TOO DANGEROUS FOR A GIRL!

Justice League International #6 review

2012-02-01T22:36:00.000Z

After five months of the Signal Masters storyline, which culminated in the new JLI sending the godlike Paraxxus packing, it's time for some downtime. For the heroes, though, that doesn't mean sitting around - it means cleaning up loose ends around the globe - giant robots, citizen bombers, that sort of thing.

This issue, then, is in the main a series of sub-teams getting to know one another. There's Batman imploring Booster Gold to keep the JLI going even if the United Nations withdraws its backing, while they track down the protesters who bombed their Washington DC headquarters back in #1; Ice, Guy Gardner and Rocket Red discussing Booster's leadership ability as they dismantle a robot behemoth in Peru; Godiva and August General in Iron dealing with a bomb in New York over a hotdog; and Booster, Vixen and Fire arguing the case for the JLI's continued existence with the UN's Security Group.

Plus, there's an explosive cliffhanger, a phrase I suspect I'm using a lot in relation to DC comics lately - exploding teams are the new ripped-off arms, it seems.

Still, it's great to get to know the members a little better after the breakneck pace of early issues. Ice gets back an old origin; Rocket Red gets mind-zapped; Godiva loses the cod-Cockney while getting a bit of depth and a new friend in August General in Iron (what a mouthful - anyone for Augie?). And I love that Batman has total faith in Booster's ability to make a go of the team - there aren't many non-Gotham heroes whom he sees as a peer, but Booster's one. And the man himself puts his future past to good use in telling the UN bods just where to get off, tickling Vixen and Fire.

That, and intervention from Augie, sees the UN deciding to retain the JLI, positioning them in relation to the independent Justice League as 'a group without secrets'. I do hope not, that'd make for some dull comic books. But the UN wants the team to help inspire faith in governments, by being noble and transparent - the people's heroes.

I'm intrigued to see this new tack instituted by writer Dan Jurgens, as it makes the JLI sound positively socialist. I hope he does something with the idea, rather than ignore it and have the JLI carry on like any old super-team. I'm convinced he's better than that, though, Meanwhile, he's given us an issue full of incident and character dynamics, a fine coda to the team's first storyline. The only moment that gave me pause was Augie bothering to rip off his shirt before stopping a careering van - wotta ham.

Jurgens is aided by guest penciller Marco Castiello and inker Vincenzo Acunzo, who retain the vibe instigated by regulars Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan while making strong storytelling choices of their own. Their Batman is especially impressive - Bat-Office take note! Augie also looks superb, with the excellent colour work of Hi-Fi Designs proving key (click on image to enlarge).

The good-looking cover is the work of illustrator David Finch and colourist Richard Friend. (Come on Booster, give Godiva her hair back ...)

Justice League gets all the marketing, Justice League Dark is the most intense, but this is my favourite Justice League book because it looks and feels like classic League. And that's a big compliment.

Avengers Academy #25 review

2012-02-01T19:41:00.000Z

Science meets sorcery in Hybrid and the old Rom villain is hungry - hungry for the students of Avengers Academy, a tasty power source for an energy-eating beast. Recent issues have seen him take control of some students, as well as staff members, with the help of Reptil. But not Reptil as we know him - the dino-teen has had his mind taken over by his future self, who believes that facilitating the deaths of his old classmates is the only way to save his timeline. (What the problem is, we're not told - I suspect a goatee plague.)

As we join the Academy this issue, Reptil has had enough. He's realised that this isn't the way, that no one deserves to be sacrificed on the altar of his future. So it is that while Giant Man leads the fight against the horde of Hybrid, Reptil enlists aid from very surprising quarters.

And once the newcomers have helped see off Hybrid and his mind-controlling ways. they deliver a brand new headache.

As ever, writer Christos Gage shows that personality and action don't have to be mutually exclusive in an Avengers book. His characters reveal aspects of their natures, they change and develop, but they do it while saving the world rather than, say, speaking into a dictaphone. And little by little, we're seeing teamwork emerge naturally. My favourite moments this issue see Hazmat showing supposed love rival X-23 (superhero, or bus service?) who's boss, and Reptil demonstrating that if the hero work ever dries up, he'll make a teriffic relationship counsellor. Then there's Finesse hinting that if any Academy student is going to wind up a villain, it's not her.

And speaking of Finesse, there's a hint from her future self as to her father's identity - someone prone to memory problems. Any ideas?

The only disappointment with this issue's script is that Rom doesn't put in an appearance. Surely Marvel and Parker Brothers will eventually sort out their legal kerfuffle, allowing the space hero to return to comics? He's referenced here merely as 'one of the spaceknights'. Boo!

Penciller Tom Grummett presents big, bold layouts perfect for fight scenes involving a couple of dozen players, while inker Cory Hamscher complements Raney's clean, open style. Extra points to them for being the first artists to make Hawkeye's new movie-led costume look good on the page.

A splendid package for $2.99 includes the best intro and recap page out there, and a regular letters column in which Gage engages in honest dialogue with the readers. Topping off the book is a cracking cover courtesy of Rodin Esquejo and while Reptil is the wrong colour, it's a better one. The logo placement is a bit rubbish, but you can see why. Two months to go until A vs X! Like, thrillsville.

Action Comics #6 review

2012-02-01T14:46:00.004Z

It says Action Comics on the cover, but we're firmly in All-Star Superman territory here, as Grant Morrison dips into his bag of high concepts. In doing so, and with the aid of artists Andy Kubert and John Dell, he gives us the best issue of this comic since the DC New 52 relaunch.

A side-story amid the ongoing Brainiac storyline, 'When Superman learned to fly' sees the Superman of 2012 travel five years into the past - the regular Action time setting - to 'save the life' of the rocket which brought Kal-El to Earth. At his side are the founders of the 31st-century Legion of Super-Heroes - Saturn Woman, Cosmic Man and Lightning Man. Last month members of the Anti-Superman Army stole the rocket's power source which, the mad scientist addressing the troops informs us, can yield different varieties of Kryptonite guaranteed to give Superman a headache - and worse.

We soon learn the surprising location of the villains' secret headquarters, get a new spin on Titano the Super-Ape and see the true significance of that oft-told first meeting between young Clark Kent and the Legion.

I could go into more detail, but most comics are better read than described and if you're at all interested in Superman, this isn't an issue to miss. There are hints about the gathered villains (amusingly, one of 'em will be familiar to Golden Age fans as Lois Lane's niece, Susie Tompkins*), insights into how Clark felt about being sent across space and more personality for Lightning Lad - sorry, Man - than he's had in years.

Good lines abound, my favourite being a toss up between 'How about no teeth?' and 'We'd built him up as this idol in our minds, this myth, and he was just a gawky caveman kid.' Check out the book to see how much better they are in context.

Action Comics #6 is mainstream Morrison at his best, with character as much to the fore as ideas in a story that requires concentration, but no PhD. And the odd iffy face apart, penciller Kubert and inker Dell do a tremendous job delivering powerful visuals that grab the eye without compromising the storytelling.

The story ends with hints about the future, while the comic closes with a back-up tale focusing on the past, specifically the day Clark Kent left Smallville. He goes with a typically generous gesture to a neighbour, and the love and support of pals Lana Lang and Pete Ross. Writer Sholly Fisch delivers a heartwarming, but never cloying, snapshot of Clark's life just before he moved to Metropolis, while illustrator CrisCriss and colourist Jose Villarrubia make the memories sing. There's one almost-full-page panel for Clark and Lana that's simply gorgeous in the way it marries the everyday and the super.

This is the first comic I've read this week, but I'll not be surprised should it be the best - it's issues like this that will ensure Superman survives the 21st century - and maybe even reaches the 31st.

* Susie image borrowed from the excellent Supermanica, used with permission!

Legion: Secret Origin #4 review

2012-01-25T23:22:00.003Z

As the newly formed Legion of Super-Heroes grows, the mysterious attacks on backer RJ Brande continue. Chameleon Boy, Invisible Kid and Colossal Boy sign up, though Brainiac 5 resists the idea when Phantom Girl suggests he does too. The Science Police gripe to the United Planets about the Legion poaching its potential recruits, but the politicians are happy that the team is giving UP youngsters a role model to rally around. Out in space, UP Admiral Allon - Colossal Boy's dad - keeps watch over a wormhole after incursions by an unknown power, while on Earth Circadia Senius enlists Brainiac 5 to unravel the secrets of time travel.

It's all go, I tell you ... and still there's room for a fun fight with robots who don't respect Asimov, representing the Legion's first tussle as an official team. With less of the politicking of previous instalments of this mini-series, and more of our title characters, this is the best issue yet. Fun touches include Brainy using his force field to keep the dirty hordes of 31st-century Metropolis at bay, an experiment connected to the Silver Age of Comics and Invisible Kid's unexpected reasons for signing up with Brande. And it ends on a wonderfully hopeful note, delivered by Jaclyn Smith-lookalike Phantom Girl.

Speaking of Phantom Girl, Brainy seems a little in love with her, and he's not the only one, if Chris Batista's gratuitous shot of her intangible arse is anything to go by. Tut.

I really do like the penciller's work with Mark Deering, though, even if figures occasionally look as if they're being squeezed sideways. There are some superb expressions at play, and the background work is first-rate, with the 31st century looking most inviting. Top work, too, from colourist Wes Hartman and letterer Dezi Sienty - this story is going to make a fine-looking trade. And it doesn't read badly, either, with interesting parallel storylines and lots of character quirks from writer Paul Levitz. As a love letter to the Legion, this series is strictly niche, but it's a heckuva nice niche.

Secret Avengers #21.1 review

2012-01-25T20:30:00.000Z

Captain America takes Hawkeye on a hush-hush mission to one of those ultra-corrupt little nations that populate spy fiction. Hawkeye's bombastic ways see things go awry, annoying Cap, who so wanted his pal to succeed - unknown to Hawkeye, Cap was testing his covert op skills in the hope he could succeed him as Secret Avengers leader.

Hawkeye is understandably miffed, given that Cap's known him for years and he's every bit the Avenger Cap is. Hawkeye goes off in a huff, Cap gets captured by a new Masters of Evil run by loincloth-loving Life Model Decoy Max Fury, Hawkeye rescues him and it looks like he'll get the job for which he never applied.

Well, it's the Secret Avengers, of course you'd not know you were up for a new position.

The last six issues have been the peak of the Secret Avengers series, as Warren Ellis and top-notch artists produced clever little connected one-offs showing superheroes as spies really could work. And perhaps Marvel should have quit while they were ahead, 'cos if this Point One issue is indicative of the future of this book, it's in trouble.

Because it makes no sense. As mentioned above, Cap has no need to test Hawkeye, he's worked with him on and off for years and knows his strongest areas. He seems to expect Hawkeye to see it as a compliment that he's even considering him, but Hawkeye is rightly perturbed. But does Cap apologise? No, he launches into a personal, insulting rant that's beneath him, and one Hawkeye doesn't deserve.

Then, in order for them to come good, Hawkeye is made to take out not just Max Fury but his pet super-villains - Whiplash, Vengeance and (a new?) Princess Python - with a few tricked-up arrows. They get a panel each in which to fall.

It's not all bad, with Rick Remender supplying some crisp, witty dialogue, Patrick Zircher doing a beautiful job on the illustrations and Andy Troy providing cool, textured colour art. The early action sequences, with Hawkeye and Cap escaping casino guards, are excellent (click on image to enlarge). Remender and Zircher gel well, with the pictures used to give us additional information rather than merely underlining the script. And I love that Hawkeye emphasises that 'Avengers don't kill' - he may have to retrain a few Secret Avengers ...

But the whole notion of the issue is so wrongheaded, the falling out of the heroes so unbelievable, that it makes for an ultimately unsatisfying read.

On the other hand, Remember is a fine writer, with standout work such as Uncanny X-Force under his belt. And for his coming run, beginning with #22 next month, he's teaming with the very talented Gabriel Hardman ... and Captain Britain is in there. So I'll try a few issues, and put the clunkiness of this good-looking, readable comic down to it being a Point One book, not so much a jumping-on point as a bump in the road.

Zircher, with colourist Dean White, provides a terrific movie poster-style cover. Marvel's marketing department almost ruin it, with a ruddy great advert for an event not starting for three months - are they scared we won't get our orders in early? Newsflash, Marvel, every cover ad is going to sour me towards Avengers vs X-Men just a little bit more ...

Justice League #5 review

2012-01-25T16:31:00.001Z

Darkseid has landed in Metropolis and has his eyes on Flash and Superman. More specifically, his omega beams, the deadly force blasts that can lock on to a person, making evasion almost impossible.

'Almost'. The fastest man alive finds a way to escape being blasted to atoms, and while Superman isn't so lucky, he is tougher so survives the painful burst of energy. Mind, he's stunned enough for Darkseid's flying monkeys - sorry, parademons - to whisk him away.

Flash shares the bad news with pal Green Lantern and new acquaintances Aquaman, Batman, Cyborg and Wonder Woman, who are pulling themselves together after being downed by Darkseid debris last issue. GL fires himself at the silent alien dictator but is beaten down while his colleagues flail around like an Enterprise crew on the command deck. All but GL - with one arm broken - and Batman wind up blasted streets away, bringing the issue's big emotional scene as Batman bids to persuade GL they should find their colleagues - GL is fighting mad and raring to go up against Darkseid again, even if it gets him killed.

Batman unmasks in front of Hal, to prove he's just an ordinary guy like him, trying to right wrongs. After giving GL a pep talk cum lecture, Batman leaves the mask off, peels away his chest symbol and gives himself up to the parademons, figuring that's the quickest way to find Superman. A becalmed GL finds the other heroes, passes on Batman's pep talk and they shuffle off to find Darkseid. Batman, meanwhile, finds himself on the other side of a Boom Tube and staring at the hellish heart of Armaghetto on the planet Apokolips.

This doesn't yet feel like a Justice League comic, but it's getting there. The heroes have stopped bickering in favour of addressing the big picture - the threat of Darkseid to all life on Earth. Hal Jordan's oafish behaviour comes to a head, bringing the promise of a calmer Green Lantern, while Flash impresses with his super-speed tactics. Batman intrigues with his very odd undressing on the battlefield, and an understandably scared Cyborg steps up into a literal baptism of fire. GL's reaction to Batman's reveal is priceless.

It's not all great, though. Aquaman gets something like four words, while Wonder Woman, in her dozen or so, comes across as a slash-happy dimwit. Hopefully writer Geoff Johns will up his game with regard to Diana, in particular, sharpish.

And if artist Jim Lee could perhaps draw her not looking like a blow-up doll, so much the better (click on image to enlarge).

Everyone else looks fine, but his Diana, in that scrappy tiara-effort, is rubbish - maybe I should blame one or more of the four inkers, but I seriously doubt any of them are tinkering with the boss' breakdowns. Darkseid is imposing but Lee's redesign isn't a patch on Jack Kirby's original, just as none of the New 52 costumes better previous versions ... they're all just fuss and faff, tweaking for the sake of it.

The best scenes are those involving Green Lantern: whether he's tickling Darkseid, bemusing Batman or playing big brother to Cyborg, GL is imbued with a rare intensity by Lee that matches Johns' script.

Next issue brings the origin of the new JLA to a conclusion, and after that, in #7, a Shazam back-up, signalling an end to filler nonsense such as this issue's sketchbooks showing the new designs for Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Cyborg. Maybe then this book will feel like $3.99 well spent.

Teen Titans #5 review

2012-01-25T14:39:00.001Z

Superboy has pretty much beaten Wonder Girl but before he can turn her over to his masters at NOWHERE, her new friends - christened the Teen Titans by Red Robin - arrive on the scene. After a bunch of individual tussles, they lie defeated but score something of a win ... Superboy tells the shady organisation he wants answers and won't be their lapdog anymore.

I've been enjoying the latest take on DC's long-running teenage team, but this issue lets the side down badly. It's a dumb comic. Having announced on page two that his secret weapon is tactile telekinesis, the Titans don't use that knowledge against him. They're not a team yet, but they at least have numbers and could round on Superboy as a unit, destroying his concentration. But no, they attack one on one. Kid Flash runs off half-cocked and winds up tossed right across New York (and not even by Superboy). Bunker's super-Lego proves spectacularly ineffective. Solstice bolts to save Kid Flash before he crashes into a boat in New York Harbour ... by blasting said boat in two and putting civilian lives at risk.

Red Robin finally tries the 'break his concentration' idea, but not having any actual super-powers to back up his assault, proves easy meat for the super-powered clone. And when Wonder Girl jumps back into the fray, she's apparently squished by a subway train.

I say 'apparently' because while we see the train coming, the impact panel is taken up by a nifty, but unhelpful, sound effect. It's safe to assume, though, that there will have been more injuries to innocents.

All of which goes to show that these kids shouldn't be allowed out; they're just not bright enough to cohere as a team, or to prioritise the safety of civilians. I'm not saying give 'em to NOWHERE - Solstice talks of 'everything NOWHERE has done to me, and made me do on their behalf', so they're hardly an after-school club - but these Teen Titans are in need of heavy mentoring.

Also, better dialogue. Superboy's aforementioned moment of stupid exposition is bad enough, but writer Scott Lobdell also has him use Silver Age Memorial Phrase 'vaunted intellect'.

To be fair, at the beginning, Red Robin does suggest they need a plan, but the guy is so patronising ('Follow my lead, guys - it's our only chance') that you can see why individuals might run off half-cocked.

I really hope this NOWHERE plotline wraps soon, as it's taken up ten issues of Teen Titans and Superboy and is getting wearisome. Plus, his dealings with them have made Superboy so scarily unlikable that I can't see how the Teen Titans could ever sign him up.

I can see that this battle was inevitable as part of the Titans' journey - not necessary, but inevitable in a genre where stories progress through dynamic physical conflict - but it doesn't make for a gripping issue. The feel is very much 'going through the motions' as we wait for Superboy's inevitable u-turn. In fact, the most interesting thing about it is trying to work out who that is on the Missing poster - it looks like the original, John Byrne-created Wonder Girl, but it's not going to be her. Any guesses?

