Comic Book Review: Superman/Batman #29

The jury is still out as far as Verheiden’s job as writer on Superman/Batman. I love Van Sciver’s artwork so my only concern was whether the writing would be on par with the artwork. I liked the last issue and I have a feeling that Superman/Batman #29 should be a pretty entertaining read. Let’s hit the review and find out.

Creative Team
Writer: Mark Verheiden
Artist: Ethan Van Sciver

Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Batman blasting Martian Manhunter with a fame thrower. Martian Manhunter swats away the flame thrower and grabs Batman by the neck and demands to know why he is trying to burn him. Batman responds that he had to make sure it was actually J’onn.

We then shift to Batman filling in Martian Manhunter about the events of last issue where a shape shifter took J’onn’s form and attacked him. Batman asks Martian Manhunter if he knows anything about this. J’onn responds that Batman’s shoot first and ask questions later attitude speaks volumes for Bruce’s character. J’onn says that even if he knew something why would he trust the information with a human like Batman. And with a swish of the cape J’onn leaves.

We cut to S.T.A.R. Labs where John Stewart is examining his ring. He has a gut feeling that there is something wrong with his power ring. Sure enough, the tests results show that there is a subtle change in the refraction pattern and color in the central jewel. Suddenly, a giant emerald fist smashes through the roof and grabs John’s power ring. John falls the ground unconscious from the blow of the green energy fist.

We then shift to an old school 1950’s style Lois Lane approaches Clark in the Daily Planet. Lois goes off on Clark about how his flesh is just a construct. That he knows that is the case and for him to look deep into his soul. Suddenly, the real Lois Lane shows up and punches out the 1950’s Lois Lane. The 1950’s Lois Lane transforms into a Kryptonian powered cave man and locks horns with Superman. Superman takes the fight outside of the building where Hal Jordan shows up and quickly contains the super powered cave man.

Hal tells Superman that there is a government alien containment facility where they can contain this super powered cave man. (The transition between these scenes is a little confusing.) Superman then meets with Batman at the government facility. Batman asks Superman why he is late. That Hal told him that Superman wanted to meet him here at 4 pm. Superman is confused. Superman says that he never asked for a meeting. That Hal gave him a hand containing the shape shifter. Suddenly, a massive green energy blast hits Superman. Batman yells that Jordan set them up. Due to the massive energy blast, Batman falls into a lower level of the government base where he comes face to face with a giant pink alien who took on Green Lantern years ago. The creature who could not die.

At this point, Hal Jordan comes blazing in and starts fighting with Superman. Hal tells Superman that he is not alone. That there are others. Hal tells Jordan to either join them or die. Meanwhile, we see Batman taking down the giant pink alien with some split power cables.

Superman and Hal Jordan fly back to Batman. Batman bum rushes Hal demanding to know Hal Jordan’s explanation. Hal said it wasn’t him. That it was the power ring. Evidently, the creature used Hal to free all of the aliens from the government base. Evidently there is a power capable of corrupting a power ring and controlling the mind of the person who wields the power ring.

Suddenly, a massive green energy blast takes out our three heroes. We then Kilowog standing over Superman. Kilowog says that “When you defy the ring, you defy me!” End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Superman/Batman #29 was a pretty good read. It wasn’t a fantastic issue, but it was entertaining enough. The opening scene was cool. Typical Batman. Why ask Martian Manhunter if it is him when you can blast him with a flame thrower to find out. J’onn’s contempt for Batman is no surprise. J’onn, as we have seen in his mini-series, is over mankind. And he certainly is over humans like Batman. It is pretty clear that this New Earth’s Batman is still pretty unlikable by other super heroes. And I’m ok with that. I like my Batman to be a little unlikable. His distrust and aggressive attitude is what allows him to hand with heroes who are vastly more powerful.

The scene with the shape shifter brawling with Superman and Green Lantern was nicely done. It was pretty funny seeing a 1950’s style Lois Lane. Verheiden lays the foundation for the plotline involving Superman being targeted by this alien creature as a potential ally.

The ending was pretty cool. A pissed off Kilowog being controlled by whatever alien force is controlling his power ring is certainly a very scary adversary. This was a good ending that made me interested in getting the next issue. You know we should be in store for some quality action next issue.

I think that Verheiden has a nice feel for both Superman and Batman. I like how he writes both heroes and constantly contrasts their personality differences. I like the nasty edge that Verheiden gives Batman without him being a total dickhead. I also like Verheiden’s Superman. He is strong and confident and truly is a good person who wants nothing more than to do the right thing. These two men make for an excellent contrast with each other. Plus they make a formidable team because of their differences. Verheiden makes a point of showing that Superman’s weakness is not just Kryptonite. He has an emotional weakness and attachment to people around him like Lois. That makes him emotionally vulnerable. Batman is not emotionally vulnerable and is naturally distrusting so he makes up for Superman’s weaknesses in those areas. On the other hand, Superman makes up for Batman’s lack of physical firepower. I am really enjoying how Verheiden is handling the teamwork and interaction between these two characters.

Verheiden serves up some solid dialogue. I think Verheiden definitely know how to write some very interesting dialogue for Batman. Verheiden does a nice job making sure that each character has their own unique voice. Even in Martian Manhunter’s cameo appearance in the beginning of the issue, Verheiden was able to give the reader a nice feel for J’onn’s character and mesh it in with J’onn’s attitude over in his mini-series. That was a nice little touch.

Nobody draws Green Lanterns better than Van Sciver. Just incredible. I will admit up front that Van Sciver is one of my top 5 favorite artists, so it is no surprise that loved his artwork in this issue. Van Sciver draws a wonderfully detailed comic book that is a joy to look at. Plus, Van Sciver actually draws a hot Lois Lane. Maybe the guys drawing Action and Superman could learn something from Van Sciver’s Lois.

The Bad: The pacing in this issue was too hurried and the transitions between the scenes were slightly clumsy and a little confusing. Especially during the transition from Hal helping Superman to Superman meeting with Batman and then getting attacked by Hal. This issue just didn’t have a particularly well crafted flow or rhythm to it.

The scene with Hal Jordan attacking Superman and Batman fighting with the large alien provided for some nice action. However, I’m getting a bit sick and tired of seeing Hal Jordan controlled by something and forced to do evil. It is officially old. I’m also tired of Batman constantly thinking that Hal Jordan is a traitor. I understand the issues they had when Hal initially returned. That was justifiable and interesting. However, this plotline should have been put to rest after Infinite Crisis when Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman realized they had to change in order to be better heroes and role models.

Now, we get treated to more of the same distrusting Batman constantly accusing Hal of being a traitor and being unable to trust him or treat him like a fellow hero. It is just getting old with me and is losing its impact with each time it is re-hashed. I’m not saying they have to be all friendly with each other, but constantly having Batman view Hal as one step away from being a villain has gone on long enough. Plus, it is time that Hal was finally treated as a hero and stop having to keep dealing with the Parallax issue constantly.

I think that the plotline with the shape shifter, the aliens who were freed from the government facility and the force controlling the power rings isn’t very well structured and seems a but confusing and muddled. Maybe after another issue or two Verheiden will be able to better focus and tighten up this story.

Overall: Superman/Batman #29 was a good issue. It wasn’t anything amazing, but it certainly was a good read. The art is incredible and the writing is solid. I think that Verheiden will continue to improve with each issue. This is a comic that is stronger in the art category than in the writing category. However, it is still a quality comic book that is worth checking out.

Comic Book Review: All Star Superman #5

All Star Superman has been a very fun title. Morrison has done an excellent job crafting silver age style stories and dialogue and giving them a modern twist. I don’t think that many writers could pull this off and I think Superman is the best choice of the characters in the DCU to use for this modern silver age style of stories. I fully expect All Star Superman #5 to be another enjoyable read. Let’s do this review.



Creative Team
Writer: Grant Morrison
Penciler: Frank Quitely
Inker: Jamie Grant

Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Lex in court and being sentenced by the Jury to death via the electric chair. We then shift to Clark Kent flying out to Stryker’s Island to interview Lex Luthor. A bumbling Clark Kent is lead to Lex’s cell where he proceeds to stumble about like a total oaf. Clark says he is here to interview Lex in order to hear his side of the story.

We cut to Lex having a strenuous work out while Clark takes short hand while conducting his interview of Lex. Lex rants against Superman. He tells Clark that if Superman weren’t around then maybe Lois Lane would pay Clark more attention. But, that will never happen with Superman around. That all humans will fall short of his sickening inhuman perfection. Lex then flexes his muscles and tells Clark that his muscles are real and come from hard work unlike Superman’s muscles that are strong simply because he is from Krypton. Lex then asks Clark how Superman looks these days. Lex says that Superman is not well.

We follow Lex and Clark walking down the stairwell to the large room where the general population of the prison are all hanging out. Lex tells Clark that he lives to create the opposite of all that Superman represents. That Lex believes in the survival of the smartest. That brain beats brawn every time.

We then see the prison guards transporting the parasite to his cell. The Parasite is drawn to Clark because he is a massive power source for the Parasite to feed off of. The Parasite breaks looks from him chains and goes on a rampage. This then sparks a complete riot by all of the other prisoners. Total chaos ensues. Lex tells Clark to follow him to safety back at Lex’s cell. During their way to the cell, Clark uses his powers in subtle ways to try and subdue the rioting inmates around them and to whisk away the prison guards out of danger.

The Parasite gives chase to Lex and Clark. The Parasite is like a moth to a flame and desires to consume Clark as a tasty power source. The Parasite is huge and bloated from all the power he has soaked up so far. Lex fires a bunch of bullets into the Parasite causing the energy balance inside the Parasite to overload. The Parasite begins to choke on his own energy. He is too massive to carry his own weight and is about to burst like an overripe fruit. Lex then begins to smash the defeated Parasite into a messy pile of goo while raving this is how Superman will look at the end. That nobody gets in the way of Lex Luthor.

Lex and Clark arrive at Lex’s cell. Lex opens up a secret tunnel in the floor of his cell. The tunnel leads to a long flight of stairs ending at an underground stream of water. There is a boat waiting for them. In the boat is one of Lex’s associates. A hottie named Nasty. (Muy caliente!)

Clark asks Lex why he isn’t bothering to escape. Clark asks how Lex is so ready to die in the electric chair. Lex responds that Superman will die first. That he used the sun to overload his cellular batteries and destroyed him for within. That he killed Superman. Of course, Superman doesn’t know he is dying yet. So, Lex tells Clark to break the news gently. To take his exclusive and print it in the Daily Planet. Lex then rants that there is no deep psychology behind the struggle between him and Superman. Lex rants that if it weren’t for Superman, that he would be in charge of this planet. With that, Clark gets in the boat with Nasty and they leave. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Morrison continues to impress me with each issue of All Star Superman. This issue is a very well constructed and written story. The pace had a nice measured pace in the beginning that slowly built to an all out frenzy by the latter part of the issue. It then ended with a bomb but it was delivered in a bizarrely serene style. All Star Superman #5 had excellent rhythm and flow to the story. It is something that you really only feel in your gut when you read a comic. Not many issues possess this quality, but it is rather enjoyable when you read one that does.

The opening scene with Lex being sentenced to death was vintage Luthor. His imperious attitude when the jury delivers his death sentence was spot on.

The following scene with a bumbling oafish Clark Kent arriving to interview Lex was exceptional. Clark bumbles around like an idiot, but in the process manages to save Lex from getting electrocuted by one of his hi-tech tools.

The continuation of this interview while Lex is working out perfectly delineates Lex’s perceived difference between Superman and himself. Lex is real. Everything he has accomplished has been due to his superior intellect and hard work and sacrifice. His body is sculpted by hard work. On the other hand, Superman is strong only by birthright. Just because he hails from Krypton. Lex, being the ultimate power mad imperialist, simply cannot stomach someone like Superman being superior to him just by virtue of being born Kryptonian. Lex could clearly handle being bested by another man who was just like him who simply achieved greatness through relentless drive and hard work. But, to be beaten by a person like Superman just rubs Lex raw. This scene did one of the best jobs I have ever seen clearly showing why Lex cannot stand Superman. It makes perfect sense.

The riot scene was also well done. This added some action to a storyline that had been dialogue heavy up until this point. The Parasite is a great tool for Morrison to use in order to reveal how Lex devised a plan to kill Superman. Just overload his power source and watch him die. The scene with Lex overloading the Parasite and then stomping him into a puddle of goo was rather powerful. This scene conveyed Lex’s overwhelming and insatiable desire to crush anything deemed more powerful than him.

The final scene had a nice eerie quality to it. There Morrison drops the bomb on the reader by revealing how Lex Luthor has killed Superman and Superman just doesn’t know it yet. Perfect. Lex’s satisfaction that Superman is going to die before him has made him completely at peace with himself and his fate. Morrison delivered a fantastic ending with this issue.

Morrison flat out knows how to write Clark Kent. We get treated to the classic silver age bumbling oafish Clark Kent. And this is by far my favorite version. It reminds me of the doofy Clark Kent that Christopher Reeves played in Superman. Kent’s dialogue is ideal. This is exactly how Clark should talk. Clark’s dialogue had me chuckling through out this issue. Morrison pulls off a masterful job of writing Clark.

Morrison also delivered an equally impressive job writing Lex and his haughty dialogue. Morrison has an excellent fell for Lex’s superior attitude and outlook on the world. The reader gets a wonderful sense of Lex’s character and what makes him tick.

Quitely’s artwork is exceptional. Quitely’s style lends itself perfectly to Morrison’s style of a silver age story with a modern twist. Quitely does an impressive job drawing Clark. You can see his nervousness. His lack of confidence. The way he slumps over. The facial expressions. His feet pointed inward to each other. Quitely’s Clark is clearly a man uncomfortable in his own skin. Quitely also delivers a supremely confident and defiant Lex Luthor. Quitely’s artwork is the perfect compliment to Morrison’s story and truly helps to not only bring Morrison’s story to life, but also boosts Morrison’s themes and mood.

I also dig Quitely’s drawing of Nasty. Now this is the style of chica that the Revolution likes to invite back to the Bunker.

The Bad: I have no complaints at all with this issue.

Overall: All Star Superman #5 is an exceptional read. Incredibly strong writing with excellent character work and dialogue combined with wonderful art makes this issue a real blast to read. I am not a big Superman fan at all and I absolutely love this title. That is a real compliment to Morrison and Quitely. Even if you are like me and have never loved the big red S, do yourself and favor and give this title a try. Unless you absolutely dislike Superman and silver age style stories, I think you will enjoy this title.

Comic Book Review: Teen Titans #38

The Revolution has really been impressed with the Teen Titans ever since the end of Infinite Crisis. Johns is doing a fantastic job on this title. Teen Titans #38 sports the artwork of a guest penciler in Carlos Ferreira instead of stud Tony Daniels. That is too bad, because I have loved Daniels’ art on this title. Anyway, let’s start this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciler: Carlos Ferreira
Inkers: Art Thibert & Drew Geraci

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with the Titans taking down a rampaging Girder. After vanquishing the villain, the Titans are mobbed by their tweener fans (complete with zits, braces and nose rings) asking for their autographs. Several ask Wonder Girl for a kiss with their autograph. She declines. Not so for her teammate Ravager who takes off her mask and plants a big wet one on one fan. That prompts all the boys to leave Wonder Girl in favor of Ravager.

We shift to Titan Tower and where Ravager is angry that Cyborg, Robin and Wonder Girl want to go get some of their more experienced teammates to re-join the titans. Cyborg says that this isn’t about Ravager. That while he was reviewing the security tapes of his room while he was in a coma, he came across a cryptic message from Raven. He plays the tape that shows Raven saying that she has found out something that would destroy the morale of the team that is left. That she wishes Vic were awake because she could use his help. The Titans decide to track down Raven.

We cut to Moscow, Russia. There we see Red Star bring the pain to a bunch of meta-human militia members who are a group of terrorists demanding that all meta human activities should be legalized without government sponsorship. (Hmmm, sounds familiar. Something that Marvel is publishing. It rhymes with “Civil War.”) Red Star solves the problem permanently by blasting to death all of the terrorists.

As Red Star begins to leave the scene, he is met by the Titans. He tells them that if they are seen in public then the Rocket Red Brigade will arrest them. Red Star has the Titans teleported to his spaceship that is one thousand feet above the Kremlin.

We then shift to Jerkwater, Colorado. Some masked one armed man (Never trust a one armed man. I learned that lesson from Twin Peaks.) robs a convenience store. We see the robber back at his trailer in a beautifully appointed trailer park. He removes the mask and it is Risk. The ex-Titan. Suddenly, a shadowy figure appears and tells Risk that he has two options: Join the Titans East or die. (Nice. I wonder which he’ll pick.)

We cut back to Red Star’s spaceship. Red Star co-opted this extraterrestrial craft. It is just like the one that gave him his powers. That two months ago, aliens in these ships invaded Moscow. Red Star defeated them. The President of Russia then appointed Red Star the “State Protector” which is a title that he takes very seriously.

During this little speech, Wonder Girl pulls Robin aside and whispers to him if he wanted to talk about their little kiss back in his cave. Robin says he doesn’t want to talk about it and that it was a mistake. Ravager asks Wonder Girl what they are whispering about and accuses her of talking about a mistake. Ravager thinks Wonder Girl is talking about it being a mistake to bring Ravager and Kid Devil along. The two ladies start getting into a verbal tussle. Red Star breaks it up by telling them that they should all quit. That they can’t even walk down a hallway without arguing. That the Titans will never last. That the Titans have disbanded and re-formed a dozen times. That when they grow up they will learn they can only count on themselves. Red Star then remembers all his Titans teammates who have died. Pantha, Wildebeest, Superboy, Jericho and Starfire. (Whaaaat? Dead? Is she still lost in space even after the end of 52? I hope she isn’t really dead.)

Red Star tells the Titans that Raven was in Moscow a week ago. He gives them an address for her in Beijing and then tells them to leave.

We then cut to Beijing where the Titans are searching Raven’s apartment for clues. Raven left her communicator behind. The Titans find a journal. Robin reads it. Raven is looking for something that was stolen from the Titans Tower. That while Cyborg was offline for a year, there were over twenty members on the team and one of them was a traitor. We then get a double page splash shot of those twenty members. You can check them out in the pic. The names that got cut off on the bottom from left to right are Riddler’s daughter and Joker’s daughter, Talon, Young Frankenstein, Ravager, Molecule and Osiris.

We then shift to Raven running from armed soldiers. They are yelling that “she took the book back.” Indeed, Raven is carrying a large and old book. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Teen Titans #38 was another great read. Johns is really hitting his stride on this title and has been making the Teen Titans a must read comic.

The opening scene was nicely done. Seeing the Titans get mobbed by the autograph seeking tweeners lent so much needed levity to a storyline that has been rather somber and serious. I liked how Ravager, in her never ending desire to show up Wonder Girl, took off her mask and laid a big smooch on one of the autograph seeking boys. Wonder Girl doesn’t kiss, but Ravager sure does. These two characters are polar opposites. If Wonder Girl does one thing that Ravager is sure to do the direct opposite. I always like it when teammates don’t always get along like one big happy family. This provides for some quality tension.

The scene back at the Titans Tower continues the tension between Ravager and the rest of her teammates. Ravager is extremely paranoid and sensitive about how the other Titan’s view her. She wants to be seen as an equal and worthy of being a Titan. The video of Raven got my interest. This chase to find Raven and discover what mystery she is trying to uncover should be rather entertaining.

The scene with Red Star laying waste to all of the terrorists was a fantastic scene. I liked the jab at Marvel’s Civil War with the new law in Russia forcing all meta humans to be state sponsored or else arrested as criminals. They even have their junior Iron Man characters, the Rocket Reds, as the ones who enforce the law outlawing non-state sponsored meta humans. I also liked Red Star’s no-nonsense kick ass manner in which he dispatches all of the terrorists.

The scene with Risk robbing the convenience store and then going back to his home in the trailer park was well executed. My how the young and the glamorous have fallen. Risk has truly hit rock bottom. Robbing a store and living in a trailer park. It was a terribly depressing scene that made me feel sorry for a character that has never really interested me. After Johns finished painting a rather bleak existence, he then introduces the long awaited plotline involving the Titans East. It looks like Risk is going to be the first recruit for this new team. I am extremely interested in this new Titans East plotline and think it is going to be very exciting.

The scene on Red Star’s spaceship was perfect. Johns crafts a wonderfully powerful scene. Red Star brings the hard cold truth to a bunch of bickering Titans. Yes, we know all about the positives of the old Titans and the sense of family they once had. However, that is long gone and hasn’t been around for a while. The current team has no chemistry or cohesion. I really enjoyed Red Star’s tough speech about how the Titans don’t prepare them for later in life. That they will leave the Titans and grow up and realize that they only have themselves to rely on. That is a grim individualistic view on life, but as much as we don’t want to believe it, this view is also probably the most realistic view on life. In the long run, when things get tough, your average person can only truly rely on themselves. And then Red Star lists all of the dead Titans. It had plenty of impact on the reader. Johns delivered a very well written and emotionally powerful scene.

The scene in Raven’s apartment in Beijing was extremely cool for the sole reason of the two page splash shot of all the various characters that served as Titans for the one year between the end of Infinite Crisis and the beginning of the OYL storylines.

I have never been much of a Red_Star fan, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying his character in this issue. What a wild list of characters. The most interesting aspect of this list of character is that we have several characters from Kingdome Come making an appearance in this New Earth: Joker's Daughter, Zatara, Offspring and Miss_Martian. There are several characters that I just don’t recognize including: Power Boy, Bombshell, Little Barda, Mas y Menos, Molecule and Talon. I have never seen Young Frankenstein before and the only version of this character is the one over in Planetary published by DC’s Wildstorm imprint. Osiris has to be Isis’ little brother that they are currently searching for in 52. The rest are old Titans for some point in the past.

I think these new characters are all pretty interesting and intriguing. I am eager to learn more about them. I definitely dig that we are seeing some characters that appeared over in Kingdom Come. That is a cool touch. With all these characters at John’s disposal I fully expect plenty of thrilling issues to be headed our way with this Titan traitor plotline.

The final scene was a nice little hook. We see Raven clutching a book and being chased by armed soldiers clearly desiring to have the book back in their possession. This ending definitely got my interest and I am looking forward to more about just what exactly Raven is up to.

Johns delivers a nicely paced issue. We had a good mix of action and drama. As always, the dialogue was well written as Johns clearly has an excellent handle on all the different personalities of the various characters. The relationships between the various Titans are well fleshed out. Johns is able to convey the emotions of the characters to the reader. You can feel Ravager’s paranoia and yearning for acceptance. You can feel Wonder Girl’s annoyance and irritation with Ravager. You could feel the uncomfortable awkwardness between Wonder Girl and Robin. You could feel the hard, cold loneliness and strong sense of duty and honor emanating from Red Star. Johns is doing an impressive job brining these characters to life and pulling the reader into their world.

What has also impressed me with Johns’ writing on Teen Titans has been his uncanny ability to get me to like and care about characters that I had either no connection with at all or flat out did not like in the least bit. Ravager and Kid Devil have been two good examples of this. In this issue it would be Red Star in a huge way and Risk in a smaller way. After reading this issue, I absolutely loved Red Star’s character. This was a character that had never even remotely interested me before. I liked how Johns handled his character. His strong and silent personality with a powerful sense of honor and duty mixed with obvious sorrow and self imposed solitude was rather appealing. We need more panel time for Red Star.

To a much smaller degree, I really got interested in Risk for the first time ever. His story is so pathetically depressing that it made me look at his character in a different light. I’m interested to see what Johns has in store for this character.

Ferreira did a solid job in the role as fill-in artist. I defiantly like Tony Daniels’ artwork much more. However, Ferreira’s art was better than average and was much better than a lot of fill-in artwork that you see on other titles.

The Bad: I have no real serious criticisms about this issue. My only small complaint would be the tired Titans traitor storyline that is being trotted out like a worn down nag for what seems to be the twentieth time. It has been done so many times before that it really didn’t have much impact on me at all.

Overall: Teen Titans #38 is another enjoyable read. Johns continues to crank out quality issues on this title. Excellent characterization and interesting plotlines keep me eager for the next issue of Teen Titans. I recommend that you give this title a try.

Comic Book Review: The Trials of Shazam! #1

Trials of Shazam is a title that the Revolution has been very curious to read for quite some time. I have always thought that the Marvel Family were great characters with tons of potential. I have also thought that DC has continually mishandled these characters and failed to establish them as major players in the DCU. Captain Marvel is so much more than a Superman “clone.” I actually think that Captain Marvel is potentially a vastly more interesting character than Superman. Judd Winick’s writing is hot and cold for me, but I’ll keep an open mind with this new direction that Winick wants to take the Marvel Family. Let’s crank out this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Howard Porter

Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with some thugs arriving near their headquarters with a truck full of captured children tied up and gagged. One of them is Billy Batson. At 15, he is the oldest of all the captive children. The thugs want them for some sacrifice that calls for the blood of virgins. One of the thugs pulls Billy out of the truck, un-gags him and asks him his age. Billy says “Shazam!” and it is officially on. The two thugs respond by imbuing themselves with an Altarian demonic transmogrification spell. They morph into two ‘roided out monsters. Captain Marvel punches one of them through the air and into their secret temple.

We cut to the transformed monster that landed in their secret temple. He calls out for one of his buddies who comes running to help him. The beaten thug tells his friend that Captain Marvel is here. This causes his friend to whip out his sword and claim that the sacrifice must be made now. That the great To’ Lott requires an offering even if its blood is far from pure. With that the man slices and dices the beaten thug.

We shift back to Captain Marvel putting a whupping on the other transformed thug. Suddenly, we see a giant Godzilla-sized fire breathing frog appear from the secret temple. Captain Marvel appropriately responds that “That is one big frog!”

We then cut to 23 hours ago where Zatanna (In top hat, tails, stocking and heels) is battling some demon. Suddenly, a massive bolt of lighting fries the demon and Captain Marvel appears over the demon’s body. Zatanna asks Captain Marvel what is going on with all the wild demons on the loose. Captain Marvel responds that the world has changed and what Zatanna once knew has become refashioned. That the books of magic have been rewritten.

