Hidden Oracle

Birds of Prey (Volume 2) #10
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Inaki Miranda

Cassandra Cain gets name dropped again as Tim asks why she doesn’t have access to Kord Tower. I don’t know that I am completely satisfied with the answer that she has too much going on now because well…we are never shown what the hell she has going on. I hope this wasn’t a throw away line and Gail or DC editors plan to show us what is going on with Cass soon enough. This was an otherwise fantastic issue that showed off how tough the Birds are and how it was a good plan to fake Oracle’s death. Loved the bit with Catwoman too!

Booster Gold 40 and 41

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #40
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Pat Olliffe

 

This was an okay issue setting up the threat, recapping Booster’s life, and a surprise ending. I am sure Rip has his reasons for this.

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #41
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

 

So were we supposed to recognize the guy at the end of this? And the idea that Booster would willingly turn himself in after all these years – or that Rip would think it was a good idea – is just absurd. Not impressed with this issue.

Bruce Remembers

Power Girl (Volume 2) #21
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Sami Basri

 

This was awesome for anyone enjoing Generation Lost as Power Girl manages to convince Dick Grayson with the help of Bruce Wayne of Max Lord’s existence and villainy. Bruce’s presence here was just awesome and it was great to see that he remembers Lord – because if anyone could it would be Bruce. I also loved how Basri got all the pre-infinite crisis costumes correct in the flashback. I know that sounds easy, and it is, but so many other artists at DC would have gotten it wrong cause their editors suck at their jobs.

Memory Wipe

Power Girl (Volume 2) #19
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Sami Basri

 

I liked that the JSA All-Stars actually believed Power Girl about Maxwell Lord. I mean she is their proven leader and they would have no reason to doubt her – I feel like a lot of writers would have went there though so I am glad Winick did not. It’s too bad even PeeGee forgets about Lord soon after. One thing that kind of bothered me is that Power Girl was a member of Justice League Europe and probably didn’t have many adventures with Fire, Ice, and the rest of Justice League America but I can buy that they had a few. Anyways, this was a really good issue as Winick has really made the whole Generation Lost plotline pretty epic and the surprise success of the brightest day line. We need to see Terra soon though.

Booster Gold 38 and 39

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #38
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

 

This was a fun story where Rani goes back in time to tell Maxwell Lord’s  mother on him! Hilarious and adorable and goofy old General Glory is in it too! I cracked up everytime his sidekick showed up. One thing that annoyed me is how could General Glory be in Europe when all metahumans couldn’t go to Europe during WW2 cause of hitler and his sphere of destiny?!! Come on Giffen and Demateis do your research!

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #39
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

This would have been a good issue where Booster Gold finally puts Ted Kord’s death behind him – if it hadn’t been done seven thousand times before! Ugh!

Beetle Puke

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #37
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

 

This was a funny issue with Booster having to deals a crazed oversexed alien woman named Estrogina who swallows the transformed Blue Beetle and Booster has to get her to puke him up. Yep that is what happens in this issue. It is all good and fun…but a part of me wants to get back to what is going on with Rip Hunter and Booster’s sister. I miss Jurgens on this book a lot.

The Prison’s Top Bitch Kitty

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #36
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Pat Olliffe

 

The title of this post is also what Estrogina – a new character I believe – refers to herself as in the last page of this issue haha awesome. I liked this issue and I like that they are tying into Invasion – which I didn’t expect to happen. But I don’t know, I am not sure that they have Skeet’s “voice” quite right. He is almost too human in this? Skeets is great and I think he is very human-like. But Jurgens always wrote him with less, smart ass remarks I guess. Either way, Giffen and Demateis have quite a lot going on here. It is pure craziness with Ted Kord turned into a chipmunk and a kitty bitch haha.

Going Global

Red Robin #16
Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art by Marcus To

 

Nicieza is such a fantastic writer – he really understands the character of Tim Drake and his history. I loved how Brentwood Academy is mentioned in this issue – Tim’s school from the Dixon era of his book. So many writers come on to book and dismiss anything that came before but not Nicieza. I can’t wait till next issue where we are promised Cassandra Cain! And I wonder where Tim’s new home will be – he says Gotham will still be his base but  he is going global? hmm. How cool would it be if Red Robin became the protector of Vanity – Aztek’s city.

Planet Pounding

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #35
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista and Pat Olliffe

 

This is fun and action-packed and I liked that Ted knew that Booster was from the future all along and Barda admitting she actually does like Ted and Booster but hmmm…I guess I really don’t care about the overall plot and this planet pounder thing, I would rather get back to the Maxwell Lord stuff. Having the darkstars show up was pretty cool though.

