Young Justice S02E20 – Review

By: Kevin Hopps (story)

The Story: As if Earth’s atmosphere didn’t have enough problems already.

The Review: There’s a reason why sitcoms usually go for an hour when they do their series finale.  While half an hour may be enough to deliver a neatly wrapped story for that one episode, a finale has more than just one story to resolve.  Over the course of a show’s lifetime, you have a lot of individual plot threads that need revisiting, loose ends to tie up, and of course, plenty of goodbyes, not just among the characters themselves, but between you and the show, too.

Although I have no evidence of this, I imagine the producers of Young Justice probably fought for an hour finale only to be, as so many of us have been, cruelly disappointed by Cartoon Network.  As a result, they were forced to deliver an epic conclusion to their Invasion storyline and hit a ton of other beats besides, all within a twenty-one minute episode.  Unsurprisingly, the finale ends up speeding through nearly every scene, leaving you winded when it’s all over.

Young Justice S02E15 – Review

By: Jon Weisman (story)

The Story: It stands to reason that a race which envisioned the Death Star wouldn’t fall for a massive planet-destroying spaceship.

The Review: For anyone experiencing early pangs of nostalgia and grief about the impending end of this show, the show doesn’t make it easier by continuing to stick to its high level of excellence despite the doom before it.  It especially doesn’t help when the show manages to deliver not only a respectable episode, but one of the best showings it’s ever made, one that puts all its sophistication, class, and appeal right in the forefront for everyone to see.

As much as I appreciate the show returning briefly to the “Wanted” Leaguers and their trial on Rimbor, the scene only serves as a catalyst for a much bigger and more important development for our heroes back on Earth.  The introduction of WarWorld, with its zooming dissolves and brisk exposition, feels truly epic, the stuff worthy of a blockbuster action-adventure film.  For anyone wondering, this is how you inform the audience of the episode’s premise without forcing them to slog through a long, excessively detailed briefing.

Action Comics #901 – Review

By: Paul Cornell (writer), Kenneth Rocafort & Jesus Merino (artists), Brad Anderson (colorist)

The Story: To kill five Super-people, of course you need five Doomsdays, right?

The Review: In my review of Superboy #6, I described Doomsday as a shallow character who no one cared (or at least, I didn’t) much to see again, a statement worth elaborating on given how this issue plays out.  Doomsday, for all the hype surrounding him, simply exists as a means to endanger Superman, that’s all.  D-day has little thought or depth to his character, and almost no potential to be anything more than a convenient way to threaten Superman.

Small wonder then Cornell’s previously excellent writing on this series has devolved along with the class of villain featured in this storyline.  Mind-boggling as it is to believe, the script comes off generic—at best!—and confusing, a big step down from the thoughtful, elaborate, and witty material we’ve been used to getting when Lex Luthor ran this title.  Cornell even descends to moments of melodrama: “Lois, I will find my way back to you!”

It’s hard to tell whether the confusion of this issue comes more from the almost absolute lack of direction (the Super-family literally don’t know how to get out of the starship) or from the puzzling motivations of the characters, like Superman choosing to drag Doomsday along with them because he’s “worried the other Doomsdays might harm it.”  Why exactly would they harm essentially the source of their creation?  And how can the original Doomsday get harmed by his lesser-powered clones anyway?

There’s a lot of chattiness in this issue, yet without much purpose to the chatter except to kill time before we can claw our way to getting this storyline over with.  It really shows how the characters have no idea what to do with themselves.  Eradicator: “—this looks like a language…  If we could start to translate it…”  Superman: “Yes, that should be part of our long-term plans.”  The implication they could be staying here for much longer is enough to make you wince.

Teen Titans #91 – Review

By: J.T. Krul (writer), Nicola Scott (penciller), Doug Hazlewood & Scott Kobush (inkers), Jason Wright (colorist)

The Story: Teens these days…if they’re not listening to terrible pop music, they’re creating black holes in their schools.

The Review: Each of the major teams in the DCU stands for something—the Justice League representing strength in numbers, while the Justice Society is for heroic legacy.  But the Teen Titans have always emphasized family among friends.  It’s not a coincidence that when those themes are kept in mind, the stories tend to work better.

That’s the case with this issue of Teen Titans, which shows some improvement over the previous ones.  J.T. Krul clearly loves writing damaged goods.  The exchange between Ravager and Robin as they try to one-up each other on who has the most screwy parents is fun to read, but also just feels natural.  Certainly that was one of my favorite topics when I was a teen.  And the fact they have this conversation while beating down a horde of psychotic teens just makes it that much more entertaining.

