Doom Patrol #22 – Review

By: Keith Giffen (writer), Ron Randall (penciller), Art Thibert (inker), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: The Doom Patrol takes back their base, D-Day style!

The Review: Having been ignored, maligned, and mistreated not only in the DCU, but also in the real world of comics readers, it’s fitting the Doom Patrol would use their final issue to make one last, desperate attempt to gain some self-respect.  Getting kicked out of their home and turned into house-crashers (with a reputation for terrorism) overnight stung, and they’re determined to sting back for once.

That said, other than to give them a splashy mission for their last hours in print, the reasons for them retaking Oolong Island aren’t really there.  Up until their forced departure, they spent plenty of issues bemoaning how Oolong had gone to the dogs, the crazies they had to deal with regularly, and the country’s shady political alignment.  Maybe they plan to reform the place on their own terms (and recover their heroic status in so doing), but we’ll never get to see that.

We also haven’t seen enough of how Mr. Somebody (in the body of Veronica Cale)’s handled things in their absence.  I mean, how much worse can an unscrupulous, extradimensional entity run a corrupt island of mad scientists and their illegal experiments anyway?  Even by this issue, Mr. Somebody hasn’t managed to earn the respect of Oolong’s security head yet—it doesn’t look like he’s in any danger of taking over the world any time soon, as he boasts to General Immortus.

Mostly, you get a lot of action in this title’s series finale, though only parts of it offer much excitement: Cliff diving into Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man’s head and pulling a root to short him out is pretty good times).  But by and large, the blandness of the battle reminds you what little firepower the Patrol really has.  If not for Danny the Island’s (a big promotion from his “the Street” days) interference, the Patrol probably would never have pulled this off.

Red Robin #22 – Review

By: Fabian Nicieza (writer), Freddie Williams II (artist), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: People complain Gotham’s a God-forsaken city—wait till they see what happens when He starts paying attention.

The Review: Religion can be a dicey subject for any medium of serial fiction, comics included.  It’s no coincidence people say to avoid talking about politics and religion in the same breath.  Like political matters, the subtleties of many faiths are generally lost on most people, comics writers included.  What you end up getting much of the time falls somewhere between offensive at worst and oversimplified at best.

This issue has the distinction of being both at the same time, although Nicieza handles the subject as tastefully as can be hoped for.  His writing of Red Robin’s agnosticism (you can’t really call it atheism as he emphasizes he wants to believe) rings very true.  Tim’s narration is full of anger and confusion, as anyone who can’t equate a loving god with multiple personal tragedies would be.

Even so, Robin’s distaste of God for the struggles he’s experienced is still a very limited perspective on God’s role in people’s lives—which is surprising, since Tim usually has such a broader outlook on things.  But that’s what makes him part of the Batman family: when things get really personal, a lot of his better qualities wind up shelved.  It reminds us that as intelligent as he is, he’s still a kid in some ways; crises of faith come with the job.

It’s the portrayal of the antagonists that gets really iffy.  Now, Azrael falls in the tradition of DC’s overtly Christian characters, nearly all of whom (Huntress, the Spectre, etc.) come off strident, zealous, and fixated on punishment.  It’s not really their fault; if you fight crime on God’s behalf, it probably requires more of His vengeful qualities.  But these characters offer a very limited view of the religion, pointedly avoiding the New Testament altogether.

Batgirl #20 – Review

By: Bryan Q. Miller (writer), Ramon Bachs (art), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: Here’s a lesson for you kids: if you slack off in college, you may wind up a costumed speedster robbing millions in bank heists for a living.

The Review: When Batgirl relaunched with Stephanie Brown under the mask rather than Cassandra Cain, there was an expected uproar over the switch.  Cass spent many years getting over her grim background to earn her right to wear the Bat, while Steph in a lot of ways pushed herself into the biz.  But you can’t deny Steph’s nonchalant, happy-go-lucky attitude gives the title more energy and humor than Cass probably ever could.

Cass’ lone wolf personality made her interactions with other characters, even within the Batman family, infrequent and often cold.  By comparison Steph’s chemistry with all her supporting cast just flies off the page (with the exception of perhaps Proxy, who still needs to develop beyond angry nerd with punk hair).  You definitely can’t imagine Cass ever crushing on an older detective, nor can you imagine said detective giving her a paperclip bent into the Batgirl insignia.

Almost every title on the stands uses humor to some degree, only Batgirl has a female lead devoted to self-aware comedy, mostly because Steph’s character can pull it off.  Miller knows the trick to delivering jokes that work: they make a point about the characters or plot.  The beat Oracle takes after going overboard with her pep talk shows she knows she’s trying a little too hard to be a mentor to Steph and Proxy when they’re clearly handling things on their own.

Batgirl’s independence comes across full-force this issue, as she and Proxy design their sting pretty thoughtfully, but execute it thanks to some accidental deductions on Steph’s part.  Her wide-eyed realization of who’s been napping beside her in class this whole time instantly cuts to her running across campus to frantically get into costume.  It’s a sitcom-like moment Miller writes very well with her, and a scene which shows that she’s a rare bird in the DCU.

