Justice League Dark #2

November 6, 2011

Title: In the Dark Part Two: Dark Matter

Writer: Peter Milligan
Art: Mikel Janin
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover Artist: Ryan Sook
Editor: Rex Ogle
Publisher: DC Comics

The Enchantress is growing more unhinged, her power more unchecked, and Zatanna know she’s going to have to draw together a team to fight back. Across America, though, the likes of Constantine and Shade the Changing Man are dealing with issues of their own. The book is coming together slowly, but not in a bad way. Like a lot of team books, this first story arc feels like it’s all about bringing the group together for the first time. We see their connections here to Zatanna, we see why they may be needed, and the slow convergence is entertaining to me. The big surprise is just how big a role Dove seems to be playing in the book. Considering her relationship with Deadman, I expected her to show up once in a while, but this issue really makes it feel as though she’s going to be a regular cast member, which would be just fine by me. In addition to a good story, the artwork by Mikel Janin is nothing short of gorgeous. His ability to blend superhero characters with a book that feels like high fantasy is absolutely uncanny, and his faces are very expressive and energetic, telling the story of the characters’ emotions as neatly as the speech balloons convey their words. The “Dark” corner of the New 52 has really turned out to be one of its finest.

Rating: 8/10

Justice League International (2011 Series) #2

October 17, 2011

Title: The Signal Masters Part 2

Writer: Dan Jurgens
Pencils: Aaron Lopresti
Inks: Matt Ryan
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover Artist: Aaron Lopresti & Hi-Fi
Editor: Rex Ogle
Publisher: DC Comics

The new Justice League International is having a tough first mission. While they go toe-to-toe with a ginormous robot in Peru, back in Washington DC the Hall of Justice is firebombed, robbing them of a headquarters. With Booster’s leadership in question already, the team begins to choose sides, and the future of the League is in doubt. The character conflict is really nice here. Guy Gardner leading the anti-Booster contingent is perfectly in-character for him, and this issue gives us a little bit of info as to the status of his and Ice’s relationship in the New 52 as well. Meanwhile, we see Batman and Godiva on Booster’s side, both for very different reasons of course, but for equally legitimate reasons from a character standpoint. The book, while not as slapstick as this title was in its most popular incarnation, is still mostly lighthearted and entertaining, which makes for some good light reading in the midst of a comic book landscape that too often treats fun comics as though they have no value. I really like Aaron Lopresti’s artwork – his characters look great and the giant robot is nicely menacing. This isn’t my favorite of the New 52, but I like it plenty.

Rating: 7/10

Booster Gold (2007 Series) #45

June 18, 2011

Title: Turbulence Part Two (A Flashpoint tie-in)

Writer: Dan Jurgens
Art: Dan Jurgens
Finished Art: Norm Rapmund
Colorist: Hi-Fi Designs
Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
Cover: Dan Jurgens
Editor: Rex Ogle                 
Publisher: DC Comics

Trapped in the world of Flashpoint, Booster Gold has been mistaken for an Atlanean invader. The military sends its greatest weapon out to take him in – the beast called Doomsday, controlled by the mind of General Nathaniel Adam.

Once again, Booster Gold is giving us out best look at the world of Flashpoint outside of the main series itself. Booster being the only person we know of besides Barry who remembers the real Earth, we get a good look at just how things have changed. The Doomsday/Captain Atom mixture is particularly interesting, and particularly harrowing for Booster, who now finds himself fighting his friend in the mind of a creature that nearly killed him once before. Booster also finds an interesting new ally this issue, one with a secret of her own.

Dan Jurgens, as always, owns this character. He writes and draws the most classic, heroic depiction of the character that anybody ever has, and uses his art to really tell the story, not just look pretty. Although I’m sad this title will come to an end during the DC Relaunch, I’m really happy that Jurgens will keep Booster in his stewardship in the new Justice League International title. With any luck, he’ll even be able to pick up some of the threads this title will leave hanging.

