Larfleeze #6 – Review

by Keith Giffen, J.M. Dematteis (Writers), Scott Kolins (Artist), Mike Atiyeh (Colorist)

The Story: Larfleeze learns a good deal about his connection to the orange energy, while Stargarve is unfortunately still in the clutches of the Wanderer.

The Review: There are times when a reader tries a book, hoping to like it. Of course, everyone getting a specific issue always hope to fall in love with it, yet there are always time when a creator, artist or character is right there, tempting some to buy it even though they aren’t completely sure if the book will deliver.

Larfleeze is a book I really want to like. It has both Keith Giffen and J.M. Dematteis as scribes, Scott Kolins on art and it stars a character that I rather like. Hell, it even features cosmic themes and humor, two things that I really enjoy. The recipe is there for me to simply savor it and let something different be a part of my pull list.

However, it seems it’s not meant to be, as despite the fact that everything is there for me to like, there are several problems that plague this title just enough so it never really reach the potential it does have as a cosmic comedy or as an exploration of just who Larfleeze is in terms of importance to the larger DC cosmos.

Larfleeze #5 – Review

by Keith Giffen, J.M Dematteis (Writers), Scott Kolins (Artist), Mike Atiyeh (Colorist)

The Story: Stargrave tries to get away from the Wanderer and her crazy antics as Larfleeze unfortunately gets used as a slave.

The Review: I can certainly appreciate a book that tries. When writers are actually throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks, it can lead to either a boring or just plain chaotic read, but there will always be moments when something really great is set before the readers. Not everything works, of course, but trying is always a nice thing to see. Trying, however, is not a synonym of succeeding.

There are many things that just don’t really work in this book despite how Giffen and Dematteis tries to entertain those who bought the book. Humor, a bit of action, some cosmic development here and there, there’s simply a lot of elements that could mix together to create a satisfying read, yet it never really does attain that state.

One of the main problem would be a lack of direction, which is currently plaguing the book. With this issue still dividing its focus on both Stargrave and Larfleeze, the book tries to set up some narratives and idea that could lead to a bigger and more cohesive structure, yet both writers never seem to hint at how or why yet. While Stargrave is once more the butt of the jokes here as his unlucky temperament makes him a victim of all the most dangerous circumstances, many of the story elements simply pass him by. While The Wanderer and her visit to meet her sister hints at a much grander plot, they aren’t fully shown, nor connected to any of the protagonists yet, making them a bit unsatisfying.

Larfleeze #4 – Review

by Keith Giffen, J.M. Dematteis (Writers), Scott Kolins (Artist), Mike Atiyeh (Colorist)

The Story: Larfleeze receives the anger of those that were trapped within his ring as Stargrave continues his sad life as being the plaything of things much more powerful than him.

The Review: I can respect a good many things when reading a comic. When I review an issue, I usually try to see the intents that the creative team wants to convey to the readers. Is the point of this issue to advance the story, show a battle of wits between two or more characters? Each scenes have a certain purpose behind them and trying to see what it accomplish is part of the point, as expectations always play a part in the readers appreciation of the whole thing. While I read an issue, I always try to see if the creative team did try something original or if they went ahead and did succeed in setting a consistent tone throughout. Ambition and consistency are two things I can generally be content about when it is achieved.

However, there are always some exceptions to those rule, this time represented by Keith Giffen and J.M. Dematteis on Larfleeze. In this month’s issue, there are many things that works really well, with a consistent humorous tone, plenty of action and some new concepts thrown in. It is even heavily cosmic, which is something that should win me over. However, there are also a good deal of things that, despite all those elements, work against the comic in itself.

Action Comics #898 – Review

By: Paul Cornell (writer), Pete Woods (artist), Brad Anderson (colorist)

The Story: Something went severely amiss in Larfleeze and Lex Luthor’s upbringing, as they seriously need to learn to share.

The Review: As far as I know, the guest star is a feature exclusive to television shows and comics.  In television, the guests have pull from their celebrity status, but for comics, the characters themselves have the star power.  As fun as these crossovers can get, more frequently you have cases where the guest character distract from the story at hand, occasionally poaching the spotlight from the title character.

