Aquaman Annual #1 – Review

By: John Ostrander (story), Geraldo Borges & Netho Diaz (pencils), Ruy Jose, Allen Martinez, JP Mayer, Mariah Benes, Oclair Albert, Julio Ferreira, Jay Leisten (inks), Rod Reis & Hi-Fi (colors)

The Story: The Others must race to stop a witch from saving the world.

The Review: Here’s a fun fact: Ostrander nearly shares my mother’s birth year, month, and is just shy of the day.  That definitely funks up the way I think of his writing.  I mean, do I really want someone my mother’s age to be writing comics for ostensibly a new generation of readers?  Not that it can’t be done.  Jim Shooter did a bang-up job on the Three-boot volume of Legion of Super-Heroes, and he’s only a couple years younger than Ostrander—and my mother.

On the other hand, I haven’t been all that impressed with Ostrander’s recent DC work, which makes me all the gladder that it’s only occasional.  While the premises of his stories are usually solid, his heavy-handed execution definitely reveals his age, or so it seems to me.  Under his pen, Aquaman and the Others seem a little too prone to theatrics; they’re blunter, louder, more melodramatic than their introverted personalities would support.

Nightwing #3 – Review

By: Kyle Higgins (writer), Eddy Barrows & Eduardo Pansica (pencillers), JP Mayer, Paulo Siqueira, Eber Ferreira (inkers), Rod Reis & Allen Passalaqua (colorist)

The Story: So long, Mr. Haly.  Love, the circus freaks.

The Review: It’s not surprising most of our heroes’ childhoods remain a bit vague; at that age, there’s little depth to be mined, except for grim, life-lasting traumas, of course.  Still, some characters can stand to have their early lives developed a little more, like Nightwing.  He had a fairly wacky upbringing, yet it evidently gave him with the right stuff to hurdle over tragedy and become the respected hero he is today.  How exactly did a circus childhood do that?

Higgins clears up that question to some degree here, establishing quite a few new relationships in Dick’s life along the way.  Aside from “girl next door” Raya, his little gang of circus friends included the daredevil Raymond and the mischievous Zane.  With jolly Mr. Haly watching over them, you see Dick pretty much grew up in a Hollywood-movie idyll, complete with a scene where instead of giving the kids the extra chores he promised their parents, Mr. Haly instead lends Zane the keys to his truck so they can see a midnight movie.  Sap to the max, but touching.

All of these figures now reassert themselves into Dick’s life—not literally, since two of them are now dead.  Mr. Haly, having left for that great three-ring arena in the sky last issue, also left behind a dying wish for Dick to take charge of the show and protect the secret of the circus (a Boxcar Children title if I ever heard one) too.  Obviously, Haly’s real son isn’t all too pleased his inheritance was passed to his prodigal “brother,” so that’ll be a major source of tension to come

But Bryan Haly’s resentment is fairly commonplace against the showdown between Nightwing and Zane, who left show biz to become a kind of booking agent for killers.  When our hero goes to see if his former friend might have been responsible for hiring Saiko, things go downhill.  After all, you don’t work with assassins on a daily basis without learning a thing or two about getting your hands dirty yourself.

Nightwing #2 – Review

By: Kyle Higgins (writer), Eddy Barrows (penciller), JP Mayer & Paulo Siqueira (inkers), Rod Reis (colorist)

The Story: Someday, this antiquated, second-rate circus will all be yours.

The Review: Keeping up relationships with people takes work.  You have to put in the effort to stay up-to-date with their lives, lend them a hand when they need favors, and be sympathetic and open to their needs.  Of course, we live in a Facebook world, where often all that’s needed to stay in touch with someone is to press “Like” when they post some semi-witty status update about how eating instant noodles for dinner is a metaphor for a drained bank account, FML.

