Injustice 2 #10 - A Review

Today, Batman has gathered the incoming American President and an association of the rich and idealistic to build a better world. Unfortunately, one of Batman's chosen councilors - genius inventor Ted Kord (a.k.a. The Blue Beetle) has been abducted by the power behind the new Suicide Squad.



No, I'm still not giving away the mystery identity of the new Big Bad of Injustice 2: The Comic. Such is my commitment to driving you to read this fantastic series.

As I've noted before, no experience with the video game itself is required. Writer Tom Taylor lays it all out for you. Indeed, this issue does a fantastic job of playing with our expectations and reintroduces a character I don't believe has been seen since the start of The New 52.

The artwork is equally fantastic. Bruno Redondo has a smooth, crisp style that is well-defined by Vincent Cifuntes' finishes. Red Lokus' colors provide the perfect tints and shades for every scene.

The only real flaw with this issue is that the scope of the action is largely muted, largely taking place off-panel. The final scene, however, is truly touching and seems to confirm a long-held fan theory. No, I'm not explaining that one either. ;)

The Final Analysis: 8 out of 10. It's a good issue, but it's a bit low on action.

Injustice 2 #9 - A Review

In the wake of Superman's Regime, Ted Kord hung up his costume and gave up being The Blue Beetle. Now, when he isn't busy inventing and running his company, he's training a new Blue Beetle - Jaime Reyes. Yet events are approaching that will require Ted to put on his tights once again.

Unsurprisingly, Injustice 2 continues to be a wonderful comic. The artwork by Bruno Redondo, Vicente Cifuentes and Rex Lokus continues to be picture perfect - pun very much intended with a BWA-HA-HA-HA in the bargain. And every Ted Kord fan who swore a blood oath of vengeance on those involved in writing Countdown To Infinite Crisis will likely swear an oath of fealty to Tom Taylor for the story presented in this issue.

The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10. A Must Read! 

Justice League Dark #21 - A Review

Despite having greatly enjoyed Jeff Lemire's recent work on Green Arrow and Constantine, I haven't read any Justice League Dark since he and Ray Fawkes took over the title.  I only picked up this month's issue after being informed by my Friendly Local Comic Book Guy that it tied into the upcoming Trinity War.  It doesn't.  At least not in any way that is immediately obvious.


Thankfully Fawkes and Lemire make this issue surprisingly accessible despite it apparently being the final issue of a longer storyline.  I still wouldn't recommend it to new readers as I probably would have had a harder time following the action of this issue if I weren't already familiar with the characters involved.  Still, the script here is well-written and engaging.  Heck, I even overcame my general antipathy for Barry Allen in this issue, finding it fun to watch the science-minded speedster having to run around a mystical threat.   


One thing about this book that hasn't changed since the last time I glanced through it is the artwork, which continues to be some of the best in the business.  Mikel Janin is a phenomenal artist who fits an amazing amount of detail into each panel without making things cluttered or dirty.  Reportedly inker Vicente Cifuentes handled the finishes on the final half of the book but I didn't see any difference between the two halves.  Either Cifuentes is an incredibly skilled inker who was able to match Janin's stule perfectly or someone in the credits department of DC Comics is a liar.  I lean toward the former explanation, given Cifuentes' similar stellar work on matching Ed Benes' inking style on Batgirl.

On the whole, I was impressed with this issue and am starting to wonder if I made a mistake in not covering it sooner.  I'll definitely be following it through The Trinity War.  Perhaps even after that. 

Batgirl #20 - A Review

When Gail Simone returned to Batgirl, we knew she would return with a vengeance.  Yet never in our darkest dreams did we imagine that she'd create something this horrible, this terrifying, this... unholy.  Even those of us familiar with Simone's work on Secret Six never imagined that she'd dare to unleash a villain as spine-shiveringly freaky as the new Ventriloquist. 


You may laugh at that opening paragraph, dear reader, but the horror contained within goes far beyond the way in which all large dolls and ventriloquy figures are a little unnerving.  This new Ventriloquist is Peyton Riley run through the wringer with Stephen King's Carrie - an abused young woman finally given the power to fight back.  What is her power?  That's a mystery that will carry over into the next issue but whatever else she may be capable of, she's very good at throwing her voice and impersonating voices.