Captain Marvel then flies back to the Rock of Eternity. Captain Marvel turns back into Billy. Even as Billy, with the merest thought, he can control the Rock of Eternity and its magic to transform it into any shape he desires. Like a comfy den complete with reclining chair and wide screen TV. Suddenly, the Rock of Eternity alerts Billy to evil magic at work in Norway.

We then shift back to the present. Captain Marvel is getting his butt kicked by the Gamera sized frog. Captain Marvel shows off his new powers and uses his lightning punch to unleash numerous bolts of lightning into the underbelly of the frog. The frog transforms back into the thug. Captain Marvel rounds up all of the bad guys and is full of himself. He thinks that when the world of magic becomes unbalanced that Captain Marvel will be there to set it right. That he can do this. That he can protect this world.

Captain Marvel goes to free the captive children still tied up in the truck. He decides they would be less afraid of Billy Batson so he says “Shazam” to transform. An insanely massive bolt of lightning hits him and we see Captain Marvel in a white version of his costume. He has pale skin and long white hair. He asks “What’s happening?” End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Trials of Shazam was a pretty nice read. I enjoyed this comic. I thought that Winick delivered a nicely paced first issue. He laid the foundation for this new world of magic and the new role that Captain Marvel is to play in it. He gave us some action and then ended the issue with a nice hook.

I liked the beginning scene. When Billy transforms into Captain Marvel with a violently powerful bolt of lightning with the dramatic one page splash shot of Captain Marvel, I instantly wanted to cheer. That is how you make a grand entrance! The ensuing brawl between Captain Marvel and the two transformed thugs was well paced and interesting. Throw in a Rodan sized Frog and you know you have a winning formula for entertainment.

I liked seeing Zatanna in this issue. I was glad that she was sporting her classic costume. This scene provided for some more action and also served as the vehicle for Winick to give the readers some hints as to the new world that is the DCU. That the world has changed and the books of magic have been rewritten. Winick is taking advantage of Infinite Crisis to give us a brand new world with a whole new set of rules. This scene serves as the foundation for this new world of magic that the Marvel Family will have to find their place in. This scene worked for me and piqued my interest.

I liked the scene back at the Rock of Eternity. It is cool to see Billy commanding so much magic and being able to refashion the rock to whatever shape and setting that he desires. At first, I was not happy with DC killing Shazam. And I was even less thrilled with the idea of Billy taking Shazam’s place. However, I think that this new role might lead for an even more interesting Billy Batson. I’m definitely more interested in seeing what Winick has in store for Billy’s character.

The final scene was well done. After defeating the toad and all the bad guys, Billy if full of confidence. For the first time in a long time, Billy knows his role as Captain Marvel. That he can do this and protect the world. Captain Marvel has long suffered from not having a clear role or purpose in the DCU. DC has basically handled him as just another Superman clone who fights cheesy super villains. It never did Captain Marvel justice and always made him look like a second rate Superman with second rate villains. Winick clearly used this scene to fully establish the new Captain Marvel and his new purpose and role in the DCU. This is where Winick lays out his vision for how he sees Captain Marvel in the new DCU. Finally, we may get a coherent and strong direction and purpose for Captain Marvel and a role that he is confident in playing. Plus, this is a role that takes him out of the realm of being a Superman “clone.” This scene helps to highlight the vast differences between the two characters so that Captain Marvel can stand on his own merit.

I really enjoyed the ending. That is a great way to hook the reader into getting the next issue. Ending the story with an unexpected twist. Here we have Captain Marvel transformed into a white suited alabaster skinned version of himself with long white hair. I actually think he looks kind of cool this way. I’m definitely interested to see where Winick goes with this plotline.

Winick obviously enjoys the Marvel Family and likes the various characters. I know many people will hate Winick because he wants to modernize the Marvel Family. I know that many old schools Captain Marvel fans will despise this version of Captain Marvel, because Winick doesn’t want to go back to the silly, light hearted and campy roots of Captain Marvel. I’m ok with it. It is 2006 and I have no problem with Winick wanting to update a character that has struggled mightily garnering fan interest or finding his own place in the DCU. I’m certainly willing to give Winick a chance to show me his vision for Captain Marvel in the new DCU.

I think that this issue had a nice flow to it and was well paced. The dialogue was nicely done and I like how Winick writes Billy Batson. The dialogue had a nice balance of humor and seriousness. I also think that Winick did a nice job portraying this newly motivated Captain Marvel.

Now let’s talk about Howard Porter’s artwork. Some people may not enjoy Porter’s heavy lined and painted work. It may be too “static” for some. Not for me.
I thought it was jaw dropping stunning art. Just gorgeous. Some of the pages just mesmerized me. Porter’s artwork did an incredible job brining Winick’s story to life and injected plenty of emotion into the story. Captain Marvel is such a visually appealing and interesting character. His mode of transformation and his massive physic lends perfectly to some impressive looking scenes. And Porter definitely took advantage of that fact.

The Bad: I don’t have any complaints with this issue.

Overall: I rather enjoyed Trials of Shazam #1. This was a nicely paced and well written issue with some good action and a nice hook at the end. Winick lays the foundation with this issue for the rest of the eleven issues in this maxi-series. Porter delivered some powerful artwork that truly complimented Winick’s story and vividly brought it to life. I am interested with the new role of Captain Marvel in the new DCU and can’t wait to see what happens next. I usually don't like straight up magic based comic books. However, this title has enough super hero action so it makes for a nice blend of a magic and a super hero based storyline.

I’d definitely recommend checking out this title even if you aren’t a long time Captain Marvel fan. In fact, people who aren’t familiar with Captain Marvel may enjoy this title more than long time Captain Marvel fans.

Comic Book Review: 52 #17

52 is a comic that I always look forward to reading. It has been a consistently good read since the first issue. 52 #17 has Lobo on the cover and I’ll be honest, that does nothing to make me excited about this issue. I will admit up front that I have never been impressed with Lobo’s character. I find his character to be terribly boring and idiotic. Just seeing his character probably made my I.Q. automatically drop a few points. However, DC has promised us a new spin on Lobo that we are going to enjoy. I certainly hope so. All right, let’s hit this review.

Creative Team
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Penciler: Chris Batista
Inker: Ruy Jose & Jack Jadsen

Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 6.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: Week 17, Day 1: The issue starts with a promo clip of Lex Luthor’s new upper team. The roster consists of Erik Storm who has claws that can cut through anything, Eliza Harmon, who is a super speedster, Hannibal Bates, who can morph into any form, Gerome McKenna, who is super strong, Jacob Colby, who can fly really fast, and Natasha Irons, who has light based powers.

We then cut to Lex with his group of heroes viewing the video footage. He isn’t all that impressed with the intro of his team and decides that they need a team name. The members tell Luthor that they also need codenames. We then see Eliza shoot up with a drug called “the Sharp.” It is the only thing that can “slow her down.” Her speed powers are hard to control and everything is constantly fast and nothing ever slows down. Eliza gets in Luthor’s grill and yells at him for her hard to control poorly planned powers. Luthor retorts that he simply gave her what she asked for. With that, Eliza races out of the room yelling “Too hell with all of you!”

Week 17, Day: 2: We see out lost heroes in space making their way in their space craft. They have encountered a terrible meteor shower. Adam Strange and Starfire simply are not co-existing very well. (Animal Man engages with Strange in some rather entertaining dialogue in this scene.) Suddenly, Starfire, who is flying outside of the space ship, gets taken out by some of the meteors.

Week 17, Day 3: Out heroes are still in their space ship. Starfire tells Strange she thinks someone threw the meteor at her yesterday. Strange has the ship’s sensor array hooked directing into his visual cortex so he can “see” out to a distance of two parsecs. Strange says the meteor storm is too large to go around and too dense to go through. Strange says that their ship does not have enough energy to power the life support system for much more than six days at best.

Week 17, Night 4: We see Animal Man looking at a photograph of his wife and child. Starfire tells Animal Man that he will se them again. Animal Man tells Starfire that whatever he saw back during Infinite Crisis changed his life. That he saw the entire universe. He saw everything at once and understood things about the shape of space and time. That it is all too overwhelming. Starfire tells Animal Man to relax. That no matter how big something seems, it is never too big to fit inside your head.

Suddenly, Devilance appears and rips his spear out of the space ship. Before Devilance can attack out intrepid heroes, he is hit by a huge energy spike that explodes his entrails across the windows of the space ship’s cockpit. We then see Lobo standing next to Devilance’s dead and disemboweled body.

Strange quickly fills in Animal Man on who Lobo is and how he is impossible to defeat. Strange builds him up to be the universe’s biggest psychotic killer. Starfire then goes outside to “talk” to Lobo. We see the two talking. Lobo rips off Starfire’s top and stares at her breasts. The two continue talking.

We then cut to Starfire back in the space ship telling her fellow heroes that Lobo said Devilance walked into a trap that was meant for Lobo. That Lobo knows where they can find food, water and fuel and that he is the only person who can guide them through this mess. Starfire told Lobo she was a Tamaranian Princess with fabulously wealthy parents. Also, that Lobo has problems of his own for the first time in his life. That he has joined the Church and turned his back on violence. (Now that is an interesting twist.)

We then see Lobo hook up our heroes’ space ship to his space bike and take off. Devilance’s head is spiked on his lance. (Hmmm, I thought Lobo wasn’t into violence anymore?)

Week 17, Day 7: We see Red Tornado’s severed torso lying in the outback of Australia. Red Tornado comes online and is surrounded by three aborigines. Red Tornado says “52.” End of issue.

We are “treated” to a two page origin of Lobo. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: 52 #17 wasn’t a bad issue, but, it certainly was my least favorite issue so far. 52 #17 was a well written issue. I liked the scene with Lex Luthor and his new team of metahumans. You knew it was only a matter of time before someone’s powers became uncontrollable. Eliza’s inability to “slow down” due to the powers Luthor gave her is a nice plotline. And I loved how when accosted by Eliza for her inability to control her powers, Lex responds that she cam to him begging for speed and all he did was give her what she asked for. Vintage Luthor. Lex Luthor is the devil and you have to be careful entering into a deal with him. Be careful what you ask Lex for because you might just get it.

I’m interested to see where the writers take this plotline. It should be spectacular to watch Lex’s plans crumble before his eyes. Also, there absolutely has to be a connection between Super Nova and Natasha Irons. They have the same type of powers that have the same energy signature and look. If there is a connection then I’m very interested to lean more about it. Of course, I may simply be reading too much into the storyline.

The scene with Red Tornado was extremely short, but piqued my interest. I didn’t think that Reddy would be online at all during 52 since everyone thinks that he is still dead over in Justice League of America #1. Again, we are teased with the “52.” I cannot wait to finally learn just who or what the “52” is.

All the scenes with our lost heroes in space had some excellent dialogue. I loved it. Animal Man’s dialogue was perfect. Very funny and oddball. This is why I love Animal Man’s character. Plus, Starfire and Strange are the perfect straight men for Animal Man to play off of with his odd brand of humor and outlook on life. I also like that Strange and Starfire just don’t get along on some deep basic level. These three characters have great chemistry with each other.

I liked the twist on Lobo. That he has joined the Church and has given up violence. That was unexpected. It is certainly odd to see our lost heroes relying on Lobo to safely navigate them to a safe harbor. The writers were certainly trying to get us to believe that Lobo was going to be one of the bounty hunters who are all after our lost heroes. This was a nice unexpected direction and I’m curious to see if the writers can really make Lobo an interesting character with any type of depth or texture.

52 #17 is another well crafted issue full of nicely written dialogue that has an enjoyable flow. This issue also has plenty of strong character development with out three lost heroes. That is one thing the writers have been amazingly successful at with this title. They have really managed me to get into and care about all the characters in this title regardless if I liked them or not or even knew them at all prior to reading 52. That is a sign of strong writing.

The art is slightly better than average. Nothing I’m going to rave about, but nothing I’ll complain about either.

The Bad: I do have some criticisms. I found this issue to be the first issue of 52 that was slow and boring. Not much happened that grabbed my interest. The scenes with out lost heroes in space dominated this issue. Unfortunately, I felt that I got more of the same in those scenes. Animal Man wondering if he’ll ever see his family. The team of heroes worried that they will be stuck in space and never make it home. It just drug a bit for me.

I also thought that Lobo pretty much acted like the same old Lobo. I know he supposedly found religion and turned his back on violence. But, he engages in his same old boring shtick of tearing off Starfire’s top and staring at her boobs. We then see him towing the space ship with his space bike and he has Devilance’s severed head on his lance. These are all reasons why I thought Lobo was a rather lame and un-compelling character in the first place. I can see where Lobo would be incredibly appealing to a 13 year old boy. Luckily, I’m no longer 13 so scenes like this just don’t do it for me anymore. I am very skeptical that the writers are going to get me interested in Lobo this time around. However, the boys at DC have done a wonderful job with 52 up to this point, so I’m willing to give them the benefit of a doubt on this one plotline and hope they can make it work.

Overall: 52 #17 is a solid issue and the fact that it got my lowest score and is my least favorite issue of this series thus far is more of a compliment to these past 17 issues than a condemnation of this one issue. 52 is still a well done story that is largely entertaining. It is almost impossible for the writers to crush a home run for 52 straight issues. 52 #17 was the weakest issue for me, but I’m still excited for next weeks issue, because you never know what wild surprise is just around the corner.

New Comic Books For August 29, 2006

DC COMICS

52 WEEK #17
ACTION COMICS #842
ALL STAR SUPERMAN #5
JUSTICE #7
SUPERMAN BATMAN #29
TEEN TITANS #38
TRIALS OF SHAZAM #1
UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS #2

MARVEL COMICS

ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #33
ULTIMATE X-MEN ANNUAL #2
X-FACTOR #10
X-MEN #190

This is another pretty large week for the Revolution. It is heavy with DC titles and light with Marvel titles. Overall, I’m looking at getting 12 titles delivered by burro to the Bunker. There is no way I’m going to be able to post reviews for that many titles. Again, I’ll just have to pick issues that I really loved or really despised to write up some excuse for a review.

All right, which DC comic book am I most looking forward to this week? That is a very tough question. This looks to be quite a strong week for DC titles and there are several that I am excited to read. I really enjoyed the last issue of Superman/Batman. And I think All Star Superman has been a delightful read. And Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters has been entertaining. However, I’ll reserve the honor of most looking forward to read for 52 #17 and Teen Titans #38. 52 is always one of the best titled each and every week. 52 #17 is going to be particularly interesting since DC will be unveiling a new take on Lobo. We have been assured that this is going to be much different than Giffen’s Lobo we were “treated” to back in the 90’s. Supposedly, Lobo is going to be much more interesting. I am extraordinarily skeptical about the return of this character that was nothing more than a parody of all the horrendous Image style characters of the early 90’s.

Teen Titans has been smoking hot since the end of Infinite Crisis. Arguably the strongest DC title right now, Geoff Johns has this title firing on all cylinders. Plus, we get treated to some wonderful artwork by Tony Daniels.

Now, the DC title that I am most curious about is Trials of Shazam #1. I have always liked Captain Marvel and the entire Marvel Family. Judd Winick is extremely hot and cold with me. There are times when his work is impressive and other times when it is completely insipid. I think the previews sport some very nice looking artwork. I do believe that this title has plenty of potential to be a quality read.

Which Marvel comic book am I most looking forward to this week? To be honest, there really isn’t much of selection. I am going with X-Factor #10. This title is fantastic and is definitely one of the best titles that Marvel is currently publishing. David is crafting a wonderfully detailed storyline with excellent characterization.

Comic Book Review: New Avengers #23: Civil War

The Revolution has never been impressed with Bendis’ run on New Avengers. However, with these putrid Civil War tie-in issues Bendis’ run on New Avengers has hit an all time low. I predict that Bendis will not even give a token effort to portray the pro-registration side as anything more than goose stepping Nazis. I also predict that Bendis will make Iron Man look like a totally unscrupulous dick. I also predict that Bendis will make the anti-registration side a collection of saints and valiant freedom fighters. Let’s do this mini-review.

Creative Team
Writer: Brain Michael Bendis
Penciler: Olivier Coipel
Inker: Mark Morales

Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Spider-Woman in her apartment. Nick Fury comes knocking on her door. Nick tells Spider-Woman that with the Civil War in full swing that he is no longer underground. That it is time for Spider-Woman to choose a side. Nick tells Spider-Woman that they need to find where Captain America is operating from. Spider-Woman suddenly blasts Nick and reveals that he is nothing more than a Life Model Decoy. Hill is actually talking through the LMD. Hill tells Spider-Woman that she is a traitor. Hill says that Spider-Woman is under arrest. Spider Woman then blasts the rest of the LMD to pieces. (What a totally stunning and shocking portrayal of S.H.I.E.L.D.!!!!)

S.H.I.E.L.D. cape killers appear and Spider Woman gets captured. She wakes up in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody being interrogated by Iron Man and Hill. Hill tells Spider-Woman that Iron Man told her all about how Spider-Woman is a triple agent working for Hydra and Nick Fury. Spider-Woman is devastated that Iron Man would tell Hill this information. Iron Man responds that he only put up with all of her shenanigans because Captain America believed in her. (Oh my goodness!!! Iron Man is being portrayed as a total bastard!!! No way!! Totally shocking!!!)

Suddenly, the lights go out and a team of Hydra agents rescue Spider-Woman from the clutches of the Nazis…I mean, from S.H.I.E.L.D. We cut to Spider-Woman on Hydra Island talking with Connelly, a high ranking Hydra officer. Connelly tells Spider-Woman that he and other high ranking Hydra officers want Spider-Woman to replace Viper as leader of Hydra and lead them to glory. That Hydra is in her blood and is her family. Spider-Woman responds by taking out Connelly and a couple of Hydra soldiers. We then see leaving Hydra Island in a boat with tears in her eyes after blowing up the entire island. (I guess her answer was no.)

We then shift to Spider-Woman arriving at Captain America’s secret base. She asks Captain America to please take her because she has nowhere else to go. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Unfortunately for me, I must follow the Revolution’s Rule of Positivity. So, what did I like about this issue? Damn, that is a good question. Coipel’s art was pretty solid. It wasn’t anything great, but it was certainly the best thing about this issue.

The Bad: Let’s see, I predicted that the pro-registration side would be portrayed as evil Nazis. Check. I predicted that Iron Man would be portrayed as an unscrupulous dickhead. Check. I predicted that the anti-registration side would be portrayed as valiant freedom fighters. Check. Wow, Bendis, what a great job surprising me with your writing abilities. There is no higher compliment that a writer can receive than being told that their stories are completely and 100% predictable. Good job.

Again, Bendis’ complete lack of any even transparent effort to portray the pro and anti side in anything even remotely resembling a fair and equal light just ruins the story for me. If I need to have someone preach to me then I’ll talk to my parents or go to church, thank you very much. I certainly don’t need it in a comic book. Bendis is a subtle as a sledgehammer to the head. I get it already. The pro-registration side are evil bastards who are the worst thing in this world since Leif Garrett and “Joanie Loves Chachi.” They should all be immediately killed and so should anyone even closely similar to them. And Iron Man is a total asshole. I know. I get it.

And speaking of Iron Man, Marvel is just determined to make this one time hero and original Avenger a completely unlikable character. Marvel is absolutely determined to assassinate Tony Stark’s character and writers like Bendis are all too eager to help in this endeavor. Yay. Great job, guys. Thanks.

Another problem with this issue is that I felt it was another wasted issues. I could care less about Spider-Woman or what side she chooses. I will admit that I have never been impressed with her character and she has never been anything more than a C-list character. So, there wasn’t too much chance that I was going to be interested in a spotlight issue on her. And to make matters worse, it wasn’t even a remotely interesting storyline for her. It was terribly boring and uninteresting.

These Civil War tie-in issues have not created a single new Avengers related plotline. They have not fleshed out or advanced a single Avengers related plotline. All we are getting are one sided stories about how certain ex-Avengers have joined Captain America’s team. These stories haven’t even advanced any of the plotlines over in the Civil War mini-series. For me, these are totally wasted and pointless issues. I can’t wait for Civil War to be over so we can once again read about Avengers related plots and stories with a point and purpose in the Avengers’ own monthly title.

I probably would have given Coipel a higher rating for his artwork if it wasn’t for his truly bizarre drawing of Iron Man’s armor. Coipel gives Iron Man a serious Iron Package for some unknown reason. It is rather disturbing and particularly creepy. I just don’t think Iron Man’s armor needs such a pronounced Iron codpiece. I mean, it has its own shadow, for crying out loud! I’m pretty sure that this is a first for Iron Man. And what is with his pose? Is he trying to show it off to Spider-Woman in hopes of seducing her? He's got his arms crossed like "Yeah, I know you like it and can't stop staring at it."

Overall: New Avengers #23 was yet another uninteresting and wasted issue for me. If you love Spider-Woman than you will very much enjoy this issue. If you enjoy one-sided and very predictable stories then you will also enjoy this issue. If you like seeing large Iron Packages then you will most definitely enjoy this issue. Civil War couldn’t end soon enough for me. I can’t wait to get some good old fashioned Avengers goodness in my Avengers comic.

Comic Book Review: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #21

All right, it is time to review my all time favorite title while growing up. Before Infinite Crisis I found this new version of Legion of Super Heroes to be slightly better than average. Since Infinite Crisis and the hi-jacking of this title by Supergirl, I have found this title to be dreadfully pedestrian. I would be stunned if Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #21 to be anything impressive. Hopefully, Waid will finally resolve this every lingering Dream Girl storyline that has been going on for 8 issues. Hopefully, we get a good payoff for having it drag on for so long. I’m working my way through my second mug of Café Bustelo and am ready for this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Mark Waid & Tony Bedard
Layouts: Barry Kitson
Penciler: Adam DeKraker
Inker: Rob Stull

Art Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Colossal Boy questioning his fellow giant teens being held in jail. Suddenly, three members of the new Legion of Super-Villains disguised as SP agents enter the jail room. The three members are Kid Quake (The dork that started an earthquake in an earlier issue.), Nemesis Kid and a green guy with ice powers. They blast Colossal Boy and take him out.

We then cut to Brainiac 5 describing his plan to bring Dream Girl back to life. Element Lad resumes his plea for Brainiac 5 to respect Dream Girl’s transition to another stage of existence. That Brainiac 5 is failing to recognize the spiritual dimension that plays a role in all of this.

We then shift to Supergirl hanging out with Phantom Girl, Triplicate Girl and Princess Projectra. Projectra tells Supergirl that it has been insulting to be told that they are all nothing more than a part of Supergirl’s dream. (I love Projectra.) The girls then tell Supergirl about their own personal tragedies in their lives that Supergirl trivializes when she claims that everyone is simply a part of one of her dreams. Supergirl tells the group of girls about her dream where she though Krypton was gone. Supergirl gets up and says that she is going to wake up in her bed in Argo City and her parents will be there and until then she will keep dreaming conversations like this one. And with that Supergirl leaves. (Yup. She is total wackjob.) Triplicate Girl tells Projectra that she was too harsh. Projectra responds that Cosmic Boy asked them to chat with Supergirl and chip away at her fantasy life. That Projectra did the right thing. (Yes, you did. Now, can you make Supergirl go away?)

We then shift back to Colossal Boy fighting with the three members of the Legion of Super Villains. The green guy with ice powers frees the jailed giant teens during the brawl. The giant teens then rush Colossal Boy and overwhelm him. We then get a panel of them beating the tar out of Colossal Boy with various wrestling moves. I see an old camel clutch. That would be a cross face crippler for more modern wrestling fans. I see an Angle ankle lock and a wicked wrist lock.

We zip over to Brainiac 5 right in the middle of his plan to resurrect Dream Girl. Brainiac 5’s plan is complete and Dream Girl has been restored and rebooted. Dream Girl should be alive. But, instead, Dream Girl’s body disappears. Element Lad tells Brainiac 5 that Dream Girl has been gone for weeks and now her body is finally gone. That she moved on to a higher state. In a wild rage, Brainiac 5 attacks Element Lad. Element Lad tries to transmute Brainy into a statute but his powers have no effect on Brainiac 5. Shrinking Violet and Light Lass try and stop Brainiac 5. Brainy tells them that they can’t touch him. That the first thing he did when he joined the Legion was to make himself immune to all of their powers. (Ugggggh.) Suddenly, a voice in Brainy’s head tells him to let Element Lad go. A stunned Brainy lets go of Element Lad.

We cut to Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad talking. They are discussing the bad publicity that the Legion has gotten since joining the U.P. Lightning Lad offers to quit the team and be made the scapegoat for signing the agreement with the U.P. and then Cosmic Boy can cancel the agreement. Cosmic Boy says that isn’t necessary. That he has decided to hold an election for a new team leader and that all Legionnaires, not just the team members with powers, will get a chance to vote.

We shift back to Brainy’s team in space. Light Lass, Element Lad and Shrinking Violet agree to tell the other members about Brainy’s immunity to their powers. We then see Brainy curled up in a fetal position in his bed. Brainiac 5 finally ran into a problem that he couldn’t compute his way through. Dream Girl’s ghost then appears in front of Brainy. Brainiac 5 said he is ashamed how he acted earlier. He didn’t know she was watching. Dream Girl takes Brainy’s hand and tells him that he has changed so much from when she first met him. Dream Girl tells Brainy that they have all the time they need now. Dream Girl tells Brainy that he needs to sleep. Brainy asks if she will still be there when he wakes up. Dream Girl responds that she will never leave him again. We then see Brainy asleep by himself in a dark room. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #21 is another ordinary issue. I come to expect an uninspired and slightly dull read each time I pick up an issue of Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes. Hmm, let’s see, we have to satisfy the Revolution’s Rule of Positivity so I have to find something nice to say about this issue.

The scenes with Colossal Boy in the jail mixing it up with the Legion of Super Villains was average. It is cool to see the new Legion of Super Villains. It is also neat to see the new Nemesis Kid. And the green kid with the ice powers seems like he may be the new version of Polar Boy. I’m interested to find out who makes up the rest of the roster of this new Legion of Super Villains.

