Settling In Monument Point

Justice Society of America #49
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Scott Kolins

 

I was a tad dissapointed with the conclusion of this Supertown arc. We new that Jay Garrick was going to the mayor of Monument Point from the beginning/ There real only surprise here was Alan Scott’s new costume (Which I like by the way) and the return of some of the other JSA members. We still don’t know anything about the new characters like Red Beetle but she acts like an old friend when she addresses the JSA. I guess I just want to know who is a part of the team now and who is not.

Roxy Forever

JSA All-Stars #16
Written by Matthew Sturges
Art by Freddie E. Williams II

 

Um I loved this issue! Roxy has quickly become my favorite thing to come out of this book – well tied with Anna Fortune and I was worried about what would happen to her with this book ending. Well sure enough we flash forward to the 852rd century and she is still around helping Hourman Matthew Tyler out. Awesome! There were a lot of great moments here. The art still bugs me sometimes though.

Streets of Gotham 19 and 20

Batman: Streets of Gotham #19
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen

 

The House of Hush storyline seems all over the place here filled with time jumps but I don’t mind cause it has been a good story so far and I loved the Joker stuff in this.

Batman: Streets of Gotham #20
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen

This was even more flashback to the Waynes and this time includes the Justice Society with Hippolyta on the team!! Despite comments by Didio and DCU Legacies, I knew she was still the Golden Age Wonder Woman! It is weird how Nguyen draws her here though.

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.

A Hell Ya Moment

Justice Society of America #48
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Scott Kolins

 

And just when things couldn’t have got any worse for the JSA and Monument Point – the calvary arrives in the form of the All-Stars and other heroes! I suppose this is how the All-Stars will reintegrate with the main book (their own book is getting canceled) and it was a great moment – a definite hell ya moment and I can’t wait to see them kick Doctor Chaos’s ass!

Family Reunion

Outsiders (Volume 4) #36
Written by Dan Didio and Joe Bennett
Art by Bennett

 

Okay so in interviews Giffen said he was taking over art but that doesn’t seem to be so. Dan Didio is supposed to be the co-publisher of DC Comics – how does this guy have this job if he can’t even keep an artist on his own book? And wow is Black Lightning a dick to Thunder in this. The dialogue is still pathetically bad here but at least we get a reason for Geo-Force’s madness and it was great to see Thunder and Grace again (Even if Bennett decided to have her be in a thong the whole issue!)

All-Stars 14 and 15

JSA All-Stars #14
Written by Matthew Sturges
Art by Freddie E. Williams II

 

I am really falling in love with the character of Anna Fortune! I can’t wait to learn more about her. It was great to see the Robot Hourman – Matthew Tyler – again! I loved him in JSA and I really miss him. What a great character. This storyline already has grabbed my interest.

JSA All-Stars #15
Written by Matthew Sturges
Art by Freddie E. Williams II

 

I am not sure what that ending implied? But I suppose it’s important that she says “Weird Skin”. Still enjoying this arc so far and the Puzzlemen are quite – well – literal.

Loving This Book Again

Justice Society of America #47
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Scott Kolins

 

I hope that this was just a fake-out and Mr. Terrific did not let Scythe out of the cell just to learn why his IQ is lowering – cause let me tell you – that makes him selfish and not heroic in the JSA-sense of the word at all. Anyways, I really hope Manhunter is joing the JSA! It was great to see her here and with the loss of her co-feature a move to Monument Point would suit her – I mean she is a legacy hero with the Golden Age ties after all. Doctor Chaos is a great adversary for the JSA so far and after the first couple of issues of Guggenheim’s run being downright awful – I am loving this book again.

Just Bring On The Eclipso

Justice League of America #53
Written by James Robinson
Art by Mark Bagley

 

I was disappointed with the conclusion to this arc. I mean it was better then anything pre-Robinson but man was it not that great of an ending and Bagley…he must have known he was leaving when he drew this cause this was a weak issue on his part. That last splash page could have used some serious editing. Elasti-Woman is wearing the wrong costume and Damage is there – Damage is dead! Come on DC! I am looking forward to next month’s Rise of Eclipso story though!

