Spread #1 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (script/creator), Kyle Strahm (art/creator), Felipe Sobreiro (colors) and CRANK! (letters)

The Story: A post-apocalypse nomad finds a baby that could hold the secret to defeating a demonic plague.

Review (with minor SPOILERS): This was a pretty solid first issue.  The post-apocalypse genre is very crowded.  It happens to be one of my favorite genres just because I like to see what storytellers can do when you take away certain rules.  It’s the same thing as telling a story where gravity didn’t exist or where faster-than-light travel was possible: Taking away rules opens new avenues for storytelling.  So, I’ll sample most things post-apocalyptic even if it means I get a healthy dose of crap sometimes.

Spread is pretty solid.  The reasons for the apoclaypse are vague: something about digging too deep and unleashing something nasty and horrible.  Humanity isn’t totally destroyed as we see dead researchers and their crashed plane.  And there are bandits, there are ALWAYS bandits.  But the focus is on a nomad named “No” who wanders the land and is immune to The Spread.

No has a neat look to him.  He looks like a less muscly version of Wolverine in civilian clothes: messy black hair, unshaven, sideburns, Candian wilderness attire, etc.  And we learn quickly that No can handle himself well in a fight when he uses twin hatchets to take down a Spread-possessed researcher.  Along the way, he finds a baby who may be the secret to saving humanity from the Spread, get’s chased by lots of Spread monsters and that’s it.  End of issue #1.  So, we meet the protagonist, his reason for being in the story and learn the basic set-up of this world.  Some comics take 4-5 issues to accomplish that.  Spread #1 pulls you in enough that you’ll be curious to see what happens in issue #2.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #32 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (writer), Brad Walker (penciller), Andrew Hennessy with Scott Hanna (inkers), Wil Quintana (colorist)

The Story: “I didn’t want to but they know how to make you.”

The Review: The original adventuring party has splintered over the last few issues of Green Lantern: New Guardians, with Quaros leaving his brothers in between issues and Kyle separated from the group at the climax of GL: NG Annual #2. Appropriately each division has marked the entrance of uncertainty and powerlessness into this uniquely godlike group of wanderers. As this issue opens we still don’t know what’s happening to Kyle, what he truly saw beyond the Source Wall, whether Oblivion still exists, or even where our hero is really. This trend reaches, what seems to be, its lowest point this issue.

I’ve previous noted in my reviews of this series that the Templar Guardians have started to become a bit of a literal Deus Ex Machina, frequently appearing at the last-minute to save the day, rendering Kyle’s actions a mere distraction. Well this issue clearly answers that concern, at least in the short-term. Justin Jordan does an impressive job of hiding the Guardians’ panic behind their usual wisdom. While it’s not exceptionally complex character work, the execution is effective, immediately and fiercely conveying both their worry and their pride.

Jordan has always enjoyed homage to horror movies in his work, but New Guardians has never reached this level of eeriness before. The story plays with dramatic irony, feeding the reader little bits of information every so often without actually answering questions. In the meanwhile, Jordan takes a slow burn strategy, playing on the expectation that things have to come to a head. The fact that the reveal has to justify each page of suspense puts a time pressure on the book that becomes more stressful the further you read.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #31 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (writer), Diogenes Neves (penciler), Marc Deering (inker), Wil Quintana (colors)

The Story: As Kyle confronts the distressing possibility of his increasing godhood, he discovers a somewhat familiar alien who doesn’t share his hesitance.

The Review: Green Lantern: New Guardians Annual #2 was a strange but welcome addition to the story that Justin Jordan has been telling and one that ended on a rather unsettling cliff hanger. This issue picks up pretty immediately where that one left off, taking a little time to recount what’s occurred and provide a bit of insight into Kyle’s mental state as it does.

It’s immediately clear that the series has turned a corner and that awareness does sharpen the issue’s focus, however, as was the case with the annual, Kyle’s confusion makes it hard to get settled. Without anyone to talk to, Kyle’s inner monologue loses a bit of grounding, and the book feels kind of floaty. Despite this weakness, the issues that Kyle is wrestling with are fascinating.

