Hawkman (2002 Series) #23

January 1, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title:Black Reign Part Two

The Justice Society visits Hawkman in St. Roch for his birthday, unaware of the violent actions their former teammates are taking in the middle east.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Rags Morales
Inks: Michael Bair
Colors: John Kalisz
Letters: Bill Oakley
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Cover Art: John Watson
Publisher: DC Comics

The JSA/Hawkman crossover continues, and the only people likely to be disappointed are Hawkman fans. This is a fantastic issue, but the title character is barely in it – this would have been a stronger issue if DC had printed this as JSA #56 and that issue as Hawkman #23 – granted, Hawkman isn’t in that issue either, but neither is anyone else in the JSA, and it would serve as a stronger prologue.

This criticism is only valid for people who read only Hawkman and not both titles, however – people reading both, or even people who only read JSA and are only getting this issue for the crossover, will have nothing but praise. The team goes down to the city of St. Roch (a veiled New Orleans clone) during a time of “celebration” (it’s Mardi Gras, folks). Johns uses this setting to give us a peek into the personalities of many of the characters — Wildcat loves it, Green Lantern is uncomfortable and Dr. Mid-Nite tries to help people who may not have realized they needed help. There’s a great subplot with Hourman talking to his late father, the first Hourman (via a device that will allow him one hour total to speak to his father in a time-pocket before he dies). We also get very good scenes with Power Girl, Stargirl, Captain Marvel and the Flash. Even Hawkman gets a good scene – the only problem is that, in his title, his moment doesn’t come until the very end. Oh, but what a moment it is.

Rags Morales is a fantastic artist, and he gets a lot of great scenes in this book – including Hawkman’s brief battle with a nameless old man trying to make himself into a supervillain and an absolutely fantastic last page. It’s a terrible shame that Morales will be leaving this title soon, and one can only hope DC has an artist with half his talent lined up to take his place.

I’m deducting one point from the overall score because I feel this book may let down Hawkman fans – but fans of both titles, like myself, should add a point and not hesitate to pick it up. It’s great superhero storytelling.

Rating: 7/10

Green Lantern (1990) #178

June 29, 2004

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: Homecoming? Part Three

Fatality faces down Green Lantern on the streets of New York!

Writer: Ron Marz
Pencils: Luke Ross
Inks: Rodney Ramos
Colors: Moose Baumann
Letters: Jared Fletcher
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Cover Art: Brandon Peterson
Publisher: DC Comics

With the knowledge that this entire franchise will be revamped and Hal Jordan will be reinstated in just a few months, reviewing this title almost feels like an exercise in futility, and that’s a real shame because this is one of the best Green Lantern storylines in the last two years. I’m enjoying this book more than I have since the Ion storyline, and it’s picking up steam just in time to get the ol’ heave-ho.

After a heartbreaking prologue sequence with John Stewart, we switch to where we left off last issue – a grieving, shattered Kyle Rayner is assaulted by the alien Green Lantern killer known as Fatality, who has a more specific agenda for him mind than she has in the past. Kyle has taken her down before, but when she manages to tag him with a drug that saps his willpower, he may be in for the fight of his life.

Except for the three-page prologue, this is a straight action issue, one long, drawn-out fight, and it takes a special talent to write a fight that long and still keep the book engaging. Marz does that. This is by no means the first time we’ve seen a Green Lantern story where his brain gets scrambled and his ability to use his power ring is compromised, but the inner monologue and the visuals of Kyle struggling to cope with this chemical attack really make it work. The issue ends with a revelation which, while not 100 percent shocking, is very satisfying, as it implies that this storyline will give real closure and a real capper to Kyle’s tenure as the number one Green Lantern.

Luke Ross does fantastic battle scenes and draws a great Green Lantern – he’s one of those artists that not enough people have heard of, but when you see his art, you start questioning why he doesn’t get more high-profile work. From Kyle’s ring constructs to his hallucinations under the influence of the drug, Ross has an attention to detail and a wealth of imagination that makes these pages click.