Doom Patrol #21 – Review

By: Keith Giffen (writer), Matthew Clark & Ron Randall (pencillers), Art Thibert (inker), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: Robotman reflects on the many incarnations—literally, it turns out—of the Doom Patrol.

The Review: With cancellation imminent and the last two issues to go, it’s no wonder Giffen wants to take the opportunity to wax nostalgic about the Doom Patrol’s history.  It’s very smart of him to write this retrospective in the penultimate issue rather than the final one.  The Patrol, after all, is not a team of thinkers.  For them, the most fitting way to go out is to go with a bang, which leaves this issue as the calm before the storm.

This issue also acts as a much-needed character piece on Cliff, who’s always been the most centered member and as such the one you have the least handle on.  Rita’s the self-loathing one and Larry’s the smart-alec, but as it turns out, Cliff has more internal conflict than perhaps any of us believed.  His oft-repeated phrase says everything about why he’s the Patrol’s acting leader: “What’s important here?”  Giffen cleverly uses this mantra to analyze Cliff’s loyalty to the team.

Since the Patrol got revamped by Geoff Johns after Infinite Crisis, and even more so under Giffen’s work on this ongoing, the team has steadily lost more and more of their humanity.  Rita went from your usual size-changer to a protoplasmic shapeshifter; there’s no telling what’s underneath Larry’s bandages; and now Cliff reveals he’s almost purely robot—even Cyborg has more organics than that.

Yet despite losing the things that makes them biologically human, the Patrol remains the most human of all the superhero teams because they are also the most fallible.  They have no agenda other than to try to make the best of the lot life has given them, and they suffer constantly from feelings of insecurity and inferiority, especially compared to their more beloved peers.  They’re the X-Men of the DCU—the heroes most likely to be called freaks and criminals.  As Cliff realizes, they need each other because they only have each other; no one else can really relate.

Knight and Squire #6 – Review

By: Paul Cornell (writer), Jimmy Broxton (artist), Guy Major (colors)

The Story: An American Joker in London.

The Review: It’s almost a sure thing no one knew what to expect going into this series, and certainly as it’s gone on, it’s become even more unpredictable.  As it turns out, Knight and Squire aren’t simply Batman and Robin with charming accents.  For a while, their style and philosophy toward crime-busting has come off so lighthearted, they came fairly close to parody.  But this issue proves they are more than up to the job of taking down the big-name villains.

Regardless of which Dynamic Duo you’re talking about, sooner or later, it had to come down to this: a face-off with the Joker.  I don’t think many of us anticipated the original to show up (how does an infamous psychotic manage to bop his way across the pond anyhow?), but Cornell uses him to show not only what K&S are made of, but the overall philosophy of the British culture.

A lot of praise has to be given to our heroes for stepping up to the plate despite confronting a foe with far greater malice and danger than they’re used to—in comparison to a resurrected Richard III, anyway.  Especially admirable is Beryl’s design of a clever trap for the Joker in spite of her grief over her beau’s murder—it’s one of the best amidst a lot of examples in this issue of what the Brits lack in outright boldness, they make up for with formidable resilience.

Nowhere is that more evident than in Jarvis Poker’s subtle baiting of his former idol even in the death throes of his disease.  How fitting he ends up being the character that learns the most by the story’s end.  After all, he reflects the side of Britons that admires American independence, only to learn that a nation as big as America can afford it, while the citizens of an island nation must learn to get along—even heroes and villains.  The source of their indefatigable civility is the same thing, which allows them to overcome challenges: in Jarvis’ words, “Sacrifice.”

Doom Patrol #20 – Review

By: Keith Giffen (writer), Matthew Clark & Ron Randall (pencillers), Art Thibert & John Livesay (inkers), Scott Clark with Dave Beaty, Jose Luis, Scott McDaniel (guest artists), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: Wanted—studio space for four (one miniaturized), open access to power grid, appliances included.  Must love freaks.

The Review: With Doom Patrol’s cancellation imminent, it’s worth reflecting on the series’ possibly dooming shortcomings.  Of course, it’s a niche title, with a peculiar cast of characters.  It leans more towards comedy than drama—always risky, as comic book humor tends to be very hit or miss, as D.P. frequently is.  But the title’s biggest weakness is it has always been more interested in its character interaction than actually giving those characters things to do.

This issue serves as a good example: it’s one of the strongest of the series, yet basically involves nothing more than the Patrol looking for a place to crash after getting kicked off their base.  The interest comes from how each member’s particular brand of social awkwardness rubs off on the DCU’s more mainstream characters.  The ultimate unfruitfulness of the team’s efforts serves as a good reminder of how out of place they are in their world, and with readers in general.

You just can’t get a handle on these characters.  They’re ostensibly heroes, but as Beast Boy and Congorilla astutely point out, most of the Patrol’s endeavors to this point have come across more terrorist than heroic.  They’re more a gang of losers who can’t catch a break; most of their misadventures involve them acting out of self-preservation rather than for a good cause.

Batgirl #19 – Review

By: Bryan Q. Miller (writer), Ramon Bachs (artist), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: Batgirl’s got a brand new bag—I mean, base.  She’s gonna need it to take down this surprisingly un-greedy, speedster thief on her case.

