Well, I'm sold. Even without the recent announcement that Kevin Conroy WILL be doing the voice of Batman again, despite previous reports.
What do you all think?
What do you all think?
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Batman: Arkham Origins Trailer
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Star Trek: Into Darkness - A Review
THE QUICK, SPOILER FREE REVIEW
Star Trek: Into Darkness is a standard popcorn movie - enjoyable, if a bit shallow. The ensemble cast is all-around excellent, though the script leaves most of them with little to do as the movie progresses and there's little exploration of the relationships between most of the major players. Still, apart from some blatant fan-service and a few cheesy bits that try a little too hard to appeal to long-time fans of the franchise, there's little to actively dislike about this movie.
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THE PLOT
Demoted after a major violation of The Prime Directive not to interfere with less-developed cultures. James Kirk finds himself quickly re-promoted to chase after the fugitive John Harrison - a terrorist waging a one-man war against The Federation, who has taken refuge on the Klingon home world. It's an assignment that Kirk's all too eager to accept, as Harrison is responsible for the death of his mentor, Captain Pike. Yet there is much about the assignment that troubles the Enterprise crew, from the orders to assassinate a criminal rather than bringing him to trial to the mysterious experimental torpedoes they've been equipped with. There's also the question of what caused John Harrison to turn on The Federation in the first place and what secrets he may yet know...
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THE GOOD PARTS
* The cast is top-notch. I can't think of a bad performance in the lot.
* Of particular note is Zachary Quinto as Spock (who does a fine job subtly playing the conflict between the human emotions and Vulcan upbringing of the character), Simon Pegg as Scotty (who manages to be convincing as both the comic relief AND the super genius who saves everyone) and Zoe Saldana, who plays Uhura as a tough, competent and no-nonsense officer.
*Benedict Cumberbatch proves a most effective Khan. I know there's been some protest about Cumberatch's casting, given Khan's status as one of the most prominent minority characters in the last 50 years of science fiction. The irony of this is that the original show undercut the potentially dodgy issues of discussing eugenics by making the genetic superman villain a man of vaguely Asian heritage and casting a Latino actor to play him. This film dodges the issue completely, referring to the purpose behind Khan's creation in only the vaguest terms possible while still affirming his status as a super-soldier created for some unspecified war in the past.
* The action of the movie is well-paced and well-shot.
* The special effects are all great.
* There's quite a few clever jokes for the long-time Trek fans. My favorite involved the few seconds of worry crossing Chekov's face as he is given a potentially dangerous assignment and instructed to change into a red shirt.
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THE PROBLEMS
* I think Zachary Quinto is a fine actor, but his yelling of "KHAAAAAN!" was just ridiculous.
* The script suffers from the same problems as the 2005 The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie - there's a lot of in-jokes for the fans of the franchise but many of them don't make sense within the context of the universe and any die-hard fan who gets the joke will be unwilling to ignore the inaccuracy for the sake of the joke. For instance, In Hitch-Hiker's Guide, the movie showed Ford desperately looking for a towel in the wreckage of Arthur's house and later using said towel in a variety of ways and yet the importance of towels in Hitch-Hiker culture is never explained. Similarly, we see Dr. McCoy - using a dead Tribble (a fictional animal in the Star Trek universe known for being born pregnant and reproducing like rabbits) as a test-subject in his lab - a point that I heard had many Trek fans livid given the volatile nature of the species.
* While the cast does the best it does with what they're given, the script gives some members of the cast more to work with than others. Karl Urban in particularly is criminally underused as Dr. McCoy and Sulu is confined to the bridge of the Enterprise with little to do save give one impressive speech.
* On that note, there's little exploration of the relationships between most of the characters. Most of the focus is firmly upon the Kirk/Spock bromance, with Spock and Uhura's relationship getting a little bit of discussion but no resolution.
* The sexism in the script, unintentionally as it may have been, is still noticeable. It runs even deeper than the now infamous and pointless (by admission of the writer) scene of Carol Marcus stripping down in the same room as Kirk - a scene made worse by the conversation leading into it, in which Carol confronts Kirk about his womanizing ways and his treatment of a friend of hers. What real woman is going to risk taking her clothes off in a room with a man like that and trust him not to peek?
* Case in point, re: sexism. Carol Marcus is supposed to be a weapons expert. Granting that she's more of a designer than a soldier, you'd still expect her to be somewhat capable in a fight, particularly coming from a military family. Explain to me then why she spends most of the combat scenes sitting on the floor and gasping in shock like she's auditioning to be the model for a pulp sci-fi cover? Hell, even three of the four images on Google Images when you search for Carol Marcus depict either Alice Eve in her underwear or Alice Eve screaming in terror.
* Even Uhrua is not immune from this, I fear. She insists on being allowed to *gasp* do her damn job as a communications expert and try and talk to a group of Klingons, appealing to their sense of honor. Is this a powerful scene? Yes. Does it make Uhrua look tough and capable? Yes. Is this completely undercut by her needing to be saved by the men when it doesn't work? A wee little bit, yes. It also doesn't help that her major character motivation, when you get right down to it, is wanting to get her boyfriend to open up more about his emotions.
*The biggest problem in the script is that we've seen this all before. Literally, all of the best dramatic moments in this movie were taken from The Wrath of Khan. While Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto prove capable of putting a unique spin on the material - the tragedy now that of a young man dying before seeing his full potential and Spock confronting his own newly realized fear of death - it still feels like we're getting J.J. Abrams' rendition of The Best of Trek, Volume 2.
* So... genetically altered super-soldier blood is a magic cure all for radiation poisoning as well as whatever that little girl at the beginning had? Kinda puts a darker spin on Khan being "put back to sleep" along with the rest of his people. For all we know, The Federation may be shipping them off to a blood bank and start slowly sucking them all dry.
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THE FINAL VERDICT
I'm conflicted. Upon first viewing, I generally enjoyed the film while being troubled by some of the blatant sexism and the shallowness of the script. On further reflection, I'm more troubled by how poorly the ensemble cast was utilized and some rather large plot holes. Still, I've had quite a few good conversations as a result of this movie and that, ultimately, made it worth the viewing. Go see it with a group of friends - preferably a mix of Trekkers and non-fans - and then get ready for some spirited discussion over a Romulan Ale afterward.
Star Trek: Into Darkness is a standard popcorn movie - enjoyable, if a bit shallow. The ensemble cast is all-around excellent, though the script leaves most of them with little to do as the movie progresses and there's little exploration of the relationships between most of the major players. Still, apart from some blatant fan-service and a few cheesy bits that try a little too hard to appeal to long-time fans of the franchise, there's little to actively dislike about this movie.
THE PLOT
Demoted after a major violation of The Prime Directive not to interfere with less-developed cultures. James Kirk finds himself quickly re-promoted to chase after the fugitive John Harrison - a terrorist waging a one-man war against The Federation, who has taken refuge on the Klingon home world. It's an assignment that Kirk's all too eager to accept, as Harrison is responsible for the death of his mentor, Captain Pike. Yet there is much about the assignment that troubles the Enterprise crew, from the orders to assassinate a criminal rather than bringing him to trial to the mysterious experimental torpedoes they've been equipped with. There's also the question of what caused John Harrison to turn on The Federation in the first place and what secrets he may yet know...
THE GOOD PARTS
* The cast is top-notch. I can't think of a bad performance in the lot.
