Green Lantern Corps #22 – Review

By: Van Jensen & Robert Venditti (story), Bernard Chang (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: No time for homesick crying—there’s Lantern work to be done!

The Review: In Green Lantern #22, I took offense at Hal Jordan’s insensitive berating of several frightened recruits dragged against their will to the middle of a Lantern battle.  Even in context it seemed unnatural because of how out-of-character it was for Hal.  Since when was he such a militaristic jerk?  At his worst, he’s stubborn and arrogant, not mean.  The fact Venditti failed to recognize this basic premise of Hal’s character says volumes about his respect for continuity.

If anything, Venditti paired with Jensen produces even worse results, which is truly unfortunate, as John Stewart has been mishandled so much already that he can ill afford any more writing defects.  In Jensens-Venditti’s attempts to liven up John’s personality, they make him seem like—and pardon my French here—a complete douchebag.  Again, this is not to say a superhero can’t have an awful personality, but just not when it contradicts the personality he had before.

Green Lantern Corps #21 – Review

By: Robert Venditti & Van Jensen (story), Bernard Chang (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: Nothing like dating the lone survivor of the planet you murdered to add some spice to the romance.

The Review: I must admit, the discovery that Venditti has his name on both of the biggest titles in the Green Lantern franchise filled me with no small amount of consternation.  Green Lantern #21 was a pedestrian read by most standards, despite its attempts to shake-up the status quo and hit the ground running.  To think that issue’s writer will get to plot this series as well (admittedly with Jensen’s help on scripting) is discouraging, to say the least.

I hoped this issue would prove me dead wrong, but instead it only proves me sick-but-rapidly-recovering wrong.  If it functions at all better than GL #21, it’s probably because the choice of ensemble, and what Venditti-Jensen do with them, is slightly more interesting than whatever’s going on with Hal in his starring title.  I applaud the decision to make John Stewart the central figure of the series, with Salaak and Soranik Natu as features; these guys (and especially this girl) have not had much love since the DCU relaunched.

Demon Knights #19 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (story), Bernard Chang (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: It’s a pretty bad economy when even the devil fears losing his job.*

The Review: I don’t think I’m unique in liking creators who can surprise me, particularly if they can do it without resorting to cheap tricks or totally groundless gimmicks.  If you expose yourself enough to any medium of fiction, you eventually catch on to most of its patterns, formulas, clichés, and tropes, rendering many stories too predictable to enjoy.  A writer who manages to spring some genuinely unexpected moments through all that deserves some credit.

Venditti manages to surprise you in precisely this manner several times in this issue, starting with one that quite impressed me from the opening: Vandal Savage revealing that his recent animosity towards Jason Blood is due to Etrigan nearly cutting Savage’s immortal life short in the title’s last arc.  “I’m immortal, but the demon dragged me into the afterlife anyway,” he states coldly.  The moment he says it, it’s like a switch flips on in your head: of course—makes total sense.  Yet you probably didn’t think of it until Venditti wrote it.

Demon Knights #18 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (story), Bernard Chang (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: Xanadu and Etrigan resume their “Are they or aren’t they” relationship.

The Review: If I’m going to commend DC for keeping a title like Dial H around, then they deserve another (smaller) show of gratitude for the continuing presence of Demon Knights.  While I certainly don’t see the fantasy series as on par with Dial H in terms of craft and importance, at the very least it breaks the monotony of superhero comics inundating the mainstream comics market, and that’s definitely something worth preserving.

Where else are you going to see Amazons versus vampires?  Not exactly high-concept, I grant you, but no less the interesting for it, right?  Now, if there’s any group of folk built to face the undead, it’s got to be the warrior women of Themyscira.  After one bout with the bloodsuckers, they’ve already caught on to all the tricks: pierce the heart and behead for a permanent kill; get ‘em in the sun to slow ‘em down; and finish off the bitten before they can add to the ranks.

Demon Knights #17 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (story), Bernard Chang (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: And now, in a new episode of Dungeon Break…

The Review: Anytime a new writer takes over on a title, you have to give them a little breathing room to find their voice and settle into the world their predecessors set before them.  Obviously, it’d be ideal if they could hit the ground running the moment they start, but that’s a rare delight and we should expect it as such.  For everyone else, it often does take a couple issues before the story and characters start gelling with them.