Only three issues left, and while I do feel confident Geoff Johns will serve up a good beginning to the next chapter of the ringslinger’s legacy, I still feel a little burnt by DC Comics for ending this title, especially now that it’s finally getting good again. Do yourself a favor – if you like Green Lantern but you’ve been turned off by the past few years of tripe, don’t wait for Hal to come back. Read these six issues, and see Kyle get his well-earned last hurrah.

Rating: 8/10

JLA #92

January 27, 2004

Quick Rating: Average
Title: The Lesson (Extinction Part Two)

When the alien Peppy finds his mission on Earth had failed before he arrived, will the Justice League be able to show him Earth is worth saving?

Writer: Dennis O’Neil
Art: Tan Eng Huat
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Mike Carlin
Cover Art: Doug Mahnke & Tom Ngyuen
Publisher: DC Comics

Last issue, an alien called Peppy came to Earth to find a silver-masked monkey, only to arrive just in time to see the last member of that species die. This issue, the Justice League learns what made that monkey so important. Meanwhile, fandom let out a collective yawn.

It’s sad to say this about a writer with such a varied and impressive career as Dennis O’Neil, but this arc is really just sort of humdrum. Been there. Done that. An alien comes to Earth to protect and endangered species and make all us humans feel bad about ourselves. It’s just not anything new, and after a seriously lackluster JLA title for the last year or two, that’s what this book needs.

That’s not to say that there’s really anything wrong with this book — for the most part it’s okay, and in fact, this story would be much more entertaining if it were printed as a silver age pastiche rather than an in-continuity story arc. He does good characterization on Superman, on Batman (a character he edited for many years) and his characterization on Plastic Man is almost too good (yes, he’s a wacky character, but in this title he doesn’t have to have a sight gag and a one liner in every panel he appears in).

The alien character really isn’t that interesting either. On top of a really bad name (Peppy?), if he’s telling the truth about his mission, that flatly contradicts one of the most important parts of Green Lantern continuity of the 80s — one would think Jon Stewart, who was present for those events, would make mention of it.

Huat’s artwork just isn’t working for me, and it may be because he’s either inking it himself or because it’s being colored straight from the pencils, I can’t tell which. In either case, he needs a good inker to work with. His storytelling and formatting is fine, but things look sketchy and unfinished. Sometimes his faces remind me of Joe Staton and sometimes his layout reminds me of Leinil Yu, and in both cases he comes up wanting compared to those great artists.

As I said, JLA has been a lackluster title for a long time, way too long, and this arc really isn’t changing that (although, to its credit, it does not suffer from a lot of the problems that marked the run of the previous creative team). With the new rotating creative team format, it is to be expected that some arcs will be better than others. Editor Mike Carlin should have started that format with a home run story arc, though, and at best, he’s given us a ground-rule double.

Rating: 5/10

Avengers/JLA #4

April 4, 2004

Review by: Blake M. Petit & Mike D’Alfonso
Quick Rating: Excellent/Excellent
Title: The Brave and the Bold

With Krona amassing enough power to destroy two worlds, the Avengers and the Justice League face off with a legion of villains to save all creation.

Writer: Kurt Busiek
Art: George Perez
Colors: Tom Smith
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Tom Brevoort, Dan Raspler & Mike Carlin
Cover Art: George Perez
Publisher: Marvel Comics & DC Comics

The Avengers and the Justice League have one chance to take down the mad Guardian Krona. Through sifting timestreams and an army of foes, the heroes never yield. Reviewers Blake Petit and Mike D’Alfonso give you their impressions of the final chapter of this crossover event.

MIKE: Well ladies and gents, we have the grand finale of the DC/Marvel intercompany crossover, starring the premiere teams of both universes respectively and I think that after a few months delay, it was well worth the wait.

BLAKE: More than worth it, I’d say. Busiek and Perez have woven an incredible story that really lives up to the 20 years it took to get on the page.

MIKE: I have to hand it to Kurt Busiek, he certainly did his homework when it came to researching the history of the principal cast in this story. When I read issue number three a few months back, he touched base on the pivotal moments of all the main characters. I was almost afraid that Busiek would never be able to top it. It would seem my fears have disappeared, when the book further delves into the heart of the conflict both between the two teams and the crisis that is presented before them.

