World’s Finest #4 – Review

By: Paul Levitz (story), George Pérez, Scott Koblish, Kevin Maguire (art), Hi-Fi & Rosemary Cheetham (colors)

The Story: Next: Japan executes a nationwide no-entrance decree for Huntress and Power Girl.

The Review: Let me tell you, whenever I finally buckle down to drop a title, I always feel a relaxing feeling of relief, like breathing through your nose after a month of congestion or setting down a backpack full of textbooks after a long walk.  That feeling lets me know that I’m making the right decision, and usually it gets preceded with a pretty substantial amount of longing for the moment I can finally unburden myself of something which gives me little pleasure.

And so it goes with this series.  I can’t deny the end comes with some disappointment.  I always want to support female-led titles, either in terms of characters or creators, so when they don’t work out, it feels like a step back for the cause, to a certain extent.  But this title has also failed to live up to its own aspirations.  World’s Finest was once the glowing byword by which one referred to DC’s two greatest icons, and to be honest, the pre-relaunch Supergirl and Batgirl naturally had more of that World’s Finest feel than Power Girl and Huntress.

World’s Finest #3 – Review

By: Paul Levitz (story), George Pérez (pencils), Scott Khoblish (inks), Kevin Maguire (art), Hi-Fi & Rosemary Cheetham (colors)

The Story: Japan is getting pretty sick of both destructive behemoths and nuclear crises.

The Review: Look, these are comics, and I will never demand that they obey the laws of physics or rules of behavior we live by in the real world.  But comic book readers are real-world humans, so you can’t just let a story leap off the logic train altogether.  Pseudo-science may drive actual scientists crazy, but when it’s well done and based off of some semblance of natural rules, then at least its falseness doesn’t take you out of the story’s believability.

I’m guessing Levitz doesn’t have the firmest grasp on scientific principles.  I don’t either, which is why I feel very suited in saying this.  At one point, Huntress claims that her “unnaturally high hereditary immunity to all sorts of poisons” will somehow shield her from the effects of being drenched in both radiation and (from the looks of it) fresh radioactive waste.  Judging by my high school physics and chemistry scores alone, I’m an idiot when it comes to this kind of thing, but even I recognize how incredibly stupid—there really is no other word for it—Huntress’ words sound.  And that’s really all it takes to pull the rug out from the whole story.

World’s Finest #2 – Review

By: Paul Levitz (story), George Pérez (pencils), Scott Koblish (inks), Kevin Maguire (art), Hi-Fi & Rosemary Cheetham (colors)

The Story: BFFS don’t just picnic and shop together—they fight mutant criminals together!

The Review: Without a doubt, the criticism I hold against Levitz the most is his hammy dialogue, but what do I mean by that, exactly?  It’s one thing to say a line sounds over the top or melodramatic, but can you really identify the features that make it that way?  Or are you more like Justice Potter Stewart of the U.S. Supreme Court, who very infamously declared that “hard-core pornography” is hard to define, but “I know it when I see it”?

I tend to break things down this way: if it’s something you’d feel sweaty and lame saying out loud, then it probably isn’t very natural or convincing.  In any form of media, dialogue like that tends to be the kind better kept silent and formless in a person’s heart than expressed in words.  Take, for example, when Huntress glares at Hakkou as he beats down on Kara and muses, “…no one—no one—hurts my best friend like that.  No one.”  What I find silly about this kind of narration is it just states the obvious; it’s the equivalent of watching a cinema kiss and having a voiceover saying, “Nothing—nothing—feels better than Frenching this person I love.  Nothing.”

Worlds’ Finest #1 – Review

By: Paul Levitz (story), George Pérez (pencils), Scott Koblish (inks), Kevin Maguire (art), Hi-Fi & Rosemary Cheetham (colors)

The Story: Introducing the Thelma and Louise of the DCU.

The Review: Longtime readers of the site know the dissatisfaction I felt reading Levitz’s work on Legion of Super-Heroes and Adventure Comics.  At the time, his writing came off pedestrian and outdated, unable to inject any of his old energy into the characters he helped make famous.  But longtime readers also know that I’m always willing to give creators a fresh look when they offer something new.