Venditti got off to a promising start in his debut issue last month by, at the very least, not botching the core personalities of the cast entirely.  Anyone who reads comics regularly knows how often that kind of thing actually happens.  Venditti clearly realizes that even with a span of years separating Paul Cornell’s Knights from his own, he still has an obligation to conform to the characters Cornell established.  Here, in just his second issue, Venditti gets even more attuned to the cast; that, or you’re getting more attuned with the subtle changes he’s made.

Demon Knights #16 – Review

By: Robert Venditti (story), Bernard Chang (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: It’d be nice if these reunions could happen anyplace besides a dungeon cell.

The Review: I’m always a little wary after a writer I admire leaves his title for some unknown to take his place—unknown to me, of course.  I’ve only heard vaguely respectable rumors about Venditti from my subconscious internet browsing, but I still had my doubts as to his ability to step in Paul Cornell’s shoes.  That’s still a step up from where Peter Milligan stood when he took over Stormwatch from Cornell, however; I didn’t even give Milligan a chance to prove himself.

As you read this issue, it soon becomes clear that Venditti definitely brings his own taste to the title, but he tries very hard to remain true to the blend of playfulness and ambition Cornell brought.  The specter of fate surrounding our group remains the same, as does the tense camaraderie of the characters.  Most importantly, perhaps, Venditti does not go out of his way to shake up the status quo or change the cast’s core personalities.

Demon Knights #15 – Review

By: Paul Cornell (story), Bernard Chang (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: Isn’t it the worst feeling, waking up one day and realizing you’re young?

The Review: So we’ve come to the end of Cornell’s run on this title, and many more’s the pity, since it feels very much like he’s only scratched the surface of what he wanted to do with this particular set of characters.  It wasn’t even that long ago that they were first referred to by their collective identity as the Demon Knights, and here it seems they’re ready to never be identified as such ever again.

Of course, we know there’s no real danger of a permanent split, what with Robert Vendetti taking over for the indefinite future starting next month.  More than that, the strings of fate are wrapped tightly around the Knights, and despite their resistance, they’ll have no choice but to respond when the next crisis calls.  Horsewoman calls them fools for even attempting to thwart what’s been determined:

“To be offered hope—a destiny—and deny it immediately.  If you are still stupid enough to think you should be apart—then it is indeed the doom of humans—that they forget.”

Demon Knights #14 – Review

By: Paul Cornell (story), Bernard Chang (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: Actually, Hell’s starting to look like a pretty peaceful place, comparatively.

The Review: Last month I felt a distinctly Secret Six sort of vibe from our cast of characters, which can only be a good thing, in my view.  Aside from the obvious connections (the presence of a Savage, romantic ambiguity, etc.), the Demon Knights share the same resignation to a loser’s fate as the Six, although both continue striving (fruitlessly, you might say) for better things to come.

Consider Jason reuniting with Xan.  Though overjoyed at finding each other and the prospect of ridding themselves of Etrigan forever, their happiness barely lasts a couple panels before bitter experience sets in.  Jason immediately recognizes that nothing so good can come that easily for them.  Xan agrees, but neatly describes the cautious optimism (the “desperate hope,” Jason calls it) the Knights all have: moving forward might at least give them “more options,” even if none of them are any good.

Demon Knights #13 – Review

By: Paul Cornell (story), Bernard Chang (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: Hey, it may be Hell, but at least it’s custom-tailored to your tastes.

The Review: You may have heard by now that Cornell will leave this title in only a few more issues, which is heartbreaking, but apparently par for the course for him, given his records on Captain Britain and MI: 13 and Action Comics.  (I must say, this gives me chills about the future of Saucer Country already).  And even though successor Robert Venditti has gotten approval from Cornell himself, I still worry if he can bring what Cornell brought to this series.