Obligatory as that “Like” may be, it is still an obligation you have to fulfill if you have even a modicum of interest in keeping in touch with that person.  It’s one thing for Dick to retain his connections to his circus family, but that means mutual attachment, which in turn means he has some responsibilities towards them.  Higgins brought in an interesting new avenue to Dick’s life, but how he’ll play this for long-term continuity value is crucial.

A lot of what we see so far sticks pretty close to the cliché or predictable, most especially the sparks flying between Dick and former circus gal pal Raya.  There, you basically have the typical plot of “man runs into the girl-next-door of his youth; past and present collide; heart rending ensues.”  You have to take most of this for granted since about the only thing you know about Dick and Raya’s past relationship is that she hated his taste in clothes then, and still does.

Dick’s interaction with the elderly Mr. Haly (of Haly’s Circus fame) offers more fertile ground.  After all, before Bruce Wayne stepped in as the former boy wonder’s benefactor, the most natural choice to be Dick’s father figure would have been the man who patronized nearly his whole childhood.  Again, Higgins forces us to assume too much about this quasi-father-son relationship, as Mr. Haly’s exact attachment to Dick remains vague at best.

Nightwing #1 – Review

By: Kyle Higgins (writer), Eddy Barrows (penciller), JP Mayer (inker), Rod Reis (colorist)

The Story: Who’d have thought they’d lead ya / Here were we need ya / Welcome back, welcome back…

The Review: You remember the particular mix of reactions you felt a couple or so years ago when Dick Grayson took over the Batman cowl?  While the changeover made complete sense (you could hardly let Azrael have the honors, could you?), every now and then you’d feel a little surprised the cute little joke wasn’t over yet and Dick was still Batman.  Now, even with Bruce back, seeing Dick as Gotham’s Dark Knight doesn’t register as strange anymore.

Which seems a perfect time to upend the status quo again and revert things to the way they were.  Jokes aside, seeing Dick return to the identity he forged himself rather than the one thrust upon him does warm your heart, especially since Higgins takes every opportunity to show how totally ecstatic Dick is to be back.  As Batman, he made adjustments not only to his vigilantism, but to his civilian lifestyle, too.  Now free to eat cereal straight from the box and leave his costume on the floor of his loft, Dick looks and sounds more at ease than he has for a while.

All this has put some new spring in his step—or kick, as it were.  Dick was never a slouch in the chops department as Nightwing, but his experience as Batman definitely shows, and the way he takes down one of Gotham’s garden-variety crazies in the opening highlights just how much confidence he has now.  Maybe a bit too much, really.  You just feel a little awkward listening to him praise his own abilities: “…my mechanics were always great…Now they’re flawless.”

But Dick has good reason to show off all that bravado.  After taking on Batman’s night job for that long, and having to deal with its excruciating level of stresses, the Nightwing patrol must seem a breeze in comparison.  In short, Dick has gotten used to challenges, which means Higgins has the opportunity to set upon him some really intense villains.

Birds of Prey #15 – Review

By: Marc Andreyko (writer), Billy Tucci & Adriana Melo (pencillers), JP Mayer & Eber Ferreira (inkers), Nei Ruffino (colorist)

The Story: They just can’t get him out of their heads.

The Review: Simone brings such a strong, distinctive voice to her writing, and such a high level of craft, that you find it hard to swallow anyone else’s work once she departs from a project.  This seems especially true with the Birds of Prey, her first high-profile title for DC, one still making her reputation to this day.  Still, Andreyko seemed a good candidate for the job; he has plenty experience writing strong superheroines from his formidable Manhunter ongoing.

So why do the Birds sound so uncharacteristically fraught?  Oracle snaps, “I’m doing everything I can here, Manhunter!”  Kate’s professional response?  “Well then do something else!”  These women have gone through some pretty harrowing experiences (and in fact, the arc just before this had a particularly grisly one), so their testiness in this issue seems a tad forced.  Sure, two of their own are in danger, but again, nothing new there (the previous arc also had that plotline).