The scene with Cosmic Boy revealing that he is calling for an election for the Legion leader and that he is opening it up to all of the Legion’s followers was an interesting little twist. We know that Cosmic Boy won’t win the election. I strongly suspect that the next Legion leader will be a female member.

The Bad: The scene with Phantom Girl, Triplicate Girl, Projectra and Supergirl was average. I liked how harsh Projectra was in an effort to shake Supergirl out of her fantasy world. However, once again, Supergirl comes across as nothing more than a dumb blonde. A total bubble head.

The Brainiac 5 scenes were a positive and a negative. Now, I think that Waid actually wrote these scenes rather well. Brainy is pretty much the only character that has experienced anything even remotely resembling character development. I like the Brainiac 5 that Waid has crafted. The paranoia. The arrogance. The god-complex. It is all great. And I like how it is all torn apart in the final scene in this issue which is actually rather touching.

However, my issue is the massive build up we have had for such a measly payoff. We get eight issues of build up about Brainy’s plan to resurrect Dream Girl and this is what we get? I know what Waid wanted to accomplish with this plotline. He wanted to further development of Brainiac 5’s character by creating something that he couldn’t calculate his way to a solution. That there are forces out there that defy logic and science.

That is fine. Yes, the plotline was very interesting character development for Brainy. But, eight issues to lead up to this? Talk about a massively underwhelming resolution. This could have been easily done in two or three issues. To drag it out for such a long time makes it necessary that the resolution be spectacular. Anything else is going to be considered a weak payoff. For all the massive and long build up this was an extremely weak payoff.

And Brainy having made himself immune to everyone’s powers is unoriginal and kind of lame. Ever since Batman crafted plans to take out every member of the JLA, we now have super smart characters with contingency plans to defeat all of their teammates. Just like Emil Burbank over in Squadron Supreme. This just didn’t work for me.

Waid turns in a very average story. It is clear that 52 is dominating his time. It appears to me that Waid is mailing it in on this title. The addition of Tony Bedard has failed to impress me. It is pretty much on the same level as the unimpressive issues of Uncanny X-Men when Bedard stepped in to help Claremont write.

The dialogue is boring. None of the characters have their own unique voice. With the exception of Brainy, all the characters pretty much sound like each other. The dialogue isn’t bad, it is just resoundingly average.

The character development is slow. Outside of Brainiac 5 and maybe Cosmic Boy, we have had almost no character development in any Legionnaire since Supergirl high jacked this title. Most characters have rather generic personalities.

Another alarming feature of this comic book is that there is a total lack of chemistry between these characters. For a title like the Legion of Super Heroes which relies on a large cast, chemistry between characters is an absolute must. Pat of the charm of the old Levitz Legion was the chemistry between the various characters. You had plenty of well developed friendships and feuds. It was excellent. This new version of the Legion is completely lacking in this area and that is a critical defect.

The plotlines are bland. None of them particularly interest me. The new Legion of Super Villains is slightly interesting only because it will be cool to see what characters they bring back. The Supergirl storyline does nothing for me. I could care less about her character or how she got to the future. What other plotlines do we have cooking? The teenagers versus the adults? Snore. The Legion election? Mildly interesting, but nothing unusual. Is that it? Is there a total lack of plotlines? A title like the Legion with such a large roster should have numerous plotlines running at the same time. What do we have going at this point? The Dominators plotline was hinted to back in issue #16 and has been ignored for the past five issues. You have the robot revolution plotline that pops up randomly ever couple of issues. The inconsistency and lack of development of that plotline has really hurt any interest I might have in it.

The Legion completely lacks any pop or sizzle. There is nothing going on about this title that excites me or makes me want to talk about it to other comic fans. This title has nothing special or compelling. This comic is completely common in every aspect possible.

I simply don’t like DeKraker’s artwork. His anatomy is fine. But, his faces range from average to positively grotesque. Plus, everyone has the exact same face! If it weren’t’ for the different color hair and costumes, you would have no clue who was who. It is as if everyone is related to each other. Kitson’s artwork has been the only consistent bright spot on this title. I cannot wait for him to return to this title.

Overall: Right now, the only thing keeping me on this title besides my undying loyalty and love for Levitz’ Legion is what is headed out way in Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #24. It appears that we are in store for the return of Mon-El. This would absolutely kick ass! I hope that this is the return of Mon-El. I love his character. This is pretty much the only thing that has piqued my interest in this title.

Comic Book Review: Heroes For Hire #1: Civil War

Heroes for Hire #1 caught my eye for two reasons. One, I liked Billy Tucci’s art. Second, I have thoroughly enjoyed Gray and Palmiotti’s work on Battle for Bludhaven and Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters. On the other hand, what made me skeptical about this title were the characters on the cover. Misty Knight, Colleen Wing, a new Tarantula, Humbug and Black Cat are all characters that really do nothing for me. Only Shang-Chi interested me. However, I have always give writers that I like a chance regardless of the characters in the comic. So, with that I am a little skeptical about how much I will enjoy this comic book. Let’s hit this review and find out.

Creative Team
Writers: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Penciler: Billy Tucci
Inker: Tom Palmer

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: The issue starts with a team of super villains calling themselves the Mandarin’s Avatars on a rampage in New York City. (Yes, I know, very surprising.) Misty_Knight and her new team of heroes show up on the scene. They are the new Heroes for Hire and are paid by the US government rather than taking cash directly from John Q. Public like the old Heroes_For_Hire comprised of Iron Fist and Power Man. Misty introduces the reader to the various members of the new Heroes for Hire during their fight with the Mandarin’s Avatars.

We have Colleen_Wing, who is comes from a samurai family in Japan. She is a deadly fighter who is an expert with a katana. Next is Humbug. He is a small skinny weird dude in an S&M style leather outfit. He can control any and all forms of insects. He can also talk to them. It makes him a great spy in a city where there are several thousand Cockroaches for every one person in New York. (Wow. That is pretty skank.) We are introduced to the ultimate Kung-Fu fighter in Shang-Chi. Next is the all new Tarantula who is a lovely Latina. Misty mentions that she has no information on this new Tarantula’s background.

And then, accompanying a nice butt shot, Misty introduces herself. For those who don’t know, she is an ex-cop with a bionic arm built by Tony Stark. She used to sleep with Iron Fist. Misty mentions how she is close to both Tony Stark and Captain America and how this Civil War has been tough on her. And this leads to a flashback scene.

We cut back to one week ago. Misty and Colleen are meeting with Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic and Spider-Man. Misty tells Iron Man that she fully supports the Registration Act. (Holy crap!! A title where the main characters ACTUALLY SUPPORT the Registration Act. And it is a black woman on top of it!! And the characters supporting the Registration Act aren’t written like goose-stepping Nazis bent on the total domination of all humans. Does Luke Cage know about Misty’s support of the Registration Act? Doesn’t Misty know that, according to Luke, the Registration is JUST LIKE Slavery? Oh my. Does that make Misty an Uncle Tom? A tool of the man? A pathetic excuse for a black woman? A total disgrace and scourge to all of society? A pariah who should be shunned by all progressive thinking people and all of the black community in America? Or is Misty just a person who thinks for herself as opposed to some hive mind mentality when it comes to political issues?)

Misty is concerned that the Registration Act will spark violence. Iron Man reassures her that he will try to make it as peaceful a transition as possible. Misty says that Tony’s word is good enough for her and that she trusts him. Misty supports the Registration Act and likes the idea of super heroes finally having accountability for their reckless actions. Misty also likes the idea of new super heroes receiving the proper training for their occupation. Misty then tells Iron Man that she will not hunt down other heroes like Captain America. That her team will only go after unregistered super villains. Misty also demands Stark level resources and the authority to cherry pick her own team. Iron Man agrees to those demands.

We then shift to present time at the Heroes for Hire headquarters in Chinatown. (Cool location for a home base.) Misty, Colleen, Tarantula and Humbug are all eating dinner. Black Car arrives and tells them that one of Misty’s old adversaries, Vienna, is running a fake I.D. ring for super felons looking to go underground or leave the country. Humbug connects with city’s cockroaches to find out where Vienna is located. He tracks her down to a specific location.

We then conveniently cut to that location and see Vienna talking with six super villains about their new I.D.’s. Suddenly, the Heroes for Hire bust onto the scene and they engage the super villains in an altercation of the physical nature. Vienna responds by summoning her rather large robots to help the six super villains in their dispute with the Heroes for Hire. Vienna reveals that she was waiting for them to show up and all of this was nothing more than a set up. Misty radios her home base and tells them to execute “bait and switch.” Colleen, Misty, Tarantula, Black Cat and Humbug put up a good fight but are eventually overpowered by the superior numbers and firepower of Vienna’s robots and her super villain clients. Suddenly, the cavalry arrives as we see Paladin, Orka and Shang-Chi arrive on the scene. They make short work of the rest of the bad guys and the Heroes for Hire emerge victorious.

Misty then shocks everyone by thanking Vienna for her nice work. This was a sting operation and Vienna was working with Misty to catch these super villains looking to leave the country or get new I.D.’s. Misty didn’t tell Humbug or Tarantula that Vienna was working with them and that this was a sting operation. It was because they didn’t trust them. Humbug is an ex-con and they now nothing about Tarantula’s personal history. Misty says that trust has to be the number one thing with Heroes for Hire. Orka tells Humbug and Tarantula that the same thing was done to him when he joined. This was their way of making sure they could count on Humbug and Tarantula.

Misty then says that unlike the other super heroes out there in this Civil War who don’t know who they can trust. That the capes underestimate the Heroes for Hire all they want because despite all their power, none of the super heroes in this Civil War know who they can trust and who they can’t. However, trust will simply never be an issue with the Heroes for Hire. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Heroes for Hire #1 was much better than I expected. It was actually a fun issue. Is it anything incredible or stunning? No. It is just good old fashioned entertainment and action. There is nothing wrong with that. Not everything has to be the Watchmen. Heroes for Hire is written in the vein of the old 1970’s Kung Fu movies. You have female characters that are tough and sexy like they stepped out from a Russ Meyer movie. That is the style of dialogue and the general theme of the comic book.

Gray and Palmiotti craft an entertaining first issue. This was a fairly fast paced issue that wasted no time getting the team assembled and the plotlines moving. We didn’t waste too much time giving the background leading up the creation of this team. The dialogue is entertaining. Yes, it can be a bit campy at points, but I think that is done on purpose.

The opening scene where Misty Knight and her new Heroes for Hire arrive on the scene and brawl with the Mandarin’s Avatars was an excellent way to introduce and explain the background and specialties of each member without boring the reader.

The flashback scene showing the formation of this new Heroes for Hire was very well done. I am thrilled that somebody in Marvel finally portrayed some pro-registration heroes as actual likeable characters rather than dick headed soulless evil beings. And Iron Man wasn’t written like the second coming of Adolph Hitler and Benedict Arnold all rolled into one! How novel. I also love that Gray and Palmiotti countered Bendis’ predictable Luke Cage response to the Registration Act with Misty’s support of the Registration Act. Misty concedes with Iron Man that it is 2006 and the Registration Act is not about race or sex. Misty’s support of the Registration Act isn’t blindly given. She fully understands how abusive any government plan can become. However, she does agree that the Act itself is absolutely necessary as long as it is carried out as peacefully as possible. Misty’s response to the Registration Act was wonderfully not P.C. or stereotypical. It was rather refreshing and pretty much the most realistic and rationally sound reaction to the Registration Act that I have read so far. Way to go to the boys from DC Comics finally writing the best response to Marvel’s Civil War.

This flashback scene had some solid dialogue. I have never been confused with a huge Misty Knight fan, but this scene certainly made me respect and like her character way more than I ever have in the past.

The scene with Vienna’s sting operation was also well done. They fight was pretty entertaining and I liked the back up team consisting of Shang-Chi, Orca and Paladin. I also thought it was a neat twist that Vienna was a part of the sting operation and that the team had kept it a secret from Tarantula and Humbug. Those two members proved their worth and earned the trust of the other members of the team.

I also likes Misty’s take on the Heroes for Hire and trust. I love Misty’s belief in trust and how she demands it from her friends and teammates and blindly gives it back in return. It is quite honorable. It was also cool how even though the Heroes for Hire don’t have all the fancy powers of the metahumans fighting in the Civil War, they have something far more valuable: trust. Nice.
I like the team’s line-up more than I thought I would. Like I said, I have never really liked Misty Knight. However, after this issue, I’m a pretty big fan of her character. Tarantula has some potential. Plus, she is a Latina which automatically means I’ll support her character.

I like Humbug. He is such the non-stereotypical muscle bound male super hero. Humbug is to make readers what a flat chested intelligent female super hero would be to female readers. A refreshing change of pace from the normal stereotype seen in comics. People always complain about how women are drawn. What about men? They are all muscle bound, with washboard abs and are at least 6 feet tall. Not Humbug. And that is why I dig the weird little guy. Plus, he has some pretty interesting, useful and deceptively powerful abilities.

I love Shang-Chi. He is a kick as character. I’m glad to see him getting some panel time in the Marvel universe. Paladin is a pretty cool character who has a lot of potential. Orka is a bit of a strange choice. He isn’t an “urban” character nor is he a martial arts non-metahuman style character like the others. I’m psyched to read more about this seldom used character.

Gray and Palmiotti do a nice job developing Misty’s character and Humbug’s character in this issue. I’m sure they will nicely flesh out the other characters with the upcoming issues. Gray and Palmiotti do a nice job giving each character their own unique personality and craft some solid dialogue for each character.

I am a big fan of Billy Tucci’s artwork. He definitely can draw great looking women. My favorite would definitely be Vienna. We need more of her in this comic! Tucci’s artwork fits the theme and mood of the story perfectly. Tucci’s art makes this a dynamic and enjoyable book to look at.

The Bad: I don’t have any real serious complaints. Just a few very minor ones. The dialogue can get a little cheesy at certain points. The sheer number of "tough butt kicking fighting women" is a bit much as well. It tends to take away from their uniqueness and having too many similar characters makes the team dynamic less interesting. Variety and diversity in personalities and powers is always what makes for a successful team. Unfortunately, with Misty, Colleen, Tarantula, and Black Cat we have 4 very similar characters in personalities and abilities. It will be up to Gray and Palmiotti to clearly develop distinct styles and personalities for each of these four characters.

I know the theme that Tucci was going with when drawing Misty’s hair. That 1970’s blaxploitation movie look. However, in 2006, Misty insanely large and oddly shaped afro makes her look more clownish than cool.

Colleen Wing is a bit on the boring side, but if Gray and Palmiotti can turn me onto Misty, then I’m sure they can get me to like Colleen. Black Cat has never done much for me. I’ll be curious to see if Gray and Palmiotti can get me to like this character.

Overall: If you are looking for in depth, thought provoking and beautifully written dialogue and themes then this is defiantly not the comic book for you. However, if you enjoy Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and like 1970’s Kung Fu movies and don’t mind a little camp then this is certainly a title that you will enjoy.

Heroes for Hire was a fun read. It is pure popcorn for the brain and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. If you want a comic with some solid dialogue, good action and an overall fun feel to it then give this comic book a try. It certainly has hooked me into getting the next issue. I will say that after one issue, Heroes for Hire has a much better shot of making the Revolution’s permanent pull list than the new Atom or Flash comic books.

Comic Book Review: Daredevil #88

Ed Brubaker dropped a huge bomb on the readers with the end of last issue. The return of Foggy Nelson. Needless to say, I’m thrilled that Foggy is still alive. It just isn’t Daredevil with out Foggy around. Brubaker always delivers a solid read on Daredevil. I fully expect Daredevil #88 to be another good read. This issue is a spotlight issue on Foggy filling us in with what has happened to him since we saw him “die.” Let’s do this review.


Creative Team
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: David Aja

Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Foggy calling Ben Urich. Foggy tells Ben that he isn’t dead. Unfortunately, Ben can’t hear Foggy. An FBI agent then enters the room and tells Foggy that they have blocked his phone call to Ben. The FBI agent tells Foggy that he is in protective custody for a reason and that Foggy isn’t getting killed on his watch. The agent says they are working on finding out who tried to kill Foggy. That they are working on trying to find Matt. As long as Matt is on the run, Foggy is a target.

Foggy then has a long introspective narrative thinking about his past with Matt. Foggy admits that he is not a coward, but isn’t very brave. Not like Matt. And how, no matter what crazy incident was going on, that Foggy always felt safe with Matt around. He never worried about dying. Even though Foggy knows that Matt can’t protect everyone. Foggy thinks of Elektra and Karen Page who were both killed by Bullseye.

Foggy said the cold truth hit him when he got stabbed in the jail. That Matt can’t always protect him. Foggy was rushed to the emergency room and while on the operating table, the FBI asked him if he wanted to be placed into protective custody. Foggy was scared and panicked and agreed. Foggy then thinks that Matt is going to continue his reckless mission of revenge for Foggy’s death unless Foggy can let him know that he is actually alive. Foggy decides he needs to escape from protective custody and go on the run and get work to Matt that he is alive.

We cut to the FBI agent training Foggy on his new identity and background. Foggy is now Everett Williams from Jersey.

We shift to a couple of thugs in a car outside where Foggy is. They mention that they have a man planted in the FBI who managed to get Foggy into the witness relocation plan without tipping off the higher-ups in the FBI. Their boss talked to some lawyer about this plan. They thugs were instructed to sit and wait until they get word from their boss.

We then cut to Agent Pullman entering the house and talking to the FBI agent guarding Foggy. Pullman mentions that they tracked Matt flying out of America headed to London, but he was not on the plane when it landed and no one can remember Matt getting up from his seat prior to landing.

Foggy then decides that he can’t continue to let Matt act recklessly in his mission for revenge. Foggy slips out of the house and makes his escape. He hops into a cab down the street from his house. The cabbie turns out to be working for the thugs we saw earlier. The cab arrives at a junkyard where the rest of the thugs are waiting. Suddenly, the thugs are attacked by Hand ninjas. The Hand makes short work of the thugs and save Foggy. One of the ninjas tells Foggy that their mistress (Electra) wants Foggy to go back to the FBI protective custody. That it is safe there. That agent Pullman was the inside man working for the thugs. The Hand have taken him out. There is nothing left for Foggy to fear. Also, that the Hand will be carefully watching and guarding Foggy.

We cut to the next day with Foggy practicing his new name and background with the FBI Agent. Foggy is stunned that Electra is watching out for him. That how crazy has the world become when the bad guys (the Hand) are watching over the FBI. Foggy then wishes for Matt to come back home so they can fix all of this. So they can get back to the way things used to be. So Foggy can be safe again. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Brubaker rarely disappoints me. Brubaker delivers another solid read with Daredevil #88. The past several issues have been very fast paced and full of big surprises. It was a good move for Brubaker to slow things down with this issue and give the reader a chance to catch their breath and soak everything in. This issue had a nice deliberate pace. It was a much needed change of pace from the past several issues. As always, Brubaker delivered strong dialogue that made had a nice flow to it.

It was also very cool to get an insight into Foggy Nelson and how he has viewed Matt and all the dangerous situations that Foggy has been thrust into the middle of over the years. All of the flashback scenes were well done showing how while Matt has been able to always protect Foggy; he certainly hasn’t been able to protect everyone that he loves. It was neat how Brubaker used Foggy’s stabbing as a wake up call to Foggy. That Foggy had been fooling himself into thinking that he was always safe from harm with Matt around. This scene provided some of the best insight to Foggy’s personality. This was very well done. The best line used to describe Foggy was “I’m not a coward. But, I’m not very brave.” Perfect.

We also got a nice explanation about what happened to Foggy after he was stabbed and why he did what he did. And it was cool to see Foggy willing to risk being killed by leaving the FBI’s protective custody in order to get work to Matt that he is alive. That Foggy would risk his life to prevent Matt from engaging in some pointless mission of revenge for Foggy’s death.

Brubaker then spiced up the story a bit by introducing the FBI agent who was working with the Mafia to have Foggy placed in protective custody for some unknown reason. We then get the story cranked up a notch when the Foggy decides to make a run for it and the cabbie he uses is one of the mafia members.

The big fight scene between the gangsters and the Hand ninjas was unexpected and well done. I certainly wasn’t expecting to see the Hand come to Foggy’s rescue. But, with Electra now the leader of the Hand, it makes sense that she would want to make sure that Foggy was protected and safe. This was a cool twist.

The final scene was a fitting ending. Foggy is in a bizarre situation where one of the most notorious bad guy groups, the Hand, is keeping tabs on supposedly a good guy organization in the FBI. I like Foggy’s final thoughts about hoping for Matt to return soon so they can fix this situation and make things like they used to be. And so Foggy can be safe. It was a touching ending that really did a nice job portraying the love and close friendship that Foggy has for Matt.

Daredevil #88 had such a nice feel to it. It was an emotional story that pulled the reader into the story from the first page. I think Brubaker did more to develop and flesh out Foggy’s character than any previous writers have done in their entire runs on Daredevil. You get such a great feel for Foggy. I have always liked his character, but I like it even more after this issue.

David Aja’s style works well with the mood of Brubaker’s story. It is close enough to Lark’s style so it isn’t glaringly obvious that there is a guest artist. However, Aga’s art isn’t quite as solid as Lark’s art.

The Bad: No complaints with this issue.

Overall: Daredevil #88 was another solid read. Brubaker is impressive with his ability to be so dependable and consistent in his writing. Even his “slow” issues that act as a transition between major story arcs are better written than most comics on the market. Even though we had a guest artist, the comic still looked nice and was enjoyable. Daredevil is still one of Marvel’s best titles. It is well worth checking out.

Comic Book Review: Batman #656

The Revolution enjoyed Morrison and Kubert’s debut issue on Batman last month. I dig Morrison’s approach to Bruce Wayne’s character and I think we are in store for an incredible run on Batman. I fully expect Batman #656 to be an excellent read. I’m going to try and wake up a little. Too much drink and not enough sleep have dulled my mind this morning. I have a huge mug of Café Bustelo and I think I’m ready to try and cobble together a review.


Creative Team
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Andy Kubert

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Bruce Wayne schmoozing with Jezebel Jet, who is the sponsor of this fundraiser. Ms. Jet is now the leader of a small African nation. Her goal is to make Africa more than just a fashionable cause. Bruce makes a pass at Jet and she comments if this is her chance to become a “Wayne Girl.” Jet says Bruce has a reputation. Jet goes to talk to some more guests and tells Bruce that she knows where he lives. Suddenly, a couple of chicas saddle up to Bruce’s arms and appear quite willing to become Wayne Girls.

We then cut to Dr. Langstrom and his wife being tossed out of the back of a truck on a street corner near the charity gala event. Alfred, waiting in the limo, sees what happens and immediately recognizes Langstrom. Alfred rushes to his side and Langstrom tells Alfred that he gave “them” the man-bat serum.

Suddenly, we see an army of 6 man-bats. But, wait, they aren’t just man-bats; they are ninja man-bats! And in the words of Bruce Wayne these ninja man-bats are an “Alarming Twist.”

Alfred enters the building and gives Bruce his briefcase with his Batman outfit in it. Bruce slips into something a bit more comfortable and suddenly Batman is on the scene ready to kick some ass. Batman takes out the six man-bats one by one. And he does so quite brutally. After he takes them all out, re-enforcements begin to arrive. Batman dives straight ahead and takes them on. He eventually takes them out in a vicious fashion as well.

Then even more man-bats flood into the museum and finally overpower Batman and he blacks out. He then wakes up in some remote location near the water. An army of man-bats are around him. Talia approaches Batman. Bats is hardly surprised that Talia was behind all of this. Talia congratulates Batman for taking out at least 30 of her elite commando man-bats. Talia then proceeds to take Batman down amnesia lane. She mentions a certain night in the desert where they spent the time getting to know each other better. (They show Batman naked but still wearing his mask. That Talia is into some kinky stuff.)

Talia tells Batman that they had a sun and since birth he has been trained by the masters of the League of Assassins. However, he is growing even beyond Talia’s control. That he lacks discipline and needs the guiding hand of a great man. With that introduction, Son of Bat makes his grand appearance. Batman’s son looks at Batman and says “Father. I imagine you taller.” End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Nice. Morrison serves up another gem in Batman #656. Morrison is laying the foundation for an extremely interesting storyline. I liked the pace of this issue. It had enough Bruce Wayne in it. But, it also had plenty of kick-ass Batman action. Morrison strikes just the right balance.

I am really enjoying Morrison’s take on Bruce Wayne and Batman. I am glad that Morrison is actually taking the time to develop and flesh out Bruce Wayne’s character. So many writers have completely ignored Bruce’s character making it simply a one-dimensional facade that Batman occasionally wears. I like that Morrison realizes that Bruce is an important character and that he does have a life and a personality outside of his Batman persona. It makes Bruce such a more interesting and compelling character. Overall, it makes Batman a more well rounded and satisfying read.

Now, the fact that Morrison is taking the time to develop Bruce Wayne and being committed to giving him plenty of panel time, that is actually increasing my enjoyment of when he appears as Batman. When you don’t constantly see Bruce in the Batman outfit, it makes the Batman scenes more special and enjoyable. I also like that Morrison is injecting some dry sarcastic humor into Batman’s personality. I agree that Batman should never be the “Bwahahaha” type super hero. Batman will never be the type of hero to fire out endless amounts of funny quips when fighting villains like characters such as Robin or Spider-Man. But, I have always imagined that Batman would never be humorless. He isn’t a robot. I think the dry sarcastic humor that Morrison has injected into Batman’s personality fits him like a glove.

Now, even though Morrison is trying to give Bruce more depth by developing his character, don’t confuse that with Morrison delivering a shiny happy 1960’s style Batman. Morrison’s Batman can be just as brutal as Miller’s Batman. They way he takes on and lays waste to the ninja man-bats was sweet. Morrison’s Batman knows how to dish out a beating. I also like that Morrison has made sure to differentiate between Bruce Wayne and Batman not just in style and mood. Morrison even makes their pattern of speech different. Bruce Wayne is extremely chatty. However, Batman uses an economy of words.

The opening scene was a wonderful example of how Morrison is attempting to grow Bruce Wayne’s character. I like all of this panel time that Morrison is giving Bruce and I hope that he keeps it up in future issues. I also like that Morrison is reviving the playboy billionaire aspect of Bruce Wayne’s character. The “Wayne Girl” comment was a nice touch.