BLAKE: In fact, if there’s any strike against this issue, it’s that it may be TOO continuity heavy. With timeline shifts hitting the heroes, changing out players and turning heroes into different incarnations of themselves, people without an in-depth knowledge of the teams may be at a loss Still, since these crossovers are done mainly for the die-hard fans, that shouldn’t be too big an obstacle.

MIKE: I would have to agree with you on that, but I think that it is somewhat insignificant in the grand scheme of things. For example: Captain America and Superman are seen as revered iconic figures in both their universes respectively. The only difference is that Captain America has years of experience both as a hero and a soldier. He has guided men of humanistic and godlike qualities alike, without very much hesitation.

BLAKE: Oh, of course. In fact, I thought one of the best things about this issue is how Busiek didn’t shy away from crowning certain heroes the best in certain things. Superman immediately defers to Captain America as the leader, Cap recognizes Superman as being the most powerful. A lot of crossovers dance around that sort of thing for fear of alienating some fans, but Busiek took it head on and settled the debates.

MIKE: I really don’t know if anybody has noticed this but, the current title holders of the Green Lantern and Flash legacies did not appear for most of this crossover. I really think that the inclusion of Barry Allen (Flash II) and Hal Jordan (Green Lantern II) was only because they were supposed to be in the original crossover that was supposed to be released over 20 years ago.

BLAKE: Well, no, Kyle Rayner and Wally West were featured in the first two issues. I think the reason Busiek brought in Hal and Barry once the timelines started to fall apart was because — regardless of your opinions of the current GL and Flashes, Hal and Barry in their primes were easily the most heroic.

MIKE: Well that’s true. I have to admit that I did like the shared moments between all the heroes before the final battle actually begun. This was around the time they realized that separate tragedies have befallen each of them in their personal lives. Out of all the people who had not taken to the sudden impact, Vision seemed to emote a lot of turmoil. Considering that he is an android, it is very ironic that anything that could be viewed as a cold calculating machine would seem more human than his contemporaries (Well he does have the brain engrams of Wonder Man).

BLAKE: Not to mention the impact on Hal and Barry, both of whom knew full well that in saving the universe they were condeming themselves to death and, in Hal’s case, madness. I thought Busiek handled the scenes with those two especially well.

MIKE: In the respect of Barry Allen, there were some scenes in this book that is very reminicent of his final fate in the Crisis maxi series.

BLAKE: Which, of course, George Perez also got to draw, giving the book some poetic symmetry.

MIKE: I really think that George Perez is the undisputed king when it comes to cramming as many characters in a single book as possible. If I’m not mistaken, just about every person that has been affiliated with both teams make an appearance in this book.

BLAKE: Well, he did get literally every character in the team’s histories onto the cover of issue #3 — no one else could do that. I think that may have been one of the reasons they went with the shifting timelines as well — to make sure they could represent as many characters as possible. And Perez did them all beautifully, even the dreaded Electric Blue Superman.

MIKE: Perez could have also taken the easy way out by presenting just the prominant members of each team and leave the obscure characters out of it all together. Fans of Perez know that he would go 120% to please the masses. With any character both popular and obscure, Perez has captured the visual aspect of each character from various timepoints, with very sharp accuracy. I really thought it was a kick to see the Great Lakes Avengers and Animal Man.

BLAKE: And here I thought I was the only one who remembered the Great Lakes Avengers.

One can’t discount the contributions of Tom Smith on colors either. Perez’s artwork is beautiful, but without great colors to pull the images off the page, it wouldn’t have mattered. A lesser colorist would have muddied this book up. Smith stepped up and made it beautiful.

MIKE: These fine collaborators, as well as the technology to enhance the richness of the art clearly defines the magnitude of what is to be expected of a mini series of this caliber. Anything less would have been a sheer blow to both companies if it went south. I had the utmost confidence that all would go well and I think it did.

BLAKE: This is a book that has suffered from 20 years of hype. I know there are people who were disappointed in it — I honestly believe that in most of those cases it was because they had built it up in their minds to be something it could never possibly have lived up to. People who wanted a fun story featuring lots of heroes, lots of action and great characterization and artwork couldn’t be disappointed.

