Superman #51 - A Review

I'd thought I was done with Superman until DC Rebirth. Then the news came out that they would be planting the seeds for what was to come in the last few Superman comics. What sold me on giving this issue a shot, however, was the fact that it was by Peter Tomasi and Mikel Janin - two creators whose work I've generally enjoyed when I encountered it. And I was not disappointed.

As a result of the last Super-Crossover (which inspired me to drop this title originally), Superman has regained his powers. Unfortunately, he's also contracted some form of Kryptonite cancer. He may have become a star again but one that is doomed to burn out soon. With death a certainty, Clark Kent begins making arrangements for his death.


Some may say this is derivative of Grant Morrison's All Star Superman, but Tomasi's script finds a humanity in Superman that Morrison's story lacked. The focus here is not on the wonders Superman tries to fashion in the brief time left to him but how Clark Kent makes peace with his loved ones. That humanity is something that has been sorely lacking in the Superman stories of late and it makes this issue all the more powerful.

That power is equaled by Mikel Janin's artwork. There is a unique clarity and brightness to Janin's colors and character designs that makes every page of this book a delight to look at. Janin is also a great visual storyteller, and the action of the issue flows easily from panel to panel.

Superman 47 - A Review

The notorious hacker known as HORDR_ROOT has stolen Clark Kent's secret identity and with it his job, his life and a goodly portion of his power. But nearly killing Jimmy Olsen was the last straw. Now Superman is going to take the fight to HORDR_ROOT and bring him down to Earth, with a little help from his friends.


The artwork for this issue is all over the place, with three different artists with completely different styles. Howard Porter has done good work in the past but he seems to be channeling the spirit of Rob Liefeld for the better portion of this issue, with his male figures overlarge and the perspective forced to hell. This is somewhat better than Raymund Bermudez, whose contribution to the issue seems half-finished, being sketchy and under-inked. Only Tom Derenick delivers consistently, but even his work seems ill treated by the two conflicted colorists.


This is a shame because this may be the best single issue of the series Gene Luen Yang has written snice taking over Superman. It's a rare treat to see an issue where Clark fights with his head more than his fists and the fight with HORDOR_ROOT necessitates that. And let's give Yang credit for a truly novel plot twist regarding HORDOR_ROOT's connection to a classic DC Comics villain and a rather nifty origin story.

Superman #46 - A Review

Clark Kent's quest to find the sinister hacker HORDR has led him to Oakland, California. Flat broke and unemployed, he's forced to join Mythbrawl - a fighting league where the gods of old replay the stories of their mythology with a modern flare, in the guise of actors. Clark feels oddly at home among his new friends... until the one friend he has left from his old life reappears just as Clark finally gets a lead on HORDR's whereabouts.


I noted last month that Howard Porter's style has change dramatically in recent years. His figures are as bold and brave as ever, but there is a bit more fine detail than I recall in his earlier works. And the colors by Hi-Fi leave everything looking as super as one would expect.



If Neil Gaiman had ever been given a chance to extensively play with the Superman mythos and explore the idea of Superman as a modern god, I don't think he could have done quite so fine a job as what Gene Luen Yang has done here, though it might be similar in scope and shape. This doesn't read like any Superman story I've ever seen before and that's a welcome thing. I shan't spoil the end of this issue, though I will say I'm cynical there will be any lasting changes.  That being said, I still can't wait for the next one.

Superman #45 - A Review

With his powers drained and his identity outed to the world, Clark Kent has not been having a good month. But Hordr - the criminal group that attempted to blackmail him - is still at large. And he is still Superman. The trail to Hordr's new base leads Clark to California and an odd new arena where the gods of old do battle like professional wrestlers.


Despite enjoying this issue, I'm a bit torn on it. And not for the reasons most of the Superman fandom seem to have mixed feelings right now. I'm fine with Clark not having a secret identity and being depowered because I know this is temporary, no matter what DC Editorial says.  Like the electric blue and red Supermen of the 90s, this too shall pass. And the idea is a fun one to play with for a time.

No, my issue is with the idea of Mythbrawl. It's a great idea, mixing the shtick of  JSA villain Roulette with the idea (best explored by Neil Gaiman in The Sandman) that old gods take on new jobs in modern society to draw what worship they can. Yet as innovative as Gene Luen Yang was with this concept, I can't help but think this sort of thing is more appropriate to Wonder Woman. It's a minor quibble, however, and this issue is well-written.


