Brightest Day #6

July 30, 2010

Title: Dead Zone

Writers: Geoff Johns & Peter J. Tomasi
Penciler: Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Scott Clark & Joe Prado
Inker: Vicente Cifuentes, David Beaty, Mark Irwin, Christian Alamy
Colorist: Peter Steigerwald with John Starr
Letterer: Rob Clark Jr.
Cover: David Finch, Scott Williams & Peter Steigerwald
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Publisher: DC Comics

Realizing that Deadman’s White Lantern ring seems to have the power to resurrect the dead, Hawk tried to force a resurrection for his brother. Failing that (because he’s “at peace”), he turns to Dove’s sister, a soul most definitely not at peace… with highly unpredictable results.

I’m really intrigued by what Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi are doing with this series. The previous storyline, Blackest Night, was reportedly a way to explain how death works in the DC Universe. While we definitely got that explanation, this series has been making it very clear that we only got a partial explanation. There’s more to it, something that we haven’t really been made to understand yet, and something that I think we may be approaching very quickly. Deadman’s story has easily been the most engaging of the various tales in Brightest Day, and this issue is no different.

That said, just because Deadman’s story has been the best doesn’t mean the others aren’t good. Firestorm especially has grabbed my attention. This week we see Jason and Ronnie forced into action when a Firestorm-style stunt is pulled off without their involvement, endangering innocent lives. It seems they aren’t riding alone, and the implication about just who may be somewhere in the Firestorm Matrix with them is pretty chilling.  We also have a nice heart-to-heart between Aquaman and Mera, his wife, who kinda came to Earth to kill him originally, and we see that the Martian Manhunter may have changed up his power set along with his resurrection. He’s not the only one –Aquaman and Captain Boomerang have both showed off altered powers since their return from the dead, and the question of why and how is right up there with “Why did these twelve people – and no one else – come back?”

The only thing that hurts this book a little is the tag-team roundup of artists that provide the interior pages. While none of these specific artists are bad at what they do, nor are they particularly well-matched. It’s really easy to tell when one artist ends his section and another begins, and while the shifts are done to match changes in the characters and stories, it’s still just noticeable enough to be a problem. Not a big one, but it’s still there.

Good issue overall, and I can’t wait for the promised big reveal next week.

Rating: 7/10

Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files 2003

October 27, 2003

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: “A Day After” and “Who Was Donna Troy?”

The writers of the regular Teen Titans and Outsiders ongoing series fill in the blanks from the end of Titans/Young Justice: Graduation Day.

Writers: Judd Winick, Geoff Johns & Phil Jimenez
Pencils: Ivan Reis, Carlo Barberi & Phil Jimenez (Plus several others in the profile pages)
Inks: Marc Campos, Norm Rapmund & Andy Lanning (Ditto)
Colors: Sno Cone & Tom McCraw
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano & Comicraft
Editors: Eddie Berganza & Ivan Cohen
Cover Art: Tom Raney, Scott Hanna, Mike McKone & Lary Stucker
Publisher: DC Comics

With DC’s Secret Files series, the stories are almost always sort of superfluous, “fill-in-the-blank” tales that may shed a little light on the regular series, but are almost never necessary to understand the story. The challenge then, for the writers, is to tell stories that are still entertaining in that context. Winick and Johns tag-team to tell what happened in the fallout of Graduation Day, leading up to the regular Teen Titans and Outsiders series they have made into bestsellers. Most of the main characters get a page or two to show how they’re handling the events that tore apart their previous teams, and fans of either series get to peek into their favorites.

The real gem in this book, however, is Jimenez’s short story focusing on the funeral of Donna Troy. This is mostly a showcase for Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl, but Green Lantern, Starfire and Superman each have a moment to share their grief, and there is a wonderful scene with Batman that fits nicely into current events in the JLA title.

The profile pages, as usual, are good to help people brush up on the characters they may be less familiar with, and it’s nice to see different artists’ interpretations of the characters. It’s interesting to note that both Winick and Johns contribute artwork to the profile pages, with Winick breaking slightly from his usual, cartoony Barry Ween style for the Grace page and Johns doing an impressive piece with Kid Flash.

This book is indispensable for people who read either or both of the regular series. For others, it probably won’t resonate with you.

Rating: 7/10