MIKE: I think that you could use movies as an analogy in this instance. If the advertising over-emphasizes the product that a movie studio is trying to sell, it could be a hit or miss no matter what. I think that if it was announced in another fashion rather than plastering it throughout both publishers and comic guides alike, we would here a different tune.

BLAKE: I think that’s a problem with comics in general these days, actually, but that’s another topic entirely.

MIKE: Well all in all, I think that people want a general consensus of how I felt about this issue as well as the overall mini. I would honestly say that it has filled my expectations as both a fan, and an avid reader of various forms of sequential literature. I admit that there were times where I thought that Busiek and Perez would muck up the characterization and visuals of the numerous characters that appeared. However I think that these two individuals pulled together a story that is valid and not a throw away story just to rake in some extra dollars.

BLAKE: I couldn’t agree more. For a book so long in the making, this miniseries delivered for me, and I’ll put it on my shelf right next to the Crisis itself.

Blake’s Rating: 10/10

Mike’s Rating: 10/10

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

DC Countdown #1

March 28, 2005

Quick Rating: Incredible
Title: Countdown to Infinite Crisis

Someone has collected information on the greatest heroes in the world – and it’s up to one of the least grandiose to unravel the mystery.

Writers: Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka & Judd Winick
Pencils: Rags Morales, Ed Benes, Jesus Saiz, Ivan Reis & Phil Jimenez
Inks: Michael Bair, Ed Benes, Jimmy Palmiotti, Marc Campos & Andy Lanning
Colors: Moose Baumann, Hi-Fi, Paul Mounts, Guy Major & Steve Firchow
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano
Editor: Dan Didio
Cover Art: Jim Lee & Alex Ross
Publisher: DC Comics

When I reviewed Identity Crisis, particularly the first and last issues of that miniseries, I felt like I’d been kicked in the gut by a mule. The story told in that miniseries was heartbreaking, stomach-wrenching and emotionally exhausting, while still being one of the best stories I’ve read in years.

Reading this special makes the gut feeling from that comic feel like a minor stomach flu.

This issue is all spoiler, and there’s almost nothing I can say without tipping the hand of the writers. Someone has gathered information on DC’s greatest heroes. Who, how and for what purpose is something that I honestly, until I turned that page, never saw coming, but unlike the identity of the Identity Crisis murderer, this one wasn’t really that big a stretch to accept. It almost felt poetic, like this was something that’s been in the works for decades instead of just the last few years.

And after reading this, there can be absolutely no doubt that this title has been meticulously planned out over the last few years. There are threads picked up on this book from titles as disparate as Batman, Superman/Batman, Adam Strange and Birds of Prey, and of course, the entire issue hangs heavily under the spectre of Identity Crisis, but one who hasn’t read those respective series will be able to understand this book without problem. Furthermore, the groundwork is laid very neatly for the four miniseries that will lead into Infinite Crisis – those being The Omac Project, Villains United, Day of Vengeance and The Rann/Thanagar War.

This book has an all-star team of artists doing the work. Each of the pencilers, from Identity Crisis’s Rags Morales on down, is doing top-notch work, and considering that each artist/inker team uses a different colorist, it’s even more incredible how neat and uniform this issue looks.

I’m still in shock. My stomach is in knots as a write this, because while I felt the last page of this issue coming from the very beginning, it still hit me like a Mack truck.

Make no mistake, friends. Identity Crisis was a warm-up.

And this is just the first round.

There’s a hell of a long way to go. And I’m starting to feel that getting there may produce some of the greatest comic book stories I’ve ever read.

Rating: 10/10

The Flash (2010 Series) #6

December 28, 2010

Title: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues Part Six

Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Francis Manapul
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Letterer: Sal Cipriano
Cover: Francis Manapul
Editors: Adam Schlagman & Eddie Berganza
Publisher: DC Comics

Concluding “The Dastardly Death of the Rogues,” Barry Allen has pieced together the truth about Mirror Monarch’s death – his true killer was his own teammate, the 25^th century’s Top. But the question is, why? As he races to solve the mystery, we get a glimpse of this title’s future.