* Of particular note is Zachary Quinto as Spock (who does a fine job subtly playing the conflict between the human emotions and Vulcan upbringing of the character), Simon Pegg as Scotty (who manages to be convincing as both the comic relief AND the super genius who saves everyone) and Zoe Saldana, who plays Uhura as a tough, competent and no-nonsense officer.
*Benedict Cumberbatch proves a most effective Khan. I know there's been some protest about Cumberatch's casting, given Khan's status as one of the most prominent minority characters in the last 50 years of science fiction. The irony of this is that the original show undercut the potentially dodgy issues of discussing eugenics by making the genetic superman villain a man of vaguely Asian heritage and casting a Latino actor to play him. This film dodges the issue completely, referring to the purpose behind Khan's creation in only the vaguest terms possible while still affirming his status as a super-soldier created for some unspecified war in the past.
* The action of the movie is well-paced and well-shot.
* The special effects are all great.
* There's quite a few clever jokes for the long-time Trek fans. My favorite involved the few seconds of worry crossing Chekov's face as he is given a potentially dangerous assignment and instructed to change into a red shirt.
THE PROBLEMS
* I think Zachary Quinto is a fine actor, but his yelling of "KHAAAAAN!" was just ridiculous.
* The script suffers from the same problems as the 2005 The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie - there's a lot of in-jokes for the fans of the franchise but many of them don't make sense within the context of the universe and any die-hard fan who gets the joke will be unwilling to ignore the inaccuracy for the sake of the joke. For instance, In Hitch-Hiker's Guide, the movie showed Ford desperately looking for a towel in the wreckage of Arthur's house and later using said towel in a variety of ways and yet the importance of towels in Hitch-Hiker culture is never explained. Similarly, we see Dr. McCoy - using a dead Tribble (a fictional animal in the Star Trek universe known for being born pregnant and reproducing like rabbits) as a test-subject in his lab - a point that I heard had many Trek fans livid given the volatile nature of the species.
* While the cast does the best it does with what they're given, the script gives some members of the cast more to work with than others. Karl Urban in particularly is criminally underused as Dr. McCoy and Sulu is confined to the bridge of the Enterprise with little to do save give one impressive speech.
* On that note, there's little exploration of the relationships between most of the characters. Most of the focus is firmly upon the Kirk/Spock bromance, with Spock and Uhura's relationship getting a little bit of discussion but no resolution.
* The sexism in the script, unintentionally as it may have been, is still noticeable. It runs even deeper than the now infamous and pointless (by admission of the writer) scene of Carol Marcus stripping down in the same room as Kirk - a scene made worse by the conversation leading into it, in which Carol confronts Kirk about his womanizing ways and his treatment of a friend of hers. What real woman is going to risk taking her clothes off in a room with a man like that and trust him not to peek?
* Case in point, re: sexism. Carol Marcus is supposed to be a weapons expert. Granting that she's more of a designer than a soldier, you'd still expect her to be somewhat capable in a fight, particularly coming from a military family. Explain to me then why she spends most of the combat scenes sitting on the floor and gasping in shock like she's auditioning to be the model for a pulp sci-fi cover? Hell, even three of the four images on Google Images when you search for Carol Marcus depict either Alice Eve in her underwear or Alice Eve screaming in terror.
* Even Uhrua is not immune from this, I fear. She insists on being allowed to *gasp* do her damn job as a communications expert and try and talk to a group of Klingons, appealing to their sense of honor. Is this a powerful scene? Yes. Does it make Uhrua look tough and capable? Yes. Is this completely undercut by her needing to be saved by the men when it doesn't work? A wee little bit, yes. It also doesn't help that her major character motivation, when you get right down to it, is wanting to get her boyfriend to open up more about his emotions.
*The biggest problem in the script is that we've seen this all before. Literally, all of the best dramatic moments in this movie were taken from The Wrath of Khan. While Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto prove capable of putting a unique spin on the material - the tragedy now that of a young man dying before seeing his full potential and Spock confronting his own newly realized fear of death - it still feels like we're getting J.J. Abrams' rendition of The Best of Trek, Volume 2.
* So... genetically altered super-soldier blood is a magic cure all for radiation poisoning as well as whatever that little girl at the beginning had? Kinda puts a darker spin on Khan being "put back to sleep" along with the rest of his people. For all we know, The Federation may be shipping them off to a blood bank and start slowly sucking them all dry.
THE FINAL VERDICT
I'm conflicted. Upon first viewing, I generally enjoyed the film while being troubled by some of the blatant sexism and the shallowness of the script. On further reflection, I'm more troubled by how poorly the ensemble cast was utilized and some rather large plot holes. Still, I've had quite a few good conversations as a result of this movie and that, ultimately, made it worth the viewing. Go see it with a group of friends - preferably a mix of Trekkers and non-fans - and then get ready for some spirited discussion over a Romulan Ale afterward.
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Injustice: Gods Among Us #19 - A Review
Injustice #19 is the first issue to feature art by the great Kevin Maguire. On the off-chance you're unfamiliar with Maguire's previous work (see my reviews of World's Finest for some of his most recent work), know that he's probably most famous for his work on Justice League with Keith Giffen & JM Dematthias. He's also, in my opinion, the greatest artist working today when it comes to drawing facial expressions - a specialty that we see showcased throughout this issue.
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The script by Tom Taylor switches between two different stories. In half the story, we see Billy Batson, Boy Blogger interviewing various people on their opinions regarding Superman and his regime taking more drastic actions to insure world security. In the second half, we see the incident that prompted this questioning - a battle between the Justice League and Black Adam. The battle leaves Billy questioning both his own judgement as well as The Wisdom of The Solomon, leading to a surprising conclusion.
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If you haven't read an issue of Injsutice before now, this is a fine one to start with. The story is well-paced and the interweaving of Billy Batson's interviews with the big battle proves an effective conveyance for both this issue's stories. The artwork is as grand as you'd expect from Kevin Maguire. Overall, it's worth far more than its' 99 cent asking price.
The script by Tom Taylor switches between two different stories. In half the story, we see Billy Batson, Boy Blogger interviewing various people on their opinions regarding Superman and his regime taking more drastic actions to insure world security. In the second half, we see the incident that prompted this questioning - a battle between the Justice League and Black Adam. The battle leaves Billy questioning both his own judgement as well as The Wisdom of The Solomon, leading to a surprising conclusion.
If you haven't read an issue of Injsutice before now, this is a fine one to start with. The story is well-paced and the interweaving of Billy Batson's interviews with the big battle proves an effective conveyance for both this issue's stories. The artwork is as grand as you'd expect from Kevin Maguire. Overall, it's worth far more than its' 99 cent asking price.
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Arrow #33 (Web Comic) - A Review
Roy Harper is probably the least defined member of Arrow's cast of characters at present. Small wonder given that he came into the show over halfway through the first season and most of his character arc has involved him pushing Thea away and reluctantly hinting at a troubled past he wants to put behind him. Arrow #33's story, Potential, strips away some of this mystery as it tells a tale of Roy Harper's life three years earlier.
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The story by Marc Guggenheim with script by Drew Z. Greenberg centers upon Roy shortly after he gets his first job. Ironically, the job at a sporting goods store is presented to him after he is honest about why he was fighting in the alley behind the store and having turned to car theft to take care of his cash-shy mom. Complications arise when another thief Roy knows wants to take advantage of Roy's new position, despite Roy's objections that his new boss doesn't deserve such treatment.
