Secret Six Versus Doom Patrol

Secret Six (Volume 3) #30
Written by Gail Simone
Art by J. Caliafore

This is the first part of a crossover with Doom Patrol that has some great moments including Bane on a date and King Shark biting off a piece of Elasti-Woman. Gail Simone creates a great new villain in the form of a dead beat young man who spends his days playing video games until one day he finds out  that he has inherited a criminal empire from his grandfather. Once again Simone hits it out of the park with this issue but I mean how many crossovers can this book have?

Chief Robotman

Doom Patrol (Volume 5) #16
Written by Brian Keene and Keith Giffen
Art by Giffen

 

Former Doom Patrol member Fast Forward shows up and accidentally brings evil alternate version of the team into this reality causing all kinds of craziness meanwhile Robotman wonders if he is the same as Niles Caulder was now that he is leader of the team. It was a decent issue. This is actually my first exposure to Giffen’s art I think and it wasn’t bad. I still like how Giffen is pulling from the while spectrum of Doom Patrol history.

Pelican On Panel

Doom Patrol (Volume 5) #15
Written by Keith Giffen
Art by Matthew Clark

 

The Doom Patrol defeats the Kryptonian powered Chief. I am not sure what exactly happened in the final pages? Did the science squad just send Caulder’s body adrift in space? What is going on with Negative Man? And we finally see the Pelican he is always talking about? Crazy stuff but this is the Doom Patrol so what do you expect.

Butt Maps And Flying Chiefs

Doom Patrol (Volume 5) #14
Written by Keith Giffen
Art by Matthew Clark and Ron Randall

 

This was a great issue as Niles Caulder somehow manages to gain Kryptonian Powers by extracting them from a Kryptonian he must have taken from New Krypton and now feels he no longer needs the Doom Patrol. Basically he is a big dickface and the Doom Patrol should not forgive him this time. I loved the Ambush Bug musical opening to the issue and his fourth wall breaking – and the use of Bumblebee who isn’t used enough in this book. I wonder what the Robot meant when it said Kryptonians have different types of Reproductive Organs than humans? Weird.

Doom Patrol 10 – 12

Doom Patrol (Volume 5) #10
Written by Keith Giffen
Art by Matthew Clark and Ron Randall

Jost is planning something against the Doom Patrol and has added Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man and this crazy Porcelain Doll woman to his roster of villains. Crazy Jane is back for good I guess and that is a good thing! I definitely like the character.

Doom Patrol (Volume 5) #11
Written by Keith Giffen
Art by Matthew Clark and Ron Randall

 

Um…what the hell happend at the end of this issue! Jost just took “Toy’s” head and crushed it with his bear hands and something came out of his back!!! What! This is crazy and I love it. Adding Ambush Bug to the cast of this was also brilliant as he is as hilarious as always. This book is getting pretty good all of a sudden.

Doom Patrol (Volume 5) #12
Written by Keith Giffen
Art by Matthew Clark and Ron Randall

So Jost was being controlled by a guy from the Brotherhood of Dada I guess? It isn’t really explained very well. A lot of the confusion in this comic seems to come from Clark’s art, I really think things would make more sense if he actually drew faces to fit the expression of what the characters are saying. That being said Giffen is writing a pretty nice little epic here – weaving in the Doom Patrol’s history with new concepts and creations and I am enjoying it finally.

Crazy Trio

Doom Patrol (Volume 5) #9
Written by Keith Giffen
Art by Matthew Clark and Ron Randall

 

Giffen’s dialogue in this book can be might confusing sometimes. Maybe it is because Clark doesn’t draw the right expressions I don’t know. I actually didn’t mind Clark’s art that much in this issue so I am not trying to rip on him. I just think this book started out accessible to new readers and has quickly degenerated to becoming incomprehensible. DC needs to put recaps at the beginning of the issues! That being said Crazy Jane, Danny the Street, and Ambush Bug are always fun…heck they are more fun then the main Patrollers.

Brave and the Bold 7 – 19

Brave and the Bold #7
Written by Mark Waid
Art by George Perez

Waid and Perez start their second arc with team-up of Wonder Woman and Power Girl….Wonder Woman’s “perfection” is portrayed against Power Girl’s crazed anger in this issue and I have to say it rings untrue. Power Girl is the leader of the JSA, yet her emotions are all over the place like a teenager this issue and I just see that as a little out of character. Besides this, this was a good issue that sets up the new threat…Megistus. And Perez’s art is as beautiful as ever.

Brave and the Bold #8
Written by Mark Waid
Art by George Perez

This issue sees The Flash and the Doom Patrol team up when Wally takes his kids to be “fixed” by Dr. Niles Caulder. I love how creepy the Doom Patrol are and they should be used more often around the DCU. I am not sure why Caulder has gray hair here, as usually it is red I think. This was a good issue.