The Review: Wisecracking teenage heroes are nothing new—just look at the original Teen Titans.  But ever since Buffy the Vampire Slayer enjoyed widespread television acclaim, it feels like the gags have gotten snappier, smarter, more sophisticated.  This very referential kind of humor has become its own school of comedy, one making for very easy, almost formulaic joke-writing—so easy, it can fall into the trap of trying to generate humor pointlessly.

Miller’s obviously Buffy­-esque humor has worked well so far, but this issue shows how quickly he can fall into that trap.  In-battle repartee is an affectation no comic is free from, but the sheer amount of wit-laden chatter can get ridiculous, like Batgirl’s, “Strictly for rapport purposes—what is a plucky heroine in need of banter supposed to call you?”  It’s a moment where you feel Miller should probably tone it down a notch, and there are several moments like it this issue.

That said, he’s wise enough to inject some self-awareness to Steph’s jokey nature, and her humor definitely works best when bouncing off some nonplussed straight men, the best of which has to be Oracle.  I really enjoyed the scene where Steph is listing her strong points: “…my can-do, devil-may-care, Pollyanna…un…sinkable…”  Oracle: “You got a little lost in there?”  “You shoot from the hip, you don’t always hit the mark.”  My thoughts exactly.

Seeing how others react to her make-light-of-everything attitude also works really well to deliver some character development.  It’s a pretty clever way to reveal how these characters think and feel about certain things, and it lets Steph to put her deductive skills in play.  Detective Gage’s sudden turn from joining in the fun to bristling at her jests hints at some history with the Reapers, and she picks up on this right away, though she has the grace to let it go.

Gage’s gruffness also ties in with his personal stake in the larger mystery Miller has in mind for this series.  A good thing, as even though the chemistry between him and Batgirl is undeniably good, their age difference still makes the idea of him as primarily a romantic foil for her a little squeamish.  But with an underachieving classmate and obsessive stalker as other possible romances, Steph doesn’t exactly have a lot of choices on her plate.

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.

Knight and Squire #5 – Review

By: Paul Cornell (writer), Jimmy Broxton (artist), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: The end is near for Jarvis Poker, British Joker, and Knight and Squire are determined to make it worthwhile.

The Review: It’s been fun reading the madcap romps of Britain’s dynamic duo among its unashamedly whacked-out world of heroes and villains, but this story has so far lacked a sense of direction.  Each issue is largely self-contained, with few events having much of an impact on the next story in line.  Considering the finite nature of a miniseries, it’s important Knight and Squire make a statement for its characters before disappearing into publishing limbo.

This issue reveals that Cornell has been doing just that all along, beneath the surface of the series’ self-deprecating humor.  In previous issues, we’ve seen how Knight and Squire truly are the preeminent heroes of Britain, facing and taking down the most dastardly foes the nation has to offer.  The comedy comes from how small scale these threats really turn out to be, and how both sides, good and evil, value civility above all else in their fantastic doings.

But as Jarvis Poker’s melancholy, twelfth-hour reflections show, there’s a bittersweet taste to the laughs.  Because small as the scale is for British super-crime and its heroic responses, these things are still distinctly theirs, and they take incredible pride in their peculiar culture.  That’s why the appearance of the original Joker feels so invasive.  It’s as if Cornell has been soaking you for so long in how things must be done in this series’ universe that the injection of born-and-bred American character comes off foreign and—you have to admit—ugly.

In a way, it’s as much of a statement on American superheroes and villains.  Cornell writes a brilliant Joker, who is not only crazed and abominable, but very, very purposeful about how he channels those qualities.  At the same time, there’s an inherent disrespect of order and love of chaos in his personality, an exaggeration on American values of freedom and individualism.  Hence the contrast between Jarvis’ “agreement” with Knight and Squire on his meticulously plotted crime of the century, and Joker’s sudden, explosive entrance and spontaneous declaration of war on all British villains and heroes.

Red Robin #20 – Review

By: Fabien Nicieza (writer), Marcus To (artist), Ray McCarthy (inker), Guy Major (colors)

***Caution: there are a few minor spoilers in here, necessary for the review. Read conclusion first and then you can stop if you want.***

Conclusion: Red Robin #20 was a visually strong issue, but a bit jumbled story-wise. I get the feeling that Nicieza had to get from his last excellent story to a reason for Tim to team up with the Teen Titans and that he wasn’t given a lot of time to do it right. Pick it up if you’re a Red Robin collector, but don’t make this you first issue of Red Robin.

The Story: It turns out that Tim’s great plan that came together last issue in Moscow and the Unternet had a flaw. The Calculator makes a counter-move and Tim has to leap into action to protect Tam. But, he’s in over his head, so calls in some help from his old friends and his psycho stepbrother. Fun ensues.

What’s Good: Visually, To, McCarthy and Major effectively splash leaping action, explosive excitement and sincere buddy-buddy reunions into 22 packed pages. I’m a fan of this art team, because they bring the right level of realistic draftsmanship to the table (it’s what I enjoy in comic art), and yet keep the action moving. Red Robin leaping out into the air to save Tam is evocative, as much so as the subtle smirk on Catman’s face. And, I have to add that To’s version of Tim Wayne is wiry and skinny, making him look like the teenager he is, very different, for example, of the build that Dick Grayson or Bruce Wayne would have.