The script does a good job of laying out Roy's internal conflict. This story explains why Roy has been so resistant to Thea's attempts to make him change for the better up until his life was saved by The Hood. It also lays out some more references to the Roy Harper of the original Green Arrow comics, such as a newspaper clipping about Roy's exploits as a Track and Field star. Roy is speedy. Get it?
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Xermanico's artwork proves the equal of the script. Everything is atmospherically shaded and inked in a fantastic way, particularly the night scenes when Roy breaks into his new place of employment. My only real complaint about the artwork is that some of the coloring is a bit off, with some panels after the alley fight appearing as if Roy overdid it on the rouge rather than being heavily bruised.
Bottom Line: This comic is a must-read for all fans of Arrow and the Roy Harper character. It's a bargain at 99 cents to download. Good story. Good art. Highly recommended.
The story by Marc Guggenheim with script by Drew Z. Greenberg centers upon Roy shortly after he gets his first job. Ironically, the job at a sporting goods store is presented to him after he is honest about why he was fighting in the alley behind the store and having turned to car theft to take care of his cash-shy mom. Complications arise when another thief Roy knows wants to take advantage of Roy's new position, despite Roy's objections that his new boss doesn't deserve such treatment.
The script does a good job of laying out Roy's internal conflict. This story explains why Roy has been so resistant to Thea's attempts to make him change for the better up until his life was saved by The Hood. It also lays out some more references to the Roy Harper of the original Green Arrow comics, such as a newspaper clipping about Roy's exploits as a Track and Field star. Roy is speedy. Get it?
Xermanico's artwork proves the equal of the script. Everything is atmospherically shaded and inked in a fantastic way, particularly the night scenes when Roy breaks into his new place of employment. My only real complaint about the artwork is that some of the coloring is a bit off, with some panels after the alley fight appearing as if Roy overdid it on the rouge rather than being heavily bruised.
Bottom Line: This comic is a must-read for all fans of Arrow and the Roy Harper character. It's a bargain at 99 cents to download. Good story. Good art. Highly recommended.
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Batman #20 - A Review
Are there any who doubt that the Batman monthly title is the best of all the many, many, MANY books starring The Dark Knight Detective at the moment? If so, then Batman #20 should be the book to convince them otherwise. Well worth the $3.99 price tag, this book gives us not one, but two separate stories by two A+ creative teams.
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Our first story pits Batman against a newly empowered Clayface. Evolved past his simple shape-shifting and mass-manipulation powers, Clayface now possesses the ability to replicate anyone he touches right down to their DNA. While this new twist proves disturbing enough, Bruce Wayne has bigger problems that being framed for multiple criminal offenses by his dirty doppelganger. Clayface's evolution also removed most of his old weaknesses, meaning all the usual Bat-Gadgets are totally ineffective! It will take all of Batman's cunning to cope with the enhanced muddy menace.
Greg Capullo and Danny Miki top themselves, crafting one of the most gloriously gross Clayface designs I've seen in any issue ever. The rest of the artwork is great, of course, but their Clayface character takes the cake. Writing-wise, Scott Snyder deserves credit for upgrading Clayface into a more serious threat while making the change plausible. Despite being all about a changed villain, this story retains the feel of a classic Batman story throughout. More impressively, Snyder manages a few honest surprises toward the end of the issue.
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The issue's second story is also a treat, placing both Superman and Batman in a situation far beyond their usual comfort zones. Nominally about Batman and Superman dealing with a botched demon-summoning, this story by James Tyrnion IV is really about the friendship Superman and Batman share and what they mean to each other. The artwork by famed Daredevil artist Alex Maleev also proves to be of the highest quality.
There is only one reason not to get this book and that is if you are unable to get a copy of Batman #19 to go with it. Good as the stories contained within this volume are, they are both Part Two of a two-part story. You don't really have to have read the previous issue to enjoy this book but you will get more out of it.
Our first story pits Batman against a newly empowered Clayface. Evolved past his simple shape-shifting and mass-manipulation powers, Clayface now possesses the ability to replicate anyone he touches right down to their DNA. While this new twist proves disturbing enough, Bruce Wayne has bigger problems that being framed for multiple criminal offenses by his dirty doppelganger. Clayface's evolution also removed most of his old weaknesses, meaning all the usual Bat-Gadgets are totally ineffective! It will take all of Batman's cunning to cope with the enhanced muddy menace.
Greg Capullo and Danny Miki top themselves, crafting one of the most gloriously gross Clayface designs I've seen in any issue ever. The rest of the artwork is great, of course, but their Clayface character takes the cake. Writing-wise, Scott Snyder deserves credit for upgrading Clayface into a more serious threat while making the change plausible. Despite being all about a changed villain, this story retains the feel of a classic Batman story throughout. More impressively, Snyder manages a few honest surprises toward the end of the issue.
The issue's second story is also a treat, placing both Superman and Batman in a situation far beyond their usual comfort zones. Nominally about Batman and Superman dealing with a botched demon-summoning, this story by James Tyrnion IV is really about the friendship Superman and Batman share and what they mean to each other. The artwork by famed Daredevil artist Alex Maleev also proves to be of the highest quality.
There is only one reason not to get this book and that is if you are unable to get a copy of Batman #19 to go with it. Good as the stories contained within this volume are, they are both Part Two of a two-part story. You don't really have to have read the previous issue to enjoy this book but you will get more out of it.
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Batgirl #20 - A Review
When Gail Simone returned to Batgirl, we knew she would return with a vengeance. Yet never in our darkest dreams did we imagine that she'd create something this horrible, this terrifying, this... unholy. Even those of us familiar with Simone's work on Secret Six never imagined that she'd dare to unleash a villain as spine-shiveringly freaky as the new Ventriloquist.
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You may laugh at that opening paragraph, dear reader, but the horror contained within goes far beyond the way in which all large dolls and ventriloquy figures are a little unnerving. This new Ventriloquist is Peyton Riley run through the wringer with Stephen King's Carrie - an abused young woman finally given the power to fight back. What is her power? That's a mystery that will carry over into the next issue but whatever else she may be capable of, she's very good at throwing her voice and impersonating voices.
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The artwork is excellent, save for one small glitch. Inker Vicente Cifuentes helps out with two pages of this issue and it would be obvious precisely which two pages even if the credits page did not note them specifically. Cifeuentes is not a bad inker but his style is much more heavy-handed than regular inker Jonathan Glapion and the artwork is visibly different as a result. The difference isn't really bad but it does prove a distraction during a particular action scene. That being said, the pencils by both Daniel Sampere and Carlos Rodriguez are good and the story flows smoothly despite the sudden change in the inking.
You may laugh at that opening paragraph, dear reader, but the horror contained within goes far beyond the way in which all large dolls and ventriloquy figures are a little unnerving. This new Ventriloquist is Peyton Riley run through the wringer with Stephen King's Carrie - an abused young woman finally given the power to fight back. What is her power? That's a mystery that will carry over into the next issue but whatever else she may be capable of, she's very good at throwing her voice and impersonating voices.
The artwork is excellent, save for one small glitch. Inker Vicente Cifuentes helps out with two pages of this issue and it would be obvious precisely which two pages even if the credits page did not note them specifically. Cifeuentes is not a bad inker but his style is much more heavy-handed than regular inker Jonathan Glapion and the artwork is visibly different as a result. The difference isn't really bad but it does prove a distraction during a particular action scene. That being said, the pencils by both Daniel Sampere and Carlos Rodriguez are good and the story flows smoothly despite the sudden change in the inking.