This is hardly the first time we’ve examined the consequences of superhuman power in a comic, but Jordan mixes uncertainty with maturity quite well. It’s no surprise that this comes from the author of The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, but oddly enough there’s almost a greater sense of horror here, as the threat is entirely internal, immediate, and unknown.

C2E2 Report: Justin Jordan – At the Crossroads of Capes and Horror

 

Justin Jordan once described his breakout series, The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, as being a story “about a geek who thinks he’s becoming a superhero when he’s really becoming a slasher.” Perhaps its fitting that ever since he’s been playing with the conventions of superhero comics, introducing elements of science fiction, dark fantasy, and horror to series like Team 7, Shadowman, and Green Lantern: New Guardians.

Despite a nasty cough, Mr. Jordan made some time to speak to us on the tail end of C2E2 and gave some fascinating insights to a couple of his most notable projects. Enjoy the interview and join me in wishing him a full and speedy recovery.

Green Lantern: New Guardians Annual #2 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (writer); Stephen Segovia, Edgar Salazar, and Jed Dougherty (pencils); Stephen Segovia, Jason Paz, Jason Gorder, and Jed Dougherty (inks); Andrew Dalhouse and Hi-Fi (colors)

The Story: Kyle finds himself drawn back to Earth when a mysterious artist starts trying to ‘put things right’.

The Review: Green Lantern: New Guardians Annual #2 gets off to a strange start, and I mean strange. One of the major themes of the issue is the feeling that things are just wrong and, while it never gets to quite that point, the early pages of this issue summon up some of that feeling, for better or worse.

The major problem with this issue is that it’s a little hard to get your feet. The transition from the last issue of the series to this story is extremely abrupt and Justin Jordan’s absolute focus on the here and now over the first nine pages doesn’t help at all.

It seems as though Jordan’s script is fighting his page limit a bit. Despite the extra storytelling power of an additional sixteen pages, things are kind of rushed. Part of that is a lack of economy that had been very much present in Jordan’s previous New Guardians work, but it would be dishonest to think that the scope of the story wasn’t a large factor in it. So even after the opening pages on Earth, Kyle is Deus ex Machina’d back to Earth and finds himself at an extremely important location to the torchbearer Lantern.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #27 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (writer), Andrei Bressan (artist), Hi-Fi (colors)

The Story: The Kalimawans prepare to revenge a string of brutal attacks on their planet. There’s only one problem: their enemies are physically incapable of warfare and unless Kyle and Exeter the Keeper can unravel the mystery an entire species could be wiped out.

The Review: It’s hard to deny that Green Lantern, as a franchise, would not be what it is today if not for Geoff Johns. From the beginning, but especially from “Sinestro Corps War” onward, Johns created a new world for the Lanterns to inhabit. I doubt I would be anywhere near as much a fa of Green Lantern if not for the introduction of the Emotional Spectrum. And yet, even as Green Lantern prepares for another universe-spanning war and the other corps find their place in the DC universe, I find myself longing for solid, old-fashioned sci-fi tales of the classic Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps. Luckily New Guardians is all too happy to scratch that itch.

Once again, Justin Jordan has crafted a short sweet SF thought experiment for us. It lacks some of the philosophical complexity of his previous arc, but substitutes in more memorable characters and tighter plotting.

Exeter the Keeper has returned, after an extended absence from the title, and Jordan wastes no time endearing him to the reader. The character is not a terribly original one in this day and age but he’s loads of fun and his dedication to his duties help to provide the moral backbone that differentiates him from similarly direct heroes. Indeed, the concept of the Keeper is an interesting one and, in its simplicity, raises questions about what it means to protect something.

