Focusing On Dinah

Green Arrow & Black Canary #22
Written by Andrew Kreisberg
Art by Mike Norton

This is probably the best issue since Kreisberg took over the book. I really enjoyed seeing Dinah talking to Wildcat about wanting to be a hero when she grows up in the flashback and all of the main story with Black Canary. Giving so much attention to Dinah kind’ve makes up for his previous issues where he seemed to be turning her into a damsel-in-distress character. The back-up Green Arrows story was very sad. One thing is Dinah’s asking of Ollie to give up being Green Arrows seems so weird and forced. He has only been slightly more violent, why is she acting like this? In fact, he really didn’t do anything violent in this issue. It is odd.

The Name Still Stinks But This Issue Is Better

Red Robin #2
Written by Christopher Yost
Art by Ramon Bachs

This cover gave away the identity of Red Robin months ago when it was released so I don’t know why DC tried to pretend like it was a big secret. Anyways, I enjoyed this issue much more then its debut issue. I am starting to rethink my attitude about Tim going “dark” he has been through a lot of shit. I don’t like the way he treats Stephanie in this though. Poor Stephanie Brown is always treated like shit even though she is always just trying to help. This series really should have continued Tim’s old numbering because it is very much a continuation of the “Robin” series. Don’t you wish Tim chose to be the new Nightwing instead of this Red “I am a burger chain too” Robin bullshit. It’s a great looking costume and always will be but the name really stinks. I also don’t like that Tim is always referred to as Tim Wayne now, I get that he wants to respect Bruce but isn’t that a little bit disrespectful of his real father, Jack Drake? Anyways, this was an enjoyable issue that kept me much more entertained that the prior issue.

Art Talk

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #22
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens
Co-Feature by Matthew Sturges
Art by Mike Norton

 

The main story is really fun for any long-time Titans fan. Jurgens styles fits the early eighties Titans quite well. I think it is enjoyable even if you aren’t verse in Titans continuity either, everything is explained efficiently. The Blue Beetle back-up was okay. I almost wish Norton would stop trying to emulate past Beetle artists and just draw like he usually does cause I really hate cartoony art. I talked about art way more in this review then I usually do…

The Greatest of GL’s Stands Up To The Guardians

Green Lantern Corps (Volume 2) #38
Written by Peter Tomasi
Art by Patrick Gleason

The greatest of Green Lanterns, Kyle Rayner, stand up to the Guardians bullshit ways in this issue and I was damn happy to see it. It looks like The Guardians have sent Kyle and Guy back to earth (I can’t wait to see what they do next) and everything is in place for the beginning of Blackest Night. This series is much better then the main GL title and I can’t wait to see what goes in during Blackest Night. This was a good issue.

All Set-Up And Nothing More

Batman #688
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Mark Bagley

Ya…I wish I could say that this issue was just as good as last but I can not. This was all set-up and not much more. Two-Face and Penguin are at war and Dick and Damian are training. I like the idea that Dick is having difficulties with his costume but I am not sure that I like that he is letting the media film him so easily. While Bagley is certainly better then Ed Benes on art, I do not like how he draws Dick so skinny with short hair. He is not Robin anymore nor has he been for years, draw him like Nightwing Bagley.

Death in the DCU

Green Lantern (Volume 4) #43
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke

If this issue doesn’t get you excited for Blackest Night the nothing will. This was an excellent issue detailing the history of the Black Hand, the murder of his family, and suicide and then his rise from the dead as the first Black Lantern and embodiment of the Black Lantern Corps. Mahnke’s are is as gorgeous as ever and I think he may be my favorite artist at DC for event books. I love the DC Universe and its continuity and it was so exciting to see Mahnke draw all the heroic deaths over the years. My only complaint is story-wise, why the fuck no mention that Kyle was basically the entire Green Lantern Corps for a decade! It’s just another example of DC favoring silver age old-fuck heroes. Oh and fuck Didio by the way and his stupid ass DC nation column about the Justice League. Am I being a little mean with this review? Sorry. Let’s go back to the positives, this was an amazing issue that brings us right into what will hopefully be the greatest event DC has had in a long time.

