Batman: Gotham Knights #54

May 12, 1004

Quick Rating: Fair
Title: Pushback Book Five

Green Arrow joins the hunt for Prometheus.

Writer: A.J. Lieberman
Pencils: Al Barrionuevo & Javier Pina
Inks: Francis Portela & Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Brad Anderson
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover Art: Lee Bermejo
Publisher: DC Comics

It’s interesting that the most frequent criticism of Lieberman’s writing on this title is that he doesn’t have a very good handle on The Joker, then he turns out an issue like this, which is basically a retelling of the Joker’s origin according to Alan Moore. The Joker has spent 12 years trying to find the man who murdered his wife, and now that the information is at his fingertips, he pauses to reflect on how he got where he is.

Which is really where the problem comes in – the Joker is simply not a reflective character. He’s never been the sort to pontificate about the past – he’s about the now, the chaos, the turmoil he can create in the present. Past and future have never help much import for him. If finding his wife’s murderer is so important to him, why has he spent the past twelve years creating smiling fish and trapping Batman in enormous jack-in-the-boxes? Reading the issue the way it’s written paints the Joker’s entire career up to this point is the comic book equivalent of O.J. looking for the real killers.

Again, I really like Barrionuevo’s artwork on this title – he does a great Batman and Robin and has a good handle on the villains, who are really the stars of the piece. He shares penciling duties with Javier Pina this issue, but their styles are either very similar or Pina has adapted his style to mesh with Barrionuevo’s, because the transitions are seamless. I really can’t tell where one artist departs and the other comes in.

Lieberman’s initial Gotham Knights arc has been pretty much average throughout. He’s got skill at certain things, but has chosen to focus this storyline on things he’s just not as good at. Hopefully after “Pushback” concludes next issue, he’ll shift the focus of the book back to the Batman family, because I think that will be his best chance to really shine.

Rating: 6/10

DC Comics Presents Metal Men #1

August 1, 2011

Writers: Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Bob Haney
Pencils: Kevin Maguire, Tim Levins
Inks: Mark Farmer, Dan Davis
Colorist: Guy Major, James Sinclair
Letterer: Nick J. Napolitano, Ken Lopez, Travis Lanham
Editor: Elisabeth V. Gehrlein, Dan Raspler
Cover Art: Kevin Maguire
Publisher: DC Comics

I do love the DC Comics Presents format – inexpensive collections of short story arcs, reprints of old original graphic novels, or in this case, collecting a series of back-up stories that would probably never fill out a graphic novel of their own. In fact, this collection of the Metal Men stories presented in the most recent series of Doom Patrol couldn’t even fill up the 100 pages, so DC tossed in a Metal Men story from 2000’s Silver Age event to fill up the book.

The Silver Age story, written by Bob Haney, is more a curiosity than anything else. In this event, the Justice League had had their brains forcibly switched into the bodies of their enemies, and the Metal Men teamed up with Batman (controlled by the Penguin) in a race to capture Felix Faust and Catwoman (really Green Arrow and Black Canary). This story, originally presented in Silver Age: The Brave and the Bold #1, is interesting, but seems to have been chosen primarily because it was drawn by Kevin Maguire, who drew most of the other Metal Men tales in this volume.

After that, we get into the short stories. The Metal Men have moved into a small town where they’re desperate to prove themselves assets to the community, despite the fact that nobody seems to want them there, they come under attack by the now-insane star of their favorite TV show, and none of them can seem to remember the name of their newest member (Copper). Giffen and DeMatteis, legendary for their comedic take on the Justice League in the 80s and 90s, bring that same comedic sensibility to these stories, and with their old artistic collaborator Kevin Maguire along for the ride, the comics couldn’t be better.

Were I judging this only on the basis of the story and art, the book would get a solid 9/10. But unfortunately, somebody made a drastic, terrible mistake. The page reproduction of everything after the Silver Age reprint is terrible. The pages are pixilated and blurry. In fact, the only thing that comes in clear are the words and text. This sort of production error would be disastrous even from a small press title, but in a book from DC Comics, it’s unforgivable. This should have been caught and fixed before the book ever made it to comic shop shelves, and the fact that it didn’t ruins what should have been an excellent reading experience.

Rating: 7/10

Green Arrow (2001 Series) #51

June 7, 2005

Quick Rating: Fair
Title: Anarky in the USA

When a bomber hits Star City, Green Arrow comes face-to-face with Anarky.