Krul wraps up the drama between Connor and Cassie, although whether for the better remains questionable.  After all, even prior to Krul’s run, the heroic lovebirds didn’t get that much time to explore their feelings.  Something always got in the way: Superboy getting sucked into the future, Superboy getting mind-controlled, Superboy dying—huh.  I sense a pattern here.  And the pattern continues as Connor lets his—I hate to say this—emo hang-ups over his self-identity get in the way of an otherwise healthy relationship, just when Wonder Girl gets over hers.

The character work on the other Titans is similarly mixed or downright uninspired.  It’s a nice touch that Bart is finally starting to confront his death (which most writers have seemingly tried to forget), but there’s so much angst in the team now that dampening one of the more upbeat characters seems like overkill.  The question of Raven’s evil nature is old material, so old it dates back to her first appearance in the eighties, for crying out loud.  And Beast Boy literally gets three lines in this issue.

Worst of all, for all the action you get, there’s no resolution to the storyline whatsoever.  Take Barney and his genetically modified “friends.”  Their motivating emotional insecurities don’t get addressed or solved by the Titans, who basically luck out in saving the day—by which I mean they leave the entire student body either beaten into submission or taken into STAR Labs custody.  As for the mastermind behind it all, you learn close to nothing about him.  He can be a good villain with more than your usual mad scientist routine, but as is, he’s just a useful tool to bring some conflict to the Titans.

Superboy #1 – Review

by Jeff Lemire (writer), Pier Gallo (art), Jamie Grant (colors), and John J. Hill (letters)

The Story: Superboy defends Smallville from a major member of Superman’s rogues gallery.

What’s Good: Reading this first issue of Superboy, it’s clear that there are two different Jeff Lemires at work here. There’s the contemplative, indie creator attuned to the tone and rhythm of rural life and then there’s the gleeful, DC fanboy eager to use his new toys in explosive fashion. The fact that these two sides of Lemire are perfectly balanced is why Superboy #1 is such a success.

It’s clear right from the get-go that Smallville itself is not only key to the book’s atmosphere, but is such a presence that it almost constitutes a character in its own right. Lemire has managed to use Smallville to give the book an affable, friendly, and joyful tone; Superboy reads a lot like the superhero cartoons you loved as a kid, the sort that had that happy innocence but also never condescended. Smallville makes this book lovable, what with its intimacy and its nuances. It influences Connor, forcing him into contemplation as he interacts with nature itself in almost Romantic fashion and is also a vulnerable figure that needs protecting.

Then the DC fanboy Lemire steps in. The DC figures (Phantom Stranger, Parasite) are so opposite to Smallville that they create a sort of dissonance the lends the book a kind of goofy weirdness while creating some real excitement. Once the action starts flowing or Parasite is shown sucking the life out of Smallville, it’s clear that Lemire is having the time of his life, and that joy is infectious.

The transition between Smallville contemplation and comic book action is also expertly done and Lemire’s sense of pacing throughout the book is fantastic. Part of this is thanks to those moments where the indie Lemire and the DC fan Lemire bounce off one another, which is also when the book is at its most interesting. Take, for instance, Lemire’s choice of Parasite as a first victim; big and purple-skinned, it doesn’t get any more comic-booky and Lemire goes on to show the villain destroying and rotting out Smallville’s farmland wherever he sets foot. It’s as though the DCU is poisonous to the sanctity of Smallville innocence.

Then there’s the wonderful link between the book’s beginning, which features lovely narration as Connor ponders thoughtfully over a field, and how that very physically foreshadows how Connor defeats Parasite. It was definitely a fist-pumping moment where, in a way, Connor uses Smallville’s natural setting to defeat the outsider, Parasite.

Pier Gallo’s artwork is also a wonderful choice for the book and reminds me of a simpler, stream-lined, and softer Frank Quietely. Gallo’s work is subdued and homey, and thus perfect for Smallville. This, however, contrasts wonderfully with his depiction of Parasite, who is a lumpy monstrosity. Jamie Grant’s colors are also wonderful match for Gallo, enhancing everything that makes his work strong while glossing over and smoothing out any weaknesses. His tones a bright, happy, and, in a way, innocent, mirroring both Gallo’s work and Smallville itself.

