Astro City #14 – Review

By: Kurt Busiek (story), Brent Eric Anderson (art), Alex Sinclair & Wendy Broome (colors)

The Story: Reform school for robots.

The Review: Much as I love the superhero genre, I recognize its limitations as much as anyone else does, and Astro City frequently helps me in this regard. By constantly abridging the superhero material to their essence—hero versus villain; punches, blasts, explosions; rubble and property damage; inevitable triumph of good over evil—Busiek reveals that the most interesting parts of a superhero story are the things that take place outside of it.

Busiek applies this approach so often in Astro City that it’d almost be formulaic if it didn’t yield such wildly different results each time. This issue, he explores the aftermath of a common feature of superhero battles we often take for granted: the wanton destruction of robots, giant or otherwise. In doing so, he takes something we would never give a second thought to and finds the emotional layers hidden underneath.

Superman Unchained #7 – Review

By: Scott Snyder (story), Jim Lee (pencils), Scott Williams (inks), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: Can a one-man army take down an actual army?

The Review: Happy Independence Day, everyone—yes, even you folks who have nothing to do with the good ol’ U.S. of A. So I think it’s appropriate that my first review of the day celebrating America goes to the comic starring that most quintessential all-American hero, the Man of Steel himself. It’s also important that here, we’re dealing with a Superman in his purest, most heroic form, as opposed to one struggling not to unleash certain death on all living things—we’ll deal with that hot mess later.

That said, Clark’s big heroic moment in this series has come and gone; what’s left is purely personal, with little opportunity for growth. He seems on the verge of it here, reflecting on Wraith’s challenges from #5: “The choices I make about when I fight, how I fight, how I live my life inside and outside of this…those choices mean that Superman, as I’ve created him, he can’t last forever.” But he never synthesizes these musings into a concrete conclusion as to what he should do. Instead, he dithers, pleading with Lois for understanding, which is preaching to the choir if you’ve ever seen it.

Green Lantern #33 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (writer), Billy Tan (penciller), Rob Hunter with Batt and Jaime Mendoza (inkers), Alex Sinclair (colorist)

The Story: “Remember being young and not knowing the universe can end?” “Barely. Lately all the universe does is almost end.”

The Review: “Uprising” has been a great boon to Green Lantern, providing a well written and engaging crossover for the Corps. Without an annual to cap things off, as has been the case with other recent Green Lantern crossovers, this issue seemingly marks the end of Hal Jordan’s involvement in the Durlan War. Unfortunately it seems as though he’s going out not with a bang, but with a whimper.

As the Durlans assemble on Zezzen, Hal and the Corps make one final stand, but I never expected it to be such a literal one. Indeed, much of the climactic battle is literally the Corps making a wall. It is, of course, a reasonable strategy but narratively it lacks a feeling of excitement or escalation.

Hal and the Durlan Elder are both pretty cool this issue, but their actions can’t live up to their bluster. “Your simple stratagems cannot outwit me. My mind has spanned millennia,” the Elder sneers late in the fight and I find myself wanting to believe him. Nevertheless, Hal’s response – “I don’t have to be a genius to see that one plus one equals- –you’re screwed” – doesn’t exactly do credit to either of them.

It’s actually kind of interesting; Hal Jordan is one of the more straightforward heroes of the DC Universe. He’s not known for being a brilliant strategist, just a sincere and courageous airman. I kind of like that he’s finding ways to win military campaigns without being forced into the mold of other heroes, but it feels like Venditti could have conceived a scenario that would have played to Hal’s strengths more. And that’s without considering the theme of Hal having to be more thoughtful and responsible as Corps Leader that’s been central to much of Venditti’s run.

Astro City #13 – Review

By: Kurt Busiek (story), Brent Eric Anderson (art), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: It’s just like the townspeople in Footloose thought—dancing does lead to sex.

The Review: I admit that I tend to get a little nervous around non-linear stories. I can handle the back-and-forth jumps between two time periods that you get on Arrow or Rocket Girl, but keeping track of what’s happening at a string of different timelines feels like more work than I really want to put in. I like my fiction like reality: once something is in the past, I like to keep it there, looking back only when necessary.

So I was prepared to dislike this issue, it being not only chronologically out of order, but also broken into half a dozen storylines all featuring characters I’d never met before, some of whom go nameless the whole time. But it just goes to show you: if you have a writer who knows what he’s doing on a really compelling idea, then anything can work. It also helps that this jumbled narrative, which, true to the issue’s title, waltzes from hour to hour with no apparent pattern, is contained to this issue alone. I don’t know whether I could’ve handled an ongoing series done like this.

