The Authority: More Kev #2

June 18, 2004

Quick Rating: Below Average
Title: The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers Part Two

A dip into Kev’s past tells us why Earth has been targeted for destruction.

Writer: Garth Ennis
Art: Glenn Fabry
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover Art: Glenn Fabry
Publisher: DC Comics/Wildstorm Universe

Okay, let’s start by looking at the cover. Isn’t that baby tiger the cutest little thing you’ve ever seen?

Now keep going, because that’s the best thing about this issue. Garth Ennis, who reached brilliance with his Preacher series and continues to entertain with his Punisher tales, succumbs to the same trap that every Authority story I’ve ever read: shallow blood, sex and cursing for pure shock value.

With the rest of the team out of commission, Midnighter and Apollo turn to Kev to help them save the world from an alien invasion, but it turns out Kev may have a past with them as well. Through two flashback sequences which serve to give the book its requisite amounts of gore and kink, respectively, we find out why a dunderhead in Kev’s old unit may have inadvertently caused the downfall of humanity. (Naturally, the only character in the book to display any compassion at all turns out to be the idiot.)

Glenn Fabry’s artwork is fine considering what he has to work with. His troopers slagging through the jungle, his explosions and gunfights are just fine, and he does a very good job with the animal characters in the story. The superhero characters don’t have much to do in this issue except stand around and listen to Kev talk about himself, but they look just fine.

This is supposed superhero action with slasher movie blood and guts and teen sex movie jokes thrown as though they were redeeming qualities. Ennis is capable of much better than this. I don’t think I’ll ever understand what it is about The Authority that sucks talent into a black hole.

Rating: 4/10

JLA #107

November 8, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Maintenance Day (Syndicate Rules Part One)

The Justice League is taking a day for general maintenance, unaware of a growing threat from another world.

Writer: Kurt Busiek
Pencils: Ron Garney
Inks: Dan Green
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Art: Ron Garney
Publisher: DC Comics

I’m a little biased here, I’ll admit that up front. New writer Kurt Busiek is one of my favorite scribes working in comics today, and moreso, this is a title in serious need of improvement. The book hasn’t been good on a consistent basis since Mark Waid’s all-too-short tenure ended nearly 40 issues ago.

As the issue opens, the JLA is basically spending the day doing preventative maintenance. Several of them are keeping their eyes on the Cosmic Egg that contains a new universe ready to hatch. (This egg, of course, was a leftover from Busiek’s JLA/Avengers crossover, although he has to be careful never to mention any copyrighted properties of that other publisher by name.) As they do that, Martian Manhunter and The Flash do their regular sweep of various contacts around the globe, making sure no crisis demand their attention, and pay a visit to an old menace they have in containment.

Right off the bat Busiek is doing one of the things I think he, along with writers like Waid and Geoff Johns, do incredibly well. He picks up on the history of the League, tapping into old stories to create the new. Some readers may find things a bit daunting, but the particular threat that occupies our two heroes this issue (although not the main threat of this story arc) is one even I was unfamiliar with, but Busiek gives us everything we need to know to comprehend the story.

Ron Garney’s art is usually very good, but it appears somewhat unfinished here. Just as the last six issues, released biweekly, looked as though he rather raced through them, so did this first issue with his new writer. There’s nothing really bad about the artwork, but it’s not as strong as anyone who has seen his Captain America run knows he’s capable of. It’s possible he just needs time to rest and then get back onto a normal monthly schedule.

After a truly abysmal last story arc (which, admittedly, started with a strong first issue then spiraled into cliché and tedium), this issue is a breath of fresh air. Busiek has said he wants to join the small club of writers who has had long tenures writing both the Justice League and the Avengers. Hopefully this issue is just the start of great things to come.

Rating: 7/10

52 #16

August 23, 2006

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Uhebbuki & The Origin of Black Adam

The Marvels unite at last, as Renee and the Question chase a tragedy in the making.

Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka & Mark Waid
Breakdowns: Keith Giffen
Pencils: Joe Bennett
Inks: Ruy Jose
Origin of Black Adam Art: J.G. Jones
Colors: David Baron & Alex Sinclair
Letters: Pat Brosseau & Nick J. Napolitano
Editor: Stephen Wacker & Harvey Richards
Cover Art: J.G. Jones
Publisher: DC Comics

I suppose I shouldn’t be, but I’m pretty surprised that the Black Adam storyline of 52 has honestly turned into my favorite in the series – and this issue is a big one. Adam and Isis are planning a very special event with some very special guests – the Captain Marvel family. Billy is (apparently) feeling better since the last time we saw him, and Isis is acclimating nicely to her role in Khandaq. In fact, her very presence seems to be changing Adam for the better.

