Adventure Comics #5 – Review

Superboy Prime Story by Geoff Johns and Sterling Gates (writers), Jerry Ordway (artist), Bob Wiacek and Jerry Ordway (inkers)
Superboy Backup Story by Geoff Johns (writer) Francis Manapul (artist), Brian Buccellato (colorist)

The Story: Superboy Prime fights a bunch of zombies through the offices of the DC editors and creators. Alex Luthor teleports the whole donnybrook back to Superboy Prime’s basement where the climax occurs in blackest night fashion. The backup features our black-shirted Superboy who gets himself in trouble when he goes after a most charming vandal.

What’s Good: Ordway on art, especially with Wiacek, is a great treat, and he caught the flavor of blackest night with moody effects, black-costumed zombies, and the colored emotions. You can also tell that they had a good time drawing about twenty of the DC staffers in various states of shock. On Manapul’s side, the art is evocative and powerful. And he draws a mean Krypto, expressions and all. Manapul manages the expressive faces, those startled reactions and the arriving menace.

On plotting and story, blackest night looked at one of the least sympathetic characters in the DCU and put him through his own grinder, making him find a solution to the blackest night problem unlike any other’s so far. On character, both Clark (Prime) and Conner’s stories are about their feelings and how they fit into the world. Both stories are effective as character pieces.

What’s Not So Good: The tactical choices in these two stories were fine, but where the book fell down for me was on the strategic choices: using Superboy Prime and the whole metafictional angle. Superboy Prime really is the Jar Jar Binx of the DCU. He’s unsympathetic and whiny and it’s difficult to watch him do anything because I didn’t care about him at all. You have to be able to root for someone in the story, or at least sympathize with someone actively trying to accomplish something. Superboy Prime is craven, and in my opinion, even at the climax, unheroic, and is no fun to read.

Adventure Comics #4 – Review

by Geoff Johns, Sterling Gates & Michael Shoemaker (writers), Jerry Ordway & Clayton Henry (artists)

The Story: Superboy-Prime gets his hands on his own copy of this very comic book and, upon discovering how it all ends, desperately tries to find spoilers about the next issue.  Things become difficult, and creepy, when Alexander Luthor returns from the grave in order to break Prime’s heart, figuratively and literally.  Meanwhile, in the 31st century, the Legionnaire Blok visits former flame, the White (or is it Black) Witch.

What’s Good: Ahhhh.  Now THAT was a breath of fresh air.

Johns and Gates deliver an issue that surpasses everything expected when this was originally solicited.  Blackest Night tie-in?  Okay, that’ll mean someone dead shows up and tries to eat someone’s heart or something.  Superboy-Prime appearance?  Ugh, so soon?  I could’ve used a bit more of a break between this and Legion of 3 Worlds, but okay.  He’s whiny and annoying, but I’ll deal.  These were my preconceived notions, and yes, all of those things do happen, but damn this comic book is so much more than that!

As soon as I flipped past the cover and saw, on Page One, Superboy-Prime looking back at me, holding a copy of the same comic that I was holding in my hands, grumbling, “Oh, great!” I knew I was in for a fun, fourth wall-breaking good time.  “Why couldn’t they leave me out of this?  People already hate me enough as it is.” Prime literally echoes the same opinions that I had at his presence in this story, and I found myself laughing.  At the chutzpah the writers showed in poking fun at the readers in such a brazen manner.  At the promise that this very likely would break out of the box that the other Blackest Night tie-ins, no matter how good they are, find themselves in.  And most of all, I laughed because Johns and Gates were right.  They knew what I’d decided about this issue before I’d even picked it up, and they weren’t letting me off the hook for my judgments.  Boy, am I glad they didn’t.

Odds are, if you possess even a tiny ability to laugh at yourself as a comic geek, you’ll find something in this issue to chuckle about. And, really, if you’ve made it through at least one complete thread on a comic book message board, you’d hardly blame them!  As Alexander Luthor (of Earth-3, of course) takes a look at a computer and notes “This box.  It’s a conduit for the rage of the people of this Earth,” I found myself replying, “No shit.”  The writers obviously use the script to let off some steam when it comes to the fan community, but it never comes off petty or mean.

It’s not all barbs and jabs, though.  The metatextual conceit of the plot allows for a somewhat unconventional tale that delivers a welcome break in the Blackest Night tie-in formula.  While there is still the obligatory info dump followed by the resurrected villain attacking the “hero” of the piece, the fact that Prime is aware of the nature of his existence makes it all feel brand new.  Meanwhile, Jerry Ordway brings his usual amazing artwork to bear.  Forgive my brevity as to the pencils, but I really have no more to say than that it’s perfect.  Ordway knows what makes Superboy-Prime work visually and he proves that once again.

What’s Not So Good: Well, unfortunately, the Legion of Super-Heroes second feature gets the short end of the stick here.  Despite solid artwork from Clayton Henry, Johns and Shoemaker submit a, while perfectly serviceable, fairly regular tale.  It’s a nice little story about love and what one would sacrifice for the sake of that love, but when you place this ordinary story beside the unique and surprising lead feature, it falls somewhat flat.  DC would have been better off going the same route as they did with their other tie-ins and simply stretching the main story to thirty pages.

Conclusion: A pleasantly surprising piece of metafiction delivered ably by Johns and Gates made this, hands down, the best comic of the week.  While the amazing lead feature has the regrettable side effect of eclipsing the Legion back-up, it’s so good that I just didn’t care.  Highly recommended.

Grade: A

– Joe Lopez

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

– J. Montes