DC Universe Rebirth #1 - A Spoiler-Free Review

The cynic in me chuckled at the first page of DC Rebirth #1. First page of a new book meant to revamp the whole of the DC Comics Universe (again!) and - in theory - bring in new readers looking for an entry point, and what do we start with? An editorial note saying we should read Justice League #50 and Superman #52 before reading this issue.

 After that, the cynic didn't laugh once.


This book is good. Damn good. An all-star line-up of artists make every page poster-worthy. Textually and metatextually, the conceit at the center of this issue's story is brilliant. It is a great story, told by the perfect narrator to explain just what went wrong with the DC Universe as it is now.

Once the dust is settled I will do a more in-depth review, discussing what worked about this issue in detail. Right here, right now, I will say only this. Rebirth is the shot in the arm that DC Comics needed and the future is looking bright indeed.


I still have some reservations about what is to come. And the cynic does wonder if the various editorial teams will manage to hold to the vision of love and legacy that Geoff Johns put forth in this issue. But I have hope after reading this book that things will improve. And that is something new.

DC Rebirth #1, as a single story, is a good one. It's a love letter to everything I love about DC Comics and a renewal of many of the things we've been missing. And even if you're not a DC fan... in fact, especially if you're not a DC fan...you should check this issue out to get a sample of what we've all been missing.

Green Lantern #17 - A Review

Green Lantern #17 is the first part of another four-month long, four-comic spanning mini-series.  So for those of you who were feeling burned out after Rise Of The Third Army, I'm afraid I have some bad news.  We're only halfway done.


The good news is that this first part of Wrath of The First Lantern is far faster in cutting to the chase than it's predecessor.  The bad news is that we don't get nearly enough exposition into who The First Lantern was and how he gained the power that even The Guardians seem to fear.  Thankfully, we do learn something of his motivations, how he first came into contact with The Guardians and why he's now working against them.  And the other plotline - involving newbie Green Lantern Simon Baz having his first encounter with the villain Black Hand - is interesting enough, though seemingly unconnected to the main storyline.


While the storyline may be drawn out, at least the artwork is as gorgeous as ever.  Doug Mahnke and his team of inkers deliver the same quality work we've come to expect on this title.  Guest artists Dan Jurgens and Phil Jimenez also deliver an exciting prologue, which evokes images from classic DC Comics as we see just how The First Lantern and The Guardians originally met.

I'd like to say this is a good entry point into the Green Lantern title.  Certainly, Geoff Johns has written it to be a beginning.  Sadly, there's too much leading into this story one must be broadly familiar with to fully appreciate it, so on those grounds I cannot recommend this issue save to those already reading Green Lantern.  

World's Finest #9 - A Review

Worlds Finest #9 didn't impress me much on my first read-through.  On the surface, not much really happens to advance the on-going saga of two heroines trapped in a world that is not their own.  It occurred to me, on my second read-through, that this was likely by design and that there was more than met the eye to the extended action sequences that make up most of the book's pages.


This is a gorgeous book, with the legendary George Perez taking the lead as our action opens.  Recovering from her recent injuries on her best friend's private island, Huntress finds herself and Power Girl's home under attack.  Unsure if the armed mercenaries have come for her or are after the billionaire Karen Starr, Helena doesn't hesitate in running defense.  We then cut to a flashback scene, ably illustrated by Cafu, where we see our heroines shopping - clothes for Karen and "hunting" gear for Helena.  The final chapter where Karen comes home to find things in disarray is illustrated by Yildiray Cinar, whose excellent work has been most recently seen in Earth 2.



The script by Paul Levitz is enjoyable and adheres to the Stan Lee standard of treating every story you write as if it were going to be someone's first issue.  No previous exposure to World's Finest is necessary.  This issue does a great job of establishing the personalities of both our heroines as well as their skill in kicking butt.  Indeed, it's only flaw is that some of the action here is repetitive for long-time readers and nothing is done to advance the on-going plot of the book until the final page.



World's Finest #9 would be a good jumping-on issue were I certain it was representative of  the book's quality in the immediate future.  That's not to say this is a bad comic.  Far from it.  Yet the continual shifting of the book's artistic contributors do leave it feeling somewhat disjointed visually and the upcoming departure of George Perez has me worried about the future for this book.  Today, though... today it is a great book and well worth the reading.