Certainly a Cornell title doesn’t read like any other title out there.  He may not be as audaciously ambitious like Grant Morrison, but he really brings his own flavor of ideas to whatever he writes.  He never tells a story in a straightforward way, but always from an oddball angle completely unique to him.  Consider Demon Knights; the more you read it, the more you perceive the sullen tone it has that prevents it from being a pure sword-and-sorcery fantasy.

Demon Knights #0 – Review

By: Paul Cornell (story), Bernard Chang (art), Marcelo Maiolo (colors)

The Story: Give Jason a break, Merlin—the devil made him do it.

The Review: In Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next novels, the titular character observes that in real life, things happen in our lives on a constant basis without any significance at all.  She points out, shortly after nearly getting steamrollered by a, well, steamroller, that had such a thing happened in a book, after some one hundred pages she’d discover the event was part of a crafted series of interrelated acts that would affect her profoundly.  And of course, a hundred pages in, she would.

Once you’ve experienced a lot of fiction, you realize that there’s no shortage of examples where things happen without much reason or impact—as much because of poor writing as anything else—but by and large, everything in a story happens for a reason.  Bringing this back to Demon Knights, the question then becomes: why Etrigan and why Jason Blood?  Why did Merlin call upon that particular demon and bind him to this particular individual?

DC Universe Presents #11 – Review

By: James Robinson (story), Bernard Chang (art)

The Story: Sometimes it takes a gun to keep your loved ones close to you.

The Review: This summer, I have an internship where I get up close and personal with my state’s dependency system.  Having witnessed some of the scum of the earth where mothers and fathers are concerned, I’ve learned that even the very worst of them can have a deep attachment to their children.  You’ll see a man with tattoos covering his face and his hands in cuffs turn into the most affectionate dad in the world when his little girl comes to visit in custody.

So does it surprise me when Vandal Savage comes to his daughter’s rescue?  It does not.  (And I don’t consider this a spoiler because I’m pretty sure everyone and his mother saw this coming.)  In fiction, once you establish a parent-child relationship, it must come into play at some crucial juncture, regardless if they have any connection beyond that.  Besides, we already know Vandal has some kind of affection for his daughter, obscured as it is by his carefree nature.

DC Universe Presents #10 – Review

By: James Robinson (story), Bernard Chang (art)

The Story: Nobody plagiarizes Vandal Savage’s murdering style!  Nobody!

The Review: I don’t know about you, but I always found the importance attached to Vandal Savage a little funny.  I mean, he’s only immortal.  When you think about it, mere immortality doesn’t help you out much if you live in a world full of violence and freak accidents.  But I think what’s given Vandal an edge in surviving up to modern times is the same thing which allowed him to survive through the most dangerous, earliest parts of human history: his savagery.

After millennia of civilization, the man has evolved intellectually—has absorbed as much of the whole of human experience as one person can—but beneath that patina of sophistication, he hasn’t changed much from the caveman he started out as.  That was true back in medieval times (as evidenced by the whooping, boisterous Savage in Demon Knights), and is true now.  Look at him using his teeth to escape FBI captivity, employing as much dexterity as his hands.  And look at his primal gestures of triumph once he succeeds: “Free!  Hahahaha!”

DC Universe Presents #9 – Review

By: James Robinson (story), Bernard Chang (art)

The Story: This is one woman with daddy issues no jag in a bar should ever mess with.

The Review: You know, it’s pretty amazing how my opinion of Robinson has changed in the past years (not that he cares, but nonetheless…).  The Shade has really redeemed his status as a top-class writer in my eyes, to the point where his name attached to a project can nudge me towards giving it a shot.  So it goes with this latest installment of DC Universe Presents.  I had my doubts about picking up this series again, but seeing Robinson on board made me take a leap.

The problem with this book is that thus far, it hasn’t worked out very well as a showcase for the rich population of DC characters.  The Deadman arc dragged on for too long, got overly windy, and did nothing to break him out of his rut as a grade C hero.  The Challengers of the Unknown, which were a hard sell to begin with, made an even more underwhelming showing, if anything.  Two for two, this title hasn’t succeeded in achieving its overarching objective.

Demon Knights #8 – Review

By: Paul Cornell (writer), Diógenes Neves (penciller), Bernard Chang (guest artist), Oclair Albert (inker), Marcelo Maiolo (colorist)

The Story: Except for the demon choking you part, that’s a pretty romantic story, Xanadu.