So although I have zero interest in jumping aboard the leaky ship that is Legion of Super-Heroes again, seeing what Levitz can do with Huntress and Power Girl sounds a lot more palatable. From the start, Levitz has a very clear vision of how his heroines think and how they interact.  Helena Wayne, in contrast to the hotheaded avenger she was as Helena Bertinelli, seems cooler, more sensible and down-to-earth.  Karen Starr doesn’t seem all that changed from her usual portrayal: brassy and full of life, she thinks and dreams big, in perfect proportion to her b…right and vivacious personality.  At every turn, Helena tries to rain on her friend’s parade (“You go on believing in fairy tales, princess…I’m making the best of this nightmare.”) and Karen lets it roll right off her back (“Best part of a nightmare is waking up.”).

Supergirl #8 – Review

By: Michael Green & Mike Johnson (story), George Pérez (art), Bob Wiacek (inks), Paul Mounts (colors)

The Story: Unnecessary bangles, beanie hats—you’re really on Earth now, Supergirl.

The Review: No matter how much anyone emphasizes the Super-family’s non-human origins or background, the fact remains that they are heroes of Earth, not of Krypton, Kandor, Argos, Cadmus, or what-have-you.  Supergirl pretty much proved that last issue when she defended New York City against invaders who came from her home planet.  Over half a year later, the time seems right for her to make an emotional connection to this world she’s chosen as home.

Green-Johnson have done an admirable job of not letting our heroine get lost in her cousin’s big shadow, especially so early on in her career, so I appreciate that Kara doesn’t immediately turn to Clark for help now that she’s settled here.  Instead, the writers throw in Siobhan Smythe, who serves as the ideal foil to Supergirl.  Since she’s a fellow orphan and emigrant to America, she can sympathize with Kara in important ways, and her good-natured approach to the world will be particularly useful for acclimating her Kryptonian friend to human society.

Superman #3 – Review

By: George Pérez (writer), Nicola Scott (penciller), Trevor Scott (inker), Brian Buccellato, Brett Smith, Blond (colorists)

The Story: When in doubt, just shoot heat vision at your problem.

The Review: Over in Action Comics, Grant Morrison is revamping the early days of Superman and essentially the core of his character.  In Justice League, Geoff Johns offers a Superman settled into his guardianship role and powers.  Here, Pérez is responsible for crafting the first story for the Superman of a new generation.  Sadly, he gave us a very tepid start, which has only petered out with each passing issue.

The story just feels like it switched into neutral gear and is stuck there.  This issue’s opener says it all: it recaps the history of Superman and establishes one of the story’s main conflicts, the growing distrust of Metropolis for its protector.  This kind of thing might have been appropriate for the debut, but at this middle stage of the arc, it’s just pointless rhetoric without function—which kind of suits the whole media commentary Pérez wants to make here.

Not to mention the whole monologue is also clearly hampered by the fact Superman’s history is still in the works.  With all of the Man of Steel’s continuity still in development, Pérez only has so many concrete events to recall (“…Metropolis was attacked by a far bigger threat.  Another alien life form called the collector of worlds.”), some of which haven’t even completed yet (“While the reports of what actually happened remain contradictory and muddled…”).

Ultimately, this six-paged introduction (you heard right—over a quarter of the issue gets lost to this) is merely an attempt on the part of Daily Planet journalist Billy McCoy to paint Superman as the source of Metropolis’ problems, with the City of Tomorrow as collateral damage.  As I’ve said before, this is an old point of contention, one that has no easy resolution, and it’s doubtful Pérez can offer one just by hammering away at the issue nonstop.

It does feel like Pérez is so caught up in emphasizing his themes that he can’t advance the actual plot.  Everything established in Superman #1 gets reiterated here without a bit of development: Clark’s estrangement from his Planet buddies, his disgust over its takeover, the lurking antipathy towards Superman, the mysterious nature of his enemies, who, despite their various powers, are mindlessly rote in their strategies and attacks.

Superman #2 – Review

By: George Pérez (writer), Jesús Merino (artist), Brian Buccellato (colorist)

The Story: If you can’t see it, whip out your glasses!  They’re not just for show, you know.