The art by Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund is suitably big and bold, with good facial expressions (check out Kid Flash's tongue hanging out as he concentrates, or Wonder Girl's fear as she's dragged below the streets). There's an almost tangible sense of danger sizzling off the page, not something you can say about many comics. The costumes remain awful - outside of Solstice's starkly black look - but hopefully they'll get replaced in time.

The colours by Andrew Dalhouse complement the art well, while Dezi Sienty's lettering is just the job (bar Wonder Girl describing her magic lasso as 'a grift from the gods' - then again ...).

Groundbreaking only in that Superboy rips up the pavement, this is an entirely skippable issue.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #5 review

2012-01-20T00:36:00.000Z

Artist Kenneth Rocafort and colorist Blond present a killer cover for the fifth issue of this consistently excellent DC New 52 original. The imposing monster. Helpless hero. Hurting heroine, hair flowing like blood. And all imposed on a gorgeous winter scene ...

The artwork's just as impressive inside, in a more sequential way, of course. The battle between the reptilian Crux and desperate Arsenal is fun to follow, with incident and emotion easily apparent. This being the case, writer Scott Lobdell is able to use narration and dialogue to add detail and fizz, as Arsenal - 'recovering hero' Roy Harper - subdues the creature he suspects of harming his friend Starfire, aka Koriand'r of Tamaran.

Crux's grudge against her arises from a spaceship belonging to her people having accidentally killed his parents - hardly her fault, but the formerly human Crux doesn't care - he hates aliens, and her kind most of all. He's failed, though, in his bid to remove Starfire's alien powers, due to not knowing her history.

Mind. she's not much use when it's round two between him and Roy - happily, Arsenal is ready to make the sacrifice necessary to end the fight once and for all.

Nearby, Jason Todd - Robin turned Red Hood - fights for his life against a member of the hidden race known as the Untitled. Along the way he learns that his foe, who has been serving as town sheriff, had nothing to do with the slaughter of his friends, the All-Caste league of assassins. Red Hood doesn't care, and murders her anyway, using a previously unseen ability that's shockingly unpleasant.

Mid-battle he flashes back to the time Ducra - Yoda-meets-Terminator matriarch of the All-Caste - supervised a ritual known as The Cleansing. She hinted that one day he'd expel the anger within him (the small matter of the Joker having beaten him to death and Batman failing to avenge him) and be glorious. Not this day, though, as the lifeless Untitled sheriff would attest.

Ace Jase reunites with Roy and Kori, and tells them they have to get out of town because an angry mob is on his tail - he's realised that the Untitled are taking over communities, controlling the good burghers. They flee, taking the injured Crux along ...

... and so ends another issue packed with incident, action and characterisation. It becomes obvious this time that Roy doesn't share his friends' attitude towards killing - Jason has been brainwashed into believing that offing someone is akin to giving them a marvellous gift, Kori's martial upbringing and past as a tortured slave have her primed to execute Crux, but Roy? He venerates life, and it'll be interesting to see if he can persuade at least one of his pals to come around to his way of thinking.

The only off-moment this time is a comment from Crux that implies he read the controversial first issue of this title (click on image to enlarge).

That's just a tad too meta for my liking.

Great page, though - Rocafort really imbues Crux with sinewy power, making Roy and Kori's situation seem suitably dire. The artist does similarly fine work throughout, with dramatic storytelling and dynamic layouts. Blond's colouring is the icing on the proverbial cake - bright where it needs to be, subdued elsewhere. And relative newcomer Carlos M Mangual has fast become one of DC's go-to letterers with intelligent, stylish calligraphy. The script from Lobdell is worth Mangual taking time over, being full of little revelations and big moments. I especially like the way the Outlaws' (no one has actually called them that yet!) camaraderie is morphing into friendship.

Lobdell and co are producing one of DC's best books, as fascinating, likable characters (and I'm not normally one to enjoy 'good guys' who kill) negotiate a confidently worked-out mystery. I'm here for the long haul.

Uncanny X-Men #5 review

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000Z

This issue the Brotherhood of Evil X-Men handles a dangling plot thread from an X-Force story. Angel had become evil old Archangel again (he'd fit right in here) but Psylocke was too soft to kill him, meaning 5,000 people died in a nuclear blast. Oops. The spot where they perished is now a temporal anomaly nicknamed Tabula Rasa, a kind of Savage Land from the other end of time. Inside are future folk worshipping X Force, and monsters who need bashing.

But that's not important right now. What is, is the fact that the plot maguffin allows writer Kieron Gillen to split Cyclops' Extinction Team into pairs, elicitng some elegant character moments. There's Magik bringing brother Colossus-cum-Juggernaut out of his funk; Hope dropping the tough girl bit long enough to enjoy a flirt with Sub-Mariner; Storm and Cyclops discussing the mutant schism; and Magneto forcing Psylocke to admit she knows more about Tabula Rasa than she's telling anyone. Only the robotic Danger is left out, with Cyclops, as is usually the case, restricting her to communications - and don't think the formerly murderous AI hasn't noticed.

The best thing Gillen does this issue is begin the rehabilitation of Cyclops - there's not one instance of him being a pompous asshole; instead, he's the smart, nurturing leader he was meant to be. There are even signs that ill-feeling lingering after the schism won't last long.

The much-maligned Greg Land turns in the best work I've seen from him for years - very few loony toothpaste ad model grins (Magick, and she is meant to be a little skewed) but plenty of action-appropriate poses. And he produces not simply isolated images, but proper storytelling. Like this page (click on image to enlarge):

There's a pic of Storm having a bit of fun amid the danger that may well have started out as an ad, or glamour image, but it works and Ororo doesn't get enough spotlight moments these days ... the woman used to be a star! And Magneto looks magnificent, never has his helmet looked so shiny (ahem).

Backing up Land with one of the most gorgeous colouring jobs I've seen are Justin Ponsor, Laura Martin and Guru Fx. And Ponsor it is who adds the hues to Land's grabber of a cover.

There's a cliffhanger as the bad guy shows up, but he's no one I know. Apparently a Celestial. Celestials are boring, so hopefully not. Then again, Gillen books are never boring, so perhaps the - Immortal Man, is it? - will display a previously unremarked wit. And tap dancing ability. Yeah, I'd buy that for four dollars.

Legion of Super-heroes #5 review

2012-01-18T22:00:00.002Z

'One day, a thousand years from now ...' the Legion of Super-Heroes takes a breather. With no universe-shaking crisis to beat, the members enjoy a rare day of downtime. They train, they love, they party, they work. Over the course of 24 hours we check in with, by my count, 29 members and reserve members, the most we've seen in any issue of the Legion since its recent relaunch.

If you're looking for big dramas, this isn't the issue for you. But if you're wanting perfect cameo portraits of the members who make up the galaxy's greatest super-team, don't miss it. There's Cosmic Boy obsessing over the missing, presumed dead, team currently to be seen in Legion Lost; Harmonia Li putting the lie to her name with a disastrous spot of music making; teenage witch Glorith disturbed by ... something; Polar Boy drunkenly carousing; Dream Girl seeing 'a weird image of some big old stones ...' and more.

And it's not just the current team make-up, as we check in with the likes of child-raising founders Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad; odd couple Blok and Black Witch (in tabloid-speak, the Blok Witch); and Academy graduates Power Boy and Gravity Kid, who I'm happy to see are considered part of the gang.

The Dominator incursion plotline bubbles along, while there's foreshadowing around the nature of Glorith and those stones. The latter show up for real on the final page, which melds hope and foreboding in a single image. Overall, this done-in-one story is a box of chocolates without a solitary hard caramel, and congratulations to writer Paul Levitz for pulling it off (click on image to enlarge)

Joining Levitz is another Legion veteran, though one whose service record is a tad spottier. Still, I'll forgive this deserter as it's the great Walt Simonson, who drew the odd Legion story back in the Seventies. His loose line is perfect for this lighter tale of the Legion, his knack for body language brings the members to life and his kineticism proves handy when it comes to depicting such things as Ultra Boy playing ball. My favourite scene shows Vi on a tiny running machine by the bed she shares with Lightning Lass - it's just so ordinary yet, as she grows to full size, extraordinary.

Dan Green and Sean Parsons provide strong inking support, while Javier Mena's colours highlight such things as Element Lad's seeming depression and Glorith's fears. Pat Brosseau, meanwhile, keeps the script straight with his usual smart lettering job.

I love Day in the Life stories, because they show what the heroes are protecting - the status quo, the joyful Ordinary, that's worth fighting for. And this is a splendid one.

Supergirl #5 review

2012-01-18T19:30:00.000Z

Hoping to learn what happened to her world, Kara follows the sunstone's lead through hyperspace to a blue orb, where she finds her home, Argo City. But it's deserted, in ruins. The sunstone plays a message from her father, Zor-El, telling Kara how he planned to save the city from Krypton's destruction, but unsure he'd be successful, placed her in a protective pod and sent her offworld. His hope was that Kara would one day be reunited with him and her mother ...

... tragically, it will never happen. Zor-El is distracted by something off camera, something that approaches and slaughters him. Kara is filled with grief and anger - in the space of minutes she's learned that as Superman claimed, Krypton is dead; Argo City survived awhile, but it's now dead; her father, too, is dead.

She begins hitting out at things around her, a terrifying engine of destruction. It's then that perhaps the only other being on Argo makes herself known - Reign, another woman of immense power, with an offer to make Kara. Supergirl, though, isn't listening, instead lashing out against the newcomer even as distance from Earth's yellow sun dampens her powers some. She can't beat Reign, and has to listen as she explains that she's a sentient living weapon linked to Zor-El, a Worldkiller.

Now Reign wants Kara to join her as she conquers Earth, convinced there's a secret on 'that little ocean planet' that makes it a haven for Kryptonians. Realising Kara won't help her, she instead leaves Supergirl to die as Argo finally fades.

This is my favourite issue of Supergirl yet, a fast-moving balance of action and explanation. While I could live without Supergirl's first reaction to the arrival of a stranger being to beat them up (see also Supergirl #2), I accept that she's under stress and immature; just let this be the last time for awhile. I do like that we get some illumination as regards Supergirl's background - I was afraid the mysteries would drag on forever. And her mix of wonderment and fear as she realises that she's flying through space on a single breath makes sense. I'm less keen on a second appearance for her ability to release yellow sun energy from within ... I prefer my Kryptonians to have the standard power set.

New character Reign (originally planned to be a fresh take on old character Maxima) has potential as an ongoing antagonist, given her strength and ties to Supergirl's heritage. And she has a creepy look as drawn by Mahmud Asrar, with heavy brow, perma-sneer and something of the White Martians about her.

Asrar's work is pleasing throughout, though Argo might look a tad more fantastic. His new take on Zor-El works and the fight with Reign is nicely varied in composition. The contribution of Dave McCaig deserves extra praise, now Asrar is working without an inker. They pair kick off the issue well with a well-balanced, dramatic cover.

With luck, the origin arc will be over soon. Good as it is, I'm keen to see what Kara's status quo will be in terms of her new life on Earth. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying this new take on the Supergirl legend.

Wonder Woman #5 review

2012-01-18T13:49:00.002Z

Diana's having a breakfast of tomatoes in London with pals Zola and Hermes when a stranger, Lennox, brings a side order of obtuseness.

'It must be something to learn yea has a dad the same day yea learn he's scarpered off the ... call it the immortal coil?'

Well cor bloimey and lor luvvaduck. Rather than tell the fella to get back to Mary Poppins, Diana lets him speak, and believes his story that with Zeus being dead, some of his children are jostling for position. She also takes on board his claim that he's a member of her newfound family too, one who discovered his links to Olympus on the battlefields of the Second World War.

So she takes Lennox at his word that she has to be on Tower Bridge at 'six bells' or live to regret it. Who should turn up at 6pm but Poseidon, god of the seas, not in familiar old guy pose, but as the biggest, ugliest fish you ever did see? Diana changes into her Wonder Woman outfit to have a chat. Poseidon says he's going to be the new lord of Olympus, Diana stirs the pot by lying, telling him that Hera has her eye on the prize.

Meanwhile, Lennox has gone into the London sewers, met three-headed devil dog Cerberus and been saved from becoming dog food by, presumably, Hades. Dig that beehive gone bad.

Back on the rain-sodden streets of London, a pair of (masked!) centaurs appear behind the crowd watching Diana. And on some godly plain, Hera seethes at Diana's weasel words.

So Wonder Woman's plan to take on Hera, who has killed her mother and threatens Zola and her child, is based on a lie? I'm taking it that she aims to get Poseidon and Hera at one another's throats and hope they take one another down. I get that Hera's power levels are far beyond her own, but truth has always been one of the most powerful weapons in Diana's arsenal. I'm all for using it, not abusing it.

I'm baffled as to why there's such a long gap between Lennox's arrival at breakfast and Poseidon's at teatime - we're told Diana and Zola have spent the day together, which isn't very proactive for a superheroine; she should be rounding up troops against Hera, not sticking by Zola's side for Hera's inevitable attack ... act, don't react. Take the offensive. Even Hermes sees that sticking close to Zola just makes her a bigger target.

Mind, this Diana isn't the sharpest tool in the Amazon armoury, suggesting that Zola having Zeus's child somehow makes Zola her aunt. Why does Lennox gain Diana's trust so easily? Who's told him to go into the sewers? Why doesn't Diana ask more questions?

Five issues in, and as atmospheric as this story is, as nicely written as the dialogue is when Brian Azzarello isn't reaching for local colour, I'm impatient for the wrap-up. Wonder Woman seems far from the star of this book, which is basically Clash of the Titans meets Dynasty. It's a seemingly endless parade of gods and godlings knocking on Diana's door, telling her things. There's no spark to Diana, no optimism, no sense of her taking control. She should be unifying the Amazons to storm the gates of Olympus, not cowering in London waiting for the next thing to happen.

Cliff Chiang is absent this issue, but fill-in penciller Tony Akins produces more than decent work, keeping the Chiang feel. Diana, Hermes and Zola are all on-model, he can draw realistic street clothes, his London is convincing - he gets across the idea of rain swimmingly - and his creatures of myth are suitably unearthly. Not that all the monsters work - Poseidon looks just ridiculous, like a fat refugee from The Little Mermaid with his daft 'crown' of shells. There's no sense of grandeur, or threat - he looks plain silly.

In all, this is another good issue of Azzarello and Chiang's Wonder Woman, but if someone told me they were leaving tomorrow, I'd be fine with that. The title character in this run isn't DC's most famous heroine, she's a bit player in a tale of gods and monsters, Percy Jackson in a swimsuit.

Legion Lost #5 review

2012-01-16T22:42:00.001Z

'Never stopped you either, energy-sock.'

And there you have it, my favourite line in this week's comics. But who said it? Stick around, embrace spoilers and I'll get to that.

As we rejoin the storyline, Dawnstar is fighting super-villain from the future Alastor - three of him, due to his manifesting the powers of a Carggite. As she attacks physically, Tellus tries to beat him mentally.

Elsewhere, a new demonstration of Tyroc's powers allows Timber Wolf to escape US security forces with the stricken Chameleon Girl, and he and Wildfire to join Tellus and Dawnstar. They know the latter two are in trouble, having felt the cry of pain from Tellus as Alastor resists.

Alastor, in his rage, causes a truck to crash, sending the driver through the windscreen. This in turn prompts an impressive display of super-tracker Dawnstar's ability to instantly calculate 'every movement of the truck ... the driver ... every individual piece of glass ... trajectories, angles'. But even as she hurls herself forward on angel wings, Dawny knows she won't be able to resist the oncoming truck.

She also knows Wildfire will arrive to save her, a matter not of super-powers, but of faith and love. And he does, before showing Alastor the extent of his anti-energy's force. It's Tellus who finally gets the drop on their foe, though, showing Alastor that while he intended to destroy the human race for supposed future crimes, he's actually guaranteed the universe that supposedly caused the death of his sister. Ah, sweet irony.

The revelation finally causes Alastor to shut down, meaning he misses the issue's big surprise - the return of thought-dead Legionnaire Gates. His and Wildfire's mutual joy at being reunited motivates the quote at the top of this review, a gem from writer Fabian Nicieza. Have some context, and a typically splendid panel from artist Pete Woods (click on image to enlarge).

That's not the final surprise of this issue. But I should leave something for anyone still to read the book. It's another pacey, enjoyable episode from Nicieza and Woods. They're extremely good at splitting their overall story into immensely satisfying nuggests. Former Legion writer Jim Shooter was writing at his blog this week about the lack of clear fight choreography in superhero comics, and I suspect he'd approve of this series - cause and effect within panels is clear, and it's easy to imagine what there's not room to show; logical new uses for powers are found; characters are clearly identifiable ... this is 'simply' good storytelling.

And the praise must extend to colourist Brad Anderson, who is excellent at leading the eye where it should go, and producing dramatic lighting effects. And letterer Travis Lanham, for some distinctive work - he does an especially nice job with Tellus' narration, an easy on the eye yellow-out-of black treatment.

The only art tweak I'd suggest would be a return to a more classic costume for Wildfire, who currently looks more like a robot than an anti-energy ghost. Other than that, it's all good, with moments such as Tellus's mental battle with Alastor, and its resolution, outstanding.

Other commitments mean next issue is Nicieza's last, which is sad. Here's hoping successor Tom DeFalco keeps the momentum and character moments coming. Whatever happens, for the moment at least, we have one of the best Legion of Super-Heroes series in years.

52 - 6 +6 = The Newer 52

2012-01-12T14:42:00.003Z

We all saw it coming and here it is - the first cull of titles which debuted as part of September 2011's revamp of the DC Comics line. After their eighth issues, the following series will be no more: Men of War, Mr Terrific, Static Shock, Blackhawks, Hawk & Dove and OMAC.

I can't say I'll be shedding any tears for the first four of these, having disliked them sufficiently not to bother after their first or second issues. Hawk and Dove I stuck with until this month's #5, which seemed like quite enough. OMAC, though, I've been enjoying hugely, as Dan DiDio, Keith Giffen and Scott Koblish produced a monthly love letter to Jack Kirby. Perhaps we'll get the occasional special - there has to be some perk to being a pet project of DC's co-publisher, DiDio.

Determined to keep that New 52 momentum going, though, DC have immediately announced replacements: Earth 2, World's Finest, GI Combat, Dial H, The Ravagers and Batman Incorporated. Here's what we know, in italics, courtesy of DC's The Source blog, with my comments immediately after each entry.