The Review: Most of the great superhero teams come together by necessity; some disaster strikes, and there’s no one to face it except the heroes who happen to be nearby.  Whether they handle the problem competently or with much mishap, once the whole thing’s over and the dust clears, they have to figure out where they go from there as a group?  Can these (semi) randomly assembled characters find enough common ground to stick with each other beyond a crisis?

The Demon Knights may not be the best of buddies, to grossly understate things, but they did just go through hell together—some of them literally—and as the old maxim goes, you can’t experience such perils with others and not form some kind of bond, however tenuous.  This is the first chance we get to see how they interact without impending doom hanging over them, and how they behave at rest might surprise you.  For example, Horsewoman is of surprisingly good humor, thought that might be her multiple head injuries talking.  Overall, suspicion has been replaced with curiosity and perhaps resignation that they must endure each other for a while.

The focus of this curiosity quite naturally lands on Xanadu, who clearly has the juiciest story to tell, what with her two-timing both her human and demonic lovers.  The explanation requires a bit of telling and takes up practically the whole issue, and while it’s all very interesting, you don’t come away feeling like you’ve learned more about the inscrutable witch than before—and not just because of Etrigan’s highly outlandish side of the story (“I now pronounce you demon and wife!”).  The madam’s motives have never been clear, and though seemingly well-intentioned, she also has an ends-means streak that often undermines her trustworthiness.

DC Universe Presents #5 – Review

By: Paul Jenkins (writer), Bernard Chang (artist), Blond (colorist)

The Story: I have a question for y’all: why ask the question?

The Review: Wow, hard to believe it’s been five months since I first considered the merits of applying a story-arc format to this showcase title.  I’ve tried to reserve my judgment along the way, but now that we’re at the end, I believe we can say conclusively that this has been largely a waste of the format.  If the purpose of this series is to brighten the dimmer stars of the DCU, then it’d be difficult to consider this story a success.

To follow the recurring motif of this issue, consider this question: would you consider Deadman any more appealing a character now than he was at the beginning of the series?  After all he’s been through, and all the information he’s gleaned from various sources, both human and divine, Boston has failed to learn anything of permanent value, and certainly nothing that’s changed him in any significant way.  He first appeared to us a wise-cracking rebel, and he ends on pretty much the same note.

The first problem is so much of what he’s learned has been plot-focused.  His encounters with the Son of Morning and the demon-angel who guarded his book of life yielded much to deepen his suspicions of Rama, but little to affect his outlook on life.  By the end of the issue, it’s hard to assess exactly how much he’s accomplished.  While he’s forged a new deal with Rama, presumably with better terms, the fact remains that he is still, for all intents and purposes, her servant, and his mission is essentially the same as before.

Perhaps the only difference in his renewed contract is that he’s no longer attached to the souls he possesses, or at least those he’s possessed before.  Jenkins tries to pass this off as a major point, but he’s failed all this time to explain what, exactly, is the peril in having Boston’s fate connected to his many lives.  He vaguely states these people “deserve to go on with their lives,” maybe implying that they now exist in some kind of purgatory, but considering how many of them are still counted among the living, this explanation doesn’t entirely work.

DC Universe Presents #4 – Review

By: Paul Jenkins (writer), Bernard Chang (artist), Blond (colorist)

The Story: Raise your hands and start screaming, we’re riding with the devil tonight!

The Review: Having taken quite a few philosophy classes in my college days, it’s a bit sad to reflect on them and realize I took away absolutely nothing which I can honestly say still applies to my life now.  In my defense, I can only say that when you learn philosophy, you don’t really learn a way to live; no philosopher worth his salt will give you a straight answer to anything, much less give you an outline for living.  All you get for your questions are more questions.

That seems to be the running theme in this installment of Deadman’s quest for answers.  You remember all those people he possessed and failed to help?  His frustration at being unable to solve their problems stems from the fact that he was perhaps never intended to find answers for them at all.  He realizes, “It’s not about answers.  They all represent a question.”

