Indestructible Hulk #19 – Review

by Mark Waid (Writer) Jheremy Raapack, Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose, Tom Grummett, Karl Kesel, Andrew Hennessy (Artists), Val Staples (Colorist)

The Story: Bruce tries to find out just what happened to Jessup as an evil organisation plans for nefarious deeds related to inhumans.

The Review: Some writers are known to surprise readers. It can be an especially nice thing to know that someone is able to circumvent expectations, allowing for twists and turns to be shown at random. To not be able to see where the title could be headed is a blessing for fans, with a untold possibilities being presented in each issues.

However, not all such writers can achieve good results with said approach at all times. For all the praise Mark Waid has received for work such as Kingdom Come, Daredevil and Superman: Birthright, there are some things he did that don’t exactly warrant the same kind of commendation. Unfortunately, his Indestructible Hulk run, for the most part, simply hasn’t been the best of showcase when it comes to the man and his talent, with this issue being a good example.

It’s not that it’s bad, far from it. There are multiple qualities that are quite visible, making the book not a terrible read, but a bit of an unfulfilling one. For one, the characterization of Bruce Banner is not only sound, but also interesting. The use of narration to provide an outlet for his inner thoughts and his more analytical tendencies prove to be a rather apt method to present characterization and contextualization without slowing things down. His rage, his attempts at calming down and his interactions with others prove to be rather amusing, with Waid pushing forth his version of the character in ways that feel natural to the story he’s telling here.

Aquaman #27 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (story), Paul Pelletier & Netho Diaz (pencils), Sean Parsons & Ruy Jose (inks), Rod Reis (colors)

The Story: Aquaman proves that size really doesn’t matter.

The Review: Parker didn’t quite establish a clear voice for himself when he took over this series last month, and this issue shows he’s still figuring out which direction to take Aquaman.  While Geoff Johns’ run can be divided into its early superhero period and a later mythic period, Parker tries to blend the two with the Karaqan, whose origins are part of Atlantean lore but whose effects mostly call upon Aquaman’s superhero experience.

Actually, this would be a pretty good way to balance the different elements of Aquaman if only the Karaqan was more interesting as a concept.  Aside from a few observations about the monster’s physiology, we learn nothing more about the Karaqan that wasn’t already alluded to in the last issue: its role as Atlantis’ legendary protector and its supposed loyalty to Atlantis’ king.  In fact, the only reason you can think of for why Parker repeats this information at all is to fill in Arthur, who didn’t get the benefit of Neol’s speculations last time around.

Aquaman #26 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (story), Paul Pelletier & Netho Diaz (pencils), Sean Parsons & Ruy Jose (inks), Wil Quintana & Andrew Dalhouse (colors)

The Story: It’s a bird.  It’s a plane.  It’s Aquaman!

The Review: Whenever a writer leaves a series I’ve particularly enjoyed, my first inclination is always to follow his lead.  Even if his successor has a sterling reputation, I simply don’t believe a person can truly emulate another person’s successes.  If it wasn’t for this gig, I’d probably follow through with those instincts.  But since I’m duty-bound to give most things a fair chance, I’ve instead come up with some criteria for evaluating the writer who steps into the old one’s shoes.

The biggest rule: don’t trample over your predecessor’s hard work.  If you want any hope of retaining fans of the last run, it’s best to respect and incorporate what has already been established.*  In the case of Aquaman, this task is crucial, but also easy because Parker can’t afford to abandon anything Geoff Johns created without carving out whole slices of the hero’s shining-new canon.  Even so, you get the distinct feeling that Parker doesn’t quite leverage the inventory left for him as well as he could have in this issue.

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.

Aquaman #23.2: Ocean Master – Review

By: Geoff Johns & Tony Bedard (story), Geraldo Borges (pencils), Ruy Jose (inks), Rod Reis (colors)

The Story: Unlike the Little Mermaid, Ocean Master isn’t enamored with the idea of walking.