Finally The Whole Roster

Justice Society of America #46
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Mike Norton

 

After being annoyed at the first few issues of Guggenheim’s run, I am happy to say I enjoyed this issue a lot. I think because he actually included all of the current JSA as Obsidian and Mr. America finally show up. The cliffhanger is obviously not what it says it is. I highly doubt Lightning is dead, but I don’t know about the Mayor. Much improved.

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.

Bones

JSA All-Stars #13
Written by Matthew Sturges
Art by Howard Porter

 

This was a crazy goofy end to this arc as everything gets set right – the clones are real girls who have been altered to look like Cyclone by nanites and all get set back except well, Cyclone has the wrong bones…weird. Power Girl decides not tell her. It was all well and good and fun nothing really else to say about it.

Feeling Guilty For Not Killing A Baby

Justice Society of America #45
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Scott Kolins

 

We find out the terrorist who destroyed Monument Point was a baby that Jay and Alan let live during WW2 even though they were told to kill him. So Jay feels ultra guilty about all this and decides to stay and help rebuild the city. Makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is where the hell Obsidian and Mr. America are? There is no mention of where the hell these two members are…did they leave the team? That just annoys me. I also still think Guggenheim should have usex another of the billion unused DC fictional cities that already existed instead of creating this new one. Oh well….at least the concept is interesting and I look forward to see where it goes.

The Rebirth of Dark Supergirl

Justice League of America #51
Written by James Robinson
Art by Mark Bagley

Robinson once again shows how much he understands and loves the DC Universe with the beginning of this issue. Instead of a random assortment of heroes trying to save Washington DC, we actually get an explanation for why each of the persons’ powers can help the situation. That is a rare feat in comics and I like the attention to detail! Meanwhile, the League is dealing with the threat of Omega Man – who is a bastard yet we don’t even know who he is yet and he has brought back Dark Supergirl. I miss Starman but this this is getting just as epic as the last arc! Great stuff!

Cylone Clones

JSA All-Stars #12
Written by Matthew Sturges
Art by Howard Porter

 

Maxine is powerless and finds herself walking into a still powered version of herself in her dorm room – and they don’t know who the real Cyclone is. I have no idea what is going on here but it was an amusing issue especially if you are fan of Cyclone like I am. Not much else to say about it.

Welcome To Monument Point

Justice Society of America #44
Written by Marc Guggenheim
Art by Scott Kolins

 

This issue begins Marc Guggenheim’s run on JSA, I liked his short run of Flash: Fastest Man Alive so I was looking forward to this. I am unsure how I feel about it yet. I find it kind of odd that Mr. America, Obsidian, and Doctor Mid-nite are all missing from the JSA roster as they fight this new terrorist in the city of Monument Point. I also think it’s kind of dumb that they aren’t just using a pre-existing unused DC city like Midway City or Vanity or all the others. I thought it was annoying that Jay Garrick called Barry Allen the “real” flash. But there are some good things about the issue, Kolins’s art fits the tone of the book wonderfully and I am glad that he is on board. The idea of the JSA running a city is interesting and Mr. Terrific losing his IQ slowly is another interesting development. I guess we will see where this goes.

False Infinitors

JSA All-Stars #11
Written by Matthew Sturges
Art by Freddie E. Williams II
Co-Feature by Jen Van Meter
Art by Travis Moore

Meh Sturges’s writing is still good but I am annoyed with Williams’s art again. Why draw Huntress into the group shot of Infinity Inc when she doesn’t fucking exist in modern continuity?! Does this book not have an editor? That kind of stuff really annoys me because I am a fan and I can get it straight why can’t the professionals. Plus I am not a huge fan of Williams’s art to begin with. The relationship between Atom Smasher and Anna Fortune as well as King Chimera and Cyclone are really great though and I am still enjoying the story if not the art. The back-up was much better how adorable is it that Icicle and Tigress had a baby together!