Story-wise, Nicieza has Tim’s voice down pat, and the dialogue always comes across as strong and honest. OK, it got a bit emotional at the reunion with the Titans, but Tim is a teenager, right? I’ll give him that.

Batgirl #18 – Review

By: Bryan Q. Miller (writer), Dustin Nguyen (penciller and painter), Derek Fridolfs (inker), Guy Major (colors)

The Story: Batgirl is enjoying Valentine’s Day until she runs into a magical phenomenon that is stealing hearts, and being that this is Gotham, this is not a metaphor. On the plus side, she gets to meet up with Klarion the Witch-Boy and his randy cat….

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: This issue, and increasingly this series, is silly fun. This issue has much the same tone as the recent Batgirl/Supergirl team-up, you know, the one with the 3D movie vampires? Klarion the Witch-Boy and Stephanie Brown get some good laughs out of their unlikely pairing. Lines like “I’m not a pilgrim!”, “I’ve never tasered a were-cat before,” and “She’s not a witch!” are classic Batgirl fun and Klarion is a very effective straight man for her. She gets to see his weird world, and in the end, she shows him hers (Gotham U on valentine’s day), and there’s a satisfying sense of reconciliation, even if she smells a bit like Christmas….

The Nguyen/Fridolfs art team still isn’t lighting my fire and this issue spends a lot of time calling on Guy Major to fill in empty backgrounds. Major is a great colorist, and I’d like for the artist to leave him more to show off. I’m not sure if that’s a comedic stylistic choice or if that’s Nguyen’s style (I thought I’d seen more detail in his work elsewhere in Gotham). I do have to take my hat off to Nguyen though, for his painted sequences. They were beautiful and the look on Klarion’s face when he gets his cat laid is priceless.

Red Robin #19 – Review

By: Fabian Nicieza (writer), Marcus To (penciller), Ray McCarthy (inker), Guy Major (colors)

The Story: The Rabbit Hole, Part Two: The title says it all. When we last left our young hero, the Man With the Plan had been knocked out, along with three of his allies. Now, Red Robin and Tam wake up, and they ain’t in Kansas anymore. It’s psychedelic loco-land with flavors of Arcade’s Murderworld while the subconscious speaks in riddles.

What’s Good: Red Robin is one of those titles that consistently delivers fun adventure with an engaging hero who’s out to succeed in the superhero business. This issue is no exception and we’re really watching Tim Wayne grow into adulthood and something big. Red Robin is the new Nightwing and he’s fun and Nicieza gets that, while not losing Tim’s obsessive drive that launched this series so powerfully. Why can I say all that?

Because I got to watch Superfriends-style Batman and Robin swing into action while the Riddler chatters on like a Greek chorus and Tim tries to figure out what the heck is going on. Talk about starting in the middle of the action and the mystery. The Unternet is a weird place with eerie Darkseid flavoring. The madness and the anger pumping through the action and the writing is palpable. Clues abound, but not enough to spoil anything (only enough to tease), and in the end, Tim’s solution satisfied me, as it fits with the kind of person he is and his outlook on life. The book *looks* dialogue heavy, but feels like it’s the right amount of text, and I have to say…I feel like I got my money’s worth on the reading part. And Foxy Lady was a hoot.

Batgirl #17 – Review

By: Bryan Q. Miller (writer), Pere Perez (artist), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: Boy and Girl Wonders meet again as Batgirl and Robin team up—so to speak—to track down a band of child kidnappers.  Plus, Robin in a moon bounce!

The Review: It has truly been the year of Damian Wayne.  After first penned into being by Grant Morrison, he disappeared from the books, only to return for sporadic (and brief) guest shots.  But ever since becoming the Robin of Batman and Robin, it seems that DC writers just can’t get enough of him.  One thing that stands out is how consistently Damian’s character remains across different portrayals: pretentious, arrogant, and obnoxious, at times unbearably so.

Bryan Q. Miller’s version of the kid ninja is probably the most enjoyable of all.  Damian in B&R tends to embrace his moody side and over on Teen Titans he’s a little too obviously out for blood.  Writers tend to fixate on his antisocial personality, but the cleverness of Miller’s take revolves around how beneath all his deadliness, Damian’s just another spoiled brat with a sheltered upbringing.  And what’s the fun of sheltered brats?  Exposing them to your average, everyday life experiences, which is exactly what Miller does, revealing intriguing layers to Damian’s character in the process.

The magnitude of Damian’s loneliness and sincere desire to be appreciated (dare I say, loved) by his father has been written before, but here, all of those things come out in a very natural, nuanced way.  There are no big dramatic scenes, but Damian’s bafflement toward the concepts of schooldays and field trips, his overblown boasts about all the responsibilities Batman has supposedly given him, and his inability to goof around, even when goofing is part of the mission—all of these will make you feel, for the first time ever probably, just plain sorry for him.