Bruce Kent

Superman/Batman #61
Written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson
Art by Francis Manapul

This concludes the Mash-Up storyline. I am surprised that I didn’t see that Doctor Destiny was behind the whole thing. It is a very typical thing for him to do. I can’t say that I completely understand what the reasoning was behind him creating a dream of Justice Titans but it was fun none-the-less. The escape from the dreams seemed a little too easy and rushed, but it is only a minor complaint. I enjoyed this little arc well enough. I especially liked the comatose John Dee saying “Bruce Kent” over and over again at the end.

Diana Is Not Going To Put Up With This

Secret Six (Volume 3) #11
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Nicola Scott

This book consistently hits it out of the park month-by-month and this issue was no different. This is some dark and violent story-telling and that is what makes the humor all the more welcome. Slavery is one of the worst or the worst of all crimes. It is a really horrible thing. I like that the Six are fighting over it and I find it amusing this is the second time in this series that they have brutally mutilated each other because they disagreed on something. These are some bad mother fuckers, even if they make you laugh once in a while. I am really starting to like Jeannette as a character and I enjoyed her moments with Artemis. Of course the Amazing Amazon showed up in the final page and made me all the more exciting for the next issue. Diana is not going to put up with this shit.

Japanese Mythology Versus The JSA

Justice Society of America #28
Written by Jerry Ordway
Art by Ordway

I liked this part much better then the first part of this little fill-in arc. Maybe cause I find Japanese Mythology quite interesting and Ordway used it quite nicely in this. Atom Smasher and Stargirl’s relationship is a little strange. How old is he supposed to be? I also liked that Ordway avoided saying that the bomb being dropped was inevitable and couldn’t be avoided and all the usual right-wing propaganda about Hiroshima. We did a shitty thing people, let’s admit that and move on. But anyways, this was an enjoyable issue but I am looking forward to seeing how everything goes when the new creative team takes over next issue.

Robinson Understands His Playground

Superman #689
Written by James Robinson
Art by Renato Guedes

Mon-El spends this issue traveling the globe and meeting up with heroes and villains from all different countries. Each of these tales could have had their own issue or two but something about him summarizing it made everything a lot more exciting and less decompressed in the way most comics are. Robinson really takes advantage of writing in the DC Universe in a way that most writers don’t. That is what makes him one of the best writers that DC has right now. He utilizes his playground to the max. It was a lot of fun to see the different heroes internationally (some old and some new) and to cap it off, it looks like Steel is in trouble. Sam Lane is such a douchebag for wanting to kill Steel.

Rather Forgettable

Green Lantern (Volume 4) #42
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Phillip Tan and Eddy Barrows

I have to say this was kind of a disappointing conclusion. I mean the art was a bit better probably because of Barrows, but I felt it concluded rather quickly, probably in order to get to Blackest Night faster. The Douche Hal Jordan grows his hands back even! I just think the entire issue was rather forgettable. I sure hope Larfreeze won’t hurt the Blue Lanterns, I love them!

McDuffie’s Actual Last Issue

Justice League of America #34
Written by Dwayne McDuffie
Art by Ardian Sayaf and Eddy Barrows

Okay for some reason DC’s solicitations were wrong on their website and this is McDuffie’s last issue on this book. Well at least he gets to finish his story arc. I actually liked this conclusion. Sure the art is still not great for a book like Justice League, but it was competent. I enjoyed the explanation for how the Milestone Universe and DC Universe merged. I think it was really the easiest way to explain it. Although I was under the impression they were not going to explain it, I am glad they did (Although it doesn’t make sense that Superman would be wearing his Superman outfit on New Krypton). I hope when the new creative team takes over they won’t get rid of Firestorm, I think it is great to see him on this team and I am hoping Icon will still be joining even though McDuffie is not on the book anymore.

This Is Going to Be A Lot of Fun!

Gotham City Sirens #1
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Guillem March

Okay fuck all the haters on this series, because it was AMAZING! This first issue really hit it out of the park for me. Three of my favorite Bat-villains working together is good enough, but the fact that they will be working out of an abandoned animal shelter brought to them by some Criminal Broker aptly named the Broker makes it even better! This is going to be a fun book, and will hopefully remind me of the Batman: The Animated Series days. Seriously, the Bat villains are the most underused characters in terms of their popularity and I can’t wait to see them spotlighted here. If only we could have seen Harley in costume! Oh and here is my guess, Catwoman is going to tell Ivy she doesn’t know who Batman is because she doesn’t actually know who the NEW Batman is.