Green Lantern #31 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (writer), Billy Tan (penciller), Rob Hunter (inker), Alex Sinclair (colorist)

The Story: A Durlan is everthing. A Durlan is everywhere…

The Review: I’ve generally enjoyed Robert Venditti’s run on Green Lantern, however I must admit that there has been something off about it that I’ve been struggling to put my finger on. Is it the balance between internal Lantern matters and the greater universe? Is it decompression? Event fatigue? The needs of the issues vs. that of the overarching story? Perhaps a bit of all of them but, regardless, this feeling of being not quite right has been a leach on the story. I’m honestly quite impressed at how Venditti has handled the nigh impossible task of following Geoff Johns’ franchise revitalizing epic, but the past year has been one of ups and downs – has it really been a year already? Still it’s all been leading up to this…

With this issue the long simmering Lantern-Durlan war enters a new phase. I don’t know if Venditti was biding his time until “Uprising” began or simply felt that he had lots of set up to do, but either way this is a big step up for the series. I mentioned last month that Green Lantern seemed to reset every month, starting from the same status quo without a sense of building tension. Well, in addition to picking up fairly directly from the impressive issue #30, this issue really feels like a shift in the book’s dynamic. Betrayals are revealed, mysteries discovered, and character tested.

One thing that’s interesting to compare between Johns and Venditti are their moments of apotheosis. While these moments in Venditti’s run lack something of the ‘hell yeah’ quality of Johns’, it’s worth mentioning that the latter’s often felt like the climax of an argument one held with oneself; not so in Venditti’s stories. The universe doesn’t justify or disavow Hal Jordan in this issue and, while he has a moment of triumph, there is the sense that the other shoe could still drop. It’s an interesting and sincere look at a man like Jordan, who’s used to being right. As a Lantern he could make do on the strength of his beliefs, as Corps Leader he’ll be judged on their content as well, and he won’t discover the verdict till it’s all over.

Astro City #11 – Review

By: Kurt Busiek (story), Brent Eric Anderson (art), Alex Sinclair & Wendy Broome (colors)

The Story: Unfortunately, there’s no spell for good organization.

The Review: There’s a kind of segregation that happens in the superhero world, namely between the heroes and the civilians. In one sphere, the heroes fling punches and energy blasts, crashing off and through buildings, flying overhead and grappling with their foes. In another sphere, the civilians dutifully run about, panicking or trying to stave the damage, according to their natures. The two groups interact infrequently and usually in the most cursory manner.

Astro City isn’t so different in this regard, but it does the rare exceptions. Raitha McCann, personal assistant to the Silver Adept, functions much like a Pepper Potts or Alfred Pennyworth, and if she existed in any other comic book universe, we’d most likely only see her a couple times an issue max, delivering exposition, wit, or emotional support as needed. But since this is Astro City, it’s Raitha who takes central focus. We’re only invested in Adept’s life insofar as it impacts Raitha’s.

Green Lantern #30 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (writer), Martin Coccolo (artist), and Tony Avina & Alex Sinclair (colorists)

The Story: As war looms and old friends are laid to rest, Hal Jordan checks his privilege.

The Review: To be perfectly honest, I considered not picking this issue up. Green Lantern has been a solid series of late but, while the past two issues have been quite good, something about it seemed to reset every month, losing the momentum it had gained. Combined with a growing pull list and a somewhat looking generic gladiator cover, I wasn’t certain about this one – I mean weren’t there two episodes of GL: The Animated Series about Hal fighting in brown gladiatorial arenas? Nevertheless, if you’re in the same place, you may want to reconsider.

Though Green Lantern has long used the analogy of being an intergalactic police force, like many real police forces throughout the world, under dire circumstances they’ve really become a peculiar cosmic army. You can hold to the police line as long as you like, but they’re not called the corps for nothing and acknowledging that is one of the single best decisions that Robert Venditti has made during his tenure here.

In a great moment, very consciously at odds with the corps’ new verdant home, Venditti reminds us that “The soul of the corps[…]isn’t the barracks and its 7200 lockers filled with memories from each Lantern’s home[…]The soul of the corps is the crypt.” It’s a morbid thought but an oddly truthful one. Especially these days, Lanterns come and go and who you are when you’re off duty matters less and less. No, what matters is that you were part of something bigger. It’s a standard part of modern military thought, one designed to build community, but for roguish Hal Jordan, it’s a pill that doesn’t go down easy.

