Sweet End To A Sweet Run

Green Lantern Corps (Volume 2) #47
Written Peter Tomasi
Art by Patrick Gleason

 

Tomasi’s run on this book comes to an end on this issue and it couldn’t couldn’t have been a better way to wrap up. Guy and Kyle toasting at the Warrior’s Bar, the Guardian’s repealing the third law, Kyle’s amazing speech about how the Green Lantern Corps needs heart and soul and not just cold logic (This is another reason why Kyle is so much cooler then Hal). Vath and Isamot’s fight and reunion over Vath’s legs. It was all so good and great character moments. I will miss Tomasi and Gleason on this book, but at least Bedard is a great replacement. This is still the best Green Lantern book on the stands.

Corny Titans

Teen Titans (Volume 3) #82
Written by Felecia D. Henderson
Art by Jose Luis
Co-Feature by Sean McKeever
Art by Yildiray Cinar

Wow…this is just getting awful. Henderson’s dialogue is painful to read. I give her credit for this though, the team is getting pretty big and she manages to have all the characters have a moment or tow in this issue where they stand out. No one was unused and I always like that. But that doesn’t make up for how bad the dialogue and corny it is. Plus why is Wonder Girl mad at Superboy? They were doing fine last I checked and I don’t know if this was an art problem or what not but I have no idea what happened when Holocaust’s lair blew up. Why were Superboy and Kid Flash acting like the rest of the Titans were dead but completely emotionless about it? Did they know they weren’t dead? How did they survive the blast anyways? It is good to have Superboy and Kid Flash back but this book really needs to improve quickly. In the much better back-up, It breaks my heart to see Kid Devil again, even if it is just Rose’s hallucination. I hate that he is dead and they can’t continue their relationship…it was such a needless death too and he wasn’t even used in Blackest Night. This marked the end of the Ravager back-up and once again McKeever shows how much he understands this character. I will miss him on this book.

Reversed

Justice Society of America #38
Written by Bill Willingham
Art by Jesus Merino

 

This issue takes a look at the past (at least the past for this story which is set 20 years from now after the Fourth Reich has taken over) and what has happened to the many heroes when they’re powers went out. I laughed out loud when Hal Jordan’s dumb ass died. (Is that wrong?) and I liked this, even if it was a very dark and depressing issue, I am just itching to know how it is all going to be reversed. Time Travel?

Still No Good

Outsiders (Volume 4) #29
Written by Dan Didio
Art by Don Kramer and Phillip Tan

 

How is this guy running DC Comics or at least partially-running DC Comics I mean come on this is his book and it is one of the worst books on the stands. For one thing – the two artists on the books style are so different it is jarring to go from page-to-page. For another thing, we still have no explanation for where Halo is or why Geo-Force has gone insane, instead the whole issue focuses on Looker who isn’t acting anything like when she last appeared during the Dixon run. Yes, Looker has always been kind’ve vane but this was over the top. Not a good issue at all. Didio I am still waiting for you to surprise me and produce a good comic.

All Coming Together

Superman #699
Written by James Robinson
Art by Bernard Chang

 

This is part 8 of the Last Stand of New Krypton storyline that began in Last Stand #1 and continued here, here, here, Last Stand #2, here, and here. Things are all falling into place as Kandor is restored by Supergirl and Brainiac 5 and Superman and Zod take on Brainiac. I am not exactly sure what happened at the end – was that a city coming out of Brainiac’s ship. Did Lex just double cross Brainiac? And why is Mon-El worried that Sam Lane knew so much about Daxamite. I am not annoyed with all the questions – just intrigued. I can’t wait to see where this all goes!

