Adventures In The Rock Of Eternity

Justice Society of America #24
Written by Geoff Johns, Jerry Ordway, and Matthew Sturges
Art by Ordway and Fernando Pasarin

It’s more of this Black Adam story this issue and while it was good before, I think I am finally truly enjoying it. I appreciated the reference to “Power of Shazam” as well as how cool the rock of eternity really is. That is something that really hasn’t been explored thoroughly before. The Origins and Omen back up was by future series writer, Matthew Sturges, and so far, I like him on this book. IF I can judge it by this back up, the future of the JSA looks rather interesting. I was sad to hear Johns was leaving, but after the Gog storyline was so long and well….only okay…I think maybe it is time for him to move on. And why is Mary Marvel switching between her Final Crisis look and her Countdown look all of a sudden? Is that just a mistake.

All The Colors Of The Rainbow

Green Lantern (Volume 4) #38
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis

The visual spectacle that is this story fascinates me once again. I love all the different Lantern Corps, and you know without computers I don’t think this story would be as powerful as the energy beams wouldn’t look like…er…so full of light. I am not sure what has happened to the douchebag..I mean Hal…he seems to have become half-blue lantern, half-green. I love how the Red Lanterns spew out blood. It’s awesome. As for who the guys were at the end on that jungle planet, I have no idea. I’ll have to look that up. I imagine they have something to do with the Indigo Corps. And is it just me or do the Star Sapphires look more pink then violet?

Getting Good

Wonder Woman (Volume 3) #29
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Aaron Lopestri

After Diana’s defeat by Genocide again, everything has gone to hell. Genocide has kidnapped Etta Candy, Zeus is killing gods, and it looks like Athena may have died. Oh and Steve Trevor is back, looking for his wife. I always thought he was older then that? Maybe I am just thinking of something else. Cheetah is pretty powerful in this issue and Diana says so herself. I can’t really remember her being this powerful before? I am not sure. This is an action-packed arc and if you have never tried Wonder Woman before, this is really the time to start. This is getting good.

Vigilante 2 and 3

Vigilante (Volume 3) #2
Written by Marv Wolfman
Art by Rick Leonardi

It’s interesting that the Vigilante asked the same question at the end of this issue that I did: what makes him any different from the Electrocutioner? I don’t know but I suppose Wolfman will tell us…or maybe he won’t. Maybe there is no difference. I don’t know but I know I enjoyed this issue more then the first. Still isn’t as good as I suppose it could be though. I look forward to seeing Nightwing next issue.

Vigilante (Volume 3) #3
Written by Marv Wolfman
Art by Rick Leonardi

Now this is more like it. I rather enjoyed this issue. The art is sometimes a little hard to farther but I am intrigued by the Vigilante – Dorian’s past. He seems to not like violence toward children and women which makes me think he was a family man or something like that. Maybe a former mobster? I am not sure. He definitely was a criminal as he says he is atoning for something. He also knew the former Vigilante – Adrian Chase. I liked his fight with Nightwing in this issue and I like the nice continuity references to the going ons in Gotham. This series is shaping up well and I am actually looking forward to the Deathtrap crossover now.

The Good Brainiacs

R.E.B.E.L.S. #1
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Andy Clarke

This series kinda came out of no where but I am glad it did. Vril Dox, aka Brainiac 2, has arrived on earth in search of Supergirl. Encoded within her is information from Brainiac 5. That is all we really know right now except Dox’s police force, L.E.G.I.O.N has been taken over by some mysterious enemy and he has to run from them. This is a good comic and easy to understand even if you don’t know anything about L.E.G.I.O.N and Vril Dox (Which I don’t). I especially like Andy Clarke’s art here, it reminds me a lot of Gary Frank for some reason. I like the connection to my Legion of Super-Heroes. It is nice to know they won’t be forgotten just because their series is over.

Lame Ending For A Great Series

Birds of Prey #127
Written by Tony Bedard and Kevin Van Hook
Art by Claude St. Aubin and Fernando Pasarin

Meh….this series ended after ten years with a rather lame story about Calculator gaining some Kilgore powers and blah blah blah. Barbara has had mission go wrong a lot, and now she decides to disband the Birds? I don’t buy it. It was all too rushed and didn’t give a proper end to this series. And if DC even think about making her Batgirl again….I will scream! She is Oracle, she has grown as a character, let’s not live in the past. Not to mention we all know Cassandra Cain is the one true Batgirl. What a lame ending to a great series.