Writer: James Peaty
Pencils: Eric Battle
Inks: Jack Purcell
Colors: Guy Major
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Bob Schreck
Cover Art: James Jean
Publisher: DC Comics

Is this fill-in week at DC? First Gotham Central, then this one-off story where none of the regular creators chime in and none of the regular storylines are progressed.

When a highly-populated arts plaza is blown up, the clues point to the vigilante named Anarky, and Green Arrow sets off to bring him in. Once he’s convinced that the young man is being framed, however, the two set off on a tenuous partnership to bring in the real bombers.

It’s a decent enough team-up story, as far as they go, but the main premise is kind of hard to swallow. First, that Green Arrow would suddenly decide that Anarky is innocent not based on any evidence but just on a “feeling,” and second, that he would work with a known terrorist, whether he shares many of his anti-establishment viewpoints or not.

Eric Battle’s artwork is pretty good this issue. He handles the two main characters fairly well, at least in costume, but for some reason the expressions on Anarky’s face whenever he’s unmasked make him look like he isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, if you know what I mean.

In the end, things are done up a bit too quickly and things settled a bit too neatly. And again, Green Arrow seems way too comfortable with his impromptu partner.

I can’t really recommend this issue, but I won’t tear it apart either. It’s all right, but the plot holes are things that really could have been patched up very easily, and that’s a big problem.

Rating: 6/10

Identity Crisis #4

September 17, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Very Good

Sue Dibney… Jean Loring… who’s next?

Writer: Brad Meltzer
Pencils: Rags Morales
Inks: Michael Bair
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Kenny Lopez
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Art: Michael Turner
Publisher: DC Comics

This issue of Identity Crisis gives us a little bit of downtime. It’s mostly a building issue, centered on the least exciting but most important part of any mystery – gathering the clues and examining the suspects. Atom stumbles onto the scene of the latest attack, on his ex-wife Jean Loring. With the realization that the murder of Sue Dibney wasn’t an isolated incident, the heroes go into overdrive to trace down the clues and find the killer before he… or she… or they… strike again.

Although Green Arrow remains our viewpoint character for much of this issue, as he usually has in this series, we get to spend more time with the rest of our cast. Superman and Batman each get more “screentime,” Green Arrow pays a visit to an old friend, and we get more about the strange home life of Captain Boomerang. That’s probably the most telling scene in the issue – you’d have to be a dunce not to expect Boomerang to become vitally important by the time this series ends, because there’s simply no other explanation for spending so much time on him.

Perhaps the most effective scene is a simple interrogation where Ollie and Wonder Woman pay a visit to a b-list villain who may have answers. What makes it so effective, though, is that Diana is never fully seen in the issue – just bits and pieces of her. It makes her more imposing, more threatening, and that’s what she needs to be here.

Whether that’s a writer’s decision or an artistic choice I don’t know, but either way it works big time, as does the rest of Rags Morales’s art. My only real complaint earlier is Morales’s portrayal of Superman. It’s still uneven, but some scenes are quite good.

I suspect, as relatively quiet as this issue is, it will probe to be the most important to unraveling the secret of this mystery. The story goes everywhere and a real ton of information is imparted – plus it sheds light on many, many members of our cast. And the kicker is the last page, another shocker which may not be as immediate as the last few issues, but nevertheless sends the stakes much, much higher.

At seven issues, this issue marks the halfway point of this crossover. And I’m already prepared to call it the best crossover DC has done since the original Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Rating: 8/10

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

Green Lantern: Rebirth #3

December 24, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Yellow

The truth about Parallax – and the Green Lantern Corps!

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Ethan Van Sciver
Inks: Prentis Rollins
Colors: Moose Baumann
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Cover Art: Ethan Van Sciver
Publisher: DC Comics

A lesser writer than Geoff Johns would have me fuming right now, because of the various theories regarding Hal Jordan’s return as Green Lantern, he seems to have gone with one that I liked the least. However, he’s executing it extremely well, to the point where I find I’m actually accepting of an explanation that I thought would cheapen the character himself and years of stories.

Kyle Rayner and Ganthet find themselves battling maddened members of the Green Lantern Corps, even as the Justice League is battered by brave men who should be their allies. A desperate Kyle heads to the JLA Watchtower for help, only to find the place leveled and only one hero standing – Hal’s best friend, Green Arrow. There, Kyle tells what he found at the edge of the universe, the truth about Parallax, the truth about Hal Jordan, and the truth about the Green Lantern Corps.

