Green Lantern (2011 Series) #2

October 17, 2011

Title: Sinestro Part 2

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Doug Mahnke
Inks: Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne
Colorist: David Baron
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Cover Artist: Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy, Nathan Eyring
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics

Thaal Sinestro, the newest member of the Green Lantern Corps, doesn’t want the job. So he’s come to Earth to seek out the man he replaced, Hal Jordan, in the hopes of getting them both what they want: putting a ring back on Jordan’s finger, and getting the green ring off Sinestro’s. Trouble is, Sinestro’s previous Corps isn’t too happy at what they see as his betrayal. The interaction between Hal and Sinestro is really entertaining. Even though they’re ostensibly working towards a common goal, Sinestro still feels the compulsion to exert his dominance over his former foe, even to the point of dishing out a humiliation when he feels like Hal needs it. There’s also a nice amount of tease regarding where this story is going next (specifically, Korugar, Sinestro’s home planet). As much fun as this book is, it really takes off when Hal gets a chance to go into action again. Johns and Mahnke clearly don’t intend to leave him on the sidelines for very long, and that’s all to the good.

Rating: 8/10

Red Lanterns #2

October 8, 2011

Title: Pure Rage

Writer: Peter Milligan
Pencils: Ed Benes
Inks: Rob Hunter
Colorist: Nathan Eyring
Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Artist: Ed Benes
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics

As Atrocitus ponders the future of his Corps, he relates the tale of Ghan IX, a planet “engulfed in rage.” In the midst of a war on this planet, a young girl sees her family butchered, and Atrocitus is forced to make a choice that may change the direction of the Red Lanterns.

Peter Milligan raises some interesting questions with this book about the nature of rage itself, as well as how it has changed the course of evolution for Atrocitus and the rest of the Red Lanterns. As you can imagine, it’s not the most peaceful existence they enjoy, and we see an interesting moment here where the rage-filled Lantern actually ponders whether to induct another child into his ranks. Her rage is pure, but will allowing her to succumb to it be a kindness, or a curse?

The only complaint I have about this book is that it does seem to be moving along rather slowly. Last issue introduced a subplot on Earth that isn’t touched upon at all this issue. The flashback to Ghan IX takes up most of issue two, but it probably could have been tightened up to allow at least a bit of a visit to the other storyline. The title is strong, but needs to pull together.

Ed Benes’s artwork still surprises me. He’s made his reputation more or less on cheesecake, so seeing him draw moments of war and monsters so effectively is actually a welcome surprise.

Good book, but it can get better.

Rating: 7/10

Flash (2011 Series) #1

October 3, 2011

Title: The Flash

Writers: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Art: Francis Manapul
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Cover Artist: Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics

Seems like the Flash is starting over every other year these days, doesn’t it? This issue introduces us to the New 52 version of the Flash – a Barry Allen that’s single, younger, and reveling in his role as Central City’s premiere superhero. This issue hits us with a little backstory in the form of an old friend of Barry’s that has gotten into some trouble. What really clicks here, though, are the character moments. Barry and Iris West aren’t married here, have only dated in the past, but the look on his face when he sees her makes it pretty clear that there are feelings there. I don’t know if I believe it was necessary to revert the characters this much, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say there was the potential for some fun times in watching Barry try to pursue her.

What’s more, Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato’s artwork is absolutely gorgeous. They really have cemented themselves as the Flash artists of the past 10 years. This family hasn’t looked so good since Mike Wieringo’s legendary run on the character. It just looks phenomenal – energetic and exciting, with visuals that display super-speed in ways we’ve never seen.

I do sympathize with those readers who are upset that Barry has usurped Wally West pretty much entirely. And I want Wally back too. He’s earned a place in the DC Universe .But that doesn’t make this issue, or this character, any less exciting.