It's been a while since I've read a book with artwork by Howard Porter and I honestly didn't recognize his work here until I looked at the credit's page. Porter's style has changed since the days when he was on JLA with Grant Morrison, becoming stronger and less stylized. The vibrant colors by Hi-Fi perfectly enhance Porter's pencils and inks, crafting one amazing looking book.

Superman #44 - A Review

Superman's secret identity has been revealed to the world and Clark Kent's life is falling apart. A new Royal Flush gang is out for his head and a collective of his worst enemies have taken the staff of The Daily Planet hostage! And the police are more interested in arresting him than they are in helping Superman save lives!

I want to believe that Gene Luen Yang is building to something grand with this story but I'm just not seeing it anymore. The speed with which people turn on Clark Kent seems more appropriate to a story set in the Marvel Universe. I defended the idea that Lois Lane could ever see fit to betray Clark's trust in the face of a greater good but I'm hard pressed to believe Perry White would attack Clark as he does here. While one might argue that White's commitment to The Truth as a newsman could lead him to see any kind of lying to your editor as a betrayal of the job of a journalist, it still seems a bit incongruous for him to chew out Superman for endangering people and thinking he could protect them. Nearly as incongruous as Clark, in the fact of such hostility, declaring he shall inflict a thousand-times as much pain on anyone who tries to hurt his friends.


It's oddly fitting that John Romita Jr. should be the artist on this book because this sure feels like a Spider-Man story rather than a Superman one. Romita and his usual inker Klaus Janson are in fine form. And the colors by Dean White and Leonardo Olea are skilfully applied, with no indication that there is more than one color artist at work.

Superman #43 - A Review

As pointless as it may be to put a SPOILER warning on this review, given that the "shocking twist" at the end of this issue was revealed over three months ago by DC Comics' preview for this series, nevertheless I am giving a warning.

If you haven't read Superman #43 yet, know that I enjoyed this issue immensely and would recommend reading it for yourself. Abandon this article now if you would remain unspoiled!


At last we learn how it was that Lois Lane betrayed Clark Kent's secret identity to the world. And to the credit of Gene Luen Yang, the reason she has is a darn good one.  So what could drive Lois Lane to expose Superman's greatest secret?  It is not, as many suggested, a desire for the fame or glory attached to such a big story.

It is fear that motivates her.  Fear of what Superman might do to protect the people he cares about from a cunning blackmailer who is three steps ahead of him. So Lois does the only thing she can to save Superman and all that he stands for as Clark Kent elects to play along with the blackmailer's demands while waiting for an opportunity to free himself later.  She reveals everything to the world, thus making Hordr-Root's threats worthless and freeing Clark to fight back against the master hacker.


There is a subtle parallel here between the conflict between Lois and Clark at issue's end and the Superman fandom. Clark idealistically believes that, given time, he could have figured a way out of this mess whereas Lois, ever the realist, makes a difficult choice to prevent what she sees as the greater (or at least more immediate) of two evils. Consider how this mirrors the argument over the idea that Superman should always find a way to win in the end versus those who feel Superman is at his best when he is faced with emotional conflicts that require more than physical strength to solve.

Doubtlessly some will say that this story is terrible because Lois' trust in Superman should be absolute. Others will say that this story is well in keeping with Lois' nature to be a proactive figure who does what she thinks is right and damn the consequences if the world disagrees with her. I think there is a grand discussion to be held regarding those ideas and hope this issue provokes such conversation rather than inspiring an army of Super-fans to rage quit the series.

Regardless of how you feel about the story, the artwork is exquisite.  John Romita Jr. is in fine form. And one would never know that this issue featured a team of two inkers and three colorists, so well does the team work together in maintaining a uniform style throughout the issue.

Superman #42 - A Review

Lois Lane has finally put two and two together and uncovered Clark Kent's secret identity. But even in the face of Lois' trust being shattered, the two have bigger problems. For a hacktivist called HORDR_ROOT has also uncovered the truth of who Superman is and has plans to recruit The Man of Steel for his organization... or else!


I feel conflicted about Gene Yang's script for this issue. On the one hand, the idea of HORDR_ROOT is a novel one and the idea of an enemy who utilizes the power of information against Superman is a novel one. Sadly, the threat he presents is resolved far too quickly.