The most outstanding moment of this issue has to be Damian’s choice of pseudonym while blending in with some other kids at a science museum: “My name is…Bruce.”  In just four words, Miller manages to give Damian a heart and convince me that this is a kid worth caring about, and seeing how he’ll turn out.  If you don’t manage to feel even a smidgeon of pity for the kid after reading that scene, well—I don’t think you and I can ever watch Up together.

Knight and Squire #3 – Review

By: Paul Cornell (writer), Jimmy Broxton (artist), Guy Major (colors)

The Story: England’s very own meta-science labs embark on a thrilling project to revive one of its most famous—or infamous, depending on who you ask—monarchs, Richard III.  Question is: will he be the benevolent statesman attributed to history or the Machiavellian schemer of Shakespeare?  Well, honestly, a benevolent statesman wouldn’t be much of a foe for our heroes, now, would he?

The Review: You got to love it when a publisher takes a gamble on a title whose culture is anything other than All-American.  That’s what made DC’s Blue Beetle with its Chicano/Latino bent and Marvel’s exceptionally British Captain Britain and MI: 13 so much fun (besides the tremendous quality of those series), but kind of niche reads.  You tend to appreciate them so much better the more acquainted you are with the culture.

You’ll certainly be reminded of this fact on reading Paul Cornell’s Knight and Squire.  Once done, you’ll never again take for granted how foreign our Anglican friends really are.  Again, it’s not that the issue is not enjoyable without a broad understanding of British tropes and quirks.  But you’ll be missing out on a lot of rather delightful details otherwise.  It would also help to have some familiarity with Shakespeare’s Richard III.

The first two issues had the usual Cornell zaniness, but lacked the sense of grounding this one does.  Cyril and Beryl’s personalities are given more page-time to play off not only each other, but other characters—the best of which being Cerys Tweed, member of The Muses, pop superstars and psychics.  Her appearance is kept to a page, but even in that span she comes across credible and fresh; her knowledge of marketing and public relations offers a new way of doing detective work.

Doom Patrol #17 – Review

By: Keith Giffen (writer), Matthew Clark and Ron Randall (pencillers), John Livesay (inker), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: Fresh from yet another confrontation with the Chief that has now left them leaderless, the Doom Patrol reluctantly agree to accompany their newest benefactor to a gala in North Korea that’s more like a who’s-who of crazed sadists.  Worst among the violent weirdoes are the Aristocrats, an old family of considerable poise, history, and bloodlust.

The Review: The Doom Patrol is among the last surviving relics of DC’s legacy of exploring the weird.  They truly are an oddball group, with a grab-bag of low-key superpowers and a vague agenda pitting them against the other freakazoids of the DCU.  The Doom Patrol flourishes when writers avoid remaking them into more standard superhero fare, and embrace their inherent strangeness.  Small wonder Grant Morrison worked wonders with them under his pen, and now under Keith Giffen’s, they’re slowly gaining the semblance of liveliness again.

Giffen’s offbeat style is on full-speed from the first page, a “Previously, on Doom Patrol”-type brief written in Dick and Jane syntax (“Now the Chief can fly. / Fly, Chief, fly.”).  It lacks the cleverness that sells Greg Pak’s and Fred Van Lente’s “Previously” pages over on The Incredible Hercules, but it definitely sets the irreverent tone for the rest of the issue.

The self-mockery the characters go through occasionally feel forced (“Does this outfit make my thighs look chunky?”), but what’s really winning about this series is the interaction of its slew of eccentric characters.  Cliff, Rita, and Larry have had plenty of time to develop their voices, but it’s impressive that Giffen manages to make even first-timers sound fully realized from their first appearance.  As far as I know, the Aristocrats are completely new, but from a few exchanges (helped by an extensive expository piece at the issue’s start) you really get a strong sense of how disturbed they, how aware they are of their own twistedness, and how very little they care.

Batgirl #15 – Review

By: Bryan Q. Miller (writer), Dustin Nguyen (penciller), Derek Fridolfs (inks), Guy Major (colors)

The Story: We get a history of the Bat-world as a visually-cool expository lump at the beginning of the issue. Then, into Steph’s problems fitting into college life and then her action as Batgirl, chasing that nut-case grad student who made those sci-fi vampires last issue. Weird thing is, he’s being chased by some robed people and let’s just say that Steph gets a little too close.

What’s Not So Good: I thought I’d start on the negatives with this review, just because the visuals really make or break a story for me. It doesn’t matter how good the writing, plotting or characterization is; if the lines and colors on the page don’t work for me, the writer’s craftsmanship never even gets tested. I felt that was about this issue. We’ve been relatively spoiled on this series with some pretty consistent and competent artwork through the first year by Garbett and Scott. Nguyen and Fridolfs on the Batgirl art chores didn’t work for me. Stephanie became stylized, unattractive and older. In costume, her proportions seemed wrong (check out a couple panels of long, stick legs) and the faces and textures reminded me of Giffen’s work when he was inking his own pencils on the early Ambush Bug stuff– unattractive. I also found it a bit disappointing that there were a bunch of panels bereft of background. If I’m shelling out $2.99, please give me all the art I’m due, unless there’s a stylistic or storytelling reason not to do the backgrounds. I couldn’t think of any for this story, but I might not have all the answers.