This issue, I must admit, really surprised me. We’ve only hit the halfway point of this series, and it seems like Johns has already laid all his cards on the table. All the revelations, all the surprises, all of it is already right here. That seems to leave three issues for an extended fight scene. I hope Johns has more up his sleeve than that.

I’ve also got to deduct points for the last-page surprise appearance by a character that’s died twice already (at least), and who seemed dead for good last time out. He’s apparently going to start trying to rival Magneto in the resurrection category.

Ethan Van Sciver’s artwork is phenomenal. With Moose Baumann giving the entire book a green tinge, this book looks more like a Green Lantern comic than any issue in years. He does a fantastic job not just on the GLs, but on the various other heroes herein. This is a guy who could easy have a spot illustrating the big DC team books – JLA or JSA – they’d be in great hands.

I am enjoying this series. Johns is probably telling the best story about Hal’s return that anyone could, and while I may not be crazy about all of the nuances of the tale, he’s executing it better than anyone in comics could.

Rating: 8/10

The Flash (1987 Series) #209

April 24, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Fast Friends

The Justice League wants to know who tampered with their memories and why, but the Flash isn’t sure he’s ready to tell them.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Howard Porter
Inks: Livesay
Colors: James Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Art: Michael Turner
Publisher: DC Comics

I find it remarkable that nine issues have passed since the Spectre eliminated the knowledge of Wally West’s double identity from the minds of the world, but Geoff Johns still seems to have plenty of room to mine that simple concept for great stories. This issue Justice League members past and present, specifically those who knew Barry Allen, Wally’s predecessor, confront him to find out why they can no longer remember either of them they way they know they should. Wally, however, just wants to get away to track down his missing wife, Linda. The result is the latest in the classic line of Flash/Superman races. For the first time, however, the race needs to cheap gimmick to pit the two of them against each other, it’s a basic story of a man trying to help his friend and that friend refusing help.

This is a slow paced issue, ironic considering the title character, but Johns does a great job with all of the various heroes depicted herein. Green Arrow is angry, but justified, Firestorm is impatient and we get a surprising insight into John Stewart (the current Green Lantern, not the guy from The Daily Show). Even the eternal admiration for the late Barry is tempered with good character bits. Johns may spend a little too much time on what amounts to an extended roll call, but that’s coming from someone intimately familiar with all of these characters. A less rabid reader than myself may find it helpful.

Howard Porter became a comic book superstar drawing the JLA, and he’s still got it. Any “racing” issue, even one that is built so solidly upon characterization, needs strong art to make it work. You’ve got two men moving at almost the speed of light for most of the book, and Porter makes it work with a blend of classic super-speed images – speed lines, multiple images, bolts of lightning. It’s a fine looking issue.

Next issue we are promised a meeting between the Flash and the man who has, off and on, been his best friend since they were teenagers. It’s a pairing I always find entertaining, and I can’t wait to see what Johns has in store.

Rating: 8/10

Green Arrow (2010 Series) #9

April 1, 2011

Title: Demon Seed

Writer: J.T. Krul
Pencils: Diogenes Neves
Inks: Vicente Cifuentes & Oclair Albert
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover: Rodolfo Migliari
Editor: Adam Schlagman
Publisher: DC Comics

With Brightest Day angling towards its conclusion, things in the Star City Forest are about as tense as it gets. Green Arrow, Galahad, and Jason Blood are struggling against Etrigan, the Demon, while the Phantom Stranger watches ominously. Perhaps most surprisingly, the forest itself is fighting back, attacking Etrigan, but his very presence is corrupting the trees, and even more darkness is ready to swarm.

This issue is almost 100 percent action. It’s all about the battle with Etrigan, only briefly flirting with Galahad or the assembled Poison Ivy and Justice Society members waiting on the outskirts of the forest. Even the Galahad storyline takes a back seat in lieu of the fighting, and that’s where this issue is a little weak. While the fight scenes are good, that’s literally all we get, which means we’re waiting at least another issue for any development on the outstanding Galahad mystery. As that’s what’s really driving me back to the book at this point, it’s a little frustrating. The story doesn’t feel like it’s moving fast enough, and whether that’s the fault of its connection to Brightest Day or not, I simply can’t tell. I’ll definitely continue reading the book through the crossover, but once it’s done with it’s going to be a book right on the edge of the drop bubble for me.