The massive fight scene between Batman and the ninja man-bats was fantastic. Morrison struts his stuff and shows that his Batman is going to know how to kick ass. And man, does Batman kick some booty in this fight scene. I also love how Morrison’s writes Batman’s dialogue. It is short and to the point. Perfect. Plus, Batman’s dry humor keeps the comic from being too dark and somber. It is a nice touch. Batman’s reaction to seeing the army of man-bats was classic! “It’s not Langstrom. Not Man-bat. Man-bats. Ninja Man-bats. Alarming twist.” That was perfect! The short sentences direct and to the point and a little dry humor at the end. I am loving this style Batman.

Morrison also injects a nice bit of humor in one panel during a rather brutal fight. Batman notices that the man-bats are six hundred pounds of meat, gristle and hide. He then asks himself what it reminds him of. We then cut to a panel shot of Bruce and Dick getting ready to eat Aunt Agatha’s Thanksgiving Day turkey. And then we cut right back to the nasty brawl. What an excellent touch.

The final scene was also well done. Batman comes face to face with Talia. He trades a few dry humorous barbs with Talia. Then Talia drops the big bomb on Batman and introduces him to his son. Wow. That was great. I cannot wait to see where Morrison goes with this storyline.

Kubert’s art was very well done. Kubert draws a nice Batman and his artwork works nicely with the mood of Morrison’s story.

The Bad: I really have no complaints. I certainly have my reservations with this Son of Bat storyline. I don’t really like the idea of Batman having a son. I am worried that this could really blow up in Morrison’s face. Plus, it feels like Morrison just stomped all over Robinson’s big revelation in his One Year Later storyline with having Bruce adopt Tim as his son. Now, Morrison overshadows that by introducing Bruce’s biological son and pretty much makes Tim being made Bruce’s son really not matter much at all. But, I have tons of faith in Morrison. I have always enjoyed his work. I’m willing to give Morrison the benefit of a doubt that he can pull this off with great success.

Overall: Batman #656 is a great read. I am having a blast reading Morrison’s Batman. This title has quickly become one of my favorite titles. I think that Morrison is just what Batman needed to rejuvenate his character and keep him fresh and interesting for this new DCU. I definitely recommend giving this title a try.

Comic Book Review: Astonishing X-Men #16

Astonishing X-Men has been a consistently great read. Certainly the best X-Men comic book prior to Ed Brubaker taking over the writing duties on Uncanny X-Men. Joss Whedon has impressed me by continually delivering strong stories that are a great mix of humor and action. I fully expect Astonishing X-Men #16 to be another excellent read. Let’s roll to the review.

Creative Team
Writer: Joss Whedon
Artist: John Cassaday

Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Ord making a jail break from The Peak, S.W.O.R.D.’s headquarters in space. Ord smashes out one of the space station’s windows and grabs hold of a space shuttle flying next to the headquarters. Ord hops inside the shuttle and his getaway is complete. Agent Brand angrily demands that they find out who is working with Ord. Inside the space shuttle, we see Danger, Ord’s new partner in crime, behind the wheel.

We then cut to Xavier’s School, where Wolverine has climbed a tree and his hiding from the Beast. Big bad Wolverine continues to talk like a scared little English school girl. (I can’t get enough of this! This is too funny!)

We then shift to Kitty phasing back up into the mansion. She sees Colossus and Cyclops unconscious. Kitty then questions Blindfold and Hisako about what has happened.

We cut to Beast finally finding Wolverine and proceeding to take a big chomp on Wolverine’s leg. (Tastes like chicken.) Wolverine’s claws instinctively shoot out of his hands causing Wolverine to scream like a little girl.

We shift back to the Hellfire Club standing in front of the “manger.” This is what they have been after. Emma turns into her diamond form and attempts to smash open the manger’s protective covering. Emma fails to make a dent in the covering and then the protective covering responds by blasting Emma with several energy beams. The mysterious Hellfire member in a hood says that they will use Kitty to go through the protective covering.

Speaking of Kitty, we see her running through the grounds outside the mansion and stumble across girlie Wolverine.

We then see Blindfold talking to someone who we can’t see. Blindfold says that she heard them before, but wasn’t certain who it was. Blindfold then says “I don’t know. I can try.”

We cut back to the Hellfire members bickering with Negasonic Teenage Warhead for sending Kitty to the core of the earth. Emma then tells them all to be quiet. She hears someone. Emma stares at a mirror and says “You. Do you really think you can hide in there?” Suddenly, Kitty’s arm comes out of the mirror and punches Emma’s face. Kitty lands a couple of good hits before Emma turns into her diamond form. Kitty then phases her and Emma into a small cave under mansion. Kitty leaves Emma’s head partially in the rock and threatens to solidify Emma’s head into the rock if Emma tries to enter Kitty’s mind. Emma tells Kitty that she is working with the Hellfire Club. Kitty then leaves Emma trapped in the cave under the mansion to “think about what she has done.”

We then shift to Kitty back in the mansion. She stumbles across wimpy Wolverine again. Suddenly, Kitty grabs her head in pain and drops to the ground. The mysterious hooded Hellfire member appears. The mysterious member says that Kitty must have thought that Emma Frost was very easy to take down. The mysterious member says that Emma was never a match for the White Queen. And with that, the person dramatically rips off her hooded cape and there is the original old school Emma Frost in her original White Queen outfit! Kitty responds by saying “Yeahbuhwhat?” (My thoughts exactly!)

We then cut to Agent Brand talking to another agent how they thought that Ord was trying to kill himself when he smashed through the window on the space station. And how that would have made sense since he brought back to life the one mutant destined to destroy his entire planet: Colossus!! End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Damn that Joss Whedon for being so good! Each issue just keeps getting better and better! Astonishing X-Men #16 was another fantastic read. Whedon has this story moving at a perfect pace. This story is very well constructed and has a great flow. And as always, Whedon serves up plenty of very well crafted dialogue. Whedon continues to display his excellent feel for the various characters. Whedon knows the X-Men and get gets that classic feel that the X-Men had under Claremont and Byrne.

The opening scene laid the foundation for the plotline involving the new villainous team of Ord and Danger. You have to feel for the X-Men. Once they deal with the Hellfire Club, they are going to have to deal with these two fiends.

The scenes with Wolverine hiding in a tree from Beast were absolutely hilarious! Whedon shows off his comedic talent here. This was some classic dialogue. I loved this scene. I can’t get enough of little English school girl Logan! And Wolverine’s reaction when his claws instinctively popped out was great! After seeing all the cool and tough ways that Logan has popped his claws out over the years, it was funny seeing this decidedly un-cool on non-intimidating reaction to popping his claws. It is just a blast to see the uber-tough guy act like such a sissy.

The scene with the “manger” was interesting. Whedon continues to drop little mysteries on the reader with each issue. With this issue, it is the manger. Just what exactly is the manger and why has Professor X protected it with a cover that is impervious to the powers of all his students. Whedon has been a master at building suspense on Astonishing X-Men and I am definitely excited to find out more about the manger.

The scene where Emma hears Kitty and then gets a serious beat down from Kitty was excellent! I don’t even like Kitty, but it was wicked cool the way Kitty attacked Emma through the mirror. Very nice. Then seeing Kitty interrogate Emma by phasing her head into a rock showed a tougher side to Kitty than we usually see. We know that there is no way Kitty would go Wolverine and actually kill Emma, but it certainly showed that Kitty has a backbone and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. The best part was after acting all tough; Kitty leaves Emma in the cave “to think about what she has done.” How school teacher-ish! Just perfect.

Then Whedon drops a huge bomb on the reader. Whedon continually outdoes himself. Just when I think he can’t do anything else to surprise and amaze me, he does. This time, it is the revelation that the hooded Hellfire member is none other than the original White Queen! That was awesome! I cannot wait to see how Whedon explains this one to us.

And after that scene I thought that Whedon was done with the surprises. Silly me. In the final scene, Whedon reveals that Colossus, who Ord brought back to life, is the mutant destined to destroy Ord’s planet! What a grand twist. I am very interested to see how Whedon handles this storyline.

As always, John Cassaday does a phenomenal job with the art. His art perfectly compliments Whedon’s strong story. Cassaday’s art makes for a wonderful book to look at and makes Whedon’s story even more enjoyable.

The Bad: I have no complaints at all with this issue.

Overall: Astonishing X-Men #16 was another incredible read. Whedon and Cassaday just keep hitting them out of the park with this title. It is great to be able to buy an comic book and know that it is going to be a solid read. I definitely recommend this title to anyone. It is certainly worth your hard earned money.

Comic Book Review: Wonder Woman #2

Wonder Woman #1 was the first issue of Wonder Woman that I have ever bought. And was I ever pleasantly surprised. I have always been a fan of Heinberg and Dodson and they certainly didn’t disappoint me with their debut issue of Wonder Woman. I am sure that I’m going to enjoy Wonder Woman #2. I can’t believe that I’m actually becoming a Wonder Woman fan! Let’s do this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Allan Heinberg
Penciler: Terry Dodson
Inker: Rachel Dodson

Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10.
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10.
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10.

Synopsis: This issue stats with a flashback scene of Donna as Wonder Woman fighting Dr. Poison and Dr. Cyber. Donna shows off her skills by smacking around the villains. From afar, Diana is watching with Batman by her side. Diana tells Bruce that she feels she has to find out who she is. That she can only be successful on her mission by being herself. Diana tells Bruce that she just doesn’t know who she is. Bruce then hands her an I.D. badge with “Diana Prince” on it and a picture of Diana wearing glasses with her hair in a bun. Batman tells Diana that Sarge Steel is putting the Department of Metahuman Affairs back together. That as Agent Diana she could do almost everything she used to without having to be Wonder Woman. Diana smartly points out that this would also give Batman a contact inside the Department.

We then cut to the present. Agent Diana Prince and Nemesis are ruffling each others’ feathers. Nemesis thinks he is stud enough to do his job without having Diana as a partner. Diana’s mission is to find Wonder Woman. That Cheetah, Giganta and Doctor_Psycho are holding Donna Troy captive until the real Wonder Woman is turned over to them. Nemesis notes some new changes with these long time Wonder Woman villains. Cheetah is now human. Giganta retains her genius even when giant-sized. Dr. Psycho’s powers have been significantly upgraded. Think of him as Dr. Psycho ver. 2.0.

Diana mentions that if they ever found Wonder Woman then would be arrested for the murder of Maxwell Lord. Nemesis gets snarky and comments that the World Court dropped the charges when they ruled the killing self-defense. Nemesis continues to say that Diana is a federal agent and will eventually take someone’s life and better grow up.

Diana suggests to Sarge Steel that they call in some capes like Superman, Batman and Green Lantern. Nemesis is insulted and claims that he can find Wonder Woman himself without the help of capes. And with two snaps up, Nemesis haughtily storms out of the room.

We shift to Agent Diana Prince paying a visit to Wonder Girl and Robin who are investigating the museum where the battle from last issue took place and Donna was taken hostage. Wonder Girl is stunned to see Diana. Wonder Girl is angry that Diana would disappear for a year without telling her anything. Robin sticks up for Diana and then Wonder Girl gets mad at Robin for knowing where Diana was and not telling her. Wonder Girl then angrily charges out of the room basically saying that her friends suck and she’d rather take her chances with her enemies.

Robin tells Diana that he was unable to find anything other than one of Donna’s earrings and some strange vegetation. Suddenly, the floor begins to shake like an earthquake is hitting the city. But, this is no earthquake. It is a giant woman!

We see a rampaging Giganta wearing the most idiotic boots on a rather ugly costume with Donna Troy hanging off a chain around Giganta’s neck like she was a pendant. Giganta is ranting that she wants Wonder Woman. And, believe me she means now! Diana saves an innocent bystander from getting squished under Giganta’s boot. That bystander turns out to be Nemesis who is working under cover.

Wonder Girl then joins the battle and gets it on with Giganta. Suddenly, Conner appears and tells Wonder Girl to give him her lasso. Wonder Girl says that Conner can’t be here. That he is dead. Conner says he is dead and then lays a serious haymaker on Wonder Girl. It was just that dastardly Dr. Psycho screwing with Wonder Girl’s mind.

Cheetah then appears on the scene and grabs Diana by the neck. Diana proceeds to lay open up a can on Cheetah. Cheetah gets herself together and then is joined by Dr. Psycho and Giganta. The three then tell Diana that she just bit off more than she can chew. Diana dives into an alleyway. She takes off her glasses and begins to spin around as gold sparkles appear in the air. Oh yeah! We are talking some vintage Lynda Carter 1970’s Wonder Woman transformation here! Suddenly, a hand reaches out and stops Diana from transforming into Wonder Woman. It is Hercules! Hercules says the women have tired and failed, so it is time for a man to take a crack at this job. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Wonder Woman #2 was a great issue! Heinberg did an excellent job delivering a very entertaining story. I thought this issue moved at a nice pace. There was a perfect blend of action and drama. Heinberg serves up some great dialogue. Heinberg has a knack for crafting humorous dialogue with plenty of quick witted quips. Heinberg manages to balance the humor with a more serious tone depending on the scene. This manages to keep the title from being too light hearted or too dark and serious. It is just right.

The scene between Batman and Diana was fantastic. I loved how Diana explained her internal conflict about who she is and how she can best carry out her mission. Heinberg creates some nice chemistry between Batman and Diana. I really enjoyed the interaction between these two icons in this scene.

The scene at the Department of Metahuman Affairs was a nice way to introduce the long time Wonder Woman villains to new readers. I liked that Heinberg managed to slip in that the Department obtained photos of a woman named I-Ching who they believe to be Wonder Woman. That was a cool little nod to Diana’s 1970’s alter ego.

But, most importantly, this scene addressed the killing of Maxwell Lord rather effectively. By having Nemesis not blink an eye over Wonder Woman killing Maxwell Lord shows that people understand that sometimes doing the right thing involves a lot of violence. That Federal Agents have to be ready and willing to kill people in order to carry out their job of protecting America and its citizens. The comment that Diana has “to grow up.” was very appropriate. Diana must move on from killing Maxwell Lord. Unfortunately, that is sometimes what is necessary in order to defeat the forces of evil.

The scene with Wonder Girl, Robin and Diana was another excellent scene. Again, Heinberg is able to create great chemistry between the characters and craft some fantastic dialogue. You can feel Wonder Girl’s hurt and anger in Diana “abandoning” her and Robin keeping the secret of knowing where Diana was from her. Poor Cassie has been through so much since Infinite Crisis. This character has been dumped on probably more than anyone else. I really feel bad for her and Heinberg did a nice job playing up Cassie’s feelings of hurt and betrayal.

Heinberg also give us a little clue in that scene with Robin finding some strange vegetation in the museum where Donna was captured. Just what does this have to do with anything? I have no idea, but I’m interested to find out.

The battle scene between Wonder Girl and Diana versus Giganta, Cheetah and Dr. Psycho was great. Dr. Psycho using Conner’s image to take down Wonder Girl was brilliant and highlighted just how reprehensible and vicious he is.

But, I must say that the hands down coolest scene in the entire comic was the final scene. Diana in the alleyway, doing her 1970’s Wonder Woman spin complete with golden sparkles just rocked!! I absolutely loved it. I’m a huge fan of the old Wonder Woman TV show and this scene just made me break out in a big smile.

And then Heinberg delivers the dramatic entry of Hercules. This was a great way to end the issue. You have three nasty villains and a huge battle that is about to explode and then he adds Hercules to the mix. I’m definitely eager for the next issue.

It is obvious that Heinberg loves Wonder Woman and has a great feel for her character. I like how he is writing Diana. DC has messed with Diana’s past and character more than any other character. Certainly much more than you would expect out of a character that is such an icon. Heinberg is finally trying to give Diana her own clearly defined and consistent character with her own motivation and direction. This will help firmly establish herself within this new DCU. I’m glad. Wonder Woman deserves this.

Heinberg is doing a fantastic job on Wonder Woman. Yes, Wonder Woman #2 has action, drama, strong dialogue and impressive character development. But, the best thing about Heinberg’s story is that it is simply flat out fun.

As always, Dodson’s artwork is simply gorgeous. There just aren’t too many artists around who can draw women as well as Dodson. This is just a fantastic book to look at.

The Bad: I have no complaints at all with this issue.

Overall: Wonder Woman #2 is a fun read. I had an absolute blast reading it. Heinberg and Dodson have made a Wonder Woman fan out of me! I can’t believe it. Now, I don’t know if long-time Wonder Woman fans will be happy with this new direction or not. Me? Well, as a new reader I love this title and would definitely recommend any other non-Wonder Woman fans to give this title a try.

Comic Book Review: Flash #3

The Revolution has not been very impressed with this all new Flash. I have enjoyed the artwork and that is about it. So far, the writing has been average at best. Absolutely none of the plotlines ever remotely interest me. And on top of it all, I’m just not a Bart Allen fan. And no matter how hard I try to be open minded, I’m just not satisfied with having Bart as the Flash instead of either Barry or Wally. So, I really don’t expect to enjoy Flash #3 that much. Maybe, Bilsen and Demeo will turn the corner and deliver an interesting read. Maybe. But, I seriously doubt it. Let’s hit this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Danny Bilson & Paul Demeo
Penciler: Karl Kerschl
Inker: Serge LaPointe

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 4 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Bart rushing to the rescue of Valeria and saving her from the fire at S.T.A.R. Labs. Bart then uses his super speed to put out the fire. Valeria thanks Bart for his help and tells him that she is glad that the Flash suit works to protect him from the speed force. Bart comments that he isn’t the Flash. That is Jay Garrick. (Truer words were never spoken. And that is from Bart himself.)

We then cut to Bart and Griffin working out in a gym. Griffin shows off his new powers by tossing heavy weights through the air like he is Barry Bonds all jacked up on steroids.

We then shift to Bart and Griffin back at their apartment. Griffin is listening to a police scanner for any crimes that he can use his new powers to stop them and earn himself some fame and money.

We then zip over to S.T.A.R. Labs where Valerie’s supervisor is admonishing her for not telling S.T.A.R. Labs when she applied for her job that her father was none other than the infamous Manfred Mota. Mota is a total loser who went through several different codenames and silly gimmicks and battled both Barry Allen and Wally West. Valerie’s supervisor tells her that she likes Valerie and that she does quality work, but that the Board of S.T.A.R. Labs doesn’t like any connection with Mota and may fire her. (Oh wait, I guess I’m supposed to be shocked by this revelation and actually care if Valerie keeps her job, huh?)

We then cut to the next day where Valerie is conducting more tests on Bart. The test causes Bart significant pain prompting him to question Valerie why she is so interested in him. At this point, Valerie confesses that yesterday was not the first time Bart had saved her life. (Cue violins, please.) That there was a race riot in her high school and some skinheads started a fire and locked them in the school. (What? Skin heads? Are they actually any skin heads left in this country? I thought they all disappeared with the 1980’s.) Kid Flash showed up on the scene and rescued Valerie from the burning school. Ever since then she has been a fan of Bart. And with that, Bart and Valerie proceed to swap spit.

Mercifully, we cut to Bart and Griffin’s apartment. Griffin changes into a goofy looking costume and tells Bart that he is off to fight crime. That the Flash has been gone for over a year, and now it is his time.

We then shift to a man holding his son over the ledge of a tall building. He is threatening to drop him since killing him would be better than letting his ex-wife have him. (And the moral of this comic book is that male blancos are EVIL!) The Griffin, as he so eloquently calls himself, appears and demands that the man drop the kid. Which he does. Over the edge of the building. Luckily, stud muffin Jay Garrick catches the kid in mid air and saves him. The man then shoots his gun at The Griffin. Luckily for Mr. The Griffin, Jay Garrick plucks the bullet out of the air. Jay tells Mr. The Griffin that this is not work for amateurs and to go home and that he never wants to see Mr. The Griffin on the streets again. The Griffin angrily thinks to himself “Your days are done, old man!”

We then cut to the next day. Jay is talking on the phone with Bart. Jay tells Bart that he is proud of him stopping the fire at S.T.A.R. Labs. Jay then tells Bart that the police believe that the bomber who planted the explosives at S.T.A.R. Labs is Thatcher, that crazy ex-auto worker. Griffin overhears Bart talking to Jay about Thatcher.

We then shift to The Griffin arriving at Thatcher’s apartment just ahead of the police. The apartment is empty. The Griffin finds a bunch of river charts and a news article about a yacht party for the CEO of Keystone Motors. The Griffin then makes a call to the police and impersonates Thatcher and says that he is willing to surrender but only to the Flash.

We then cut to the yacht party, where Jay Garrick and his honey Joan are doing one mean jitterbug. Jay gets called by the police and told that Thatcher wants to surrender to him. Jay then races off.

We then see Thatcher on a little rubber dingy claiming that his “poor man’s torpedo” will make a nice birthday present for the CEO of Keystone Motors. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Flash #3 carries on the new tradition of very pedestrian issues in this re-launch of the scarlet speedster. Of course, the Revolution’s Rule of Positivity mandates that I always say something positive about every issue.

Well, let’s see, I really enjoyed Jay Garrick in this issue. Jay is a total old school stud. It is always great to see the original Flash in action. And the scene where he totally chews out and embarrasses The Griffin was classic! I loved it.

I thought the guest artist, Kerschl, delivered some fantastic artwork. I really dig Kerschl’s style. I also think that Kerschl does a nice job drawing Bart as Bart rather than Wally West, Jr.

The Bad: It is never a good sign when all of the “good” comments do not center on the main character or any of the new characters or plotlines that the reader is supposed to care about. And that is my problem with this comic book. I think Bilson and Demeo have been less than impressive in their writing duties. They have turned out three very ordinary issues. Flash #3 is an extremely pedestrian read. I think the pacing is spasmodic. The story jerks and stops in a very odd pace. The scenes awkwardly cut to each other. There is absolutely no positive rhythm or flow to this story.

I think the dialogue was boring at best and cheesy at worst. Bilson and Demeo have completely failed to develop any of the characters in this comic book. None of the characters have any personalities or depth at all. It is like watching a bunch of cardboard cut outs march across the pages of the comic book. The Griffin, Valerie and Bart are all generic in feel and lack any substance. That makes it extremely hard for me to get interested in any of these characters.

The Griffin’s character is incredibly annoying. And not in a good way. I mean annoying in the “makes me not want to read the comic book any more” way. There is nothing about this character that makes him worth keeping on this title. He doesn’t even make a good villain.

Bart’s character is totally vanilla. All we get from Bart is “whah, whah, whah” each and every issue. All we get to hear is him whining about not wanting to be the Flash, whining about the seed force, whining about the tests at S.T.A.R. Labs and whining about the Griffin. Bilson and Demeo have made Bart even less appealing to me than he was before. At least as Kid Flash, Geoff Johns made him a neat character over in the Titans. That has definitely been lost with Bart’s character in this comic.

The plotlines are also completely uninteresting and failed to hook me. Thatcher is a terribly boring and uninteresting villain. I could care less about any storyline having to do with him. The entire “The Griffin” storyline also lacks any appeal. The Griffin is an extremely lame and shallow character. His storyline is just as unimpressive. I couldn’t care less if he is a villain or a hero.

I also don’t find anything compelling about Valerie’s storyline with her father being revealed as Mota. Who cares? Mota is a lame villain in the first place. I certainly could care less about the romantic angle between Valerie and Bart. As a matter of fact, the entire scene where Valerie tells Bart about how she saved him when in high school and how much she likes him was a really cheesy scene. The romance between these two characters seems totally forced. It gives the story a very writing by numbers feel.

And the skin heads inciting a race riot was incredibly unoriginal and clichéd. I really feel bad for you blancos. You guys are always portrayed as evil racists. If there is going to be a racist character appear in a comic, it is almost always a blanco male. Not very original or interesting.

The plotline with the Speed Force had potential, but it has been handled so poorly, that I have actually lost any interest in this plotline as well. Bilson and Demeo just seem to be cranking out a storyline that is of the quality of an extremely average and somewhat generic TV show. This comic just lacks the pop and sizzle that so many other new titles have like the Justice League of America.

Overall: Flash #3 was another unimpressive issue. The writing continues to lurch forward with no sign of progress or improvement. The plotlines are all uninteresting and the characters are all shallow and underdeveloped. I am getting the feeling that maybe it is just me. I just may not be the target audience for this comic book. I’m going to give this title one more issue, but I have a feeling that the axe will be falling on the Flash after issue #4. Right now, I simply can’t recommend this title to anyone other than a hardcore Flash fan or a hardcore Bart fan.

Comic Book Review: Justice League of America #1

Justice League of America #1 is a comic book that the Revolution has been anxiously awaiting for several months. I thoroughly enjoyed Meltzer’s Identity Crisis and am a big fan of Ed Benes’ artwork. I am very confident that I am going to enjoy this issue. Let’s stop wasting time and hit this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Penciller: Ed Benes
Inker: Sandra Hope

Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with the DC’s holy trinity meeting in the Batcave to vote on the members of the new Justice League of America. First up is Captain Marvel. Bruce and Batman want him and Wonder Woman doesn’t because he is too young. Next up is Red_Tornado. Bruce wants him. But, Superman and Wonder Woman say he is dead and isn’t coming back to life. Bruce disagrees.

We then cut to Dr. Magnus’ lab where he has finished putting back together Red Tornado’s android body. Kathy Sutton, Red Tornado’s girlfriend, is waiting for his soul to return to his android body. She is upset because it usually takes no more than a couple of hours. But, this time it has been days. Dr. Magnus leaves and Platinum enters and asks Kathy how Red Tornado made her love him. Kathy then flashes back to various points in their past on how much she liked Red Tornado. How, it wasn’t any one thing in particular, jut the general feeling that she knew it was just “right.”

We then see Red Tornado’s soul hovering above Kathy crying next to his android body. Next to Red Tornado is the Deadman. Red Tornado tells Deadman that he has always only been half a man for Kathy and he wants to change that.