Superman Unchained #6 – Review

By: Scott Snyder (story), Jim Lee (pencils), Scott Williams (inks), Dustin Nguyen (art), Alex Sinclair & John Kalisz (colors)

The Story: Superman faces the nuclear winter of Ascension’s discontent.

The Review: While I personally think Action Comics is the quintessential Superman title on the market, there’s no denying that Unchained remains the Superman “It Girl.”  What’s interesting is that the current storylines in each series have a common conflict: Clark’s universal concern for humanity versus purely American interests.  The way Greg Pak and Snyder have handled this conflict reveals the essential differences in their respective styles and books.

In a way, Pak doesn’t really challenge Clark’s values as directly as Snyder does.  In Action Comics, Ghost Soldier is a formidable opponent for Clark, but he’s no match for Clark’s capabilities.  Under those conditions, Clark can take a broader worldview than Soldier simply because he has the power to.  But Wraith is not only Clark’s match, but his superior both in power and experience.  If there’s a scenario Wraith can’t handle, it calls into question whether Clark can, either.

Astro City #10 – Review

By: Kurt Busiek (story), Brent Eric Anderson (art), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: Victory apparently never learned to turn off all electronic devices before trial.

The Review: Since this arc has firmly kept us on the topic, let’s talk about another problematic area in feminism and its understanding of female-male relations.  In #7, I discussed the hostility certain feminists have towards men, and how unnecessary and unfair it is.  But even without mean-spiritedness, women can hold on to an impractical resistance to men with the mistaken belief that this somehow empowers them.

Just as it doesn’t make sense to rely on men for every little task, it doesn’t make sense to eschew them entirely as a resource.  Yet that’s exactly what the Council of Nike expect of their figurehead, someone who’s supposed to symbolize women’s strength and independence.  Taking that view to the extreme, the council sees something demeaning in Victory’s relationship with Samaritan and even her membership in the “male-dominated” Honor Guard.  They may not say it, but what they’re advocating is pure segregation, and we all know how well that works out.

Green Lantern #29 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (writer), Billy Tan and Martin Coccolo (pencilers), Rob Hunter and Walden Wong (inkers), Alex Sinclair and Tony Avina (colors)

The Story: Hal Jordan marks a new era of openness and humility in his leadership style by commanding a planet to move for him.

The Review: After an intrusion by Supergirl and the Red Lanterns last month, Robert Venditti’s Green Lantern returns to the task at hand.

Perhaps it was his meeting with Guy, or maybe just the place and time, but Hal is finally beginning to grow into leadership. His move to assemble a war council is a baby step for him, but it’s the first major action as leader where he’s opened himself up and asked for help. Likewise, it’s a strong move for the series, which has been excessively, some would say obnoxiously, focused on Lantern Jordan since Geoff Johns rebooted it ten years ago.

It’s not that Hal isn’t a fun character, it’s just that very few comic characters can handle that prolonged attention without growing dull. Batman shares his comic with a small gaggle of sidekicks and, more often than not, lets his villains do the heavy lifting. With Sinestro gone, it’s about time that Hal’s regular supporting cast expanded beyond Kilowog and this proves that Venditti is serious about continuing his strides in that direction.

The one downside of this is that it means that Hal has to do something to back up his newfound conviction. The raid on Gwottle that takes up just under half the issue is perfectly serviceable but, aside from highlighting another one of Hal’s inner circle, it’s not terribly interesting. Venditti makes strides in bringing a sense of space-spanning action and galactic realpolitik to the series, but once we set down it feels like they’re in competition. It’s the sort of thing that lets the issue claim a significant battle sequence, but wouldn’t be missed if you skipped this issue.

Harley Quinn #3 – Review

By: Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti (story), Chad Hardin (art), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: It’s a bad day when a long-haired dwarf turns down a date with you.

The Review: I tried watching Dexter some years ago, back when it was new and getting wildly popular, despite all the controversy it generated.  I was enthralled by the first few episodes as much as anyone else, but at some point, I suddenly felt like I could no longer stomach the idea of getting entertainment out of murder.  It was less a moral reaction than a biological one; every time Dexter took out one of those microscope slides, I started getting slightly queasy.

There’s something like that going on here with Harley Quinn.  I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m getting less and less mileage out of the macabre humor of this title with every passing month.  Again, it’s not so much the immorality of Harley’s kills that disturbs me, although that does play a part.  I’m fine with her bumping off anyone who goes after her first, but brutally slaying anyone, even prison inmates, for actions they can’t help is a lot less justifiable.

Astro City #9 – Review

By: Kurt Busiek (story), Brent Eric Anderson (art), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: Winged Victory learns what the wise already know—a good tea solves everything.