BATMAN INCORPORATED – Writer: Grant Morrison. Artist: Chris Burnham. The acclaimed ongoing writer of ACTION COMICS, Grant Morrison, presents a fresh take on BATMAN INCORPORATED, in which the Batman brand is franchised globally in preparation for a major international threat.
How odd to describe Morrison in terms of Action Comics when he's already the 'acclaimed ongoing writer' of Batman Inc. While it seems there will be tweaks, this isn't especially new, it's the return of one of the best Batman series for years. Most issues have had thoroughly enjoyable scripts by Morrison (acclaimed non-ongoing writer of Aztek!), while recent collaborator Chris Burnham is a huge new talent. I'm looking forward to seeing how things go now we know Talia is behind evil organisation Leviathan.

EARTH 2 – Writer: James Robinson. Artist: Nicola Scott. The greatest heroes on a parallel Earth, the Justice Society combats threats that will set them on a collision course with other worlds.
This is the series we thought would be called JSA, but it seems the scope will be larger that 'just' the finest heroes of a generation. It sounds as if we're getting a series of stories akin to the old annual JLA/JSA/Obscure Team summer blockbusters of the Seventies and Eighties. I'd have been happy with a simple JSA series in which they're the greatest heroes of their world, whether set today or in the Second World War. As well as that, we're getting a gimmick, one which could provide a lot of fun for Robinson, who just adores little-known characters. And it's about time Nicola Scott, one of the best and most reliable pencillers around, received a spotlight project.

WORLDS’ FINEST – Writer: Paul Levitz. Artists: George Perez and Kevin Maguire. Stranded on our world from a parallel reality, Huntress and Power Girl struggle to find their way back to Earth 2. Perez and Maguire will be the artists on alternating story arcs.
Now this is a nice surprise. The current Huntress mini-series has been showing that the heroine has an affinity for cats, hinting that this is Helena Wayne, daughter of Batman and Catwoman, rather than Helena Bertinelli. And it looks like writer Paul Levitz hasn't been toying with us, as he helms a book teaming this original-style Huntress with her old best friend, Power Girl. Peege has been much missed since the New 52 began, although a pale shadow of her other identity, Karen Starr, has appeared in (bye bye) Mr Terrific. With luck, this will be the confident, warm, funny heroine who starred in her own book in recent years, who knew she began life on another Earth. And with George Perez and Kevin Maguire on board, we're guaranteed a beautiful-looking comic.

DIAL H – Writer: China Miéville. Artist: Mateus Santoluoco. The first ongoing series from acclaimed novelist China Miéville, this is a bold new take on a cult classic concept about the psychological effects on an everyman who accidentally gains powers to become a hero.
I've read only one comic book story by China Miéville, in Hellblazer #250, and it was ruddy good, so I'm excited to see what he does with Dial H for Hero, one of those Silver Age DC concepts that keeps coming back. Well, a dial that bestows super-powers is pretty much every reader's wet dream. I'm good with a darker take, just so long as we readers are invited to design the odd settee or tank top. I don't know Mateus Santoluoco but a Google image search has me optimistic that he'll produce work worth looking at.

G.I. COMBAT – Writer: J.T. Krul. Artist: Ariel Olivetti. Featuring the return of a classic DC Comics series, THE WAR THAT TIME FORGOT, along with rotating back-up stories and creative teams – including THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER, with writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti and artist Dan Panosian; and THE HAUNTED TANK, with writer John Arcudi and artist Scott Kolins.
Oh, this sounds right up my street, some classic DC strips in there, to be handled by favourite creators. The best thing they could do would be to stay as faithful as possible to the original concepts, the ones that worked, while not trying too hard to be retro. The Blackhawks, and Sgt Rock in Men of War, it could be argued, show that a familiar name isn't enough - you need to find that original magic, and ladle on originality of your own. Gray and Palmiotti know this, at least; it's what they've been doing in All-Star Western.

THE RAVAGERS – Writer: Howard Mackie. Artist: Ian Churchill. Spinning off from TEEN TITANS and SUPERBOY, this series finds four superpowered teens on the run and fighting against the organization that wants to turn them into supervillains.
Oh dear. I've pretty much had enough of teens on the run in the current Teen Titans book, I like things nice and settled. And then blown up. Still it's years since I've read a Howard Mackie comic, I'm intrigued to see how he's developed while he's been wherever. And Ian Churchill is a popular artist, though he never sees to stay on books very long.

The six new series will replace BLACKHAWKS, HAWK AND DOVE, MEN OF WAR, MISTER TERRIFIC, O.M.A.C. and STATIC SHOCK, all of which will conclude with their eighth issues in April. Many of the characters from our canceled books will appear in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 titles, and in some very surprising ways,” said Harras. “We’re developing stories that reach from cultures around the globe to parallel worlds. We’re just getting started.”

So there you have it. Six out, six in - I rather like the idea of a wave of fresh titles wiping away a bunch of ones deemed not to be working. Obviously, most of us will lose the odd favourite - ever Men of War has its fans, over at Bleeding Cool - but new favourites should emerge too. And there's also the likelihood OMAC and a few other outgoing characters will return (aha, confirmation comes in Vaneta Rogers' excellent interview with Bob Harras at Newsarama).

The only real disappointment is the lack of genre expansion. Still no romance title, no out-and-out humour book, no cop comic ... does everything have to fit into one of the 'family' lines (Superman, Batman, JLA, Young Justice, Dark, Edge, if memory serves)?

So, come April and DC are guaranteed another big round of mainstream publicity, and fans have some new titles to, hopefully, enjoy. But enough of me - what do you think of today's news?

House of Mystery cover borrowed from the Grand Comics Database, thanks guys!

Batgirl #5 review

2012-01-11T22:55:00.000Z

I love a mystery and there's a fine one here - how can the number 338 cause a mobster to murder his three loyal sons and try to kill himself? How is knife-happy strongwoman Gretel connected? And why does her hair switch from green to pink?

Batgirl is less keen on the intrigue, she just wants to keep Gotham citizens safe - including billionaire Bruce Wayne when his chauffeur proves part of the apparent mind control conspiracy.

And away from the costumed action, is Barbara Gordon's mother - not seen since she walked out on Babs and husband Jim years previously - on the level when she says she just wants to be friends? Given that Babs getting paralysed years previously didn't bring her running, why now? And what was her reason for leaving?

Plus, where will Detective Melody McKenna's obsession with Batgirl lead now she's been tasked with investigating the vigilante by none other than Commissioner James Gordon?

Writer Gail Simone is on top form here, mixing action and intrigue and putting a likeable, relatable character at the centre of it. For the first time since she reclaimed her title of Batgirl in DC's New 52 revamp, Babs is just getting on with it. The post-traumatic reaction to guns is no more, we're told Babs walks again due to neural implant surgery and the comic finally seems to be looking forward. The narration is particularly sharp this time, my favourite line being: ''Crazy lives here on a longterm lease'', and roommate Alysia looks to have dropped the annoying habit of referring to her new friend as 'Gordon. Barbara Gordon.'

The fight sequences written by Simone are beautifully laid out by penciller Ardian Syaf and inked by Vicente Sifuentes - who also handles some pencils this time, clever lad - and take place in one of the most-realistic looking comic book cities around ... perfect for their spitfire Batgirl. They could happily tweak Babs mom - she's a little heavier of frame, but otherwise identical to her daughter, right down to the hairdo - but otherwise, it's all good. New character Gretel has a simple look, but a striking one that suits her MO. It's a shame, mind, that her first full on-panel appearance is undersold.

The cover is another lovely effort from Adam Hughes, a real asset to this series.

As the beginning of a new storyline, this is an excellent place to jump on board. Then maybe you could explain the title to me ... 'A candy full of spiders'. Say what? Has Gretel come straight from the witch's house? Is there a Hansel yet to show up? That's another fine mystery.

X-Men Legacy #260.1 review

2012-01-11T21:29:00.000Z

'We didn't get to be kids. But we're gonna make damn sure they do.'

That's Rogue, sharing her mission statement now she's resident at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. Listed as 'senior staff member', she may not have a specific role, but if this issue is anything to go by she's set to be the heart and soul of the school. She begins by turning an American Football game into a training exercise, teaching young mutant Rockslide more about his powers in two minutes than he's learned in years. Then she leads all available older mutants against an old enemy of the X-Men, while ensuring the students are oblivious to the situation. All the time she's keeping morale high, encouraging her friends to be the best they can be.

Said menace is the N'Garai, interdimensional demons who feast on the blood of innocents. One drop from a student and they win. But while their power and numbers are immense, they're not too bright, whereas years as a mutant terrorist - and more years as a superhero - have made Rogue a tactician par excellence. Plus, her mimicry abilities have taught her how to mix and match abilities for optimum effectiveness.

This comic isn't as light-hearted as sister title Wolverine and the X-Men, but it's a hoot watching Rogue keeping the school running smoothly while all hell breaks loose outside. And it's superb to see the characters set to be regulars - Iceman, Husk, Cannonball, Gambit, Frenzy and Rachel Grey - cut loose in angst-free battle scenes. They're not fighting for the future of the so-called mutant race, they're acting for the actual human race of which mutants are just part. And they're good.

His Avengers Academy experience equips new writer Christos Gage perfectly for the dynamics of the Jean Grey school - he can do young characters, he can do older characters, he can blend action and soap seamlessly. Off-the-battlefield highlights this issue include siblings Cannonball and Husk disagreeing over how to commemorate fallen students, old rivals Gambit and Frenzy finding common ground and Rockslide's hard-earned nous showing through. Clever use is made of classroom lessons and the natural friendship between Rogue and Rachel is a joy to see.

And then there's the dialogue, which offers such gems as: 'Your power ain't an anti-depressant' and 'But magic isn't an exact science'. I'm confident Gage will do great things in his X-Universe stint.

And if penciller David Baldeon and inker Jordi Tarragona stick around too, all the better (click on image to enlarge). I love their page designs, straightforward without being dull, with the action and emotion crystal clear. The quiet moments are as well-thought-out and effective as the big scenes. I could do without the PhotoShop effects, mind, and they can't draw Gambit's ears for toffee, but who cares about the X-Men's answer to Pepe Le Pew?

Kudos, too, to colourist Sonia Oback and letterer Cory Petit, for good work throughout, and Mark Brooks for a spiffy cover.

Looking at the membership, the only regular I'd send to detention would be Frenzy ... a bad girl in an X-comic is about as predictable as a hairy teen, plus, her power set (super-strong, durable) is dull, her haircut is nasty and I keep thinking I'm looking at rubbish Team Titan Mirage.

Knowing Gage, mind, she'll likely be my favourite within a month.

Forget the silly numbering, X-Men Legacy #260.1 is as good a first issue as you'll see this year. Lesson learned.

Batwoman #5 review

2012-01-11T19:25:00.001Z

Now if that isn't the spookiest cover you'll see this week, courtesy of JH Williams III ...

A spot of meditation helps Batwoman - 'proud lesbian' Kate Kane, as the page one legend so subtly puts it - realise how to stop the water spirit who's been stealing Gotham children. She confronts the ghost, Maria, at the scene of her death, and puts her plan into action, sending the spook into the afterlife ... but not before Maria gives Kate a chance to come to terms with some ghosts of her own. Finally, the dissipating demon provides a clue as to where she's stashed the kids: 'They are in Medusa's coils. But you can still save them ...'

Medusa? Is there a gorgon in the house? No, but Mr Bones and Agent Cameron Chase of the Department of Extranormal Operations are at chez Kane, to make Kate an offer. That's offer spelt B.L.A.C.K.M.A.I.L. - she joins the government organisation and takes down the global criminal cartel Medusa (aha!) or her father goes to prison for helping Batwoman's operations.

Later, Kate sits at the bedside of critically injured cousin Bette, the heroine formerly known as Flamebird whom Bones tricked into revealing Batwoman's real name. Batman appears, and of course, he knows that Kate is set to take up Bones' 'offer'.

And that's pretty much that. The ghost is gone, and it seems she really was a ghost - I thought such things weren't allowed in the Bat-titles. We see that while old bossyboots Kate made more experienced heroine Bette re-train under her, clad in an ugly boiler suit ('I burn your colourful garb - I am the Proud Lesbian in this family') and going by Plebe, she's the one everyone is getting the drop on ...

Seriously, one minute the DEO bods are making themselves at home in her apartment, the next Batman surprises Kate and it's obvious he's bugged her place. Batwoman is great in the field, but seems a rank amateur when it comes to other aspects of the hero game. Methinks she needs to spend less time dabbing herself with freakily white clown foundation and more improving her security.

Still, the story by Williams and W Haden Blackman holds the attention, while Williams' art is a wonder to behold. The problems I've sometimes had with his showy layouts are absent this issue, and there are several standout scenes, such as the confrontation between Kate and Maria the Unfriendly Ghost. The colours of Dave Stewart and letters of Todd Klein complete the spooky effect. Then there's the full-page illo of Bones and Chase making their presence known; it's three figures, no action, yet utterly magnetic. Kudos to DC for gathering the intricate story pages together and moving the zillion house ads (bring back the lettercols!) to the rear of the book.

I believe this storyline has one issue to go, and it's been quite the ride. Admittedly, Kate gets on my nerves occasionally with her inability to reach out, her haughty attitude, but my gosh, she stars in one compelling comic book.

The Shade #4 review

2012-01-11T13:50:00.001Z

You may recognise the old dear on Tony Harris's witty cover ('Stygian Darkness' indeed!) as one of the most ... singular ... characters of the Golden Age. If you don't, I'll leave the details to come as a surprise when you read this comic.

Because it's not one to pass up. The Shade #4 is written by James Robinson at his Starman best (it's even a tale of Times Past, the popular done-in-one interludes from the ongoing arcs); pencilled by New Frontier's Darwyn Cooke; inked by the extremely talented J Bone; features The Shade's first foray into fighting the Nazis as he finally acknowledges the family he left behind decades previously; includes spies, turncoats and not one, but two guest stars from the dawn of superhero comics; and it feeds back into this splendid maxi-series' ongoing plotline.

From the wry opening lines ('It was April 14, 1944. And I confess, until that day my only anti-German act had been abstaining from pumpernickel') to a touching close, this is just a wonderful story. It uses DC's rich family history, without demanding any familiarity from the reader. So while it may enrich your experience to note that a plotline originating in a 1940 Quality Comics strip is finally tied up, if you don't know, the detail works simply as a coda to one character's story.

Robinson also lets us get to know the Shade a little better, shining light not just on his attitude to patriotism, but on the knave's identity he has constructed for himself. His descendant, Caldecott, manages to come across as a truly good man without seeming in the least sanctimonious. And as a snapshot of America during the Second World War, the script works a treat.

And it's all beautifully brought to life by Cooke and Bone, whether we're with the Shade in his gothic study, on the shiny streets of Opal City or over the Atlantic in an experimental aircraft. There's a real spark to even the most minor player, while the street look adopted by the Shade for a spot of daytime deviltry is a sharp alternate take on the sometime villain. This really is first-class cartooning, delightfully coloured by Dave Stewart. Letterer Todd Klein, meanwhile, applies his intelligence and mastery of style to the story: small font for pleading, wavy words for punch drunk, elegant script for a journal, and so on. The only phrase not in Klein's vocabulary is 'phoning it in'.

Whether or not you followed the Starman series which hosted Robinson's reinvention of the Shade, even if you've not read the first three issues of this series (and you should), I urge you to give this one-off a try. It's simply a fine comic story.

Death Curse #1 review

2012-01-11T00:05:00.003Z

Horror hosts Mr Latch and the Curse offer a quintet of unsettling tales in the first issue of this adults-only new book from writers Brockton McKinney & Bo Fader and their artistic chums. Our fictional storytellers are a creepy guy with a pudding bowl haircut and a puppet baby who looks as if he'd eat you as soon as look at you. They share their wares via video nasties, an oddly dated concept, but I suppose you gotta have a gimmick. The framing sequences are visualised by Chris Moreno - who also provides the eye-catching cover - and very well-staged.

First off, the new recruit to a scout troop gets more than he bargained for in 'Pack 666', a breezy fable drawn by Bridgit Scheide, whose work can go from cute to cutting in an instant. And the use of grey tones - Death Curse is printed in black and white - enhances the already appealing artwork. You may guess what's coming, but it's a lot of fun getting there.

More surprising is the tale of 'Vacculus', because it's so darn out there - this Count is one sucker you don't want to be having a dust-up with (click on image to enlarge). As with the introductions, the dialogue's a tad coarse for my delicate English sensibilities, but the air of good-natured grossness prevails. Chris Moreno obviously had a ball drawing this, giving real expression to his characters in wild layouts. My favourite panel shows the legal aftermath of a car crash, it's hugely atmospheric and almost alive with movement. I do think, though, that if the hooker has to get her (massive) bits out, so should the client. Equal objectification in horror anthologies, if you please.

'Haven and Larry' is puzzling, as horror hosts from the neighbourhood ('the Haven of Horror', apparently) drop in on Mr Latch and Curse, offer to relate one of their gems, and are roundly dismissed. I think it may be a stealth ad for a future companion title. It's drawn in a pleasant, scratchy style by Jason Strutz, but again, the semi-clad Haven implies that this book isn't even considering that anyone other than teenage boys might wish to try it.

'Parting Out' is an accomplished offering involving a cute young biker and a sinister old mechanic. There's suspense to be had in wondering who is actually stalking whom, before a well-composed reveal. The illustrations by Larkin Ford are spot on, hitting all the dramatic beats, and there's a nice use of Letratone.

And finally, we learn the 'Storybook Origin' of Mr Latch and Curse in a disgusting little vignette drawn by Jonas Britt, whose soft storybook style makes the horrific scenes all the nastier. This one went a little far for my tastes - I'm more The Haunting than Saw - but it does what it does very well.

So with Haven and Larry being the only unwelcome guests at this Lost Story Studios party, I'm voting Death Curse #1 a hit, a fun update on the old EC horror comics for today's viscera-demanding kids. Me, I'm rather relieved it's in black and white ...