The Review: This is hardly a novel observation, but people in positions of power, particularly government power, must have pretty hard lives.  Without knowing anything about it firsthand whatsoever, it seems to me that folks like that must have to constantly juggle their personal judgment with their judgment as a leader.  That must wreak havoc with your identity a little bit, when so much of what you do is based on what others think instead of your own instincts.

That kind of responsibility complicates our understanding of fictional characters as well.  How much of Orm is what he feels is necessary to be leader of his people, and how much is his own personal deal?  His attempted invasion of the surface world—how much of that can be attributed to what he thought would be a proportionate response to a perceived attack on his own kingdom, and how much came from his own ruthless nature?

Supergirl #22 – Review

By: Michael Alan Nelson (writer); Diogenes Neves (penciler); Marc Deering, Oclair Albert, & Ruy Jose (Inks;) Dave McCaig (colors) 

The Story: The Cyborg Superman gives Kara a gift for the girl who has everything, but he wants one in return.

The Review: Supergirl’s a character that I think has gotten a bad rap. She’s been a household name for a long time now, but she’s never really become anything more than Superman’s cousin to most people. Well, if you’ve always scoffed at the idea of ‘girl Superman’ or never found the time or money to investigate Kara Zor-El, may I suggest doing so now.

While she doesn’t have the same spunk that made Power Girl such a hit before the reboot, the New 52 Supergirl is hardly the Kansas farm girl that many presume her to be. In fact, I’d risk it to say that she’s actually one of the best representations of a teenager looking for her place in comics right now.

Rather than play her for humor, Michael Alan Nelson gives Kara real troubles and writes them with all the seriousness they deserve. Supergirl has always suffered most when defined, in this order, by being a girl and by being a teenager, but here Kara is a hero who just happens to be young and just happens to be a girl.

But lest you think that this is a grim n gritty read, I assure you that the book nails Kara’s moments of confusion, bringing a different but enjoyable brand of comedy and character into the series. When the Cyborg Superman reveals his plan, Kara responds beautifully, (beat) You want to say that again? I couldn’t hear you over all the creepiness coming out of your mouth!” This is a young woman who feels alone in the universe but that doesn’t for a second get in the way of the her certainty of what she feels. Whether it amounts to conviction or foolhardiness, Kara’s precarious but unwavering self-confidence makes her feel like a real teenager.

Red She-Hulk #66 – Review

By: Jeff Parker (Writer), Carlo Pagulayan, Patrick Olliffe, Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose (Artists), Val Staples (Colorist)

The Story: Betty should really know better than to try to harm Man-Thing. Seriously, the dude pretty much is the protector of various other realities.

The Review: This seems to be some kind of habit at some point. As awesome a writer as he is, capable of bringing enough care and development to characters that would never receive any, it seems he’s always the unlucky one that never has enough readership to maintain a book for a proper period of time.

Case in point, Red She-Hulk, who will see its last issue next month, has to make a point for the long-term storyline that had been running since the title and protagonist switch that happened when Betty Ross took a hold of the book. Despite the care he tried to give to this book, it seems that this book never really took off in a way that made it connect to a larger audience. Is it perhaps the lack of marketing, or maybe the sad fact that most female-lead books aren’t as hot sellers as other books in the superhero industry?

Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #24 – Review

By: Sam Humphries (Writer), Joe Bennett (Penciler), Ruy José (Inker), Matt Milla (Colorist), VC’s Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

Review: I’ve taken a l’il sabbatical from my Ultimate Comics Ultimates review duties of late. Partially this is the fault of Bioshock Infinite and Injustice: Gods Among Us – both of which give Heroin and Marshmallow Fluff a run for their money in the addiction stakes – and also because I thought it best to give Sam Humphries a break. Most of his issues I’ve…well, ‘savaged’ is a strong word. I’ve ‘lightly rebuked’ them? Yeah, that sounds better. However I honey-coat it though, here’s the main gist; this has not been a good run. At its best Humphries’ Ultimates has read like a parody comic flirting dangerously near Robot Chicken territory while at its worst it’s been one of the most depressing uses of a Marvel licence since *dry-heaves for a few minutes* that Hasselhoff Nick Fury film *vomits all over his keyboard*.