The Review: The flipside of trying to support the historically disadvantaged is that you might end up showing your own gentler brand of racism or sexism.  I think we can all agree there’s a fine line between providing opportunities to the disadvantaged and patronizing them.  This kind of dilemma is what I like to call liberal anxiety-plus.  Not only are you self-conscious about coming across as prejudiced, you’re self-conscious about your self-consciousness.

Speaking as a member of a minority group, I don’t experience this extreme level of political correctness that often, but I can recognize it, and I definitely see it in Samaritan’s uncertainty after he flies in to give her a last-minute assist in fighting off the Iron Legion.  “Should I have held back?” he asks.  “Let you handle them?”  But even the very question has a vaguely paternalistic air, as if he’s the one in control and he need only “[l]et” Victory “handle” things.

Green Lantern/Red Lanterns #28 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (writer), Billy Tan (penciller), Rob Hunter (inker), Alex Sinclair (colorist)

The Story: Hal Jordan and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

The Review: Things are a little complicated in Lanternland right now. With Hal and John finally working side by side, each Lantern’s title is spilling over into the other’s. For Hal, that means a set of surly new deputies, left over from Green Lantern Corps Annual #2. As Hal is forced to accept some unsavory help, dissention within the ranks is growing. Even so, all that will have to wait, as Kanjar-Ro is hardly the biggest guest star in this issue.

The issue does a fine job of expressing the constant pressure that Hal is under, even without any visible contribution from the Durlan resistance. The Corps never really recovered from the Guardian’s betrayal and “Lights Out” only made matters worse. If Venditti was looking to keep the Corps on their back foot, he’s succeeded, however series like Game of Thrones thrive on establishing comfortable status quos to be upset. The Corps disintegration is happening so slowly and so consistently that it can get a little sad, in more ways than one.

Of course, that’s not entirely this issue’s fault. It’s undeniable that this issue is strained by the pressures that other series are placing on it. Balancing tie-ins to three ongoing series is clearly taking a toll on Venditti’s pacing. Though he does the best with what he’s given, it never truly feels as though he justifies why things are quiet enough that this can be the primary concern. Perhaps GLC Annual answered that question, but last time I saw the Corps they had become galactic enemy #1, that’s not the sort of thing that you can brush under the rug.

Supergirl’s intrusion into the series is lengthy and predictable. The first five pages are visually engaging, but they end abruptly and serve little function, as they are fully recapped later. Likewise, Hal’s realizations are believable, but ultimately uninteresting. The story follows the track it’s supposed to take and Venditti seems unable to wrest control from the story he’s been handed.

Thankfully, the latter part of the issue feels less suffocated and more like the Green Lantern we’ve known in recent months.

Perhaps in homage to the sadly departed Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Venditti has struck up a delightful friendship between Mogo and Saint Walker, similarly ringless. While it’s a fairly obvious, and highly questionable, storytelling device to wound Walker’s faith Venditti does an admirable job of presenting a depowered Walker without drowning in angst. If he can continue to treat Saint Walker’s spiritual crisis with the respect it deserves, it could prove an engaging side-plot.

Failing to find answers with the last Blue Lantern, Hal turns to the Reds, leading into their crossover. Hal and his Corpsmen’s dialogue is much higher quality than in the pre-Walker sections and Venditti conveys a great balance of determination and uncertainty in Hal. The whole mess leads to an incredible cliffhanger that’s so brilliant in its simplicity that one has to wonder why its like has never been attempted before. Better still, you don’t have to wait a month for some resolution!

Billy Tan, Rob Hunter, and Alex Sinclair bring their distinct look to the title once again this issue and we’re all better for it. Though much of the issue is standard for the team, that’s hardly a slight and it does contain a couple of standout panels. A couple of shots of Lantern Lok in the opening scene and a wry look between Hal and Kilowog stand out as particularly lovely work. On the other hand, some characters, like Vath Sarn, remain unpleasantly stiff and lifeless.

The whole team, Sinclair especially, has benefitted greatly from the Corps’ relocation to Mogo. The entire issue is awash in beautiful color and lush backgrounds. Though Tan can’t provide an unreasonable amount of detail, he clearly gives it his all, reaching a crescendo during Hal’s discussion with Saint Walker.

The unique look of the series is also continued in Tan’s page arrangements. As ever, clever use of circular panels, gutters, and empty space define the issue’s look. It’s also worth mentioning how effectively Tan uses momentum, especially in the opening battle.