Secret Avengers #20 review

2012-01-10T19:38:00.000Z

Now here's a real time twister. Black Widow stars in a done-in-one story that spans seconds, weeks and decades, depending on your perspective. Natasha Romanov's perspective is that she's going to undo the killings of Steve Rogers, War Machine and Sharon Carter after an assault on the Shadow Council goes wrong.

The obvious thing to do would be to use the time jump device a dying War Machine hands her to pop into the recent past, grab some Avengers big guns and come back before the deaths, and prevent them. But it's not that easy, Avenging brain Hank McCoy tells Natasha on a briedf foray to one month earlier.

So it is that Natasha must embark on a complicated journey across time and around the world, using enemies as allies, to gather the information and technology that may save her friends.

If this non-linear trip demands concentration from the reader - and believe me, it does - imagine how much more complicated it is for the Widow as she plays four-dimensional Jenga ... one misstep and never mind not saving the Secret Avengers, she could destroy time itself.

There are no missteps from writer Warren Ellis as he retools a classic science fiction concept to suit the Black Widow. We're used to seeing her in fast-paced action strips, and that's just what we get here, but barring the present-day sequences, the action is of the cerebral, rather than the physical, kind. And while there are Avengers with more-lauded minds, I doubt any of them could better Natasha on this mission, her cool resignation proving perfectly suited to the challenge

Drawing this back-and-forth bonanza is Alex Maleev, and he conjures up the consummate Black Widow, the Russian beauty who moves like liquid lightning. To make things even more interesting for artist and reader, Ellis gifts Maleev a short sequence in the style of the Modesty Blaise newspaper strip. It's a pitch-perfect homage to Peter O'Donnell and Jim Holdaway's sexy secret agent, a nice nod to Natasha's sometime-influence and all the better for being so unexpected. I'm not sure if the authentic formatting is all Maleev, or whether Marvel production staffer Mayela Gutierrez had a hand in it, so let's just shout out all the key creatives; as well as the aforementioned, that's colourist Nick Filardi and letterer Dave Lanphear.

The issue is topped off by a cute John Cassaday and Paul Mounts tribute to Jim Steranko that's wonderfully appropriate for a story that's more spy-fi than superheroes. When more organised bloggers count down the Best of 2012, don't be surprised to see this entertaining, intelligent, fascinating story in there.

Hawk and Dove #5 review

2012-01-07T18:11:00.002Z

HAWK!
DOVE!
DONE!

I think this will be my last issue. A big part of my jumping on this book, when it debuted as part of DC's New 52 promotion, was the presence of Sterling Gates as writer. His Supergirl work showed a huge talent for story, plotting, action and characterisation. Interviews and the first couple of issues made it clear Gates was angling this revamp to suit the talents of artist Rob Liefeld - action all the way with a side of characterisation. And I was OK with that, so long as Gates' own instincts and interests weren't completely subsumed.

But we're up to #5 and the imprint of Gates is barely there as the Liefeld machine pummels forward. This issue Liefeld is listed as co-writer, and as of next month Gates is off the book altogether as Liefeld goes it alone. If this chapter is any indication of what's to come, it's time for me to go too.

The two mysteries set up early on in the series - the truth of Dove's origins and the secrets of the bird avatar cabal - look set to drag on and on. Hank is beyond stupid and selfish, Dawn is a weird combination of grim and sappy, the supporting characters are barely there, the villains are for the birds ...

'Cages and Crossroads' sees the opening storyline wrap, as our heroes search for Dove's fella, Deadman, who's been kidnapped by bad guys Condor and Swan. They talk to Deadman's chum, Madame Xanadu - off-panel - who tells them that a demon named Bob, in Salem, will be able to help. So they beat up a demon named Bob, in Salem, until he tells them they need to return to Washington DC and find the entrance to something called 'the War Realm'.

En route to save Deadman from they don't know what, Hawk insists Dove stop for a chat. He reckons she should consider dumping Deadman because he's brought only trouble their way. Dove is understandably peeved and insists they get on with the rescue mission

An old cinema hosts the entry portal to the War Realm, which sounds exciting and mysterious but Condor's hideaway proves to be a mundane city rooftop - I wouldn't have bothered. Condor, who at the beginning of this issue is a lookalike for Hawk, is now a giant birdman. His partner, Dove double Swan, is now dead. So there's been a betrayal, a death and a transformation - off-panel. A fight ensues and while Hawk doesn't do too well, Dove turns out to have an undefined light power that squishes Condor.

This climactic sequence happens in titchy panels, where you might reasonably expect larger views, maybe a splash page. But no, the spreads are used for a massive headshot of Dove, and a generic, sideways image of H&D diving off a roof. These money shots do feature decent Liefeld art - especially if you're a fan of improbable arses - but they don't help the story pacing. The Bob interlude uses up more room in a very random manner - who is this guy, how does he know anything, why Salem?

The coda sees an apparently Botoxed Deadman break up with Dove - like Hawk, he believes, 'I'm dangerous to you'. Dove is devastated - as a superhero, she's hardly going to be fretting about danger - while Hawk pretends to be sad for her. Next month, a Batman team-up which likely won't leave room for subplot progression.

While Liefeld pencils and inks, he doesn't handle the art alone. There are 'pencil assists' by Marat Mychaels and inks by Adelso Corona. As noted above, as a Liefeld art job it's fine ... the only panel I hate is the shot of Dove as Dawn, in which no one's bothered to draw any clothes on her upper body - Matt Yackey's colours and a few cuff-lines are the only indication she's meant to be dressed. It's lazy, but worse, it looks weird and takes you out of the story.

It's a shame that the finer points of storytelling, such as motivation, explanation and believability, seem to be on the way out. Only last issue, things were looking very promising for this series, with a pleasing balance between the talents of Liefeld and Gates. But with this month's sidelining, and next issue's removal, of Gates - he was meant to be writing #6 - I don't see this comic fulfilling its potential any time soon.

Thunderbolts #168 review

2012-01-06T01:02:00.000Z

Luke Cage doesn't just take the cover, he takes the spotlight this issue, complete with Bronze Age splash page legend ('Carl Lucas was a felon going nowhere ...'). The Thunderbolts director is busy rounding up pesky escapees from supervillain prison The Raft. Colleagues Songbird and Mach V, meanwhile, are confronted by the even more annoying apparatchiks of FACT - the Federal Advisory Committee to Thunderbolts.

The issue kicks off with its best scene, as Luke tracks down deeply dodgy Spider-Man villains The Enforcers to a Wild West bar. His action-packed encounter with the Silver Age losers is sheer delight.

The main part of the book sees Luke face the things that give him sleepless nights, courtesy of Mr Fear's fear gas - and it's not just the obvious, such as harm coming to wife Jessica or baby Dani. There's the fate of the time-lost Thunderbolts, for one. The possibility all his teammates will die under his watch. Worst of all is the notion that he killed former Thunderbolt Joystick ... I think. This is where the story loses me. There's a woman in the hallucination referred to as Janice, and the only Janice I can recall in this series was the frankly rubbish Joystick. I don't recall her having any particular history with Luke, and so far as I know she's alive. So it may be another Janice.

A-ha, a slow pacing back and forth through the comic tells me Janice is likely the crony of Mr Fear whom Luke faces pre-hallucination (she seems to be called Soundwave, but introductions are absent and the only Marvel character of that name I can find reference to online is a Transformers character). Luke chokes her in the dream. When he returns to wakefulness, he sees that if she is dead, it wasn't his doing. Hurrah.

Luke's fear dream is further complicated by the apparent presence of Thunderbolts member Ghost, the cyber terrorist he had dive into a time portal a few issues back (it's complicated). He says he's been changed by the experience, is no longer a physical being ... but is this part of the illusion too?

Then there are the intercuts with the FACT conversation, which occasionally feed into Luke's vision - he 'murders' Janice to a commentary from Songbird about Thunderbolts being considered 'lowlifes' willing to kill. Apparently, at some level Luke fears he's still Carl Lucas, street criminal with more bad than good in him.

Songbird and Mach V tell the politicians just what they think of the way Washington is running the Thunderbolts programme. Interrupting the chat is a British insurance broker who brings a mysterious message ... just as Luke breaks out of his nightmare to find Mr Fear gone.

The old bit with a hero facing his fears usually involves long-held insecurities, so it's no wonder the mid-dream 'death' of an unrecognisable lackey confuses. Thunderbolts under writer Jeff Parker has long been one of Marvel's most reliable, entertaining reads so this confusing instalment is very much an aberration. My big fear is that the more often Thunderbolts double ships - as it does this month - the more we'll get less than stellar issues (last month's was no great shakes, either).

Ah well, at least the book looks superb, with Matthew Southworth providing some great strip work. Songbird, Mach V and Luke have never seemed more human, while the (possibly) new-look Ghost does indeed have the tinge of the grave about him. And Frank Martin Jr's colours distinguish brilliantly between the issue's two main environments.

The cover by Kev Walker and Chris Sotomayor is good old-fashioned fun, but the splash features one of those Eric Canete illos that make poor old Luke look like a lunatic, melting walrus.

While I can't recommend this issue to first-timers, I would say try pretty much any issue since Jeff Parker's run began with #138. With sharp plotting, surprising character work and strong art from regulars Kev Walker and Declan Shalvey, it's one of Marvel's best books. Usually.

Justice League International #5 review

2012-01-05T22:49:00.000Z

A recent edition of John Siuntres' excellent Word Balloon podcast saw Marvel 'architect' Matt Fraction talk about the difficulty of writing 20-page comics. It's not just a matter of cutting two pages from a 22pp story, apparently ...

Which confused me. As a kid raised in the days when all comics had just 17pp of story, 20pp seems pretty good. Can writing a satisfying instalment of a superhero comic of that length really be rocket science?

I dunno, but any writer having trouble with the mechanics should study an accomplished pro like Dan Jurgens, who month after month delivers first-rate superhero stories that don't leave the reader feeling short-changed. Here's another example, as he closes the new JLI's first storyline, 'The Signal Masters'.

In 'just' 20pp he recaps the threat to Earth from Peraxxus, has the JLI escape a death trap, travel to the planetary leech's starship, battle the alien, persuade his ship to stop strip-mining Earth, send its master running and quiet their UN liaison's hectoring. Unlike in, say, the Avengers of Fraction's fellow Marvel architect Brian Bendis, there's no standing around by team members while one or two favourites hog the action: everyone here - Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Ice, Fire, Vixen, Godiva, Rocket Red, August General in Iron, Batman - has a part to play in the story's resolution. What's more, every scene is rich with characterisation as the heroes gel as a team while individual friendships and rivalries form. As team leader Booster Gold points out, job done.

Bringing the well-paced script to life is penciller Aaron Lopresti, whose own storytelling instincts complement Jurgens beautifully. His heroes look marvelous whether in well-choreographed fight scenes or the issue's quieter - yet still intense - moments. What's more, Lopresti sells the story's cosmic qualities beautifully with his convincing space scenarios and interstellar craft. Lopresti's regular partner, Matt Ryan, inks with style, while Hi-Fi and Travis Lanham provide exemplary colours and letters respectively. The striking cover comes from David Finch and Richard Friend.

I don't for a minute believe it is simple, but the creators on this book really do make telling memorable stories look easy. Any creators intimidated by the supposed tyranny of 20pp, study well.

Action Comics #5 review

2012-01-05T20:30:00.000Z

Krypton is dying and Jor-El sees just one way to save his family - sanctuary in the ethereal prison that is the Phantom Zone. Unfortunately, the criminals already there put paid to that idea, ending the hopes of survival for he and wife Lara. But their son can perhaps be saved, if a tiny, experimental interstellar craft can take Kal-El to a world where he can flourish.

The rocketship lands on Earth, at the feet of Martha and Jonathan Kent. Spotting the helpless babe inside, the childless couple see their chance to become a family. Knowing the authorities brought by the craft's earthfall will expect to find a tiny passenger, Jonathan fools them with some gruesome sleight of hand, allowing Martha to hide the child.

Years later, mysterious figures - the Anti-Superman Army - steal the rocket's Kryptonite engine, a deadly tool in their fight against Superman. But the Man of Steel has friends at his side - the adult Legion of Super-Heroes.

And so goes 'Rocket song', the latest retelling of Superman's origins. As ever, there's a mix of classic and new detail, while the conclusion leads into next issue's Legion team-up before we return to the main storyline - Brainiac's abduction of Metropolis. Brainiac's in here too, as the artificial intelligence running the rocketship, and narrating the sequence. If I'm reading things correctly, this early Brainiac takes root on Earth, preparing to make it a Krypton-style planet, decades before its brother Brainiac deploys shrinking technology on Superman's hometown.

Grant Morrison's dialogue in the Krypton sequence is awfully stagey ('There are threatening figures emerging through the colourless fog') but this has to be deliberate melodrama, connecting this retelling to the Superman strip's origins in early SF stylings. By the close of the story the words are more naturalistic, well, as naturalistic as comics starring Superman and the Legion can get ('We're up against something that can erect impregnable shields around events').

That last bit of business, along with terms such as 'superspace' and 'untime', shows that Morrison is going into All-Star Superman mode, bringing on the big shiny ideas that helped make that book such a standout. The extrapolation of said ideas should make perfect fodder for the Legion's guest appearance next month.

Details I like include Lara being involved with the rocket design - in previous histories she had been a trainee astronaut - though I could live without the awful term 'mothermatician'; Jor-El specifically telling the computer to find a planet that would let his son 'seem to fly', presumably to allow him to escape any future planetary extinctions; the mention of Kal-El hearing Krypton explode, a memory that will haunt him; Jonathan and Martha's resourcefulness at the start of their relationship with Kal mirroring Jor-El and Lara's at the end of theirs. And I'm not sure how Morrison did it, but this telling of the origin made the latter seem closer to us, not so much aliens sending their child into space in a rocket as parents tossing their baby out of a burning building and hoping that, somehow, he'll be okay.

The artwork of penciller Andy Kubert and inker Jesse Delperdang, with blazing colours by Brad Anderson and letters by the stalwart Patrick Brosseau, is outstanding. They give great Jor-El and Lara (the beardy superdad of recent years is, happily, gone), and draw an eye-catching end of days for Krypton, with slanted panels adding to the sense of unease. The spread of the rocket bursting into space as Krypton expires makes the oft-seen scene seem fresh. Their adult Legion costumes are majestic.

And they give Lara this hat.

How many of us could look that cute at the end of the world?

Superman's other mother, Martha Kent, doesn't get a cute hat, but she does sport an elegant veil in the issue's back-up, 'Baby steps'. Writer Sholly Fisch and artist ChrisCross show us Jonathan and Martha Kent's life from their wedding day through to the arrival of that rocket. Actually, not all aspects of their life, just their attempts to have a child; like many young couples, they assume children will just show up.

Sadly, this isn't to be for the Kents and we see how they supported one another through the disappointments. Despite their plight, the tale ends on a note of optimism that bodes well for Kal-El's future - there's no doubt he's destined for a house of love.

Fisch's script is outstanding, making the Kents' love, and sorrow, equally believable, while ChrisCross's art is nuanced enough to capture emotions big and small.

And on a shallow note, ChrisCross, as well as conducting their wedding ceremony, draws the hottest Ma and Pa Kent ever ... it's weird to think of the Kents as sexy but heck, they are newlyweds here.

The story also has highly commendable colouring from Jose Villarrubia (check out the texturing on the church) and fine lettering from Carlos M Mangual.

A fill-in this issue may be, but it works as both a standalone detailing of Superman's beginnings in the DC New 52 universe, and a pleasing side sequence in the main story. And that's far more than I expected.

Legion: Secret Origin #3

2012-01-03T20:36:00.001Z

In which Phantom Girl signs up, Invisible Kid shows up and a spaceship blows up. Said unfortunate craft is coming through a wormhole in United Planets space, and it's assumed to be the latest assault from whoever attacked the planet Amatrom. Given its seeming size, Admiral Allon's fleet is taking no chances and with the aid of teenage genius Querl Dox - who likes to be called Brainiac 5 - they calculate the proper firepower to take it down.

That's the climax of this issue; before that we have Tinya Wazzo meeting the UP Security Directorate to hand over the data her homeworld, Bgtzl, has gathered on the Anotrom attackers. The big revelation is that Bgztl somehow moved itself out of reach before it was itself harmed - presumably, like Phantom Girl Tinya, the world can phase from the UP's plane of existence. Job done, she's off to join the Legion.

On Earth, Legion financier RJ Brande learns from telepath Imra Ardeen, the future Saturn Girl, that his would-be assassins were brain-addled dupes. Legion leader Cosmic Boy, aka Rokk Krinn, ponders how to sift through the best applicants coming forward to join the tyro team, and is thinking of an initiiation test. Brande, though, has other ideas - his aides Mala Lathan and Pheebs will take a look at the candidates. One fellow he pushes to the top of the pile looks to be a Durlan in off-planet form ...

Losing the admin frees up Rokk for a walk through 31st-century Metropolis with Brande, and a discussion about just what their new super-hero club will do. One obvious inspiration is the fabled Superman, whom Rokk insists existed - Imra having done the research. Ushering Rokk away, Brande utters the issue's best line: 'Now shoo, boy. I have to go over to UP Council and see today's price of cooperation.' The departure of Brande's 'bodyguard', though, opens the door to another attempt on his life - one stopped by an unseen employee - Lyle Norg, Earth-born Invisible Kid.

This is writer Paul Levitz's best issue yet in his extrapolation of the Legion's origins. While it still lacks the presence of a big, colourful foe, 'Connections' isn't lacking in interest. I enjoyed the surprise arrival of Invisible Kid hugely, while Brande's subtle 'sponsorship' of Chameleon Boy for membership seems to affirm that he remains Reep's father in this tweaked continuity. The characters of the young members are starting to show through - breezy Tinya, responsible Rokk, superior Querl - while the mystery of the Anotrom invaders builds.

On the art side, penciller Chris Batista, inker Marc Deering and colourist Wes Hartman are a fine team. My favourite sequence this time is the stroll through Metropolis taken by Rokk and Brande, showing us how densely - and fascinatingly - populated the mega-city is. It's a full page splash split into four and ... actually, it's easier to simply show you (click on image to enlarge):

Love that Protean with the briefcase.