We then cut back to Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman voting on members. Green Lantern (Hal Jordan flavor) is up and Superman and Wonder Woman vote for him and Batman is unsure. Next is Supergirl. Automatically, Superman and Batman say “No.” (I knew I liked those two guys for a reason!) Next up is Flash (Bart Allen flavor) and Superman and Batman vote for him and Wonder Woman is unsure and is leaning towards Jay Garrick. Power Girl is up next and all three vote for her. Wonder Woman clearly not intimidated by Power Girl’s bust size.

We then cut to Hal Jordan hanging out with Roy Harper. Hal suddenly gets a phone call from Black Canary telling him that Red Tornado still has returned to his body. Black Canary says that Kathy sounds terrible and then asks Hal to come help her. Hal then asks Roy if he is up for an adventure.

We then cut to Black Lightning in a bar getting information from a junkie about a rash of kidnappings of various low level villains. Evidently, Mr._Miracle’s brother is behind the kidnappings.

We then shift to Red Tornado and Deadman in a morgue. Deadman tells Red Tornado that after Multiplex dies a few weeks back, some of his dupes were found wandering around like zombies. This dupe in the morgue collapsed yesterday and is brain dead, but otherwise in perfect physical shape. Deadman convinces Red Tornado that he is doing the right thing by wanting a real body rather than his android body. Red Tornado comments that if he dies as a human he won’t come back to life like he can with his android body. Deadman counters that being able to touch Kathy will make it all worth it. Deadman then tells Red Tornado that there are no guarantees that he will still have his super powers if he assumes the flesh.

We then cut to the big three continuing to sift through candidates. Mr. Terrific is up next. Batman and Superman want him. Wonder Woman says he is JSA. The Atom (Ray Palmer flavor) is up next. Superman says Ray is missing. Batman wants him and says they can find him. Wonder Woman says Ray needs to move forward, but the question is can he. (Yeah! Bring back Ray!) Vixen is up next. Wonder Woman would rather have Animal Man. (Me, too. Hey, does that mean Animal Man doesn’t make it out of 52 alive? Uh-oh.) Superman wants her. Batman isn’t too sure he wants her. Up next is Hawkman. Superman and Wonder Woman want him. Batman does not.

We then shift to Vixen who has received a not from the Question asking to meet her. Evidently, the Question has a crush on her. Vixen shows up at some bar in Hub City and tells the bartender that she was supposed to tell him that she is looking for the Question. The bartender comments that the Question hasn’t operated out of Hub City for over a year. (What? Oh no. Please don’t tell me Montoya ends up replaces the Question.) Suddenly, some people enter the bar looking to inflict harm on Vixen.

We then cut to Deadman placing Red Tornado’s soul into Multiplex’s dupe. The process was a success and Red Tornado is now a man of flesh and blood. And, luckily for him, he still possess his wind powers. Red Tornado can no longer see or hear Deadman, but he still thanks him as he leaves the morgue. Then Deadman is revealed to be Faust in disguise. Faust talks to a shadowy figure and tells him that he did what he wanted and demands to be paid. The shadowy figure tells Faust that he is afraid of Red Tornado. Faust says that he isn’t afraid of the Tornado. It is the Tornado’s friends who will rip out the heart of the shadowy figure once they find out what the shadowy figure has done to Red Tornado.

We then shift to Black Canary and Green Lantern arriving at Green Arrow’s house. Ollie thinks they are here for him when Roy Harper appears in his Arsenal costume and takes off with Black Canary and Green Lantern. Ollie has a smile and is proud of his boy.

We then see Platinum and Gold talking. Gold appears to have a part flesh body. Suddenly someone slices off Platinum and Gold’s heads. It is Mr. Miracle's evil twin who has come for Red Tornado’s android body.

We cut to Red Tornado in his new human body walking into Kathy’s home. Kathy starts crying tears of joy. The lovers are re-united.

We shift to Mr. Miracle's evil twin delivering Red Tornado’s android body to his “master.”

The comic ends with a one page splash shot of Red Tornado on the floor hugging Kathy and his daughter. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Justice League of America #1 was an excellent read! Meltzer delivered a wonderfully done story that was nicely paced and well constructed. I liked how Meltzer used Red Tornado as the frame for this entire issue.

Meltzer used the meeting of the big three to introduce the various potential new members without giving the exact line-up of the new JLA. All the scenes with the big three discussing each member and voting on them were nicely written. Meltzer has a good grasp on the way the big three interact with each other. All of their arguments for or against the various potential members were very consistent with their personalities. Batman always goes for a person that he can trust without a doubt. Wonder Woman likes people with experience that she can depend on in a fight. Superman likes people who are nice with good character. Their dialogue going back and forth was perfect and had a nice natural flow.

The scenes with Arsenal and Green Lantern were well done. I liked the interaction between Roy and Hal. Plus, now that Hal is reincarnated, his body is actually younger than Roy. The two of them remind me of when Hal and Ollie were young. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more interaction between these two characters. They have nice chemistry.

The look on Ollie’s face was great when he realized that Green Lantern and Black Canary were there to pick up Arsenal instead of him. Perfect. It was a nice subtle passing of the torch from Green Arrow to Arsenal. Personally, Green Arrow is the only archer who should be in the JLA. However, Ollie has his own title, so I don’t mind Arsenal taking his roster spot and getting some much needed attention.

The scenes with Black Lightning were also good. I have always liked Black Lightning since I was a little kid. I’m really glad that he is getting some recognition and is going to be elevated up to the JLA. Even though he has an absolutely horrendous codename, Black Lightning is a great character and should really grow in the JLA.

The scene with Vixen was pretty good. Vixen is definitely a hottie and I like how Benes draws her. I think that she will make a fine addition to the JLA. However, I was alarmed by the fact that we learn that the Question hasn’t been operating out of Hub City in over a year. My nightmare is that Diversity Dan is going to gladly kill of the Question and replace him with Montoya. Kill of a blanco male and replace him with a Hispanic female who is also a lesbian? Wow! That is two birds with one stone! Even though Montoya is mi hermana, I really hope that she never becomes the Question.

Meltzer also teases the reader concerning a couple of characters other than the Question. Meltzer mentions how Ray has been missing, but that Batman believes that they can find them and that Wonder Woman feels that Ray must move forward with his life. This gives me hope that at some point, maybe Meltzer will bring Ray back and give him a new purpose and direction in life. That would rock.

Meltzer then teases with some vague statements about Animal Man. Wonder Woman wishes that they still had Buddy. Then she mentions how they should all pay a visit to Animal Man’s wife, Ellen. That just doesn’t sound good. I really hope that Animal Man doesn’t die over in 52. He is such a cool character.

I liked that Meltzer gave us teasers on these three characters. This just shows how much Meltzer has in plan for the JLA and any character connected with the team. I think Meltzer has some huge plans for this version of the Justice League that are going to have a massive impact on the DCU. This is going to be very exciting.

All of the scenes with Kathy, Red Tornado and Deadman were just perfect. Meltzer writes a fantastic Red Tornado. There is no doubt that Meltzer likes the character and “gets” the character’s personality and what makes him tick. I thought Red Tornado’s internal debate about if he should relinquish his “immortality” and his android body in favor of real human flesh and blood was heartfelt and touching. Immortality means nothing if you can’t truly connect with the ones that you love. To be able to hold his lover and feel her warmth is far more important to Red Tornado than his artificial immortality.

The scene at the very end of the comic where Red Tornado is finally re-united with Kathy and his daughter was very moving and a rather emotional ending.

Then Meltzer drops a big bomb on us when he reveals that Deadman is actually Faust in disguise. Then the intrigue increases as we learn that Faust is working for an unknown shadowy figure. Just who could this villain be? And what is his plan by having Red Tornado forsake his android body? We then see an evil version of Mr. Miracle steal Red Tornado’s android body and deliver it to his master who is no doubt, the same person who hired Faust to put Red Tornado’s soul in a human body. I can’t wait to see where Meltzer goes with this storyline.

Meltzer’s plotting was just right. I loved how he transitioned from scene to scene and managed to use Red Tornado’s story as the frame to tie in all of the other scenes. The last 9 pages were well executed. Meltzer ratchets up the pace and feel of the story by quickly splicing together the scene with the big three, the scene at Kathy’s house for Red Tornado’s homecoming and the scene at Dr. Magnus’ lab. We alternate each scene with each panel. It creates a frenzied feel to an issue that has been enjoyable modest in speed up until now. Very well done.

Ed Benes did a masterful job with the art on this issue. I will admit up front that I am a huge fan of Benes’ style, so obviously I’m going to praise it. Benes can draw smoking hot women, but is also equally adept at drawing men. Benes can pack plenty of emotion into the facial expressions of his characters. Overall, Benes’ artwork makes Justice League of America #1 a gorgeous book to look at.

The Bad: No complaints at all. This a was a fantastic debut issue for DC’s premier super team.

Overall: Justice League of America #1 was worth the wait. This was an exciting start to a brand new chapter for the JLA. DC was smart to place tons of talent on this title and it shows. This issue combined excellent writing with fantastic art. We got a nice steady start with a solid foundation for what appears to be one hell of a ride. I am eagerly looking forward to Meltzer’s run on this title. I recommend this title to anyone. Give it a try. This is an excellent starting point for new readers.

Comic Book Review: 52 #16

52 #16 should be another excellent issue. DC has done a great job on this title and the Revolution is definitely enjoying the ride. 52 #16 looks like it will be focusing on Black Adam and Isis. That is fine with me. After last issues’ death, I expect this issue to probably not be as exciting or action packed. All right, let’s hit this review.

Creative Team
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Penciler: Joe Bennett
Inker: Ruy Jose

Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: Week 16, Day 1: The issue starts with Black_Adam acting rather lovey-dovey with Isis. Black Adam drops on one knee and offers Isis a diamond bigger than the Bunker here at the Revolution and then asks Isis if she will marry him and be his wife and queen. (With a rock that size, how will she ever say no?).

We then cut to the Question and Montoya hiding out in a container at the docks of Khandaq. Montoya tells the Question that she figured out why there were so many boxes of rat poison. That Intergang is going to use a suicide bomber to take out the crowd during Black Adam and Isis’ wedding. The rat poison is an anti-coagulant so that suicide bombers use to coat the shrapnel. That way the victims who aren’t blown apart will bleed to death. (Nice.) Since Intergang can’t hurt Black Adam, they are going to hurt his people instead.

We then cut to Isis slipping into her incredibly slinky and sexy wedding dress. (Why didn’t my wife wear something like that at our wedding?) Mary_Marvel is helping Isis. Mary agreed to be Isis’ Maid of Honor. Mary does her best to try and talk Isis out of marrying Black Adam. Mary says that Black Adam is an evil killer and hasn’t changes. Isis counters that Black Adam has definitely changed and is a new man. (Women always fall for the bad boy.)

We see Captain Marvel helping Black Adam get ready. Black Adam thanks Captain Marvel for using his authority as Keeper of the Rock to wed Black Adam and Isis. Captain Marvel laughs at Black Adam for acting unusually bumbling because of him being so nervous over the wedding. Black Adam mentions that since his family is all dead that he wants to make the Marvel Family his new family.

We then see the Question and Montoya in the crowd trying to find the suicide bomber. We see Captain_Marvel_Jr. and Mr. Tawny providing crowd control while the wedding ceremony gets ready to begin. Black Adam and Isis then meet to exchange their vows up in the sky over the city square. Captain Marvel gives a nice little touching service and then weds Black Adam and Isis. During the wedding ceremony, Montoya finally spies the suicide bomber. It is just a teenage girl. Montoya can’t get to her in time to take the bomb from her, so Montoya has no choice but to shoot and kill the girl before she can set off the bomb. The Question tells Montoya that she did the right thing and had no choice. Montoya is obviously upset.

We then cut to Isis and Black Adam back at their palace. They exchange some loving dialogue and then proceed to consummate their marriage with plenty of S-E-X.

Week 16, Day 7: We see our heroes lost in space assembled in the newly repaired space craft. Adam Strange says everything is ready and they blast off into space on their way home. End of issue.

We are “treated” to a two page origin of Black Adam. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: 52 #16 was another great read. The boys of 52 just continue to crank out quality issue after quality issue. 52 #16 was nicely paced. It was slow, but it allowed the reader to catch his breath after a big issue in 52 #15. 52 #16 also laid the foundation for a “new” Black Adam and turns up the intensity of Intergang’s vendetta with the King of Khandaq.

I liked all of the scenes with Isis and Black Adam. The beginning of the issue was nicely done. It was rather odd to see Black Adam smiling and actually gushing with his love for Isis. He certainly seems to be a changed man. Is this merely the quite before the storm? I think it just might be. There is no way that Black Adam continues to be the loving Boy Scout that he is slowly transforming into.

The scene between Mary Marvel and Isis was well handled. Mary Marvel is viewing this marriage much like the reader is at this point. Mary is skeptical of Black Adam’s turning over a new leaf and remains confident that Black Adam is still a villainous killer. Mary wants to make sure that Isis knows what she is doing and to think if she is making the right decision. It is nice to see Isis have so much faith and love in her man. However, Isis may be seeing what she wants to see in Black Adam rather than what he truly is. At any rate, the dialogue was well written and it was nice to see Mary ask Isis the same questions that the reader wants to blurt out at Isis.

The scene with Black Adam and Captain Marvel was perfect. The dialogue was just right and was very humorous at times. Especially the comment about Black Adam’s receding hairline and how his hair never moves. It was neat to see the ever egotistical and confident Black Adam actually nervous and slightly flustered. This scene did a lot in making Black Adam seem more human than he ever has before. The writers are doing a great job further developing and growing Black Adam’s character.

The marriage scene was cool. I like seeing the Marvel Family all together again. Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel, Jr., Mary Marvel, Mr. Tawny and Uncle Dudley combined with the new additions of the Marvel Family in Isis and a reformed Black Adam. The Marvel Family is a great cast of characters and I am glad to see DC giving them some attention.


I liked the scenes with Montoya and the Questions. As always, these two have excellent chemistry and wonderfully crafter dialogue. I like how the Question is starting to rub off on Montoya. Her detective skills are growing and she was quick to piece together Intergang’s plot to send a suicide bomber into the crowd during Black Adam’s wedding.

The scene with Montoya and the Question in the crowd at the wedding ceremony was an excellent contrast with the heartwarming and happy wedding ceremony scenes with the Marvel Family. Montoya having to kill a child in order to stop the suicide bombing was powerful. You could really feel for Montoya and the pain that she was in over what she had to do. This scene with its starkly contrasting emotions was well done and made for a great scene.

It was nice to see Animal Man, Starfire and Adam Strange finally fix their space ship and get off the planet they were stranded on for the first 15 issues. Of course, we are teased with the return of Lobo with the next issue. I remain highly skeptical of the return of Lobo, but am willing to give the benefit of the doubt at this point.

The artwork was solid, but not spectacular. This has been the case with the entire run of 52 so far. This comic isn’t about incredible art. It is about an incredible story with artwork that doesn’t get in the way.

The Bad: The origin of Steel back up story was pretty much a waste of two pages. I say this every week and I’ll say it again. I’d rather get two more pages of the 52 storyline than these origin back-ups.

Overall: 52 #16 was another quality issue. No, it wasn’t as faced paced or as “explosive” as the last issue. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist on that pun.) But, this was still a well written and nicely paced issue that furthered the development and evolution of both Black Adam and Isis. Plus, it gave some nice love to the Marvel family. This issue might be too slow for some people, but I enjoyed it.

New Comics For August 23, 2006

DC COMICS

52 WEEK #16
BATMAN #656
FLASH THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE #3
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1
SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #21
WONDER WOMAN #2

MARVEL COMICS

ASTONISHING X-MEN #16
DAREDEVIL #88
ETERNALS #3
HEROES FOR HIRE #1
NEW AVENGERS #23
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #99
WOLVERINE #45

MANGA

BLACK CAT VOL 4
DEATH NOTE VOL 7
HUNTER X HUNTER VOL 10
JOJOS BIZARRE ADVENTURE VOL 5
KNIGHTS OF THE ZODIAC VOL 17
ULTIMATE MUSCLE VOL 14
ZOMBIE POWDER VOL 1

Now that is a good sized week of comics! I will tell everyone right now, there is absolutely no way I am going to be able to post reviews on all 13 comic books that I am getting tomorrow. I do have a job that precludes me from staying in the Bunker 24/7 trying to crank out all of these reviews. So, I’ll have to pick and choose which issues I feel are worthy of a review.

Now, which DC title am I most looking forward to reading? That one is so easy. Justice League of America #1. Period. No doubt about it. I am really excited about this re-launch and I have high hopes for Meltzer’s run on this title. I’m also looking forward to reading Batman #656. I think Grant Morrison turned in an excellent debut issue and this is going to end up being one of my favorite titles.

Which DC title am I least looking forward to reading? Flash #3. I am simply not a Bart fan, so this title has an extreme uphill battle to win me over. On top of that, I find the story less than impressive. It isn’t very focused and well plotted. The dialogue is average at best. The entire storyline seems rather uninspired. There isn’t a single character or plotline that particularly interests me. I have a feeling that the axe is going to fall on the Flash after issue #3.

Which Marvel title am I most looking forward to reading? Astonishing X-Men #16. Whedon has made this title an absolute must read. Consistently good since the beginning, Astonishing X-Men always delivers the goods. Whedon is crafting a story that evokes the same feelings in me that the X-Men issues in the 80’s did.

I’m also very exited to read Daredevil #88. After Brubaker’s shocking ending of last issue, I can’t wait to read more about what Foggy has been up to. I also am interested in Ultimate Spider-Man #99 which also had numerous shocking revelations including the return of Gwen Stacy! This should be a very exciting issue.

Which Marvel title am I least looking forward to reading? Wolverine #45 and New Avengers #23. I just haven’t been won over by the current creative team on Wolverine. The stories have been average and the artwork slightly less than average. The New Avengers Civil War tie-in issues have been an absolute waste of paper. I know I’m in the extreme minority, but I find these tie-in stories to be a waste of my time.

I am curious about Heroes for Hire #1. I have serious reservations about this title. On the surface, it appears to have the potential to be a real stinker. It may end up being Marvel’s version of Birds_of_Prey, only not as good. However, I have really enjoyed Palmiotti and Gray’s work on Battle For Bludhaven and Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters, so I’m willing to give this title a chance.

Comic Book Commentary: What About Nightwing?

Last night was one of those nights where you just stare at the ceiling wondering why in the hell can’t you fall asleep. No doubt, the fact that the Bunker is as hot as an oven doesn’t help any. So, naturally, my mind started wandering to various questions such as what in the world should DC do with Nightwing? That is a question that has been on my mind for a while. Unfortunately, I don’t see any sort of easy answer to this question.

Nightwing is the “middle child” in the Batman family. It is an unfortunate situation where he doesn’t seem to have his own place in the DCU. Nightwing isn’t Batman. He isn’t the master of all and expert of everything that is the position that Batman has at the top of the Batman family hierarchy. Nightwing also isn’t Robin. The young student in training with loads of potential and hoping to one day fill the role of Batman. Nope. Nightwing is that middle child who doesn’t fit in anywhere. He is left out of the mix. Nightwing is either Batman Lite or the experienced Robin. However, Nightwing himself seems to have no point or purpose.

So, there are two crucial problems that must be solved in order to revive Nightwing’s character. Give Nightwing his own identity. Give Nightwing his own purpose.

First, let’s deal with Nightwing’s character. Right now, Dick Grayson has no identity. He isn’t Robin and he isn’t Batman. Dick doesn’t have the money of Bruce Wayne. Dick doesn’t have the hi-tech gadgets and equipment of Batman. No Batmobile. No Batplane. Dick doesn’t have a cool hi-tech secret liar like the Batcave. Batman is a superior fighter than Dick. Batman is a superior detective than Dick. Nightwing suffers from a massive inferiority complex that desperately needs to be addressed.

One way to solve this problem would be to give Dick super powers. Yeah, I know, I just offended almost 99% of all Nightwing fans out there. But, here me out. I’m not talking about massive Superman level powers. I’m not talking about anything like energy powers, mental powers, invisibility, flight or anything like that. I’m thinking more of enhanced strength, reflexes, agility, senses and durability. I like physical based super powers for Dick. Something that boosts him over your average hand to hand combat specialist super hero. These powers would help elevate Dick above the rest of the Batman family, but still make Batman look cool. Yeah, Dick’s super senses may help him track down a killer as quickly as Batman, but Batman can do it without them. Batman still looks like a stud, but Dick is able to actually outperform Batman and look like his own man.

These super powers would enable Dick to stand out among the myriad of hand to hand fighters in the DCU. Plus, it would allow Dick to not always be compared to Batman. Dick would be a metahuman and there would no longer be the need to constantly compare his fighting skills or detective prowess to Batman.

Now, if Dick doesn’t get super powers, then he needs to get amped up in his fighting skills and in the gadget arena. DC needs to finally elevate Nightwing up to Batman’s class of fighting ability. DC also would have to give Nightwing cooler toys than a couple of billy clubs and a cable gun. DC would have to be willing to place Nightwing on an equal footing with Batman. And I just don’t ever see that happening. Make no mistake, the DCU is Batman’s world and everyone else is just living in it. Superman included.

DC then needs to supply Nightwing with his own cast of solid supporting characters. Nightwing has lacked great supporting characters. Personally, I think Dick should be re-united with Starfire. Nightwing also needs a better rogues gallery. A hero is only as interesting as his villains. And the Pierce Brothers are a fine example of how a crappy villain can make a story listless and uninteresting.

I also think that Nightwing should be brought back to the Titans. Nightwing is to the Titans like Batman is to the JLA. I don’t want to see Nightwing in the JLA. That is Batman’s group and Nightwing will never be viewed as nothing more than Batman-lite while in the JLA. However, in the Titans, Nightwing is their Batman. Nightwing is the top dog.

I would also take Nightwing out of the Outsiders. Again, DC needs to take Nightwing out of Batman’s shadow. The Outsiders was Batman’s group. Not Nightwing’s. By having Nightwing in the Outsiders, it just re-enforced the Batman-lite view of Nightwing. Nightwing needs to be his own man.

After giving Nightwing his own identity, DC then needs to give him his own purpose. Dick needs to be more than just Batman lite. Dick lost his parents to a brutal crime. He should be more driven than he is. DC either needs to take Dick beyond Batman as far as how driven and consumed he is to fight crime or DC needs to take Dick in a totally different direction from Batman. DC can have Dick as a more personable version of Batman. Still dedicated to his craft, but also a much more well adjusted and civil human being who actually enjoys his life as Dick Grayson just as much as his life as Nightwing.

Dick is an ex-high wire acrobat. He should be a total daredevil. He should laugh in the face of danger and exude massive amounts of confidence. I think that this would make a much more compelling and interesting Dick Grayson to read about.

Right now, Dick Grayson has a very uninteresting personality that shifts from maudlin to unconfident to confused to whiney to aggressive (as seen in the Outsiders). DC needs to clearly define Dick Grayson’s character and then proceed to establish it and flesh it out consistently and without deviation in his own title and in any other title that he appears in.

DC has done a terrible job of handling Dick Grayson over the years. DC has treated him like a red headed step child for quite some time with the lack of properly handling and developing his character. DC has also failed to ever invest any serious big name talent on his title. And now, DC is wondering why this character is floundering? Gee, I wonder why? DC needs to immediately bring on some major talent to Nightwing’s title and then get serious about actually establishing Dick Grayson as a major player in the DCU.

All I have heard is Dan “death count” Didio yap his trap about how Dick Grayson is one of the most important characters in the DCU. Yeah, so important that they were willing to kill off his character and replace him with JASON TODD FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. Then Didio was shocked when he found out that there were actual Dick Grayson fans out there in comic book fandom. Great. This is the idiot in charge of supposedly establishing Dick Grayson as a major player in the DCU.

Am I confident that DC can resurrect Nightwing and his title? No. They have done nothing to make me feel that they know what to do with his character. Hopefully, DC’s “big” plans for Dick Grayson and the entire Monitor storyline will finally make Nightwing a great read.

Comic Book Review: Ghost Rider #2

I have to first admit that I am having one hell of a time trying to wake up this morning. I have a huge post of Café Bustelo brewing and hopefully after a couple of mugs I will be ready to crank out a half-way descent review of Ghost Rider #2. The Revolution has always liked Ghost Rider. And Texiera is by far my favorite Ghost Rider artist. As any regular followers of the Revolution know by know, I have never been impressed with Daniel Way’s writing skills. Unfortunately for me, Marvel turned over the writing duties on Ghost Rider to Way.

I am trying to keep an open mind, however, I haven’t warmed up to Way’s writing after issue #1. Will Way be able to change my mind with his story in Ghost Rider #2? Maybe. What I do know, is that since this is a Daniel Way comic book, that we are guaranteed at least one “shocking” scene as well as some “tough talking” dialogue from at least one character I have my first mug of Café Bustelo ready, black with two sugars, so let’s hit the review.

Creative Team
Writer: Daniel Way
Breakdowns: Javier Salvatares
Finishes: Mark Texeira

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 6.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Johnny Blaze stuck on the side of a desolate road out in the desert. His motorcycle is out of gas. A big tractor trailer stops and out hops a smoking hot cowgirl truck driver. (Yeah, so many truck drivers are attractive cowgirls wearing Daisy_Dukes.) The truck driver’s name is Dixie. (Of course it is.) Dixie tells Johnny to leave his bike on the side of the road since no one is going to steal it while she takes him to the nearest truck stop. Dixie then calls Johnny by his first name. Johnny grabs her by the neck and barks that he never told her his name. Dixie responds by pulling out a pistol and telling Johnny to let go. Johnny realizes that Dixie isn’t Lucifer in disguise. Dixie then kicks Johnny in the nuts. (Nothing makes a comic a good read like a nut shot. You just knew that this was coming.)

Dixie explains that she knew Johnny’s name because her older brother had one of Johnny’s posters on his wall. Dixie used to dream of marrying Johnny and riding off in the sunset on his motorcycle. That she always loved the bad boy. She continues by saying that she did marry a bad boy who ended up beating her until she told him to leave or she’d kill him. (And there it is! Only five pages into the comic and we have our “tough talking” character!)

Johnny then begs Dixie not to leave him. (Very heroic. Make your main character look like a total bitch.) Dixie says that nobody was there for her when she needed help so she isn’t going to do that to another person. She picks up Johnny and puts him in her truck.