The Conclusion: Though the art is the standard high quality work that GL’s art team has provided, Green Lantern #28 never escapes the shadow of its multiple crossovers. Scenes tend to linger, giving the impression that the issue is merely treading water until its primary plotline can resume. Though the later portion of the issue bears a greater resemblance to Venditti’s output in previous months, it’s not quite enough. An earnest but, ultimately, tepid beginning to “Red Alert”.

Grade: C+

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By: Charles Soule (writer), Alessandro Vitti (artist), Gabe Eltaeb (colorist)

The Story: Zilius Zox refuses to accept that it’s hip to be square.

The Review: At the same time Guy Gardner is dealing with a situation on Earth while attempting to patch things up with Ice. I admit that I didn’t pick up Justice League of America #7.3 or The Savage Hawkman, but it is positively refreshing to see a Hawkman villain showing up in a Lantern title, especially considering that her archnemesis’ title has been canceled.

The Shadow Thief is more than a little shallow in characterization, but her over-the-top hatred and vitriol provides an amusing counterpoint as Guy, Zilius, and Skallox try to keep themselves under control.

Once again, Soule proves that humor may be the key to making this series work. The mindless fury of the original Red Lanterns soon proved insufficient to support an ongoing series, but it seems that a quiet anger, sometimes a passive-aggression, may be what it takes to elevate the series up to meet its Lantern brethren. Particularly as rendered by Alessandro Vitti, every blow thrown, every hit taken, and every retort fired contain a spark of anger.

There’s something cathartic about seeing anger unleashed, but Soule does a great job of reminding us that rage is scariest not when it’s constant, but when the threat of it is. In that, Guy’s dalliance on Earth becomes an impressive look at what it means for him to be a Red Lantern, rather than just a superhero romp around Paris.

While this could easily have sustained a full issue, Soule still has a crossover to handle and handle it he does. In half the pages, Soule delivers an equivalent experience to Venditti’s story and, in honesty, it proves quite a bit more gripping. Now that Green Lantern has set the stage Red Lanterns takes a moment to play with the toys it’s been given, and I assure you that getting Hal and Guy together is the equivalent of Christmas.

Their interactions actually remind quite a bit of Jason Aaron’s most recent Wolverine and the X-Men arc, and I mean that in the best possible way. Both Lanterns are given respect and consideration by the writer, each flawed and each fragile, and the attention paid to their complicated friendship is the core of what fans love about the Corps.

Meanwhile Atrocitus is none too pleased about that being killed and deposed business. Especially in Vitti’s toothy depiction, Atrocitus has returned to the terrifying threat that he started as. His new priestly persona can read a little forced, but his ever looming presence and ominous calm combine to create a legitimately intimidating character.

Vitti utilizes weaker inks and scratchier lines for the scenes on Groy, which contribute to a sense of immediacy and realism. It feels less like a style for the spandex-set and brings out the cosmic horror in characters like Bleez, Atrocitus, and Klarn

A much more sturdy style follows Guy and his troop around. As if representing the shift in leadership within the Red Lanterns, the scenes on Earth and Ysmault have the cartoon bounciness of a classic Superhero yarn. Vitti has a tendency to draw panels that resemble each other just a bit too much, but it’s a small price to pay for exciting and expressive compositions. I also have to say that he seems to have a thing for bangs and, seeing it, so do I. That said, his take on Guy’s mustache is either amazing or horrifying depending upon your position.

The Conclusion: This may not be the book that Charles Soule will make his name on, but this issue certainly proves how solid he can be in his delivery. While the initial slew of Red Lanterns stories were wordy musings on what it means to be angry, Soule presents a deeper, more familiar look while Alessandro Vitti provides forceful artwork that fleshes the ragtag corps out.

Despite a crossover reminiscent of a child’s toy box, Red Lanterns #28 feels like just another issue of the series, for better or worse. It’s a fine jumping-on point, if not one that feels like a must read.  Regardless, fewer responsibilities and a greater focus on character work make Red Lanterns #28 the superior brother in this strange but wonderful DC experiment.

Grade: B-

Some Thoughts:

• Charles Soule seems to come naturally to the kind of simple, brilliant world-building that I love. Little details like Klarn’s reaction to “the blood ritual” or Guy’s explanation of the Shadow Thief are absolute gold, wrapped up in a single word bubble.
• Much as I loved the way the team handled Tora in this issue, one particular panel of Bleez and Rankorr distressed me. The panel in question put the two of them looking deeply into each other’s eyes, inches apart. There’s nothing explicitly sexual or romantic about it, but it definitely recalls such scenarios. Given Bleez’ backstory, I’m oddly uncomfortable with the prospect of pairing her up with Rankorr. Obviously it’s not the most unsettling element of the character, but it doesn’t sit right with me. Did anybody else feel similarly?