The Review: While most characters generally survived the relaunch with their core personalities intact, with few exceptions nearly all of them had some tweaks and changes to their continuity.  I’d even go so far as to say the majority of writers have done a fine job balancing tradition with new ideas when it comes to crafting the DCU of the future.  Conversely, you’ve had a few titles where they stick so close to their roots that they come across a little worn and old by comparison.

That’s pretty much the case we have here.  To be fair, Pérez has updated Superman’s character by giving him a little more of a straight-laced edginess in addition to his younger, sharper look.  But in terms of the kinds of stories Pérez is telling, he could very well use the former version of the Man of Steel and very little of the plot would be disturbed.  This flies in direct contrast to the innovative concepts going on in the other icon books: Wonder Woman, The Flash, Batman.

Superman #1 – Review

By: George Pérez (writer), Jesús Merino (artist), Brian Buccellato (colorist)

The Story: Extra, extra, read all about it!  Superman realizes print media is dead!

The Review: In a lot of ways, Grant Morrison’s reconceptualization of Superman over in Action Comics feels slightly theoretical, almost like an Elseworlds tale in certain respects.  But we all know that however radical the characterization gets, it will have an impact on the Superman we eventually end up with in DC’s new continuity.  This issue offers us our first look at the Man of Steel’s new template.  Will we recognize him as the icon we love, even sans visible underpants?

You’ve already predicted the answer by now: yes and no.  Here, we see Superman do what he’s always done, and will likely always continue to do, best, which is protect the innocent in the most genial way possible (flying with a terrorist-driven tank on his shoulders) “Playtime’s over!  Drop your weapons…or I’ll toss this tin can into the Westside River!”).  He comes in full-body costumery, and he remains an enormously popular (read: tweeted) figure in Metropolis.

Keep in mind, though, that popularity rarely equates to being beloved.  We first see Superman from ground level, watching him float high in the night sky, glowering down at you.  It’s an unsettling difference from the perpetually sunny character we’ve come to expect, which may explain why Metropolis hasn’t completely embraced him with open arms.  When the truck he carries spontaneously combusts, one reporter (granted, one who previously hosted a smack-talk show) immediately concludes, “…Superman himself caused the massive explosion.”

What with all the media buzzing and gadding about during these scenes, it’s no wonder the issue ultimately becomes more of a story about journalism than a Superman adventure.  On the plus side, it allows supporting players Lois, Perry, and Jimmy to assert their presence early on, and it introduces a few new ones as well: internet whiz Miko, newly-installed publisher Ms. Izquierdo, and Morgan Edge, head of the global conglomerate that just acquired the Daily Planet.

Flashpoint: Secret Seven #1 – Review

By: Peter Milligan (writer), George Pérez & Fernando Blanco (pencillers), Scott Koblish (inkers), Tom Smith (colorist)

The Story: Crazy people hunting down other crazies…that’s a reality show pitch, right there.

The Review: There are basically two traditions you can take in writing an Elseworlds (for lack of a more apt term) story: make pointed comparisons between the world you’re writing and the world it’s based on; or just tackle the Elseworld on its own merits, as if it’s the only world people would know.  Though each strategy has its pros and cons, generally it’s better not to waste too much time calling attention to the specific alterations.

Secret Seven essentially takes the second route, and of all the Flashpoint tie-ins, it feels most genuinely like an entity unto itself.  If not for the Flashpoint logo emblazoned across the cover, the events of this story could easily take place in the normal DCU.  This is good since the story and characters largely stand on their own; you’re not distracted pointing out what’s familiar.  It’s also bad because it doesn’t use the creative potential of the altered Earth to full advantage.

This issue focuses on two of the current Seven: Rac Shade, the Changing Man, and June Moone, the Enchantress, both relatively obscure characters.  Enchantress’ involvement with DC’s premiere team of mystics, Shadowpact, makes her more familiar to you, but that’s also because Milligan’s version of her sticks very close to the original.  Shade, largely absent from the stands since the mid-nineties, might as well be making his debut in this title, since you’re probably like me and have never even heard of him before.

Perhaps Milligan wants us to read this series less as a Flashpoint tie-in and more as a special mini featuring the DC character he’s best known for writing.  You’d have to be a Shade fan to fully enjoy this issue, as most of it assumes you have some knowledge of his mythos; concepts like the Meta Hightable, the M-Vest, and even the basis of his powers are thrown at you without much explanation, leaving you frequently puzzled as to what characters are talking about.

