Flash of Lies

The Flash (Volume 5) #26
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Howard Porter

In this issue the Flash fights the reverse flash in the future and essentially the Reverse Flash accuses him of being a huge liar and prioritizing his superhero life over his loved ones. I like that they had Iris not agreeing with Thawne on this idea. In the end, The flash becomes affected by the negative speed force somehow and returns to come after Reverse Flash. I’m still wondering if we will ever get Bart Allen in this because we get to see his parents or one of his parents when we see the Tornado Twins. One can hope especially now that he is coming back to TV on the Young Justice cartoon.

Team Defiance

Deathstroke (Volume 4) #21
Written by Priest
Art by Diogenes Neves

This is issue marks the new era of this title where Deathstroke will be leading a new superhero team called Defiance consisting of Deathstroke, the Ravager, Jericho, Power Girl and Kid Flash sponsored by the US government. I like how they all have new uniforms too and I think Deathstroke’s black and white get up is a welcome change. As for the surprise appearance of Terra at the end of this I have no idea how she is even alive? Isn’t she suppose to be very dead? How pissed is Barry Allen going to be that Kid Flash is now on a team with Deathstroke? Anyways, I am excited about this bold new era for this series.

Is This Filler or an Important Issue?

Justice League (Volume 3) #24
Written by Dan Abnett
Art by Ian Churchill

I don’t care what anyone says, it never truly feels like the Justice League without the Martian Manhunter. It annoys that crap out of me that he isn’t on the team. I am sure sick of these filler issues too. This is suppose to be DC’s premiere Superhero team – Bryan Hitch should be taken off the book if he can’t do things in time (and if he keeps having the characters throw their real names around haphazardly too!) That being said, Ian Churchill’s art is beautiful in this comic. And damn is Mera badass in this. She nearly takes down the entire Justice League. I mean her aqua-telekinesis is stronger than I ever thought and that is why Batman asks her to join the Justice League on their next mission. So is Mera replacing Aquaman on the team? Why would a new member join on an issue that the regular writer is taking a break?

Ollie and Barry

Green Arrow (Volume 7) #26
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Stephen Byrne

This exciting Green Arrow travels across the country arc begins here in the Washington forests where Green Arrow runs into the Flash investigating some weird stuff going on with the Speed Force. I am not sure what Barry and Ollie’s history has been in the new 52 (or really Pre-Flashpoint because Barry was dead for most of my life – which he should still be IMO) but they sure don’t get along in this comic as soon as they run into each other Barry is talking down to Ollie like a total douche-bag. Speaking of this relationship, was Green Arrow no longer in the Justice League ever in the new 52? Ollie makes it seem like that is the case. And he sure doesn’t remember the erased time that Dr. Manhattan took away from him, which probably included his time with the Justice league. As for the art, this series continues to get superb artists and Stephen Byrne was very impressive. He is great at drawing facial expressions.

Batman Hates Tentacles

Trinity (Volume 2) #10
Written by Frances Manapul
Art by Manapul

This was the least interesting issue of this series (at least among those written by Frances Manapul) because not much really happend but Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman plus the Flash and Cyborg are fighting these viruses. The ending held some promise as it seems there is more to the virus’s story than we initially though as they are searching for their mother and suddenly Wonder Woman gets infected. I loved it when Batman said he hates tentacles though. That was a funny moment.

 

Super Sons 3 – 5

Super Sons #3
Written by Peter Tomasi
Art by Jorge Jimenez

In this issue, Robin and Jon (I am not ready to call him Superboy yet, I miss Connor Kent) team up against Kid Amazo who is actually ultra powerful himelf. The thing that makes this issue good is the Robin and Jon’s constant bickering and insults back and forth. I love it. There is talk about Jon joining the Teen Titans even though he is not old enough. What if DC Just turned this book into the new Young Justice book and have a young justice team led by Damian and kept the Titans separate? I would like that.

Super Sons #4
Written by Peter Tomasi
Art by Jorge Jimenez

Robin and Jon team up with Lex Luthor to defeat Kid Amazo in this issue. It was a lot of fun. I like that Damian seems to think it was a good team up even though he won’t admit it, whereas Jon hated it. Damian does actually care about Jon, he is just a hard ass.

Green Arrow 21 – 25

Green Arrow (Volume 7) #21
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Juan Ferreyra

Juan Ferreyra’s art is beautiful. I Can’t get enough of it. Every panel is filled with detail. Broderick is gathering a bunch of baddies, including Brick who I remember from the Winick Green Arrow run, to destroy Seattle and it is strongly hinted Seattle will be renamed Star City in this issue. That is just weird. Why not just have Green Arrow move from Seattle to his usual fictionopolis of Star City instead of removing any Seattle story from being told in the DCU in the future? But I will see how I feel about it when it happens.