Meanwhile Kyle Rayner retains the charm he’s had throughout Jordan’s run. It’s nice to see a protagonist who is simultaneously highly relatable and prone to mistakes or being overwhelmed. Too often superhero stories are pure power fantasy, but Kyle provides a nice balance. That said, the Templar Guardians are beginning to become a little too good at saving the day.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #26 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (writer); Brad Walker and Geraldo Borges (Pencilers); Drew Hennessy, Marian Benes, and J.P. Mayer (inkers); Wil Quintana and Hi-Fi (colors)

The Story: War has come to Paradise. Just remember, no hitting…

The Review: I don’t think that it’s controversial to say that I found last month’s issue of Green Lantern: New Guardians to be, by far, the best in the title’s run. Justin Jordan came out of Lights Out with purpose, defining who Kyle was in this brave new universe while crafting an excellent sci-fi adventure. In short, it was pretty impressive. So now that question is: can he live up to it? The answer is ‘kind of’.

If I had to describe this issue in a single word, I think I’d choose uneven. Despite the pathos that Nias-2 brings to the story, his unclear power set and refusal to press important issues limit his effectiveness as an antagonist. Often his dialogue feels fairly generic but his conviction is clear throughout and when Jordan give him a stronger line – “I would kill them a billion times over for one more moment with my wife, my children” comes to mind. Most of the characters suffer from this as well, but Kyle, Carol and Nias-2 being the standouts. Kyle proves a particular problem, as his attempts to empathize with both sides fail to provide any workable ideas of their own. He rarely gets beyond, ‘what happened to you was horrible’, opting instead to repeat it in many different ways when ‘I know right’ is not forthcoming.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #25 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (writer), Brad Walker & Geraldo Borges (pencilers), Drew Hennessy & Cam Smith (inkers), Wil Quintana (colors)

The Story: For the want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For the want of a shoe, the knight was lost. For the want of a knight, the battle was lost. For the want of a battle, the kingdom was lost.

So…how badly do you want a nail?

The Review: The modern ‘space cop’ Green Lantern started as another Earth-bound hero, but within a matter of issues the tug-of-war between Lantern 2814’s homeworld and the rest of his sector began. Through its history, Green Lantern has waffled back and forth between superhero and cosmic comic, but even that changed when the Sinestro Corps War erupted. Ever since, Green Lantern has dealt primarily with in-house threats, whether they be the prophesies in the Book of Oa, other Lantern Corps, or even their own Guardians. Perhaps that’s why this issue feels so fresh.

Justin Jordan’s Kyle has always been charming, but now that he isn’t dealing with universal domination, he’s able to show it. His friendly demeanor, realistic self-doubt, and subdued sense of humor make it easy to feel at ease with this version of the Torchbearer, even if he doesn’t exactly break the mold of a comic book lead.

It’s also lovely to see Carol Ferris continue to come into her own in this series. I don’t know that we ever got an explanation for her rapid change from woman who sees rings as her ruin to enthusiastic member of the Star Sapphire Corps, but if she continues to bring so much to the title, I’m not sure I care.

Though it may grate on some ears or feel like poor-man’s Yoda-speak, the aliens’ speech remains limited enough to be endearing and displays just enough consideration to make it feel solid.

But more than any one character, Exuras is Jordan’s greatest accomplishment in this issue. The central conceit channels a number of sci-fi thought experiments of days gone by, but it possesses enough crucial differences to make it feel original. Better still, the self-awareness that the story displays never goes so far as to become trite but finds the sweet spot where it just complicates the morality of the aliens, avoiding the standard ‘two opposite extremes’ approach that often hamstrings these kinds of stories.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #24 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (writer), Brad Walker (penciller), Drew Hennessy with Marc Deering & Ryan Winn (inkers), Wil Quintana (colors)

The Story: Remember when Kyle Rayner became Ion and had access to nearly god-like power? Well, if so you’ll appreciate the irony when he has to take on Ion and five of his business associates. Have fun there, fella…

The Review: You know what I’ve been aching to see in my Green Lantern comics? Heroes arguing reasonably. With five Lanterns representing one gender of one species of one continent of one planet, you’d think that there’d be more of an attempt to distinguish them from one another. Though Hal’s thick-headedness definitely outweighs his heroism in this issue, it’s really nice to see reasonable disagreement among the corps.