Rating: 8/10

Booster Gold (2007 Series) #44

May 31, 2011

Title: Turbulence Part One (A Flashpoint crossover) 

Art: Dan Jurgens
Finishes: Norm Rapmund
Colorist: Hi-Fi Designs
Letterer: Carlos M. Mangual
Cover: Dan Jurgens
Editor: Rex Ogle                 
Publisher: DC Comics

We all know that in September, the entire DC Universe is going to be effected by the events of Flashpoint, but for right now the only ongoing series that’s being touched by the event is Booster Gold. Booster’s creator, Dan Jurgens, is back just in time to see Booster get shunted into the altered timeline created by Professor Zoom. Aware that the universe has changed around them, Booster and Skeets set out to try to restore the timeline, only to run across the nastiest enforcer in any time. It’s always a treat to have Jurgens working with Booster again. With all due respect to the other creators who have worked on this title, nobody has ever drawn the character as well, and few writers have understood him the way Jurgens does. This issue doesn’t really shed much light on what’s going on in the crossover – we’re still not sure just what’s going on in this altered world or how it got that way, but that fits right in with what’s happening to Booster himself. I don’t get the impression that this storyline is going to mean much to the crossover itself, but it does make for an engaging story and a good look at the world through the eyes of an outsider, like ourselves. From that perspective, if nothing else, it works very well.

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

Justice League: Generation Lost #19

February 20, 2011

Title: And the Lord Taketh Away

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

Maxwell Lord has the Blue Beetle in his clutches. Power Girl has broken free from Max’s hold, but she races off to try to wake up the rest of the DCU’s heroes, and the Justice League International races to save one of their own… but, if the cover isn’t too much of a spoiler, they may be too late.

Okay, screw the spoiler warning. DC’s been “hinting” about this for a few months now, and this issue seems to end with Maxwell Lord killing the Blue Beetle – for the second time – with a bullet to the head. And I’ve got to be frank with you guys… I’m not buying it. I just can’t imagine that DC editorial would allow a writer kill off a second Beetle the same way so callously. I can’t imagine that they’d kill off a character that they’ve been giving such a big push in other media. And there hasn’t been even the slightest reaction to the death since the issue came out. Even Kyle Rayner’s “death” during Blackest Night got a few interviews online, and he was back in the next issue. With five issues left in this series, I’m just not banking on Jaime Reyes being dead at the end of it.

Okay, with that out of my system, the issue was really great. Watching the JLI acting like real heroes, true heroes, is everything you want out of this series.  Winick has taken the old group, mixed in a few new members that truly belong, and given us one of the most solid superhero comics being published right now. It’s a shame that this story is so close to the end, and I really hope that DC has plans in motion to keep these characters together after the end of Brightest Day.

Rating: 8/10

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

Justice League: Generation Lost #11

December 7, 2010

Title: Heavy Metal Poisoning

Writer: Judd Winick
Pencils: Aaron Lopresti
Inks: Matt Ryan
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Cover: Cliff Chiang
Editors: Rex Ogle & Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics

Max Lord has tapped into the brains of the robotic Metal Men and set them against our makeshift Justice League, using them to keep our heroes busy as he carries out his own insidious schemes. Most of this issue is taken up by the battle between the two groups of heroes, and while that sort of thing often feels a little forced, here it works okay thanks to the whole reprogramming conceit. The different worldview Max forces into the Metal Men’s minds gives the book a nice added dimension that makes the fight a good bit more exciting as well.

I really like how the relationship between Booster Gold and the Blue Beetle is progressing. While the former Beetle, Ted Kord, was of course Booster’s best friend, the mentor/protégé dynamic between the two of them is working well. The two especially work in contrast with Captain Atom, who doesn’t quite have the respect for the two of them that he really should, but at the same time, he knows he needs whatever soldiers he can get.

The ending of this issue is interesting – it sets up a real conflict between Fire and Ice, without forcing the issue too much. Having read past this point (sorry the review is a bit tardy), we know that the setup is leading into a rather unnecessary retcon of Ice’s origins, and that rather weakens the story as a whole, but taken on its own the way they come together works.

Aaron Lopresti is one of the best artists never to get that “superstar” status. I love his depiction of the (sort of) human Metal Men. Design-wise, the book continues to inch towards Kingdom Come, even using the amalgam Metal Men creation that was featured in this story. Again, the next few issues go a long way to turn away from this potential future, but it’s fun to see the design regardless.