Brings Me Back

Detective Comics #864
Written by David Hine
Art by Jeremy Haun
Co-Feature by Greg Rucka
Art by Cully Hamner

 

Wow that was good! I always have loved Haun’s writing from Brave and the Bold to his Arkham work and I was excited for his run on Detective Comics – but this blew me away. He really gets into the psyche of Jeremiah Arkham and how crazy he is. My guess is that the three inmates he supposedly cured aren’t real at all. I love that he is referencing old Batman stories – but not SILVER AGE Batman stories or something pre-crisis but the honest to God DC Universe of my childhood – Devin Grayson’s Gotham Knights run and so on. It makes me really miss that time where it seemed anything could happen in Gotham and new characters were being created and awesome dark storylines were being written. I loved reading this. I don’t even miss Batwoman – and I liked her in this book. The Question back-up was also good as Vandal Savage demands that either Question or Huntress take the mark of Cain from him. It makes me want to go back and read Final Crisis: Revelations where this all went down I am not sure how he got the mark. I also liked how Rucka brought in Huntress’s faith which has always been an important part of her character.

Wonder Woman’s Extended Family

Wonder Woman (Volume 3) #43
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Nicola Scott and Fernando Dagnino

 

We learn the story about Astarte, Diana’s aunt. (Interesting from my knowledge Astarte is the name of both a demon from the Goetia and an ancient goddess) Apparently she was Hippolyta’s older sister who was taken instead of Hippolyta by aliens three thousand years ago. Seems strange considering Hippolyta was never a baby was she? Wasn’t she created from a woman who was murdered by a caveman or something? Maybe I am not understanding something I don’t know this was good I just wish it contained more Nicola Scott art. I wonder if this is Astarte’s first appearance. It seems to be so. I also like that Diana is going to be facing off against her cousin – the daughter of Astarte in the next issue.

BatCon 42 and 43

Batman Confidential #42
Written by Sam Keith
Art by Keith

Sam Keith’s arc in this book continues to be enjoyable – and strange in a way that works for the story he is writing. I still have no idea who the sulfur monster is or what is going on with it but I enjoyed this issue’s look at both Batman and his new friend Callie’s pasts.

Batman Confidential #43
Written by Sam Keith
Art by Keith

Okay that ending made about zero sense to me. What the hell – she just slips and falls and dies? That is the end of this story? How was the cop even turning into a sulfur monster? I knew this story was going to be weird and I was enjoying it but this ending was just dumb. Unless I am missing something this was just awful. Ugh. Come on Keith I liked everything up until this issue.

Madness

Azrael (Volume 2) #7
Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art by Ramon Bachs

 

I am proud to say that I guessed that Michael’s psychiatrist was working for the order and I was correct apparently. This was another good issue of this underrated series. I never expected to like this book as much as I have. The creative team is changing but Hine is the perfect replacement for Nicieza, I can’t wait to see what he does with all this. You can see Michael is definitely going crazy from the suit and killing left and right. Will he succumb to the madness? We will see I guess.

Girls Night Out

Brave and the Bold #33
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art by Cliff Chiang

 

Wow that was a very heart-felt issue. I would have to say that this JMS’s best issue yet. Just wow. Zatanna and Wonder Woman take Barbara Gordon Batgirl out on the town for a night of dancing and fun. At first I was annoyed because I thought this story would be better with Cassandra Cain because she would be so out of her element, but then JMS turns the tables and the end shows why this had to be about Babs. (Although I am not really a fan of the idea that Zatanna and Wonder Woman are aware of Barbara Gordon’s identity at this time) I did not expect that and it was really a great twist. I don’t want to ruin the surprise for anyone but it deals with her future.