Ultimate Comics Ultimates #22 – Review

By: Sam Humphries (Writer), Joe Bennett (Penciler), Ruy José (Inker), Matt Milla (Colorist), VC’s Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

Review: I have trouble sleeping some nights. It’s this recurring dream I have: every comic writer I’ve ever trashed in print lines up and takes turns kicking me right in the nuts. On and on it goes. Brian Wood’s been getting a few jabs in there lately. Joe Keatinge nearly took ‘em clean off the other week. But even in the grip of deep sleep my body physically convulses when Ultimates writer Sam Humphries steps up to the plate; by Christ, that man must be able to power a Pedalo at an impressive rate of knots with those well-developed calves. And that’s not even the half of it. I always know that at the back of the queue stands Jeph Loeb, a &$@!-eating grin on his face and steel-toed,  rocket-powered boots on his feet. Bring it on Loeb, I’ve had worse; I read Ultimatum…twice.

Earth Two #8 – Review

By: James Robinson (story), Yildiray Cinar (pencils), Ryan Winn & Ruy José (inks), Alex Sinclair (colors)

The Story: Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, and your frenemies dead.

The Review: All writers, even the very best, have their weaknesses.  Half of what Grant Morrison writes is just plain confusing; Geoff Johns rarely strives for intelligence in his work; and Brian Michael Bendis tends to forget that he’s not being paid by the number of each character’s lines.  Robinson has issues focus; looking at his body of work, you’ll notice he struggles with dispersing attention equally and keeping on point—or getting to it altogether.

That’s probably why he leans towards solo adventures and two-person scenes (maxing out at three, on the condition that the third character only interjects once in a while), where he excels.  This might also explain why his work on ensemble titles (see Justice League of America and Cry for Justice) were so terribly underwhelming.  He just doesn’t have much of a knack giving each character their due all at once.

Aquaman #14 – Review

By: Geoff Johns (story), Pete Woods & Pere Perez (pencils), Marlo Alquiza, Ruy Jose, Sean Parsons, Cam Smith (inks), Tony Avina (colors)

The Story: It’s actually really hard to tell who’s the black sheep between Orm and Arthur.

The Review: Any time a comic calls an issue a prologue, I approach it with some trepidation.  In prose, prologues are expected and easier to handle because you can always breeze through it and get straight to the good stuff.  In comics, it can be a drag to have a whole month’s issue devoted to exposition and set-up.  Not only that, but a lot of writers tend to waste prologues, seeing it more as a thematic sort of chapter instead of one that can actually support the plot in some way.

While Johns does manage to help set up the Throne of Atlantis storyline in this issue, he spends most of his time telling the preachiest of tales, one that reflects and foretells the upcoming war of misunderstanding between the surface world and the world underwater.  In a lot of ways, it’s an appropriate parable, one that puts on display the vengeance and mercy of both races, but one that only has an indirect, moral connection to the conflict at hand.

Flashpoint: Green Arrow Industries – Review

By: Pornsak Pichetshote (writer), Marco Castiello & Ig Guara (pencillers), Vincenzo Acunzo & Ruy José (inkers), Stefani Rennee (colorist)

The Story: A corporation for the people?  Isn’t that like saying bacon for the vegans?

The Review: In my imagination, I like to see Batman hanging with the guys at a barbeque on Superman’s farm, munching on burgers made with 100 percent ground chuck from Smallville’s organic cattle ranch, and telling everyone (except the Flash—he’s run off to buy a refill for the keg, and taking his sweet time about it, too) how he’s going to use his civilian identity to really promote his agenda now.  Then Green Arrow says, quite roguishly, “Welcome to the club.”

Really, when you think about it, Oliver Queen has never hesitated to further his crime-fighting goals with his corporate and political resources.  So it makes a lot of sense that in the Flashpoint world, where Green Arrow merely refers to the super-powered missiles his company sells, Ollie ponders the idea of a corporation as superhero, though in such ethereally vague terms that you can’t tell how such a thing would ever work.