By the end of this issue the Legion has five official members (Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad, Cosmic Boy, Triplicate Girl and Phantom Girl), with two more teenage heroes around (Brainiac 5, Invisible Kid) and two others (Colossal Boy, Chameleon Boy) likely to show up at any minute. It's not quite Legion numbers, but we're getting there.

Justice League Dark #4 review

2011-12-29T23:17:00.000Z

Good Lord, this is dark stuff. Of course, the clue's in the title, but I've rarely seen a non-'mature' book play with such disturbing imagery. Scalping, killer kids, women losing their heads ...

The opening serial of this DC New 52 series sees a bunch of supernatural players - 'heroes' might be overstating it, in some cases - out to stop the menace of the Enchantress. The sometimes hero/sometimes villain has lost her host, June Moone, and all hell is breaking loose across the DC Universe. The superheroes have retreated, hoping the likes of Deadman and Zatanna can save the day. Also involved are Shade the Changing Man, John Constantine, Madame Xanadu and a character first seen in the Flashpoint event of last summer, Mindwarp. One of these characters, it turns out this time, may actually be to blame for the Enchantress problem. All of them are feeling a bit out of their depth - but unlike the squeaky clean likes of Superman and Green Lantern, they're not giving up.

It's all rather inspirational, in a twisted way. Writer Peter Milligan keeps the plot bubbling like a witch's cauldron while spotlighting the personalities involved. There are a couple of missteps: portraying veteran mystic Madame Xanadu as engaging a drug dealer to help her cope with visions - to my mind, that's not something someone in the position of hero should be doing; and showing Constantine slapping Xanadu rather than giving her a chance to explain something - OK, I know these are intense people, heroes are always fighting, and she bashes him back, but the scene left a nasty taste. A more minor irritation is the Mindwarp fella; I can't get a handle on his character or powers, while he manages to annoy with every appearance.

The artwork is out and out stunning, with Mikel Janin letting his imagination run riot as he interprets Milligan's literate script. All the old characters are nicely on model - well, apart from poor old Enchantress - while the new nightmares grab the eyes. And the colours of Ulises Arreola are just beautiful, even when illuminating horrific moments.

The cover, as you can see, is also stonkingly good, as Ryan Sook presents a scene that's, pretty much, actually in the book. Maybe it'll start a trend?

The Flash #4 review

2011-12-29T22:17:00.000Z

How's that for an eye-catching cover. It's Flash using his newly discovered ability to see all possibilities in a situation. Sadly, last issue this led to a bout of over-thinking which was the death of him. Apparently.

Unsurprisingly, Barry survived, his super-speed instincts kicking in and stopping a bullet to the skull from proving fatal. We don't learn this straightaway, though - writers Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul keep us on tenterhooks for 16 pages before we rejoin a just-waking Barry. Much of this space is taken up in revealing how Barry's CIA agent friend Manuel spawned the multiple man menace known as Mob Rule. It's basically a more detailed/icky version of what we already know - spy gets regenerative abilities, extra bodies ensue - but the detail helps bring Manuel to life, and ties in with the issue's theme of roots. What we don't get is an explanation for the horrible name Mob Rule ... nobody would call themselves that.

Members of Mob Rule are explaining their background for a good reason; they want another of the Flash's friends, Dr Elias, to help stabilise their metabolisms, stop them dropping dead after only a few months. Being a good guy, and obviously relishing a challenge, he agrees to help, but it'll take tapping into an experimental power source.

That's because a massive electromagnetic pulse soundly buggered up the power grids of sister cities Central and Keystone, leaving the police trying to maintain order on horseback. One cop, Barry's lab partner and girlfriend Patty Spivot, gives Manuel Number One a piece of her mind over his leaving Barry to face the music last time, reminding the selfish spy what it means to be a friend.

Bubbling under we have the Iris West subplot, which sees her trapped in Iron Heights prison mid-riot, and about to break free via some leftover ice from the missing Captain Cold.

When we finally join Barry we get the best part of the story, as he states what being a hero means to him. Unlike Manuel, we can be assured Barry won't ever prevaricate over doing the right thing - heroism runs through him like 'Blackpool' through candy rock. Ironically, though, his desire to do right may have been stoked by Manuel's words years before, when the tyro CIA agent told him: 'You gotta do something meaningful in your life and take a stand.'

The final two pages really are something, a succinct, flashy statement of who Barry Allen is today - a good man, a man of action. It's another fine sequence from Manapul and Buccellato who, as well as writing, draw and colour the book respectively. Their creative synergy gets better by the issue, with script and art gelling beautifully. Well-rendered flashbacks and sail-powered cars are just two of the visual treats on offer this time. The only tweak I'd like to see with the art is some ageing-up of the characters - a lack of facial lines make it seem we're in a world of 20-year-old Botox addicts.

There's a nice link to another DC series here, one which doesn't require us to buy that comic, it simply adds texture to the New 52 world, knitting it together. So far as this book is concerned, little script mysteries such as what caused the EMP, what Captain Cold's up to and the small matter of Dr Elias' mystery power source, add intrigue and value.

Four issues in, and there's no sign of The Flash slowing down. It's one of the hits of the DC New 52 and rightly so.

Avengers: The Children's Crusade #8 review

2011-12-29T20:48:00.000Z

Dr Doom has the power of a god and he intends to rule all ... benignly. 'I shall make ours a planet free of poverty, disease and war.' Former mutants will have their abilities returned, dead heroes will be restored. He doesn't ask that the world's peoples bow before him, just that they accept his rule once they see him making amends for his sins.

Doesn't sound a bad deal? The Young Avengers aren't so sure. 'A benevolent dictator is still a dictator,' points out Hawkeye-Kate. And onetime Avenger the Scarlet Witch - her sense of self returned after years in the mental wilderness - fears he'll be corrupted by such massive reality-altering power, as she was before he took it from her. She offers to fulfil his wish that she marry him ... if he gives up the magic. But he zaps the heroes from Latveria back to New York as he's having none of it.

And X-Man Emma Frost isn't having the Scarlet Witch, believed to have destroyed much of the mutant 'race', roaming free. She uses her mental power to shut Wanda down, instigating a conversation between Avengers old and Young, X-Men and X-Factor on the subject of forgiveness. Cyclops, leader of the X-Men, says he wishes to bring Wanda to 'justice', though he's not too clear on what exactly that would mean. Her son Wiccan responds by demonstrating an ability rarely seen in Cyclops' world: logic (click on image to enlarge).

Cyclops' reaction isn't recorded, sadly, as the all-new, all-different Victor Von Doom appears, offering miracles in exchange for fealty. Cue fight scene, cue the apparent death of two heroes and likely death of one. More interesting, though, is a revelation - or at least a claim - that cuts to the very core of the supposed Wanda problem, one which pulls the rug out of the horrible story that was Avengers Disassembled. I daresay we'll learn the truth of the matter next time, when this nine-issue, 15-year series concludes.

Yeah, I'm having another wee pop at the (in)frequency of this book, but it's a compliment: this really is a cracking series, with talented creators telling an important story in a tremendously entertaining manner. Writer Allan Heinberg's character work with not just his Young Avengers cast, but every last hero and villain in here, is just stellar, playing to their classic selves while throwing a few surprises our way. That scene above, for example, popping Cyclops' bubble of self-delusion, is one that demanded to be played out, but I never thought it would happen.

And the artwork of penciller Jim Cheung, inkers Mark Morales, John Livesay and that man Cheung again, is stellar - their messianic Doom is especially appealing. There are no spidery eyebrows for this guy; mask-less and clad in angelic white tunic he really does radiate benevolence. Credit, too, to colourists Justin Ponsor and Paul Mounts and letterer Cory Petit.

Next issue's finale promises to be a feast of action and personality, pushing the Marvel Universe into its next phase and the Avengers vs X-Men series. I'm not especially excited about the coming crossover, but Avengers: The Children's Crusade looks set to be a favourite for a long time to come.

Arak, Son of Tom

2011-12-28T19:23:00.001Z

Hanging around Twitter this week, I was intrigued to see comic artist Tom Raney ask if anyone had any ideas for a character he could sketch for fun. I suggested an old favourite of mine who's not appeared in DC Comics, if memory serves, since the Crisis on Infinite Earths in the Eighties - Arak, Son of Thunder. I was also keen to see how Tom, whom I know from such superhero work as Avengers Academy, would handle a sword and sorcery character.

Rather brilliantly, as it turns out. Thank you Mr Raney! Anyone want to join me in suggesting a DC New 52 Arak comeback?

See more of Tom's personal art at Deviant Art.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #4 review

2011-12-27T22:01:00.003Z

Continuing his quest to find the killers of the All-Caste, eastern martial artists who trained him after he quit as Robin, Red Hood Jason Todd turns up in a Colorado bar. Wingman Roy Harper, aka Arsenal, leaves Jason to it when he instigates a fight, apparently due to his liking for the ladies. As it happens, he began the fracas so he'd get the attention of the local sheriff, who turns out to be one of the Untitled. They're the ancient, inhuman race believed to have gone against a peace treaty and slaughtered the All-Caste. She denies involvement, and is on the verge of eating Jason's liver when Roy arrives with some especially useful shafts.

Meanwhile, Kory is floating above a local church, knowing she wouldn't blend into the saloon too well. Her peaceful reverie is shattered when she's attacked by a monster with a grudge against her race. The son of scientists killed when they ran into a Tamaranean spacecraft outside Edinburgh (the Tamaranean taste for deep-fried Mars Bars is awfully under-publicised), Simon Amal has dedicated his life to learning about the aliens who inadvertently took his parents' lives. And transformed himself into a horrifying cross between Man-Bat and Killer Croc - Crux.

Noticing Kory's energy signature in the distance, Roy rushes to assist Starfire.

Crux isn't strong enough to take Starfire. He is wily enough to lead her into a trap which leaves her, it seems, without her energy blasts. The issue closes on Jason facing the disfigured, and thoroughly peeved, Untitled sheriff.

And that's another fine comic from writer Scott Lobdell and artist Kenneth Rocafort. They manage to progress the Untitled storyline while finding room for a Starfire-focused strand, providing new opportunities for character layering. The flighty Kory of the first issue is long behind us as Crux, doing the old villain bit of trying to bore the hero to death with backstory, feels the full force of her no-nonsense attitude.

Along the way, Lobdell lets us know a little more about our heroes in this post-Flashpoint DC Universe: Jason was Robin for two years, Roy is a recovering alcoholic and Kory sees herself as 'a princess ... captivated by these two court jesters'. Roy says of Jason, 'His whole life is about trying to bring order ... to make things right.' And beyond the information we have three very likeable characters bonded by belief and chemistry.

Rocafort's artwork looks better every issue, with page after page of enticing images that combine to tell the story. Favourite moments, apart from the panel above, include Kory hovering above the church like an orange angel and the first appearance of Crux. I also love how Jason is drawn, with world-weary, sad-eyes. I'm less keen on the way the sheriff does the weird tits-and-ass S-bend thing, but perhaps she's a shapeshifter. The bright, but not garish, colours of Blond also deserve praise, while Carlos M Mangual breaks out some fun fonts.

Getting better every issue, Red Hood and the Outlaws should be on every superhero fan's shopping list.

Legion of Super-Heroes #4 review

2011-12-27T00:45:00.001Z

The conclusion to the Legion's latest encounter with the Dominators begins with rogue Daxamite Res-Vir, aka The Renegade, breaking free of the inertron chains with which he's been bound. Enraged, he attacks the Legionnaires but Chemical Kid overcomes his panic to save the day when, guided by Element Lad, he disrupts Res-Vir's metabolism, bringing him down to earth with a very large bump. Mon-El and Ultra Boy handle the clean-up.

Above the planet Panoptes, a transformed Chameleon Boy eavesdrops on the Dominators' plans for a last-ditch assault on the Legion. They believe that luring the team back to their own space sector will see them regain the advantage. Can Cham get a message back to his colleagues?

On Daxam, Shrinking Violet, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lass and Invisible Kid learn that Res-Vir's anti-lead poisoning serum is Kryptonite based, making it dangerous to recipients over time.

Back on the Dominator mothership, Cham is detected but he turns the situation to his advantage and finds his way to the engine room, offering the chance to disrupt the enemies' plans.

At Legion Headquarters on Earth, Brainiac puzzles over teenage witch Glorith's abilities and, via a chat with Dream Girl, realises that she's displacing energy through time.

Cham hasn't got a message out to the rest of the Legion, but his teammates aren't without resources of their own - Mon-El bursts onto the scene, leading a sub-team in a frontal assault. Facing the power of Mon, Sun Boy, Polar Boy, Dragonwing and Shadow Lass, the Dominators have no chance. Soon Mon is reading them the riot act, ordering them to pack in their experiments on Daxamites and get the hell back to their own territory.

The story ends with Mon's team, joined by Cham, journeying back to Panoptes to pick up Ultra Boy and the other members guarding Res-Vir. And Shadow Lass noticing that Mon is once more the man she fell in love with ...

... methinks an old Legion romance is set to be rekindled and it's probably a bad sign that the prospect gave me the biggest kick of anything this issue. Certainly, the story is as well-plotted as ever by Paul Levitz, but it's the little moments of sharply scripted characterisation I enjoyed most. Such as the oblique reference to Shrinking Violet's time as a kidnap victim, and Lightning Lass's subsequent display of affection; the chat between Cham and Dreamy, the Legion's biggest brain and a woman who's no slouch herself in the smarts department; Vi emphasising that you dont need a telepath when you're a detective; Element Lad's mentoring of new boy Chemical Kid.

The actual main storyline is less affective - sure, there's a nice fight scene at the end of the issue, but it's all of one page. I expected, hoped for, a massive confrontation between the Legion and the Dominators or some super-powered proxies. Instead, we get a calm laying down of the law by Mon, and the Dominators allowed to slope off. I realise that hauling the Dominators back to Earth to answer for their crimes might lead to all-out war, but emotionally I wanted a bigger pay-off.

Illustrator Francis Portela improves by the issue, with the Legionnaires nuanced in their expressions and poses and the Dominators just plain creepy, the storytelling clear and the backgrounds pleasingly detailed. The art is coloured with style by Javier Mena and Santiago Arcas, while Travis Lanham varies the lettering to suit the situation.

The cover is less successful - check out the copy, then count the Legionnaires. Granted, Element Lad is present and supportive, but if you're telling us Chemical Kid is alone and in deep doodoo, show him on his own. That apart, it's a rare dull composition from Chris Sprouse and Karl Story.

Next issue, Walt Simonson guests on art and I'll be amazed if Levitz doesn't come up with something special for the occasion - hopefully it'll make up for this decent, but disappointing, issue.

Tiny Titans #47 review

2011-12-26T15:11:00.001Z

It's adventures in babysitting for Bumblebee, Miss Martian and Mrs Atom as they take the Justice League's little ones into Metropolis for ice cream. The hope is that Bumblebee will earn her Team Nucleus babysitting patch by showing she's a responsible young heroine.

Team Nucleus? That would be the shrinking heroes of the DC Universe, comprising Atom Ray, Atom Ryan, Molecule, Ant and, as a treat for fans of the Eighties Suicide Squad, Atom Adam Cray. Shockingly, Mrs Atom doesn't seem to be a member, but that does make her available to help Bumblebee out.

The babies are Arthur Jr, son of Aquaman; Damien and Jason Toddler, Batman's bairns; Kid Devil, claimed by Trigon as his own; and Miss Martian - not actually a baby, but she's around and J'onn J'onzz offers her assistance.

There follow hi-jinks as the babies go missing, including a wonderful sequence of Aquababy commanding sea creatures, and the Bat-brats encountering a tiger. Plus, there's what looks like a cameo by Jimmy Olsen, maybe that's creators Art Baltazar and Franco getting set for their upcoming Superman Family series.

And, in the realm of 'panels worth the price of admission', there's Jason Todd, with his prototype red hood/bucket, enjoying an ice lolly:

Just three more issues and the delightfully amusing Tiny Titans is no more. Never mind an ice cream, relish this comic while you can.

Have a very super Christmas ...

2011-12-25T16:13:00.001Z

... or perhaps that should be a Wonder, Green or Flashtastic Christmas? Whatever the case, hello to anyone passing by - I hope you're having the best of days, whether with family or friends, or in solo mode. Thank you so much for visiting this blog, it's a bit of fun for me and I always appreciate any comments. I've been a bit rubbish at getting reviews up this week, what with festive travel and so on, but expect normal service to be resumed soon.

For now, though, may your snow never be blue (full marks to anyone who gets that reference to one of our cover stars' enemies).

The image from Comic Cavalcade #13, Winter 1946, is borrowed with permission from Tim Hanley's enviably good Wonder Woman blog, Straitened Circumstances. It's well worth a regular visit!

Wonder Woman #4 review

2011-12-24T19:17:00.000Z

Having learnt that she's the product of a dangerous liaison between mother Hippolyte and king of the gods Zeus, Diana has flounced off Paradise Island for her home in London. This leaves her mother that little bit more vulnerable when a very peeved Mrs Zeus, Hera, comes a-calling ...

Diana's not alone in the English capital, as she hangs out in a music bar, drinking her troubles away; nearby are godly messenger Hermes, and Zola, the backwoods gal she's protecting should a vengeful Hera come calling - Zola is the latest mortal to be carrying a child of Zeus. Less-welcome company is newly revealed half-sister Strife, not just Zeus's spawn, but Hera's daughter too. And always ready to live up to her name and spread discord. Threatening Zola's baby bump shocks Diana out of her funk - why the heck was she putting up with Strife, responsible for the deaths of many of her Amazon sisters? - and leaves Strife bloodied and bloody-minded.

Over on Paradise Island, Hera does indeed appear, resplendent in cape of peacock feathers. Knowing she has no chance against a goddess, the warrior queen bows down and asks for forgiveness. And Hera seems set to look with compassion on the weaker woman, so vulnerable to her husband's charms.

In London, back at Diana's flat, a chat with Zola prompts her to reconsider her reaction to Strife's revelation that she was born not of clay, but of woman. She borrows Hermes's Caduceus, the wand which can transport her across the world, and seeks out her mother. Diana finds Hippolyte, but she's in no fit state to accept an apology thanks to the departed Hera. She's been petrified, and her Amazon sisters are in equally dire straits, having been transformed into snakes.