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Demon Knights #20 - A Review
It was perhaps inevitable that Demon Knights should come to focus upon Sir Ystin's quest for The Holy Grail. I had just hoped it would be further down the line and that the series would continue to focus more upon the DC Universe in specific rather than retreading such a well-worn storyline. Even having the clue for to the Grail's location be hidden in the library of the Amazons (who are portrayed as the crazed, man-hating ice-queens of Brian Azzarello's Wonder Woman) proves an insufficient twist to make this tired storyline seem new.
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As ever, the unique cast of characters created by Paul Cornell are the book's greatest strength but Robert Venditti lacks the confidence to go over-the-top as Cornell did. His Vandal Savage seems much more the calculating conqueror we're used to in the modern DCU rather than the crazed cousin of Conan The Barbarian we saw under Cornell's pen. Once depicted taking bites out of dragons roasted alive by fireballs, Vandal's savagery is limited toward flirting with the Amazons and requesting a copy of the Kama Sutra from their librarian. The humor of much of the other characters is similarly muted. Indeed, there is much that may be said to be muted under Venditti's pen.
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The same complaint could be made of the series' new art team. Chad Hardin is a competent enough penciler, whose designs for the characters are distinct, but he's no Bernard Chang. Hardin's figures seem far too stiff and posed. There is little life to any of his fight scenes. Of more concern is inker Wayne Facher, whose work is uneven throughout. Many figures have a thick outline around them yet they receive almost no definition to their interiors. One wonders if Facher just did enough work to make sure the characters were distinctive from the background and then called it a day.
Demon Knights #20 is a good point for new readers to jump on to this series but I hesitate to recommended it. The book isn't bad but it's nowhere near as good as it once was and I'm not sure I can justify continuing to buy a half-assed version of what was one of my top five favorite books. I'll give it some time to change my mind but this book is officially on notice.
As ever, the unique cast of characters created by Paul Cornell are the book's greatest strength but Robert Venditti lacks the confidence to go over-the-top as Cornell did. His Vandal Savage seems much more the calculating conqueror we're used to in the modern DCU rather than the crazed cousin of Conan The Barbarian we saw under Cornell's pen. Once depicted taking bites out of dragons roasted alive by fireballs, Vandal's savagery is limited toward flirting with the Amazons and requesting a copy of the Kama Sutra from their librarian. The humor of much of the other characters is similarly muted. Indeed, there is much that may be said to be muted under Venditti's pen.
The same complaint could be made of the series' new art team. Chad Hardin is a competent enough penciler, whose designs for the characters are distinct, but he's no Bernard Chang. Hardin's figures seem far too stiff and posed. There is little life to any of his fight scenes. Of more concern is inker Wayne Facher, whose work is uneven throughout. Many figures have a thick outline around them yet they receive almost no definition to their interiors. One wonders if Facher just did enough work to make sure the characters were distinctive from the background and then called it a day.
Demon Knights #20 is a good point for new readers to jump on to this series but I hesitate to recommended it. The book isn't bad but it's nowhere near as good as it once was and I'm not sure I can justify continuing to buy a half-assed version of what was one of my top five favorite books. I'll give it some time to change my mind but this book is officially on notice.
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Green Lantern #20 - A Review
With Green Lantern #20 Geoff Johns has done for the Green Lantern mythos what Alan Moore did to Superman with Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow? Told in a distant future through the frame story of a newly appointed Green Lantern wanting to hear the story of the final battle of The Dark Ages, this story - titled simply The End - marks the end not only of Johns' nine-year run on the main Green Lantern book but also the end of many of the innovations he brought about during that time.
Backed by a team of several fine inkers, Doug Mahnke pencils most of this issue with his usual flare. A large number of guest artists take up the art duties on the book's penultimate pages, which depict the final fates of most of the major players of the Green Lantern universe. Everything is beautiful and I have nothing further to add regarding the artwork. What more can I say?
If the quartet of Green Lantern-related comics currently published by DC Comics were to cease publication forever after today, this would - for the most part - be a great way for the saga to end. For the most part? Yes, I do have a few complaints and here comes the part where I warn away any who do not wish any spoilers of this issue's story. So SPOILERS AHEAD! You have been warned.
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I have no complaints about the better part of the issue. Johns writes a space epic like nobody else and the brunt of this issue is devoted towards one heck of a cosmic battle. Damn near everyone in the series' history gets involved in the final fight with The First Lantern. There's even a few-fan favorite characters who show up that I don't think ever appeared during Johns' tenure, like G'Nort. My issues come with what comes before and what comes after the action of the issue.
The beginning of the issue gives us a quick recounting of Hal's back-story, depicting his fall into madness, death and subsequent rebirth. Johns glosses over the details between Emerald Twilight and Rebirth, leading me to wonder if - in The New 52 reality - these events happened in a slightly different manner. Both Grey Scherl and Russ Burlington discussed this problem and how it relates to Kyle Rayner's new background in greater detail on their respective sites, but the ultimate problem is the same. It feels a tad disingenuous to advise newer readers to pick-up Green Lantern: Rebirth in the back of this issue (along with the dozens of other books making up the Geoff Johns oeuvre) to see how it all began when it didn't really happen that way.
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My other problem with this story, ironically, deals with how certain things were spelled out and resolved. While some of the endings we see seem quite fitting (Guy Gardner's in particular is a hoot), there are some that appear to have been forced in order to give certain characters a happy ending even if it is one that doesn't seem to suit them. John Stewart's marriage to Fatality in particular seems incredibly forced, though I'm not sure if the blame for that lies with Johns or Green Lantern Corps writer Peter Tomasi.
Still, the future is hardly written in stone. Nor, it seems, is the past. So while the Kyle Rayner fan in me is annoyed that Kyle apparently dies alone, content with having become DC's equivalent of Adam Warlock, I take comfort in the fact that what we see is not necessarily what will happen. And with the multiverse being what it is, odds are that my own idea of Kyle Rayner finding a way to bring back Alex DeWitt and retiring to teach elementary school art classes on Earth probably happens somewhere.
Well done, Geoff Johns. Well done, indeed.
Backed by a team of several fine inkers, Doug Mahnke pencils most of this issue with his usual flare. A large number of guest artists take up the art duties on the book's penultimate pages, which depict the final fates of most of the major players of the Green Lantern universe. Everything is beautiful and I have nothing further to add regarding the artwork. What more can I say?
If the quartet of Green Lantern-related comics currently published by DC Comics were to cease publication forever after today, this would - for the most part - be a great way for the saga to end. For the most part? Yes, I do have a few complaints and here comes the part where I warn away any who do not wish any spoilers of this issue's story. So SPOILERS AHEAD! You have been warned.
I have no complaints about the better part of the issue. Johns writes a space epic like nobody else and the brunt of this issue is devoted towards one heck of a cosmic battle. Damn near everyone in the series' history gets involved in the final fight with The First Lantern. There's even a few-fan favorite characters who show up that I don't think ever appeared during Johns' tenure, like G'Nort. My issues come with what comes before and what comes after the action of the issue.