The idea actually originates with Ollie’s head of security, Roy Harper, who insists Green Arrow Industries can do more than simply reappropriate super-villain weapons for conventional military applications, some of which are rather ingenious: Trickster’s antigravity boots for flight, Folded Man’s suit to make the largest weapons portable.  And then you have the Top’s atomic grenade tops “with the power of five nukes”, which just seems like overkill.

There are a few overkill moments in this issue, where Ollie’s cocky dialogue just gets a touch out of hand.  Sometimes they come in eye-rolling jokes (“Gentlemen, and…uh, more gentlemen…”), but they really grate on your nerves when he gets into one of his self-righteous speeches that unfailingly reach gibberish proportions: “Because the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, and in the right hands, money is a green arrow to the future.”  Yeahbutwhu–?

Flashpoint: Grodd of War – Review

By: Sean Ryan (writer), Ig Guara (penciller), Ruy José (inker), Stefani Rennee (colorist)

The Story: When it comes to conquest, these gorillas don’t monkey around.

The Review: Violence, of course, has its place in fiction.  It’s an undeniable part of reality, and stories have to reflect that in some way.  But just like with anything else you write in fiction, it has to be put to some purpose, though when excessive it quickly loses its shock factor and gets simply nauseating.  This is especially the case in comics, where too often writers use violence to inject the energy or drama their stories lack.

This seems the case here, as Ryan keeps Grodd’s purposes hopelessly simplistic.  You can sort of appreciate Aquaman sinking half of Europe as a (presumably) unexpected casualty of a volatile weapon of war.  Grodd slaughters half of Africa for apparently no reason other than for attention.  He seems his most melancholy in the first page, when he laments no one knows his name despite his feats of massacre, and he later emphasizes his sole desire: “I want violence.”
Consequently Grodd comes off rather one-note throughout the whole issue, a wasted opportunity on Ryan’s part to develop the gorilla’s character.  Despite Grodd’s fame as one of the DCU’s most notorious (and weirdest) villains, you still have no idea what makes him tick.  His conquest for power and his hatred of humans are constants, but the former quality is one shared by almost every comic-book mastermind and the latter is too superficial to set him apart from the pack.

Wonder Woman #602 – Review

By J. Michael Straczynski (writer), Don Kramer and Eduardo Panscia (pencils), Jay Leisten, Michael Babinski and Ruy Jose (inks), Alex Sinclair (colors), Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Diana joins her people in the Temple of Aphrodite to help them escape from the human assault.

What’s Good: This version of Diana is…taking some getting used to, at least for me. (It probably doesn’t help that I’m currently re-reading my trades of the Rucka and Simone runs…that probably contributes to more perceived character whiplash than is actually necessary.) I’m having trouble adjusting to the new Captain America too, of course, but at least in that case there’s an entirely new person sporting the uniform. I guess there’s no real way to escape this kind of personality shift in Diana, given the drastic change in her experiences that this time…warp…thing has caused (and while we’re on the subject, can we please have some sort of explanation as to why this is happening? We’re two and a half issues in!), but I still have to blink and remind myself that yes, this IS Wonder Woman, and she IS talking like a common street thug.

Why is this not under “what’s not so good?” Because regardless of how any of us feel about the storyline in general (personally I have major reservations, but I’m at least waiting an issue or two more before passing full judgment), both the dramatic change in Diana’s vernacular and her change in costume emphasize that this is NOT the same character we have known for so long. This is to JMS’s credit, although (much like in Superman) he tends to beat the reader over the head with his point. A delicate writer Mr. Straczynski is not.

Blackest Night: JSA #1 – Review

By: James Robinson (writer), Eddy Barrows & Marcos Marz (art), Julio Ferreira, Luciana Del Negro & Ruy Jose (inks), Rod Reis (colors)

The Story: The original (and dead) Sandman, Dr. Midnight and Mr. Terrific get their memories uploaded into Black Lanterns. In the meantime, the JSA are fighting a tide of black lanterns in New York. The struggle is not only physical, but emotional. At S.T.A.R. labs, today’s Mr. Terrific is trying to figure out what makes the black lanterns tick by studying the now-inactive Kal-L and Psycho-Pirate black lanterns from the Blackest Night: Superman mini. Mr. Terrific summons a few of his light-producing teammates, but it looks like the black lanterns aren’t going to give Terrific the time he needs to figure it out.