Away from this issue's main action, in war-torn Darfur, the sun god Apollo finds his brother Ares, the war deity, and implores him not to stand in his way as he bids to fill the power vacuum caused by the disappearance of their father, Zeus.

While my preferred Wonder Woman is a straightforward superhero, that's not writer Brian Azzarello's vision for Diana. His stated aim is to make this a horror book, and on that basis, it's difficult to fault his script; there's a palpable sense of menace to this world he's created, with precious little sign of light at the end of the tunnel. Diana, Hippolyte and co know they're minor players in the gods' grand drama, pawns who can be easily crushed. But with the knowledge that she's a demi-god, Diana looks set to find a greater will to kick against the capricious Olympians.

This issue is about facing up to facts - Hera cares not that the adulterous Hippolyte never intended to hurt her, while Diana admits she felt defined by the belief that she came from clay. Coming to terms with reality is proving painful for mother and daughter - literally.

The conversation between Diana and Zola is my favourite scene, as they talk about what home means to them. This is followed by my top visual moment, the broken-footed Hermes sprawled out on a comfy chair in Diana's flat, a pale, sharp-faced god, wildly incongruous in modern clothing, TV zapper in hand. And that's despite my not liking how chubby the new Wonder-corset, as drawn by Cliff Chiang, makes Diana appear in that very same panel.

Chiang's standout character is Strife, dark-eyed and darker of heart, and perfectly coloured by Matthew Wilson; she looks every bit as insidious as Azzarello's dialogue makes her sound. Hera is less successful. I guess there's meant to be a sexiness to the fact that she's naked under that peacock cloak, but ... not so much. She looks like a drunk old broad who's forgotten how to dress, and the lighting tricks necessitated so as not to scare the horses bring some awkwardly contrived shadow play.

Still, I'm a Chiang fan and very pleased he's applying his talents to this book - he's a splendid storyteller and full of interesting design ideas, most of which work. And his collaboration with Azzarello makes for some sharp comic booking - not necessarily the Wonder Woman I want, but a Wonder Woman I can enjoy for awhile.

Justice League #4 review

2011-12-24T14:03:00.000Z

Aquaman is the star of the cover, and the show, as the Justice League finally comes together. This being comics, the actual scene - future sea king standing over a beaten Green Lantern - isn't to be seen in the story, though there is a thematic match; Arthur wipes the smile off Hal's doubting face when he demonstrates just what a man who 'talks to fishes' can do.

The scene with Aquaman summoning giant sharks to a tasty meal of parademons is probably my favourite of this series to date, pure superhero fun. That's not to say it's the only attention grabber this issue - there's lots going on.

Aquaman, on meeting GL, Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman, quite reasonably asks who's leading this tyro team. He then suggests that the super-shiny GL acts as a lure to the parademons while the rest of them thin out the endangered crowds. He lays out his own qualifications to manage strategy - raised to be future ruler of much of the planet, that sort of thing. Where he might agree to at least give Aquaman's plan a go, GL gets right up in his face, waving his massive green ring about. Rather than skewer GL with his trident, Arthur sends out a quick mental push, bringing the sharks out to feed.

After four issues of GL's asinine ways, we finally get some insight into why he's acting like the worst kind of high school jock, courtesy of a brush with Wonder Woman's magic lasso. Its truth-compelling abilities make for an amusing moment, and hint that he'll become more bearable soon.

Cyborg makes his debut this time out, as the advanced technology used to save Victor Stone's life after he was caught in an explosion kicks in. After discovering that one hand can morph into a white noise cannon and blast monsters to high Heaven, he finds himself transported by boom tube from STAR Labs in Detroit to Metropolis waterfront, and the side of the superheroes. Just in time for the arrival on Earth of the parademons' lord, Darkseid.

Batman, Superman and Flash don't have much to say or do, though Wonder Woman gets to show her prowess with Bullets and Bracelets - it's good to see that she won't be simply slicing and dicing every issue. The bullets come courtesy of the Army as we learn that 'the entire US Military is under strict orders to engage with any non-humans, demons, super-people, whatever'. Nice. Only Wonder Woman's liaison, Captain Steve Trevor, seems to dislike the order - expect him to throw an iron or two into the fire before long.

Writer Geoff Johns runs a well-plotted show, doling out the big moments with pleasing regularity. The dialogue is fine, bar one seriously naff line which has GL exclaim that 'I thought Aquaman was a joke on Conan O'Brien'. Can't Aquaman just be presented as the proverbial 'bad ass' without pandering to the real-life pillocks who wouldn't know one side of an Aquaman comic from another? It makes zero sense that people in the DC Universe would make fun of Aquaman.

I do, though, like Diana's remark, 'Greetings Aquaman. What a day for a fight!' Could be she knows him of old.

The art by Jim Lee and Scott Williams is as big and flashy as ever, with the highlights being Aquaman's muscle flexing, Diana's beating off the bullets and Darkseid's two-page display of power on reaching Earth. The only moan I have is the previous splash of Darkseid, which is one of those unmotivated sideways displays - why? It breaks the flow, having to turn the comic around.

The strip is 22pp, the rest of this $3.99 book being taken up with STAR Labs personnel files on Provessor Ivo, TO Morrow, Silas Stone and Sarah Charles ... interesting enough, but hardly earth-shattering, and anything relevant really should show up in actual stories. Then there are two pages breaking down Flash's new costume, letting us see the faffy boot lines and 'electric seams' close up. Exciting stuff.

Back matter apart, JLA #4 is a good read, though the six-weekly schedule is a drag. Hopefully when Lee leaves, as DC's busy co-publisher is bound to before long, we'll get the monthly read a splashy team like the JLA deserves.

Legion Lost #4 review

2011-12-18T21:47:00.000Z

The forward momentum nevers stops in this series, which follows a group of Legionnaires trapped in the 21st century out to stop a virus that's turning humans into alien hybrids. This month sees Timber Wolf, Tyroc and Wildfire tackle the creature Chameleon Girl has become, as Tellus and Dawnstar search for Alastor, the terrorist who released the virus. Along the way we see how well Tyroc and Wildfire fight as a unit, as they escape a bunch of ungrateful policemen, and watch Timber Wolf become increasingly amused by the ridiculous odds they're facing. Tellus uses his telepathy to help super-tracker Dawnstar sift through all the information she's absorbing until a eureka moment finally allows her to pinpoint their prey.

And because Tellus is linked to the other Legionnaires, Dawnstar is perfectly placed to take the series' narrative baton. As she comments on her teammates and the action, we see that she admires their capacity for optimism, their 'See. Do. Simple' attitude. Eventually she throws her natural caution to the wind, presaging a typically explosive conclusion.

Typical, but not boring. Writer Fabian Nicieza provides another perfect cliffhanger, topping off a chapter choc-full of well-plotted superheroics. The overarching virus plotline moves forward as we learn the current state of Alastor and new players enter the game, while the characterisations are polished nicely as the action plays out. And I learned a new word on looking up the issue's title, Coseismic, so feel smarter. Nicieza is on his A-game and it's a shame personal circumstances have him leaving the series with #6.

Artistic partner Pete Woods continues to make this Legion sub-team his own while having fun with the alien/human hybrids. Favourite moments this issue include Dawnstar showing off her in-flight yoga and Tyroc and Wildfire's takedown of the misguided cops. The range of facial expressions is impressive, and the power depictions suitably flashy - I'm finally noticing Tyroc's wonderfully loopy flight trail. Plus, there's eye-catching colour work from Brad Anderson, and energetic lettering from Carlos M Mangual.

If you've not tried this series yet and were put off by early reviews (ahem), go back, find the issues - physically or digitally - and dive in. I doubt you'll regret it.

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Building work is preventing me from accessing my scanner so the cover image this time is borrowed from the Grand Comics Database, one of the best comic websites around. Thanks chaps. hope that's OK.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #14 review

2011-12-14T22:08:00.002Z

It should be Happy Holidays, but Ragman's not in a festive mood. The residents of his rundown Gotham neighbourhood are feeling the squeeze from a property developer, and crime is on the increase. Happily, a visit from Batman equals improvement after tatterdemalion, caped crusader and embattled citizens stand side by side for justice. Along the way we hear the tale of Chanukah, and the story ends with Ragman finding new hope.

The story begins with a mini team-up between Batman and Blue Beetle against colour criminals Crazy Quilt, Dr Spectro and the Rainbow Raider. 'Surrender to our demands or Gotham will never see another White Christmas,' they threaten. But Batman's not having tinted snow in his town. Especially yellow.

So that's Chanukah and Christmas efficiently covered by writer Sholly Fisch in a typically smilesome script. I especially like the name he's come up with for the troublesome property developers - the Macguffin Group. It's always fun to see Ragman, the only supernatural hero who really fits into Gotham, complete with a short origin recap. And I'm all for a bit of religion and sentiment at Christmas. There's even an editor's note from good old Johnny DC!

Rick Burchett and Dan Davis supply the usual friendly art job, popping with energetic panels and people - everyone has their own look, from tall and skinny Rory (Ragman) Reagan to titchy Rabbi Samuels (click to enlarge). And it's all coloured and lettered with seasonal jollity by Guy Major and Dezi Sienty respectively.

Buy a copy of this for yourself, as a seasonal palate cleanser. Then if you can stretch to it, buy a second for a friend, as a gift. Happy Holidays!

The Ray #1 review

2011-12-14T19:56:00.008Z

Struck by a particle beam of experimental light, Lucien Gates becomes The Ray, able to travel at the speed of light, create energy blasts and alter the way light reflects off his body.

This last may bit may not sound immediately impressive, but when any clothes you wear against your glowing form burn, it's pretty useful. So it is that The Ray becomes the most prominent naked superhero since Dr Manhattan (not that he was noted for his >cough< prominence). In this first of a four-part mini we see lifeguard Lucien adjust to his new abilities with the help of his parents. Are the Gates STAR Labs scientists? Retired superheroes? Nope, they're New Agers who know the value of yoga when a person needs to find their centre. We also meet Lucien's party animal pal Darius, and slightly serious girlfriend Chanti. Right off the bat, every member of this likeable bunch knows Lucien has powers, and everyone accepts the situation. This further helps Lucien gain the relaxed attitude that's needed if he's to properly use his sun-powered energies to fight enormous telepathic jellyfish over San Diego.

Lucien himself is a suitably sunny guy, and very bright, able to finesse his powers on the run. So I've little doubt he's going to overcome the villain introduced at issue's end, and be good company along the way. Credit to writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti for a sharp, breezy script; the only aspect of it I don't like is Lucien's narration, which puts us in the position of DC Universe resident. Nope, I don't know Darius's famous record producing dad, you can't be talking to me.

Lucien's origin and face-changing abilities put me in mind of long-lost Starman WIll Payton, no bad thing. All I can say is that Will had a pup and readers loved it, so Lucien should have a dog too.

Drawing the issue is former Supergirl penciller Jamal Igle, one of comics' most underrated talents (click on images to enlarge). He's not flashy, see, just bloody good, delivering page after page of attractive, nuanced characters (well, the jellyfish aren't nuanced, but I'd likely lick one, given half a chance). Lucien's just your average muscle stud, while mom Judy radiates warmth and wisdom. His dad looks to always be on the verge of laughter, Darius gives great exasperation and Chandi is the golden girl with smarts to spare. Igle also gets to draw some amusing victims of the Sun Gun which hits Lucien, and comes up with a wonderful visual for The Ray in flight - think John Byrne's Vision meets Art Deco train. Finishing the linework is talented inker Rich Perrotta, while Guy Major supplies the ravishing tones.

I'm not keen on The Ray's 'costume', the purple and cream don't sit well together - hopefully Lucien will finesse the look, on reflection. And the cover tagline - The Light of Vengeance strikes! - is just daft. Nevertheless, this is an effortlessly assured superhero action comedy, by creators at the top of their game. Four issues is in no way going to be enough.

Batgirl #4 review

2011-12-14T17:44:00.013Z

"Oh Barbara, get over it. Really, it's beyond tiresome. An assault put you in a wheelchair, but you've had a miracle cure. Stop whining about it. Sure, there are still thousands of wheelchair users in the world, but you're not betraying them by regaining the use of your legs - you never asked to be poster girl for differently abled vigilantes."

What's that? Why am I talking to a fictional character? Because Barbara Gordon is trying to shake off her fictional chains, she's been infected with metatextual dreams. When DC announced that the New 52 revamp was ending her tenure as Oracle, allowing her to run across the Gotham rooftops again in bat-tights, there was uproar in some quarters of fandom. Supposedly DC was betraying wheelchair-using readers by robbing them of a hero they could identify with.

Which I can see - Oracle occupied a powerful position in the area of superhero diversity, showing that a person didn't need to be a super-athlete to be a winner. Decades of Barbara as Oracle demonstrated that, in or out of a chair, she's a hero.

I was a Batgirl fan long before she became Oracle, so relished seeing her find a new way to fight for justice while refusing to be a victim. But now, decisions at a corporate level mean Barbara is back in the role in which she's best-known to the non-comics reading public, back in the cape and cowl. DC has made its decision, and if I want to continue to follow Barbara as a character, I have to move on. Move forward.

I just wish she would. Here we are in the fourth issue of this book and still we're bogged down by the past. Writer Gail Simone's disinclination to just tell us how the heck Barbara was cured hangs heavy over the book, with little teases here and there but no real information. This issue we learn that a South African clinic was involved, leading me to think that, oh, by #20 we'll know the full story.

Meanwhile, Barbara is having her own version of survivor's guilt, a dream version of her chastising her for embracing a cure (click on image to enlarge).

Seriously?

It's an embarrassing scene, addressing the fans who feel DC is letting them down with all the subtlety of a brick. But they've had their say, and aired some interesting points. Newsarama, for one, printed an interesting conversation about the subject between Simone and wheelchair-using blogger Jill Pantozzi. All DC owes any of us readers for our US $2.99 is entertainment, and having decided to let Barbara walk, they should have - pardon me - ran with it. Established Barbara as the Batgirl of choice by having her fight her way into the future rather than have her full of angst about the past.

And maybe introduce a new wheelchair-using hero or two (perhaps Steph Brown's pal, Proxy, will make a comeback).

The guilt surrounding the miracle cure also clings to the villain of the piece, The Mirror, a man murdering people who 'miraculously' survive tragedies which kill others. He has his own logic, but it's stupid and I'm glad to see Barbara defeat him with her brains this issue. This is where Barbara impresses, not worrying about her responsibility to the wheelchair community, or fretting that she's going to damage her spine again. An assertive Batgirl who embraces life is what fans want, that's why predecessor Stephanie Brown was popular. A Batgirl throwing angst-arangs is simply a turn-off.

Barbara's also a downer when it comes to her new flatmate, Alysia, a wee firecracker who's shown she could be a good friend. She's worrying about giving too much away, opening up. Which is fine, I can see a superheroine not wanting to drag a pal into her dangerous life, but it's not like Barbara has no options - live with super-powered pals, or live alone. Just don't mess people about.

The best scene of the issue has Batgirl rescuing a couple from street robbers who may or may not be linked to Hugo Strange - she's feisty, she's funny and Simone tops the incident with a good, believable gag. The story is nicely structured and there's also a splendidly soapy surprise ending.

Penciller Ardian Syaf and inker Vicente Cifuentes produce beautiful art, featuring a tough, attractive Batgirl. The opening splash, moodily coloured by Ulises Arreola, may irk me with its subject matter - miserable Batgirl in a wheelchair - but it's sharply rendered and sets the tone for the rest of the book. What's more, the letters of Dave Sharpe are excellent and Adam Hughes offers another striking cover - literally.

This is so close to being a great super-hero book, but it needs to stop trying to appease detractors with 'I feel your pain' winks, and win them over with original storylines, compelling characters and dynamic artwork. Let Barbara move on, and maybe we'll all follow her.

Hawk and Dove #4 review

2011-12-08T00:50:00.003Z

We join Hawk and Dove soon after the events of last issue, as they interrogate the murderous Condor about their mutual connection. Along the way we're filled in as to how the fight between the heroes, Condor and his ally Swan at the White House panned out, and learn that Deadman has a bigger part to play in this storyline than 'annoying ghost boyfriend'.

There are also mysteries - Condor claims to be 200 years old while Dawn insists she wasn't always a peaceable type - and the usual action in the best issue of this series to date. The usual action there may be, but there's less of it, allowing for the intrigue and plot movement mentioned above. And calmer things to draw seem to have slowed penciller Rob Liefeld down, bringing his best work yet. There's no let-up in the dynamism of the fight scenes, but Liefeld also finds the drama in the quieter moments, using intelligent layouts and expressive bodies to bring the best out of Sterling Gates' nicely measured script. Hawk still has the manic intensity, the killer grin, but the look is restrained, less warped.

The inks from Adelso Corona and Liefeld himself are similarly noteworthy, with pleasing effects, such as background figure blurring. This may be a Photoshop trick, and if so, fine - a tool is a tool, the clever bit is knowing when to use it. An impressively hands-on finish sees a close-up of the elderly Condor come off like classic Joe Kubert, partly thanks to the fine colouring of Matt Yackey (click on image to enlarge). The final element of the pages, Dezi Sienty's letters, are equally sympathetic - this is a creative team that's gelling extremely well.

If you've been dubious about this DC New 52 book, give this issue a try - it's slambang action with a side order of suspense.

Action Comics #4 review

2011-12-08T00:33:00.001Z

Brainiac's invasion of Metropolis continues, with his computer virus motivating the creation of thousands of 'Terminauts' across the globe. But they're not out to terminate humans, only Superman. The other part of their mission is to preserve - read, 'steal - Mankind's treasures.

Clark Kent, visiting an industrial plant with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, splits off from his colleagues to go into action as Superman. He's soon facing not just the rampaging robots, but John Corben, 'Steel Soldier' turned host of the Brainiac colony. Help from an unexpected quarter gives Superman a chance to draw breath and see that an entire neighbourhood has been ripped out of Metropolis ...