Justin Jordan does a fine job of writing a tense and exhilarating aftermath moment. Though it’s pretty much just a bunch of Lanterns and rocks floating in space, the first three pages of this issue feel suitably meaningful.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #23 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (story), Bradley Walker & Andrew Hennessy (art)

The Story: Hope burns bright! But is it for the last time?

The Review:  Like many of DC’s august offerings, Green Lantern: New Guardians #23 is a comic in the shadow of Villain’s Month. In this case the dastard in question is Relic, the giant well-spoken remnant of a past universe that’s been wandering space, spouting cryptic ramblings, and generally being a headache for Kyle Rayner since this series’ creative switch-up.

It seems kind of unfair that Green Lantern #23.1: Relic will be written by Green Lantern writer, Robert Venditti as Justin Jordan’s been the one who’s  had to deal with the character this far. The frequent teases as to Relic’s past are growing stale and overused this month, but this is, of course, to encourage people to purchase the aforementioned issue.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #22 – Review

The Story: Nothing as hardcore as that cover. Relic asks some questions and Kyle…draws the history of the universe.

The Review: This issue is the first time we get a real sense of Relic, the latest big bad for the Green Lantern Corps. There’s obviously much more to see, but my early opinion is that this guy is Volthoom done right.

Our villain approaches his awakening with an excellent balance of scientific calculation and childlike wonder. That sense of unimaginable alien genius and relatively narrow focus on the emotional spectrum help him feel distinct from other cosmic villains like Thanos or Starro. Relic remains a mystery, but watching him unfold is certainly interesting.

As for Kyle, his story is somewhat predictable, but Jordan manages to write it with enough charm and sincerity to make it stand out from the pack. The scenes of Kyle drawing gave the comic an immediate glow that tells me that Jordan relates to his lead and understands the core goodness of Kyle Rayner.

The writing throughout is solid and the plot comes together nicely, but, while those few moments make it clear that Jordan has the talent to do great things, it feels like he’s too conservative in his writing to show it yet. The ‘new-guardians’ help move this story along, but, though a bit of clever narration makes them feel briefly important, they aren’t contributing nearly enough and, likewise, I’m a little disappointed in Kyle.

Adventures of Superman #1 – Review

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

The Story: Superman stops a meth-head, watches children play, and hurts a bizarre version of himself.

The Review: I think it’s appropriate for my review of this debut issue that I bring up some points I made in my initial review of Legends of the Dark Knight.  Besides the fact that I feel there’s already a glut of Superman titles (and more surely to come with Superman Unchained), I question the wisdom of adding yet another one to the mix.  Truly fresh Superman stories are growing ever rarer, and a monthly Superman showcase can only drain that well even faster.

I also have the same concern about the continuity status of these stories as I did for the ones over in Legends.  Without fail, the Superman we get here is one from pre-relaunch canon, down to the spit-curl and outer underwear.  This kind of thing sends the wrong signal from DC, as it signals a strong attachment to old continuity and tradition that surpasses whatever affection or viability the current Superman has.

Team Seven #4 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (story), Jesús Merino (art), Nathan Eyring (colors)

The Story: The difference between Slade and Eclipso is like night and later that night.

The Review: For any of you interested in the reviewing experience, let me just say the obvious that you never want to be in the awkward position of recognizing a writer’s talents, but concluding that his story is kind of lame anyway.  While you can definitely appreciate the rhythm and flow of Jordan’s writing, the plot itself has been less than inspired, with definite shades of editorial mandate.

It’s very, very hard for me to believe, given the mission statement and tone Jordan set up for this series at the start, that he ever intended to feature the Black Diamond and Eclipso as the primary plot device and antagonist for his first arc.  After all, Team Seven is a gang of highly skilled fighters and shooters; what do they really know about fighting demonic possession or demons themselves?  How can they use their mercenary know-how to defeat things that bullets can’t touch or simply bounce off of?