We then cut to funeral home van that is full of grieving family members and being driven by the dead family member who has been possessed by Lucifer. (And I believe we have the ingredients for Way’s obligatory “shocking” scene. You know that these innocent family members are going to end up being killed by their dead relative. It is an absolute given. And then we are supposed to be “shocked!”)

We shift to the Truck Stop where Dixie drops off Johnny and gives him some cash to help him get some gas and food. We then see Johnny cutting his hair into a military style crew cut and shaving his beard. (What? Dude, Johnny is a bad-assed biker! All bikers have long hair and facial hair. Johnny now looks like a dork.)

We then see the funeral home van pull into the same Truck Stop where Johnny is getting some food. A young boy in the van is crying and asks his mom that he thought grandpa died. (Pile it on, Way. You really have to “shock” us when you kill these innocent women and children.) The dead grandfather possessed by Lucifer then pumps the van full of gas and overflows the tank so the gas pours all over the ground around the van. (Gee, what could possibly happen next?)

The dead grandfather then enters the truck stop diner. Johnny is getting some food and Dixie is on a payphone. The dead grandfather asks the cashier for a book of matches. The dead grandfather then turns to Johnny and says “Hi, Johnny.” Johnny transforms into Ghost Rider and proceeds to lay a serious beat down on the dead grandfather. Ghost Rider tells Lucifer that he isn’t so tough up on Earth. Lucifer agrees, but says that he is working on that.

We then see the family in the funeral home van panicking. The mother reaches for the steering wheel saying that she is getting her son out of here. Ghost Rider continues to beat Lucifer like a rented mule. Lucifer ends up standing next to the van in a pool of gasoline. Lucifer tells Ghost Rider that if he comes any close then Ghost Rider will set off the gasoline on the ground and kill the family in the van. Lucifer then pulls out the book of matches is gets ready to light one. Lucifer asks Ghost Rider what is he going to do. Ghost Rider decides to use his chain to take out Lucifer before he strikes his match. We then see the mother inside the van start up the engine which causes a massive explosion and the van and Lucifer burst into flames. (And there is your “shocking” scene. What a surprise, huh? Yeah, right.)

A pick up truck drivers past Johnny and the driver, possessed by Lucifer, says “Sucks to be them! Suicides go to Hell, Johnny!” (Pile it on Way. It just wasn’t “shocking” enough.) Lucifer tells Johnny that he shouldn’t have hesitated, but that he’ll get another chance. That Johnny will actually get 665 more chances. With that, Lucifer drives off.

Suddenly, Ghost Rider is transported to a middle of a graveyard. A voice calls out demanding to know Ghost Rider’s name. Ghost Rider responds saying “You first.” Suddenly we see Dr. Dr.Stephen Strange. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Well, Ghost Rider #2 wasn’t exactly what I would call a well written comic book. Let’s see, the Revolution’s Positive Rule dictates that I must find something positive to say about this issue. Ok, I can do that. I think that Way delivered a great ending in this issue. Dr. Strange is a great character! How this guy hasn’t gotten his own monthly again is totally beyond me. With the correct creative team, I think that a Dr. Strange monthly could be very successful.

At any rate, it was great to see Dr. Strange and this was a nice hook that immediately got me interested in reading the next issue. And that is the power of a great ending. Even after a very pedestrian issue, an excellent ending can make the reader forget about the rest of the comic and get excited to read the next issue. Way certainly succeeded in getting me interested in seeing what Way has planned for Dr. Strange and what role he will play in Ghost Rider’s mission.

Of course, I loved the artwork my mis hermanos Texiera and Saltares are simply the ONLY artists who should ever draw Ghost Rider. They are phenomenal and I would hate to see anyone other than them draw old flame head. I know their style isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it. It may not work on titles, but for Ghost Rider, it is perfect. The draw a wicked cool Ghost Rider. It is interesting that they chose the Danny Ketch style Ghost Rider outfit for Johnny Blaze. At any rate, Texiera and Saltares’ excellent artwork makes Ghost Rider #2 a great looking comic book and bolsters an otherwise very ordinary story.

The Bad: Way delivers a very dull story. Maybe it is just me, but I simply don’t think Way is a particularly talented writer at all. Way’s dialogue is either: A) Terribly cheesy B) Hackneyed “tough talk.” C) Ordinary and slightly generic. Take your pick. Ghost Rider #2 is no exception and all of Way’s dialogue falls into one of these three categories. Also, Way has a problem giving any of his characters any type of unique voice.

Way failed to get me interested in Dixie’s character. I guess if I was a 16 year old boy, I’d find a smoking hot pistol packing cowgirl who drives a tractor trailer and talks tough more appealing of a character. However, I’m no longer 16 and her character is just a combination of various clichés. Not only does she lack any depth, but Way also gives her some of the cheesiest dialogue.

Way’s Johnny Blaze is so boring and shallow. There is little depth or originality in Blaze’s character. Way has done nothing to flesh out or develop Johnny’s character. Way succeeds in making Johnny look like a total bitch by having him look like a fool in front of Dixie and then kicked in the nuts. Then we get to see him beg for a ride to the truck stop. That entire opening scene did nothing to make Johnny more interesting at all. He just looked like a total tool.

I’m also not thrilled that Way had Johnny get a buzz cut and shave his beard. Blaze is a haunted biker. The long hair and facial hair suited his character far more than the generic clean shaved and buzz cut look. Again, Way just makes Johnny even more of a “vanilla” character not only in personality, but also in appearance.

The scene with Lucifer possessing the dead body of the grandfather and holding the family members captive in the van was just typical Way. Way is the most predictable writer in the industry. Like I said in the beginning, this was the foundation for Way’s inevitable “shocking” scene. You knew that they were all going to get killed in some terrible fashion. Here is a little tip, Way. When something is painfully obvious and predictable, it ceases to be “shocking” or compelling in any fashion whatsoever.

And then Way does his typical heavy handed over the top writing by having the crying little boy asking mother what is going on with Grampa. Sheesh. When you go so over the top the scene ceases to have the writer’s intended impact on the reader. Instead, it begins to read like a parody and I find myself laughing at the heavy handed writing. And, I’m pretty sure that isn’t the reaction that Way wants to elicit from the reader.

We then get the inevitable brawl between Lucifer and Ghost Rider that leads them over to the gasoline soaked van full of innocent family members. Finally, we get the obligatory “shocking” scene that Way has been so desperately building up to the entire issue. Are we “shocked?” No. We knew we would get a “shocking” scene before we even opened up this issue. Plus, we guessed this scene the minute we first saw the van in the beginning of the issue. Instead, I just chuckled at Way and moved on. Of course, just to make sure we were properly shocked, Way has Lucifer mention how the family members were all going to Hell since suicide is a sin. Yup. The entire build up to that scene simply wasn’t over the top enough. With Way too much is NEVER enough.

This is exactly what makes Way’s writing so painful to read. Way’s writing reads like that of a 16 year old fan fiction writer. I can hear Way now. “I’m dark, man! I’m effing hard-core! You can’t handle me! I’m x-rated shocking!”

After two issues, Way has still failed to craft a focused and strong storyline with a clear direction and purpose. Instead, we have a wimpy Johnny Blaze wandering around on a mission to stop Lucifer who is engaged in some vague and uninteresting campaign on Earth. Way really needs to get this story tightened up and moving in a definite direction.

Overall: Ghost Rider #2 was a rather dull read. The only thing that this issue has going for it is some fantastic artwork and a very interesting ending. I don’t know if I am ever going to enjoy reading an issue written by Way. Maybe it is just me. I just don’t get why anyone would be a fan of his writing. If you are a big Daniel Way fan then please post why you dig his writing. Seriously, I am very interested in why someone would actually be engaged and interested in Way’s writing.

I’ll keep buying Ghost Rider because I love the character and I want to support him. I don’t want to stop buying it and have Marvel decide to just cancel the title. This really makes me a pathetic loser, huh? Continuing to purchase a title out of loyalty and support of a character when I find the writing to be less than impressive. Hopefully, either Way will actually crank out a story that I find interesting or Marvel will replace him with another writer.

Comic Book Review: Iron Man #11

The Knaufs are doing an excellent job on Iron Man. Too bad that Marvel is busy killing Tony’s character over in Civil War. I’d be surprised if anyone outside of your hardcore Iron Man fan is bothering to read the title. That is too bad, because the Knaufs have made Iron Man a fine read. Anyway, for those of you that still like Tony Stark despite how Marvel is assassinating his character over in Civil War, here is the review of Iron Man #11.


Creative Team
Writers: Daniel & Charles Knauf
Penciler: Patrick Zircher
Inker: Scott Hanna

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10.
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10.

Synopsis: This issue starts with Iron Man and Sentry continuing the brawl that they started in the end of issue #10. Iron Man finally realizes that the Sentry has no physical weaknesses. But, he does have a mental weakness. Iron Man hacks through Cloc’s firewall and programs Cloc to flood Sentry with calls for different crises across the world. Sentry is unable to handle the massive flood of distress calls and collapses into confusion and inaction. Iron Man then takes off and calls his mentor, Sal, to ask him if he can get him a magnetic resonance imager.

We then shift to Wembley Stadium (where the English National Football team plays) where Karim Mahwash Najeeb is giving his speech. We see the hooded assassin in the crowd and see him use his Blackberry to command Iron Man to execute Najeeb.

We see Iron Man blasting off toward Wembley Stadium. We see Nick Fury, the Avengers and the Fantastic Four all wondering what is causing sonic booms in the area. It is Iron Man. (That was a pretty cool intro.) The Avengers and Fantastic Four scramble and take to the air to intercept Iron Man. Iron Man is heading in the opposite direction from Wembley Stadium. Iron Man tells Reed Richards that someone has surgically planted a bi-magnetic neural override device in his brain. That he is using a M.R.I. to reverse the polarity of the matrix. Iron Man continues that he blocked the last order and then sent out a data-burst. That he instructed the sending unit to generate a ping ever thirty seconds. Now Iron Man is tracking the sender.

Iron Man tells the Avengers, Fantastic Four and S.H.I.E.L.D. to standby for visuals. Over their monitor screens, you see the hooded assassin. Iron Man tells the Avengers, Fantastic Four and S.H.I.E.L.D. that the feed they are watching is from his visual cortex. We then see a hand reach out and grab the hooded assassin. Reed then tells Captain America that they have been busy chasing an empty Iron Man suit. That Tony is in the crowd and they are seeing what he is seeing right now. That Tony is not in the Iron Man armor. The Fantastic Four and the Avengers quickly break off from chasing the empty Iron Man armor and head back to Wembley Stadium. (Nice! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Tony Stark is the man!)

The hooded assassin then this a button on his controller that causes Tony to fall to the ground in pain. The assassin tells Tony that he just triggered all of Tony’s pain receptors in his brain. The assassin tells Tony that he is another of Tony’s loose ends. That Tony’s weapons have hurt and killed so many people across the world. The assassin reveals that his father is Ho Yinsen! That the Taliban forced Yinsen to place the implant in Tony’s brain.

Tony asks Yinsen’s son if this is all about revenge for his father’s death. The son scoffs at the notion. He calls his father a monster. He says that Andrei Gorlovich, the first man Iron Man killed, was hired by the Taliban, to recover the sending unit that Yinsen had smuggled out of Afghanistan. That without the sending unit, the neural implant in Tony was useless. Gorlovich tracked down the sending unit to the only person that Ho Yinsen trusted, his wife. Gorlovich killed the assassin’s mother. That is why he is taking revenge. Not for his father, but for his mother.

Yinsen’s son then tells Tony that he has a dead-man’s switch buried in Tony’s brain and that if anything happens to the assassin then the switch gets flipped on. And what will happen will make what Iron Man has done up till now look like nothing. We then see a S.H.I.E.L.D. sniper with the assassin in his scope. Nick Fury gives the sniper the word to shoot the boy. The sniper fires and blows kills Yinsen’s son.

We then cut to Tony’s arsenal that houses all of his numerous suits of armor. They all suddenly come alive and are programmed to execute the assassin’s final program.

Comments
The Good: Wow! That was a kick-ass issue! The Knaufs continue to impress me more and more with each issue. The Knaufs have constructed a very tight storyline. This issue is well paced. The Knaufs also create very nice dialogue that has a nice flow and is enjoyable to read. The Knaufs kicked up the intensity with Iron Man #11 and left me immediately wanting to read the next issue.

I love how the Knaufs’ write Tony Stark. They get his character and know what makes him tick. Plus, the Knaufs’ Tony Stark is a total stud. The Knaufs give us a Tony Stark that is continually a step ahead of everyone. Tony’s greatest weapon is not his Iron Man armor. It is his mind. And Tony’s mind is one of the scariest weapons on earth. Instead of the unlikable and despicable Tony Stark that we are reading over in Civil War and the various tie-in issues, the Knaufs are giving us a Tony that makes us go “Damn! He is the man!” Here are the various examples of that in this issue.

First, when faced with a superior being in the Sentry who has no physical weaknesses, Tony uses his mind instead of his armor’s weaponry to turn Cloc against Sentry and reduce him to a babbling incoherent mess. That was perfect!

Then we have Tony fooling the Avengers and the Fantastic Four combined (Yeah, that includes Captain America and Reed Richards) into following an empty suit of armor headed away from Wembley Stadium while he feeds them a visual feed of him sneaking up and catching the assassin. How sweet was that? Tony catches the assassin, clears his name and lures both the Avengers and the Fantastic Four far away from him so they can’t get in his way. Stud!

And the way that Tony uses his mind to figure up a way to track down the assassin shows that you may initially get one up on Tony, but he will always end up out-thinking you in the end. And make no mistake about it, Tony is always in control!

Plus, the series of “BOOMS” that S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers and the Fantastic Four hear before Iron Man even appears at Wembley was a pretty slick entrance.

The Knaufs’ Tony Stark is probably the best version of Tony outside of Millar’s entertaining Ultimate universe version of Tony Stark in the Ultimates. The Knaufs have shown that Tony can be a very cool character. Marvel needs to back off making Tony look like a total tool over in Civil War and go with the Tony that the Knaufs have crafted in their run on Iron Man.

And the Knaufs' dropped several bombs in this issue. First, they revealed that the assassin is Ho Yinsen’s son! That was awesome! We learned that the Taliban had Yinsen place the implant in Tony’s mind. I thought that would be the case while reading the last issue. I liked how they explained the son’s motivation for killing off all the terrorists connected with having his mother killed.

I also liked how the son is the embodiment of all the pain and death that Tony’s weapons have created across the world. The son’s little speech was very well written and had quite the impact on the reader. Tony’s soul certainly bears a very heavy burden and has to live with his past actions as a premier weapons inventor. The Knaufs did a fine job fleshing out this theme.

The second bomb was at the end of the issue when the S.H.I.E.L.D. sniper kills the Yinsen’s son and then we see all of the Iron Man suits suddenly come to life in Tony’s arsenal. That was a great ending. That certainly hooked me! I cannot wait for the next issue to see the insane amount of destruction Tony’s arsenal of Iron Men are going to dish out. Plus, we are going to get to see all the various interesting versions of Tony’s Iron Man armors in action. It should be fun watching Tony try and figure a way out of this predicament.

I have really warmed up to Zircher’s artwork. I like it more and more with each issue. Zircher doesn’t draw my favorite Iron Man, but he still draws a pretty cool one. Plus, Zircher delivers a visually pleasing comic book. The fight between the Sentry and Iron man was especially well done.

The Bad: This was a great issue, but I guess I have one very small complaint. This storyline seems to be recycling a theme that we have seen over and over in Iron Man. His technology falls into the hands of an “evil” outsider who uses it to hurt the general public. Don’t get me wrong, I think an entire arsenal of rogue Iron Man suits engaging in rampant destruction is going to be very entertaining. I just wonder if we need to continually re-hash this theme of Tony’s creations being hi-jacked by an “evil” person and used to harm the general public.

Overall: Iron Man #11 was a great read. The Knaufs served up a fast paced issue with several twists and turns. They mixed plenty of drama with lots of action. Add Zircher’s solid artwork to an already excellent story and you have a fantastic comic book. I know that Iron Man is a comic book that is really flying under the radar. However, it is a well done comic book that is certainly worth your money.

Comic Book Review: Nightwing #123

The Revolution has always liked Dick Grayson. I started following his character back when he was Robin with the Teen Titans back in the 1980’s. Unfortunately, DC has done very little with Dick Grayson’s character. They certainly have done nothing to try and help Nightwing’s title. They have continually saddles Nightwing with weak writers who have done nothing to make this a comic book that I would recommend to anyone other than a hardcore Dick Grayson fan. Well, we only have to suffer through one more issue penned by Bruce Jones. I suspect that Nightwing #123 is going to be another pedestrian read. Let’s go to the review.

Creative Team
Writer: Bruce Jones
Penciler: Robert Teranishi
Inker: Bit

Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 4 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Dick watching a bad late night movie. Dick ponders about why so many people watch late night television. His conclusion is that there are a lot of people who lead lonely lives and it is comforting knowing that there are other lonely people out there watching the same crappy movie you are watching. Dick gets into his Nightwing uniform and begins his patrol. He says he can relate to being along in a city of millions. (Oookay. Now Dick is being incredibly maudlin. Great.)

We then see a metahuman called Fireball shoot flames from his hands and catch a room in Cheyenne’s office on fire. Cheyenne is down the hall talking to her bookkeeper. Cheyenne’s business is in ruins. All of her investors have pulled out. The Pierce brothers relinquished their shares in Cheyenne’s company. Suddenly, the sprinkler system goes off. Cheyenne smells the fire down the hall.

We then see Nightwing hearing the sirens of fire trucks. Nightwing makes his way to the scene of the fire at Cheyenne’s building. Cheyenne can’t exit through the door since the fire has blocked that entrance. She can’t break open the window to escape since the oxygen would feed the fire. Cheyenne uses her powers to blast a hole in the side of the building and escapes the fire. Nightwing makes sure she is ok and then spies the Fireball. Nightwing chases Fireball, but eventually loses him. The New York Police then arrive on the scene and draw their guns on Nightwing. Nightwing makes a dramatic escape.

We then cut to the next day where the Dick is working out in his apartment. Cheyenne shows up at his place telling him that the Pierce brothers revoked her apartment lease. Cheyenne says that she is going to have to stay with Dick.

We then cut to that night. Fireball calls Barry Pierce and tells him to pay him the money for burning down Cheyenne’s business or else.

We then shift to Nightwing paying a visit to Clancy for a little therapy session. Nightwing mentions how Cheyenne has moved in with him. He says that he isn’t in “love” with her. Nightwing mentions how he has only really had one close relationship. Barbara Gordon. (Whaaaaaat? How about Starfire? Didn’t they get engaged? And didn’t Starfire have to call of the wedding because she had to go back to her home planet? Only ONE?) Nightwing says that they outgrew each other. That she didn’t change. He did. Nightwing continues that last year he almost died. (Yeah, thank Paul Levitz, Dickie-boy!) That Nightwing saw things for what they were, rather than what he wanted them to be. For what he really is.

We then see the Pierce brothers at a construction site. Fireball shows up and threatens Buddy Pierce if he doesn’t pay him immediately. The two men start brawling. Nightwing suddenly shows up and helps Buddy beat up Fireball. After Nightwing finished beating up Fireball, he notices that he is totally surrounded by a S.W.A.T. team. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Curse the Revolution’s rule that I must always say at least one positive thing about every issue. These past several Nightwing issues have really put this rule to the test! Let’s see, well, Dick is still alive and is Nightwing instead of Jason Todd. That is a positive. I didn’t get a paper cut while reading this issue. Does that count as a positive?

Ok, I’ll say that the ending was a positive. We have Dick surrounded by the S.W.A.T. team with no obvious escape available to him. That does make me at least somewhat interested to read the next issue to see how he gets out of this jam.

The Bad: Honestly, did we expect a good issue with Nightwing #123? Jones served up another unimpressive issue. The story wanders around with little direction or purpose. The dialogue was generic and uninteresting. This is nothing more than filler which could be used to describe Jones’ run on Nightwing. Pure filler. Now, I know that Jones was put behind the 8 ball when DC suddenly decided to keep Dick Grayson and kill him off and replace him with Jason Todd. Jones had to scramble like a madman and try and quickly re-write his stories to work with Dick Grayson as Nightwing instead of Jason Todd.

I put most of the blame on DC and not on Jones. Once DC decided to scrap the plans to kill Dick and replace him with Jason, they should have simply cancelled Nightwing just like they did with Flash, Wonder Woman, Justice League of America and Justice Society of America. Then they could have brought in a talented writer to craft a re-launch of the Nightwing title with a fresh and new direction. Instead, they put Jones in a terrible situation where he was doomed to fail.

Now, Jones didn’t help any by writing one of the worse versions of Dick Grayson. Jones simply has no feel for Dick’s character. Jones’ Dick Grayson comes off as whiney, wimpy and maudlin. Jones’ Dick Grayson has very little appeal.

This issue was generic filler until Marv Wolfman assumes control of this title with issue #125. And it painfully read like filler. I could care less about any of the plotlines or any of the characters. I have no interest in Corky or Clancy. These supporting characters should be dumped. I have no interest in Cheyenne. Nightwing already battles an inferiority complex in the DCU since he is basically just a poor man’s Batman. He doesn’t have Batman’s gadgets, weapons and vehicles. He doesn’t have Batman’s wicked cool Batcave. He isn’t as good a fighter or a detective. That has hampered Nightwing’s character for a good long time. Now, Cheyenne overshadows Nightwing in his own title. Her powers made Nightwing appear rather weak and useless. So, with Cheyenne as a supporting character, Nightwing looks inferior in his own title. Cheyenne serves no purpose on this title and should be dumped. The Pierce brothers are two of the most generic and uninteresting villains around. Nothing about them intrigues me and I hope we see the last of them with the next issue.

The story in Nightwing #123 was totally dull. I fell asleep several times trying to slog my way through this issue. Cheyenne loses her business and apartment at the hands of the Pierce brothers. *yawn* Dick has a generic fight with Fireball. *yawn* Cheyenne moves in with Dick. *yawn* and Dick has another therapy session with Clancy. Yay. And that scene was particularly annoying with the way that Jones just conveniently forgets that Dick was engaged to get married to Starfire! According to Jones, Dick has only had one real serious relationship and that was with Barbara_Gordon. That was just ridiculous. Yeah, Jones definitely knows how to write Dick Grayson.

Teranishi’s artwork was terribly average. I don’t particularly enjoy his sketchy style. Plus, many of his action scenes were oddly drawn and rather confusing.

Overall: Nightwing #123 continues the tradition of lousy stories that we have been getting during Jones’ run on this title. All we can hope for his that Wolfman can resurrect this title when he takes over with issue #125. I mean, it can’t get any worse, right? Right? I hope so.

Comic Book Review: Robin #153

Robin is a title that the Revolution picked up with the beginning of the One Year Later storyline. This title has been an enjoyable ride and offers up pure escapist fun for the time that you spend reading it. I’m sure that Robin #153 is going to be another fun read. I’m rather curious to see how Robin and Boomerang are going to co-exist with each other. Let’s hit the review.

Creative Team
Writer: Adam Beechen
Artist: Freddie E. Williams, II

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with opening the door to one of the Ventriloquist’s old hideouts and being confronted with an army of robot Scarface dolls guarding the missing nuclear bomb. Robin slams the door shut and he and Boomerang talk about what their plan of attack is going to be.

We then shift back to much earlier in the night with Robin examining a list of old hideouts by various villains that Boomerang supplied to Robin. This was information that Boomerang got back when he was in Lex Luthor’s Syndicate seen over in the pages of 52. Robin takes the list to his information Killa Nilla, and has Killa verify the authenticity of the information in Boomerang’s list. We then see Robin remembering Batman to never trust any information he receives second hand. But, if he can get two corroborating pieces of information from independent second-hand sources then, even though it still shouldn’t be trusted, it is worthy of being considered.

We then cut to Robin and Boomerang checking out one of Mad Hatter’s old hideouts. Robin triggers one of Mad Hatter’s booby traps and the entire building begins to collapse. Boomerang manages to pull Robin to safety. Robin tells Boomerang that his scanner showed that the Mad Hatter’s hideout was clean. Robin refuses to thank Boomerang for his help in saving him by saying that he would have escaped anyway.

Suddenly, the Dodge appears. He is the kid from a couple of issues ago who has teleportation powers. Dodge shows off his teleportation powers and then asks Robin to be his mentor and train him how to be a super hero. Robin pulls a Batman and tells Dodge that he is too young and for him to go home. Robin continues that this is dangerous work and that Dodge will get hurt. Dodge calls Robin a hypocrite since he is probably only 3 years older than Dodge. Dodge says that Robin is just jealous of his super powers. With that, Dodge teleports away.

We then shift to Robin and Boomerang checking out one of the Glass Man’s old hideouts. The two of them make their way through the Glass Man’s booby traps. Robin disapproves of Boomerang’s reckless actions in getting rid of Glass Man’s booby traps. Robin scans the hideout with his Geiger and says that the nuke isn’t here.

We cut to Tim’s school, where the teacher calls out Tim’s name. The teacher comments that Tim is absent once again. Zoanne looks at Tim’s empty desk with a worried look on her face.

We then see Robin and Boomerang pay visits to one of Doctor_Double_X’s hideouts, one of Doctor_Phosphorus' hideouts, one of Scarecrow’s hideouts, one of the Cavalier’s hideouts, and one of Killer_Croc’s hideouts. Robin thinks to himself about how he and Boomerang actually made a pretty good team, but that Robin wasn’t going to tell Boomerang that.

We then see Robin and Boomerang finally hitting the jackpot at the Ventriloquist’s old hideout. We then snap back to the scene at the beginning of this issue. Robin refuses to go first because he thinks that Boomerang will shoot him in the back. Boomerang says that if that was his plan then he would have done that a while ago. Boomerang swears that he has Robin’s back protected. Boomerang says that Robin has a right to hate Boomerang’s father, but that he is not his father. Boomerang says this is why he came to find Robin to tell him that just in case Robin had any plans to go to Nightwing and bad mouth Boomerang being in the Outsiders.