And who better to answer those questions than the Son of Morning, one of the big know-it-alls in the universe and beyond?  Unfortunately, the whole sequence of Deadman asking the SOM twenty questions feels like an exercise for Jenkins to cop out on us as many times as possible.  Using a mix of metaphor and wit, with little cleverness or true logic, SOM answers each of Boston’s question in a way that makes you feel that it’s a waste of time to ask the question at all.

Let’s look at a couple good examples, shall we?  Deadman starts off with a biggie: “What is the meaning of the universe?”  SOM: “It was a failed experiment, abandoned by its creator.”  What’s particularly annoying about the answer is not only does it not truly respond to the call of the question, it’s incomplete.  An experiment to do what?  Why considered a failure and abandoned?  I think we can all agree on the lameness of this point.

Other times, Jenkins just goes for the most convoluted, tortured analogy possible, one that feels like he’s just running off his mouth.  “What is fate?” Deadman asks (and let’s forget about the ridiculousness of the very question here).  “Think of it as a tapestry, rather similar to cheap linoleum, which is printed on the fabric of the space-time continuum.  Your job is to tread on it until it tears, and then sew it up again with conscious thought.”  In the words of 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon: “What the what?”

DC Universe Presents #3 – Review

By: Paul Jenkins (writer), Bernard Chang (artist), Blond (colorist)

The Story: Just because he ties up old ladies and steals their books doesn’t mean he’s not a hero!

The Review: It took me a while to get this review underway because I had to spend some time trying to find the words for my particular feelings toward this book.  Even though Jenkins’ writing has been admirable, the plotting fine, and the overall direction interesting, I still have a strange dissatisfaction with the series.  And now I think I know why: the title just talks too much.

Here me out.  Deadman has always been a lighthearted hero, one more given to quips and jokes than deep thought, and more inclined towards fast-paced physical action and slapstick, despite the inherent spirituality of his mission.  Through Brightest Day, he’s become more thoughtful and layered, a growth I don’t begrudge, but the overemphasis on his more introspective side has turned the story into a philosophical and expositional slog.

Past issues had Rama trying to broaden Boston’s understanding of the universe through innuendo, a fruitless exercise that gave as little enlightenment to us as him.  This time, we have the fallen angel of libraries, or something, giving Boston a lead to someone who can provide the real answers he needs—for a price, of course.  While undoubtedly crucial info, Jenkins takes far too long to get there, dragging us through a scene that repeats a pattern of the angel refusing to speak, then giving in with each of Boston’s casual threats.

Jenkins does better when he goes for a straight-up narrative, like Deadman’s recounting of his attempt to save an innocent man on death row.  The tale has a lot of weight to it, asks all the right questions (“There must be a last-minute reprieve, I thought.  Otherwise, what was I doing here?”), and ultimately ends on a powerful, sobering note—all within three pages.  It also has the added bonus of getting you just as invested in demanding answers from Rama as Boston is.

DC Universe Presents #2 – Review

By: Paul Jenkins (writer), Bernard Chang (artist), Blond (colorist)

The Story: To understand the meaning of life, take a few courses in quantum physics first.

The Review: What with both Wonder Woman and Herc coming out this past Wednesday, this seems to be the week of dealing with gods and all their intrigues, doesn’t it?  One thing you’ll surely learn after observing so much divinity firsthand is that even the humblest, most benevolent gods have things to hide.  While these particular immortals generally have well-intentioned motives in keeping secrets, they almost invariably turn out for the worst.

DC Universe Presents #1 – Review

By: Paul Jenkins (writer), Bernard Chang (artist), Blond (colorist)

The Story: He’ll force himself inside you whether you like it or not.  That’s just wrong.

The Review: Like most of the series in DC’s new lineup, this title received its fair share of controversy even before it launched.  The point of debate in this case had nothing to do with costume changes or snarls of continuity, but revolved around the choice to feature characters through extended story arcs rather than one-shots.  Some people figure, not inaccurately, that a title meant as a vehicle to expose lesser-known heroes should have a quicker revolving door.