Geoff Johns, let’s face it, is pretty much the prime architect of the DC Universe at this point, steering both the Green Lantern and Flash franchises and all things Brightest Day, but as this issue reveals he’s also got at least an eye on everything else that’s going on. Things that are happening in the Justice League titles and in Wonder Woman’s book clearly are significant to what’s up with Barry and probably will have something to do with the much-ballyhooed Flashpoint storyline that’s slated for 2011.  Some people hate these sort of larger, meta-stories, and I can sympathize with that to a point. I do think that each individual title (or at the very least, family of titles) should be able to stand on its own. But when a meta-story is well put together, it works really well. And in this case, I think it is. This works as a story in its own right, but it also works as the spine of a larger work.

Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato are really becoming one of the finest artistic teams working in comics. Manapul’s linework is sharp and exciting, with fantastic layouts and action sequences, but I don’t think it would be half as great if not for the wonderful and innovative coloring work Buccellato is doing on this title. We’ve got a book here that genuinely looks like nothing else being published today, and that’s a major point in this title’s favor.

This book is firing on all cylinders, and I’m really looking forward to the build-up to Flashpoint.

Rating: 8/10

JSA #55

December 7, 2003

Quick Rating: Excellent
Title: Be Good For Goodness’ Sake

The old guard of the Justice Society pays a Christmas Eve visit to an old friend.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Leonard Kirk
Inks: Keith Champagne & Wade Von Grawbadger
Colors: Hi-Fi
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Peter Tomasi
Cover Art: Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino & Hi-Fi
Publisher: DC Comics

I love this comic book. I love this more than my next 30 minutes of oxygen. I would buy a bushel of this book and give it out as Christmas presents if I thought everybody I knew would get what makes it so great. This is one of the sweetest, most joyful comic books I have read all year, but the only people who will get it will be people like me, who love the old-school, Golden Age superheroes more than anything else, who thinks of Allen Scott and Jay Garrick as the definitive Green Lantern/Flash team, and who misses those characters who have faded into the background.

Green Lantern, Flash, Wildcat and Hawkman spend every Christmas Eve visiting an old friend, once a comrade-in-arms, who has been sadly absent from the DCU for far too long. I can’t tell you the identity of this friend without spoiling the issue, but suffice it to say when I realized who it was, I literally cheered. And I don’t care if I am the only one.

This is a beautiful, self-contained, one-issue story that every JSA or Golden Age fan needs to read.

Leonard Kirk makes a fill-in return to the title he sadly had to depart four issues ago, and for my money, he’s always welcome back. He draws the classic heroes better than anyone in the business these days, and if a new creative team for Hawkman hasn’t been decided on yet, the editor should take a long, hard look in Kirk’s direction.

I can’t say enough good things about this comic book. JSA, month in and month out, is one of the most solid superhero titles on the market. This issue is a Christmas present for fans who remember a time when heroes were pure and innocent, when “grim and gritty” had not yet become part of our vocabulary, and when the silliest of concepts made for the purest of spirits.

Rating: 10/10

DC Universe Holiday Special 2008

December 23, 2008

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: The Man in Red and other stories

A series of seasonal tales from across the DC Universe!

Writers: Sterling Gates, Matt Cherniss, Peter Johnson, Dan Didio, Paul Dini, Joe Kelly, Franco Aureliani, Art Baltazar, J.C. Vaughan, Amanda McMurray, Rex Ogle, Alan Burnett, Adam Schlagman
Pencils: Karl Kerschl, Ivan Reis, Ian Churchill, Dustin Nguyen, Mick Bertilorenzi, Tim Levins, Lee Garbett, Rafael Albuquerque, Michael J. Dimotta, Kevin Maguire, Rodolfo Migliari
Inks: Joe Prado, Dan Davis, Trevor Scott
Colors: Pete Pantazis, Rod Reis, Bob Rivard, Dustin Nguyen, Pam Rambo, Heroic Age, Cris Peter, Frank Martin, Michael J. Dimotta, Max Niumara
Letters: Travis Lanham, Rob Leigh, Pat Brosseau, Sal Cipriano, Nick Napolitano
Editors: Dan Didio & Eddie Berganza
Cover Art: Frank Quitely
Publisher: DC Comics

Holiday specials, to be frank, are usually a mixed bag. You get some good stories, some bad stories, and in the end you’re left trying to decide if there was enough good to justify the price. This year, however, the DC Universe Holiday Special has a surprising amount of good, more than enough to balance out the rest.