Green Arrow (Volume 7) #22
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Juan Ferreyra

Mayor Domini is obviously a stand in for Donald Trump and I loved it. Seattle is getting destroyed by these Four Horsemen in very disturbing ways. Crash at the Airport, the road lights are all shot out, buildings are collapsing, and they even manage to go after the Green Arrow treehouse. Damn I liked that thing!

The Origin of the Reverse Flash

The Flash (Volume 5) #25
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico and Niel Googe

This issue recaps the origin of the Reverse Flash. This is a character I always felt was over used and I did not think he was that interesting…until Joshua Williamson wrote this great issue that showed how interesting Thawne can be. His motivation is purely out of jealousy and envy of the Flash…he wanted to be the Flash and was jealous and crazy over that. He really is a psychopath. The final page has Thawne reveal the Flash’s identity to Iris. I wonder if this will stick again?

Rucka Will Be Missed

Wonder Woman (Volume 5) #25
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Nicola Sharp and Bilquis Evely

I am sad to write this is the final issue of Greg Rucka’s triumphant Rebirth run on Wonder Woman. Rucka’s run was my favorite run on the character ever before Rebirth and he impressed me even more this time around. I wish he was staying on this book. I have one complaint – why the hell would Diana call Superman Kal-El? She isn’t Kryptonian and it seems out of character. That being said, as usual this issue was amazing and showed how fascinating Rucka makes the character of Wonder Woman. He Rucka shows her strength, her beauty, her love, her dedication to justice, her vulnerability, and even her sexuality (tastefully) in one issue. Steve and Diana are back together and he even had a house built for her, Veronica Cale refuses to help Cheetah, and a lot is left over for the next creative team to build upon. My biggest fear is that they won’t. Rucka’s last run ended with a great supporting cast just like this one ended and it wasn’t followed up on. DC dropped the ball. I sincerely hope that mistake is not made again.

Justice League 19 – 22

Justice League (Volume 3) #19
Written by Bryan Hitch
Art by Fernando Pasarin

Molly the Keeper (whatever a Keeper is, they seem like monitors?) but she warns she only wanted to destroy the League because someone way worse is coming to destroy them. I am assuming this has something to do with Dr. Manhattan and Rebirth but maybe it is a different threat? I also have no clue who Alexis, Vincent, or Jane are.

Justice League (Volume 3) #20
Written by Bryan Hitch
Art by Hitch

This was spectacularly depressing issue of Justice League where the Flash keeps reliving the death of Jessica Cruz like Groundhogs day and eventually figures out the guy who caused it’s family was accidentally killed by the machine he created when it mixed with the Speed Force and he blames the Justice League. This is the second time this book has had a villain who blames the League for deaths of loved ones but I am willing to see where this goes before I judge the story because it was enjoyable.

Will We Get Bart Allen Back?

The Flash (Volume 5) #24
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico

Reverse Flash seems to remember the Pre-New 52 history of the Flash and that makes me happy because he referes to having raced all of Flash’s Proteges – which I assume would mean there is more than just Wally West – he is referring to Bart Allen too! Bart has been painfully missing since Flashpoint. I know that the version that appeared in the new 52 was nothing like the real Bart – I hope this means we get him back some day. Reverse Flash even asks Kid Flash if he is impulsive – which I assume is referring to Bart’s original code name of Impulse. This was a great issue – I even liked the moments between Barry and Hal – two characters I think should be dead. The artist on this book also seems to much improved from before. There were some great moments – including the Flash running down a Green Lantern construct slide. The final moments in the 25th Century lead me to even more proof maybe Bart will be back sooner than later and Iris’s futuristic origin will be restored.

 

Trinity 8 and 9

Trinity (Volume 2) #8
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Emanuela Lapacchino

This issue focused on Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman discussing the realization that someone is tampering with reality and they decide to keep it among themselves for now until they know more information. What was odd to me is that Batman doesn’t mention that Barry and Wally know someone is messing with reality already so they really aren’t keeping it just among themselves. It was a good Rebirth tie-in issue none-the-less.

Trinity (Volume 2) #9
Written by Frances Manapul
Art by Manapul

Frances Manapul returns for this new story arc focusing on an invasion of the Justice League sattelite from a viris alien. As usual, it is breathakingly beautiful and well-written. Reading this, I can’t help but think Manapul should be given the writing and art duties on the regular Justice League book because he knows these characters and his art makes them come alive. He manages to balance action and character moments perfectly, which is something I am not sure the main Justice League book does well right now. Either way, I am glad he is writing these characters somewhere.