Cornell’s plot device of featuring a new guest villain every issue of his Action Comics run has been notable for using them effectively.  As much personality he brings to their roles, they always serve to reflect or contrast our star character: Gorilla Grodd for Luthor’s intellect, Vandal Savage for his far-reaching ambitions, the Joker for his love of mind games.  This issue, Luthor’s base desires get brought out by Larfleeze’s mutual greed for the energy spheres.

Kudos to Cornell for giving us a Larfleeze who not only singularly pursues whatever’s on his wish list at the moment, but also has a lot more smarts than he usually gets credit for.  He’s savvy to Luthor’s ploys to get the sphere he’s collected, and is remarkably perceptive to when his chain is being jerked around.  On top of this much-needed depth, Larfleeze gets some growth, as his firsthand experience of the sphere teaches him there are a few things even he doesn’t want.

It’s worth mentioning again that Luthor remains the star of this storyline.  His hunger for the Orange Lantern ring he once grasped demonstrates why he got chosen as one in the first place.  But in the end, his view of the big picture of power allows him to resist even the ring’s allure, though not without casualties.  We’ve been avoiding the issue for a while, but Luthor’s purposeful, unrepentant shooting of one of his own serves as a pretty good reminder of why he’s still atrocious as a human being and a villain worthy to be feared.

Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #2 – Review

by Geoff Johns & Peter Tomasi (writers), Eddy Barrows, Gene Ha, & Tom Mandrake (pencils and inks), Ruy Jose (inks), Nei Ruffino & Pete Pantazis (colors), Steven Wand & Sal Cipriano (letters)

The Story: How Red Lantern Bleez, Star Sapphire Carol Ferris, and Orange Lantern Blume (the giant floating head) ended up in their respective lantern corps.

What’s Good: Bleez’s story is probably the best of the bunch this month, making me care about a character I knew little of. Johns does a great job of making things go horribly wrong while also adding new depths to the Sinestro Corps’ depravity.  It’s despicable stuff that makes Bleez sympathetic, but Johns also makes no attempt to paint Bleez as innocent or perfect: Bleez was nonetheless elitist and spoiled. This makes the Sinestro Corps invasion all the more effective, as it opens her world in a huge way, shattering her ignorance as it shatters her.

Barrow’s artwork was also absolutely superb, particularly in his depictions of Bleez’s homeworld and her angelic form. From page one on, it’s clear that this is Eddy Barrows at his best.

As far as Carol Ferris’ tale goes, I enjoyed the level of sentience and conversational ability that the violet ring possessed. Make no mistake though: this story is a showcase for Gene Ha and Pete Pantazis, who put out perhaps the best artwork of any Tale thus far. There’s almost a retro feel to it, lending itself well to the flashbacks, while Pantazis gives the entire story a fitting violet hue. It’s rare that a colorist asserts himself so well in the storytelling aspect of comic art.

Blume’s story is fun for what it is, with Johns’ “God of Hunger” concept being a really neat one. This is a rare case where I feel that the short page count of the Tales actually does the story favours.  At six pages, it doesn’t overextend itself or lead to questions of relevance. Rather, the cool concept alone provides enough mileage for the Tale, which aims to be nothing more than fast, simple fun.

What’s Not-so-Good: While it’s the best of the bunch, the Bleez tale is severely hampered by its low page count, as the pacing feels somewhat crushed, with one massive plot development following another with little to build-up. The Tale is excellent because of its larger scope, but it’s this very scope that also proves to be its weak-point, as the story would clearly have lent itself better to a full 22 pages. The invasion out of nowhere happens far too quickly and Bleez’s getting the red ring feels a little too convenient, giving the feeling that a ridiculous number of rings are floating around at any one moment. Also, due to the page count, Johns isn’t fully able to do a thoroughly convincing job of depicting Bleez’s rage. Yes, what she undergoes is horrible, but she doesn’t have quite enough lines to express her anger.

