Talon #17 – Review

By: Tim Seeley (writer), Jorge Lucas (art), Jeromy Cox (colors)

The Story: Calvin Rose is the world’s greatest escape artist. He’s escaped family, identity, Santa Prisca, the Court of Owls, and even death. But before his series ends he’ll have to escape from immortality and its slow march towards a cage.

The Review: As the final issue of the series it’s kind of appropriate that Talon #17 almost seems like a first issue in reverse. It opens with a kiss, establishes the backstory of nearly all the major characters, and is all about a character attempting to lose their superpowers.

The sensation that this series ended a few months ago is definitely setting in, but this is the sort of story that might support a one-shot or a miniseries or, perhaps more likely, wouldn’t be published at all. That’s not a criticism of the issue, the market often demands bigger and better stories with bigger and more profitable characters but this is a lovely little story for fans of Talon and his world.

Though the issue lacks the definition of Calvin’s escape or his shower with Anya, this issue does a fantastic job of reestablishing the mission for these characters and this series. These characters have a simple air of heroism about them, one that’s only emphasized by the rather sinister antagonists.

Talon #14 – Review

By: James Tynion IV (writer), Emanuel Simeoni (artist), Jeromy Cox (colorist)

The Story: Calvin Rose has nowhere left to run, but neither does the Court of Owls.

The Review: With this issue, Calvin Rose’s story comes to a close for now. James Tynion has been very clear that this was the ending he was writing towards from the beginning and it does wrap up the story quite cleanly.

Though its connection to The Court of Owls storyline made it a clear tale for the New 52, Talon has always been extremely cinematic. I’ve enjoyed the little bit of Arrow I’ve seen, but if DC is looking for more inspiration for television, they should probably check out how Tynion did it because this would have been an amazing show. But one thing that it probably would have benefitted from had it been on TV would be the hour-long season finale.

This issue is very much the second half of a conclusion that began in issue #13. The climax begins early in the issue and we open right into the middle of huge battle. I imagine this will read better in trade, and it’s not really Tynion’s fault that the story didn’t divide quite right, but it is a little jarring at first.

Talon #6 – Review

By: James Tynion IV & Scott Snyder (story), Guillem March (art), Tomev Morey (colors)

The Story: Even an undead assassin can’t catch a break from parental disapproval.

The Review: I really have credit to make sweeping statements about how fiction should be done, so there’s really no reason for you to take me seriously when I do.  But I’m pretty sure that if you want to have a character star in his own ongoing, you better hope readers can get some kind of attachment to that character, or at least enjoy seeing him do his thing, otherwise it’s going to be a pretty rough uphill battle for that series.  I’m ninety percent sure that’s key.

With Calvin Rose, the best thing I can say is that I don’t hate him; I just don’t like him, nor actively care about him either, really.  Now that we’re past the half-year mark on this series, that’s become a real problem.  Every issue you see Calvin sneaking through buildings, skirting death, tackling challenges, and yet you experience it all with this incurable distance.  Tynion’s never made our hero very relatable, and with his passive personality, it’s hard to buy him as a self-determined protagonist.  He’s more of a tool for better, more assertive minds to direct.

Talon #5 – Review

By: Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV (story), Guillem March (art), Tomev Morey (colors)

The Story: Always check before you let a recently revived serial killer in.

The Review: With the cancellation of both Sword of Sorcery and Team Seven, that leaves Talon as the only “Third Wave” title left on my pull list (for better or worse, I’ve always avoided the Dan Didio-penned Phantom Stranger).  Considering that I also see Talon as a fairly uninspired series across the board, I think I can safely conclude that DC’s “Third Wave” has been the weakest set out of the new 52.

In the case of this series, it’s always suffered from a lack of originality or even freshness.  Even if you can set aside the fact that it’s mostly an attempt to strain every last drop of excitement generated by the Night of the Owls storyline, there really hasn’t been much about Talon that’s distinguished it as a must-read: the characters aren’t memorable; the plotting is thin at the best of times; and none of the concepts have been particularly thought-provoking.

