Forests And Queens

Green Arrow (Volume 5) #2
Written by J.T. Krul
Art by Diogenes Neves

 

Damn this is a beautiful book. Neves’s art is filled to the brim with beauty and detail in every panel. This guy better stay around as long as possible! I am actually really enjoying this new Green Arrow series as the forest makes for a great environment for Green Arrow to inhabit. The Queen is also a creepy villain with that mask and her power. She could become Green Arrow’s “Lex Luthor”. We know she knew his Dad and she was once a poor slave. Hmm. The ending was pretty shocking, how is Ollie going to get out of this?

Titans In Trouble

Teen Titans (Volume 3) #85
Written by Felicia D. Henderson
Art by Jose Luis
Co-Feature by Rex Ogle
Art by Ted Niafeh

 

Everything is going to hell for the Teen Titans as they fight this Wyld guy (who I still don’t even get is) and his crazy evil planet. The dialogue is corny as usual but I didn’t hate the issue like I do sometimes. Hendeson seems to be getting better as she goes along. I am actually worried for some of these characters here.  The back-up continues to be rather good – although I don’t really like how Zatara is drawn as if he is Asian. Loved all the magic stuff.

Still Willing To See Where This Is Going

Wonder Woman #601
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art by Don Kramer

 

JMS begins his run on Wonder Woman officially with this issue and I have to say the whole thing is interesting –  but still annoying as hell they the timeline has been fucked with I want answers as to how this effects the rest of the DCU for now. I am getting used to the new costume and it certainly looks better drawn by Kramer then by Jim Lee. I hope JMS doesn’t think this whole Themyscara is destroyed and sends away the princess first is the way Diana’s origin should be – it is basically a female version of Superman’s origin and she is not just a female verison of Superman. That being said, I am willing to see where this is going.

Order And Chaos

Justice League of America #47
Written by James Robinson
Art by Mark Bagley
Co-Feature by Robinson
Art by Pow Rodix

 

This is part 3 of the JLA/JSA crossover that began here and continued here. Oh hell ya Kyle Rayner shows up here! It is great to see him in a JLA book again and they even use his old Green Lantern Logo text! That brought joy to my fanboy heart. As for the entire issue, I felt like the plot didn’t move as quick as it could have and we are at a kind of stand still. I wonder why Doctor Fate is the one holding the JSAers hostage and not the starheart? The narraration boxes also got kind of annoying in this issue where they haven’t bothered me the last few. Maybe Robinson is overdoing them a bit. This story is still as epic and fun as a JLA book should be though and I can’t wait for the next chapter. The back-up actually ties into the main story as now that Red Tornado has been remade nearly indestructibel by Cyborg, he is effected by the starheart. (I mean he is an elemental of the Wind – of course he would be effected, I am surprised I didn’t think of that before)

Looking Glass

The Flash (Volume 3) #4
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Francis Manapul

 

We find out the truth in this issue about why the Renegades are after the Flash and it actually makes sense why he would kill Mirror Monarch. That was cool but otherwise I am still bored with the character of Barry Allen and the art seemed rushed and muddled in this issue. I am curious to see more of these Mirror Lords though.

Outsiders 30 and 31

Outsiders (Volume 4) #30
Written by Dan Didio
Art by Phillip Tan

 

Metamorpho, Owlman, and Black Lightning must turn to Simon Stagg for help after being deemed enemies of Earth because of Markovia’s alliance with New Krypton. It is an interesting thing this alliance with New Krypton and I love having the Eradicator around but Didio still has yet to explain why Geo-Force is acting like a nutjob and this Freight Train character is about as generic as they come. Wasn’t a bad issue which is saying something because it has been all pretty bad since Didio took over the book.

Outsiders (Volume 4) #31
Written by Dan Didio
Art by Phillip Tan

Okay Halo is back in this issue! Thanks Didio! But she never even went missing, she just wasn’t mentioned. If you are going to make her return a big deal – how about maybe writing people actually wondering where the hell she is? Anyways the Ray shows up and so does a weird succubus lady. This book is way random but at least it has become interesting.

Ignored By Death

Green Lantern Corps (Volume 2) #50
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Ardian Sayaf

 

Cyborg Superman is such a tragic villain. All he wants to do is die and in this issue we are shown that he went to Nekron himself to get his wish and Nekron wouldn’t even acknowledge him. I wonder why Scar told him that Ganthet can help him? He can Ganthet fix him? No idea but I can’t wait to find out. This was another great issue of this book as Kyle gets most of the issue dedicated to him. I love when that happens!