The Carol Ferris tale, while not bad, is probably the weakest of the bunch, only because it feels like something of a rehashing. It simply re-tells things we already knew or have already seen and thus feels a little more lifeless than it should. While not quite to the extent of the Son of Mongul tale last month, I just don’t feel like this story had to be told.

Conclusion: While the Saint Walker tale is still the best, this week’s offering is a better overall package than last week’s.

Grade: C+

-Alex Evans

Green Lantern #41 – Review

By Geoff Johns (writer), Philip Tan, Eddy Barrows (artists), Jonathan Clapion, Ruy Jose, Julio Ferreira (inks)

I really wish I can write a review for this book in our typical format, but there just isn’t enough good to write about. Earlier this week, I had chosen this book to be my top pick for Wednesday. But thinking back now,  I wasn’t really expecting much, since I only chose this book after coming off of the Blackest Night oneshot high. Johns may have restored my trust in him with the free comic book day book, but I can’t help but feel that the Agent Orange arc has been doomed from the start.

In the third part of a prelude to Blackest Night, secrets are revealed. Johns crams a very last-minute history behind Larfleeze, and the truth behind the Guardians’ relation to the Vega System are finally explained. Meanwhile Hal Jordan struggles with his new blue power ring, as the Orange Lantern hungrily comes after the hope-powered ring. However, even with all of these situations transpiring, the creative team’s flaws are just too obvious, failing to make this issue and this story worth re-reading.

It’s unfortunate how the writing has been really disappointing. It’s gotten to point where you have to wonder if DC had decided to keep Johns’ name on the cover, while bringing in a ghostwriter to tackle these TPB-filler preludes. I honestly can’t see anything appealing behind the story in Green Lantern #41. There’s nothing deep or profound, and there aren’t even anything exciting moments. The nonsense simply carries on, as the Blackest Night prelude continue to steer away from any sort of development. You’ll continue to see Hal Jordan have an underwhelming presence within the story, and you’ll find yourself caring less about this chapter on the Orang Lanterns.

As for the art, it is fucking awful. Philip Tan and Eddy Barrows offer nothing appealing, as they manage to make the final product look like a a complete mess. There’s no art here, just garbage. Your eyes are going to want to omit the numerous busy panels in the book; and the look on Hal Jordn’s face on the final splash will have you laughing for all the awesomely bad reasons.

Conclusion: Although these preludes have been rocky, we just need to sit tight since we all know Blackest Night will be way much better. It’s just frustrating to buy these books and think about jumping ship as we get closer to the summer event. Thankfully, we still have Green Lantern Corps.

Grade: C-

-Raymond Hilario

Green Lantern #40 – Review

By Geoff Johns (writer), Philip Tan (artist), Jonathan Clapion (inks)

There is no doubt that the War of Light tales haven’t exactly been up to par with Rebirth or Sinestro Corps. Yet, in Johns’ second new corps story, the arc continues to fall. The second chapter to Agent Orange is no better than the first. Just like the previous issue, you have the same amount of easily forgettable scenes, where unimportant characters (in the previous issues it was the Controllers, in this issue it’s Fatality as a Violet Lantern) engage in dialogue that is lacking in the signature moral debate that we’re used to reading.  At this point, everything and everyone is just a plot device, used to fast forward this already fast-paced story. With the first two chapters absent of the deep context that we’re used to seeing in Johns’ works, Agent Orange is starting to read like a fast-paced 90’s space opera comic book.

What’s troubling about Agent Orange is that the villain is not quite established. Instead, this arc is packed with lots of subplots that are either being developed, or are finally being revealed. To make up the bulk of the story, new laws are added to the book of Oa (which we’ve seen before), and a new thread is introduced involving John Stewart (which is supposed to play some role later on, and not validate Fatality’s boring monologue in the beginning). But this isn’t what the fans were looking for. They wanted what they got in Sinestro Corps War, where Johns introduced a new color, and a new emotion. In a story that is supposed to introduce a new formidable opponent for the Green Lantern Corp, we are only getting a childish villain that seems to be making a cameo appearance. In a story that’s supposed to be rich in metaphors and overtones, we’re treated to fast-paced action sequences that are to be forgotten.

Grade: C

-Raymond Hilario