Rating: 8/10

Red Lanterns #1

September 23, 2011

Title: With Blood and Rage

Writer: Peter Milligan
Pencils: Ed Benes
Inks: Rob Hunter
Colorist: Nathan Eyring
Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Artist: Ed Benes
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics

Want to know how to piss off the nastiest of the Red Lanterns? Pick on his cat. After helping Dex-Starr take care of a few foolish aliens, Atrocitus returns to Ysmault to meet with the rest of his Red Lanterns. But things aren’t as usual for the angry warrior – Atrocitus may actually be losing his rage. On Earth, meanwhile, we check in on a man whose rage – justifiably – is beginning to build. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this series. Would it be a villain title, would it be a sort of cosmic Punisher? As it turns out, it’s not really either. The Red Lanterns have played the antagonist role in the past, but even before the New 52 relaunch, it was difficult to classify them as villains. Sure, they’re driven by anger, but in many cases, we see that it’s anger that is deserved and focused on a target that isn’t exactly innocent. This book shows a different side too Atrocitus, hints at an expansion of the Red Lantern Corps, and actually has a surprising amount of humor in it. All of this combined makes for a very entertaining read.

Ed Benes is doing good art here for the most part. His aliens look cool, and he’s definitely got the chops for the violence and blood a title of this nature demands. He still, however, keeps up his anatomically impossible depictions of the more humanoid women, Bleez in particular, who somehow manages to bend in such a way that you can see both her full chest and posterior in the same panel. (I know she’s an alien, but there’s truly nothing about her skeletal structure that would indicate such a thing is even possible, let alone comfortable).

It’s a solid first issue, and I’m willing to go along for the ride.

Rating: 8/10

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #13

September 4, 2011

Title: 2011: A Space Oddity

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Pencils: Ron Frenz
Inks: John Dell, Marc Deering
Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover Artist: Dan Panosian
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics

DC sends off Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors with an old-fashioned locked-room mystery… in space! Guy is summoned to the International Space Station to investigate a murder that took place there, only to find Batman waiting for him. The victim was a friend of Bruce Wayne, it seems, and Batman aims to see to it he gets justice… but who among his fellow space explorers would have –could have killed him?

Guy Gardner isn’t particularly known for subtlety, and putting him in what amounts to a police procedural is actually quite entertaining. It’s a funny juxtaposition, the brutish Gardner and the cool-as-ice Batman, and Peter Tomasi even manages to throw out a callback to the most memorable moments the two characters have ever shared together.

Ron Frenz is one of those artists who looks good when combined with some inkers and not with others. John Dell and Marc Deering make him look as good as he ever has, with very rich, detailed pages that tell the story expertly without bogging things down with superfluous lines. The inks and colors compliment the art well, which is the hallmark of a good comic book artist.

It’s a nice way for Guy Gardner to go out.

Rating: 8/10

Adventure Comics #527

August 22, 2011

Title: A Comet’s Tale

Writer: Paul Levitz
Pencils: Geraldo Borges
Inks: Marlo Alquiza
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: John J. Hill
Cover Artist: Eduardo Pansica, Eber Ferreira
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics

As the Legion Academy continues its training, Comet Queen shares her origin with Glorith. Where did she come from? Why isn’t this her first time at the Academy? And what’s her strange connection to Bouncing Boy?

Paul Levitz, once again, shows a real knack for coming up with intriguing characters. Comet Queen isn’t your usual Legionnaire by any stretch of the imagination. She’s one of these superheroes who comes from a culture that grew up with superheroes – the Legionnaires (particularly Bouncing Boy) were her childhood heroes, and the events that led up to her gaining her powers aren’t at all the sort of thing we see from most Legionnaires. Her motivations set her apart immediately, and what happened to put her back into the Academy immediately spins the story from somewhat comic to somewhat tragic in just a few panels.

Geraldo Borges does good work here on the future, running with the designs Phil Jimenez whipped up for these characters. I think he may be the first artist to really get across just how alien Comet Queen is – a non-human facial structure, a slightly different body type… other artists made it look like she was simply a human whose powers made her look the way she did. This issue makes it clear she was never human to begin with.

