Comics Reviews from the Past Month
I just picked up about a month's worth of comics, so it's time to add them to my reviews!
The Ultimates 2 #1: This was a "freebie" from my comic shop and I do have to say, otherwise I would not have picked it up. I got the TPB of the first Ultimates arc and while it was interesting, I'm not a huge fan of the Marvel Universe and by extension, the Ultimate Universe. There are so many other collections I want to get, that collecting more Ultimate titles usually only leaves me thinking "gee, I could have gotten X instead."
There isn't much action in this issue. Even the action scenes, few and far between are brief and one is completely off panel. This is mainly a "character" issue and a way to set up the next few story lines. At that it excels, there are clearly a few plots simmering, including public opinion of heroes being used in Military missions (even if they are described as "humanitarian missions"), Captain America and the Wasp's relationship, the Hulk, Thor and the possible future attack by Loki, etc.
It's interesting, but at the same time, I didn't feel any need to pick up issue #2. Should I get to a point where I feel I've gotten enough of the other collections to warrant diving back into the Ultimate Universe again, I think Ultimates would be high on the list to collect first.
Overall: 7.0 out of 10.0
JLA #108: In 1998 I stopped collecting monthly books, but over the next few years I collected the rest of Grant Morrison's run of JLA in TPB and most of Mark Waid's run. After that, the title didn't hold any interest for me, until it was announced that Kurt Busiek would be writing an arc (which was later extended to him taking over the title full time).
I first read Kurt's work on Avengers and Iron Man when he took over those titles following Heroes Reborn. I had only read an issue or two of both titles before that point, but he made me care about those characters. Again, I dropped them in 1998 along with my other monthly titles, but the Avengers (due to the lack of collections of Busiek's run on Iron Man) is among those titles I mentioned above as the ones I'm eager to collect the TPBs of.
So I was excited to hear he was taking over JLA. Last issue really dampened that enthusiasm, as it was the first part of a multi-issue arc, but had only minor bits that seemed to relate to the story Busiek intended to tell. To be truthful, it felt like he had somehow unearthed an idea for a one-shot JLA story and wedged in the Crime Syndicate of Amerika and the Cosmic Egg from JLA/Avengers into that idea.
This issue does not feature the JLA at all. It's mainly a focus on the world of the CSA, which is my first glimpse into the lives of these characters (introduced in yet another book I want to pick up, the Prestige Format JLA: Earth 2). It's interesting, but takes a nosedive as Busiek also delves into the workings of the Anti-Matter World of Qward. I am familiar with Qward due to it's prominence in the Silver Age of Green Lantern.
But to be honest, Busiek's take on Qward is...confusing. It's a warrior world, with a...unique form of politics that isn't well defined. Characters are introduced, but I don't feel any connection to them and Ron Garney's art, which has been critiqued as being not as good as his former work on Captain America doesn't help.
Still, I am intrigued now in the arc and it's enough to keep me picking up the next issue, but it's a far cry from what I expected. Hopefully Busiek can take the remaining issues of the arc and renew my faith.
Overall: 7.5 out of 10.0
Superman #211: When I first started reading the arc, I realized two things...1) it would take the full arc to really judge the merits of this story and 2) that the ending of the story could very well make or break it.
Those two thoughts are still in my head, but with each issue and the (painfully) slow leaking of clues I have to say, even if the entire thing ends up turning out to be a big pile of impacted fecal matter, the story has kept me interested with each passing issue.
The main thing I was surprised with this issue was how much I enjoyed the action. Again, since the beginning of the arc, I found that the "downtimes" in the story arc were really Brian Azzarello's strong point and until now, I have not really enjoyed the action in the issue.
But the Wonder Woman/Superman fight was entertaining, especially since it showed how serious Superman had become and really showed him letting loose more than he did before Lois vanished.
Still, despite my enjoyment of the action, it was, once again, the dialogue between Superman and Father Leone that I enjoyed most.
The next issue promises to show us what happened to those who Vanished as now, Superman and his Fortress were taken. I hope it also gives us some clues as to what's going on, because I'm getting antsy for some answers, which, as of so far, are missing.
Overall: 8.5 out of 10.0
Flash #216: The end of the Identity Crisis tie-in, proves this might as well have been a Rogue War prelude, which is a good thing. Often times "tie-in" issues disrupt the current flow of a title, but Geoff Johns works this tie-in into the upcoming Flash arc seamlessly.
The revelation that some of the Reformed Rogues may have been nudged by The Top is an intersting one, but at the same time, I'd hate to see them return to being Rogues. I enjoy the conflicted Heatwave and it would be a shame to see Piper returned to his villanous routes after all the work that previous Flash writers and Geoff have put into his character. Lastly, there is a new Trickster, who is an interesting character in his own right, if for no other reason then his youthful stupidity, so it'd be a shame to see him pushed aside for Jesse to return to the role, especially since the reformed Jesse is such an interesting character.
Overall: 9.0 out of 10.0
Superman/Batman #14: Once again, I am faced with a title by a writer I am a fan of, who has disappointed me. I felt the first arc on this title was great, sure it had big plot holes and a good amount of head-scratching moments, not yet fully explained, but it was FUN! The following issue was fun in its own way, but the title really went downhill with the Supergirl arc, which wrapped last issue.