Adventure Comics #5 – Review

Superboy Prime Story by Geoff Johns and Sterling Gates (writers), Jerry Ordway (artist), Bob Wiacek and Jerry Ordway (inkers)
Superboy Backup Story by Geoff Johns (writer) Francis Manapul (artist), Brian Buccellato (colorist)

The Story: Superboy Prime fights a bunch of zombies through the offices of the DC editors and creators. Alex Luthor teleports the whole donnybrook back to Superboy Prime’s basement where the climax occurs in blackest night fashion. The backup features our black-shirted Superboy who gets himself in trouble when he goes after a most charming vandal.

What’s Good: Ordway on art, especially with Wiacek, is a great treat, and he caught the flavor of blackest night with moody effects, black-costumed zombies, and the colored emotions. You can also tell that they had a good time drawing about twenty of the DC staffers in various states of shock. On Manapul’s side, the art is evocative and powerful. And he draws a mean Krypto, expressions and all. Manapul manages the expressive faces, those startled reactions and the arriving menace.

On plotting and story, blackest night looked at one of the least sympathetic characters in the DCU and put him through his own grinder, making him find a solution to the blackest night problem unlike any other’s so far. On character, both Clark (Prime) and Conner’s stories are about their feelings and how they fit into the world. Both stories are effective as character pieces.

What’s Not So Good: The tactical choices in these two stories were fine, but where the book fell down for me was on the strategic choices: using Superboy Prime and the whole metafictional angle. Superboy Prime really is the Jar Jar Binx of the DCU. He’s unsympathetic and whiny and it’s difficult to watch him do anything because I didn’t care about him at all. You have to be able to root for someone in the story, or at least sympathize with someone actively trying to accomplish something. Superboy Prime is craven, and in my opinion, even at the climax, unheroic, and is no fun to read.

Adventure Comics #1 – Review

by Geoff Johns (writer), Francis Manapul (art), Brian Buccellato (colors), and Steve Wands (letters)

The Story: Conner Kent returns to life in Smallville, trying to understand and relive the experiences of both Clark Kent and Lex Luthor.

What’s Good: If there were ever a wholesome, family comic, this is it. This really is a kid-friendly comic, but I don’t mean that in a disparaging or simplifying sense that should put off any more wizened fans. Adventure Comics is kid-friendly in the way that the Paul Dini/Bruce Timm manned Batman animated series was kid-friendly. It’s comfort food certainly, but it doesn’t condescend, leading to an awesome comic for younger readers and a fun, relaxing read for the more wizened.

This entire issue serves merely as a prelude of things to come and certainly opens promising doorways. I enjoyed the characterization of Superboy, a character as much trying to find his place in this world as he is attempting to negotiate his lineage, recognizing both Luthor and Kal-El as his parents, leading to a very effective ending…  And of course, there’s Krypto– only the most heartless of readers can despise Krypto, who has a scene this month that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. The damned mutt is adorable, thanks in no small part to Manapul.

Speaking of Francis Manapul, the man’s work is a thing of beauty. His work carries that same warm, lovable tone as the writing, truly capturing the sparse grandness of the American heartland. Manapul makes Smallville look like a place that’s impossible not to embrace, while many of his frames carry a kind “flashback” feel, thanks to the pseudo-painted style to run parallel to the warmth and vitality of the young characters.

What’s Not So Good: Unfortunately, plot-wise, there’s not a whole lot going on. I said that this month functions mostly as a prelude, and really, one can’t help at times to feel that this issue is nothing but a giant preview. Characters of future importance are given the barest glimpse, Superboy begins to establish his life in Smallville, and well, that’s pretty much it. It is done fairly masterfully so that it isn’t blaringly obvious, but in hindsight, there’s only the slightest bit of forward momentum, and that comes from the ending. If this weren’t a full-sized issue, I’d be tempted to call this Adventure Comics #0 if there wasn’t one already.  There’s no sign of clear direction and no real development of any of the supporting characters.

Also, the back-up is a complete mess and an utter waste of time. Despite being advertised as a Starman story, you’re getting one page recapping Superboy’s history with the Legion, a double-page spread detailing all the Legion’s members, and a final page of teasers for things to come. That means the actual story is all of four pages. Those four pages feature a babbling insane Starman, playing an albeit amusing game of bowling, before having an encounter/revelation that’ll probably only be of any worth if you’re fairly familiar with the character. There’s just nothing here.

Conclusion: A lead feature that goes down easy, yet it is unfortunately paired with a weak back-up…  Make no mistake, the main is good and expertly executed, but it’s just a preview.

Grade: B-

-Alex Evans