And that's the main story in Action Comics #4, a rip-roaring tale of men, mechanics, monsters and miniaturisation from the ever-inventive, often-homaging Grant Morrison. As well as the bravery of Superman and his new ally, Lois shows her gutsy nature as she throws herself into the path of the unpredictable Corben, reminding him of his humanity in a bid to help Superman (click to enlarge).

Jimmy's pluck takes another form, as he films the chaos for the public record. Showing no courage at all is the fleeing Lex Luthor, who can't believe a fellow mad scientist - even an alien one - would betray him. The story ends on a note of hope, with Superman informing an unusually conciliatory General Sam Lane that he has a plan, and annoyance, as readers are advised that the story continues in Action Comics #7.

Still, as next month promises a team-up of this Superman and his future self from the Superman title, alongside the Legion of Super-Heroes, I'll probably survive. I believe the two-part fill-in, drawn by Andy Kubert and Jesse Delperdang, is to help series penciller Rags Morales with his deadlines - DC are obviously keen that the collection of this storyline will be all Morales, but really, I'd rather see a monthly serial with rotating pencillers and a strong, stylish inker - a Karl Kesel, or Klaus Janson, say - brought in to iron out any niggly style differences.

I'm not anti-Morales - his art this issue is my favourite of his Superman work to date - but if I'm engaged by a story, I don't want diversions, even when they're adjuncts to the main storyline, as the upcoming fill-in looks to be. Let's have the classy fillers in between the big stories, not interrupting them.

Morales really does do a good job here, partnered by inkers Rick Bryant and Sean Parsons. His Superman is a dynamo of activity in defence of a Metropolis that isn't sold on having him around. His Lex is a weasel, Lois a fox and the Terminauts have a terrifying vibe. Then there's the unfortunate Corben and a half-glimpsed, fully scary new Brainiac. And all the players and movement are set against one of the best-realised cities you'll see in comics, with backgrounds just packed with buildings and activity.

Colourist Brad Anderson deserves a nod for smartly helping differentiate foreground and background action, and changing New 52 Jimmy's hair back from Bieber brown to classic ginger (a move that cheers me as much as the replacement of 'Sgt Steel' Perry White with the traditional version in last month's Superman). I also like that Superman's S-shield tee shirt this issue is white - he's obviously planning a merchandising line.

I've been coy about who helps Superman, purely to keep something back for when I got to the 8pp back-up strip. Which I have now. In it we see John Henry Irons, designer of the Steel Soldier outfit, don his own version and take on Corben. All the while, his internal narration tells us how he's inspired by the American folk legend of John Henry.

It's a tight little script from writer Sholly Fisch, and while the obscure legend doesn't resonate particularly with this Brit, neither does it overshadow the main event - John using smarts rather than fists to beat Corben. And there's a fabulous final line. Thanks to illustrator Brad Walker and colourist Jay David Ramos, the sequence comes to life on the page with real verve.

The Steel armour as introduced this issue, mind, is horrendous compared to the magisterial looks John Henry has sported in the past ... I'm praying it's a prototype. John Henry himself is younger and slimmer than in his pre-New 52 incarnation, which is a shame ... he had a good, strong look and now he's gone Hollywood. Still, I'm sure the Suicide Squad's Amanda Waller will be up for a date.

So, a more than decent little tale.

But no more please. If Action Comics isn't going to present 28pp Superman stories for our $3.99, I'm very happy to get 20pp stories for a dollar less. By all means spotlight the Superman Family in its own book, but seeing the same story from two perspectives in one issue? No thanks.

Defenders #1 review

2011-12-07T21:02:00.000Z

The Hulk asks old pals Dr Strange, Silver Surfer and Namor to seek out and destroy Nul, Breaker of Worlds - a kind of Black Hulk. Bruce Banner himself daren't go near the beast for fear of merging with it, but points them towards a Hulk who can get involved - his occasional wife, Betty Ross, the red She-Hulk. On a quest to avoid boredom, she's only too happy to come along, so long as she can bring her 'big-ass swords'. The team is rounded off by Iron Fist, needed not for his mastery of martial arts so much as his ruddy great jet ... it seems Dr Strange's teleportational abilities aren't what they were.

So it's off to Wundagore Mountain, Nul's projected destination, and scene of the issue's explosive conclusion.

How big a threat Nul is, I can't tell you, having bailed out of the Fear Itself crossover in which he debuted. Writer Matt Fraction, happily, doesn't demand prior knowledge, showing Nul to be big and dangerous, and linked to all manner of weirdness in Bucharest. While Nul likely has a part to play in this series' opening storyline, this first issue is more interested in sketching in the lead characters. By the end we've seen that Strange loves a mystery, Surfer is a mystery, Namor is imperious, She-Hulk wrecks and Iron Fist just wants to read comics. I can relate to at least one of these positions.

Speaking of positions, both Iron Fist and Dr Strange are shown post-shag (no, not with one another ...) but given that neither encounter is presented as particularly fulfilling (that may be on-off partner Misty Knight in Iron Fist's bed, her bionic arm miscoloured) I won't assume Fraction was trying to make the heroes look cool. And if the Seventies-style bottom-of-the-page teases ...

... are to be believed, at least one of these encounters is setting up a future plotline (nope, it's not one of these two).

The core Defenders wound up as comics' original non-team because they didn't play well with others, but here Strange, Surfer, Namor and Hulk show that over the years they've become brothers (even the little matter of having been banished a few times by Strange doesn't deter Hulk from asking his help). It makes sense that they'd seek out one another. Iron Fist's presence is less convincing ... if the Defenders need a playboy with a jet, why not try a Defender they've all worked with dozens of times, Nighthawk? And what's Red She-Hulk got that tried and tested Green She-Hulk Jennifer Walters - Bruce Banner's cousin - hasn't?

Oh well, it's Matt Fraction's party and he can write who he wants to. Both Iron Fist and She-Hulk are likeable here, and admittedly, they freshen up the old mix. Plus, Betty acts as a viewpoint character for newer readers. But should Fraction suddenly have an itch to bring in Nighthawk, Hellcat or Valkyrie, dump them both!

Not overtly referencing Fear Itself makes sense, given how few people seem to have liked - as opposed to bought - the crossover. I'm OK with Nul as the maguffin that sees the team get back together, ahead of the big things Marvel publicity promises for this title. Supposedly, it's going to knit together disparate strands of comic book history into a Unified Theory of Marvel. That promise will have me coming back for a few issues.

Otherwise, I'd drop this comic right now. It's thoroughly competent - Fraction's handling of the characters is engaging, while Terry and Rachel Dodson produce their dependably strong, pretty art - but it feels like a generic Marvel book. There's Namor, currently with the X-Men and just seen with the Thunderbolts. One of three - or is it four? - female Hulks. The always boring Silver Surfer. And Dr Strange and Iron Fist, who are already on a team together, the Avengers.

Speaking of whom, a plot point has it that the Defenders can't tell the Avengers about their mission; how does that work when they are Avengers?

My favourite moments this issue see Strange divining on the cheap, and Iron Fist having the most token, gotta-get-an-action-scene-in skirmish ever.

Going back to the art, Dr Strange has a new look, which is a lot like most of his old looks sans the most interesting, recognisable element - the Cloak of Levitation. Heaven knows where that is (did Brother Voodoo get it?), but I hope it shows up soon. It's not a trifling detail, it's iconic. And while I'm making sartorial requests, could Iron Fist please have his classic green suit and yellow slippers back? The white boilersuit makes him look like a refugee from Flashdance.

The colouring is handled by Sonia Oback, and her bright palette meshes well with the Dodsons' page designs. There's a technical hitch with the Surfer's narrative boxes, making them very tough to read, but it turns out that as ever, he's just wittering on about his search for meaning and self.

I'm not sure if letterer Clayton Cowles dug out the retro mini-logos, but like the page teasers, they're a nice touch that puts this book in touch with the Defenders' heyday.

At $3.99 for 20pp of story and art, this is hardly a bargain, but it's solid work from good creators. I hear things kick up a gear next month as Fraction and the Dodsons get used to working Marvel-style. I'll check it out, but meanwhile, I'd say this issue is skippable.

Legion: Secret Origin #2

2011-12-05T13:46:00.001Z

Assassination attempts - you wait forever for one, then three come along at once ...

Someone really doesn't like RJ Brande. He's only just getting over one attempt on his life when two more come. Once again, though, the billionaire industrialist is protected by Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy, who he's decided to organise as a Legion of Super-Heroes. Also throwing herself between Brande and danger is Triplicate Girl, another recruit. When things calm down again, Brande tells aides Pheebs and Marla Latham to find more potential members, to provide his proteges with back-up.

Meanwhile, across the universe on the world of Anotrom, new acquaintances Brainiac 5 and Phantom Girl face an attack of their own, from someone with forcefield technology similar to Brainy's.

Watching this last assault is Admiral Allon of the United Planets fleet, but he's interrupted by son Gim, who indicates that he's wanting to hook up with this new Legion. So much for the Science Police career ...

Also monitoring/spying on the young heroes are the three members of the UP Security Directorate, tasked with helping worlds ease back into a position of peace after something known as 'the Sundering'. Two of them, Anisa and Zarl, see great things ahead for the Legion. The third, Mycroft, views the Legion as 'an accidental army' which he, rather then Brande, should control.

The mysteries continue in this second issue of DC's most detailed look yet at the origin of the Legion. What was the Sundering? Who's behind the attacks? What dark future is Naltorian prophet Anisa seeing for the Legion? Zarl points out that the weaponry used against Brande seems to be of human design, being 'almost anachronistically simple', while the tech employed on Anotrom is 'totally alien'.

Technology spanning time and space? I wonder if traditional Legion foe the Time Trapper is involved? Hopefully someone splashy will show up soon, because an in-depth origin piece cannot live by detail alone. I'm enjoying the new information on, for example. Phantom Girl's abilities, but a compelling threat is needed, preferably one with a strong visual. A redesigned Time Trapper could be just the thing (those purple robes are just so last Inquisition).

Then again, if Brande is as manipulative as Mycroft asserts, it could be that he's the one setting up threats against himself.

Mycroft emerges from Paul Levitz's script as the most interesting character here, followed by Phantom Girl and Brainiac 5. The rest of the Legionnaires barely have two characteristics to rub together. And while that's exactly how they were presented in their earliest Silver Age appearances, that doesn't cut it today. Hopefully Levitz will soon show us just who these idealistic heroes are. He obviously has the story all worked out, we just need a few cherries on top.

The artwork of Chris Batista and Marc Deering continues to be attractive, really coming to life in the action sequences. And there's a tremendous variety of well-rendered sound effects here, which may be to the credit of letterer Dezi Sienty. Whoever it is, well done - I love a bit of sound and fury. Wes Hartman colours, keeping things bright for the new team, and suitably dim for the shadowy Security Directorate. This is a great artistic team, and hopefully they'll be given something to really stretch them soon. Finally, Tom Feister's cover is a beaut, really, just look at it.

In all, another solid, entertaining issue, but lacking the X - or rather, LSH - factor.

FF #12 review

2011-11-30T23:20:00.000Z

Last week, in Fantastic Four #600, the Future Foundation kids teleported the Baxter Building's upper three levels away in order to escape Annihilus' insectoid incursion. We rejoin them as they phase onto the top of a mountain in Latveria, just as an alternate world Reed Richards, time traveller Nathaniel Richards, super-villain Dr Doom and his adopted son Kristoff waltz around one another.

Coincidence? Unsurprisingly, no - infant genius Valeria Richards arranged the destination at the behest of Grandad Nathaniel, so he can use the FF's mixed bag of prodigies to, er ...

I have very little idea. Writer Jonathan Hickman is playing a very long game involving a gang of parallel Reeds, Nathaniel's connection to the Illuminati-ish version of SHIELD, four hidden civilisations and heaven knows what else. When there's a chart, I'll get back to you.

I do have hope of being able to work things out soon, now FF has split into two books - this one, and mother series the Fantastic Four. With two locations in which to tell his convoluted epic, Hickman can wrap things up much more quickly.

Or allow the various story strands to breathe still further. Maybe add some new ones.

Oh Lord.

Anyway, as a unit, this instalment is a more-than-pleasant diversion. The kids get some nifty dialogue - I love the contrast between manipulative Val and wannabe hero brother Franklin, while mini-Wizard Bentley has a delicious black streak of humour - and there's definite forward motion in the story, as alt-Reed bids to return home. Oh, and it's amusing to see Nathaniel Richards mess with the other adults' heads, and experience a Doombot with a sense of theatre.

The big revelation this issue is new penciller Juan Bobillo. On She-Hulk, a few years back, he produced delightfully whimsical superhero art. He's recognisably the same guy here, but his work has gone up a notch or two - it's a little more dramatic, as the more serious FF series demands, but it's also brighter, more open and attractive. Thankfully, he draws terrific children - moppet brainiacs, mutant scrappers, otherworldly urchins, all with appropriate expressions and body language. He's not half-bad at adults, either. And landscapes. Castles. Dragon Man. Doombots ... (Click on image to enlarge)

I especially appreciate that unlike lots of artists, he remembers that Franklin and Val aren't the same age - he's about eight, she's just beyond toddler (making her machinations all the creepier).

Credit, too, to longtime inking partner Marcelo Sosa for some splendidly delicate finishes, and colourist Chris Sotomayor, whose only 'sin' is to tint Alex Power's hair mouse rather than blond. Clayton Cowles supplies the commendable lettering. A demerit to whoever laid out the much-appreciated recap page, for misspelling 'Bobillo' (and merely mentioning this guarantees that this review will be full of typos, but you never know, someone at Marvel may actually see this and fix the error).

Previous FF artist Steve Epting provides a cover that's not in keeping with the new artistic approach, but goodness, it is lovely. Sadly, the FF logo remains rubbish, a clever design but bereft of any impact on the shelf.

Marvel could easily have labelled this as a new #1, given the slight tweak of emphasis, so good on them for not doing so, likely in recognition of the fact that most first-time readers wouldn't find this the most convenient jumping-on point. But for fans of Franklin, Val and their mates, students of Hickman's challenging tapestry of the Marvel Universe and devotees of wonderfully characterful artwork, this is the place to be.

Tiny Titans #46 review

2011-11-30T20:59:00.001Z

The Protector may be the cover star this time, but he's not the most interesting thing about this issue. That can be found inside the comic - the mysterious lady in the purple robes ...

Yup, the enigmatic entity who helped the Flash tweak the DC Universe in Flashpoint #5 shows up here. Sort of. For older fans, it's a cute nod to the universe-shaking shenanigans of the last few months. For young kids, it's simply the Tiny Titans wondering who 'the lady in purple' is. They also get possibly their first lesson in the joys of comics confusion as Cyborg explains a rather big concept ...

Easy peasy!

But that's not my favourite panel this issue. That would be the moment Talon (evil Robin from a parallel world) enlists help to spoil the fun of the Protector (Robin substitute from a Teen Titans anti-drugs campaign).

Writer-artist Art Baltazar and co-writer Franco deliver another fun dollop of Titans for the titchies, full of sweet, jellybean-jewelled drawings and amusing banter. It's good-natured comics guaranteed to lift the spirits ... and it reveals just who the Purple Lady is. But I'm not telling!

And finally, the cover is signed 'after Jim Starlin' by Baltazar. I really should be able to recall what's being homaged, but I can't. Anyone?

Astonishing X-Men #44 review

2011-11-28T20:56:00.001Z

It's been a rough few weeks for mutant leader Cyclops. Wolverine has decamped for Westchester with half the population of Utopia, leaving Scott Summers with a team of morally dubious characters to wrangle. Scott's physical recovery following a knockdown, drag-out fight with Wolverine is progressing well, but mentally and spiritually, he's in a bad place. Blasting apart the lockers of lost lieutenants Wolverine, Kitty Pryde and Beast would be our first clue.

Resident maddish scientist Dr Nemesis reckons it may simply be an oncoming storm that's making the permanently broody Scott extra-irritable. And a storm does indeed arrive - or rather, a Storm. Ororo Munroe, mohawked, magnificent and mischievous. Spotting that Scott needs breaking out of his funk, she greets him in the time-honoured Marvel superhero manner - with an attack. Scott rises to the challenge, using his powers in new ways, impressing watching Utopians and cheering himself up immensely.

Soon the pair are teaming up to take down Sentinels in Santo Marco, and their easy success leads to this issue's intriguing cover scene. It's the married Ororo who instigates the kiss, and while any resistance looks to be passive at best, Cyclops protests.

This isn't the Storm he knows, as becomes very obvious when he wakes up somewhere else, in a very sticky situation ...

With so many X-books being relaunched right now, the question arises: what is Astonishing X-Men for? Uncanny X-Men covers the quest for mutant equality, Wolverine and the X-Men re-establishes the school for gifted youngsters, Uncanny X-Force handles black ops. And so on - every title has a defined purpose, leaving Astonishing as the X-book without portfolio.

Incoming writer Grek Pak looks to have concluded that this is the perfect place for a spot of character building, and Cyclops is the lucky man. Good choice - Scott's been a miserable git, the authority figure who can't afford to lighten up, for years now. Giving him a mission away from his team lets him show just what he can do on his own; when he's not worrying about leading, or political agendas, or the safety of his fellows. The mere fact of having Scott use his force blasts in different ways this issue - pulses aimed at the ground to alter his momentum mid-air, blocking Ororo's lightning with his beam - makes him a little bit more interesting - he's growing. And his subsequent euphoria makes Scott more human, more likeable.

And we're also getting an alternate world story, one that reminds me of the glory days of the Exiles series. After this issue's climax, there's no way I'm missing the rest of the arc. Truth be told, though, I was sold on this storyline, Exalted, by the time we got to Santa Marco, scene of the X-Men's first encounter with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. It may not be relevant in the larger story, but fun nods to the X-Men's rich past equals extra value, and the quality of characterisation here is a joy to see. As well as Scott starting a journey, there's Ororo, refreshingly devil-may-care, but not so different to the Storm we've occasionally seen that it couldn't be 'our' weather witch. It's not like she hasn't changed her hair previously ...

And then there's the artwork. Mike McKone produces probably the best Cyclops since the days of John Byrne and Terry Austin - it's something about the way he draws the ruby quartz visor, it just is Scott Summers. And his Storm has the beauty, grace and strength Barry Windsor Smith gave her.