Sad This Is Over

Brave and the Bold #22
Written by David Hine
Art by Doug Braithwaite

Hine and Braithwaite’s beautiful and wonderful story arc comes to a close this issue. If DC collects this in trade, I am so buying it. The art is beautiful and the story is fantastic. This issue was so heartwarming and full of hope for that poor little girl. I loved every panel of it. Green Arrow doesn’t play much of a role this issue despite the cover blurb. It’s still more of a Green Lantern/Phantom Stranger story but it doesn’t matter. I can’t really sing its praises enough. Definitely an underrated run. Braithwaite needs to be on another DC book soon. And I would like to see some more writing from Hine.

Superbatjerk

Superman/Batman #55
Written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson
Art by Rags Morales

Superbat story arc continues and Batman continues to become a real big jerk just because he got Superman powers. At first I was angered by this, but the more I think about it, it makes sense. He is such a driven person that to be given this power is so overwhelming, of course he is going to think he should never stop fighting crime. I like how he is stopping more crime then Superman ever could. The difference of course is that Batman doesn’t inspire others in the way that Superman can. Zatanna still has those big earings though. Hahaha. Morales is such a good artist, but some of his faces seem to be a bit off this issue. Check out John Stewart. That doesn’t look much like John Stewart to me. Otherwise this is an interesting story so far. And Superman’s new costume rocks! Oh and that was a pretty intense beat down Batman gave Catwoman.

Praying For A New Artist

Justice League of America #30
Written by Dwayne McDuffie and Len Wein
Art by Jose Luis and Marco Rudy

I am very confused as to how the Shadow Cabinet and Icon betray the League here? Icon seems pretty upset that they betrayed them but how? Did they take Dr. Light’s body? I don’t get it. Anyways, this book gets a fill-in artist and he draws just like Ed Benes! Total shit. What the hell! Why, oh why? Please DC put some good art on this series so people can understand what is going on in it and characters look like actual different people from one another. The origins and omens backup revealed what looks like the post-Final Crisis line up; Black Canary, Vixen, Firestorm, Green Lantern, Doctor Light, and Icon. That should be interesting. Maybe there will be a new artist. Let’s pray for it.

Better Stay A Good Guy

Robin #183
Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art by Freddie E. Williams II

Once again, I am annoyed that there is no mention of Cassandra Cain in the Bat family. What the hell, Nicieza! The art is better then usual for Williams but I couldn’t make out who was who in the back up story! How annoying. This whole issue annoyed me. Which is sad since this is the final issue of a series that has been going strong since 1993. At least I am excited for what is to come for Tim Drake, he just better not turn into an asshat like Jason Todd or something. At least they focused more on the history of this series then the Nightwing finale did, Tim basically says goodbye to people like Stephanie, Zoanne, and Ives which is a nice look at the supporting cast he has had over the years. Anyways, it was a long run, Tim, you better stay a good guy.

An Amazing New Beginning For The Outsiders

Outsiders (Volume 4) #15
Written by Peter Tomasi
Art by Lee Garbett

It’s no secret that I am big Outsiders fan and I enjoyed Dixon’s run (mostly because of Batgirl) so I was going to like this no matter what. But DAMN this is good. Tomasi bring back the original roster (minus Batman and plus the Creeper and the new Owlman) and reveals the real meaning behind the name Outsiders. Together they represent different sides of Batman and they are the “Batman” OUTSIDE of the Gotham. It’s Bruce’s way of protecting the whole world. Also revealed is that their is an unknown enemy behind all of the enemies the Outsiders have fought over the years. Garbett’s art is pretty good too. Everyone should check this out. It’s really a new beginning for the group. I like how Tomasi is really playing on the Outsiders history (Unlike Winick, who ignored it and thought he was writing Titans) and continuity. I am even interested in the two new members who I know very little about. Each of the Outsiders are asked to leave their lives outside the group behind for the time being, and Black Lightning reluctantly agrees. Does this mean he is going to leave the Justice League? Sure seems so but it isn’t mentioned in this book. Anyways, this was fantastic!

Two Lindas?