The beginning of the issue gives us a quick recounting of Hal's back-story, depicting his fall into madness, death and subsequent rebirth. Johns glosses over the details between Emerald Twilight and Rebirth, leading me to wonder if - in The New 52 reality - these events happened in a slightly different manner. Both Grey Scherl and Russ Burlington discussed this problem and how it relates to Kyle Rayner's new background in greater detail on their respective sites, but the ultimate problem is the same. It feels a tad disingenuous to advise newer readers to pick-up Green Lantern: Rebirth in the back of this issue (along with the dozens of other books making up the Geoff Johns oeuvre) to see how it all began when it didn't really happen that way.
My other problem with this story, ironically, deals with how certain things were spelled out and resolved. While some of the endings we see seem quite fitting (Guy Gardner's in particular is a hoot), there are some that appear to have been forced in order to give certain characters a happy ending even if it is one that doesn't seem to suit them. John Stewart's marriage to Fatality in particular seems incredibly forced, though I'm not sure if the blame for that lies with Johns or Green Lantern Corps writer Peter Tomasi.
Still, the future is hardly written in stone. Nor, it seems, is the past. So while the Kyle Rayner fan in me is annoyed that Kyle apparently dies alone, content with having become DC's equivalent of Adam Warlock, I take comfort in the fact that what we see is not necessarily what will happen. And with the multiverse being what it is, odds are that my own idea of Kyle Rayner finding a way to bring back Alex DeWitt and retiring to teach elementary school art classes on Earth probably happens somewhere.
Well done, Geoff Johns. Well done, indeed.
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Conan The Barbarian #16 - A Review
Your enjoyment of this month's Conan The Barbarian may be dependent on your feelings on psychodrama in a sword-and-sorcery story. Those who have disliked Brain Wood's more spiritual take on Conanin recent months willfind little to like in this month's issue. Similar to recent issues which had our heroes experiencing psychic dreamscapes and prophetic dreams, the focus of this issue is upon Conan and Belit - currently at leisure in the Ophirean equivalent of Plato's Retreat - deciding to drop yellow lotus together and experience a shared dream.
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Whether it's because Dark Horse Comics refused to show something positive coming of recreational drug use or because a comic showing two stoned barbarians dry-humping each other while having a shared erotic dream would be rather difficult to keep within the parameters of a 16+ series, things do not go smoothly. Conan starts having a bad trip, including visions of the zombie corpses of the companions he betrayed to join Belit's pirate crew. And that's just the first of many waking nightmares for our favorite Cimmerian as the issue progresses. Wood's script is well-written but I suspect that many Conan fans would like to see Conan and Belit face a foe of flesh and blood, who cannot be outwitted or bargained with. Let us see the blood and thunder a story set in Hyboria should have - not another psychodrama!
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Thankfully, the artwork of Davide Gianfelice is enjoyable even if you are sick of these story-lines based around battles in the mind. The artwork is a perfect complement to Wood's script. I enjoyed Gianfelice's work on Darederil: Rebornand his work here is similarly dark and atmospheric.
Personally, I found this to be an enjoyable issue of Conan The Barbarian. I dare say this would be a good jumping-on point for new readers, though I would warn away those who turn to Conan expecting mindless action stories. There's very little action to be had in this issue and there's nothing mindless about it.
Whether it's because Dark Horse Comics refused to show something positive coming of recreational drug use or because a comic showing two stoned barbarians dry-humping each other while having a shared erotic dream would be rather difficult to keep within the parameters of a 16+ series, things do not go smoothly. Conan starts having a bad trip, including visions of the zombie corpses of the companions he betrayed to join Belit's pirate crew. And that's just the first of many waking nightmares for our favorite Cimmerian as the issue progresses. Wood's script is well-written but I suspect that many Conan fans would like to see Conan and Belit face a foe of flesh and blood, who cannot be outwitted or bargained with. Let us see the blood and thunder a story set in Hyboria should have - not another psychodrama!
Thankfully, the artwork of Davide Gianfelice is enjoyable even if you are sick of these story-lines based around battles in the mind. The artwork is a perfect complement to Wood's script. I enjoyed Gianfelice's work on Darederil: Rebornand his work here is similarly dark and atmospheric.
Personally, I found this to be an enjoyable issue of Conan The Barbarian. I dare say this would be a good jumping-on point for new readers, though I would warn away those who turn to Conan expecting mindless action stories. There's very little action to be had in this issue and there's nothing mindless about it.
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Green Lantern Corps #20 - A Review
I delayed my review of Green Lantern Corps #20 for two weeks, since this issue was meant to be an epilogue to this week's Green Lantern #20. I wanted to read that issue before I commented upon this one, which is to be Peter Tomasi's last. Surprisingly, given the fanfare over Johns' departure, there has been no similar outcry for Tomasi's leaving this series. To my mind, this is a shame since Tomasi had an important role in developing the Green Lantern books over the last few years as well. If Geoff Johns can be called the architect behind the revival of Green Lantern over the last decade, I think Peter Tomasi should be considered the engineer. Johns made the plans but Tomasi frequently put the pieces together and made things work.
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Sadly, Tomasi's conclusion is a mixed-bag of sorts. Most of the non-Earthling Green Lanterns this series focused upon are absent, with drill sergeant Kilowog and major domo Salaak showing up just long enough to confirm that they're alive. Even John Stewart - forced into an afterthought of a storyline trying to revive Mogo for most of the last year - is treated like a footnote, as he and long-time enemy Fatality have a sudden whirlwind romance that comes out of nowhere. Thankfully, the majority of the issue - focused upon Guy Gardner's efforts to save his family from an alien killer with a grudge - is more enjoyable.
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I'll miss the artwork of Scott Hanna and Fernando Pasarin on this title as much as I'll miss Tomasi's writing. I've long been of the opinion that Pasarin is one of the most underrated artists working at DC Comics today and this issue showcases Parasin's unique talent for drawing constructs as well as unique-looking aliens. Hanna's inks perfectly walk the line between definition and shading, looking picture perfect in every panel.
Sadly, Tomasi's conclusion is a mixed-bag of sorts. Most of the non-Earthling Green Lanterns this series focused upon are absent, with drill sergeant Kilowog and major domo Salaak showing up just long enough to confirm that they're alive. Even John Stewart - forced into an afterthought of a storyline trying to revive Mogo for most of the last year - is treated like a footnote, as he and long-time enemy Fatality have a sudden whirlwind romance that comes out of nowhere. Thankfully, the majority of the issue - focused upon Guy Gardner's efforts to save his family from an alien killer with a grudge - is more enjoyable.
I'll miss the artwork of Scott Hanna and Fernando Pasarin on this title as much as I'll miss Tomasi's writing. I've long been of the opinion that Pasarin is one of the most underrated artists working at DC Comics today and this issue showcases Parasin's unique talent for drawing constructs as well as unique-looking aliens. Hanna's inks perfectly walk the line between definition and shading, looking picture perfect in every panel.
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Justice League of America #3 - A Review
Justice League of America #3 is the kind of story Geoff Johns writes best, in my humble opinion. Johns is best known today for his grand space epics yet my favorite Johns' stories were always his smaller, more character-driven works. Our main story here reminds me quite a bit of Johns' JSA and Hawkman, featuring a lot of small scenes which unveil more of our less-developed cast members as the team continues to investigate a secret society of super-villains.
My favorite moment, perhaps out of an obvious personal bias, involves Stargirl and some discoveries regarding her family and home-life that definitely set her apart from the character Johns created for Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. as a fledgling writer. I still want to know where her Cosmic Staff came from since there isn't a Ted Knight on this Earth to have built it. Is there? Maybe?