Justice Society of America #50 – Review

By: Too many to list—check out the review.

The Story: Look out Haggar of Metro City—the Flash is giving you a run for the money in the superhero mayor department.

The Review: This has been a good week for oversized, anniversary issues.  Like Action Comics #900, you get a good chunk of the title’s running events and then a healthy serving of short features a là the “annual” format.  In this case, regular writer Marc Guggenheim takes care of scripting duties for every piece, with a variety of artists to back him up.

“Cornerstone” feels more like a continuation of the DC Universe Legacies series, with its talk of the generational aspect between the Justice Society and Justice League of America.  It’s an old idea, one other writers have played with before, and with much greater deft than Guggenheim, who doesn’t really succeed in giving a new spin to the whole thing.  At least the script gets art treatment from George Pérez (with help from Scott Khoblish), whose style looks dated on most comics now, but really works with retro-stories like this one.

In “Infinitum”, which ties in with the main events on Justice Society, Guggenheim uses a dramatic style of narration to amp up the epic tone of his story, but it just comes off heavy-handed and not a little bit dumb: “The battle rages.  As it always does.  A never-ending battle.  Or so they say.”  Besides, the feature doesn’t tell you much about bald-and-bearded Degaton’s ultimate objectives with merging himself with his parallel Degatons (exactly as weird as it sounds), so it seems like a throwaway tale.  Freddie Williams II’s cartoony style doesn’t exactly help sell the drama Guggenheim’s going for, either.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #4 – Review

By: Nick Spencer (writer), Cafu (main penciller), Bit (main inker), Santiago Arcas (main colorist), George Perez (penciller), Scott Koblish (inker), Blond (colorist)

The Story: Dynamo learns firsthand being a T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agent isn’t all it’s cracked up to be—not that it was much to begin with.

The Review: “Less is more.”  This old bromide has been tossed around for Lord knows how long, but its practical implications are as relevant as ever—especially so for comics.  It is, after all, a medium that places equal weight on text and art.  When writers go even a little overboard with the words, the comic gets dragged down in a hurry.  In those cases, it’s frequently best to cut back on the narration and let the art and reader’s imagination do some of the storytelling.

Spencer could have gotten a lot more done by applying that lesson to this issue.  By now, we’ve all had it hammered to us over three issues that there’s a price to being a T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agent and that price is death.  This point hasn’t only been told to us, it’s been illustrated with very effective, chilling detail.  It’s easy to understand the importance of emphasizing this major distinction between the Agents and the rest of the superhero teams out there.

But now it just feels like Spencer is preaching to the choir, and that’s a waste.  Consider this issue’s opening sequence—it’s executed well and offers a few useful pieces of info about the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. program and Dynamo’s powers.  But if you take a step back, you realize that’s five pages devoted to exposing information you mostly know already, which means five pages avoiding the action at large.  And there really hasn’t been much action to spare since this series began.  Even by issue’s end, you’re still left in the first—what?—fifteen minutes of the mission.

Even more problematic is a whole page devoted to Toby’s sales pitch.  Again, there’s nothing wrong with the way it’s written.  It just feels like we’ve heard this speech before, three issues ago, and the only real payoff from having it redone is Dynamo’s deadpan, “So what’s the money like?”  Like I said, the scene itself plays well and there’s a lot of humor and character work that follows it.  Still, that makes you foam even more at the mouth to get newer material instead of this old news.  You just really want to see Spencer give you more of the unexpected.

Green Lantern Corps #48 – Review

By: Tony Bedard (writer), Ardian Syaf (artist), Vicente Cifuentes (inker)

The Story: After ominously meeting in secret with Atrocitus and Guy Gardner, Ganthet tells his fellow guardians that he resigns from being any color of guardian and that he will permanently assume the duties of the green lantern of sector zero. In the meantime, something….odd is up with the Alpha Lanterns and the mystery of what’s happening on Stel’s homeworld deepens.

