Archive
Earth 2 #1
May 6, 2012, 2012
Title: The Price of Victory
On Earth 2, a different trinity of heroes fights… but what happens if they fall?
Writer: James Robinson
Pencils: Nicola Scott
Inks: Trevor Scott
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Dezi Sienty
Cover Art: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado & Rod Reis
Editor: Pat McCallum
Publisher: DC Comics
The Multiverse is back with this new title, the first book set in a world outside of the universe of the New 52. Five years ago, the Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman of another universe fought fiercely to save their world from an invasion by Steppenwolf and his Parademons. The world survived, but at an incredible price.
This issue is a lot of set-up, but it’s the most action-packed set-up you could possibly ask for. It’s clear that the classic DC trinity, although they’re in center stage here, will not be the stars of this title. Their appearance, in fact, is mostly here to set up the return of some other classic characters, albeit in new forms. It works nicely for that. This is the sort of all-out war you probably couldn’t get away with on “New Earth” (or whatever they’re calling the universe of the New 52 these days). Plenty of devastation, plenty of death, too much to deal with in 50 or so titles linked together in a single, current continuity. But as this book takes place on an alternate universe, and there are no other books set there (Worlds’ Finest is a spin-off, but that’s not quite the same thing) James Robinson could theoretically have a pretty free hand to go nuts, make major changes, and drastically alter the world as the story dictates. He’s done it before, but in things like The Golden Age. I’m really looking forward to seeing what he does with a book like this on an ongoing basis.
I’ve been a fan of Nicola Scott for some time now, but with Trevor Scott and Alex Sinclair joining her on the art for this book, we’re seeing some of the greatest work she’s ever done. The battle scenes here are incredible, and she gives us depictions of DC’s three biggest guns that look very familiar, but just different enough that we accept them as alternate versions of the characters.
This first issue was great, even if it felt more like a “zero” issue. It doesn’t really matter that much what the number is, though. It’s a fine way to start, and I can’t wait to see where this newer universe is going to take us.
Rating: 9/10
Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #1
June 23, 2011
Title: Kid Flash Lost Part One
Writer: Sterling Gates
Pencils: Oliver Nome
Inks: Trevor Scott
Colorist: Brian Buccellato
Letterer: Dezi Sienty
Cover: Francis Manapul
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
Publisher: DC Comics
With the timeline of the DC Universe irrevocably altered, Kid Flash (himself a time anomaly) wakes up in a 31st century far different from the one in which he was born. He and Hot Pursuit – and not the same Hot Pursuit he met in the 21st century – are cut off from the Speed Force, fleeing the conquering forces of Brainiac, and in danger of having their own timelines changed irrevocably.
This is one of the better Flashpoint miniseries to date. Bart Allen is an exciting character to begin with, but this issue really puts him in a tough spot. He’s cut off from his friends, from his powers, from everything. This incarnation of Hot Pursuit raises a lot of questions as well, and the danger that they face together could serve to bond them in interesting ways. It makes you wonder if this Hot Pursuit, as opposed to the other one, will find a place in the new DC Universe come September.
Oliver Nome is a good artist, and I particularly like his version of Hot Pursuit. The devastated landscape of the 31st century looks good too, and even raises questions about how the dots can be connected from the present-day Flashpoint world to the world Bart is trapped in. Having Francis Manapul on covers is a treat any way you slice it. It’s a strong issue that looks at the crossover from a totally different angle than any of the other tie-ins.
Rating: 8/10
Majestic (2005 Series) #1
January 10, 2005
Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: While You Were Out
Mr. Majestic makes it home – to find an empty Earth waiting for him.
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Pencils: Neil Googe
Inks: Trevor Scott
Colors: Carrie Strachan
Letters: Phil Balsman
Editor: Alex Sinclair
Cover Art: Ed McGuiness & Dexter Vines (Cover A); Josh Middleton (Cover B)
Publisher: DC Comics/Wildstorm Universe
Wow, this is neat. My second Majestic #1 review in about six months. Well, fortunately, it’s as good as it was before. Superman and the Eradicator have found a way to get Mr. Majestic back to his home universe, only to find that all human and animal life has been completely wiped from the planet. The heroes find there are still threats on this poor Earth, however, and there’s plenty of action here even on a dead world.
It’s great to know that the writers who began revitalizing Majestic last year in Superman’s titles are still getting to play with him here. They’ve really got a handle on him, and this may well be the first-ever Wildstorm ongoing title I get on a regular basis. The only downside to this issue would have to be the way the writers gloss over the return to Majestic’s homeworld. It all happens off-panel, and the explanation is a bit too far into the Star Trek/technobabble methodology of writing for my taste. Still, it helps throw us right into the action, which is a good thing.
Neil Googe has a lot to live up to, taking over this title from Karl Kerschl, but does a solid job. He’s got a handle on all three of our supermen, and furthermore, he’s got great grasp on all of the high-tech, sci-fi stuff that seems to come with Majestic’s world.
The issue ends in a nice cliffhanger, but it also closes off a plot thread I would have liked to seen used a bit more, at least through this first story arc. Overall, though, it’s a very nice start to a new era for Mr. Majestic.
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
Coup D’etat Afterword #1
March 9, 2004
Quick Rating: Good
Title: Wetworks Volume Two & Sleeper Season Two Preludes
Where does the Wildstorm universe stand after the Coup D’etat? Find out here.
Writers: Mike Carey & Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Whilce Portacio
Inks: Trevor Scott & Sean Philips
Colors: Wendy Broome
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Ben Abernathy, Alex Sinclair & Scott Dunbier
Cover Art: While Portacio
Publisher: DC Comics/Wildstorm
The title of this book is Coup D’etat Afterword, but it could have just as easily been titled Wildstorm Secret Files, because it is in essentially the same format as that DC Universe series of books – two short stories setting up future titles and lots of profile pages on nearly every Wildstorm title.
It’s a good, quick read that helps get you up-to-date on where things stand now that The Authority has set themselves up as defacto rulers of the United States. Lucifer and My Faith in Frankie scribe Mike Carey is poised to resurrect Wetworks, a very different title from what he’s known for, as a techno-thriller with hints of superhero comics and military action. He tells a good set-up story that will lead fans into the new series quite easily.
Whilce Portacio, who created Wetworks for Image comics once upon a time, returns with some great artwork in this issue. Sometimes dismissed as a Jim Lee clone, Portacio proves here that he has a really good style and knows how to tell a comic book story.
The Sleeper story doesn’t feature Holden Carver at all, but instead shows the reawakened John Lynch pondering the fate of his former operative who has “gone native” in a supervillain underground. This story serves as good recap for the first season – if you didn’t read Sleeper before but want to start, this story will tell you everything you know.
While I wasn’t a fan of Sean Philips’ art in this week’s issue of JSA, he does a much better job in this short story. Taking place mostly in a snow-covered cemetery, he creates a very bleak and bitter mood, making Lynch seem like a force to be reckoned with. The real prize in this issue for Sleeper fans, however, comes with the confirmation that Season Two will begin in June.
The profile pages in this book are also a real gem. In addition to showing the current states of Wildcats, Stormwatch, Wetworks and The Authority, the book also includes profiles of each of these teams in their earliest incarnations. The changes each title has undergone are pretty striking when viewed in this fashion, and it makes you realize how long the Wildstorm Universe has really been around.
Rating: 7/10
The Back Issue Bin 