Despite their lack of fame, these characters generally have a certain continuity and appeal all their own.  To discover all that, you really need more time than a done-in-one can often provide.  Does this mean we should always get stuck with one character for six months’ worth of issues before moving on to the next?  Perhaps not.  But before we start judging stories by their length, let’s take them on by their merits, shall we?

It’s easy to catch on to Deadman’s gimmick, but beyond the whole possessing people bit, you don’t really get a sense of what his purpose is.  It turns out the friendly ghost may not know that either.  Jenkins fills the issue with questions that have no easy answers, some for Boston to mull morosely upon, and some for our own speculation as well.

The big theme that flows through the center of all these questions is why must Deadman do what he does?  You can see how Boston’s circus skills come in handy when he works with people with practical, tangible problems.  But what use can he have for a priest questioning his faith, a doctor making a life-or-death choice, an innocent on death row, a stripper with daddy issues, or a man dying alone?  Compelling situations indeed, but also a little disappointing since Jenkins doesn’t actually tell us how Boston dealt with these seemingly insolvable conflicts.

Supergirl #64 – Review

By: James Peaty (writer), Bernard Chang (artist), Blond (colorist)

The Story: No way is Supergirl going to play these mind games with a horny freak!

The Review: In comics, like in most other fiction, corniness and clichés aren’t crimes as long as they’re done sparingly, or with some kind of irony or self-awareness.  In fact, they can inject some good humor or lightness to a comic that takes itself too seriously.  But that’s only when you have a writer who knows how to use them in a crafty sort of way; in the hands of the non-honed, they turn any story into a cringing mess.

Peaty seems like he thinks he can actually get away with lines like, “M-my powers…wh-why aren’t they working?!?”  (The use of “?!?” really brings that one over the top.)  The stammering villain backed helplessly into the corner is not only older than probably most of us, but it’s also the least flattering gimmick there is for a character.  Any respect you may have had for “Alex” pretty much goes out the window once you see him babbling like a kid caught in the cookie jar.

But then, Alex lost credibility as a villain long ago, once his actions became less meticulous and more erratic and senselessly vengeful.  You can’t even tell where his thirst for revenge comes from, nor where it’s directed.  Once Peaty revealed him as a Dubbilex-clone, the gates opened for all sorts of senseless developments: Alex’s loss of Kryptonian genes (no sign of which gets seen in this story arc at all), his Oedipus complex for poor Catherine Devereux, etc.

The only vague indication of Alex’s goals is when he offhandedly mentions “breaking…the Man of Steel’s heart.”  Putting aside for a moment the random leap to targeting Superman, this change in goal ultimately hijacks the focus of the story away from Supergirl.  Considering Peaty himself has been trying to make this arc about elevating Kara’s heroism to her cousin’s level, suddenly turning her into more of a means to hurt Superman seems like a humiliating demotion for her.

And anyway, from the start Alex never intended even Supergirl to be his sole, or even his primary target.  By now you may have forgotten about the Flyover app—a great idea that never got a chance to take off—but its original aim was to help Alex kill off all DC’s young heroes.  But along with the stakes of this story arc, Alex apparently scaled down his mission hardcore, now content to use Blue Beetle and Robin as a “bio-base for my next generation of drones.”

Supergirl #63 – Review

By: James Peaty (writer), Bernard Chang (artist), Blond (colorist)

The Story: Honestly, Supergirl’s had it up to here with clones.

The Review: In a Newsarama interview, Nick Spencer described his departure from DC and subsequently Supergirl as differences in conceived direction for the character.  He didn’t go into much detail as to what those differences entailed, but you can figure it out by comparing how this story arc started and how it’s turning out now.

This arc introduced the Flyover app, which was meant as a tool for the public to track their most beloved superheroes, and in doing so unintentionally assure the heroes’ destruction.  The idea is classic Spencer: smart, true-to-life, yet still a blind to something even more insidious.  But two issues in, the app idea lost focus; while Alex claimed to target all teen heroes, it seems the Flyover plot has been completely abandoned.

Instead you get more standard telepathic clone hijinks, which certainly don’t have the twisted subtlety of the Flyover app.  Still, it’d be entertaining enough if Peaty had tried to tie it into Spencer’s initial ideas a little more craftily, but he doesn’t.  The fact that such a central concept could be dropped midway through the arc indicates just how forcefully Peaty is attempting to switch gears on this story.