Very nice spotlight on a character who just got a lot more interesting.

Rating: 7/10

Green Lantern Corps (2006 Series) #58

April 2, 2011

Title: War of the Green Lanterns Part Two
Writer: Tony Bedard
Pencils: Tyler Kirkham
Inks: Batt with Rob Hunter
Colorist: Nei Ruffino
Letterer: Steve Wands
Cover: Tyler Kirkham
Editor: Brian Cunningham, Adam Schlagman & Eddie Berganza
Publisher: DC Comics

Things are looking bad for the Green Lantern Corps. In part one of War of the Green Lanterns, Krona unleashed an all-out assault on Oa, using the Guardians as hosts of the Entities he’s been collecting and placing the Yellow entity, Parallax, back inside the main power battery, where he was trapped for millennia. This time, though, the battery isn’t a prison, it’s a conduit to power. Parallax seizes the minds of the entire Green Lantern Corps, except for those few Lanterns who have, however briefly, played host to him before. Although Kyle Rayner and John Stewart both manage to ward off his control, the fear and paranoia he creates begins to seep in, and it’s Lantern against Lantern.

The danger behind War of the Green Lanterns is that the whole premise seems to be anchored in that old chestnut  of brainwashed heroes being forced to fight those that aren’t brainwashed. The fact that the “free” Lanterns are greatly outnumbered makes the story more interesting, but there’s still only so much mileage one can get out of that concept. This issue perhaps takes it a bit farther than it needs to, with most of the book focusing on Kyle and John’s battle, with Ganthet trapped in the middle. It’s an intense fight, although (appropriately enough) the intensity comes more out of the emotion that’s spilled on the page than any of the actual action scenes. There’s little fear that either of these two will actually die (not until later in the crossover, at least) so having them hurl rather hateful, painful statements at each other really is more effective. Superheroes can come back from the dead by next issue. Kyle ripping open John’s emotional scars over the death of Katma Tui, or John comparing Kyle to scared, stupid grunts who get their friends killed? Those are the sort of wounds that take time even for superheroes to heal. It’s good, but it’s a bit much. This issue needed something else, a b-plot to break it up a little bit.

Tyler Kirkham’s artwork is solid, with great action scenes and lots of wild outer space elements. The cover is particularly nice, with John’s ring-constructs eating up most of the art space.

This is a good issue, but not great. Hopefully, the rest of the crossover will improve.

Rating: 7/10

Legion of Super-Villains #1

March 27, 2011

Title: When Evil Calls

Writer: Paul Levitz
Art: Francis Portela
Colorist: Javier Mena
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Cover: Francis Portela
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics

This issue serves as a nice little supplement to the ongoing Legion of Super-Heroes title, kicking things off with a bang. Takron-Galtos, the prison planet, goes insane when Saturn Queen manipulates her way into a breakout. In the midst of the riot, she grabs her old ally Lightning Lord, several other potential members for a new Legion of Super-Villains, and heads out into space. There we find out her real mission, and it’s a doozy.

This issue feels very much like a prologue. It’s setting up a lot of things for the main title, not the least of which is an army of villains planning to, y’know, blow up a few planets. And knowing what their endgame is, we definitely see how all of this can tie into everything Paul Levitz has done since the Legion relaunched last year. The pieces fit together very neatly. Levitz is also developing the characters in the LSV much more than they’ve been in the past. Saturn Queen has always been kind of a stereotypical villainess, Lightning Lord just “Lightning Lad’s evil brother.” They aren’t getting any major depth here, they’re not turning into Magneto or anything, but we do get to see her revel a little bit in her nastiness, we see him bristle at having to take orders from her… friction is remarkably effective at establishing who any given set of characters really is.

Francis Portela steps up with the artwork and gives us a really strong one-shot. The future timeline of the Legion is always a challenge for artists, and he gives us a tableau that feels futuristic, but still has a little variety – the stark, bleak landscape of Takron-Galtos vs. the clean, geometric lines of Colu being a perfect example.