Supergirl (Volume 5) #38
Written by Sterling Gates
Art by Jamal Igle and Matthew Clark

It’s a shame Gates hasn’t written this book since its inception. This is just that good! The same can be said for Igle’s art, which is top notch this issue. Check out the fight scene between Superwoman and Supergirl, gorgeous art there. Speaking of Superwoman, she may not be Kryptonian after all! Could she be Linda Danvers? I sure hope so. Either her or Flamebird should be Linda. And like Gates said at the convention, it looks like Supergirl will be taking over the Linda Lang identity again. Maybe that is how she hides from the ban on Kryptonians on earth? I don’t know but all of the threads are coming together and I can’t wait for the next issue.

Checking In With Good Art

Superman #684
Written by James Robinson
Art by Jesus Merino

This Faces of Evil issue focuses on Parasite who briefly had the power of Mon-El and craves more of it. I think Robinson is foreshadowing a possible fight with Parasite and Mon-El when the Daxamite takes over this title soon. There was a lot in this issue. We check in on the new Nightwing and Flamebird, as well as New Krypton where Zod is leading the army. It’s all pretty awesome. The art is fantastic. I really never realized how much I liked Merino as an artist until this issue.

More Booster Fun

Booster Gold (Volume 2) #17
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Jurgens

The main story continues to focus on the Egyptian knife. This time Booster goes back into time to issue number 4 of this series and runs into his self then. He fights Chronos and the mystery villain and gets Barry to go to his lab just in time to get hit by the lightning (I am not sure how I feel about this, not Booster is an intricate part of Flash’s origin). It was a lot of fun and up to par for this series so far. The back up ‘Origins and Omens’ story was a lot of fun. We get a recap of Booster’s life and origin as well as the omen part, it looks like Booster will be traveling back to the Marv Wolfman Teen Titans era! That should be awesome. I am really enjoying these origin and omen back ups.

King Tut

Batman Confidential #26
Written by Nunzi DeFilippis and Christina Weir
Art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez

Batman fights King Tut for the first time this issue. King Tut was a villain from the sixties Batman tv series. I have only heard of him since I have only seen that stupid show maybe once or twice when I was a little kid. I didn’t even like it then. But it is always exciting when new villains are brought into the comics for Batman to take on. He is a murdering madmen with a mask who seems to believe that he is doing work for the Sun God. The art is fantastic and Garcia-Lopez should definitely do more work for DC. Other then that, it’s a rather typical Batman story. But it is enjoyable and I would reccomend it.

Green Arrow & Black Canary 16 and 17

Green Arrow & Black Canary #16
Written by Andrew Kreisberg
Art by Mike Norton

In this Face of Evil issue Merlyn assassinates some science geeks in Star City and Green Arrow and Black Canary try to bring him to justice. Kreisberg seems to bringing this series back to street-level crime instead of the monsters and metas that Green Arrow has been rudiculously fighting since Winick took over the book. I like that. But I am not sure how I feel yet about how he writes Dinah. She seems kinda incompetant and a damsel-in-distress here.

Green Arrow & Black Canary #17
Written by Andrew Kreisberg
Art by Mike Norton

So the girl we were introduced to at the end of last issue is one crazy nutjob. I loved the part where she cuts out the eyes of her hairstylist. I like that kreisberg is building a nice little rogues gallery for Green Arrow within just a few issues. The origins and omens back up even shows that start o someone who I assume will be a villain for Black Canary. I may have spoke too soon about Kresiberg’s treatment of Dinah. As that tables turn this issue with Green Arrow as the “damsel in distress.”

A Gotham-Centric Finale

Nightwing #153
Written by Peter Tomasi
Art by Don Kramer and Joe Bennett

The only problem I have with this final issue is that it is too Gotham-centric. Instead of focusing on looking back at Dick’s adventures in Bludhaven and New York it is focused on Dick’s origin and such. This should have been a finale for this series and this series was not about that. This series was always about Dick’s adventures on his own. Oh and once again Tomasi neglects to mention Cassandra Cain as being one of Bruce’s “kids”. Tomasi is a fantastic writer, but things like this really bother me. Otherwise it is a nice little ending. At least it ends with Dick returning to Gotham, taking the series full circle.  This is a really sad day for me though. This series has been around since I started collecting comics in elementary school. This is truly the end of an era.