As their ceremony begins, though, Renee and the Question – fresh out of Black Adam’s prison — undertake a frantic chase of their own. The search that brought them to Khandaq in the first place has led them to a bomber, and if they can’t find it soon, the ceremony may well turn into a bloodbath.

This issue is a fantastic mix of these two related but separate stories. The writers shift seamlessly from the more quiet, tranquil story of Adam and Isis to the fast-paced search sequences. We also get a brief glimpse at one of the other ongoing storylines, one that’s been somewhat arrested lately, but this issue things really take off. I’m expecting it to really go places soon.

Joe Bennett’s artwork (over Keith Giffen’s breakdowns, of course), is just fine. There were a few scenes with such facial expressions (particularly on Mary Marvel) that I had to check to make sure Kevin Maguire wasn’t handling the issue. The issue is broken and choreographed very well, and Bennett has a nice, light touch on the faces that works very well.

To go with the lead story, this issue’s origin backup is Black Adam himself, with art by cover artist J.G. Jones. Like all of the “origin” back-ups, Mark Waid has done a really good job of distilling the character’s basics down to two pages, with a handy recommended reading list at the end for new fans who want to check in on his major storylines.

The best issue of 52 yet? Well, that’s arguable. But this is definitely in the running for my personal favorite.

Rating: 9/10

JLA #103

August 7, 2004

Quick Rating: Below Average
Title: Emerald Warrior (Pain of the Gods Part Three)

Green Lantern’s failure threatens to send him over the edge… again!

Writer: Chuck Austen
Pencils: Ron Garney
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Jared Fletcher
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Art: Ron Garney
Publisher: DC Comics

In case you’ve missed JLA #101-103, allow me to sum them up for you: Hero fails to save somebody. Hero overreacts as though this has never happened before. Hero’s teammates remind him that he can’t save everyone. Repeat. Same thing three times in a row, it’s just a different member of the Justice League each time.

This time it’s Green Lantern’s turn. When he hears cries for help from two different directions and can only go in one, he has to live with the consequences of what happens to the situation he had to turn away from. The problem is… it’s all been done before. Last issue. And the issue before. And hundreds of times before that. John Stewart is someone who has had to deal with the guilt of an entire planet being destroyed because he was too cocky to take his job seriously. Are we really supposed to accept he’s going to go off the deep end because he’s forced to choose who to save while being as responsible as any hero possibly could?

And he doesn’t just go off the deep end, he goes nuts, and almost causes another tragedy in the process. He’s been in the superhero game too long to behave like this. One could almost accept this storyline with a brand-new character (it would still be a cliché, but at least it would be more in-character), but not with someone who’s been fighting the good fight and dealt with as much as John.

Even Ron Garney, who is a fine artist in his own right, isn’t quite up to speed in this issue. His pencils took a bit rushed, and I’m forced to wonder how long he had to put out the six parts of this bi-weekly storyline. (Apparently, waiting an entire month for each issue would have been a disaster because we may have forgotten we’ve already read that story.)

Considering how surprisingly good the first issue of this story arc was, this has rapidly become a major disappointment, and next issue’s installment, featuring the Martian Manhunter, doesn’t give me a lot of reason to believe it will be much better.

But at least there was no burning building in this one.

Rating: 4/10

JLA Classified #5

March 19, 2005

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Yadda Yadda Yadda Yadda (I Can’t Believe It’s Not the Justice League Part Two)

The Superbuddies make nice with their new neighbor… and one of them makes a big mistake.

Writers: Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
Pencils: Kevin Maguire
Inks: Joe Rubinstein
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Bob Lappan
Editor: Steve Wacker & Michael Carlin
Cover Art: Kevin Maguire
Publisher: DC Comics

The return of the Superbuddies continues unabated! God help us all.