Great one-shot that fits perfectly into the storyline.

Rating: 8/10

Justice League: Generation Lost #21

March 16, 2011

Title: The Dark of Morning’s Light

Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Fernando Dagnino
Inks: Raul Fernandez
Colorist: Hi-FI
Letterer: Steve Wands
Cover: Dustin Ngyuen
Editor: Rex Ogle & Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics

Jaime Reyes, the Blue Beetle, lies dead on a slab. As Booster Gold mourns the young hero – the second Blue Beetle to fall in recent memory, the rest of the team tries to pull it all together.

This issue the title went from solid to fantastic. Aside from a few very powerful scenes of Booster by Jaime’s side, we see the rest of the team struggling with recent events as well. Captain Atom, the man who the world believes is responsible for Magog’s death and the deaths of over 1000 people in a blast in Chicago, sits brooding over the course his life has taken, and Ice has to try to snap him out of it. Of particular surprise, Fire and Rocket Red share a tender moment that shakes things up in a very unexpected but surprisingly welcome fashion. This all rolls into a final sequence where one of our heroes faces a destiny that, in hindsight, has been coming since this series started, and one hell of a last issue that – I admit it – made me cheer.

Fernando Dagnino gives us good interior art – he tells the story and he backs raw feeling into the characters. Gavril, half-in and half-out of his armor, looks a little weird, but that’s not a really big problem. And the cover, by Dustin Nguyen, is the sort of thing that grabs you from the comic book shelf and demands you open the issue and read on.

In the past, Judd Winick’s superhero comics have had a tendency to peter out at the end. This book not only isn’t falling victim to that, it’s ramping up. It’s getting better. If the final three issues of this title live up to the last few, when it’s over Generation Lost may well stand as the greatest mainstream work the creator has ever done.

Rating: 9/10

Power Girl (2009 Series) #1

May 9, 2009

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: A New Beginning

Power Girl flies solo!

Writer: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art: Amanda Conner
Colors: Paul Mounts
Letters: John J. Hill
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Cover Art: Adam Hughes (Cover A); Amanda Conner (Cover B)
Publisher: DC Comics

Few characters have had as tumultuous time out of DC’s recent rash of Crises than Power Girl. She finally uncovered the truth about her origins – that she was, in fact, Kara Zor-El of Earth-2. She finally got back home to Earth-2 only to find that yet another version of Kara had replaced her there. Oh, and sometime in the interim, she became the leader of the Justice Society of America. Now, having finally established the identity of Power Girl, our heroine decides it’s time to go back and reestablish her civilian identity, Karen Starr. It’s hard to get a philanthropic research organization off the ground, however, when you’ve got to drop everything and save Manhattan Island from an invasion of gigantic homicidal robots.

This first issue really lays out the challenge of this series very well. Between Infinite Crisis and Justice Society of America, Power Girl as a hero has finally been firmly established in the DC Universe as the top-level heroine that she should be. But right now, she only exists as a superheroine. It’s up to Palmiotti and Gray to tell us who Karen Starr, the woman behind the spandex, really is. This issue sets up a lot of stuff, but before we get too deep, the action begins.

There’s a lot of really great action, and Amanda Conner was born to draw this comic book. Her Power Girl looks fantastic, and Paul Mounts colors compliment the line art flawlessly. The fight scenes are bold and dynamic, and the design of the evil invaders is great – freaky and unearthly. Everything bubbles up to a really solid cliffhanger.

My only real problem with the issue is that there isn’t quite enough of the character stuff. Sure, this is the first issue and we want to start with a bang. It’s exciting, and it’s fun, and those are two things Power Girl needs to have in high quantities. I still feel like we needed a bit more of a foundation, though. Hopefully, future issues will address this – it really does seem like the writers have it thought out and have planned the personal life stuff. We just didn’t get enough of it here.

Still, though, for what we get it’s a really fun, exciting first issue. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a nice, long run. Power Girl deserves no less.

Rating: 8/10