What’s Good: Major’s color work was good, especially the red skies of Gotham and the lurid bat-signal. On writing, Miller has Stephanie Brown tone perfect and has reinforced the book by bringing Oracle back. These are, I think, the two important pieces to the vitality of this series: Steph’s self-deprecating thirst for acceptance and adulthood, and Oracle’s mentorship. I got pretty worried when Oracle took a powder. I’m ready to let Proxy go back to wherever she came from, although this issue she served as a handy excuse for Miller to make this issue accessible to new readers. Smart move, and it was fun enough that someone who’s been following Gotham’s news for a couple of years didn’t find it slow.

Conclusion: Miller has begun some clever story work. I’d say for now that it’s worth buying at this price, but if the current art team stays on, I may slide Batgirl off my pull list. Mike Marts: Please send back Garbett and Scott!

Grade: C+

-DS Arsenault

 

Detective Comics #870 – Review

By: David Hine (writer), Scott McDaniel (pencils), Andy Owens (inks), Guy Major (colors) & Todd Klein (letters)

The Story: The finale to The Imposters story-line sees a free-for-all, murderous riot erupt at the carnival.

What’s good: Are you alternately bored and confused by Grant Morrison’s meta-epic “Return of Bruce Wayne”?  Are you having a hard time figuring out what is going on with Dr. Hurt and that Domino stuff that is going on in Batman & Robin?  Would you like a plain, old Batman story that doesn’t require you to pull out back issues to reference plot points from two years ago?  If you answered, “yes” to any of those questions, this story arc in Detective Comics is just the palate cleanser you needed.

Hine has created a really neat character in Winslow Heath (the Joker imposter).  We started to explore his background in the last issue and Part One of his origin was enough to understand why he is seriously unwell and why he hates Joker, but what we learn about him in this issue takes the cake and makes us understand why he hates Batman.  When you look at what happened to Heath, you actually find yourself feeling a little sorry for him.  Hopefully this is not the last we see of the character because Heath is a good villain.

Even though McDaniel’s art isn’t quite as crisp in this issue, it connects when it really counts.  The key is how creepy he makes Heath look in a few pivotal scenes.  This dude looks crazier and creepier than Joker has looked in years.  When you combine this look with Heath’s origin, it makes for an unsettling package.

What’s not so good: Hine spends a little too much time on the questions of: Is Gotham a nasty place because of Batman?  Do villains flock to Gotham just to test themselves against him?  Would Gotham have more petty crime, but be spared Joker-level mega-crime if Batman just hung it up?  This just isn’t a very interesting line of inquiry because it leads nowhere.  We all know that if Batman did hang up the tights, Gotham would be fine at first, but THEN…. something would happen that would bring him out of retirement and Gotham would realize that it truly needs its Dark Knight.  The End!  Could that story end any other way?  It is hard to imagine that it would, so why tease it?

It is also very disappointing that this is an old Bruce Wayne story.  There is no reason why this couldn’t have been a current Dick Grayson story.  For all the Bat-books that DC publishes, there really have not been very many Dick-Batman stories that have been independent of Morrison’s Bruce Wayne saga.  Can’t the guy just be a hero?

The art was not bad, but it does look a little different than past issues.  Different enough that it caused one to confirm that there wasn’t a change of inkers.  Perhaps it was just rushed slightly?  The “big” panels still have the juice, but the bulk of the book is lacking in the chaotic whimsy that earlier issues of this story had.

Conclusion: A very satisfying Bruce Wayne story for those who want a break from what Morrison is doing.  Not without flaws, but Hine has created a very cool new villain in Winslow Heath.  Hopefully, he’ll be back sooner rather than later.

Grade: B-

– Dean Stell

 

Detective Comics #869 – Review

By: David Hine (writer), Scott McDaniel (pencils), Andy Owen (inks), Guy Major (colors) & Todd Klein (letters)

The Story: The impostor-Batman & Joker are revealed as this story moves towards a conclusion.

What’s Good: If you missed Bruce Wayne detective stories (and don’t read Batman Confidential), you’ll probably enjoy this issue/arc of Detective Comics.  This is a “middle issue” so there is no real expectation of climax or finale, but it suitably moves the plot along as we learn more about the identities of both the impostor Joker and Batman.

David Hine and Scott McDaniel have collaborated to create an impostor Joker who is quite creepy.  During one several-page segment explaining his origins, the character was highly disturbing but it was unclear whether it was the story itself OR the way that McDaniel had drawn it that made it so off-putting.  When that happens, you know that you have a creative team that is working together nicely and that is what most separates this Bruce-Batman detective story from countless others that hit the press over the years.  Everything is really in sync and it is just a very nicely done comic from a creative standpoint because the art is helping to tell the story rather than merely being an illustration of a script.

The art is also a real star of this book.  It has a thick and chunky look to it.  In places it almost has that wonderful look as if it was inked with a Sharpie.  Then the purples, greens and reds just explode off an otherwise darkly colored page.  The whole effect is quite nice.

Detective Comics #868 – Review

By: David Hine (writer), Scott McDaniel (pencils), Andy Owens (inks), Guy Major (colors) & Todd Klein (letters)

The Story: The imposter crisis runs amok as Gothamites dress up as Joker and Batman and cause mayhem.