What’s Good: Two things hit me right away when I opened this book. First, the art by Barrows and Marz, and second Robinson’s writing. It’s not normal that I would be stopped at the door like that, but both elements were really impressive.
After some of Robinson’s misses (check out WCBR’s reviews on JLA #40 and JLA: Cry for Justice #5), I was expecting less, but right away, he dove into four parallel story threads on the first page. Robinson controls the mood well in all three threads, by saying less, rather than more. The confusion the dead heroes would feel at being uploaded is clear, but he rightly leaves the subtle storytelling for his art team. The fourth thread runs along the bottom of each page, with different JSA members, but from the perspectives of the black lanterns they are fighting. Once we get to the big donnybrook, Robinson switches to Jesse Quick’s voice, which feels different – she’s at the edge of panic and there’s no mistaking it, even if there were no pictures. In my books, Robinson is out of the dog house.

I’ve seen Barrows’ art in Blackest Night Superman and Green Lantern, but I’ve never seen him with the level of subtlety he brought to this issue. The difference could be that he’s got Marz with him, or it could also be the influence of Del Negro. Barrows and Marz have a great command of the basic communication of storytelling, whether we’re looking at flashbacks, or monster splash-page fights. But where this art team really impressed me was on the close-ups. Check out the texture of the fist on the bottom of page 1 and of Sandman black lantern’s skin on the splash page. Or see the tendrils of reforming zombie on page 10. But the best piece of detail work is on Wildcat’s face when he apologizes to Power Girl. Barrows and Marz perfectly nailed the expression of pure regret. Reis delivers his typical quality work on colors, especially with the emotional spectrum of the black lanterns.

Blackest Night: Superman #3 – Review

By James Robinson (writer), Eddy Barrows with Allan Goldman (pencils), Ruy José with Eber Ferreira (inks)

The Story: Superman is getting the stuffing beat out of him by Black Lantern Kal-L and Superboy. Ma Kent is being stalked by Black Lantern Lois Lane. Psycho-Pirate is turning Smallville into a warzone. Welcome to the final issue of this miniseries.

What’s Good: I mentioned in my last review that James Robinson had let the tension slip in issue #2. He brought it back. The last issue is wall-to-wall action with people we care about and villains we desperately want to see getting their just desserts. The dialogue is sharp now that we don’t have those clunky Norman Rockwell moments out of Smallville. On the plot, there are a lot of ways this could have gone wrong, considering the scope of the event and how it has been built up. Robinson pulled this off well, because (this isn’t really a spoiler) in this issue the heroes discover two weaknesses of the Black Lanterns. Also, I was wondering why Robinson included Supergirl and New Krypton in this miniseries. I now see why he did and it works. I expect that we’ll see the results of this issue brought back to the larger Blackest Night series, hopefully in issue #4 next week. It also makes me wonder if the other Blackest Night minis will be discovering similar vulnerabilities. All that being said, great story, satisfying conclusion.
On the minor players, Geoff Johns seems to have been conspiring to make Krypto cool. James Robinson helped out big time here. Krypto is awesome. All dog. All super. He’s like lassie…with a cape…and he’s indestructible…and he chews zombie arms right off…oh, and he’s got heat vision. The art team was critical in making Krypto work. A lot of books deliver solid heroes-in-tights moments, but Barrows and company brought dog expressions to the DC zombie apocalypse and that’s what made Krypto cool….along with heat vision. I’ve also got to give kudos to the art team for the color work on the different emotional states, some brilliant action sequences, a burning naked old zombie Lois Lane (trust me, she’s no Red Sonja), and some larger-than-life heroism.

What’s Not So Good: The first big splash page with Kal-El was so busy that I had a bit of trouble figuring out what was happening. Otherwise, nothing but nit-picking.