Team Seven #3 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (story), Julius Gopez & Jimbo Salgado (art), Nathan Eyring (colors)

The Story: This isn’t Zelda, Slade; big shiny gems aren’t always a good thing.

The Review: Sometimes, I just don’t get how the Big Two make their publishing and editing decisions.  Granted, I’m no businessman, nor do I know the ins and outs of the comic book biz, and obviously there are a lot of politics that I have no awareness of, but the goal shouldn’t be that hard to grasp: produce the best story premises with the most suitable and talented creative teams possible.  Settling for less only creates more problems in the long term.

Case in point: I would like to know who gave the green light for Team Seven to go to market when it is so clearly not ready for mass consumption.  The book clearly has a good pitch—put a number of DC’s toughest non-powered heroes on one team and unleash them on some crazy missions—but from what I’ve read, it seems clear the series could have used a lot more time in the development tank before it could truly stand on its own.

Team Seven #2 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (story), Ron Frenz (breakdowns), Julius Gopez (pencils), Scott Hanna (inks), Nathan Eyring (colors)

The Story: It’s hard to tell if everyone’s gone crazy because of a Jekyll serum or severe jet lag.

The Review: Even though Jordan gets to work with some pretty recognizable characters, it’s apparent that some intensive work needs to be done to make them stand out in people’s minds. Team Seven ostensibly works within a much more realistic framework of conflicts than, say, the Justice League, and so they tend to come across a little more realistically than their superheroic peers.  However, the closer characters get to reality, the harder it is to make them memorable.

After all, you’re dealing with a whole group of people who are pretty darn smart, intellectually, street, or otherwise.  Not only that, but they are all of them professionals in their field.  Smart, professional people tend to react reasonably in crisis situations, and so has Team Seven.  In such circumstances, there’s no meaningful opportunity to show off your colorful personality.  So even though there are obvious differences between Amanda Waller and Cole Cash, you don’t read this issue and instantly recognize a totally Waller or Cash “moment.”

Team Seven #1 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (story), Ron Frenz (breakdowns), Jesús Merino (pencils), Marlo Alquiza, Drew Geraci, José Marzan Jr. (inks), Nathan Eyring (colors)

The Story: Everyone takes a fall sometimes, but only a few do it from five miles up.

The Review: Ever since T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and Blackhawks got canned, I haven’t felt a DC title that projected the same kind of panache Nick Spencer and Mike Costa brought to their respective series, a quality you might describe as “smart.”  Unlike Scott Snyder’s literary intelligence and Grant Morrison’s conceptual genius, Spencer and Costa had a knack for plots and characters that can confront the mechanics of the real world and deal with them practically.

Jordan has a similar talent, and Team Seven certainly feels like the spiritual successor to both those titles.  Set in a world with a nascent superhuman population, the story plays into every conspiracy theory you’ve ever had about big government.  Lynch lays out the team’s mission with a motivation so nationalistic and ruthless that it can only be credible:

Team Seven #0 – Review

By: Justin Jordan (story), Jesus Merino, Norm Rapmund, Rob Hunter (art) Nathan Eyring (colors)

The Story: Seven extraordinary individuals gathered to save the world from itself—maybe.

The Review: In a lot of ways, comics are a lot like television; you’re always looking for the newest addiction, whether it be a critical darling (Arrested Development), a pop hit (Friends), or a project that works as both (Seinfield).  I don’t pick up every new title I see, but I like looking in each one that comes out, hoping to find the next big thing.  On that level, I really appreciate DC’s “waves” of new titles.  There’s always a chance a great series is around the corner.

The first thing I usually look at in a new title is the rhythm and style of the writing, well before I consider the story’s actual merits.  Blame it on my English major or some quirk in my personality, but I can’t stand artificial, hacky dialogue or narration.  It just reeks of a writer who’s trying too hard or a little too obsessed with his idea of how his story should sound.  Jordan makes good on his DC debut thanks to some carefully constructed, if not exactly inspired, writing.  Given the genre he’s dealing with, he could easily have gone overboard in trying to make the script “edgy,” but he keeps the tone centered, which wears well on the characters.