Starfire Joins The Cast

R.E.B.E.L.S. #15
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Claude St. Aubin

 

Damn this was a great issue! I hope people use this issue to jump aboard because this book has been fantastic and it looks like it is only going to get better with the addtion of Starfire to the cast. Bedard has a good handle on Kory and he shows that in just one issue. She is both vulnerable and emotional but also a strong fierce warrior. My guess is that the planet that she thinks is Tamaran is actually Rann being moved by a Zeta beam. I wonder why Vril Dox needs to restart L.E.G.I.O.N. considering the Green Lanterns can now go there but I suppose he has his reasons. This was a lot of fun and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Darkness Of The Soul

Superman/Batman #71
Written by Joe Casey and Joshua Williamson
Art by Jason Fabok

Fabok was a great replacement for Sayaf I did not even notice it was a different artist till I read the credits at the end. He is a good artist too I hope DC keeps him around. The ending of this arc was okay, nothing tremendous and the ending lines were kind of corny. I just don’t see Batman saying some of those things about the “darkness of the soul” it was a little too eloquent for him but it was still a good read. I appreciate the foreshadowing of New Krypton. So if that was the last of the Durlans how do they exist in the future? Perhaps they are one of the bottled cities that will be enlarged on a new world at the end of the New Krypton storyline. I do not know.

PeeGee 10 and 11

Power Girl (Volume 2) #10
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
Art by Amanda Connor

 

So it looks like Ultra-Humanite switched his brain with Terra’s. I hope Terra is alright after this I really like her and think she makes a great sidekick for Power Girl. I hope she stick around when Winick takes over this book.

Power Girl (Volume 2) #11
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
Art by Amanda Connor

This was pretty awesome. The second go around with Ultra-Humanite was much better then the first. Satanna is quickly becoming PeeGee’s archvillain as well. Terra’s city and Terra herself are incredibly powerful. I wouldn’t have realized this until Ultra-Humanite too her body and almost toppled New York with it. I am glad that she is alright and it will be interesting to see what comes of Ultra-Humanite now that he has his regular body back. It was a little naive for Power Girl to offer him a job though.

The Jade Meteor

Justice League of America #44
Written by James Robinson
Art by Mark Bagley

 

I still think it is mega-strange that they changed the line up after two issues. That is annoying but I do like the current line up and look forward to seeing Jade, Jesse Quick, and Supergirl join the team. Starman’s new look is hot and awesome! Much better then the long hair and trench coat thing he had going. It is great to see Donna Troy all happy. She needed this and I hope she stays in the League for a long time to come. I didn’t expect the meteorite to contain Jade considering she just was on Oa with Kyle how did she end up trapped in a meteorite? I guess we shall see. Robinson’s run continues to impress me.

Pretty Blah Issue

Batman: Streets of Gotham #11
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen
Co-Feature by Marc Andreyko
Art by Jeremy Haun

 

Zsasz is defeated in a rather unremarkable issue of this book. I really did not care for the whole Damian fighting without his mask thing. I mean if Zsasz sees the son of Bruce Wayne somewhere he is going to know he is Robin now. The Manhunter back-up was also not great (but not bad either). It just had everyone looking for Ramsey although it is always cool to see Jane Doe again.

Let’s Stay Focused On The Other Characters

Green Lantern (Volume 4) #53
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke

Really Johns? Another Donner Superman reference? Give me a break. We get that you liked the original Superman movie but this is getting out of a hand lol all we had was Lex Luthor and already he is referencing the Donner Superman movie. I liked this issue, that being said, as it focuses on the group of New Guardians. It makes for a great way for Johns nto to focus on boring old Hal Jordan. Didio’s DC Nation at the end of this week’s books explain a lot about why certain characters keep coming back. He is such a douche.

Continuity Crisis

Supergirl (Volume 5) #52
Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Ivan Rodriguez

 

This is part 7 of the Last Stand of New Krypton storyline that began in Last Stand #1, and continued here, here, here, Last Stand #2, and here. Supergirl teams up with Brainiac 5 and takes out the ship’s core in this issue. So I was kinda hoping that they would mention Supergirl’s time with the Legion of Earth-Prime, I can’t remember if she remembers it or not, perhaps that is why Brainiac 5 seemed familiar. But this Brainiac 5 seems to know here, does all the pre-crisis Supergirl tales with the Legion still happen in this timeline but later? And why does he refer to her as dying? The pre-crisis Kara died in the Crisis why would this Kara have died? I hope they clarify all this soon.