Good, action-packed issue.

Rating: 8/10

Untold Tales of Blackest Night #1

November 16, 2010

Title: Sea of Fear
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Pencils: Patrick Gleason
Inks: Sandra Hope
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Letterer: Steve Wands
Cover: Ethan Van Sciver
Editor: Eddie Berganza & Rex Ogle
Publisher: DC Comics

What, you thought just because Blackest Night ended like eight months ago that DC was done with the franchise? Not long ago they released this one-shot, featuring “lost” tales that could have been told at various points during the main saga. Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason present the book’s framing sequence, in which Sinestro Corps member Lyssa Drak begins to examine the lost pages of the Book of the Black, to discover what happened to some of the characters who didn’t get the spotlight in the main title. It’s an effective enough framing sequence, one that fits in well with the character and the various Corps and gets us into the short stories easily.

Title: Deleted Scene(s) From Blackest Night
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Ivan Reis
Inks: Oclair Albert
Colorist: Rod Reis
Letterer: Nick J. Napolitano

The first two short scenes are literally “deleted scenes,” each of which was presented in script form in the “Director’s Cut” edition of Blackest Night #1. Both of them are really very strong. We’ve got a Ragman scene, where Nekron attempts to raise all of the hundreds of souls that make up his patchwork suit of rags. In the second scene, a group of villains from Keystone make a suicide pact to escape the swarm of the Black Lanterns and join the “winning side,” but a miscalculation thwarts their plans. These scenes were both excellent and fit well into the framework of Blackest Night, but I can see why they were left out. Neither of them advanced the main plot – they’re nice and add color, but aren’t necessary. A one-shot like this is a perfect place to feature them.

Title: The Evolution of Species
Writer: Adam Schlagman
Pencils: Jason Fabok
Inks: Ryan Winn
Colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: Travis Lanham

The first full story in the book is an Animal Man tale with a nice twist. The dead chosen to rise were those that would get the strongest emotional reaction from our heroes, so Buddy Baker finds himself trying to save his son from a rampaging horde of extinct animals. It’s a clever idea, but Schlagman doesn’t stop there. He follows through Animal Man’s adventures throughout the Blackest Night, including the point where those heroes who returned from the dead were all turned into Black Lanterns and, later, into White Lanterns. The Black Lantern Animal Man makes a couple of disturbing proclamations, and it would be interesting to see if anyone is planning to follow up on the items he drops here.

Title: A Losing Battle
Writer: J.T. Krul
Art: Ed Bennes
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Letterer: Rob Clark, Jr.

J.T. Krul, who wrote the magnificent Blackest Night: Titans miniseries, picks up where that left off in his Donna Troy story. This feels very much like an epilogue to that miniseries, featuring a Donna who has been “infected” by her own dead child. Dove tries to cure her, but the story follows through to the point where the Black Lanterns attacked. While this story is structured well, and Krul is very good with the characters, this story feels very superfluous. No real new insight is gained or added to the concept.

Title: Blackest Nightmare
Writer: Jeremy Love
Art: Brett Booth
Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse
Letterer: Steve Wands

The Scarecrow takes center stage in the next story, which shows us the moment he’s chosen to join the Sinestro Corps. This story, while also superfluous, is at least really cool. Sinestros have to face their own fears before they instill them in others, and digging into Scarecrow’s psyche to see what he’s afraid of works well. It’s not particularly surprising, mind you, but the execution is good and Booth’s art fits the character.

Title: An Incident on Korugar
Story and Art: Ethan Van Sciver
Letterer: John J. Hill

Ethan Van Sciver, co-creator of the multiple Corps, takes a rare turn as a writer this issue. When he and Geoff Johns were creating the Sinestros, he brought forth a lot of new character ideas, including Karu-Sil, who here faces her own Black Lantern (during the tentative peace treaty with the Green Lanterns) and unwittingly reveals a lot about her own past. This is probably the strongest story in the book, giving us some real meat for a character that’s only gotten a few minor appearances to date.

The book is fun, and a couple of the stories do give us some interesting background information. Ultimately, though, it doesn’t really feel needed, so it’s hard to give it a higher rating.

Rating: 7/10