Robin opens the door and he and Boomerang brawl with the Scarface robots. The two take out all of the robots and then Robin disarms the nuke.

We cut to later that night. Robin tells Boomerang that he won’t say anything to Nightwing. Boomerang thanks Robin and then says that he doesn’t expect the two of them to be friends, but that they are bound to run into each other from time to time and that it is good to know that they can be civil. Boomerang extends his hand out to Robin. Robin thanks Boomerang for his help and says that “Civil is one thing…but you’ll forgive me if I’m not ready for the other stuff…yet.” With that Robin refuses to shake hands and swings off into the night.

Comments
The Good: Robin #153 was another entertaining issue. Beechen does a great job with this story dealing the team up of Robin and Boomerang. The issue is nicely plotted and moves along at just the right pace. Beechen serves up plenty of nice dialogue. Beechen has a nice feel for Robin’s character and for Boomerang’s character.

I loved the beginning with Robin remembering Batman’s advice on second hand information. It was great to see Robin actually remembering and then implementing Batman’s training. Robin is still a student and it is cool to see him actually take his training and apply it practically to one of his missions. It is neat to see Robin maturing and striving to meet Batman’s level of not only fighting prowess, but also his detective work.

The scene with Dodge was an interesting little diversion. I’m not too sure where Beechen is headed with this plotline or how interesting it can really be. But, I’m willing to give Beechen the benefit of the doubt that he can make Dodge a neat character and an entertaining plotline.

The scene with Zoanne at school was a nice way to work her into the storyline. Plus, it underscored how Tim tends to emulate Batman in positive as well as negative ways. Now that Tim no longer has any parents alive and is living at Wayne Manor, he is spending the vast majority of his time as Robin while his appearances as Tim Drake get rarer and rarer. That is just like Batman and his reluctance to spend time as Bruce Wayne.

The interaction between Robin and Boomerang during the scenes of them disarming the various old hideouts was perfect. The interaction between the two characters was perfect. There was plenty of tension and distrust, but in the end they made a formidable team. Robin slowly and grudgingly had to admit this fact. But, I loved that Robin refused to tell this to Boomerang. I like that there is a lot of the Batman lurking inside of Tim. Tim certainly is much more similar in how he thinks, operates and acts to Batman than Dick Grayson has ever been.

The final scene was just right. I hate it when two heroes who don’t initially get along suddenly become all buddy-buddy with each other after a team up. Beechen wisely as Robin keep Boomerang at a distance. Robin is willing to be civil. But, shaking Boomerang’s hand or being anything considered friendly is just something that Robin is not ready for. That makes sense and is consistent with Robin’s character. Again, Robin shows how similar he is in personality to Batman. I’m glad that this is the type of resolution that we got from these two characters. Having them end up being all friendly would have made no sense given their personalities and their pasts. This was a great ending.

Williams turns in another solid job in the art department. Williams art is a bit cartoon-ish, but it works with the tone and mood of Beechen’s storyline. Plus, Williams’ style accentuates the youthfulness of this title.

The Bad: I have no real complaints on this issue. I am a little concerned about how interesting Dodge can be as a character and as a plotline.

Overall: Robin #153 was another fun and exciting issue. Beechen isn’t spinning a serious work of art on Robin. This is simply what comics should be: pure escapist fun. Robin is popcorn for the brain, and I happen to love popcorn!

Comic Book Review: 52 #15

52 #15 promises to be a pretty big issue. The cover ominously foreshadows the death of Booster Gold. My feeling is that since this cover has been online for quite some time that DC purposely put it out there as a total red herring. I just don’t think Booster is going to be the one to die. Enough speculation, let’s hit this review.

Creative Team
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Penciler: Shawn Moll
Inker: Tom Nguyen

Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: Week 15, Day 4: This issue starts with Booster receiving a letter for Ferris Aircraft firing him as their spokesperson. Booster then reads online news stories about how popular Supernova is and how vastly unpopular Booster is. Booster asks Skeets if anything big is supposed to happen tonight so he can go out there and get some good press. Skeets mentions a carjacking and a power outage which are not big enough for Booster. Then Skeets mentions a nuclear sub crashing into midtown Metropolis.

We then see a nuclear sub crash through the street in midtown and a giant monster coming out from under the nuclear sub.

We then cut to the Kahndaq jail where Renee_Montoya and The Question are being held captive. We see Montoya in her cell thinking about how each day, her captors beat her several times a day trying to get her to admit to killing the men in the warehouse from last issue. (We all know that Abbott is the real killer.) The jailors comment how much fire Montoya has in her and pull her out of her cell to take her to a room to “interrogate” her once more. Montoya hopes that the Question is ok; because the last time she walked past his cell he looked barely alive. When Montoya passes the Question’s cell it is empty. Montoya freaks out demanding to know what happened to her friends. Montoya can’t bear the thought of losing another partner. Suddenly, smoke pours from out of the Questions’ cell. The Question takes out one of the guards while Montoya takes out the second one. Montoya takes the keys to the Question’s cell and unlocks it. Montoya tells the Question she is happy to see him. He responds that they are in this together till the end. Then they make an escape from the jail.

We shift back to Metropolis. Clark conducts some internet research and discovers that the monster in midtown is called a Ballostro which is a mythic creature that attaches itself to sea craft in search of land prey. Kent runs off for midtown.

We then zip over to midtown Metropolis and see Booster Gold getting his butt kicked by the Ballostro. Booster Gold then decides to tear out the main power cable from the midtown rail and shock the monster. Unfortunately, the fluctuation of power by tearing out the rail’s main power line causes the entire midtown electrical grid to blow and causes a blackout. (Ooops. Poor Booster can’t catch a break.)

Supernova then appears and lights the area up so that the bystanders can get to safety. With one swoop Supernova flies through the Ballostro and the monster suddenly disappears. The crowd of bystanders cheer Supernova and jeer Booster Gold. Supernova extends his hand to help up Booster and then makes a nasty dig by telling Booster that he knows that Booster isn’t paying any attention to the people since he never has and why should he start to pay attention to them now.

Booster flies into a fit of rage and attacks Supernova. Skeets interrupts the brawl and tells Booster than the submarine’s nuclear reactor core is in danger of exploding. Booster punches out Supernova and says that he will handle the submarine. Booster reprograms his suit to process the core’s radiation. Booster stands on the submarine and absorbs the radiation and redirects it to his antigrav and his force field. The sub with Booster on it levitates high into the air. They both glow brightly.

Booster exclaims that everyone should forget Supernova. That Booster Gold is the famous name and that he is back. Suddenly, the submarine erupts into a massive explosion. Skeets panics saying that this was not in his history records. Supernova flies up and catches Booster’s body. Supernova lands and tells Clark Kent that he couldn’t save him. We see Booster’s bare skull stripped of all his flesh. End of issue.

We are “treated” to a two page origin of Steel. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Excellent. The boys at DC cranked out another fine issue of 52. I really enjoyed 52 #15. It was certainly depressing, but very well done. With the exception of the one prison scene, this issue rightfully focused all of its attention on the total deconstruction of Booster Gold. This issue had a nice flow and moved along at just the right pace. The writers crafted some very solid dialogue and got the reader hooked into this issue from the very beginning.

The Kahndaq prison scene was first-rate. The Question and Montoya have always had great chemistry, but their relationship was kicked up yet another notch with this scene. You could feel the terror in Montoya’s mind as she panicked when seeing the Question’s empty cell. The writers did a fine job further fleshing out Montoya’s character which, for the most part, has read like a generic character from a cheap detective novel.

I have always thought that the Question and Montoya make a great team and this scene just further cemented that belief. I like the connection that these two characters have with each other. They also demonstrated excellent team work while improvising their escape. I really hope that DC keeps these two together when the Question gets his own title.

I definitely enjoyed the Booster Gold storyline. Over the past several issues Booster’s character has gotten less and less likeable and more and more repugnant and pathetic. In this issue, Booster turning aside “missions” like a car jacking as two minor and not enough glory underscores that he could care less about helping people. He simply wants a big splashy event to place his name in some headlines. Booster is the Randy Moss of the super hero world. Why save a person from a small carjacking? The satisfaction of being a hero and helping someone without the fame and glory doesn’t appeal to Booster. It was a neat little touch that it was actually Booster who caused the carjacking and the blackout.

Booster Gold has become truly despicable and he finally hits rock bottom and pays the ultimate price. He losses his life. The best part about Booster’s death scene is that he didn’t risk his life trying to be a true hero in an attempt to save innocent bystanders. No. Booster lost his life in one final truly egotistical and glory hogging maneuver. His addiction to fame and fortune brought about his death. Very well done.

Now, I know many people are going to be upset with this death. Many people feel that DC has it out for Giffen's Justice_League_International. I really liked this story and I liked Booster’s death. Now, I thought DC was trying to throw us off by showing us the cover to 52 #15 weeks ago. It seemed odd that DC would purposely spoil a “big” death. This leads me to believe that Booster’s “death” is a red herring. I think that Supernova is actually Booster Gold. Booster’s death in this issue is the “death” of the old glory seeking opportunist Booster. We will then see Booster Gold be revealed to be Supernova who has come back to our time as a true hero. A man who has learned from his past and now wants to earn the trust and admiration of Metropolis by being a true hero. From the ashes of the old Booster will rise a new and better Booster who is a true hero. I think this is also what DC has planned for Ralph Dibny.

Shawn Moll’s artwork is respectable. Nothing great, but certainly not bad. It doesn’t get in the way of a well done story and that is all it has to really do.

The Bad: The origin of Steel back up story was pretty much a waste of two pages. I say this every week and I’ll say it again. I’d rather get two more pages of the 52 storyline than these origin back-ups.

Overall: 52 #15 was another excellent issue. DC just continues to impress me with this title. First, it hasn’t been delayed a single week. Second, the storyline is well crafted, plotted and paced. I wish all comic books were as entertaining as 52! Yes, 52 has taken a decidedly darker turn with the past several issues. But, everyone knows that the writers are simply setting up the story so we can eventually get to a positive ending.

New Comics For August 16, 2006

Buenas tardes, mis amigos. It is that time of the week where the Revolution gives a preview of what titles we have up for review this week. Tomorrow is going to bring a nice amount of comics to the Bunker. Overall, it is a bit of a weak collection of titles, but I'm sure we will be treated to a few gems. Let's roll the list of incoming comic books.

DC COMICS

52 WEEK #15
CHECKMATE #5
NIGHTWING #123
ROBIN #153
SHADOWPACT #4

MARVEL COMICS

GHOST RIDER #2
IRON MAN #11
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #32

Which DC title is the Revolution most looking forward to? That is easy. 52 #15. This title is pretty much a guaranteed solid read each and every week. Robin #153 should be a fun issue. I’m interested to see Robin and Boomerang in action together. Which DC title is the Revolution least looking forward to reading? That is also easy. Nightwing #123. I have already beaten this title to death. We know that the Revolution is just hanging on waiting, and hoping, that Marv Wolfman can resurrect this title.

The Marvel title that the Revolution is most looking forward to reading would be Iron Man #11. Undeterred by what are obvious attempts by Marvel to assassinate Tony Stark’s character over in Civil War, the Knaufs are cranking out a well written and interesting story. The Knaufs write one of the best versions of Tony Stark. Which Marvel title is the Revolution least looking forward to? Probably Ghost Rider #2. I love Ghost Rider, but the thought of having to slog my way through a Daniel Way story isn’t very appealing. I’m sure we’ll get at least one “shocking” scene.

July 2006 Comic Book Sales Chart

It is time to review the July, 2006 comic book sales chart. You can check it out here. As always, the Revolution has never blindly followed the sales chart in order to determine the quality of a comic book. It is merely a convenient tool to determine the popularity of a comic book. That enables us to then predict what a comic book company may or may not do with that title.

Once again, Marvel dominated the Top 10 placing 7 titles in the top 10 compared to DC’s 3 titles in the top 10. When you look at Marvel’s top 10 titles, it is painfully obvious that actually publishing a quality comic book is not a requirement in order to hit the top 10.

Civil War #3 came in at the coveted #1 spot and Civil War: X-Men #1 came in at the #9 spot. Civil War Frontline, which I find to be horrendously written, sits at #7. Civil War tie-in issue New Avengers #22, which I thought was below average, came in at a mind boggling #3. Civil War tie-in issue Amazing Spider-Man #534, which is terribly average, came in at a stunning #6. That just goes to show that Civil War is a wildly popular event and talent and well written stories are simply not necessary to sell a comic. Just slap Civil War on the cover and you get a top 10 issue.

Wolverine: Origins #4, which is practically unreadable, is at #8. Wolverine #44, which is average, is at #10. That is a testament to the marketing power of Wolverine’s character.

DC’s three titles were Justice League of America #0 at an impressive #2, 52 #11 at #4 and Batman #655 at #5.

The Top 15 consists of 10 Marvel titles and 5 DC titles. Uncanny X-Men #475 comes in just outside the top 10 at #11. Ghost Rider #1 debuts at #15.

The top 25 consists of 15 Marvel titles and 10 titles for DC. This has to be discouraging for DC. Out of the 7 titles that DC has in the top 25, 4 of them are issues of 52. 52 #11(at #4), 52 #9 (at #13), 52 #10 (at #14), 52 #12 (at #16). That means that DC just placed 6 titles other than 52 in the top 25. You had JLA and Batman in the top 10 and then Superman/Batman #28 at #18, Supergirl at #21, Green Lantern #12 at #24 and Flash #2 at #25. That is it.

DC has been obsessed with massive renovations of the DC Universe after the conclusion of Infinite Crisis. They unleashed the “One Year Later” storylines and drastically changed existing titles. They debuted brand new versions of numerous heroes including Aquaman, Flash, Atom and Blue Beetle. And what have they gotten for all their drastic efforts to change the DCU? They are still losing the battle to Marvel. They are getting crushed in the top 15 and are still losing when looking at the top 25. And, the titles that rank in the top 25 are titles that had little changes to them after Infinite Crisis. Batman, Superman/Batman, Supergirl and Green Lantern are all the same characters and didn’t undergo massive changes.

Where are all the titles that DC drastically changed? Just one cracked the top 25, Flash #2. And that was after Flash #1 debuted at #7. Wow. Talk about a massive drop. DC has to be nervous that all their drastic changes may have actually turned off more fans than it attracted.

The top 50 consists of 29 Marvel titles and 21 DC titles.

The top 75 has 39 Marvel titles, 33 DC titles, 1 Image title, 1 Dark Horse title and 1 Dynamic title.

The top 100 has 45 Marvel titles, 46 DC titles, 5 Dark Horse titles, 2 IDW titles, 1 Image title and 1 Dynamic title.

The top 150 has 67 Marvel titles, 63 DC titles, 7 Dark Horse titles, 3 IDW titles, 4 Image titles, 3 Dynamic titles, 1 Udon title, 1 Devil’s Due title and 1 Burlyman title.

Which of the Revolution’s favorite titles that are doing poorly in the sales chart? Seeing Captain America #20 at #47 and Daredevil #87 at #44 is totally depressing. Brubaker is doing an excellent job on both titles. To see them ranked below some of the absolute garbage in the top 50 is just ridiculous. It makes me worry about the taste of your average comic book fan. I guess all you need to get big sales number is a little blonde girl flashing her belly button or a short hairy guy with claws. Great. X-Factor #9 at #33 is both a positive and a negative. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting X-Factor to be this high so that is a positive. However, it should be ranked much higher than #33 and that a negative. Then there is Teen Titans #37 at #29. This is arguably the best title that DC is publishing right now. Too see it ranked under so many less than impressive titles is too bad.

How are DC’s new titles that they are pushing on the market? Well, let’s see. Blue Beetle #5 at #66. The All New Atom #1 debut at an abysmal #42. Flash dropped like a rock from its debut spot at #7 all the way down to #25 for the second issue. Then there is Aquaman #43 is wallowing down at #82. Those are all some lousy numbers. My initial gut reaction was that all these drastic changes to “update” exist heroes would backfire. It seems that the usual result of a title going to drastic changes leads to the original being re-introduced at some point down the road in order to revive flagging sales numbers. I would be surprised if Blue Beetle, the Atom and Aquaman all had their monthly titles in a year or two. Flash will continue to be published because DC won’t give up on the Flash. However, I think sales are going to continue to drop forcing DC to make some kind of change on this title. Then there is Teen Titans #37 at #29. This is arguably the best title that DC is publishing right now. Too see it ranked under so many less than impressive titles is too bad.

How are DC’s new titles that they are pushing on the market? Well, let’s see. Blue Beetle #5 at #66. The All-New Atom #1 debut at an abysmal #42. Flash dropped like a rock from its debut spot at #7 all the way down to #25 for the second issue.

Oh yeah, Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes #20 ranking in at #53. Now let’s compare that to two critical sales rankings. The issue just before Supergirl hi-hijacked this title was Legion of Super Heroes #15. Issue #15 ranked in at #65 in the sales chart. Now, the debut issue of Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes was with Issue #16. Issue #16 popped a huge sales ranking of #41. Now, 5 issues later, Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes has slid 12 spots all the way down to #53. Yeah, the addition of Supergirl really made a drastic difference in the sales of this title. In another year, Supergirl and the Legion of Super Heroes will be at the same sales ranking as it was just before Supergirl hi-jacked this title.

Comic Book Commentary: Making The Grade: Marvel Comics

The Revolution handed out grades to the DC comics on our pull list. Now it is time to take on the Marvel comics on our pull list. Will the Marvel titles garner higher grades than the DC titles? Let’s find out.

MARVEL

GRADE: A

Astonishing_X-Men: Joss Whedon has been killing it on this title. This comic has certainly been the best X-title over the past couple of years. Whedon has a great feel for the classic X-Men. This reads like the X-Men from the 80’s. Cassaday’s artwork is gorgeous. This is definitely a title worth collecting.

Captain_America: Ed Brubaker. Get used to hearing his name, because, he gets several A’s from me. For my money, Brubaker is the best writer in the industry right now. Everything he touches turns to gold. I have never like Captain America, but Brubaker has got me loving this title. Epting’s artwork is enjoyable and works well with Brubaker’s tone.

Daredevil: Ed Brubaker part II. I loved Bendis’ run on Daredevil, but Brubaker is even better. Daredevil is one of the best reads on the market. The storyline is wonderfully paced and is complimented by great artwork.

Moon_Knight: I cannot praise this title enough. Huston is doing a masterful job on this title. The pacing is very measured and steady. Huston flat out “gets” the essence of the original Moon Knight by Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz. The psychology is brilliant and it is enthralling to watch Marc Spector struggle with his tenuous grip on sanity. Plus, Finch rocks the artwork on this title like only he can.

Ultimate_Spider-Man: Bendis is masterful on this title. This comic book has been a brilliantly consistent and enjoyable read since issue #1. Bendis has done something incredible with this run on this comic. Plus, he has the storyline cooking with the wildly fun clone saga plotline.

Ultimates: Millar has done a phenomenal job on this title. I am very interested to see if this title takes a serious plunge with Loeb assuming the writing duties. Millar made this one of the best titles that Marvel publishes. I just don’t think that Loeb can continue what Millar started. They have such vastly different writing styles. I think that Loeb is going to make this more of a “fluff” title.

Uncanny_X-Men: Ed Brubaker, part III. Brubaker has resurrected this comic book. I have not enjoyed reading Uncanny X-Men this much in many years. It is nice to see Marvel’s flagship title actually be a relevant and interesting read once again. Billy Tan serves up some great artwork, too.

X-Factor: This just might be the best title that Marvel is publishing right now. This comic if totally flying under the radar. David is spinning an incredible story. David relies on incredible character development and strong dialogue instead of mindless fights and two page splash shots in order to create a compelling read. This is a title that I would recommend to anyone.

GRADE: B

Civil_War: Millar is doing a great job delivering a fun and exciting storyline like a summer blockbuster movie. McNiven’s artwork is wonderful.

Friendly_Neighborhood_Spider-Man: David is making this a fun title to read. I like David’s version of Peter Parker. And, of course, David serves up plenty of entertaining dialogue.

Iron_Man: The Knaufs have done an incredible job on this title. I enjoyed their work on HBO’s Carnivale. So, I’m not surprised that I am enjoying their work on a title that has been my favorite Marvel comic since I was 6 years old. There is no doubt that the Knaufs are writing the most interesting and complex Tony Stark ever. It is a shame that Marvel seems determined to assassinate Tony Stark’s character in Civil War while the Knaufs are turning out such an excellent read.

X-Men: Carey has taken a title that has been a complete joke for years and makes it an entertaining read. Personally, I cannot stand the artwork. Bachalo’s artwork does absolutely nothing for me.

GRADE: C

Amazing_Spider-Man: JMS is starting to loose me on this title. I enjoyed his run on this title for a while, but my interest has waned several months prior to Civil War. It certainly hasn’t improved with the various Civil War tie-in issues. JMS has some serious work to do after Civil War to re-capture my interest in this comic book. There is a good chance that on the current trend that in 6 months when I give out grades that this title will get a big fat D and be in danger of getting the axe.

The problem is that I don’t see how Peter’s identity being public and the obsession of Joe Quesada with breaking up Peter’s marriage is going to bet me more interested in this comic.

Ghost_Rider: Imagine how happy I was when I learned that one of my all time favorite characters was getting his own monthly once again. Imagine my continued delight when I learned that my favorite Ghost Rider artists, Mark Texiera, would once again be drawing old skull head. Then imagine my despair when I found out that Daniel Way would be handling the writing duties. Way couldn’t write a quality story even if he had the spirit of Hemingway in one ear and Faulkner in the other. Way’s less than impressive writing puts a serious damper on a wonderfully drawn comic book.

New Avengers: Bendis has never impressed me on this title. I just don’t think that this comic suits Bendis’ strengths. Bendis needs to stick with solo titles like Ultimate Spider-Man and Daredevil where he totally kicks butt. However, the New Avengers was average at best before Civil War. With the Civil War tie-in issues, this comic has sunk even lower. Having to get preached to by Bendis via stories that are rather pointless is not my idea of a great read. I also simply don’t enjoy the artwork.

Ultimate_Fantastic_Four: Carey is taking over control of this title along with Pasqual Ferry who will be handling the art duties. I think that Carey’s X-Men is solid. I am not really familiar with Ferry’s artwork. I will remain cautiously optimistic about this new creative team.

Wolverine: I have not been overwhelmed by Guggenheim and Humberto Ramos with their run on this title. Guggenheim is an average writer. Ramos’ style just doesn’t work for me on this title. Plus, Ramos draws one of the worst looking Wolverines. The body proportions are totally out of wack. Loeb and Bianchi will take over with issue #50. Hopefully, that will give this title a nice boost.

GRADE: D

Fantastic_Four: JMS is going absolutely nowhere with this title. This comic was floundering before Civil War and gotten even worse with the terrible and pointless Civil War tie-in issues. I have a feeling that this title is going to be getting the axe in the next several issues.

Squadron_Supreme: JMS, again. Hmmm, notice a theme here? This title has had no direction at all. It has wandered around with no point or purpose. Plus, JMS’ writing has been nauseatingly PC. The only nice think about this comic has been Frank’s artwork. Unfortunately, Frank leaves this issue after #7. That means that I’m out. I gave this title 6 issues and an honest and open mind. This comic book gets the dreaded AXE. Chop chop.

Ultimate_X-men: Kirkman has done nothing to get me interested in this title. This comic is definitely the weakest of all the Ultimate universe comics. I am only getting this comic because I have a perfect run of all Uncanny X-Men, X-Men and Ultimate X-Men titles. I don’t want to ruin my complete collection. How incredibly lame am I?

Wolverine: Origins: This is pretty much a combination of what I said in Ghost Rider and Ultimate X-Men. I think Way spins a poor storyline that reads like a parody rather than being serious. I’m only still getting this title for two reasons. One, I don’t want to miss anything important concerning Wolverine’s past. Two, I have a perfect run of every Wolverine comic going all the way back to his first mini-series. Yes, I am most definitely lame.

Comic Book Commentary: Making The Grade: DC Comics

It is about that time that I take inventory of what is on the Revolution’s permanent pull list. I like to do this once every six months. It lets me cull the titles that I don’t really enjoy and keeps me from buying too many titles. If left unchecked, I would end up buying almost every single title cranked out by Marvel and DC. I am that much of an addict. Currently, I am pulling 23 DC titles and 21 Marvel titles. As you can tell, I have never favored one company over the other. Plus, I have already decided to start collecting several titles that have yet to be released. For DC, that would include Justice Society of America and Trials of Shazam. For Marvel, that would include Iron Fist and Mighty Avengers.

I think that it is time to trim some fat and for the axe to fall on some titles that are not worthy a position on the Revolution’s pull list. Feel free to try and persuade me to either axe or keep a title that I end up placing on probation. Here is the drill. Any comic book that gets a grade of either an A or a B is safe and is in no danger of being placed on probation. Any comic book that gets a grade of C gets scrutinized and may be placed on probation. Any comic book that gets a grade of D automatically gets placed on probation and if it doesn’t rapidly improve in several issues then it gets the dreaded axe.

We’ll hit DC in this post and then do a follow up for Marvel.

DC

GRADE: A

52: I love this title. Excellent pacing and an exciting storyline. This is a must read.

All-Star_Batman_and_Robin: Yeah, I like Miller’s insanely over the top Batman, rats and all. It makes me smile.

All_Star_Superman: I also enjoy Morrison’s beautiful modern twist on Silver Age storylines.

Batman: Morrison is writing the Bruce Wayne that I have been waiting to read about for a very long time. Excellent writing and incredible art.

Detective_Comics: Dini is spinning out some fantastic reads. We also are treated to some solid art. Definitely one of DC’s better titles.

Green_Lantern: Geoff Johns and Ethan van Sciver on the same title? I must be in heaven. This title boasts arguably the best writer in comics and the best artist in comics. Fantastic.

Justice: I am a big fan of Krueger and Ross. Together they are crafting a very compelling storyline. They are also doing a great job developing the characters of these silver age heroes. It is nice to see the real Aquaman, the real Flash and the real Atom in action.

Justice_League_of_America: I loved issue #0 and think that Meltzer is going to do a fantastic job on this title.