The artwork is very good, fortunately. Neves does forest scenes and action well, and he’s really playing on the Robin Hood motif here. This book definitely has the right artist, and honestly, Krul is a good writer. I just don’t know that he’s good enough to keep me here.

Rating: 7/10

Identity Crisis #3

August 13, 2004

Quick Rating: Great
Title: Serial Killer

The Justice League fights Deathstroke – and more answers are found.

Writer: Brad Meltzer
Pencils: Rags Morales
Inks: Michael Bair
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Kenny Lopez
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Art: Michael Turner
Publisher: DC Comics

One of the greatest mysteries ever to hit the DC Universe continues as the members of the satellite-era Justice League try to bring in the man they believe murdered Sue Dibney. But Dr. Light has hired some muscle of his own… Deathstroke.

The fight with Deathstroke is pretty intense, and will most certainly serve as fodder for arena debates for years to come, but that isn’t nearly as great as what comes afterwards. Green Arrow, apparently our viewpoint character for much of this series, explains to the younger heroes the lengths the old guard went to in order to protect their identities and, by proxy, their loved ones… and what made Dr. Light’s case so unique. We also spend a little time with a washed up supervillain and the family and friends of some of our heroes, capping off the book with and ending that left my jaw on the floor.

This issue, while still a fantastic mystery, wasn’t quite flawless – we get another focus on Tim Drake and his father which, like the segment in issue #1, does not fit anywhere in continuity with the current state of the Batman titles. (And before anyone starts espousing that this may be a clue of some sort, Robin writer Bill Willingham has already stated on his website that this is an editorial blunder). The scene is just two pages long, but it’s so starkly different from the “real” timeline it gets distracting to those of us who are following the regular Robin series.

Rags Morales steps up to the plate again with this issue – he does a fantastic fight scene between Deathstroke and the JLA, including some pretty brutal, violent images. This is definitely a grown-up superhero book, not something you’re going to want to show the kiddies… of course, it appeals mostly to long-time fans anyway.

If there’s any flaw in Morales’s artwork, it’s that he honestly doesn’t do a very good Superman. It isn’t terrible, but there’s something off about his face, something very distracting. Fortunately, big blue is just a peripheral character in this series (so far, at least), and it doesn’t distract you for very long.

Minor flaws aside, the impact of each issue of this title builds exponentially. It just gets better and better as the full impact of what we’re reading starts to hit us. As intense as the first issue was, there was much more to the story than met the eye. And it’s not even half over yet.

Rating: 9/10

Green Arrow (2001 Series) #46

January 10, 2005

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Teamwork

There’s a new Speedy in town… and it’s time for her to join the Teen Titans!

Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Tom Fowler
Inks: Rodney Ramos
Colors: Guy Major
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Bob Schreck
Cover Art: James Jean
Publisher: DC Comics

For casual Green Arrow fans or Teen Titans readers thinking of picking up this issue just so you don’t miss an important development for your own favorite title, fear not. This is a good, solid, done-in-one issue that seamlessly integrates the new Speedy into the ranks of DC’s underage superstars.

Now that Ollie Queen has agreed to let Mia take up the bow and arrow as the new Speedy, he’s decided that she needs a bit more interaction with her peers to balance her out, so taking a cue from Superman, Batman and the Flash, he sees to it that his younger counterpart joins the Teen Titans. She meets the team and is put through a test before being allowed to try to mesh with her new teammates… but will she grow to trust them with her biggest secret?

This is a pure character issue – there’s almost no fighting (save for a nice action scene at the beginning) and a fun “training sequence,” but for the most part it’s a simple story. It’s the New Girl in School trying the make friends. And it works very, very well.

Tom Fowler and Rodney Ramos take over the art chores this issue, and they’ve got big shoes to fill. Phil Hester and Ande Parks really made this comic their own over the past few years. Fortunately, the new team is solid in their own right. They have more of a classic style, reminding me somewhat of the likes of Joe Staton, but that’s a good thing. I’m admittedly not crazy about the new Speedy costume, but it could have been worse.

Overall, it’s a good done-in-one story that GA or TT fans will want to pick up, because there’s something here for all of you.

Rating: 8/10