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David Finch does his usual excellent job on the pencils, with Richard Friend offering a friendly assist on the inks. Finch's style approaches photo-realism without seeming traced or posed. His inks subtly shade the surroundings in a way that adds to the drama of Johns' script. Consider in the above page how Stargirl is always in the light while Walker's face is always half-shadowed or turned away from the reader, symbolizing both their roles on the new Justice League of America team - The Star and The Shadow. Face and Hand.
The back-up story by Matt Kindt is a rousing good read as well. This story focuses upon Martian Manhunter performing a mind-scan on Catwoman to confirm her motivations and trustworthiness before she is allowed to join The Justice League of America. This sequences serves as a far better introduction to Catwoman's character than anything else I've seen in the New 52 thus far. It reminded me somewhat of Jim Butcher's descriptions of a wizard's soul-gaze in The Dresden Files books even before the bit where Selina is somehow able to stare back into J'onn's mind and gets a glimpse of just how alien he truly is.
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This second story is ably illustrated by Manuel Garcia with inks by David Beaty. The team does a fine job of depicting both the dark alleys and urban sprawl that makes up most of Catwoman's memories as well as the otherworldly forest that make up J'onn's memories of hunting on another world. It is a perfect complement to Matt Kindt's story.
Justice League of America is everything you could hope for in a JLA book. If you haven't started reading it already, it's not too late to catch up. I think you'll enjoy it.
My favorite moment, perhaps out of an obvious personal bias, involves Stargirl and some discoveries regarding her family and home-life that definitely set her apart from the character Johns created for Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. as a fledgling writer. I still want to know where her Cosmic Staff came from since there isn't a Ted Knight on this Earth to have built it. Is there? Maybe?
David Finch does his usual excellent job on the pencils, with Richard Friend offering a friendly assist on the inks. Finch's style approaches photo-realism without seeming traced or posed. His inks subtly shade the surroundings in a way that adds to the drama of Johns' script. Consider in the above page how Stargirl is always in the light while Walker's face is always half-shadowed or turned away from the reader, symbolizing both their roles on the new Justice League of America team - The Star and The Shadow. Face and Hand.
The back-up story by Matt Kindt is a rousing good read as well. This story focuses upon Martian Manhunter performing a mind-scan on Catwoman to confirm her motivations and trustworthiness before she is allowed to join The Justice League of America. This sequences serves as a far better introduction to Catwoman's character than anything else I've seen in the New 52 thus far. It reminded me somewhat of Jim Butcher's descriptions of a wizard's soul-gaze in The Dresden Files books even before the bit where Selina is somehow able to stare back into J'onn's mind and gets a glimpse of just how alien he truly is.
This second story is ably illustrated by Manuel Garcia with inks by David Beaty. The team does a fine job of depicting both the dark alleys and urban sprawl that makes up most of Catwoman's memories as well as the otherworldly forest that make up J'onn's memories of hunting on another world. It is a perfect complement to Matt Kindt's story.
Justice League of America is everything you could hope for in a JLA book. If you haven't started reading it already, it's not too late to catch up. I think you'll enjoy it.
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Red Sonja #75 - A Review
Though the last pages of Red Sonja #75 declare this the end of the lost Nemedian Chronicle of Sonja The Red, we know that Sonja's adventures will continue shortly in a new series written by Gail Simone. I hope some of the readers Simone will no doubt attract to this title are inspired to take a look at the preceding volume. For Eric Trautmann has ended this volume and his run on Red Sonja with an epic to end all epics.
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Even now, the issue opens with a splash-page detailing the action thus far - a rare thing in comics these days and even rarer in the final issue of a long-running one! Describing the action thus far past an epic battle between an established villain and the forces Sonja raises up against him seems pointless, given the complexity of the tale so far. Besides, Trautmann does a fine enough job summing things up on his own. By issue's end, all the outstanding story-lines are settled and all of Sonja's debts are repaid. Trautmann even revives one plot-thread I had foolishly thought resolved - the matter of Sonja's evil twin, created through a dark magic mirror.
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Sadly, the artwork doesn't come close to living up to the story. I've complained in my past reviews of Marcio Abreu's failings as an artist and my previous complaints still stand. His faces look odd and his characters poses are forced. He also has a curious habit of magically manifesting white schoolgirl panties about Sonja's loins whenever he decides the artwork requires an upskirt shot. That is something I shall not miss in the coming volume of Red Sonja.
Perhaps Trautmann might come back to the Scarlet She-Devil in a mini-series at some future date? We can but hope. Still, if this is the last time he ever writes Red Sonja, at least he went out on a high note.
Even now, the issue opens with a splash-page detailing the action thus far - a rare thing in comics these days and even rarer in the final issue of a long-running one! Describing the action thus far past an epic battle between an established villain and the forces Sonja raises up against him seems pointless, given the complexity of the tale so far. Besides, Trautmann does a fine enough job summing things up on his own. By issue's end, all the outstanding story-lines are settled and all of Sonja's debts are repaid. Trautmann even revives one plot-thread I had foolishly thought resolved - the matter of Sonja's evil twin, created through a dark magic mirror.
Sadly, the artwork doesn't come close to living up to the story. I've complained in my past reviews of Marcio Abreu's failings as an artist and my previous complaints still stand. His faces look odd and his characters poses are forced. He also has a curious habit of magically manifesting white schoolgirl panties about Sonja's loins whenever he decides the artwork requires an upskirt shot. That is something I shall not miss in the coming volume of Red Sonja.
Perhaps Trautmann might come back to the Scarlet She-Devil in a mini-series at some future date? We can but hope. Still, if this is the last time he ever writes Red Sonja, at least he went out on a high note.
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Dallas Comic Con ~ The Other Pictures
I didn't mean to sit on these for so long, but I did want to wait for official permission from the photographers before I shared these pictures with you all. Note that I'm not sharing every single picture I was later tagged in on Facebook - just the few that I thought were unique enough to be of interest.
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Prince Eric with Black Canary and Green Arrow. Photo by Sarah Muller. ![]()
Hawkeye vs. Green Arrow. Hawkeye portrayed by Brendan Spano. Photo by Vicki
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Green Arrow vs. The Joker. Photo by Jonathan Nguyen
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Green Arrow with Boxing Glove Arrow. Photo by Jonathan Nguyen.
Green Arrow and Black Canary also made the gallery of photos for the local ABC affiliate. My thanks again to Lill Miss Whovian for being my Pretty Bird for the day. If you're on Facebook, go check out her page.
Prince Eric with Black Canary and Green Arrow. Photo by Sarah Muller.
Hawkeye vs. Green Arrow. Hawkeye portrayed by Brendan Spano. Photo by Vicki
Green Arrow vs. The Joker. Photo by Jonathan Nguyen
Green Arrow with Boxing Glove Arrow. Photo by Jonathan Nguyen.
Green Arrow and Black Canary also made the gallery of photos for the local ABC affiliate. My thanks again to Lill Miss Whovian for being my Pretty Bird for the day. If you're on Facebook, go check out her page.
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Justice League #20 - A Review
Justice League #20 is something of a mess, in terms of both story and artwork. Reportedly, the main story was laid out by one man and then illustrated by three different pencilers and three different inkers. Art by committee works even less often than writing by committee and it really doesn't work here. Even accounting for the differing styles at work, everything looks horribly uneven.