“The Man in Red” begins the issue with a very familiar story – the last son of a dying world is sent to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. It’s obvious from the beginning, of course, that there’s a twist – and even more specifically, just what that twist is – but somehow, that doesn’t make the story any less fun. “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” is a bizarre Aquaman story. When the king of the seas finds s ship being hijacked on the surface, he leaps to the aid of the husband and pregnant wife fighting for their lives. Along the way, though, he finds himself playing the part of a different king. I really liked this story, I must say. The parallels were obvious, but not heavy-handed, and definitely gutsy.

Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen give us a very different take on Batman and Robin in “Good King Wenceslas,” and even though DC isn’t currently using the label, this is as good an Elseworlds story as you’ll find this year. Batman comes back again in “A Day Without Sirens,” by Joe Kelly and Mick Bertilorenzi. Jim Gordon is skeptical when a local agency tries to pledge a night with no sirens, no crimes, no emergencies for the GCPD to handle. But as the clock ticks and the phone doesn’t ring he’s forced to question – is it a Christmas miracle?

“It’s a Wonderful Night” takes advantage of a unique dynamic as Nightwing and Robin encounter Captain Boomerang. Lest we forget, their fathers killed each other, so there’s a tension there unlike any other. Perhaps my favorite story in the book, though, was “Christmas With the Beetles.” Three generations of criminal have run afoul of three generations of the Blue Beetle, and the cycle looks like it’s going to start again, unless a father convinces his son to change his life. I love seeing the two older Beetles in action, and as a fan of Jaime Reyes, he was welcome in this book too. “An Angel Told Me” is a nice – if not amazing – Huntress story about a kid in her school who has been showing up with mysterious bruises. It’s a bit predictable, but gets the point across without preaching.

“The Night Before Christmas” features a highly up-to-the-minute Teen Titans team (plus Traci 13, Jaime’s girlfriend) hanging in New York City at Christmas. The story deals heavily with the dynamics of the characters, with Robin and Wonder Girl contemplating how to keep the team together, Bombshell refusing to interact with her teammates, and Red Devil feeling kind of left out. Unlike most of the stories in this book, which have an ambiguous sense of time about them, this story could easily be inserted in-between pages of the current Teen Titans run, and in fact, probably should be included in a trade paperback of the series.

Alan Burnett and Kevin Maguire step up with “Party Animal,” a tale of the Shaggy Man. The addle-brained villain is rounded up on Christmas Eve, but rather than interrupt the Christmas festivities at S.T.A.R. Labs, Green Lantern and Red Arrow bring him to the JLA Satellite – to interrupt their party. The story is funny, and Maguire’s fantastic artwork helps a lot to get the comedy across.

Finally, Dr. Light stars in “Let There Be Light” by Adam Schlagman and Rodolfo Migliari. Stuck at work on Christmas Eve, Kimiyo Hoshi is attacked by the surviving members of the Fearsome Five, teammates of the villain whose identity she has claimed. There seems to be a definite attempt to bring this character to the forefront these days, which I’m fine with as long as it’s done well. Migliari does some excellent artwork with her, and the story actually addresses the one thing about the character that has always bothered me – namely, why she’d adopt the name and costume of a monster like Arthur Light.

Although there are a few lesser tales in this book, this mixed bag is far less mixed than the typical Yuletide special. There’s a lot of really good material in this issue, and the special is definitely worth the price.

Rating: 8/10

DCU Infinite Holiday Special #1

December 16, 2006

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: A Hector Hammond Christmas and other stories

Christmas in a Post-Crisis DC Universe!