What’s Good: This is a clever little story for what it is.  After reading Batman #702 and then spending time reflecting on what exactly Grant Morrison is trying to do with his Batman saga, it was kinda nice to have this Detective story that requires ZERO reflection on comic events from two years ago, no digging out of back issues to re-examine past events and no angst about whether the day will be saved in the end.  This is just a lightweight Batman story.  Period. [And I mean lightweight in the good sense]

The concept of Gotham residents dressing up like Batman or being drugged into carrying out the wishes of Gotham’s villains isn’t exactly new, but Hine does a nice job of making this story fresh.  It even has a sense of humor.

It took me a few panels to get settled into McDaniel’s art, but then I really liked it.  It gives the issue a fairly whimsical, Tim Burton feel which mostly fits with this sort of Joker-lite story and Guy Major deserves credit for his nice use of bright colors.

Red Robin #14 – Review

By Fabian Nicieza (writer), Marcus To (penciller), Ray McCarthy (inker), Guy Major (colors)

The Story: The Hit List, Part II: I think the core of this book is nicely summed up in this quote by Red Robin: “I’ve always forgiven him because he was raised in a vat of chemicals and taught to be a homicidal maniac. I’ve always held back for Bruce or Dick, but as stupid as it sounds, if this idiot is ever going to respect me, I’m going to have to kick his ass!”

What’s Good: Tim Wayne, the former boy wonder, the man with the plan, has a slap-down with our favorite psychotic, ninja-trained, ten-year-old sidekick. Fabian Nicieza has written an awesome book about two brothers: the middle one and the youngest. Nicieza exploits the dynamic of the dead father and the absent eldest brother to create an issue where these two very different brothers must deal with each other. This is not to say that this will lead to a happy ending (Cain and Abel anyone?), but Nicieza gets to the root of both characters, especially Damian in a way I’d never expected. I’d never seen Damian as particularly sympathetic or vulnerable (Bad-ass…Yes. Do I want him on my side of any fight? Yes. Do I want him over for supper? Hell, no!), but Nicieza succeeded in doing that. And Tim’s patented monologues, always engaging, continue to give us a great window into Tim’s world.

Batgirl #11 – Review

By: Bryan Q. Miller (writer), Lee Garbett and Pere Perez (artists), Walden Wong and Pere Perez (inkers), Guy Major (colorist), Harvey Richards (assistant editor), Michael Siglain (editor)

The Story: Calculator has Oracle and is plugging directly into her mind. Oracle’s hidden lair has Wendy. Technozombies Catwoman, Manbat and Huntress (not to mention 40% of Gotham) have Batgirl. Then things get grim.

What’s Good: As always, Miller excels at the snappy banter and monologue that accident-prone Stephanie Brown excels at: Spiderman-esque in style, but a lot less self-confident. Only Steph is able to deliver lines like “Sorry I called your dad a jackass” and, in response to the growls of Technozombie Man-Bat, “You’re right, I can’t afford a DVR.” Stephanie is always manic fun. On Oracle’s side, I loved the mental world she was stuff in, facing off against Calculator, and his growing frustrations with her. Visually, the art was dynamic, the settings grim and rainy, and some of the layouts interesting. Artgerm’s cover art is absolutely fantastic (just like last issue). Stan Lau should be doing the insides too.

What’s Not So Good: The art, while doing the job, didn’t look very compelling this issue. Gotham looks grittiest and scariest (despite Stephanie being a light-hearted Gothamite, she is being chased by thousands of zombies) when the fine lines of detail leap out of the panels and drown the reader’s eyes in an overload of bricks and mortar, dirty, blowing garbage, hair-line cracks in windows and scuffed armor. Faces carry more emotion when the lips and eyes and hair move fluidly. The art here just lacked the kind of detail that would have held my attention. This was just standard.

Story-wise, there were a few flaws. I’m not trying to nerd out, but first, I was shocked that Wendy was able to turn on, much less use, Oracle’s computer. I’m not a longtime Barbara Gordon follower, but over this series, she’s been the super-careful, ultra-cautious mastermind with a plan. She has put telepathic blocks in her head! But she didn’t password protect her computer?

Red Robin #13 – Review

By: Fabian Nicienza (writer), Marcus To (penciller), Ray McCarthy and Mark McKenna (inkers), Guy Major (colors)

The Story: The Hitlist, Part One: The Domino Effect: This tale opens on three brothers, Dick, Tim and Damian, who have reconciled and become family again. However, their chosen vocations pull them apart once more, Batman and Robin after one set of criminals, Red Robin after the Lynx. Tim struggles, not only with first contact with the Lynx and some weird coincidences, but with his whole life. He’s got five questions to ask: Where to live, what to do, how to do it, who to do it with and who to do it against. Red Robin #13 answers three of those questions.