What A Great Storyline

Wonder Woman (Volume 3) #33
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Aaron Lopresti

The Rise of the Olypian comes to an end in this issue when Achilles takes over leadership of the Amazons and Wonder Woman rejects Zeus and says goodbye to her mother. I really enjoyed it and it was the perfect ending in that it was a true ending but left it open ended for Genocide’s eventual return. I think Simone has created a great new villain for Diana. I also like that Diana is not as loyal to the Gods as her mother is, probably because since she has lived so long in America she has taken on American ideals herself about blind loyalty. I am not sure where Simone will take Diana next, but I can’t way to see.

Kate Kane Is No Cookie Cutter Character

Detective Comics #854
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by J.H. Williams III
Co-Feature by Rucka
Art by Cully Hamner

Wow I expected this to be good, but man was this good! Batwoman is a character we have been waiting for an explanation behind for three years, and while we don’t get her origin story here, I have to say I am a fan already. She doesn’t exactly fit the Bat-family mold. Her father knows that she is Batwoman (Could her stepmother be the original Batwoman?!) She has a military background, apparently has no problem with guns, and she is as pale as can be. And that is what I like about her! She is not a cookie-cutter character or a Barbara Gordon stand-in anymore. A lot of this has to do with Rucka, but Williams as well. His art is breathtaking (and weird) and you can’t help but marvel at the detail he puts into it. Everything from the panels to the stuff in Kate’s room matters. And the villain, Alice, is surprisingly freaky. As for the Question back-up, it was okay. I have never been a fan of Hamner’s art but I like some of the changes he made to Renee. As a gay man, I have to say that it is AWESOME that DC is having two Lesbian characters headline Detective Comics, but it is even more AWESOME that their debut is on the fortieth anniversary of the Stonewall riots. We have come a long way since 1969.

Miller Gets The Characters, Bennett Does Not

Teen Titans (Volume 3) #72
Written by Bryan Q. Miller
Art by Joe Bennett
Co-Feature by Sean McKeever
Art by Yildiray Cinar

 

Joe Bennett is not doing his best here at all. I mean Superboy and Wonder Girl never wore those outfits when they were together in that flashback and girls don’t wear belly shirts like that when they go out. I mean Miss Martian’s shirt was shorter every time he drew it. It was ridiculous. I am far from a prude, I don’t care that the characters are being sexualized, I care that they are realistic. And being 21 and so far off from my teen years, I can tell you that teenage girls don’t wear shirts like that. I have to say this though, Bennett does draw some amusing facial expressions in this issue. The story by fill-in writer Miller was actually pretty good. Miller definitely captures each Titan’s personality rather well and I liked the night on the town story’s Juxtaposition with Wonder Girl’s fight at Alcatraz. I just hope that funeral scene at the beginning doesn’t really mean one of these characters is going to die, cause we really DON’T need any more of that shit in this book. The Ravager back up was interesting and McKeever is always good with her character, but it hasn’t hooked me just yet.

Outsiders 18 and 19

Outsiders (Volume 4) #18
Written by Peter Tomasi
Art by Lee Garbett

Wow did Alfred really just punch Deathstroke in the face! That is one butler with balls let me tell you! This was a decent issue. For some reason Slade wants to kill the immortals. I suppose we will find out why soon. Or am I just forgetting and they explained it in the last issue? The Outsiders show up just in time to save Alfred luckily.

Outsiders (Volume 4) #19
Written by Peter Tomasi
Art by Fernando Pasarin and Jeremy Haun

Now this was more like it. This issue really kicked things into gear. There was action, fighting, and character moments. Not to mention I like Pasarin’s art much better then Garbett’s. The Creeper sneaking up on the guys on the ship was a great moment (and realy his first great moment since joining the team), as was Black Lightning calling out Geo-Force on his poor leadership skills. It looks like Slade is corrupting another young girl. I like that idea. It seems to be a habit of his. The slicing in half of the one guy was pretty gross. I am not sure where any of this is going but I am enjoying the ride.