Supergirl Rebirth 1 – 9

Supergirl (Volume 7) #1
Written by Steve Orlando
Art by Brian Ching

I went into this issue expecting to at the least find it boring if not hate it. I love Linda Danvers – she is Supergirl to me and ever since Kara Zor-El replaced her I have been pissed – and mostly pissed because no one ever seemed to mention there was a Supergirl before her. I want her to be acknowledged! And now we have Kara living with people who are Danvers. Can we at least ackowledge her somewhere Steve Orlando?! Anyways, I did not hate this issue. It was actually a good set up of taking what has worked with the Supergirl tv series and applying it to the comic book universe but still keeping it different enough to be its own thing. I sure hope Martian Manhunter shows up soon! That being said, I find the art distracting.

 

Supergirl (Volume 7) #2
Written by Steve Orlando
Art by Brian Ching

Cat Grant is written as interesting as she is on the tv show in this issue when Kara goes to interview at the new Catco Worldwide Media. I appreciate that they followed continuity and explained that Cat left the daily planet to find this new company. The stuff about Supergirl’s Dad being maybe still alive as a robot annoys me as it has been done before. We don’t need more Kryptonian angst in DC Comics. Can we also get a new artist on this book? Sometimes Ching doesn’t even draw faces!

Superwoman 1 – 8

Superwoman #1
Written by Phil Jimenez
Art by Jimenez

I can’t believe it took 80 years for DC to put out a Superwoman comic! I mean they have barely used the name except for some minor characters (Earth 3, Lucy Lane for a bit) but now here they are with not one but two characters called Superwoman and in the first issue, one of them disintegrates. Yes Lois Lane of New 52 is apparently dead here. I did not know much about her having never read the New 52 but I am interested to see where this series will go with Lana as the star. She seems to have her own powers and is not just a copy of Superman which makes her all the more interesting. But I wish they would bring Linda Danvers back and make her Superwoman…wouldn’t that be cool! This was a good start. Intersting before Lois dies she sees Clark and says everything makes sense now. DC Rebirth clue?

Superwoman #2
Written by Phil Jimenez
Art by Jimenez

So Lana and Steel are now a couple? I did not know that but I think I like it. I haven’t read the Green Arrow series yet but I thought Star City did not exist yet in the New 52 right…but Superwoman says Maggie Sawyer used to work in Star City. Mistake on DC’s part or am I wrong about Star City? Anyways, this was a great issue and even better than the first! So much happens in one issue it’s incredible. This is the opposite of decompressed. Steel is worried about Lana ending up like Lois…Atomic Skull attacks the Metropolis Parade and tell Steel people are being tortured in the prison…Lena Luthor is revealed to be the big bad…Lana has a dream about the dead Lois…Lana makes friends with Maggie Sawyer. Phil Jimenez is amazing.

The Memories of All Restored

Action Comics #976
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Doug Mahnke

This is part 4 of the Superman crossover that began here , and continued here, and here. This made me so happy! The real DC Universe…the one that was destroyed six years ago and broke my heart…is back! As Mr. Oz said in this comic, the memories of all has been restored. Superman now remembers his life before and after Flashpoint. What is next? Will everyone else remember their entire histories? Will Cassandra Cain remember she is Batgirl again? Is the “him” Mxyzptlk refers to Dr. Manhattan? Speaking of Mxyzptlk…I could see David Lynch directing a Superman  movie with him as the villain. This was a fantastic Mxyzptlk story. Thank you Dan Jurgens!

Mxyzptlk Rebirth

Superman (Volume 4) #19
Written by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Art by Gleason

This is Part 3 of the crossover that began last issue and continued over in Action Comics. As it turns out Mr. Oz has been keeping Mxyzptlk imprisoned as well because of the chaos the imp could cause but he has escaped and kidnapped Superman’s son and erased Jon Kent from Lois’s memory. Mxyzptlk states that the universe is in “francture quantum space-time” and refers to those who are tinkering with the timeline which means he is aware of what Mr. Oz is doing or whoever is behind all this (Dr. Manhattan) or whatever. Mxyzptlk’s feeling of betrayal that Superman never came to save him from Dr. Oz is very amusing and shows how deranged the character is believing Superman and him were such good friends. He also says that Superman was split into 2 beings! Which further supports my theory that this is the same Earth as Pre-Flashpoint with memories erased because Superman was the only character that was split into 2 beings which explains the 2 Supermen. I could be wrong but the New 52 Superman and Lois return as red energy and help Jon Kent and the end of this issue. We shall see if I am right. I have to give it to Tomasi and Gleason – they are really demonstrating how good of a villain Mxyzptlk can be for Superman. He is powerful.