The artwork is excellent, save for one small glitch.  Inker Vicente Cifuentes helps out with two pages of this issue and it would be obvious precisely which two pages even if the credits page did not note them specifically.  Cifeuentes is not a bad inker but his style is much more heavy-handed than regular inker Jonathan Glapion and the artwork is visibly different as a result.  The difference isn't really bad but it does prove a distraction during a particular action scene.  That being said, the pencils by both Daniel Sampere and Carlos Rodriguez are good and the story flows smoothly despite the sudden change in the inking. 

Batgirl #17 - A Review

So here we are.  The first issue of Batgirl not written by Gail Simone since The New 52 revamp.  What was meant to be Ray Fawkes' first issue on the book.  At least, what was going to be his first issue before a fan uprising forced a reversal of whatever decision caused Gail Simone to be fired from this book in this first place and led to her rehiring and impending return with the upcoming Issue #19.

Did we dodge a bullet?  Yes and no.  While I'm a brazen Gail Simone fanboy and have loved her work on Batgirl, Fawkes' work here isn't bad.  The plot, detailing Barbara's efforts to bring her murderous brother to justice and clean up the other wreckage of her life following the events of Death of the Family. is a solid one.  More importantly, Barbara is still the brilliant genius she should always be portrayed as.  Indeed, Fawkes plays up an aspect of Barbara's character that is often under-utilized - her photographic memory - and shows her using it in a way to help the police that doesn't involve putting on a mask or vaulting along rooftops. 


So what's the problem?  Well, it's a minor point but a significant one.  Until now, all of Batgirl's stories have been told from Barbara's point-of-view.  This issue switches between two narrators and neither of them is Barbara.  The first is the typical unseen voiceless narrator common to comic books, who tells us what Barbara is thinking and doing rather than letting Babs tell us herself.  The second is James Gordon Jr, who narrates the action as he observes his sister in the second act.  The sudden shift in tense between narrators is awkwardly handled and there's no indication of the change in the text, the font or the coloration of the text boxes. 


Thankfully, the art is as strong as ever.  Daniel Sampere and Vicente Cifuentes lend this book a visual sense of continuity that helps ease the reader through any oddities in the script.  Simply said, this book is gorgeous and still benefits from some of the finest artwork you can find in any monthly comic title.

Is Batgirl #17 worth picking up?  I'd say so, even if you aren't inclined to keep your collection complete.  While the narration is a tad off-putting, it's not enough to distract from the good story and amazing artwork.  Hopefully Ray Fawkes will find his footing elsewhere because there is far more good in this script than bad and he deserves a chance at a monthly title elsewhere. 

Batgirl #15 - A Review

Three days later and I'm still reeling from the news.  How, how can anyone, for any reason, not want this book to go on forever and ever as it is?  Who could fail to recognize this book - under Gail Simone's authorship - as one of the finest on the market today?  I could go on but Simone has asked that no mud be slung on her behalf and I am content to respect those wishes. 

It is also out of respect for Gail Simone's wishes that critics not spoil the centerpiece of this issue that I'm staying mum on much of the story.  So I shan't discuss in detail nor show scans of what is - as I write this - quickly becoming known on Twitter and the blogosphere as "the big scene".  A scene Simone has reportedly wanted to write into a Barbara Gordon story for over ten years.  I will say this much - it was worth the wait and is something every Batgirl fan has longed to see, even if we never realized it until we saw it.

The rest of the issue beyond "the scene" is developed with equal care.  A framing device showcases The Joker discussing his plans in Arkham sometime before the events of Death Of The Family.  Simone's take on The Joker is a perfect compromise between the dark, demented serial killer of modern-day Bat-books and Steve Englehart's humorous Harlequin of Hate.  This Joker goes about his business, seemingly unaware or uncaring of how his every action disturbs all around him, endeavoring to sound oh-so reasonable as he describes the journal he's written in blood and apologizes for the sloppy hand-writing. 



Speaking of handwriting, I'd like to single out letterer Dave Sharpe for praise.  Letterers often have a thankless job in the comic industry and even I, as a critic, rarely notice the font or set of the words I'm reading unless there is something horribly wrong.  But Sharpe's lettering is exceptional, with the letters to The Joker's words having a disjointed, physical edge to them.  Indeed, and forgive me this bad pun worthy of The Joker himself, they look Sharpe enough to cut yourself on. 