He does it none too gracefully either.  Catherine Devereux is a character whose part should’ve been done after Alex kills off her cancer-stricken son in the arc’s first issue.  Instead she returns to give Lois a midnight-hour confession of new facts on top of the confession she already gave before: Alex is actually a Cadmus experiment she developed a bond with and ultimately freed—which makes you wonder why he so cruelly hurt her in the first place.

Supergirl #62 – Review

By: James Peaty (writer), Bernard Chang (artist), Blond (colorist)

The Story: Two aliens, a prepubescent assassin, and a guy in bug-themed robotic armor–a winning combination.

The Review: After the excitement of Nick Spencer’s takeover of Supergirl was ultimately diminished by his immediate departure after issue 60, I was relieved when the following month offered as strong a read as the one before.  Peaty, it seemed, had just as firm a grasp on the character and story, and I looked forward to his handling of the title.

This issue makes me suspect the last may have been more poached off of Spencer’s initial work than I thought.  The skillful plot building, character developing, and scene jumping has given way to more standard fare—and worse.  Not only are there noticeable dips in the writing quality, but some gaping plot holes also defeat what strength there might have been.

Last we left them, Supergirl and Robin were still trying to figure out the nature of the faux-villains set upon them.  All of a sudden you’ve got Blue Beetle and Miss Martian involved, and you never even see how they ganged up.  Only one small flashback panel shows Supergirl saving Beetle’s hide in El Paso, so Peaty presumably decided to save some time by getting right to the team-up—only it feels like he skipped an entire issue’s worth of necessary scenes to do so.

The fact Miss Martian disguises herself as the redheaded bimbo from the start of this arc also throws the timeline of the storyline way off.  It’s as if Supergirl figures out a plan to confront Alex before he even sets his mission in motion.  Smaller, but no less discouraging plot holes exist: the whole Flyover app concept seems to have been abandoned, and even though Miss Martian is accompanied by Alex’s two “friends” when she first encounters him, they apparently disappear a few moments later—for no reason.

Supergirl #61 – Review

By: James Peaty (writer), Bernard Chang (artist), Blond (colorist)

The Story: Supergirl meets Robin—part two!  There’s nothing quite like bonding over the fact that all your biggest arch-villains are out to get you at once.

The Review: Supergirl can be a tough character to get a handle on.  In an attempt to separate her from her good ol’ boy cousin, some writers try to play up her teenybopper image, or her more alien sympathies, or her generally more aggressive, strident attitude.  None of these things are exactly off the mark, but it’s a bit too easy to fixate on them and forget that Kara is, after all, trying her best to live up to her family legacy.

Peaty seems to be a natural at balancing all of the qualities that make Supergirl more than just young, blonde, buxom Superman, and also her eagerness to do good.  Kara comes off tough, but you always get a sense that she’s looking out for others.  She’s a teen with perspective—which is more than what most fictional adolescents get.  She tackles problems very differently from Clark, but Peaty writes her voice so well you appreciate her approach just as much, if not more.

Other characters also flourish under Peaty’s writing.  Their personalities shine not through bold, in-your-face dialogue, but in the nuanced ways they react to other characters and events around them.  It never becomes overt that Damian may have a bit of a crush on Supergirl, but his quick reversal from putting her down to sudden confusion and dismay over her leaving tells you that he may be fonder of the Maid of Might than he’d admit.

And when Lois asks for Supergirl’s help in investigating Cadmus, you get treated to Lois’ take-charge attitude, sensitivity, and sleuthing skills, all in one scene.  It’s the little details that make Lois seem like the coolest civilian in the DCU: her helicopter escort, the rewards of her just investigative journalism (“—since I broke that story on phone tariff fraud last year, I seem to be able to get a free upgrade anytime I want!”), and how she has a cup of coffee for Supergirl when she arrives.