Teen_Titans: C’mon, Geoff Johns and Tony Daniels! What more could you want? This has been the best DC title since the end of Infinite Crisis.

GRADE: B

Checkmate: Rucka has really created a unique and interesting comic. This title is always a blast to read.

Creeper: The first issue hooked me enough to get me into this mini-series.

Martian_Manhunter: Nice writing and solid artwork made this a mini-series that I am defiantly going to collect.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom_Fighters: I enjoyed Battle for Bludhaven. This mini-series is even better. I wish this was an ongoing monthly instead of a mini-series.

Robin: This is a title that I have never collected. I decided to pick this comic up with its One Year Later storyline. I heard plenty of people complimenting this title, so I decided to give it a try. Wow, have I been pleasantly surprised. This is a title with solid writing and good artwork. Above all else, Robin is simply a fun read.

Superman: Busiek is doing a great job with this title. Busiek has a wonderful feel for the characters and understands that this title is much more than the big red S fighting generic villains. Busiek knows that this title is about an interesting Clark Kent and his fantastic supporting cast. And that is exactly what Busiek is developing. Along with plenty of entertaining action of Superman kicking butt. Plus, Pacheco’s artwork is incredible.

Superman/Batman: Ethan Van Sciver is the best artist in the industry right now. His artwork is just sick. Plus, Verheiden is delivering a pretty interesting story.

Wonder_Woman: I have never been a big fan of the Amazon Princess. I have never collected this title. However, I loved the debut issue for this new Wonder Woman. Heinberg delivers a funny and entertaining story. Dodson serves up some of the best artwork in the industry.

GRADE: C

Action_Comics: The last issue and current storyline is very generic. However, the promise of Johns and Donner is what is keeping me on this title.

The_Outsiders: This title has gotten better with the past two issues. However, it is still a little hit or miss with me. Winick is shaky and can have moments where he is great and then stretches where he is just pedestrian at best. The artwork is average. Nothing great, but nothing bad. This title just seems to be missing something.

Shadowpact: I really want to love this title. I want it to be a grade A or B comic book. However, it just isn’t. Everything about this comic has simply been average.

GRADE: D

Atom: This title just hasn’t hooked me. The writing a bit too light hearted and comedic for me. Plus, Ryan Choi reads more like Gon from Hunter x Hunter than a scientist who is also the Atom. This title is on probation. The Atom is two issues away from getting the axe.

Flash: I have not been very impressed with the writing. I have absolutely no interest in an older Bart as the Flash. The supporting characters are equally uninteresting. The storyline itself lacks any real sizzle. The only think enjoyable about this title has been Lashley’s artwork. He draws a wicked cool Flash. I will give this comic book until issue #5, but at this point I don’t see how this comic book doesn’t get the axe. I would be stunned if Flash earned a spot on my permanent pull list.

Nightwing: Jones has made this title practically unreadable. The only reason that this title has not gotten the axe is my hope that Marv Wolfman can resurrect this title.

Supergirl and the Legion_of_Super_Heroes: I think that Waid clearly is focusing his energies on 52 instead of this title. I also feel that Supergirl’s hijacking of the Legion’s comic has done absolutely nothing positive for either Supergirl or the Legion. This title would have definitely gotten the axe if it weren’t for the fact the Legion is my all time favorite comic and super hero team.

Are my grades totally incorrect? Am I missing out on a title that I'm not reading? Sound off and let me know.

Comic Book Review: Wolverine: Origins #5

The Revolution just has not been able to get into Wolverine: Origins. I like Wolverine and have a complete run of his title as well as all of his mini-series done before he got his solo title. So, the complete-ist in me is struggling with the common sense side of me. The complete-ist is telling me that I have to buy every Wolverine comic book in order to have a complete run of all of his titles. However, the common sense side of me is telling me that I shouldn’t waste my money on a comic that I find to be very below average. While this internal war rages one, let’s go ahead and do this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Daniel Way
Artist: Steve Dillon

Art Rating: 4 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Wolverine brawling with Hellion, Cyclops, White Witch and Captain America. White Witch uses her psychic powers to end the fight. Emma then tells Wolverine that “they” are now using his son like “they” used Wolverine. Evidently Wolverine’s son with Mariko lives. That the child was taken from Mariko’s womb after she was killed. “They” figured that Wolverine’s healing factor would enable the child to survive. (Oh man. This is what I was worried about. Wolverine now has a son. Great.) Emma doesn’t know where Wolverine’s son is located. She only knows that he has no mind or any thoughts of his own. He is just a weapon.

We then flash back to Wolverine’s past where he was just a weapon with no thoughts of his own. Wolverine then thinks about one of his old wives, Silver Fox. She was a Blackfoot Native American that Wolverine married. One day he left their house and when he came back he found that Sabertooth had killed her. Sabertooth whups Wolverine’s butt. Sabertooth then tells Wolverine that the townspeople are scared of Wolverine and wanted him out of their town. So, they hired Sabertooth to get rid of the one thing that was keeping Wolverine in their town: his wife. Sabertooth leaves a defeated Wolverine in a deep hole outside of town. When Wolverine finally claws his way out of the pit, he sees that Sabertooth was gone, but he left behind an axe. Wolverine takes the axe and uses it to murder all of the townspeople. (Ooookay. Way continues to unimpress me.)

We then cut back to present time with Wolverine. Wolverine blah blahs about how “they” are using his son like they used me. And that when he gets close to “them” then “they” will use his son against him. “They” will force him to kill his own son. Wolverine thinks how he is nothing but an animal and that he cannot be trusted. Wolverine then gives Cyclops the Muramasa blade. Logan tells Cyclops that this blade is the only thing in that world that can put him down for good. (Whaaaat? Wolverine is now so powerful that this sword is the ONLY thing that can kill him from good? Jeez, even Superman has a more weapons that can be used against him to kill him.) Wolverine tells Cyclops that he is giving him the Muramasa blade, because he knows that when the time comes, Cyclops won’t hesitate to use it. Wolverine continues that he refuses to be forced to use the Muramasa blade against his son. That "they” are probably going to take him down and brainwash him again. That he is counting on Cyclops to make sure he doesn’t live like that anymore.

White Witch then tells Wolverine that his son hates Wolverine more than anyone on the planet. Logan responds that “That makes two of us.” End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Let’s see, the Revolutions rule of always saying at least one thing positive about each issue means I have to find something I enjoyed about this issue. Well, Way certainly dropped the bomb on the reader by revealing that Logan and Mariko’s son is still alive. I don’t know is that is good or bad, but it certainly was a major plotline and a large retcon to Wolverine’s history. This certainly wasn’t a boring issue where nothing happened.

I thought it was a cool touch that even with Cyclops, White Witch and Hellion on the scene, Captain America was still the unquestioned leader who was calling the shots in their conflict with Wolverine.

I thought the pacing was fine. This issue moved along well and was nicely constructed. Way laid the foundation for a new plotline involving his son. This issue had a good flow and nicely shifted back and forth from the present time and the past.

The Bad: I will freely admit up front that I simply have never been impressed by Daniel Way’s writing. I have never thought of him as anything more than a poor man’s Garth Ennis. He emulates Ennis’ hardcore and ultra-violent style of writing, but without any of Ennis’ talent.

Way’s dialogue was weak. His dialogue has a generic feel to it. With the exception of Hellion, all the male characters talked in the same “tough guy” voice. Hellion’s dialogue had its own problems. Does Way do any research at all before he uses a character? He comes across as a 15 year old dweeb. Honestly, the line by Hellion, “J-Jeez, Mr. Summers” was just terrible. Overall, the dialogue just wasn’t that interesting. It was more of a contest of who could talk tougher than the other person.

I’m not a fan of Way’s Wolverine. Basically, Way has made Wolverine a parody of himself. He is so unbelievably amoral, hardcore and violent. It makes his seem more of a caricature than an actual interesting character. Plus, anything that was original or interesting about Logan’s personality is lost on Way. Logan does actually have a sense of right and wrong. Logan does have his own set of morals. Logan does actually have a pretty sly sense of humor.

Wolverine has always struggled against the animal inside of him. But, Wolverine isn’t an animal. He is a man. Yes, he has lost that fight against the animal inside of him, but Wolverine, the man always wins out in the end. Way ignores Wolverine the man and only focuses on the psychotic Wolverine. And in doing so, Way turns Wolverine into a very one-dimensional and shallow character.

I’m not really thrilled about the retcon involving Wolverine’s son. Now we learn that after Mariko was killed, Wolverine’s son was ripped from her womb and taken by Wolverine’s enemies. I guess having his wife killed wasn’t “hard-core” enough. Way felt that adding in having his unborn son ripped from the womb and raised as a killer to be used against Wolverine was a great idea. I can’t say that I agree.

I also don’t think that the idea of Wolverine having a son who is a mindless killer is really something that the Marvel Universe really needed. I think we have more than enough mindless killers running around the Marvel Universe. Plus, I don’t think Wolverine, Jr. is a character I ever really want to read about.

That leads me to my other issue with Way’s writing on this title. Way feels that he has to have at least one “shocking” scene in every issue that he writes. This issues “shocking” scene was Logan taking the axe and chopping up the townspeople who hired Sabertooth to kill his wife. This is a perfect example of overkill. Way’s obsession with having to “shock” the reader leads to the reader being totally desensitized to anything considered “shocking.” These ultra violent scenes have an extremely reduced impact on the reader. It becomes so over the top that the entire issue reads like it is a parody of the ultra-violent type of super hero.

When I read the scene with Wolverine chopping up the townspeople with the axe, I actually busted out laughing. I thought it was hilarious. And that is my point. I don’t think that is the reaction that Way wants to elicit from the reader. But, that is what he gets from me because his writing style is so heavy handed that it is coming off as a total joke rather than something serious. Less is more. That is why a Hitchcock movie that has almost no gore or violence is vastly more frightening than any modern violent filled movie being made currently.

Then you have the overly dramatic scene with Wolverine giving Cyclops the Muramasa blade and telling him to use it to take out Wolverine if he gets brainwashed by the bad guys. Again, everything has to be to the extreme with Way. Plus, now we learn that the Muramasa blade is the ONLY thing that can put down Wolverine for good? Combine that with the fact that Wolverine regenerated from nothing more than a skeleton after Nitro’s nuclear blast and now Logan is practically invincible. I dig that Wolverine is a tough guy to put down. And I like that he can heal from some massive wounds. But, now Wolverine is unstoppable unless you happen to be sporting the Muramasa Blade. Great.

Personally, I am not a fan of Dillon’s style of art. I think it is too static and boring. Having said that, Dillon’s style works on titles like Punisher, Preacher or Hellblazer. But, I definitely don’t think Dillon’s style is dynamic or interesting enough for a mainstream super hero title like Wolverine. Plus, I think Dillon is the first artist who has actually been able to make super hottie White Witch look ugly. That is tough to do, but he manages to do it. I still don’t like Dillon’s Wolverine. It is one of the least interesting versions of Wolverine.

Overall: Wolverine #5 was another below average issue. So far, I’m still waiting for an issue that I have genuinely liked on this title. I still don’t know what I am going to do will my common sense side finally prevail and have me no waste money on a title I just am not impressed with at all. We shall see. Does anyone else out there collect a title that they no longer really enjoy, but they have an attachment to the character or don’t want to ruin a complete run?

If you enjoy Way’s writing and Dillon’s artwork and you like Wolverine then this is definitely a title that you will love.

Comic Book Review: Martian Manhunter #1

The Revolution has been interested in this new Martian_Manhunter mini-series. J’onn is a great character with a long history. He has been part of the “serious” JLA and the “bwahahaha” JLU. To me, J’onn is one of the pillars of the JLA. Martian Manhunter is a great character who definitely deserves his own mini-series. I am not familiar with Lieberman so I have no idea how well written this mini-series will be. On the other hand, I love the artistic talents of mi hermanos Barrionuevo and Bit. So, at the very worst, I know I’ll at least get a nice looking issue.


Creative Team
Writer: A.J. Lieberman
Penciler: Al Barrionuevo
Inker: Bit

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with Martian Manhunter discussing how there were only four humans on Earth when the first murder was committed. Cain killed Abel. J’onn mentions that he always thought that he would be immune to the ways of humans. That he would be safe from anything too human infecting him. J’onn goes on about how horrible the past year has been since Infinite Crisis.

On this dark and stormy night, J’onn is searching for a voice who has been calling out for his help. That voice is scared and weak.

We then cut to thirty minutes ago where we see a green Martian escaping from a top secret laboratory. We see the Martian hiding in the streets of New York. The soldiers from the lab sweep the surrounding streets, but fail to find the Martian.

We then shift to a meeting in the laboratory between the three scientists running the lab and a woman named Ms. Ferdinand. Ms. Ferdinand reminds the scientists that when they were retained, they were told that any breaches would have dire consequences. Ms. Ferdinand tells the scientists that she is calling in Giggs from psy-ops. One of the scientists protests this move. Ms. Ferdinand shoots that scientists in the head and appoints one of the remaining two scientists as the head of the project.

Giggs then enters the room. Giggs says that they have maybe forty-five minutes to apprehend the Martian. Ms. Ferdinand comments that if the Martian makes contact with Martian Manhunter then they won’t have any time to clear out their lab and hide the evidence. Giggs says the tracer implant should help them locate the Martian. Ms. Ferdinand says that she wants the Martian back at the lab or dead within thirty minutes.

Giggs then calls an agent named Gerrard to meet him and Ms. Ferdinand. Gerrard appears and Ms. Ferdinand then whispers a protocol sequence into Gerrard’s ear in order to “activate” him.

We shift to J’onn still searching out the Martian. J’onn tells the Martian to stay where he is and that J’onn is on his way. J’onn arrives at a new building that is being constructed where the Martian is hiding. A government robot sent to “collect” the Martian arrives at the construction site at the same time. J’onn takes out the robot. J’onn then continues to search the new building that is being constructed. J’onn enters a room that is empty except for a phone. There is a person on the phone who begins talking to J’onn. The voice tells J’onn that he must know that none of this was personal. That J’onn should not take offense to the work they do. The voice then asks J’onn to join him. That they can do great things together. That J’onn has power that rivals and maybe surpasses Superman. That J’onn has a unique chance to help save Earth from itself. J’onn responds that if the Martian is hurt then he will do everything to destroy this mystery person. J’onn realizes that the escaped Martian has been a trap.

J’onn then finds the escaped Martian. J’onn then leaps in front of an energy last meant for the escaped Martian. The energy blast sends J’onn flying out of the building. J’onn realizes that the energy burst was a psionic pulse exactly like the kind that he can produce. What any green Martian, under enough duress, can produce. That whoever is behind this plot has devised weapons based on Martian physiology.

J’onn crashes into the sidewalk of a busy street. The people in the street look terrified of J’onn. He tells them that he is the Martian Manhunter and is a member of the JLA. J’onn can feel the fear from the crowd. That they expect him to save them and protect them as long as they don’t have to see him. That if he was Superman, then they would all be applauding and cheering for him. J’onn is currently in his “true” form because it is who he is.

J’onn then takes off and finally arrives at the escaped Martian. J’onn can’t believe his eyes. He is finally not alone. The Martian introduces himself as “Roh Kar.” Suddenly, an energy blast rips through the chest of the escaped Martian. The dying Martian tells J’onn “Do not rust…others…There are others like us…”

J’onn then pursues the attacker. It is Gerrard. J’onn kicks butt on Gerrard. J’onn then realizes he is filled with one human emotion he never thought he was capable of…Hate. J’onn is scared because if he can’t control his hate then no one on Earth can. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Martian Manhunter #1 was a good issue. Lieberman turned in a better story than I was expecting. This issue was nicely paced. Lieberman did a fine job mixing just enough action with the drama and character development. Lieberman crafted some solid dialogue. The best part of Lieberman’s writing was J’onn’s inner thoughts as he was searching for the Martian. Lieberman did an excellent job fleshing out J’onn’s character and putting his own stamp on this character.

Lieberman’s Martian Manhunter is wonderfully complex, sad and admirable. The reader is impressed with J’onn’s strong faith in humankind and his incredible self-control and desire to be a true hero. However, Lieberman then shows how J’onn is having a crisis of faith. By the end of the issue, J’onn has completed his transformation and given into hate for the first time since coming to Earth. The depth and complexity that Lieberman gives J’onn’s character was enjoyable. I thought that J’onn’s inner dialogue has such beautiful rhythm and flow. Lieberman really turns in an excellent effort in that area.

I also enjoyed Lieberman’s presentation of J’onn as the realistic version of Superman. Both characters are the last of their people. Both are extremely powerful aliens. That is where the similarities end. Martian Manhunter doesn’t conveniently look like a normal human. While Superman looks human and was raised by humans as an Earthman. Superman knows he is Kryptonian, but he is also an Earthman and has a special connection and fondness for Earth. J’onn does not. He was raised as a Martian and didn’t come to Earth until later in life. J’onn is a total outsider here on Earth. He views Earthlings as flawed creatures who commit numerous atrocities. J’onn has hope that the good in humans will win out in the end. Unfortunately, that hope seems to be mostly a good part of naivety on J’onn’s part. Lieberman spends this issue deconstructing J’onn’s faith in humankind.

The dark tone of this issue appeals to the cynic in me. I do think that humans are naturally evil and are in general useless pieces of garbage that can be counted on to do what is only in their own best interests to the detriment of those around them. So, I am enjoying the deconstruction of J’onn’s faith in humans.

I found the various plotlines to be rather interesting. It was cool to see another Martian. Unfortunately, Roh Kar didn’t make it past the end of this issue. However, we are left with several intriguing plotlines. Just who is behind the testing on Roh Kar? Who was the mysterious voice that offered to team up with J’onn in order to save the planet? And is J’onn suffering a complete breakdown? Are the events of the past year combined with the death of Roh Kar going to finally push J’onn over the edge? Will the character that has always exemplified such extraordinary self control finally going to lose it and unleash his fury on his enemies? Has J’onn finally lost his faith in those around him? So many fascinating questions. Lieberman certainly has laid a solid foundation and created enough interesting plotlines to get me hooked and ready for the next issue.

Barrionuevo and Bit turned in some very nice artwork. This is a very nice looking comic book and Barrionuevo’s dark and heavy lined style meshes nicely with Lieberman’s tone and mood.

The Bad: I’m just not a big fan of J’onn’s “true form.” The cone head look just looks dorky to me.

Overall: Martian Manhunter #1 was a solid read. Lieberman served up a well written story with several interesting plotlines. Barrionuevo delivered nice looking art. This made Martian Manhunter a well balanced and enjoyable read. I’m glad to see J’onn getting a mini-series that is actually well done. I’m looking forward to the rest of this mini-series.

Comic Book Review: Superman #655

Between Action Comics and Superman it appears that Superman is the stronger of the two titles. I like the direction that Busiek is going with this title. I expect Superman #655 to be a very good read. Let’s hit this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciler: Carlos Pacheco
Inker: Jesus Merino

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: This issue starts with a flashback waaaay back to Paris in the year 1659. We see Arion in bed with several ho’s because he apparently has quite the voracious appetite for the ladies. Arion wakes up from a vision of the future. He conjures up a magic sphere and peers into the future and sees an airplane.

We then shift forward in time to that airplane. Clark Kent is aboard and headed to Kazakhstan for a press-conference being held by his ex-girlfriend, Callie Llewellyn. The thought of an ex-girlfriend gets him thinking about another ex-girlfriend, Lana_Lang.

We then jump back to a Clark interviewing Lana at her office concerning her new job as the C.E.O. of LexCorp. Lana mentions what a mess she has on her hands trying to stop the fiscal hemorrhaging of LexCorp. She is worried about inadvertently unleashing one of Lex’s crazy plans while going through the company’s inventory of various projects and inventions. Clark tells Lana that if she ever needs his help as Superman that all she has to do is say his name and he will be there.

Lana then tells Clark that she and Pete Ross are getting a divorce. That Pete has moved back to Smallville with their son. That he wants their son to get a solid Smallville upbringing. Lana says that there is no chance that she and Pete will ever get back together again and that she can never go back to Smallville because of too many memories. Lana and Clark stare into each other’s eyes. Clark knows that these memories are good ones of the two of them that Lana will never be able to recapture. Suddenly, Clark hears a distress call for a fire and changes into his Big Red S outfit and takes off.

We cut back to Clark on the airplane. His thoughts turn to what trouble Callie must be having to ask for him to cover this story.

We then shift to the base in Kazakhstan. It is on fire and in ruins. We see an injured Callie praying that Clark arrives soon. We cut back to Clark on the airplane. Clark hears Callie’s cries for help. He slips out the back of the airplane and blasts off for the base.

Superman arrives and pulls Callie out of the wreckage. Superman goes back into the base to rescue more people when he is suddenly punched vary hard. Callie yells out to Superman that she must tell him what he is fighting so he can defeat it. Superman tells her to keep talking and that he will be able to hear her while he is in the lab fighting. Callie tells Superman that the Soviet Union had an old project that they abandoned after the fall of the Soviet Union. Some locals broke into the lab in Kazakhstan to see if they could find items to sell. They came across this project that was beyond their scope to handle so they called in the Kazakh government. This was called Subjekt-17 and was a living creature sedated in a nutrient bath. The government then called in Callie for her expert opinion. This creature was either alien, ancient or unknown. While supervising the dismantling of the lab, the creature began to wake up. It eventually woke up and all hell broke loose.

We then see Superman locked in combat with Subjekt-17. We then see Arion looking at his magic orb and viewing Superman and Subjekt-17 fighting. Arion comments that they are all idiots. Arion stated that it is absurdly inconvenient that he is dead at that point in the future. Arion then dresses and creates a time portal and says that he has to go see if he can fix it all before it is too late. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Busiek serves up another dandy in Superman #655. I am really enjoying the comic book and I’m not even a big Superman fan. Busiek is crafting a well developed and nicely detailed storyline full of various entertaining plotlines. I liked the pace of this issue. We got a nice dramatic scene between Lana and Clark. We got some nice introspective time with Clark rummaging through his thoughts about his ex-girlfriends. Then Busiek mixed in some nice action with the brawl between Subjekt-17 and Superman. Nice balance and a pleasant read.

Busiek has a fantastic feel for each character. I like Busiek’s Lana Lang. I also like Busiek’s Clark Kent. He gives Clark some depth and makes him something of an interesting character than the usual boring cardboard character that he has been written in the past.

I was thrilled to see Arion in the beginning of this issue. Awesome! I’ve always liked Arion and I like that Busiek did not let the small obstacle of Arion being dead prevent him from using this character. Just have him do a little time traveling to the present time and we get some instant Arion goodness. I am very curious to find out Arion’s connection with Subjekt-17. I definitely didn’t see this coming and am excited to read more about Arion in the next issue.

On the surface, Subjekt-17 seems to be a generic monster villain. However, the addition of Arion makes this monster villain a lot more interesting. I’m curious about Subjekt-17’s origins. This should be a pretty interesting storyline.

I loved the scene between Lana Lang and Clark. It was beautifully done. Busiek really shows off his ability to craft nice poignant and touching scenes. You could feel the tension between Lana and Clark. Here is Lana Lang assuming one of the premier jobs in the world. Most people would be envious of her. Most people would think that she has everything. But, we see that Lana has nothing. She and Pete are divorced. Pete has custody of their son. And now, Lana is in the same city as her ex-boyfriend whom she still loves. Busiek does a great job showing how memories, even good ones, are just too painful. I am very curious to see what Busiek has in store for Lana Lang.

Carlos Pacheco delivers some strong artwork. I am really enjoying Pacheco’s artwork more and more. He draws a great Clark Kent and also cranks out a fantastic looking Superman. Pacheco’s Lana Lang looked hot. Much better than his Lois Lane! Pachecho’s artwork compliments Busiek’s splendid writing and makes Superman #655 a extraordinary comic book to look at.

The Bad: I have no complaints at all. This was a very solid issue.

Overall: Superman #655 combines excellent writing and great artwork. The writing is balanced and masterfully blends action with drama and character development. Busiek and Pacheco are doing a sterling job on Superman. This is definitely a title worth checking out.

Comic Book Review: 52 #14

The Revolution absolutely loves 52. This has been one of the best reads on the market. DC has pulled off a real coup with this weekly title. I thought 52 #14 was the best issue so far. I’m positive that 52 #15 is going to be an excellent read. Let’s do this review.

Creative Team
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Penciler: Dale Eaglesham
Inker: Art Thibert

Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: Week 14, Day 6: The issue starts with Renee Montoya and the Question on a plane headed for Kahndaq. They land and take a cab to their hotel. When they arrive at the hotel, they realize that the entire nation is having a weeklong party to celebrate the arrival of Isis.

We then shift to Steelworks where Dr. Kala Avasti is banging on the door demanding to see Steel. Steel has been hiding in his lab for the past month. Dr. Avasti tells John to open up. That he isn’t responsible for Natasha joining Luthor’s new super team.

John opens the door and says he is responsible. Dr. Avasti enters the lab and sees that John has completed a brand new suit of armor for Natasha. Dr. Avasti calls it a masterpiece. John says that it is too little too late. John is distraught that he doesn’t know how to get Natasha back. That Luthor owns her soul.

We then zip over to Dr. Magnus meeting with some agents of the U.S. government. Dr. Magnus attempts to bring Mercury back online, but it fails due to problems with the responsometer technology. The government agents tell Dr. Magnus that the Metal Men are prototypes for a new generation of smart weapons. That they will pay Dr. Magnus a great deal of money if he will let them dismantle the Metal Men and study them. They tell Dr. Magnus that this is the last time the government will ask politely. Dr. Magnus turns down their offer.

We then shift to Dr. Magnus visiting Professor Morrow. When Dr. Magnus gets to Morrow’s cell, he finds it completely empty. Security investigates the scene, but cannot figure out how Morrow managed to escape a locked room that was under surveillance. Morrow left a not behind addressed to Dr. Magnus. The note says “For all your kindness, Will.” It also included a string of numbers that are a machine code. Magnus remembers that Morrow told him that Magnus was the only one of Morrow’s students that understood the significance of Morrow’s creation of the world’s first artificial souls.

We then cut back to the Question and Montoya deciding to investigate an address that had connections