This may have nothing to do with the fact that Andreyko’s a man, but you feel more aware of the Birds’ gender this issue.  Their banter has an unnaturally flirty, Sex in the City quality that has almost nothing to do with their personalities or types: “Hey, big guy!  Can we play, too?”  “Oh, and a wordsmith, too?  Are you single?”  “S’OK, handsome.  I like it rough.”  These lines come in stark contrast to the textured, dimensional dialogue these ladies usually come equipped with.

Birds of Prey #14 – Review

By: Marc Andreyko (writer), Billy Tucci & Adriana Melo (pencillers), Billy Tucci & JP Mayer (inker), Nei Ruffino (colorist)

The Story: These dames aren’t here to mess around—they’re out to kick Nazi butt!

The Review: One of DC’s greatest strengths is its long, incredible history, especially its rich beginnings.  Once you add up all the properties DC has assumed from other publishers over the years, you’re looking at a rather inspiring cast of legacy characters, some of whom continue to operate today, either in an elder statesman status like much of the Justice Society, or with younger generations taking up their names and icons.  Call me hopelessly sentimental, but I think that’s nothing short of marvelous.

Besides our usual flock of Birds (plus guest Manhunter), we also get to see in action Golden Age bombshells Dinah Drake (the original Black Canary) and Sandra Knight (the first Phantom Lady), with Lady Blackhawk an anachronistic link between the two generations.   Considering the tremendous credentials of all these ladies, we have evidence that from the start, DC has been a pretty good place for heroic women.

The story splits between the past and present, but the plot is nonetheless light and predictable: long-thought-finished antagonists rising again to haunt his former defeaters.  Andreyko goes for a jingoistic, rah-rah America tone (“Guns are fer [sic] grownups, Hitler youth!”) as he sends the pre-Nixon heroines into Argentina to recover a mad-scientist Nazi.  They encounter resistance in a swarm of blond-haired, blue-eyed adolescents, a kind of Aryan Children of the Corn.

Superman #713 – Review

By: J. Michael Straczynski & Chris Roberson (writers), Diogenes Neves, Oclair Albert, Eddy Barrows, JP Mayer, Jamal Igle, Jon Sibal (artists), Marcelo Maiolo (colorist)

The Story: This is a job for Superman!  What?  He’s not there?  Leave a voicemail, I guess….

The Review: No matter how much you get into a superhero comic, at some point you’ll notice the faint tingle of suspended belief tingling at your amygdala (or whatever part of your brain matters of faith are located in—obviously I should never be anyone’s doctor or shrink).  But keep it at bay you must, otherwise all sorts of uncomfortable questions about the logic and realism of what you’re reading will cow your simple pleasure into submission.

But when the writer himself chooses to address those questions, there’s really nothing you can do about it, is there?  Fortunately, Roberson brings up several valid, thought-provoking issues that neatly ponder the implications of having a super-powered alien in our midst:  the fear of his overwhelming might; whether he can be trusted to use his powers appropriately; the possible resentment from the mere mortals.

The subject matter works; the format which Roberson chooses to address these things does not.  Characters telling stories within stories can be tricky to begin with, but in a comic, a bunch of brief, exemplary anecdotes just produces facts and details with little to no movement or substance whatsoever.  Having Clark and his “guide” asking random passerby their opinions on Superman certainly adds no dramatic depth, and it just seems inherently forced.

Giant-Size Atom – Review

By: Jeff Lemire (writer), Mahmud Asrar, Allan Goldman, Robson Rocha (pencillers), John Dell, Andy Owens, Eber Ferreira, JP Mayer (inkers), Pete Pantazis (colorist)

The Story: When it comes to big problems, the Atom thinks small—literally.

The Review: After reading through the work he’s done so far for DC, it’s pretty clear that Lemire has a very old-school style of storytelling.  His premises are often straightforward, even if touched with some sci-fi silliness.  He enjoys exploring relationships among family and friends.  The dialogue tends to be very direct, even broadly emotional at times.  All these things would feel antiquated, but he takes care to inject just enough awareness to keep them playful.