The rest of the art team deserves high praise as well.  Daniel Sampere, who penciled the conclusions of both Batgirl #14 and the recent Batgirl Annual is finally given an entire issue to work on solo.  He does not disappoint.  Colorist Ulises Arreola picks a perfect palette for everything.  Even inker Vicente Cifuntes, whom I condemned last month for overly-outlining the physical characters relative to the backgrounds, does a fine job this time around.

I do not know if I'll be sticking with this book after Gail Simone leaves.  Reading a book about Barbara Gordon without Gail Simone now seems to be like reading The Sandman without Neil Gaiman.  If you're of a similar mindset, send a polite letter to DC Comics letting them know of your intentions.  Then buy this issue.  Buy a copy of this one and the last for a friend.  Let them see the glory that is Gail Simone's Batgirl while there is still a chance! 

Batgirl #7-9: A Review

Batgirl has surprised me more than any other title in recent memory.  I wasn't sure what to expect with the first issue and every issue since then has found little ways to astonish me.  By way of a for instance, Batgirl #7 made me realize how much I miss Gail Simone writing Black Canary.

Dinah Lance is strictly here in a supporting role but the brief interlude makes it clear how very important she is to Barbara Gordon as a friend and mentor, even if we're still unsure exactly what their relationship in the past may have been.  The second act of the book has Barbara going to Dinah, nominally to spar and test her combat skills but really to unload on someone about the recent craziness in her life (i.e. the mom who abandoned her wanting to make peace).




The art for this scene is handled by guest artist Alitha Martinez, who partners up with regular penciler Adrian Syaf.  For the next two issues, Martinez handles the more thoughtful, domestic scenes while Syaf handles the action.  This proves to be a bold choice that helps to subtly separate the scenes as the story progresses, with Martinez's softer, more cartoonish style offering a humorous contrast to the darker, dynamic scenes illustrated by Syaf.



The action of both #7 and #8 deals with Batgirl's attempts to track down a new masked robber - a connoisseur of sorts who calls himself Grotesque.  And it is Barbara's pursuit of the baddie and his henchmen into the sewers that leads to another surprising revelation.  Namel, that one of Grotesque's hired goons is one of the men who was backing-up The Joker on night Barbara was paralyzed!  


Much of Issue #8 focuses upon Barbara's attempts to sort out her feelings regarding this thug even as she struggles to bring Grotesque to heel.  As before, Martinez and Syaf take turns on the art duties, though this time Martinez seems to focus on a subplot that I will not discuss here.  Suffice it to say, it will probably take center stage in future issues and prove to be quite exciting.


Issue #9 is a tie in with the Batman: Night of Owls storyline but the story hardly breaks Simone's stride.  Much like the recent Nightwing title, this issue shows us the origin of the unfortunate soul who would become one of the Court of Owl's Talons - monstrous assassins brought back from the dead and rendered near invulnerable.  More, we discover another connection to the Court of Owls and the circus in which a young Dick Grayson grew up. 


While this is interesting stuff as far as the crossover goes and Simone gives us a cute yet disturbing introduction involving an aspect of the Pacific Theater in World War 2 that is rarely discussed, the real heart of the issue is centered upon James Gordon and his daughter as they fight two different battles in the same war.  Commissioner Gordon is ordered to sit idly while war wages across his city, lest his daughter and the people around him be hurt.  For a while, that threat is enough to stay his hand but - when push comes to shove - Jim Gordon is a good cop.  And as he races through a swiftly disintegrating police station to try and turn on the Bat-Signal, Batgirl fights her own battle to stop the assassin sent to kill her father.

 

I know several of you old-school Birds of Prey fans have been reluctant to give this title a chance.  I understand your reluctance, believe me.  I had my reservations early on, too.  You love Babs as Oracle.  So do I.  But the thing you have to realize is that Barbara Gordon is Barbara Gordon.  Whether she's in a wheelchair or not, whether she's cartwheeling across a rooftop or sitting on top of five mainframes... she is still Barbara Gordon.  She is still the same super-genius spitfire we all love, no matter what the costume, the name or the gimmick. 

Give this book a shot.  I think you'll be surprised.