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The story by Geoff Johns, focusing primarily upon the newest members of The Justice League as they fight the telepathic powerhouse Despero, isn't much better. Johns does his best but the underdogs fighting outside of their weight class story has been done to death. Not helping matters is that much of the "charm" of this issue depends upon your enjoyment of the flighty bimbo that is Element Woman or the continual squabbling of the two teenagers who make up Firestorm. And given that Fury of Firestorm was cancelled this month, it appears that the vast majority of comics fandom find the antics of Ronnie Raymond as tiresome as I did when they played this exact same conflict out during Brightest Day.
There's only two things that save this comic at all. The first is the Shazam back-up story, which finally seems to be gaining some legs or maybe I'm just viewing it more sympathetically now that Billy Batson is beginning to act like the hero he should be. The other bright side in all this is a scene involving several of the Justice League founders and Superman having a talk with Batman about his creation of protocols to take down every other member of the Justice League... including himself.
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This book seriously needs one artist, one inker and one person deciding its' look. The multiple teams working on the main story this time around do not work well together. And Johns would do better to develop his new characters alongside the established crew for a time rather than throwing them all into a spotlight that none of them deserve yet.
The story by Geoff Johns, focusing primarily upon the newest members of The Justice League as they fight the telepathic powerhouse Despero, isn't much better. Johns does his best but the underdogs fighting outside of their weight class story has been done to death. Not helping matters is that much of the "charm" of this issue depends upon your enjoyment of the flighty bimbo that is Element Woman or the continual squabbling of the two teenagers who make up Firestorm. And given that Fury of Firestorm was cancelled this month, it appears that the vast majority of comics fandom find the antics of Ronnie Raymond as tiresome as I did when they played this exact same conflict out during Brightest Day.
There's only two things that save this comic at all. The first is the Shazam back-up story, which finally seems to be gaining some legs or maybe I'm just viewing it more sympathetically now that Billy Batson is beginning to act like the hero he should be. The other bright side in all this is a scene involving several of the Justice League founders and Superman having a talk with Batman about his creation of protocols to take down every other member of the Justice League... including himself.
This book seriously needs one artist, one inker and one person deciding its' look. The multiple teams working on the main story this time around do not work well together. And Johns would do better to develop his new characters alongside the established crew for a time rather than throwing them all into a spotlight that none of them deserve yet.
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Star Trek (2009) - Live Tweet Commentary
My friend Keith, after learning that I still hadn't seen the 2009 Star Trek reboot, loaned me his copy. I live-tweeted my thoughts as I watched it. Here's the transcript of that night.
PG-13 for Sci-Fi Violence? Well, I'd bloody well hope so!
Yul Brynner is Captain Kirk -
Hot undocking the shuttle action!
Jeez. The Spaceballs evacuated their ship with more dignity.
(As the shuttle leaves the ship through a tunnel as Kirk is born)
Heh. Don't need to be Freud to figure THAT one out.
I swear, this music was also in Forest Gump!
(As young Kirk is being chased by the cop on the hoverbike)
And suddenly I'm having Warrior of the Lost World flashbacks....
Young Kirk is dressed like Marty McFly Jr.
You'd think a purely logical Vulcan youth would have better sense than to poke a bee-hive.
Just goes to show, regardless of species, teenagers are always dicks.
Half-Vulcans may not have invented sarcasm but they did perfect it.
I was thinking "Their quota for new recruits must be down" just before Kirk said it. Ha!
Insert "DAMN YOU MAVERICK!" joke here.
Anyone else get the urge to make
Things went all B&W news-reel there for a moment.
So... any reason why skirts are still required on female military uniforms in the future? Especially in space?!
(To Sulu failing to start the ship properly)
.. did they just make a bad Asian drivers joke?
(After we hear Chekov's accent for the first time)
Was it a Womulan Ship? Was theiw leader named Bigguth Diccuth?!
(After getting a good look at Nero's forehead tattoos)
Meanwhile, on the Last Airbender's ship...
I am Newo the Womulan!
The Romulan ship looks like a Shadow Vessel from
Huh. Music went all John Williams there for a moment....
(After the guy in the red suit falls off the drill)
There went the one person in Star Fleet more reckless than Kirk....
(As Kirk lands on the drill)
And now, to remove my helmet so everyone can see my perfect hair and handsome face!
Not to be difficult but... that's not fencing, Sulu.
Pike looks like he's thinking "God, just kill me. I don't want to hear your life's story...."
Nero has the same voice as the Hudzen 10 android that was sent to replace Kryten on
I believe Mr. Spock to be in violation of Directive 40.09. No Vulcan is allowed to give oral sex in zero gravity.
I see why the Trekkies didn't like this, for the most part. This plays more like a
Of course he's Scott! What else could he be with that outrageous accent, you silly Vulcan!
Kirk gets his ass kicked a lot in this reality.
Ok. That was all pretty damn good.
Here, we see your red blood cells in action....
Heh... customary departure self-serving.
And the movie that does everything that was done before ends with a line about boldly going where no one has gone before.
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Constantine #3 - A Review
There is much to admire about the new Constantine title. The writing by Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes is stellar, of course. The artwork by Renato Guedes is among the finest you'll find on the shelf today. But it's the little things about this book that I like the most. Small touches like how the first page of every issue so far recaps the action of the story thus far while still giving us some of the ol' Constantine snark.
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A nice touch specific to this issue is the writers subtly addressing one of the more frequent complaints about John Constantine in The New 52 and doing so in a way that makes perfect sense while opening up avenues for future stories down the road. In this case, we finally learn why John has been globe-trotting so much and not spending any time in London. It seems a curse lain by some unspecified baddie in the past has left John with a severe allergy to his adopted hometown. Even if John can find a way to temporarily shield himself from the city literally sucking the life out of him (as he does in this issue) he still has to contend with synchronicity finding a way to kill him through a traffic accident or some other random disaster.
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If you're a fan of Hellblazer who has resisted the enchantment of Constantine thus far, I urge you to give this book a shot. Let it work its' magic on you. I'll think you'll find it as enchanting as I do. No bollocks.
A nice touch specific to this issue is the writers subtly addressing one of the more frequent complaints about John Constantine in The New 52 and doing so in a way that makes perfect sense while opening up avenues for future stories down the road. In this case, we finally learn why John has been globe-trotting so much and not spending any time in London. It seems a curse lain by some unspecified baddie in the past has left John with a severe allergy to his adopted hometown. Even if John can find a way to temporarily shield himself from the city literally sucking the life out of him (as he does in this issue) he still has to contend with synchronicity finding a way to kill him through a traffic accident or some other random disaster.
If you're a fan of Hellblazer who has resisted the enchantment of Constantine thus far, I urge you to give this book a shot. Let it work its' magic on you. I'll think you'll find it as enchanting as I do. No bollocks.
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Doctor Who #9 (IDW Vol. 3) - A Review
Whovians may find themselves confused at first by Doctor Who #9 - the first story in this comic series to feature Clara Oswald as The Doctor's companion. There's quite a lot here that doesn't seem to match up with what we know of Clara from the second half of Series 7. Chief among the problems are Clara's staying on The TARDIS over-night when the series depicted her only going on day-trips with The Doctor. Also, the library of The TARDIS doesn't match its' recent appearance in Journey To The Center Of The TARDIS.