Besides the excellent character work, Peaty executes the various plot threads with finesse, hopping from scene to scene, spicing up the pace with some action via Supergirl and Robin’s team-up versus pseudo-Mr. Freeze and Clayface.  Even though Alex’s background and motivation remains a mystery, little clues are dropped throughout the issue—how he tastes like chalk, his telepathic abilities, how he calls his computer system “Father,” his connections to Cadmus.  With all this to speculate on, and with the Flyover app targeting young heroes, and the ongoing plot with Lois’ Cadmus case, there’s just a ton of material to look forward to.

Supergirl #60 – Review

By: Nick Spencer & James Peaty (writers), Bernard Chang (artist), Blond (colorist)

The Story: Of all the dastardly foes Supergirl has faced over the years, who knew the Maiden of Might’s biggest enemy would be…a cell phone app.

The Review: Nick Spencer already has some experience with Supergirl from writing her brief, but delightful guest spot in his Jimmy Olsen feature.  His Supergirl is less strident than Sterling Gates’, but she has the same sensibility and competence.  Spencer works with James Peaty on setting up the premise for the next story arc on this issue, after which Spencer will depart and Peaty will take the reins, solo-style.

Not to throw any dirt on Peaty’s writing (he does, after all, co-write the issue), but it’s too bad Spencer is leaving the title so soon.  From the start he’s got a great handle on not only Supergirl’s character, but on how to bring some fresh, high-stakes conflict to her world.  The strategy of teaming up villains to take down the hero isn’t new, but the use of an iPod-like app to streamline the process is very appropriate for a next-gen superhero.  Without ever explicitly saying as much, the whole concept speaks volumes on the dangers of our increasingly socialized world.

The inventor of the “Foursquare for superhero sightings” app is introduced only as Alex, but his smarmy, holier-than-thou, know-it-all attitude immediately establishes him as Supergirl’s Lex Luthor—the Alex ID drives the nail into the metaphorical coffin.  Time will tell if he’ll have the same antagonistic legacy as Luthor, but as written, he’s quite nearly as complex and sinister.  His high-minded monologues have all the same pragmatic extremism (laced with a few prideful blind spots), and his schemes are just as abominable—even on an individual level.  His hand in the death of one character is sick on a lot of levels.

There’s a terrific blend of drama, comedy, and action in this issue.  Spencer-Peaty keep several storylines running continuously parallel, so you’re never at a loss for interest or excitement.  The panel-to-panel scene cuts toward the end have the feel of an intense TV thriller, and you can’t get a better cliffhanger shot than the final panel.  The best part of all this back-and-forth plotting is every character gets a chance to shine, no matter how incidental their role (even the redheaded bimbo shows a well-rounded personality), and the feeling that as big as the stakes are for the conflict at hand, even bigger ones are coming down the pike.  Let’s bet on Peaty making the most of them.

Superman #700 – Review

By James Robinson (Writer), Bernard Chang (Penciler), Dan Jurgens (Writer), J. Michael Straczynski (Writer), Eddy Barrows (Penciler), J.P. Mayer (Inker)

DC celebrates its biggest title with a look at Superman’s past, present and future. All three, of which, look at the importance of Superman to Earth, and the need society has for him on his adoptive planet.

The first story looks at Superman just post the Hundred Minute War. As Lois Lane is being hunted by Parasite, the Man of Steel steps in just in the nick of time to get Lois out of harms way and get the bad guys to jail. But that’s not the focus of the story. The writing of this story, by Robinson, really touches on the importance of Superman to Lois Lane and the continual struggle she has to share the man she loves with the world that needs him. The artwork in this story wraps up with a beautiful one-page illustration of Superman recommitting himself to Lois Lane while poised in the night sky high above a blurred out Metropolis skyline.

The second story of the book, by Dan Jurgens (the man who killed off Superman), brings us back to Superman’s past, but focuses on one of Robin’s escapades as he attempts to stop gun smugglers on the docks of Gotham City, before they unload the boat from Metropolis. With Bruce Wayne at a stockholders meeting that he can’t get out of, Robin steps in, against Bruce’s orders, and finds himself in a bit of trouble, when Superman steps in to not only save Robin, but to reiterate Bruce’s words that Robin just isn’t ready to be out on his own. It’s a fun little story with some clear interplay between Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, through a hand written note handed off to Kent at the end of this story.