Giant-Size Atom, featuring a character that’s a direct product of the Silver Age, is a very good fit for Lemire.  The first half of this story took place in an Adventure Comics co-feature, but it’s easy enough to jump right in and figure out what’s happening.  But no matter how well you grasp the situation, since you’re coming in at the tail end of the arc, most of the tension the story has built up till now is lost on you.

The issue itself also doesn’t make time to create some suspense, as Lemire tries to pack in all the material he couldn’t cover once his co-feature got cancelled.  Usually, this is the classic plot he’d pull off really well: a secret science society goes after the Atom’s meteor rock (which he used to get his powers).  The way Lemire set up the antagonists, he clearly had bigger plans in mind for the series, but everything here feels abridged.

Again, the problem seems to lie with the structure of the issue than with any major flaws with the writing.  What you have are several co-feature length (ten pages, give or take) stories rolled together.  Each scene—Atom taking down Hawkman’s micro-assassins, or rescuing his dad and uncle from a nuclear-rigged ant farm—in itself has great ideas, but would have really profited from more space to grow and draw you in before moving on to the next thing.

I’m also inclined to blame the talky nature of this issue on the limitations of the format.  For example, the buddy-up between Hawkman and the Atom is a great pairing (especially with Ray rocking a sword next to Carter’s mace).  But there are way too many captioned monologues where Atom muses on how Hawkman is like his surrogate big brother, a relationship better served by good scene-work instead.

Birds of Prey #6 – Review

By Gail Simone (writer), Alvin Lee and Adriana Melo (pencils), Jack Purcell and JP Mayer (inks), Nei Ruffino (letters)

The Story: Black Canary is forced to issue a challenge to Shiva, a fight Dinah is almost certain she won’t be able to survive. This crisis is replaced by another equally vexing one when Huntress steps in and makes the challenge in her stead.

What’s Good: First, let me say how refreshing it is to have a small, two-issue arc like this. Not that epic five and six issue arcs are bad, but it seems like every book I read lately is going that route, so a nice, simple short story (albeit one that I’m sure leads into bigger things) is very much appreciated.

I really enjoyed the way Simone handled Huntress in this issue. The way she sees herself vs. Black Canary is unexpectedly moving (although I really wish they had used a line other than the overly blatant, “you have people who love and need you…I don’t.” Wee bit oversimplified and emotionally manipulative for my taste), and it also nails Huntress’ protective and impulsive nature very well.

The climactic fight between Huntress and Shiva is quite good and very well scripted; it’s a great example of a comic book fight scene done right. Simone and Lee/Melo make sure that the reader knows where all participants are at all times, and that each panel flows logically from one to the next. That’s starting to feel like a lost art, and I’m glad to see it well executed here. Clearly, Simone and her art team are on the same page.

Birds of Prey #5 – Review

By Gail Simone (writer), Alvin Lee and Adriana Melo (pencils), Jack Purell and J.P. Mayer (inks) Nei Ruffino (colors) and Steve Wands (letters)

The Story: The story picks up exactly where the last storyline left off, and so we find Oracle still dealing with Savant and Creole, Black Canary taking care of the aftermath of her battle with White Canary, and Huntress trying to decide whether or not to let the Penguin live. All is not as benign as it seems, however, as Black Canary sets off on her own, apparently abandoning the rest of the BoP.

What’s Good: While the first storyline was decent enough, this issue (finally!) feels like things are moving on to the next level. The prologue is over, and the real story is about to begin. Watching the Birds work as a team while simultaneously dealing with the personal issues and rivalries between them is interesting, and the twist at the end definitely makes me want to buy the next issue to see how things play out.

The artwork is doing its job; there’s nothing particularly outstanding, but it certainly isn’t bad. The panels are well laid out and do a good job of telling the story and helping the reader keep track of the characters and action. (Sadly, this level of competence isn’t something you can always take for granted in this day and age.)