Trinity 1 – 6

Trinity (Volume 2) #1
Written by Francis Manapul
Art by Manapul

2008 – 2009’s Trinity Maxi-series was…well…bad. Nothing of consequence came from it and it really was a waste of everyone’s time and money. Nearly a decade later can DC create a good series starring their trinity of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman? If I had to judge from the first issue alone, I would say Manapul has hit one out of the park. In this issue, Batman and Wonder Woman decide to meet with the Post-Crisis Superman at his new home for dinner.  Superman brings up a story that Dick Grayson told him about Batman Pre-Flashpoint and Bruce has no memory of it. Interesting considering my theory that the ten years taken away thing means that their memories have just been erased. But this was early in Batman’s career, so it may just be chunks of time adding up to ten years and not a consecutive ten years? Anyways, there were many things I loved about this, but most of all the art. Manapul takes advantage of being both the writer and artist by setting up some rather beautiful and creative way to do the panels on the pages. I also loved how this book – unlike the first volume of Trinity – seems to  be firmly set in the DCU. It references the main series of its main characters and what is going on in those books. That is how to build a real cohesive universe and I am glad DC is doing that well in this Rebirth era. The final page through me for a loop too…what is going on there?

Trinity (Volume 2) #2
Written by Francis Manapul
Art by Manapul

In this issue, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman seemingly go back in time and meet with Jonathan Kent in Smallville but the final pages reveal that they are all actually under the spell of Black Mercy and imagining it while Poison Ivy has attacked them with it. This was a beautifully drawn issue. But the Black Mercy thing has been done so many times before and it has been done with the Trinity so many times before, I wish Manapul had thought of something more original to do.

Justice League 1 – 15

Justice League (Volume 3) #1
Written by Bryan Hitch
Art by Tony Daniel

This is the the first issue of Justice League after DC Rebirth and I have to say I was…underwhelmed. I ceratainly felt like I could come into this as a new reader (although there wasn’t much explanation of each character) and understand it but it was just another crazy disasters happening all over the world story. Although I know there is this Kindred subplot…I guess I expected something more. I mean maybe it is just after reading Detective Comics it just seemed like nothing happened in this single issue compared to what happens in every issue of that series.

Justice League (Volume 3) #2
Written by Bryan Hitch
Art by Tony Daniel

I wish I could say that I was impressed with this issue but I really feel like not much happened here. They talked about the problems and then Batman went to go get Superman. That was really it…. hard to recommend a single issue if very little happens. All I kept thinking about was I miss Martian Manhunter. Talk about a character who has been screwed since Didio took over. He was the heart of the League and when I see him you think “Justice League.” Why the hell is he not on this team?

Justice League (Volume 3) #3
Written by Bryan Hitch
Art by Tony Daniel

Now this was a bit better. This still seems decompressed but more happned here. It is the first I have seen of Lois since I started reading Rebirth so that was good although you would think by now she would be used to these kinds of things with her husband. I think Tony Daniel upped his ante on the art in this issue. I found myself enjoying quite a bit more than the previous issues. I wonder what the Kindred’s connection is with the League and these Zodiac Crystals.

Justice League (Volume 3) #4
Written by Bryan Hitch
Art by Jesus Merino

Hitch is guilty of the “Brad Meltzer” trope of having the Justice Leaguers call each other by the real names all the time. Come on. Why in the hell would these new Green Lanterns know the Flash’s secret identity. Anyways, for some reason the Sigil of Truth showed up in ths issue so I imagine this storyline is going to go into an occulty direction which I am excited about. But this is seriously decompressed.

Justice League (Volume 3) #5
Written by Bryan Hitch
Art by Tony Daniel

In this issue the Kindred say they are looking to bring about a Forever Crisis, and it was in bold. I think that was on purpose. Is Rebirth leading to another Crisis event? Or am I seeing things that are not there. Either way, I wouldn’t say I super enjoyed this first story arc of this series, but at least we got that interesting tidbit.