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Thankfully, the fans who can work past these problems or think of a clever hand-wave (The TARDIS can easily have more than one library or the desktop could have changed) will discoverer a wonderful story with a steam-punk theme. The focus is upon Clara along with a crew of WWII-era American Air Force pilots. All of them have been stranded in the same strange pocket dimension, whose weaker gravity allows steam-powered engines to be practical. And where is The Doctor in all of this? Spoilers. ;)
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The artwork by Andy Kuhn is simple but serviceable. Kuhn's style is sketchy and highly stylized. Normally, it wouldn't be the sort of art I'd enjoy but I think it fits the dark and dirty setting well enough. It may not be pretty but it does set the mood effectively.
Thankfully, the fans who can work past these problems or think of a clever hand-wave (The TARDIS can easily have more than one library or the desktop could have changed) will discoverer a wonderful story with a steam-punk theme. The focus is upon Clara along with a crew of WWII-era American Air Force pilots. All of them have been stranded in the same strange pocket dimension, whose weaker gravity allows steam-powered engines to be practical. And where is The Doctor in all of this? Spoilers. ;)
The artwork by Andy Kuhn is simple but serviceable. Kuhn's style is sketchy and highly stylized. Normally, it wouldn't be the sort of art I'd enjoy but I think it fits the dark and dirty setting well enough. It may not be pretty but it does set the mood effectively.
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Aquaman #20 - A Review
When Geoff Johns first introduced the idea of The Others during his second big Aquaman storyline, I wished that more time had been spent developing the team and showing their adventures. Made up of a variety of unique characters whose only common bond was possession of a magical Atlantean artifact. The Others represented something I feel that The New 52 was largely lacking - history, diversity and something we hadn't seen before. Guest Writer John Ostrander takes a closer look at these characters while introducing a new team member in this interlude issue, which shows the surviving Others taking on a mission that Aquaman can't, due to all the things that currently have him busy in Death Of A King.
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Those familiar with Ostrander's work on Suicide Squad will find much to enjoy with his script here. Like The Suicide Squad, The Others are made up of people who do not always get along with one another but are professional enough to put aside their disagreements for the common good - one way or the other. Ostrander also deserves some credit for further diversifying the team, introducing a new Native America hero, who avoids being stereotypical despite her mystic origin. Ostrander also reveals something of Ya'wara (the only jungle-princess character I can think of in modern comics who isn't a blonde-haired Caucasian) and her romantic preferences that further sets the character apart from the common cliche.
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Sadly, the art fails to live up to the script. Manuel Garcia's pencils are competent enough and his figures are crisp and clear in places. The problem lies with the inkers, of which there are four. Anyone who doubts the power of an inker to make or break a comic would do well to take a look at this issue and take note of how the inking in this book is far from uniform. The inking is too thick in some places, too thin in others and just right in a rare few moments. I applaud DC Comics efforts to give work to as many artists as possible but it would be nice if this book had a single inker or greater effort was made to ensure a more consistent look.
Those familiar with Ostrander's work on Suicide Squad will find much to enjoy with his script here. Like The Suicide Squad, The Others are made up of people who do not always get along with one another but are professional enough to put aside their disagreements for the common good - one way or the other. Ostrander also deserves some credit for further diversifying the team, introducing a new Native America hero, who avoids being stereotypical despite her mystic origin. Ostrander also reveals something of Ya'wara (the only jungle-princess character I can think of in modern comics who isn't a blonde-haired Caucasian) and her romantic preferences that further sets the character apart from the common cliche.
Sadly, the art fails to live up to the script. Manuel Garcia's pencils are competent enough and his figures are crisp and clear in places. The problem lies with the inkers, of which there are four. Anyone who doubts the power of an inker to make or break a comic would do well to take a look at this issue and take note of how the inking in this book is far from uniform. The inking is too thick in some places, too thin in others and just right in a rare few moments. I applaud DC Comics efforts to give work to as many artists as possible but it would be nice if this book had a single inker or greater effort was made to ensure a more consistent look.
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Injustice: Gods Among Us #20 - A Review
One might think that with the Injustice game released and the storyline largely outed to the world at this point that there would be little in the tie-in comic that might be surprising. One would be wrong, for Injustice #20 offers us several honest surprises as well as some fine drama. Tom Taylor has done it again!
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Taylor's story this time is light on action but high on suspense. The story centers around a mysterious distress signal coming from the heart of the ruins of Metropolis. Naturally The Justice League is convinced this is a trap but Superman is still determined to protect the people of his city... even if there's only one left. And in the midst of this they are being watched by an unseen observer - a mystery for another issue to explore.
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Tom Derenick's artwork is as clear and crisp as ever. His character designs are impressive and naturally posed. Everything is well-inked. The only problem I have with the artwork is a coloring mistake by Alejandro Sanchez, who renders Hal Jordan's brown hair as black throughout the issue. Apart from that, this is a great issue sure to please long-time comic readers and fans of the game who have yet to get into the comics that inspired it.
Taylor's story this time is light on action but high on suspense. The story centers around a mysterious distress signal coming from the heart of the ruins of Metropolis. Naturally The Justice League is convinced this is a trap but Superman is still determined to protect the people of his city... even if there's only one left. And in the midst of this they are being watched by an unseen observer - a mystery for another issue to explore.
Tom Derenick's artwork is as clear and crisp as ever. His character designs are impressive and naturally posed. Everything is well-inked. The only problem I have with the artwork is a coloring mistake by Alejandro Sanchez, who renders Hal Jordan's brown hair as black throughout the issue. Apart from that, this is a great issue sure to please long-time comic readers and fans of the game who have yet to get into the comics that inspired it.
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Arrow #34 (Web Comic) - A Review
One of the best things about the Arrow web comic is that it gives the writers of the show a chance to tell stories that might not work within the confines of the show. It also gives them a chance to answer questions that nit-picky fanboys like me might ask regarding the specifics of certain questions. Questions like how Oliver Queen was able to get a plane to jump out of, in full costume, with no questions asked, when he rescued Walter Steele. Now, we could just assume that he found a discrete pilot, paid cash and had Felicity scramble the paper trail with the FAA after the fact... but where's the fun in that?!
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'You Owe Me' tells the previously untold tale of how Ollie was able to procure said pilot's services. More than that, it's a rousing adventure tale that offers much beyond pleasing continuity hawks like me. Indeed, this story offers another step in Oliver's development from a mere avenger into a proper hero and champion of the oppressed. Props to Marc Guggenheim for the story and Ben Sokolowski for the excellent script.
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Victor Drijiniu and Juan Castro do an equally impressive job on this issue's artwork, which is much improved from their last outing on this book. Ollie's appearance is much more consistent and a good caricature of Stephen Amell. Eveyrthing is shaded in a manner that is atmospheric without deluging the page in darkness.
Bottom Line? Buy this book!
'You Owe Me' tells the previously untold tale of how Ollie was able to procure said pilot's services. More than that, it's a rousing adventure tale that offers much beyond pleasing continuity hawks like me. Indeed, this story offers another step in Oliver's development from a mere avenger into a proper hero and champion of the oppressed. Props to Marc Guggenheim for the story and Ben Sokolowski for the excellent script.
Victor Drijiniu and Juan Castro do an equally impressive job on this issue's artwork, which is much improved from their last outing on this book. Ollie's appearance is much more consistent and a good caricature of Stephen Amell. Eveyrthing is shaded in a manner that is atmospheric without deluging the page in darkness.
Bottom Line? Buy this book!
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