What’s Good: First off, the visuals. Wow. Vote Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes for regular artists of the GLC forever. They are freaking awesome in the level of gestural and facial detail. Bedard has written a great comic book, filled with mystery detail and growing suspense, but the art carries the feeling, the struggles and the inner demons, without a word of narrative required. Check out Ganthet’s eyes when he tells Atrocitus and Gardner his plan. Look at Ganthet forging his own battery and ring (which, in itself is an awesome visual sequence and fodder for countless hours of nerding out) – the splash page evokes the best elements of George Perez and Jerry Ordway in the flashy, gritty juxtaposition of body and energy. Ganthet (who obviously stole the show this issue), with his characteristic terseness, also comes off as the lone-wolf, maverick badass of the guardians and Bedard has written this perfectly. There isn’t a tin-noted phrase of dialogue. Bedard’s choice of settings also seems inspired to evoke a feeling of near-death and recovery. The lanterns fixing the city on Oa allowed for some moments of wonder that make any reader feel young again. What do you feel when Ganthet says “Most of these structures are barely a million years old”? All in all, the creative team is doing a fantastic job and should be kept together as long as possible.

Titans #16 – Review

By Christopher Yost (writer), Angel Unzueta (artist), Wayne Faucher (inker), Edgar Delgado (colorist)

The Story: The Titans book continues to examine its characters one by one. This issue is about Starfire talking to a therapist. As uninspiring as that sounds, Yost and Unzueta carry us through the logical fallout of what Starfire has suffered not only in pitched war with Darkseid, Trigon, Jericho and others, but much farther back, right to the basics.

What’s Good: As I said in my last Titans review, if you wanted to get into the Titans, now is the time to do it. These self-contained stories are very forgiving to the new reader. As they did with Cyborg and Tempest, DC carries us through a complete arc with Starfire. This is a good character study, starting from denial and moving to acceptance. Yost does a good at storytelling, making us feel the difficulty that Starfire goes experiences.

Deeper than that arc, though, is a win that I think is not easy to do in comics. Many writers have penned Starfire over the years, from her start as a young alien visitor to Earth, through revelations of her tragic past, through love and breakup from Dick Grayson, to control by Jericho and Darkseid. When you add it all up, it’s a lot of disjointed, disconnected suffering. Too few writers take the time to pull those different experiences together and say, “What does it mean to the hero who has gone through all this?” Yost does that here, and in fact, what is more compelling is that he resists the temptation to knit the fabric back together again. Starfire is broken and this issue is about getting from denial to broken; leaving future writers with a lot of scope for this character.

What’s Not So Good: I’m going to take a swing at the art here. First, Unzueta and Faucher have a bit of a plastic style that is effective enough. However, given that this is really a character story, I don’t think the command of expressions and poses and emotions was subtle enough for what Yost was trying to do. That being said, it might just be a mispairing of artist to story. I get the impression that Unzueta would draw a dynamic slugfest.

Secondly, while I like to look at pretty girls as much as the next guy, I think there’s an element of overdoing it with Starfire that goes qualitatively beyond what artists do with Powergirl. For the most part, Starfire’s costume doesn’t do as much clothing duty as teasing duty. While this is nothing new for her (her costume hasn’t changed since 1980), given the depth of the story Yost was trying to tell, the T&A was a creative hindrance. I know this art team didn’t design her costume, and that Titan books must be sold to pre-pubescent boys, but Wolfman and Perez put her in a sweater and jeans when she wasn’t adventuring, especially when they were striving for meaningful stories.

Conclusion: A fair book. I like what Yost is doing and hope to see where the writers take Starfire next.

Grade: C+

-DS Arsenault

Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds #2 (of 5) – Review

By Geoff Johns (writer), George Perez (pencils), Scott Koblish (inks), Hi-Fi (colors)

The Story: The Legion of Super Villains gains the help of Modru and commence their attack on Superman and the Legion of Superheroes!. Rond, the last remaining Green Lantern makes the ultimate sacrifice as he buys his teammates time to escape. Meanwhile, Brainiac 5 attempts to bring the Legion teams of three different worlds together in hopes of evening the odds.

What’s Good? Not surprisingly, all the Green Lantern related stuff is excellent. Rond is a heroic and kick ass character to see in action, and the final page throws the story for a bit of a loop. The story and its subplots are balanced perfectly and capped off by some intense and beautiful panel work by George Perez.