The Mind of Lex Luthor

Action Comics #891
Written by Paul Cornell
Art by Pete Woods

 

Lex is led to fantasies by Mister Mind but ultimately defeats the worm by gaining control. This was a good story to show how envious Lex is of Superman and how he fears his own self. It was interesting. I am enjoying this Lex starring role more then I thought I would and I think that has a lot to do with Cornell’s writing. I was slightly annoyed to see Deathstroke at the end of the issue though. I mean he has his own book now does he still have to guest star in every DC comic!

Christmas In July

Green Lantern (Volume 4) #56
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke

 

Once again the best thing about this series is everyone else but it’s supposed star Hal Jordan – as he continues to be boring but everyone around him is fascinating as hell. I finally can say that I love the character of Larfleeze and his search for Santa Clause was just adorable. Hector Hammond eating the orange power battery was interesting. I didn’t know he could do that. It was great to see Renee Montoya and Saint Walker together too. I wonder how these entities are going to effect everyone near them?

Brave and the Bold 34 and 35

Brave and the Bold #34
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art by Jesus Saiz

This was a decent issue featuring the Legion meeting the Doom Patrol and stopping a black hole. It was okay, but nothing really to write about it.

 

 

Brave and the Bold #35
Written by J. Michael Straczynskiz
Art by Jesus Saiz

 

This was an amusing story about the Legion subs teaming up with the Inferior Five. I love how the Legion Subs just leave them in 2010 at the end haha. I hope we see them again soon.

Don’t Hunt The Six

Secret Six (Volume 3) #23
Written by John Ostrander
Art by RB Silva

 

This was a fun fill-in issue as the Secret Six are taken to an island where rich men hunt people for sport. Of course, having the Secret Six as their prey was their biggest mistake as the team easily kills all of the hunters. It was a glorious victory and it showed how dangerous these guys are just as individuals.

Batman Confidential 45 and 46

Batman Confidential #45
Written by Kevin VanHook
Art by Tom Mandrake

VanHook’s sequel to his Superman and Batman versus Vampire and Werewolves mini continues here and I liked this issue as it dealt with Louisiana Voodoo and all. It was great to see Bruce Wayne calling in Clark Kent to help out – a nice scene we don’t see too often. Swamp Thing cameos in one scene – I am surprised nobody caught that!

Batman Confidential #46
Written by Kevin VanHook
Art by Tom Mandrake

 

Doctor Fate arrives to help out Batman, Superman, and their vampire friend in this issue. I am not a big fan of Mandrake’s art but I think it works well for a horror story like this.

Purple Robot Attack

Power Girl (Volume 2) #14
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Sami Basri

 

Power Girl is a little more sympathetic to Booster’s claim of Max Lord’s existence here and I liked. But she is already having enough problems of her own with her company going broke and a giant purple robot man showing up with a mission to destroy her and new york. The robot said she was one of three primary objectives. Perhaps he is supposed to kill Kryptonians too?? I don’t know but this was a good issue.

Chicago Pizza in Gotham

Superman/Batman #74
Written by Paul Levitz
Art by Jerry Ordway

 

This arc ends by Superman simply threatening Lex and telling him to stay away from the planet Lexor. Yes, it is not much of an ending but it works and it really is all that could be done with a villain like Lex. Everyone here is written in character and the art is beautiful. I love that they have Giordano’s in Gotham! Mmmm Chicago Pizza.

Mystical Victory

Zatanna (Volume 2) #3
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Stephane Roux

 

Zatanna defeats Brother Night rather brilliantly by freeing the sould that empower him. I didn’t expect this to happen so quickly but we all know Brother Night will be back. I loved this issue as Dini continues to come up with clever ways for Zatanna to use her powers and I was glad John Zatara wasn’t under Brother Night’s control for too long. Fuseli is a great character and I hope he comes back before too long. I was hoping he would become Zatanna’s reluctant sidekick but it doesn’t look like that will happen. Good stuff.

Bizzarrogirl’s Party

Supergirl (Volume 5) #54
Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Jamal Igle

 

Supergirl decides to get over her moping and save Metropolis from the Bizarro version of herself. Igle’s art is quite beautiful in this issue and I like how he gave Supergirl shorter hair and all the details in her bedroom. Bizarrogirl trying to have a party was pretty amusing I actually didn’t mind her compared to how annoying I find Bizarro Superman. This was a good issue. I wonder what is going on with that creepy cop though?

Manhunter Should Still Be Here

Batman: Streets of Gotham #14
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen
Co-Feature by Ivan Brandon
Art by Ramon Bachs

 

The main story begins the sequel to Dini’s excellent Heart of Hush storyline that ended with Hush being made to look like Bruce Wayne. Now Hush feels trapped as the imposter Wayne and someone wants Wayne dead. It is all set up though and not much happens here but it is cool to see Dini is using Jane Doe. The new Two-Face back-up starts out okay although I just don’t see Two-Face as a starring role character…I don’t understand why they took Manhunter out of this book.