A larger problem is the character of Lois Lane, who - in the New 52 universe at least - lacks the closeness to Clark that is required to sell the feelings of betrayal she expresses here. The whole thing rings false but I fear that's more the fault of editorial demand than Yang's script, because otherwise the character interactions are wonderful.


The artwork inspires similar feelings of conflict. The pencils and inks by John Romita Jr. and Klaus Johnson are up to their usual high standard, but there's nothing in the issue that stands out as particularly fine work. The greatest problem is the color art, provided by three different colorists with distinctly different styles and palettes.  Just look at the tone of the characters' skins and you'll see the obvious disparity, with the characters appearing pale in one panel and ruddy-cheeked in the next!

Green Arrow #36 - A Review

On reflection, while Jeff Lemire's run on Green Arrow was a well-written series, I think I'm enjoying Andrew Kreisberg and Ben Sokolowski's run a little bit more.  That's a bold statement after two issues, I admit, but the new writing team brings a sense of fun to the material that Lemire didn't and that sense of fun is something that Green Arrow needs but has sorely lacked for a long time.

Don't get me wrong - I loved Lemire's run and its gripping sense of drama. But The Outsiders War, while setting up a grand mythology in the tradition of the ninja clans Frank Miller added into the canon of Daredevil. didn't really feel appropriate to Oliver Queen as a character. The storyline also turned Oliver Queen into a passive character in his own book, frequently confused and shunted from one information dump to the next as other characters explained what was going on.


On the surface, that seems to be true of Green Arrow #36 as well.  Very little of the action until the end of the issue involves Oliver Queen and our hero is in the middle of getting a huge information dump from Felicity Smoak when we first see him. And why is Felicity delivering all this information?  Because she was hired to kill Green Arrow, but had a change of heart about the job and decided she'd rather work for him doing good things instead.

Unlikely?  Yes, but John Diggle and Oliver Queen are both appropriately skeptical and cautious, even as they acknowledge that Felicity's knowledge is proving useful. Besides, they'd have no idea she was a hacker for hire unless she'd told them, so that proves she's trustworthy... right?

Another difference between two runs is that the story here makes greater use of the Green Arrow mythology.  Whereas Lemire utilized names while refining concepts, Kreisberg and Sokolowski stay truer to the classic form.  This issue finally gives us our first glimpse of homeless teen Mia Dearden and her attitude is ripped right from the pages of Kevin Smith, even if her circumstances are different. than that of the Pre-New 52 prostitute who became the second Speedy.


Some fans of Lemire have groused that Green Arrow is being turned into another Arrow comic. I personally fail to see why that would be a bad thing even if it were true. And I don't think it is. Yes, some trappings of the Arrow show are being introduced but Kreisberg and Sokolowski are also introducing a number of classic elements from the original comics that have been sorely missed.  The book may feel more like Arrow than it did before but it also feels more like Green Arrow than it did before.  And as far as this Arrowhead is concerned, that's pretty damn good.

In any case, I do not think anyone can argue against the fact that the artwork on this book is amazing.  Daniel Sampere and Jonathan Glapion deliver more of the quality work that made their recent run on Batgirl so magical.  Gabe Eltaeb makes everything appear bright and vibrant with his colors and Rob Leigh manages a neat effect with his lettering to emphasize Felicity's half-muttered sarcastic remarks.

Off Target: Green Arrow (Vol. 2) #89

I've skipped ahead in Cross Roads again to cover a story that is as topical today as it is stupid.  The comic we're about to go through is an anti-gun story.  Please note that this is an entirely different thing than being a pro-gun control story.

Without going too deeply into my own personal beliefs on the subject, I do believe the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution does grant citizens the right of gun ownership.  However, I also believe that a tremendous amount of personal responsibility should go along with gun ownership and that the state should take steps to see that gun owners are routinely tested and regulated on a level similar to what is required of people who drive a car.  Licensing.  Testing.  Regular independent inspection.  All that.   

This comic lacks such distinction or subtlety.  In this story, guns are bad and that's it. End of conversation.  There is no argument or discussion of the many cases in which private citizen gun ownership has proved beneficial to society.  And as offensive as this all might be to gun hawks, this comic is just as offensive to those who favor sensible gun control as it suggests that anyone who wants gun control must want the complete destruction of every gun everywhere and that there is no middle ground.