New Super-Man 1 – 11

New Super-Man #1
Written by Gene Luen Yang
Art by Viktor Bogdanovic

Going into this new series I did not know what to expect. I thought maybe DC was doing this to sell a series in China but I don’t think they would let a comic book be sold there that has “conspiracy theories” the Chinese government. I did end up finding this first issue to be a lot of fun. Yang is building almost a paralell world to Superman’s world in China with his own Lex Luthor and Lois Lane. But why Shanghai, why not make up a fictional Chinese city? The character of Kenan Kong…the new Super-Man is very interesting in that he is not a reluctant hero. He seems excited about gaining powers which is so different from how these things are usually done in comics.

New Super-Man #2
Written by Gene Luen Yang
Art by Viktor Bogdanovic

Young Kenan Kong is now the Super-Man of China and meets the Bat-Man and Wonder-Woman of China. This Dr. Omen is putting together a Justice League for China. I quite enjoyed Dr. Omen’s no nonsense characterization and Kenan Kong is also a lot of fun. He is so excitied to be the new Super-Man he announces his secret identity on live tv.

Hal Jordan and the GLC 1 – 21

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #1
Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Rafa Sandoval

The Green Lantern Corps and Oa have dissappeared while the Sinestro Corps and War World have taken their places. Sinestro vs. Hal Jordan…that sounds like a snoozefest. I am more interested in what happened to the Green Lantern Corps which it looks like we will get next issue.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #2
Written by Robert Venditti
Art by Rafa Sandoval

This is getting better. I especially liked the moments between Sinestro and his daughter. Basically any moment without Hal Jordan is a good moment to me. But in all seriousness…all I wonder is where is Kyle Rayner!

Barry Allen 20 – 23

The Flash (Volume 5) #20
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Neil Googe

Meena is back and is now an agent of Black Hole for some reason in this okay but forgettable issue focusing on Iris investigating grave robberies being perpetrated by Back Hole. Not much else to say about it.

The Flash (Volume 5) #21
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Howard Porter

Ok this is Part 2 of the Button crossover with Batman that began here. Flash is investigating what happened to the Reverse Flash in the Batcave. Barry decides to use the Cosmic Treadmill to follow the energy signature on the button to its source. Which honestly seems like a dumb move by the Flash considering what happened the last time he used it. Batman joins him (it is never really explained how Batman is just running behind the Flash on it) and they see elements of the timeline from before New 52 and Barry even says it is not an alternate universe but part of the stolen years! The real DCU IS BACK BABY! We see Martian Manhunter as forminmg the league and Identity Crisis and Barry’s death during the Crisis. I was smiling with joy as I read these pages.

Batman 21 – 23

Batman (Volume 3) #21
Written by Tom King
Art by Jason Fabok

This is it! The storyline that finally follows up on DC Rebirth’s button. How does Rebirth connect to Watchmen? Will we get the real DC Universe back for good? In this issue, the Button causes Bruce to see a vision of the Flashpoint Thomas Wayne Batman. I never read Flashpoint…it lead to the New 52 awfulness so I saw no point in reading it…but maybe just maybe I will think about it now. Afterwards, Reverse Flash invades the Batcave destroys the note by Thomas Wayne and beats the ever living crap out of Batman. I have to say I cannot remember another Flash/Batman crossover since I have been reading comics but it is cool they are doing this now. Reverse Flash eventually gets the button and is transported somewhere and when he returns he dies claiming he saw God. I wonder if what he really saw was Doctor Manhattan?

Batman (Volume 3) #22
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Jason Fabok

This is Part 3 of the crossover with the Flash as Bruce and Barry end up in the Flashpoint universe being kept alive by the unknown threat. It was bitersweet to see Bruce united with his father just before the Flashpoint timeline is erased. I did not expect Thomas to tell Bruce to not be Batman anymore and live a happy life with Damian. It reminded me a lot of Alfred’s speech in Dark Knight Rises. I wonder how this will effect Bruce. It has to emotionally. They mention that whoever manipulated the timeline also sent Bruce and Barry to the fFashpoint universe for a reason. I wonder if Doctor Manhattan or whever the big bad is wants Bruce to give up being Batman.

At Least He Used the Code Names

Justice League (Volume 3) #18
Written by Bryan Hitch
Art by Fernando Pasarin

Okay so I did not see that ending coming and I can’t say I at all understand what is going on here. This girl wants to protect the timeline just like Tempus did by getting rid of superheroes? But Tempus did not want to kill them. But honestly just like every issue of this series not much happens accept a few panels of them fighting different people. It is still way too decompressed and it’s a shame because I don’t think Hitch is a bad writer. At least he didn’t have them call each other by their first names in this issue. That would have made it worse.