Guy Gardner, opening a new bar next door, meets with his former teammates about this new enterprise. In inimitable Guy fashion, he takes an opportunity to put moves on the young and innocent… in this case, Mary Marvel. Meanwhile, Mary gets into a fight with her brother, Captain Marvel, about her sharing an apartment with Fire, Ralph continues to suffer from the misapprehension that Sue is pregnant, Maxwell Lord sends Blue Beetle to try to lure Power Girl back to the team, and in an act of unrivaled foolishness, Booster Gold goes exploring.

I must say, I think this issue is a step up even from last issue, which I thought was pretty darn good. There’s some genuine character development here for Guy (of all people), and while there are some moments where Mary goes so far into the “sweet and innocent” routine as to become a caricature of herself, the writers come back and show real toughness out of her to balance it out. People wondering what happened to Captain Atom will get an answer this issue, and the dialogue is as crisp, funny and perfectly paced as ever.

Kevin Maguire and Joe Rubinstein come back for more of their stellar artwork. There isn’t much action in this issue, but that’s fine – it’s predominantly a comedy and doesn’t need a lot of punching and explosions (although there’s plenty of promise of that sort of thing coming up in this story arc). It isn’t easy to time a joke just right in a comic book, but he handles it with all of the skill and wit that he ever has. And how could you write even a paragraph about the artwork in this book without commenting about Maguire’s skill at facial expressions? He may well be the best face artist in superhero comics.

I loved the classic Justice League with this art team, I loved the Formerly Known As miniseries, and I’m loving this arc as well. This is a real winner.

Rating: 9/10

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

The Authority: More Kev #1

May 22, 2004

Quick Rating: Average
Title: The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers Part One

With most of the Authority out of commission, it’s up to Apollo, Midnighter and Kev to save the world.

Writer: Garth Ennis
Art: Glenn Fabry
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover Art: Glenn Fabry
Publisher: DC Comics/Wildstorm Universe

I’m not a fan of The Authority. From what I heard of volume one, it was a concept that didn’t interest me. When I reviewed volume two, I thought it was lousy. While having the fantastic Preacher buddies Garth Ennis and Glenn Fabry on this miniseries certainly helps, it doesn’t do anything to warm me up to the core concept or to make me care about these characters.

When most of the team gets scrambled and put on injured reserve, Midnighter and Apollo are forced to turn to the less-than-savory S.A.S. agent named Kev to help them find something an alien invasion fleet wants before it destroys the Earth. Since this series is called “More Kev,” I assume he’s shown up before, but I’ve got no idea who he is or why he should be considered so dangerous. There certainly isn’t anything in this issue that makes him look particularly intimidating.

Ennis has a great, wicked sense of humor that made Preacher and his Punisher run some of the best mature readers comics of recent years. That same sense of humor is evident here and is responsible for virtually all of the good bits of the book. The situation isn’t that gripping and the characters are the same boring caricatures they’ve always seemed to be to me.

Fabry’s artwork is fine, and really better than the book. He has a grimy style that works very well. The panel where the scrambled Authoritarians show up is the best bit in the book. He does a nice, appropriately bloody gunfight at the beginning and gives the promise that he’ll serve up some real grotesqueries as the story escalates.

This book still won’t turn me into an Authority fan, if you like the characters you’ll definitely find this miniseries more entertaining than the regular series is these days.

Rating: 5/10

Justice League Elite #1

July 18, 2004

Quick Rating: Fair
Title: Grand Experiment

Vera Black is leading the newest branch of the Justice League… who will make the team?

Writer: Joe Kelly
Pencils: Doug Mahnke
Inks: Tom Nguyen
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Pat Brosseau
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Art: Doug Mahnke
Publisher: DC Comics

Spinning out of the tumultuous events of JLA #100, Vera Black begins assembling a new special task force of the Justice League… the sort of shadowed, invisible force that doesn’t exist on paper or in any computer file, the sort of force that can go places other forces cannot, get hands dirtier than the bright heroes are allowed, and get out without leaving a trace. Vera Black is assembling the Justice League Elite.

I’m not really a fan of this concept, to be brutally honest. I like the League to be the best and brightest, the shining examples, and while I suppose there is a certain tactical logic to them having a black ops team, that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it. The whole thing reminds me too much of the failed splinter group Extreme Justice from a few years ago, only darker.

To give credit where credit it due, Kelly has a few nice ideas in this issue. He comes up with a clever method to send an Elite member deep undercover, and he surprises us early with major consequences for a certain character.