Conclusion: Robinson, Barrows and team brought this miniseries to a satisfying conclusion that will tie effectively into the larger Blackest Night book. A lot of fun. I’m looking forward to the other Blackest Night minis, especially Wonder Woman’s.

Grade: B

-DS Arsenault

Blackest Night: Superman #2 – Review

By James Robinson (writer), Eddy Barrows (artist), Ruy Jose with Julio Ferreira (inkers), Rod Reis (colorist)

The Story: Black Lantern Kal-L (the original Superman from Earth-2) is looking to paint Smallville black, and he brought some post-living help in the form of Psycho-Pirate and the original Lois Lane. Standing for truth, justice and a speedy end to DC’s zombie apocalypse are Kal-El (our Superman), Superboy and Ma Kent.

What’s Good: I can’t say enough good things about the art. Every face is expressive, every hero expertly muscled and every Black Lantern is scary as sadistic zombie superheroes can be. The color work by Reis was also brilliantly done, especially in all those unlined glowing effects, as well as the color cuts across people showing their emotions. If you want a really nice piece of art, color and all, check out the shards of ice on page ten. I also loved watching the Black Lanterns almost drool over the emotions they were producing. The art team produced an effect that was really creepy. Rage, avarice, fear, hope, will, compassion, love: each with their own color and mood, all being sucked up by the foot soldiers of the zombie apocalypse.

What’s Not So Good: A lot of this issue felt really flat in the writing department. Blackest Night: Superman #1 built up a great head of steam and set all the pieces in play, but this second issue didn’t move them very far. The balance between Kal-L, Kal-El, and Conner has shifted a bit, but really, the fist fight they were in the last issue is dragging on.

The minor Norman Rockwell dialogue flaws I pointed out last issue also reappear in this one, stronger than before and at times, incoherent. The over-smiley barber in Smallville in the morning is told “Thanks for staying open,” which in the morning makes no sense at all (leave me a comment if you think I missed something). Through some problem in the lines around the dialogue bubbles, some kid called Simon says his own lines and his mother’s. And unfortunately, the small panel with the Army vet had me reaching for my insulin. The shame is, none of that first set up page was necessary. Robinson could have thrown us into some substantive action. Given how I think the plot didn’t advance very far, and how disconnected the subplot feels with Supergirl, I’m wondering if there just wasn’t enough story material to fill the three issues of this series.

Another problem was that the dialogue was doing extra duty as exposition, like when Psycho-Pirate says “…me, Roger Hayden, the Psycho-Pirate! I steal people’s emotions.” Some villains are talky, but that’s a bit over the top. It’s an example of why text boxes should probably make a comeback. And even dialogue that wasn’t being saddled with exposition felt a little uninspired, like Conner’s “No way, you sick weirdo! Give me back my town!” Too bad.

Conclusion: The Blackest Night storyline has a lot of potential, so it’s unfortunate that this story was so average. It was drawn by an extraordinary art team, though.

Grade: B-

-DS Arsenault

Blackest Night: Superman #1 – Review

By James Robinson (writer), Eddy Barrows (penciller), Ruy Jose with Julio Ferreira (inker), Rod Reis (colorist)

The Story: Kal-L, the original Superman, the one born on pre-crisis Earth-2, rises from the dead. Kal-El (the current Superman) and Conner (Superboy) are in Smallville on the anniversary of Pa Kent’s death. Just imagine how things gets bad.

What’s Good: The Art, it blew me away. I haven’t run into Barrows with Jose, Ferreira and Reis before. This art team is brilliant. The ‘camera’ angles run from ant-point-of-view (splash page), bird’s-eye view (page 2), pedestrian point-of-view, to ceiling-fan-point-of-view, to out-of-the-pit-point-of-view. It sounds like a lot of contortions, but visually, Barrows keeps approaching every scene, and even panels within scenes, from different angles, making every view fresh. And the level of realistic detail is sharp, from the cracks in a headstone, to the lettering on the general store, to textured hair and clothing. Colorwise, Reis does an amazing job. Robinson shows us Smallville frequently through the eyes of Black Lantern Kal-L and he runs across the Blackest Night colors and emotions: purple for love, yellow for fear, etc. It’s not only well-done visually, but it fits perfectly with the writing.