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)

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.

Poor Skeets Was Locked In A Box

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #34
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista and Giffen

 

Goldstar returns just as Booster goes back-in-time and gets stuck in a little adventure with Ted searching for the stolen cliff-notes version of the book of destiny. It is a wacky plot featuring a villain called the Underachiever and it was a fun read. I feel like the balance between comedy and seriousness is still there even though it almost went over to the side of pure comedy here. I love the character of Rani and I hope the little girl will become a permanent fixture…will she become the new Goldstar? She is a little young for that right? Haha the funniest joke had to be Skeets explaining that he was never around in the JLI years because Booster had him locked in a box behind his pornos hahaha.

Action 889 and 890

Action Comics #889
Written by Greg Rucka and Eric Trauttman
Art by Jose Perez
Co-Feature by James Robinson
Art by Cafu

 

The main story ends Rucka and Trautmann’s run on the book by having Chris and Thara defeat the false Rao. It was a kind of a wimper of an ending. I have to say that I have grown to like these two characters as they have starred in this book – but not enough to really miss them. I like the mythology of it all but I think it is just time to move on. The finale to the Captain Atom back-up was more exciting as Mirabai is defeated and Captain Atom’s reputation restored. I really thought this back-up was a neat idea all-around and I’d say it was successful.

Action Comics #890
Written by Paul Cornell
Art by Pete Woods

Wow that was unexpected. I wasn’t sure what to think when I heard Lex Luthor would be the new star of Action Comics but damn this was awesome. Lex is an evil bastard and Cornell writes him that way. He has an employee killed just for embarrassing him, he builds a robot Lois to be his companion haha, and he is obsessed with finding the secrets to the Power Rings. Great start!

All Is Well

Power Girl (Volume 2) #13
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Sami Basri

 

Well I have to say that as I suspected, the book still maintains good quality with Winick coming on. He knows how to write humor and balance it with action – he always has. He can be hit or miss – but he can do that and I have no idea why some people are so down on him as a writer. Basri’s art is also perfect for Power Girl – it is different from Connor but that doesn’t mean it is bad. This book recaps Maxwell Lord’s return and then wiping away the memory of his existence. It is written in such a way that it also recaps Power Girl’s history – I am not sure if the mind wipe worked on her – I think it did as she does forget the mission to find Lord. I think Lord himself is responsible for her company going bankrupt all of a sudden somehow. I was glad to see Terra wasn’t dropped from the book too. All is well for this series.

Artifacts

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #33
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

 

Haha this was a fun romp! Booster travels to the past to the JLI days to gain evidence of Maxwell Lord’s existence. Brilliant idea but it doesn’t quite work because the artifact – a videotape- doesn’t come back with him for some reason. I am not sure that I understand why but Rip says it is something to do with a chain. Anyways, a lot of interesting stuff was shown besides how great it was to see the JLI and everythig – apparently Maxwell Lord was not always evil and that Martian Manhunter scanned his mind and found him to have a good heart. What happened to him? Will this be revealed in Generation Lost? I wonder if Lord will be redeemed by the end of all this? I love the character of Rani and I hope she stick around. This run has been kick ass so far.

Booster’s Quest For The Girl’s Bathroom

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #32
Written by Keith Giffen and J.M. Demateis
Art by Chris Batista

 

Well I am certainly glad the new writers are keeping Skeets around. I read somewhere that Giffen never uses Skeets when he writes Booster Gold and what is Booster without his faithful sidekick! Batista was a really good choice as his style is similar enough to Jurgens that the change wasn’t jarring and different enough that it isn’t imitation. This issue has Booster saving a little girl from the 30th century during the Great Darkness War (and getting her to a toilet). It was amusing but also serious and although I loved Jurgens’s run I think Giffen and Demateis have already won me over. I think they will keep the balance between fun and serious that has made this book so good over the last 32 issues. This was a great start to their run.

End Of An Era

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #31
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens

 

Jurgens’s run comes to end with this issue and it was a nice little conclusion as Booster fixes a mistake he made that resulted in a dog’s death (which I was glad to see fixed because puppy deaths are always really sad) and Goldstar forgives Booster. Apparently there is going to be a Time Masters series starring Rip? That came out of no where and was unexpected hmmm. Next issue Giffen takes over and I am worried because Skeets is one of my favorite parts of this book and he never uses Skeets when he writes Booster. Anyways, Jurgens will be missed he had a fantastic run as a writer of this book and he is definitely one of the best artists of all time.