Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #2 – Review

By: Tony Bedard (writer), Vicente Cifuentes (artist), Diana Egea (inker), Kyle Ritter (colorist)

The Story: Think Little Mermaid, but with a lot more drama and stabbing.

The Review: In almost every kind of traditional storytelling, a strong narrator is essential to detailing a scene and giving us insight into the characters’ minds.  In a visual medium like comics, since the art pretty much takes over most of the expository duties, narration can actually become cumbersome and redundant, especially with a strong artist on hand.  In this case, the narrative must frame the scene, highlighting details the art and dialogue wouldn’t by themselves.

In this issue, Bedard demonstrates the merit in the old adage, “Less is more,” only he does so by showing what a drag excessive narration can be.  Almost at no point does his voice help the scene; oftentimes, it just tinges everything with melodrama (“History is littered with the corpses of the complacent.”), and it almost always reiterates the facts that are in plain sight to you.  Not to take it personally, but I find that kind of storytelling almost patronizing.

Perhaps Bedard felt pressed for time so he found it easier to just gloss over certain details rather than take the time to show them, but by doing so, he actually undermines the impact of his own story.  If he really wanted to convince us that “Arthur Curry returned to the deep too young to understand the virtues his father had tried to teach: patience, kindness, humility,” then Bedard should’ve given us more scenes of Tom trying to teach his son exactly those things.

Power Girl #10 – Review

By: Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray (writers), Amanda Conner (artist), Paul Montes (colorist)

The Story: Terra manages to save Power Girl from the gravity well stuck to her chest. They limp away, back to PG’s apartment, where the comic dork with the pictures of Power Girl comes with his terms. He demands/ requests three things: that she accompany him to his local comic shop, that she take care of two bullies, and help him ask out a girl. The Ultra-Humanite wouldn’t interrupt a plan like that, would he?

What’s Good: Power Girl as a series is about the medium, the culture that surrounds it, its audience and its conceits. This is a book about metafiction. Put on your protective goggles before reading – because Palmiotti and Gray have scripted big sections of this book to laugh at you. I enjoyed this issue making fun of comics, including Satanna trash talking Terra for reusing superhero names (“There’s like what? Two…three…Flashes?”), Power Girl trashing on Satanna’s motivations (“She attacked me because, well, because that’s what people like her do.”), and Terra asking why villains can’t just shut up during fights. The writers have fun laughing at them (and us, because these are sacred cow conventions we’ve come to expect as readers). The fanboy crushes on fictional, chesty women is also aimed squarely at those who buy this book (or Power Girl posters, models, action figures, etc). Gray and Palmiotti also take a shot at the industry (a comic doesn’t show up on time because an artist fell behind schedule) and in the end, Terra trashes on Power Girl in the “totally clichéd hero/friend fights” where she gives Power Girl the chance to say “I know you’re stronger than this” and “this isn’t you.” There are too many more gems than can fit in this space, but leave a comment if you spot more. The art and inks are, as always, clear, clean, dynamic, and fun. The cartoony, self-aware style fits well with the type of humor the writers are building.

Blackest Night: Titans #2 – Review

By J.T. Krul (writer), Ed Benes (artist), Scott Williams and Ed Benes (inkers)

The Story: Donna Troy’s dead husband and baby come after her as Black Lanterns. Black Lantern Terra and a few other old friends from the post-living move to smash Gar, Kid Flash, Cyborg and Starfire. Hawk and Dove fight Black Lantern Hawk before Terra plays with the foundations of the Titans Tower. Then things get really messy, zombie-apocalypse style…

What’s Good: The art is fantastic. I’ve always liked Benes, even though I know his art doesn’t fit everyone’s taste. I think a case can and should be made for him, on the basis of well-rendered figures, muscles, emotions and action that carry right through the book.

On the writing side, Krul delivered a solid Act Two. In a three-act series, the situation for the heroes gets worse and worse throughout Act Two, until the last straw is thrown on. The menace is there and it is scary (zombie baby – just picture it). Our heroes get in some great shots, though. Gar gets a wrestling smash in on Black Lantern Terra, Cyborg’s white sound seems to hurt them while Starfire leaves a smoking black lantern ring on a crispy, re-dead finger. Any bets on how long that finger stays crispy? Finally, in terms on villainous power, now I have slightly more respect for Terra.

What’s Not So Good: Not much to complain about. I’m not completely up on all my Titans mythos, so the identities of some of the villains were question marks for me without much more than clues to go on. The colors didn’t blow me away: competent, but not stellar. The grays and blacks and browns eventually became a bit overpowering. Even the spectrum of emotion colors didn’t look like more that a blurry patchwork. But these are smallish point in an otherwise pretty solid book. And if Krul left me with one dominant emotion, it was relief…that I don’t live in the DC universe.

Conclusion: If you’re following Blackest Night, even if you’re not a huge Titans fan, I recommend picking up this book (the first issue is probably still on some stands too). It’s a great story of fear and the undead hitting the DC universe, with fantastic art and an overwhelming menace.

Grade: B

-DS Arsenault