Superboy is a character people love to hate and it’s proven over and over why; his tenacity, animosity, and awful attitude are all on display. The debate over whether he should be redeemed or killed is hotly debated and answered in a decisive way. This guy needs to die… horribly!

What’s Not So Good? The opening pages will be very confusing to those who know little about the DC Universe or the Legion of Superheroes. If you can get past these pages the rest of the story begins to come together. I don’t know much about Modru, but the villains and heroes are pretty intimidated by his presence. Yet, there’s not enough of his personality (or viciousness) shown to convince me otherwise. He’s good at making threats though.

This book also needs more Superman!

Conclusion: At first, I didn’t think I’d enjoy this issue, but that quickly turned around as Geoff Johns’ script began to connect the dots. Those who thought the first issue was full of too much exposition will most likely be much more pleased with this second installment.

Grade: A-

– J. Montes

Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds #1 (of 5) – Review

By Geoff Johns, George Perez, Scott Koblish, Hi-Fi

I am incredibly impressed with this book. It’s not George Perez’s artwork, though it should be noted that this guy never ceases to awe and impress me. Geoff Johns has somehow taken one of the largest, most diverse superhero teams (bloated with a convoluted history) and made it completely accessible with just one issue. Some of the Legion faithful may be put off with all the exposition, but it’s this element that makes the book work for me. One Legion team is hard enough for me to grasp (I struggled getting to know the team when I picked up Jim Shooter’s latest run on the core book), but this book has THREE Legion teams! I expected to be overwhelmed.

Thankfully, Johns takes his time telling the story of Superboy Prime and the history of the Legion. Yes, bad things are afoot and the future of the Legion is in dangerously uncertain times, but Johns strikes a perfect balance in his presentation of the material for newer readers and unveiling some shocking developments for the DC veterans. These big plot twists will, granted, affect the long-time readers more profoundly, but the effects to anyone reading (not to mention the characters), all are undeniable. Johns also wisely focuses the plot on just one Legion team, giving us just a glimpse of the others and what’s to come.

Perez draws his butt off in this issue, and once again proves why he’s a comic book god. Really, this might be his best work since taking on the epic task of drawing the JLA/Avengers series. I’m flabbergasted by how much story he can squeeze into a page; each one is loaded with panels and so much detail (especially the Superman museum) that you’ll literally spend minutes combing over the finer details.

Out of all the Final Crisis spin-off books, this was the one I was most worried about. As it turns out, it’s the best read of the bunch. Shame on me for doubting the power of Geoff Johns. And George Perez? He’s the icing on the cake. This is a near-perfect comic if I ever saw one. (Grade: A+)

– J. Montes

DC Universe Zero – Review

By Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns (writer) George Pérez, Tony Daniel, J.G. Jones, Aaron Lopresti, Ivan Reis, Philip Tan and Carlos Pacheco (art)

Other than Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, and the occasional Superman book, I’m not exactly in touch with the DC Universe these day. Well, if you’re in the same boat as me, DC Universe Zero serves as a good jumping on point. The book serves loosely as a primer to all of the major DC storylines going on this year. I say loosely because each segment of this 22 page story is around 3-5 pages in length – hardly enough to give us the full lowdown on what’s going on, but just enough to tease us and grab a new reader on board for the events.

All the tales for this issue have been carefully crafted to lure you in, and I’ll tell you right now, they do their job !  Final Crisis and its mini-series, Green Lantern, Batman, and Wonder Woman all look like fantastic reads. Batman’s RIP story, which has been kept extremely guarded by DC has become much more interesting with the revealing of Joker’s involvement. Final Crisis’ plot has been simplified to a mere few sentences for the many readers who’ve never read a Crisis book. And Wonder Woman’s upcoming book explores the possible extinction of the Amazonian race! Of course, what will get people most excited, especially the DC faithful, is the big reveal of a certain someone’s return in Final Crisis, which was cunningly saved for the last page.

If you read Marvel’s Secret Invasion Saga comic and are expecting a similar book packed to the gills with tons of history – don’t. This book is hardly here to educate, but more so titillate. With art by DC’s top talent and a mere price of only 50 cents, there’s hardly anything to complain about. I wasn’t too keen on DC’s big summer events, but after reading this, I’m pretty pumped. Bring it on! (Grade: B)

– J. Montes