Writers: Keith Champagne, Bill Willingham, Joe Kelly, Tony Bedard, Ian Boothby, Greg Rucka, Kelly Puckett
Pencils: John Byrne, Cory Walker, Ale Garza, Marcos Marz, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Christian Alamy, Pete Woods
Inks: Keith Champagne, Luciana Del Negro, Lorenzo Ruggiero
Colors: Nathan Eyring, Mike Atiyeh, J.J. Kirby, Rod Reis, Hi-Fi Design, Jason Wright, Brad Anderson
Letters: Travis Lanham, John Hill, Jared K. Fletcher, Phil Balsman
Editors: Peter Tomasi, Joey Cavalieri, Eddie Berganza, Mike Carlin, Joan Hilty
Cover Art: Howard Porter
Publisher: DC Comics

A few months ago, DC solicited this special as Infinite Christmas, showcasing several DC heroes in this new world that’s been built up. When it hit the stands on Wednesday, though, the title had mysteriously changed to Infinite Holiday. This is really unfortunate, and for two reasons. First, Infinite Christmas was a great play on words. Infinite Holiday makes no sense at all. Second, with the last-second, unannounced title change after being promoted for so long, it gives the book the air that someone whined and someone else buckled.

But on to the actual stories. We’ve got seven tales of the DC Universe, and they’re all pretty good. Keith Champagne and John Byrne kick things off with Green Lantern “A Hector Hammond Christmas.” Hal Jordan is summoned to the imprisoned telepath Hector Hammond, only to find that Hammond is out to try to steal some of Jordan’s memories again. Although the sordid little man usually plucks out Hal’s more intimate encounters, this time his agenda is different – he just wants a taste of the Christmases Hal enjoyed with his father. It’s a surprisingly sweet tale and it works very, very well.

Bill Willingham and Cory Woods showcase the Shadowpact in “Christmas Spirits.” As the members of Shadowpact enjoy Christmas at the Oblivion, a not-so-jolly figure in red appears. It’s Santa Claus, and he’s become the target for Anti-Christmas terrorists. Willingham has an absolutely hysterical twist in this story, the sort of thing you’re almost surprised he could get away with, but it’s such a great little left turn that anything else would have made the story seem rather trite.

In “All I Want For Christmas” by Joe Kelly and Ale Garza, Superman invites Supergirl to join him in his annual tradition of reading mail from people asking for his help. Supergirl finds a young girl who wants nothing more than to spend Christmas with her father, stationed in Iraq, and the girl of steel sets out to help. Even at Christmas, though, things aren’t always what they seem.

“Gift of the Magi” is the Trials of Shazam! tie-in. Tony Bedard features two of the gods that are testing Freddie Freeman as, at Christmas, they discuss his worthiness to take on the power of Shazam. The story is a nice little sidebar to the main storyline, and Marcos Marz, Luciano Del Negro and Rod Reis do a very good job of imitating the digitally painted style that Howard Porter has brought to the comic. “Father Christmas” by Ian Boothby and Giuseppe Camuncoli stars the Flash. As Bart Allen still tries to come to grips with taking on his grandfather’s mantle, Los Angeles is buried under a freak snowfall. Someone’s using the tricks of an old Flash foe, but the reasonings behind it may not be what you expect.

The new Batwoman stars in “Lights” by Greg Rucka and Christian Alamy. On Hanukkah, Kate Kane busts up a ring of Santa thieves who have a very special treasure in their possession. Honestly, this story really fell flat for me. The story relies very heavily on Kate’s relationships with two characters that we haven’t really met at all prior to this story. Batwoman herself is still a developing character – this story doesn’t work until we know more about her world and the characters she’s interacting with.

The special wraps up with Kelley Puckett and Pete Woods’s “Yes, Tyrone, There is a Santa Claus.” When a young boy writes a letter to the Daily Planet asking if there’s really a Santa Claus, Clark Kent decides to take matters into his own hands – until a friend advises him to rethink things. This is a really funny story, leading up to a hysterical final page that puts everything into the proper context.

Overall, this is a really good special, with each story (expect for the last one) shedding nice light on characters who have undergone major changes in the past year or two. As such, it’s a strong sampler of the DC Universe as a whole, and a good little dose of Christmas cheer.

Rating: 8/10