All that being said, let's get into Green Arrow #89 and get ready to be annoyed! 



The Unseen Shooter returns and still can't aim worth crap.
We open in the middle of the action as Green Arrow - newly arrived in Gotham City - has stumbled across a group of five men running out of a gun shop after closing time.  Sorely annoyed about his lot in life of late, Ollie decides to vent his frustration on the would-be robbers.  As usual, Ollie is so lost in his own thoughts that he doesn't notice someone sneaking up behind him. But hold off on your drinks for a moment, Green Arrow Drinking Game players - Ollie is not knocked unconscious with a blow to the head!  This time, he is tasered. 
 


New Rule: Ollie is tasered or otherwise electrocuted - Take 2 Sips.
When Ollie wakes up, he's in the back of the robber's van.  The robbers are tending to their wounds and explain that they brought Green Arrow with them on their boss's orders.  And who is their boss, you might ask?  Why it's none other than obscure Batman villain, occasional anti-hero and star of his own ill-advised solo series back in the 1990s...Anarky!

Quick Explanation.  Anarky was a character created by Batman writer Alan Grant and artist Norm Breyfogle, based on Grant's own philosophical beliefs.  After learning of the evils of the world through a pen-pal, privileged preteen prodigy Lonnie Machin became inspired to rebuild society from the ground up as the superhero Anarky.  Lonnie is a master hacker, a brilliant engineer and the very model of a modern Marty Stu.  Anarky was meant to explore the ideals of anarchism through superheroics but came off instead as the annoying younger brother of V from V for Vendetta.


And while I'm asking questions, why the hell do you have a giraffe's neck?
For those who have to know, the reason his costume has that ridiculous giraffe's neck is to disguise his height and make him look like adult.  No.  Really.  That is what that child prodigy engineer decided would fool people into thinking he wasn't just some kid in a costume.  See why Anarky didn't get much exposure after 1999? 

Anarky quickly introduces his crew to Green Arrow explaining that these men are far from merry and that all of them had their lives changed by gun violence.  In no particular order, their ranks include...

* a paramedic whose invalid mother was shot by a burglar after he failed to find anything worth stealing in her apartment.

* a teenager whose younger sister was paralyzed after getting caught in the crossfire of a gang shoot-out.

* a soldier whose wife died after a drunk man with a gun broke into their home and thought he'd walked in on his wife cheating on him.

* a young man who played with his dad's gun, after he took it out of where it was locked up, took the bullets from where they were separately locked up and accidentally killed his brother.

* the son of a gun shop owner, whose father was killed by a man with a semi-automatic rifle, despite being armed himself.


The thieving, ill-defined, poorly drawn good guys.

Even if you're pro-gun control, Anarky's argument is complete bullshit.  All of these stories are tragic but despite the common link of a gun being involved, all of these stories are also born out of human stupidity, corruption and the contrivance of the author. 

* Most burglars don't carry guns because doing so risks a heavier sentence.

* Gangs are involved in crimes other than attempted murder and are just as dangerous to a community for those reasons but Anarky isn't doing anything to bring those criminals to justice.  Indeed, he's formed his own gang to pursue his own goals!    

* A man's inability to control his drinking was just as much the reason for the soldier's wife dying as the drunk man's owning a gun but Anarky doesn't suggest robbing liquor stores and destroying the product. 

* The young man playing with the gun, retrieving it from where his dad hid it and the bullets from the OTHER place his dad hid the bullets, is just an idiot.  An idiot who is still able to overcome his father's sensible precautions for keeping his gun away from his children... but still an idiot. 

* The gun shop owner who was killed despite being armed himself is purely a contrivance to neutralize the old joke about how the easiest way to commit suicide is to rob a gun shop.  In real life, most of the incidents where this happens do not end well for the robber.

Green Arrow agrees that their motives are noble but points out that robbing gun shops and stealing guns from gang members doesn't do anything to address the root of the problem.  Anarky agrees and their vehicle conveniently stops as they arrive at... "the root of the problem".
    
Surely no one will question a teenager being a night-shift employee at a gun factory!
Ollie then proceeds to outline precisely why Anarky is a short-sighted, impatient idiot and points out that the company will just rebuild the factory.  Ollie fails to point out all the problems that will be caused by people being put out of work by the factory closing.  He also doesn't ask why Anarky bothers robbing the gun shops when he knows it's ultimately pointless, much less while in route to "the big plan".  