Brave and the Bold #9
Written by Mark Waid
Art by George Perez

Eh…I really could care less about any of the characters in this issue besides Hawkman and the Atom…so besides those last few pages I was totally bored with this issue.

Brave and the Bold #10
Written by Mark Waid
Art by George Perez

While the first part with Superman and Silent Knight was kinda boring…it was cool to see the old Teen Titans team up with Aquaman. Oh and it is good to see that Perez hasn’t forgotten that Aqualad looks like a boy instead of a weird fish-boy like over in Teen Titans: Year One. This series is becoming too much of an homage to the silver age. Let’s bring in some modern age characters!

Brave and the Bold #11
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Jerry Ordway

Superman and Ultraman from the anti-matter earth team-up when the anti-matter Mxyzptlk tells them of a disaster that will effect both earths. This explains what Megistus is doing and who he is. While I look forward to next issue’s conclusion, this story arc is taking way too long. At least this issue wasn’t silver agey. Ordway’s art is always welcome and the perfect artist to replace Perez.

Brave and the Bold #12
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Jerry Ordway

This concludes the Megistus arc where a lot of heroes team up and take on Megistus. In the end, it is June who saves the day and becomes a challenger in her own right. Megistus was not that scary or interesting of a villain as you think he would be after so many issue of build up but I did enjoy this issue. The foreshadowing of Final Crisis is interesting as Megistus says it will change everything. Interesting.

Brave and the Bold #13
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Jerry Ordway

I remember listening to Mark Waid’s interview on Word Balloon where he talks about this issue (great interview by the way) and how we never do see Jay Garrick and Batman interact. You know….he’s right and now I want to see them together more often. This was fun issue where Jay and Batman fight android safaris haha but the best part is the dialogue between Jay Garrick and Batman. I often forget that Jay is a scientist as well as a hero. You really get the feeling that Jay is the old hat while reading this and how much Batman respects him.

Brave and the Bold #14
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Scott Kolins

What? So confused….why did Ollie just shoot an Arrow into Deadman? Is there something to this? I bet because I know Green Arrow would never do such a thing and Deadman is already dead anyways. Kolins’s art can be a little distracting but this was an okay issue…I preferred the parts in Star City then the Nanda Parbat stuff though.

Brave and the Bold #15
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Scott Kolins

This continued the storyline that began last issue with Nightwing and Hawkman. I like that Waid is playing up that Nightwing is probably the most trusted superhero in the DCU because that is totally true. I just wish Didio would recognize that and not try to kill him all the time. There was a little continuity goof, I am pretty sure Deadman told Nightwing about him knowing his parents already in Nightwing: Year One but that is just a slight error, and such things are very unusual for Waid. So ya this was an okay issue, nothing to get really excited about.

Brave and the Bold #16
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Scott Kolins

First of all, what the hell is Selina doing in this costume. She definitely did not have this costume until Brubaker took over her series and this takes place long before that if it is her first meeting with Superman. Kolins obviously knows very little about her history if he isn’t aware of this, and the editor is an idiot for not catching it. The story was good though, I liked the fake out with the cave. But this huge continuity error really distracted from what was a good story.

Brave and the Bold #17
Written by Marv Wolfman
Art by Phil Winslade

You know…I never thought about the similarities between Raven and Supergirl until this issue. While this is the first Waid-less issue of this series, it was still very good. Winslade’s art is much better then Kolins, and I liked the use of continuity as Wolfman clearly followed the Supergirl series well. I know that Supergirl’s father apparently didn’t want her to kill Superman though right, at least it is not how he is being portrayed over in the Superman books. I think Johns said that they were going to clear that up soon.

Brave and the Bold #18
Written by Marv Wolfman
Art by Phil Winslade

You know I kind’ve like the bad ass Supergirl and her sense of humor, I hope she doesn’t completely change. Raven and Supergirl’s dialogue here is excellent and really shows what Wolfman can do. The insult comic dog stuff was hilarious and the story had real depth to it as well. Check this out, you won’t be disappointed.

Brave and the Bold #19
Written by David Hine
Art by Doug Braithwaite

Okay….if you don’t pick this up because you are waiting for JMS to start his run then you are an idiot. This was amazing! The story is fascinating and the art….oh my gosh…the art is beautiful. Perfectly dark but still full of beauty and wonder….especially when Green Lantern and the Phantom Stranger go to Kahlo. I never thought Green Lantern and Phantom Stranger could make sense in a story together, but they really do here as magick effects an alien planet. The panel showing the little girl who wrote the Green Lantern Oath on the wall was breathtaking and well creepy all at the same time. Check this out people, it is worth it. I can’t wait for the next issue. Definitely the best book I read this week. And by far the best issue of this series yet.