– Noah Sharma

Harley Quinn #2 – Review

By: Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti (story), Chad Hardin & Stephane Roux (art), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: Harley makes it clear that pet control will not be part of her landlady duties.

The Review: Does anyone remember Animaniacs?  Much as I didn’t care for Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, I loved pretty much every other segment and character on that show, and one of my favorites was “Good Idea, Bad Idea,” a recurring sketch that envisioned the hapless Mr. Skull carrying out the various good ideas (“Drinking fresh milk from the carton.”) and bad ideas (“Drinking fresh milk from the cow.”).  It was a weekly lesson on the value of execution.

I bring this up because Harley Quinn can really stand to take that lesson a little more to heart.  While almost everything that happens in this issue may have started out as a good idea in Conner-Palmiotti’s head, what ends up on the page is almost invariably a bad idea.  Let’s start with an easy one: Bernie, Harley’s charbroiled beaver.  Besides just being weird for no other reason than to be weird—and maybe to get the juvenile pleasure of having Harley talk about her beaver all the time—Bernie also has confusing implications for Harley’s mental stability.  Most writers see the source of her crimes as coming from a highly skewed perspective on life, not unlike her mentor and soulmate.  Talking to Bernie places her squarely into Crazytown.

Astro City #8 – Review

By: Kurt Busiek (story), Brent Eric Anderson (art), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: The Trinity of Astro City come together and just barely avoid a trademark violation.

The Review: The brilliance behind Astro City is despite its cornucopia of heroes and villains, the focus is rarely on the supers or their endless battles.  There is, however, one distinct benefit to being a superhero in Astro City: civilians come and go, entering the spotlight for an issue or so before moving on, but the capes are constant.  No matter how powerful each Astro citizen’s story, it’s the ones in costume that remain recognizable over the course of the series.

This is especially true for Samaritan, Winged Victory, and Confessor, who are as much icons for the Astro City universe as their forbears, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman, are for the DCU.  While mostly useful as stand-ins for more famous, but copyright-protected figures, this particular trinity of heroes does occasionally bear intriguing stories of their own, as character-driven and relatable as any tale from the Astro citizenry.

Superman Unchained #5 – Review

By: Scott Snyder (story), Jim Lee (pencils), Scott Williams (inks), Dustin Nguyen (art), Alex Sinclair & John Kalisz (colors),

The Story: If Superman’s image of himself 40 years from now is that bad, what hope is there for the rest of us?

The Review: While some folks may decry any grimness that enters the ultimately cheerful Superman mythos, I always thought Clark’s halcyon childhood in the comics was a bit too sugar-coated to be credible.  If Smallville and Man of Steel did the comics one better at anything, it was giving the young Clark some actual trauma and a bit of a temper—too much at times, sure, but my point is the changes weren’t inherently bad ones.

Since the DC relaunch, the comics have aligned more closely with Superman’s TV and film appearances by emphasizing that Smallville life was not always watching sunrises/sunsets from wheat fields.  Now, I may join the pitchfork-bearers when it comes to things like killing off the Kents,* but I have no problem with the notion of Clark’s burgeoning powers as a consistent source of tragedy for him.  It’s logical that his nature would invite more dramatic consequences to his actions than the typical farm boy.  With his origins, it’s asking too much to make it seem as if he experienced the ups and downs of childhood and adolescence like everybody else.

Harley Quinn #1 – Review

By: Amanda Connor & Jimmy Palmiotti (story), Chad Hardin (art), Alex Sinclair (colorist)

The Story: She’s like Marlo Thomas in That Girl, only with a criminal record!

The Review: I didn’t have plans to review this series, and I didn’t even check out the gimmicky and somewhat controversial #0 issue.  I’ve always liked Harley Quinn fine, but she never really interested me until Ales Kot had his way with her on Suicide Squad.  There, she had a razor-sharp intellect that revealed itself at her most bubbly, chaotic moments, not unlike the man who inspired her.  I’ll be honest; I had little confidence Palmiotti could capture that same duality.

And he doesn’t.  Instead, like most writers, he and Connor keep Quinn’s cunning under wraps, focusing more heavily on her comedic side.  It’s not a bad choice.  Her sheer vivacity has a lot of charm, and she takes such delight when giving in to impulse that it’s hard not to enjoy it, despite yourself.  Who else in the DCU can convincingly break out into song in a moment of pure joy, belting the first bar of “The Sound of Music”* as she twirls in her newly inherited apartment

Astro City #7 – Review

By: Kurt Busiek (story), Brent Eric Anderson (art), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: Winged Victory realizes that boys have feelings, too.