Still, I held out hope for this arc. I wasn't disappointed this time. It's not an original idea, having Superman and Batman take over the world and have remnants of current heroes fight back (this issue: Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, and Uncle Sam).
However, the means in which this world came about is pretty novel, as the original (read: Pre-Crisis) opposite numbers of the Legionnaires Three (Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl), Cosmic King, Lightning Lord, and Saturn Queen, come back in time to "adopt" Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne.
My only problem with the storyline so far is that by the narration, it seems that Superman (if not Batman also) is aware of the previous time line, but seems so blase about it. I guess Loeb is making a "nature vs. nurture" argument here, but the lack of compassion over what was supposed to be is striking. I guess that's the point, but it's still hard to hear Superman say it.
Overall: 9.0 out of 10.0
Teen Titans #18: Again, another not so novel concept, one that even has parallels to the Superman/Batman plot shows up, but how it's handled makes all the difference.
This time around, the world seems under the auspices of the Titans, who rule with what seems like an Iron Hand. But this time it's not the Legion of Super-Villains who change things, it's an ambiguous Crisis which turns the Teen Titans of today into the Fascists Titans of Tomorrow.
What makes the arc is the innocence of the younger members of the current Titans facing their dark futures. There is also an impending sense of inevitability, especially when Tim confronts his future self. Given the developments in the Bat-titles and Identity Crisis it seems more than possible that Tim could turn into his future self. And given Conner's questionable genetic stock (the Lex Luthor half, at least), it's also possible that he could turn, especially since Luthor never saw himself as evil, but rather more of a champion of the normal man.
It's one of Geoff's strong suits to inject his arcs with huge doses of characterization and this arc is no different.
Overall: 9.5 out of 10.0
JSA #67: The highlight of this issue is not the autopsy, but rather the great characterization Geoff invests in these characters. It's clear that Sue's death has affected them all and the form their grief and fear takes is interesting, especially with Jay, who snaps at Pieter so readily.
After reading Flash and Identity Crisis, I was amazed at how seamlessly the three titles meshed. Especially with Mirror Master's admittance that he has nothing to do with Sue's death.
Overall: 9.5 out of 10.0
Identity Crisis #6: Like issue #4, recent threads are resolved and things seem to be going one way, until Brad Meltzer pulls out the stops and starts us on another track altogether. Tim's grief is well played, especially the shedding of his outfit before he cradles his father's body.
Also nice is the development of Owen, who is now the new Captain Boomerang. Especially the scene where he tries to see his father's body and is already accused of being a Rogue. Again, the tie-ins with JSA and Flash work well, as we learn over in Flash how Captain Cold helps Owen take over the mantle of Captain Boomerang.
The big reveal in this issue is yet another controversial secret of the JLA's past, this time what they were willing to do to one of their own. I really hope that this is followed up at some point in the titles, especially in JLA...
Overall: 9.5 out of 10.0
Adam Strange #3: My highest praise for this book can be expressed in this way: at the point when Adam Strange is to be brought before a Thanagarian Court, I was a bit worried. I thought "I really hope that this isn't postponed to next issue and dragged out for the course of that issue."
To my surprise the Court and the following Execution were addressed in this issue, with the latter being the cliffhanger.
Adam's discovery is an interesting one, as swapping star systems is not something easily done, even in comics. Someone big is behind this and usually "Big" and "Cosmic" means Darkseid, but the question arises, why would he do this? Part of me hopes it isn't Darkseid, but that doesn't leave many suspects.
Also intersting is Adam and the Thanagarians. Though they view humans as weak in general, it seems that Adam is enough to impress the Wing Commander, if not others. It's not hard to see her helping Adam to escape, but even if that does happen, so appears to have placed a tracker in Adam's Zeta Beam Device, so I doubt she will help out of the pure goodness of her heart.
Andy Diggle has a knack for telling stories in such a way that they seem the antithesis of de-compressed storytelling and yet, he is able to inject just as much, if not more, characterization than in the stories that rely on multiple pages of conversation to aid in the storytelling.
Overall: 10.0 out of 10.0
Green Lantern: Rebirth #2: For what this title is attempting to do, it would get an automatic "10.0" from me, but Geoff isn't resting on letting the purpose of this miniseries sell it, it's full of plot and characterization and a slowly unweaving story that seeks to explain and (in some eyes) repair the past 10 years of the GL mythos.
There are just too many great moments in this story to recount here. Every page is a wonder to behold and if it's not the characterization that's grabbing me, it's the tension that builds due to the unweaving story.
While the conclusion of this mini-series will be what makes or breaks it for the Kyle fans and for those who simply don't want to see Hal get away with what he did scott-free, it seems that in the first two issues, Geoff has invested so much into the series that it's hard to see a reason why they'll be disappointed, at least with the way Hal is returned to the role of Green Lantern. Kyle's fate might be the main point of contention, but that is a closely guarded secret, as it should be.
Overall 10.0 out of 10.0 for what's it's doing and more so for the fact that it earns the grade I'd be willing to give it even if it sucked! ;)
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