I was a big fan of Doug Mahnke during his run on Superman: The Man of Steel, but somehow that style didn’t work as well when brought over to JLA. I must admit, it’s a much better fit for this darker comic. His style does have a gritty look to it, but it’s still too bold to fit well on a hardcore crime comic like Gotham Central. This title seems to be the perfect balance for him, although he’s also been shown to do good work on more science fiction-oriented titles.

This is the first issue of a 12-issue miniseries, and that would seem to indicate Kelly has a definite arc in mind. As this is mostly a “gathering of forces” issue, we only get a few fleeting hints of where the story might eventually lead. If you like this sort of thing, you’ll want to follow it and see where it goes. Personally, I’ll just keep my fingers crossed in anticipation of Kurt Busiek taking over JLA.

Rating: 6/10

JLA #102

July 25, 2004

Quick Rating: Average
Title: Scarlet Speedster (Pain of the Gods Part Two)

When the Flash isn’t fast enough, will he be able to go back and outrace his mistakes?

Writer: Chuck Austen
Art: Ron Garney
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Pat Brosseau
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Art: Ron Garney
Publisher: DC Comics

As surprised as I was to enjoy the first chapter of Austen’s “Pain of the Gods” storyline, I was equally disappointed in this second installment. Is it because it’s bad? No. In fact, I rather liked this issue the first time I read it. When it was called JLA #101.

Let’s recap. Last issue, Superman failed to save a would-be superhero from a burning building, had a personal crisis of conscience and then, with the help of his fellow Justice Leaguers, came to a state of resolution. This issue, the Flash fails to save some children from a burning build – oh, but I don’t want to spoil it.

It seems that this will be the pattern of this storyline. The hero will suffer some sort of failure (if there are any more burning buildings I’m officially going to give up), have an overdramatic reaction to it, and then find some sort of closure. I could be wrong, I suppose. Could be next issue, with Green Lantern, will be completely different. I hope it is, in fact.

This issue didn’t work as well as the last either. Superman may not be used to watching hero wannabes die on their first mission, but Flash was been doing this way too long to be this broken up by not saving people, even children. Would he take it hard? Sure. But would he go off the deep end like he does in this issue? He’s been doing it too long.

Ron Garney fortunately, continues to impress on the artwork. He draws a really great Flash, with nice speed effects. David Baron does a really good job with the fire scene, as well. I’m glad to know that Garney will be staying on when Kurt Busiek takes over as the regular writer in a few months.

It could be worse, I’ll admit, but this issue’s big sin isn’t poor quality, it’s repetition. Which is a pretty big problem in its own right.

Rating: 5/10

The Authority (2003 Series) #11

April 10, 2004

Quick Rating: Average
Title: Fractured World Episode Two

While reality crumbles, Jenny Quantum’s mother comes to take her back.

Writer: Robbie Morrison
Pencils: Dwayne Turner
Inks: Sal Regla
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Ben Abernathy
Cover Art: Dwayne Turner & Sal Regla
Publisher: DC Comics/Wildstorm

Fractures in the fabric of reality are opening up all over Earth and threats are spilling out, from supervillains to another universe to populated cities flooding because a fracture opens them up to the ocean of an alternate Earth, and as the Authority scrambles to save lives, the government that they took over during the Coup D’etat storyline continues to question their ability to act as superheroes and rulers at the same time. Meanwhile, the woman who gave birth to Apollo and Midnighter’s daughter drops by for a visit.

This issue is a definite step up from the abysmal “Godhead” storyline, mostly because of the intriguing nature of the threat the team faces – fractures in reality through which virtually any potential threat can materialize is a very clever concept and it is put to good use in this issue. However, as clever as this is, the rest of the issue is just pretty… well… “blah.” The “superheroes in charge” storyline has been done way too often and way better (most notably in the original Squadron Supreme miniseries) to really make this stand out, and the “family” of Apollo, Midnighter and Jenny Quantum are such thinly-drawn caricatures that it’s really not possible to care about the prospect of the woman who birthed the young girl arriving to take her back.

Dwayne Turner does his usual solid job with the artwork. There are some pretty dynamic action scenes with walls of water tearing through cities and worlds of flame encroaching upon our own. The art raises the book up a notch in my estimation, but not an enormous one. The story is bland and the characters are dull, and one can only wish that the Authority would return to the days when it actually had stories to tell instead of using cardboard cutout angst with some cursing and blood thrown in for shock value.

Rating: 5/10