The Review: While I’m very much all for supporting the progress of women in society, I’ve never much appreciated the ladies who labored under the impression that they could only advance themselves by treating men as the enemy.  After all, men can be victimized and unfairly stereotyped, too, though more rarely and with less serious consequences.  Statistically, women are more vulnerable, but that doesn’t make guys somehow invulnerable.

Joey Lacroix, a young man escaping abuse and seeking sanctuary with Winged Victory, is a good example (and, I might add from personal experience, entirely credible).  This is someone who’s suffered no less from callousness and domination as the people Victory usually takes in, yet the immediate response from one her workers to his plea for help is, “Whoa.  We don’t do that, kid.  We teach women self-defense here.  Just women.  No men allowed.”

Green Lantern #26 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (writer); Billy Tan (penciler); Rob Hunter, Don Ho, and Billy Tan (inkers), Alex Sinclair (colorist)

The Story: There’s no kill like overkill…

The Review: Lights Out has given Hal Jordan a second start at leading the Green Lantern Corps and he’s determined to make the best of it. Though the issue features a fairly extensive supporting cast by the end, it remains Hal’s story throughout.

Venditti does an excellent job with Earth’s greatest Lantern, balancing his heroism and flaws admirably. It’s not merely a case of dramatic irony either, as Hal not only manages to come off reasonably, despite his somewhat half-baked command decisions, but acknowledges his failures from time to time. Venditti even shows Hal concerned over the Green Lantern brand, balancing his firm faith in the Corps’ exceptionalism with his knowledge that the Guardians tarnished that image. These choices help Hal feel like a real person struggling to do the right thing, rather than the overconfident hothead that he had risked becoming since Relic’s incursion. Best of all is the subtle sense that Hal is rushing into things because he doesn’t want to have to deal with Relic, the reservoir, or Kyle.

Nol-Anj and her followers are an excellent fusion of modern and classic Lantern foes. I really appreciate how the standard Braidmen are presented as a limited but credible threat. Though we only learn a little more about the Braidmen this issue, I hope that the title will continue to play with such differing moralities and that Venditti will return to these characters in time.

Astro City #6 – Review

By: Kurt Busiek (story), Brent Eric Anderson (art), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: Special delivery, for one Telseth of the star-spanning Kvurri!  Sign here, please.

The Review: For all the efforts made to produce diversity in comic books, it’s amazing how little we actually get.  That’s probably because publishers’ conceptions of diversity tend to miss the point.  Stories don’t prosper just by ticking off a checklist of superficial qualities: a black man here, an Asian woman there, a few gay folks thrown in for good measure.  Without strong characters to fall back on, you can discredit the very demographics you wanted to promote.

On this point especially, Astro City stands out.  Busiek has brought back diversity—real diversity—to comics, not by picking and choosing from underrepresented classes of people, but by delving into the things that truly make people different and interesting: their backgrounds, families, attitudes, and experiences.  This is how Busiek can get away with writing stories featuring seemingly ordinary characters; he knows the powerful effect of details.

Green Lantern #25 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (writer), Billy Tan (penciler), Rob Hunter (inker), Alex Sinclair & Tony Avina (colorists)

The Story: The Corps lays down the law.

The Review: Lights Out proved to be an interesting diversion from Green Lantern’s standard fare, but thankfully it seems that it will play a larger role than that. Robert Venditti has done an excellent job of incorporating the events of Lights Out while allowing readers who jumped off for the crossover to feel right at home.

The larger than life tales of heroes and monsters have frequently led comics to be compared to classical myth. However, to the Greeks the word hero was fundamentally different from how we view it. Indeed, heroes were not good so much as they were god-like and gods were not so much just as they were grand. Their mythology celebrated exceptionalism and extremity, the good and the bad. It seems that Venditti is taking a page from their book.

Hal’s decision to police the other Corps is a drastic one, but one that makes a certain degree of sense when you consider Relic’s legacy and the decidedly unstable forces that lead the other Lantern Corps. It also gives us plenty of reason to see some Lantern vs. Lantern action, which fans will likely appreciate. Despite this, it’s clear that Hal’s decision is poorly thought out and dangerously hypocritical. He’s starting to sound a lot like the Guardians that he dethroned in order to get his new position, but I suppose such is the way of tyrants*.