What’s Good: Chris Yost steered the first twelve issues of Red Robin through a roller coaster of adventure as Tim Drake sough to prove himself. Fabian Nicienza, with issue #13, assumes the role of worthy successor. The dialogue is crisp, the characters vibrant, the situations fun (Tim is engaged!) and the hero has a plan. Actually, that last part is not new. Red Robin, if nothing else, has proven himself to be the one superhero that walks around with pockets stuffed with plans. This is what makes him so successful and engaging as a character. Tim is driven, not by something so amorphous as crime, but by specific, strategic plans. And he’s obviously cooking up a big one now, thanks to some fine plotting and writing by Nicienza.

To, McCarthy, McKenna and Major turn in some fine artwork. The facial expressions and level of textural detail are a bit understated for my tastes, but To picks the camera angles, panel compositions and postures that make this story materialize. The quick shift in camera angles, whether watching Tim shake down one of the golden dragons, or when following Tim manage his fiancé, make the panels breeze along. The double splash page is dynamic, and even Tam’s ridiculed humiliation is penciled into a life that is moving and happening. That dynamism counts just as much in the fight scenes, and the color work, whether dark and sharp or blurred and surreal, give the panels an extra dimension.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1 – Review

By: Grant Morrison (writer), Chris Sprouse (artist), Karl Story (inker), Guy Major (colors), Mike Marts (editor)

The Story: A prehistoric tribe of hunters has stumbled upon some kind of rocket ship, and while reading spiritual meaning into its appearance, and against the backdrop of a rite of passage, they follow strange tracks leading away from the craft. They encounter a flock of bats and a confused man who speaks in tongues. They keep him, treating this supernatural being, partly as a ghost, partly as a pet. Then the Blood Mob Tribe attacks and it goes very much downhill…

What’s Good: When the Blood Mob Tribe attacked, I expected Bruce to make short work of them. I really, really respected Morrison for making Bruce take an arrow in the shoulder and retreat. Batman is one of the most superb fighters on Earth, but he is still a man, and so many writers forget that. When the Blood Mob Tribe actually caught him, I was even more impressed. How the heck is he going to get out of this? Morrison also did some fine voice work. The tribespeople didn’t use different words than us, but their word order and expressions were different enough to give me the flavor of a simpler, changed language of thirty thousand years ago. And he succeeded in delivering an emotional note to this story with the advice and teachings that the tribe kept giving to the boy undergoing his rite of passage. It made me care a lot more about the story. My tension rose a lot at the appearance of Superman and Green Lantern, especially since they were too late. Now I’m itching to learn more about what they were talking about.

Batgirl #10 – Review

By: Bryan Q. Miller (writer), Lee Garbett & Pere Perez (artists), Jonathan Glapion, Rodney Ramos & Pere Perez (inkers), Guy Major (colorist), Michael Siglain (editor)

The Story: Batgirl Rising, The Flood, Part Two of Four: Calculator is one creepy dude. He knows more about computers than Oracle, and he’s got a serious hate for Stephanie Brown. Maybe that’s why she’s unplugging all her systems. Oh, and he’s got a Justifier Helmet. As Babs and Steph would say: “Crap.”

What’s Good: Miller’s writing. Miller’s got the voices of his characters down cold. Calculator is creepy– seriously creepy. Babs is confident, brave, sarcastic and in over her head, and it shows in her dialogue. Gotham PD Detective Gage talks like a nervous guy seriously crushing on Assistant Professor Barbara Gordon. And Batgirl? She’s classic Stephanie, telling hookers to stay in school, having monologue issues (“OHGODOHGODISAIDTHATOUTLOUD!”), and delivering such internal monologue gems as, “Way to sell it, Dork Knight.”

The art was dynamic (layout, poses, panel composition) and it gave us views from all sorts of angles that breathed movement into the pictures, and the faces were expressive (ex.: page 2 shot of Calculator, page 6 shot of Babs, pages 12-13 shots of Detective Gage). The works of Garbett and Perez really enabled Miller’s writing, bringing various character moments to life, especially scenes with Stephanie’s crush on Gage (a nice love triangle that’s eventually going to bite someone). Major, as always, delivered fine color work. The glowing green of Oracle’s computer image and the activation of the pulse are great examples of where color takes a driver’s seat in the telling of the story.

Red Robin #12 – Review

By Chris Yost (writer), Marcus To (pencils), Ray McCarthy (inks), Guy Major (colors) and Sal Cipriano (letters)

The Story The epic “Collisions” storyline comes to a conclusion as the League of Shadows threatens everything and everyone Bruce Wayne holds dear. As time begins to run out, Red Robin finally comes face to face with Ra’s al Ghul.

What’s Good: Red Robin has been a fantastic book since issue #1, but the whole creative team really pulls out all the stops for the conclusion of this first arc. In addition to being an absolutely excellent and suspenseful story as a whole, Tim Drake himself gets some wonderful character moments. The way he relies on his brain even more than his (not insignificant) fighting skill during his confrontation with al Ghul cements this Red Robin’s place as a worthy addition to the Bat-family, while the courage and character he exhibits earns him the title of ‘hero’ in his own right as well. This book has allowed Tim to mature in the best way, both as a person and a character, and the payoff we witness in this issue is a wholly satisfying pleasure to see. The actual conclusion—both to the issue and the storyline as a whole—is…not what I expected at all, but it works very well and is actually quite heartwarming to watch, after everything Tim has been through and sacrificed in the last year.