fi genre enthusiasts. If you haven't picked up the first issue, do so immediately.

All New Hawkeye #1 - A Review

I must confess to being disappointed in All New Hawkeye #1.  This is not because it is a bad comic - quite the contrary! I had just expected something new to go along with the new title and the new numbering. I had expected something revolutionary akin to when Jeff Lemire took over Green Arrow. Instead I got a serviceable but unremarkable Hawkeyes vs. Hydra story.


Whether by intentional design or by editorial fiat, the writing and art for this issue seem to be aping the styles of Matt Fraction and David Aja. This might not be a bad choice given the acclaim the previous Hawkeye team had won but Lemire and Perez are no green rookies who need to play copycat!  In terms of original content, the best bits of the book are the flashbacks to Clint Barton's childhood, which are largely rendered in a purple haze excepting when the story turns violent and red flows into the coloring.


That is unique.  That is different.  That is what I was expecting when I bought this book. Still, fans of the previous series will probably be relieved that nothing has really changed. And if the worst thing I can say about a comic is that it seemed derivative of one of the best series in recent memory, it must be pretty good.

Justice League United #7 - A Review

It appears that the cast of Justice League United are as bored with this crossover with The Legion of Superheroes as I am.  At the very least, Animal Man and Green Arrow are fed up with it.  Both of them make wisecracks about how many damned Legionaries there are and how hard it is to keep track of all of them in this issue!


Jeff Lemire tries his best to keep the story moving but the inertia of The Legion continues to hold him back.  It doesn't matter that he slips in some quick gags such as Animal Man and Timberwolf sniffing each other.  The story never bothered to explain who Timberwolf was for the readers who aren't already intimately familiar with every single member of The Legion, their powers and their personalities... or lack thereof!


The artwork this month is an improvement.  Neil Edwards' figures are still forced and stiff, but this is less obvious in the splash pages that dominate the second half of the comic.  Strangely, though this issue features two inkers, the finishes on the comic seem less erratic than they did last month when only one inker was assigned to the book.

Justice League United #6 - A Review

The one saving grace of Justice League United #6 is Jeff Lemire's ability to bring little moments of character into what is essentially one gigantic fight scene. It is these moments that have defined the series so far. And it is these moments with all the little interactions between the regular cast that make the book so interesting.


Alas, most of this book is taken up with the sort of Claremontian battles that have come to define any story involving The Legion of Superheroes.  There are no characters here - merely a loose collection of bodies attached to various superpowers.

These scenes consist of various characters standing around, explaining the action to the reader (Quickly, Ass-Kicking Lad!  Kick the ass of that big guy while I hold him in the grasp of my Magnetic Mind Grip!) while clumsily letting us know their codenames.  It's a shame because Jeff Lemire is capable of so much better than this and the scenes in which his Justice League speak to themselves showcase the difference between the two teams.



As before, the artwork is erratically mixed.  Neil Edwards is a clearly skilled penciler, but too many of his figures seem artificially posed. The best aspect of the artwork is the energetic colors added by Jeromy Cox.

Justice League United Annual #1 - A Review

The biggest problem with Justice League United's crossover with The Legion of Superheroes is that it is a Legion of Superheroes crossover.  The good news is that thanks to The New 52, readers will not have to worry about any of the cumbersome continuity problems that beset the classic LOSH comics.  The bad news is that the LOSH are still a collective of bland characters largely defined by their individual super-powers, with only Brainiac Five and Mon-El possessing any kind of personality. And those personalities are "know-it-all jerk" and "hot-headed douche-bag" respectively.


Writer Jef Lemire does what he can, but even he can't battle the inherent inertia of an storyline involving The Legion of Superheroes.  Too much time has to be devoted  to explaining who they are and listing off the individual members of the team. It also doesn't help the plot is strictly standard, with The Legion having come back in time to kill Ultra (Jonn J'onzz's adopted multi-ethnic alien son) before he becomes a world-destroying monster known as Infinitus in the future.

The subplot involving the rest of The Justice League trying to track down the body of a deceased Hawkman is far more interesting for a number of reasons.  Chief among these are the interplay between the team members and the little character touches that Lemire excels at. My personal favorite was the interplay between Supergirl and Green Arrow, with the inherently rebellious Oliver Queen struggling in a position of authority as he tries to reign in the equally rebellious Supergirl.  



The artwork this time is a bit of a mixed bag.  Neil Edwards is a skillful penciler and there are a number of Kirbyesque splash pages throughout the book.  The problem is that many of the poses of Edwards' figures seem overly forced and artificial, up to and including two women pointing their posteriors directly at the reader while curving their backs so we can see the profile of their chests!   The inks by Jay Leisten are competent but not particularly noteworthy. The best aspect of the artwork is the coloring, with Jeromy Cox using a vibrant, heroic palette that makes everything jump off the page in just the right way.