What about the writing? With only a few dialogue issues, it’s top notch. Robinson evokes small town America in Smallville. At the diner, they talk about the guy who cut his hand in a band-saw. Kal-El and Conner are natural and real, while Kal-L is probably the creepiest Black Lantern. He keeps on making promises that inspire more and more fear. He belittles Connor and manipulates Kal-El’s emotions. He’s really, really powerful. There’s no reason for me to think that he won’t win. He’s simply a great villain.

As a side note, I think another great example of how good Robinson’s writing is would be to look at Krypto. The concept of Krypto is frankly stupid. He’s an early-silver age DC creation pandering to the juvenile audiences of that time. In 2009, it’s really easy to not hit the right note with him and have him come off like the Jar Jar Binx of the Superman mythos. Robinson handles Krypto deftly: the reader likes him, as they want him to protect Ma Kent. He definitely has grown to be a character that readers can’t easily get annoyed with.

What’s Not So Good: This was almost a flawless performance. The failings were minor and are mentioned now only because I’m picky: I thought the dialogue of some of the residents of Smallville came off as cliche or a little too Norman Rockwell. I think Robinson overdid it in those moments, but it doesn’t detract much.

Conclusion: Buy this book now! You’ll love it. I did.

Grade: A

-DS Arsenault

Green Lantern #42- Review

Geoff Johns (writer), Philip Tan and Eddy Barrows (pencils) Jonathan Glapion and Ruy Jose’ (inks), Nei Ruffino and Rod Reis (color)

The Story: The battle between the Orange Lanterns and the Green FINALLY concludes. Additionally, Hal finds something to hope for and activates the blue ring while the Guardians do some super shady double-dealing with Larfreeze. Meanwhile sector 666 gets even more interesting and reveals its important, if not transparently expected, connection to Darkest Night.

What’s Good: This is the best installment in the disappointingly tepid Agent Orange arc.  I gotta give Johns credit in how he naturally built up the “War of Light”, despite the sloppy execution. There are very interesting battles waging or about to be waged in the Lantern universe outside of the impeding threat of Black Lanterns.

As I’ve said in my previous reviews of Lantern books, the developments and characters hanging out in sector 666 are the most fascinating part of this “epic” story so far. Seriously, even though those two lanterns are most likely dead-meat, literally,  I would like to see a few stories just about their team-up.

The whole scenario when Hal lost the Blue Ring was good (that’s what I “hoped for”) and his vision at the end of this scene was very interesting. Many engaging things can come from this new development. Additionally, Johns effectively painted the Guardians as the sleeze of the DCU superhero community. I loved the way Johns made me hate them.

What’s Not So Good: The art. Seriously. This is a marquee title in the DC line-up and it looks like it was drawn with a carpenter’s pencil. And sometimes, curiously, with an airbrush. Obviously, not a good recipe here. I know that Philip Tan is a better artist than this and I have no idea what the reason for this outing is here.

Okay, last month my most annoying comic book moment was when Spidey and Wolverine trashed Bush and fist bumped in Amazing Spider-Man. This month’s is Hal turning into a…Orange Lantern! So. Bad. What was the point of this? It was so expected and ridiculous that I assumed Johns would avoid this move like a plague. But, no, oh no. Johns had to do it. He had to write Hal as every lantern possible. Prediction: Hal will be in drag as a Star Sapphire right after he dies and comes back as a Black Lantern.

Conclusion: Overall, this was a decent read and hopefully this momentum will filter into Blackest Night. But, it is great to move on from this Orange Lantern story. I should have known it was going to be a bumpy road when I had to look up “avarice” in the dictionary. I knew what it meant, sort of, but its not really part of modern vernacular. Anyway, basing a character on a fairly obtuse word isn’t usually going to pan out well.

Grade: B

-Rob G.