Superman Unchained #4 – Review

By: Scott Snyder (story), Jim Lee (pencils), Scott Williams (inks), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: Superman becomes the Luke Skywalker to Wraith’s Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The Review: I’ll be the first to admit that even though I’m very much a superhero fan, the genre has grown formulaic over the years, and not to an unnoticeable degree either.  Still, I would discourage any broad generalizations about the integrity of the genre.  If anything, it’s harder than ever to write a superhero comic that’s well-crafted, much less novel.  Getting that balance of action-adventure while still telling a story with some teeth to it remains an elusive task.

That’s why Superman Unchained reveals the range of Snyder’s abilities even as some might say that the title wastes talents that might otherwise be spent on more legitimate, creator-owned pursuits.  Few others in the business can engage in the blockbuster type of action you see here while retaining some credibility.  Snyder’s scientific approach to the application of Superman’s powers is so convincing that you spend less time picking out the technical flaws of what’s going on, and more time relishing the action before you.

Astro City #5 – Review

By: Kurt Busiek (story), Brent Eric Anderson (art), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: Never mess with a man’s data wall, especially a Broken Man’s.

The Review: In the short time that it’s returned to the living, Astro City has quickly gotten us back into its rhythm of done-in-one’s and two’s, so much so that you’ve nearly forgotten that there’s an overarching plot lurking around somewhere.  It’s been four months since we last saw the Broken Man and his ranting and raving about Oubor and nothing we’ve read so far has given us even a hint about what’s happening on that front.

Here, Busiek makes up a bit for lost time, even against Broken Man’s will.  True to the purple-skinned man’s name, however, the information receive is fractured into vignettes, each of which sheds a little light, a mere candle-flicker, onto this thing he’s striving against.  The pieces aren’t such that you can fit them together into a coherent picture, but you can at least get some sense of what we’ll ultimately be dealing with here.

Green Lantern #24 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (writer), Billy Tan (penciller), Rob Hunter (inker), Alex Sinclair (colorist)

The Story: Ahh, after ten billion years, Relic is free. It’s time to conquer Oa!

The Review: It’s been four months since Geoff Johns and his compatriots left the cosmic scene for less green pastures and ever since the entire franchise has been leading up to this moment. Though the war really began in the tragic Green Lantern: New Guardians #23, with this attack on the universe’s most established corps of Lanterns, Relic has truly stepped onto the galactic stage.

This issue really does feel as though we’re in for a full-scale Green Lantern event and Robert Venditti does an excellent job of tying the events of the three Green Lantern books together. It may not have been so long ago that Johns and co. were barraging us with a slew of GL crossovers, but I’m ready to give them another chance. This is a shorter event than many of us are used to and, accordingly, Venditti doesn’t waste much time before things begin to crumble around old Highball Jordan. The stakes are high, and the threat is wisely conceived, playing on fears and symbols from Lantern lore as well as reality.

This is also a solid opening act for the Lights Out crossover. The players are established, their motives explained, and the seeds of the subsequent issues are planted. It isn’t completely friendly to new readers, assuming an understanding of the corps and at least a cursory knowledge of the emotional spectrum, but lapsed fans, mourners of GL:TAS, and those unfortunate enough to know the emerald warrior from his disastrous movie outing will all find it easy enough to get on board.

Superman Unchained #3 – Review

By: Scott Snyder (story), Jim Lee (pencils), Scott Williams (inks), Alex Sinclair & Jeromy Cox (colors)

The Story: Traveling halfway across Utah is bad enough; doing it as a result of a drop-kick is worse.

The Review: Superman-analogue villains are nothing new, even to the Man of Steel himself: Zod, Cyborg-Superman, and most recently, H’el.  Each of these antagonists is intended to parallel and contrast with Superman, to reveal his virtues by their own lacking of the same.  In a sense, these characters give a glimpse into how Superman could have turned out with a different upbringing than he had in Smallville.

Wraith is no exception to this trend.  Unlike Superman, he was sent to Earth not by circumstance but by design.  He describes himself as an answer to someone’s prayers, that someone being the U.S. military during a time of war.  Despite arriving looking fully grown, he refers to one General Rudolph as “the first father I knew,” meaning he was raised with all the efficiency, pragmatism, and discipline America’s finest can provide.  He’s an older, more experienced Superman with the attitude of a military brat, purposely isolated from society at large—a threatening combination.

Nothing could suit General Lane’s aims more.  While Superman definitely has more dangerous antagonists, Wraith included, Lane is the one that really grabs your attention, demanding your respectful hatred.  Few mortal men have the chutzpah to confront DC’s biggest so brazenly, but Lane’s unflappability gives even Luthor’s a run for its money.  When Superman states he just wants to talk, Lane replies shortly, “Well, you do it from your knees, son.”