Talon #4 – Review

By: James Tynion IV & Scott Snyder (story), Guillem March (art), Tomev Morey (colors)

The Story: Calvin and Co. deal with the Gotham Butcher using some strategic running away.

The Review: One of the downsides of optimism, even the cautious kind, is you tend to run into disappointment a lot.  Case in point: I had just started to enjoy myself on this title, especially with the new team dynamics Tynion introduced in the last issue.  And just like that, with impeccable timing, he takes a lot of the things I liked and throws them out the window.  I would be upset, but by now, it just feels like my lot in life.

I don’t want to overstate my attachment to Casey’s crew of ex-assassins, but I actually liked them—as ideas.  Taking these former killers and convicts and turning them into an Ocean’s Eleven type crew, each with his or her own quirks, had a lot of potential to transform this title into something beyond a spin-off.  Tynion would’ve been smart to explore the kinds of stories he could mine out of these characters, but instead, he cuts their one on-page adventure short before you even get the full excitement out of it.

Talon #3 – Review

By: James Tynion IV & Scott Snyder (story), Guillem March (art), Tomev Morey (colors)

The Story: What is this, a meeting group for recovering assassins?

The Review: It’s funny what a difference of a few months can make.  Of the Third Wave DC titles I cover, Team Seven started with the most promise, Sword of Sorcery made a solid showing, and I had major doubts about Talon.  Now, things have upended quite nicely; Team Seven has become a title I dread reading, Sword of Sorcery continues to perform up to standard, and Talon has lately shown signs of dependable fun.

Last issue made a stronger case for a team-up between Calvin and Sebastian versus the Court, though it still left me feeling like I was reading a highly elaborate epilogue to the Night of the Owls storyline.  Here, Talon finally starts moving away from being a mere spin-off and coming into its own as an individual series.  At least, the potential for greater originality is there; we’ll see how Tynion executes as time goes on.

Talon #2 – Review

By: James Tynion IV & Scott Snyder (story), Juan Jose Ryp (pencils), Vicente Cifuentes (inks), Tomev Morey (colors)

The Story: Truly, this is the Mount Everest for dedicated kleptomaniacs.

The Review: I couldn’t help but be amused by the additional stamp on this issue’s cover: “From the pages of Batman.”  Along with the obligatory credit with Scott Snyder, it seems no one working on this book has the dignity to even try to separate Talon from the series it spun off from.  I guess I can’t fault a legitimate marketing tactic, but it does seem to invite you to look at it as a bonus from a popular story rather than a quality book in its own right.

Still, you can see Tynion making some big efforts towards originality.  Better yet, some of it even works.  This issue establishes the dynamic between Calvin Rose and Sebastian Clark as one between crusty old man and brash younger one, and also of shot-caller and muscle.  It’s clear Sebastian has a very specific plan in bringing down the Court, but he will have to defer to Calvin’s expertise in the practical side of things.  At the same time, Calvin can’t operate just by instinct against the Court’s massive operations; he must give weight to Sebastian’s direction.

Talon #1 – Review

By: James Tynion IV & Scott Snyder (story), Guillem March (art), Tomev Morey (colors)

The Story: Calvin Rose faces off against the violent side of the Empty Nest Syndrome.

The Review: I wasn’t too impressed with the debut of this spin-off character, one who has the distinction of deriving from a mere storyline rather than a proper series.  I don’t think Calvin Rose even actually appeared during the “Night of the Owls.”  That makes this title probably the first in a long time I’ve seen to launch with an entirely brand-new character, or pretty close to one.  In some ways, you have to admire DC supporting a book with so little brand recognition.

But the Court of Owls arc in Batman was so popular a premise that Calvin probably benefits anyway from fans who want to see the aftermath of that storyline.  Maybe that’s why even though I’m not all that enamored of Calvin’s past and its escapist theme (escaped from dog cage, became an escape artist, escaped the Court and escaping ever since), I can muster some curiosity about his future.