Still, I have to give Kevin Dooley credit for portraying Ollie as having a brain in this moment yet being sympathetic to Anarky's cause while still recognizing that he is wrong for all the right reasons.  Ollie may be a rebel at heart but he's a good man first and foremost.  He puts the Good in Chaotic Good.  He's also, unlike Anarky, not a complete idiot.


This is too stupid even for me.  And I fought a super-model murdering Jenny Craig wannabe!
Ollie walks off, leaving Anarky and his gang to their work  The gang begins to spread plastic explosives (we're told later they're Semtex but they're drawn like bundles of dynamite) around the plant.  At the same time, Anarky - apparently thinking that phone calls are an impersonal way of conducting terrorist activities - confronts the factory foreman in person to demand that he evacuate the building immediately.  He also quotes more statistics.



Listen, brother.  Nearly 40% of all accidents represent nearly half of all accidents!
I'm not going to bother refuting every single point on this page.  Suffice it to say, there have been arguments over whether or not the Second Amendment suggests an inherent right to own a gun for years and - to the best of my research ability - at the time this comic was written no court decisions had ever been made at the federal level one way or the other.  And yes, guns are responsible for accidental deaths and injuries second only to cars... so why not regulate them as intensely as cars rather than getting rid of them outright? 

The factory is evacuated and Anarky and his followers retreat to a safe distance.  Anarky notes that they have to be quick about triggering the explosion because they don't want to set their explosives off after the police arrive on the scene, noting that they are victims of society too and that there must be no innocent deaths.  Well, apart from all the families that will starve to death because you're about to put thousands of people out of work.  But hey - at least they won't suffer a quick death at the hands of a gun!

There's just one little hitch in the plan.  Somehow - the trigger on the explosives isn't working.  For all his genius, Anarky apparently can't build a simple bomb properly.  An anarchist who stinks at blowing things up - oh the irony!  But lo - help is on the horizon! 

Rereading my contract.  Looks like I'm stuck here for 11 more issues.
Yes, Ollie returned.  Why?  Oh, you're not going to believe this...


It's time to make my bow stand for something again. Even if it's something I disagree with!  ...

So... you're about to commit multiple felonies to make your heroic identity mean something again, even though you don't agree with what you're doing in the first place?  Ollie, did you get hit in the head again while you were off-panel?

The sequence which follows is even more ridiculous.  After breaking through the police barricade in Anarky's van, Ollie starts shooting out the factory windows with ordinary arrows.  That is not the ridiculous part.  He then gets on top of the speeding van, while being fired on by the police officers.  This also is not the ridiculous part.

Are you ready for the ridiculous part?  Because this next sequence is so unbelievable it requires special theme music.  Click the link and read on.



I have not altered these images in any way.  Oliver Queen just triggered a factory explosion by shooting a fire arrow through a broken window.  Just think about that.  Somehow, he was able to hit a small target without any way of seeing it or knowing where it was, save possibly through the description of Anarky's gang. 

That would be awesome if it weren't so stupid! 

Ignoring that the police were almost certainly caught in the explosion and probably killed by the shrapnel of the factory blowing up, plastic explosives do not work that way!  Indeed, the main benefit to plastic explosives is that they are more resistant to accidentally going off.  Heck, Mythbusters devoted a segment to showing how C4 could be used as a cooking fuel without triggering an explosion.

The issue ends with Ollie in a local diner, responding to one man discussing his Second Amendment rights with all the reasoned discussion you might expect from this story so far.  That is to say, none at all.



Remember kids: guns are evil. That's why I kill people with a bow!
This comic sucks!  Not just in terms of its' politics but also in terms of its' artistry or lack thereof.  The pencils by artist Michael Netzer are sloppy.  The inking by Rob Leigh soaks too many details in shadow.  And the actions of the characters are driven by the story.  There's not once bit of subtlety in this comic.  It demonizes gun owners directly and gun-control advocates indirectly by suggesting that getting rid of all guns everywhere is the ultimate goal - a suggestion which is as untrue and prejudicial as suggesting that all gun advocates want to arm preschoolers.

Next time  - something equally offensive but far less political.