Justice League United #5 - A Review

I've spoken before about how Jeff Lemire is one of the few modern writers who seems to follow the classic rule that every comic should be written as if it were someone's first exposure to the characters.  It is for that reason - and perhaps because of the delay between issues caused by the Future's End specials - that this issue opens with a recap of just how the new Justice League came together and why Martian Manhunter has now taken on guardianship of a genetically engineered being born of multiple alien species known as Ultra.


This story - as well as the majority of the team going to investigate the sudden activation of the distress beacon of a recently deceased Hawkman - take a backseat to the main focus of the issue, which develops two heroines who haven't been seen in the book much so far and indeed haven't really defined themselves as heroines yet.  One is Alanna Strange, who despite having a space-suit, a brave heart and a ray gun, still isn't quite sure what to make of the destiny that has been thrust upon her and her husband, Adam.  The other is Miyahbin - a young woman who is about to discover her own special powers and her family's legacy as protectors and guardians.



The artwork of Timothy Green II and Joe Silver proves the equal of Jeff Lemire's amazing script.  Green is a grand visual storyteller and he has a gift for drawing interesting inhuman figures, such as J'onn J'onzz or the monstrous Whitago. Joe Silver is a soft touch with the ink pen, but that suits this bright, largely hopeful story just fine.

All in all, if you haven't been reading Justice League United, this is a good issue to start with.

Justice League United: Future's End #1

Justice League United: Future's End #1 opens strongly enough. We're treated to a delightful scene of Equinox - still largely undefined by this series - getting to show off her powers and competence. She's set up against a rather interesting enemy who is as defined by technology as she is defined by a bond to nature.  This is a bit cliche thematically, but the sequence still works well.


Sadly, everything starts to go downhill once the plot starts and the actual tie-in to Future's End begins.  We're quickly informed that the team has broken up five years in the future and find that most of the characters we know and love from this series are not in attendance.  No Green Arrow.  No Stargirl.  No Supergirl.  No Animal Man.

So what do we have?  A random assortment of characters who aren't given the same attention Equinox is by the opening. This is problematic given that the future Justice League includes some relatively obscure heroes from Geoff Johns' Aquaman and Legion Lost.  One senses that Jeff Lemire's heart isn't in this story, as everything feels strictly standard once we're beyond introducing our central heroine and establishing the plot hook - J'onn J'onzz is running a prison on Mars and neess help stopping a break-out.


The artwork by Jed Dougherty is similarly by-the-book.  Dougherty's penciling style isn't bad but his inks are oddly heavy and his linework thick.  The final effect leaves everything looking somewhat like pages from a coloring book inspired by 1990s Image Comics.

All in all, the only reason to pick this book up is if you're collecting all of the Future's End tie-ins or you're a Justice League fan who needs this to understand the upcoming Justice League: Future's End #1 tie-in.  Regular readers of Justice League United can easily skip this one without missing a thing.

Justice League United #3 & #4 - A Review

Through no fault of my comic shop, I somehow neglected to pick up the last two issues of Justice League United until this past week.  And I find myself wondering how I could ever have forgotten this book, even with my busy schedule.  Granting that it has been slow in finding its footing and in bringing its cast together, these two issues finally see our new Justice League united, including Jeff Lemire's creation Equinox and Alanna Strange - no longer a passive romantic figure but now a hero in her own right.


As always, the best parts of these issues are Jeff Lemire's grasp of these characters and his development of their personalities and the relationships between them.  The key sequence of Issue 4 sees these characters - working together but not yet a team - paired off and made to play off one another.  Green Arrow reaches out to Animal Man only to try and shrug off his olive branch with a joke.  Supergirl proves as cool and and jagged as Kryptonian crystal when Stargirl tries - and fails - to make a similar gesture of friendship only to stick her foot in her mouth.  And for the first time in a long while, we see the paternal side of J'onn J'onzz as he takes it upon himself to take charge of the newborn Ultra The Multi-Alien (long story) as well as the responsibility for failing to save an ally's life.


The book's weak point continues to be its artwork. Mike McKone is a competent penciler but the rotating team of inkers on this series do his work a disservice - particularly when multiple inkers are employed on a single issue and all hope of a consistent look is ruined.  I've noted before that McKone also seems guilty of recycling his panels but these two issues bring us a new problem - that of the artwork not matching up with the script. Consider this panel in which J'onn asks for Green Arrow to accompany him, Stargirl and Supergirl only for Ollie not to be included in the away team. For the rest of the issue, Ollie is seen standing in the background with the other half of the team, not saying anything or doing anything.  I blame the editor more for not noticing this problem before the book was printed but it is still a vexing point that takes the reader out of the story.


Despite this, the scripts are good enough that I can forgive the missteps in the art.  And it is gratifying to see so many characters that I enjoy in their New 52 incarnations being given a chance to shine.  So I shall be sticking with this book for a while longer.