Not that this is a book of homages. He channels the sensibility of his predecessors, but McKone's way with a page is all his own. There's a rare dynamism to the book, as panel arrangement on the page and action within the frames work together to carry us from beginning to end at the right pace. Splashy panels give the big moments the weight they need, but the quieter points are never undersold.

McKone's artistic partner is Rachelle Rosenberg, a very gifted youngster indeed. The pages have a gorgeous vibrancy, none more so than the interior version of that Scott/Ororo 'moment', as blazing, exploding Sentinels contrast with that tender kiss. Fine letters, too, from Cory Petit.

Marvel solicitations call this 'the biggest, most exciting X-Men story in years'. Time will tell. For now I'm happy with 'one of the best comics I've read this month'. Because it's been a very good month.

Flash #3 review

2011-11-25T00:21:00.000Z

As openings go, Flash #3 has a winner. Barry zooms up into a plunging plane and vibrates it through a Central City bridge and on to the surface of the river below, saving many lives. It's not easy for him, but he manages it due to his newly activated speed-thinking. He's now able to take in all the information around him, extrapolate possibilities and choose the right course of action. Sounds neat, eh?

The plane falls due to a blackout-causing electromagnetic pulse over Central and Keystone Cities. That means a busy time for Flash both in and out of costume, as he bids to save as many people as possible from harm in his super-hero guise, and aid his police department colleagues in his civvies. Being released from the lab gives Barry and gal pal Patty Spivot a chance to search for Barry's missing friend Manuel and investigate his connection to the pack of crooked clones known as Mob Rule.

They find Manuel - well, most of him - but are spotted by the villains. Barry manages to push his friends on to the street and to safety, giving him a chance to turn on the super-speed and save the day. With speed-thinking, it should be easy.

Not so much ...

Flash #3 is another home run from writers/artists Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato. While Barry is, rightly, the focus of the story, they make room to show how reporter Iris West, and boffin Darwin Elias, work the same case. The former is trapped inside an Iron Heights cell with Captain Cold (looking older and colder, his power internalised), but safer with him than in the corridors where prisoners run wild; the latter bumps into the teenage Trickster, a couple of mystery men, some Mob Rule goons and a tank from last week's Flash-guesting Captain Atom #3 (or so an editor's note tells us - there are tanks in there, but the connection is far from obvious). We also find out a little more about the plausibly sounding mad science behind Manuel's one-man army. Let's just say: oink.

It's a packed issue, typically good-looking with artwork that demands to be 'read' at least as closely as the words on the page - especially in the shocking climax which shows that Barry's newest ability isn't quite the boon it seems.

We hear about Barry's other super-speed tricks in the opening sequence, a smooth-running blend of script and art that helps us get to know the speedster better. The writers have found an appealing voice for Barry, something he's not had in a long time.

The one tiny bump in the visuals is the opening graphic, which lays the hero's name into the cabin of the jet. There's not enough room for a full wingspan, and so much going on - a visual of passengers and crew, the super-size logo treatment, colour blocking - that it's not terribly apparent that we're looking at a plane. But I love that Manapul and Buccellato are striving to give their book a unique visual identity, the foreground figure of the Flash is stunning and they've slipped in a freehand version of the Seventies DC Comics cover font, tickling my nostalgia noodles.

And as implied, the other 19 pages are pretty darn great, with Manapul's illustrations and Buccellato's tones pulling us into the story, emphasising the most relevant information ... and sometimes just giving us a fantastic visual, such as Barry and Patty playing mounties on the streets of Central City, or Flash running across two pages. Every character is distinctive, every scene has its own flavour.

There are lots of great DC New 52 books, but none so successfully rethink how super-hero script and art can blend for the better. The experimentation makes for a ridiculously fresh reading experience. Buccellato and Manapul are going to win readers and awards alike with this series, and they deserve them all.

Fantastic Four #600 review

2011-11-24T00:51:00.001Z

It's anniversary time, as the Fantastic Four celebrates 600 issues and 50 years. You likely know that we've never seen issues #589-#599, with the series restarted as FF earlier this year after the FINAL ISSUE that was #598. You likely never believed that claim and didn't believe Marvel expected you to believe it.

Just as no one believed that as of the previous issue, Johnny Storm was dead. And he wasn't. But then he was ... we'll get to that later.

The 100-page book is split into five connected stories, all written by Jonathan Hickman, so let's look at them one by one.

First off, the Future Foundation - Mr Fantastic, Invisible Woman, the Thing and Spider-Man - rally the Avengers to stave off a Kree invasion of New York. There are several superb moments, the best of them - in terms of action and dialogue - involving Sue Storm Richards, de facto leader of the team in her husband's presence (click on image to enlarge). The Thing goes looking for girlfriend Alicia in SoHo and fights a Kree Sentry alongside Red Hulk and She-Hulk (the real one). Reed, though, doesn't do much other than subtly dismiss Spider-Man's brainpower - they're both geniuses with maths and science, but whereas Spidey has humility, Reed Richards is all hubris - only he can run the figures that will keep the Kree at bay. So it's Spider-Man who breaks away from the throng and winds up fighting the horde of Annihilus in the Baxter Building - he's too good a soul to hang around and argue that it's Mr Self-Proclaimed Fantastic who should be checking on his children.

Said kids Franklin and Valeria are front and centre as the Future Foundation class proves endearingly competent before blasting off into a subplot. And the Avengers get a good showing courtesy of Hickman's sharp script, with Ms Marvel and Red Hulk's knowledge of military tactics proving useful, while Iron Man - yet another Marvel Universe hyper-boffin - combines skill sets with an FF member to save Manhattan.

No, not Johnny Storm, he doesn't show up until the final splash, in the last of 28 gorgeous pages illustrated by penciller Steve Epting, inker Rick Magyar and - celebrating his 100th Fantastic Four assignment - colourist Paul Mounts. Their scenes of New York under siege are glorious, and if there's a person in the Marvel Universe this trio can't make look superb, I've ... hang on, the Kree Supreme Intelligence is in here, still looking like Lockjaw's greener brother.

It's the SI who ordered the attack on Earth. He has his own complicated reasons but I shan't dwell on them as they're connected to that mecca of boredom, the Inhumans subplot which filled/killed two issues of the FF book recently. Really, they boil down to 'destroy all humans'.

The second story spends a great deal of time - 48 pages - showing us what Johnny Storm's been doing in the Negative Zone since his 'death' in Fantastic Four #587. Refusing to help Annihilus break through to Earth saw him thrown into a painful cycle of death, rebirth and gladiatorial games. Finally he persuades his fellow prisoners - another dull batch of Inhumans - to break free, putting him in a position to return to Earth.

Hickman writes a terrific Human Torch - brave, stoic, inspiring - but goodness, does this story drag on. Carmine Di Giandomenica draws in a pleasantly loose style, somehow managing to make the kiddie Annihilus imposing and scary, as the monstrous ruler of another dimension should be. He also makes the most of some memorable images gifted him by Hickman's script, such as what passes for medical stitches in the Negative Zone. The colour work of Andy Troy lends a pleasingly unearthly touch to proceedings.

Next up, it's off to the Inhumans' home of Attilan as Madame Medusa and husband Black Bolt have a head-to-head. Literally. They meld minds as he bids to persuade her to put up with the horde of butt-ugly extraterrestrial 'wives' he's suddenly taken on. 'I did not choose this,' he bleats, apparently in thrall to the SI. She agrees to accept her 'sisters', which is as stupid a move as you'd expect from a woman content to spend her life as a glorified Speak & Spell machine.

I think this is the first time we've seen how the couple communicate, and as visualised by Ming Doyle and colourist Jordie Bellaire, it's engaging. But every night I pray Hickman will get over his obsession with Inhumans politics or move it over into some other book - Marvel Double Filibuster, anyone?

There's more weird alien communication in a brief strip showing Reed and Sue having a cosy chat with Galactus. The Devourer of Worlds gives them a Magimix Cosmic or somesuch to save the planet from some undefined future threat. Maybe the one at the front of the book, I have no clue. Galactus wants the Earth in one piece so that he knows the whereabouts of a 'Galactus seed' - likely to one day spawn a usurper to his role as Force Of Nature With Surprisingly Good Conversational Skills. It's an OK short, but indicative of Hickman's over-cerebral approach to the Fantastic Four, showing us pieces being placed on the playing board in advance of their being needed, rather than having the heroes find and grab 'em at breakneck speed mid-story. Still, we do get the beautiful pencils and inks of Leinil Francis Yu and Gerry Alanguilan, and colours of Javier Tartaglia. An extra layer of visual interest is added by letterer Clayton Cowles, who makes Galactus' word balloons suitably otherworldy.

There's more plot-seeding in the final story, as Hickman delivers an intriguing script allied to a cute gimmick - Franklin's eye-view artwork courtesy of Farel Dalrymple and colourist Jose Villarrubia. The naive approach suits the story to a tee. Ages ago, a future version of Franklin Richards reignited the godlike powers of his younger self. We see that since then, young Franklin and mutant pal Leech have been visiting a brand new Earth he's created inside a closet. At the end of the story, a whited-out figure appears and basically offers to visit daily and train him to be a god ... Asked who he is by Franklin, the figure replies: 'Just consider me your biggest fan.' It could be Older Franklin again, but Franklin's already met him, so why blanch him out? The beard and physique hint at the Wingless Wizard, but the head dome should be bigger. I'm getting flashbacks to someone drawn by John Byrne, but can't place the memory ... anybody?

So, lots going on in this massive comic, most of it entertaining, some of it exceptional. I'd say that in terms of today's market, you get your $7.99 worth - if you want a big, fat issue of the upstart FF. But as this issue sees the return of the Fantastic Four title (FF is continuing as a separate series), I'd like to have seen the focus firmly on Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben as a team, working together to save the day. Instead, the focus is all over the place as Hickman continues to give us seemingly all his Fantastic Four stories at once. Hopefully, with two books the kitchen sink plotting will settle down and the pace will speed up somewhat.

Meanwhile, this is a decent anniversary issue for fans of Hickman's FF run, filled to the brim with colourful characters and Byzantine plotting. Sadly, with only 100pp to play with, a conclusion was too much to hope for.

Teen Titans #3 review

2011-11-23T14:07:00.001Z

Kid Flash breaks out of the N.O.W.H.E.R.E. facility, taking another prisoner, Solstice, with him. Wonder Girl dresses up as a nurse to get information out of one of the brothers who comprise the villainous Thrice. And Red Robin, travelling cross country by train with teen insect queen Skitter, meets another new hero, Bunker.

Ah yes, Bunker. Advance DC publicity tells us he's gay, and I was dreading the arrival of The Gay Titan, complete with stereotyping and/or agenda baggage. Happily, as presented by writer Scott Lobdell and artists Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund, so far he's just a character who happens to be gay. I don't think the G-word is even mentioned this issue. He's gay all right, but it's in the original sense of the word - Miguel Jose Barragan is a sunny fella, open, funny and great company. He's a splendid foil for the oh-so-serious Red Robin, and I can see these two becoming big buddies.

He also has psionic powers that are going to be very useful when he learns to apply them properly. Think purple Teen Lantern and you're pretty much there. He can build bricks with lavender (ahem) energy, using them as a battering ram, to reinforce a fist, that sort of thing. Now if he can just find a decent name ... Bunker, Lord, it's as bad as Skitter ('Why would someone call herself ...' begins Bunker, Bibilical physician). And the costume colouring, red and purple, isn't attractive.

Another future Titan who's been having problems using his powers as smartly as possible is Kid Flash - in the debut issue he made a blaze situation worse with his grandstanding. Here, though, he gets a standout scene, combining super-speed and the knowledge that's allowed him to glean to rescue Solstice. In an eye-catching spread, Booth and Rapmund show multiple Barts zipping around the N.O.W.H.E.R.E. prison while numbers and a red through-line guide us through the action. Booth's storytelling is good enough that we'd be able to follow even without the graphics, but their addition makes for a distinctive opening to the issue. It's followed by an amusing moment in which Bart realises that boots built for traction are a speedster's best friend.

Other fun scenes include Red Robin's encounter with new villain Detritus - a grubbier version of old JLA baddie The Construct - and its aftermath; Solstice learning a little of what she can do; and Wonder Girl having a great time with a spot of play acting. Lobdell finds a pleasing balance between wittiness and smart-arse self-awareness, best evidenced in the opening exchange between Red Robin and Detritus.

It's all energetically presented by Booth and Rapmund, with plenty of big moments. The story is brightly coloured by Andrew Dalhouse, and Dezi Sienty's lettering puts the script across clearly. The cover, by Booth, Rapmund and Dalhouse could showcase Bunker a little more effectively - Red Robin dominates - but it's not half-bad.

Three issues in and this series is gelling nicely, with likeable, distinctive characters coming together for a very good reason - to protect themselves from outside forces. I don't know whether this is meant to be a metaphor for young people growing up in a scary world they never made ... I do know that this is a thoroughly entertaining super-hero comic. And next issue the Teen Titans unite for the first time - if the quality continues to improve, it'll be well worth checking out.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #3 review

2011-11-18T00:59:00.001Z

The Red Hood, Starfire and Arsenal descend into the depths of the Chamber of All in search of the Untitled, slayer of assassins' guild the All-Caste. Yes, the names are the pompously vague type typically associated with Himalayan mystical realms in comics, but don't be put off - this is a gripping issue of the new team title. For it gives us our first real insight into who Jason Todd, Koriand'r and Roy Harper are in DC's recently tweaked reality.

The device facilitating flashbacks is S'aru the Proctor, millennia-old gatekeeper of the Chamber. In return for allowing the Outlaws to pass, he grabs their most precious memories, to be returned if they find their way back. Red Hood and pals descend into the Chamber via a staircase inspired by MC Escher, and it's a structure apparently attuned to Jason's memories given the inclusion of gigantic Joker mouths. Inside, they battle a horrendous ogre in pursuit of a shining globe atop a monstrous plinth.

Outside, S'aru peeks at the memories held dearest by the three adventurers - the girl Koriand'r showing her alien slavers that while she's their prisoner, she's not their plaything; Roy Harper attempting to fulfil a death wish in an encounter with Killer Croc; and Jason Todd ... well, that would be perhaps one spoiler too many. It's one of those moments you'll probably see coming while worrying that it won't arrive, and it's a bittersweet emotional beat on which to close the issue. Just two months on from some unfortunate first impressions, we're gifted insight into our three leads, showing that writer Scott Lobdell really does know what he's doing.

Even if he does misspell 'Kory' throughout.

Oh all right, new continuity, new rules - let's say he re-spells the shortened form. Doesn't mean I won't pull a face!

But that's the only problem I have with this issue. Jason. Kori (ugh) and Roy are nicely differentiated in terms of personality, methods, background and attitude, but they gel marvellously. There's an easy camaraderie fueled by affection that manifests as teasing and bickering, but when the proverbial chips are down, the gang of three have one another's backs. Lobdell's jokes fit the characters, and he places them sparingly and well, without losing sight of the bigger drama - who is The Untitled and why did he, she or it kill the All-Caste?

The presentation of Kori is heartening, as her dialogue makes it clear that despite apparent memory problems in the debut issue, she remembers her past (click on image to enlarge). According to S'aru her brain processes memory differently to that of Earth people, but it seems she's all there - just very guarded in what she chooses to address, share. And she's certainly given respect in the field, as the team member with the best warrior instincts. That's not to say the skills of Red Hood and Arsenal are shabby, but her martial background and years of imprisonment have honed Starfire's fighting and survival skills to incredible levels.

Penciller Kenneth Rocafort and digital inker Blond are Lobdell's perfect partners, their art a pleasing mix of bombast and delicacy. The monster is the equal of any you'll find so far as fearsome looks are concerned, and the steps to the Chamber make for a mouthwatering spread. But there's a lightness to the rendering that lends an air of fairytale that suits this story of superheroes on a quest. The artefact they finally find is more Rosebud than Rosetta Stone, but it's a clue, and intriguing as designed by Rocafort.

The flashback scenes show how comfortable the artists are with different environments, as we go from a Citadel prison on some alien world to the gritty rooftops of Gotham and the more rarefied atmosphere of stately Wayne Manor (complete with a Shakespeare bust reminiscent of the Sixties TV show). As well as inker, Blond has his more familiar colour credit, and what a superb job he does, for example, laying down jewel tones for scenes with S'aru and sickly greens and yellows for the monster.

Rocafort and Blond also supply the outstanding cover, which gives us a good look at the revised Robin costume worn by Jason as a lad - it's very odd in the leg department, with strange, faffy bits. Points for uniqueness, though. Speaking of the cover, why isn't Blond credited alongside Lobdell and Rocafort? As colourist and inker he's playing a sizable part in the book's unique look.

Red Hood and the Outlaws is superheroes meet Indiana Jones in a buddy movie, a uniquely entertaining mix that justifies its place in DC's tranche of new titles. Next issue promises to explain that 'outlaws' bit of the logo. I can't wait.

Legion of Super-Heroes #3 review

2011-11-17T01:53:00.001Z

The Dominator fleet is ready to set down on the United Planet watchworld of Panoptes but a team of Legionnaires aren't taking the threat lying down. They leap into the sky and wipe the graveyard grins off the faces of their longtime foes. The bad guys don't know new members Chemical Kid and Dragonwing, recognising only Phantom Girl and Chameleon Boy, and assume the quartet won't be much trouble.

Wrong. Cham changes into a massive winged beast to attack the space destroyers, while Tinya uses her intangibility to first enter, then cripple, several ships. Chemical Kid throws himself into the fray, speeding up fuel reactions, while Dragonwing sprays firebreath and acid venom around.

Elsewhere on the world, other Legionnaires try to take down Daxamite Res-Vir, the planetary patriot who opened the door to the Dominators. But with fellow Daxamite Mon-El, powerhouse Ultra Boy, matter transmuter Element Lad and the very distracting Shadow Lass on hand (I'm being literal, not sexist!), he doesn't stand much of a chance.

While these five are tussling, nearby other members attack the Dominator fleet, with Sun Boy and Comet Queen proving useful, and Polar Boy devastating.

Across the galaxy, on Daxam, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lass, Shrinking Violet and Invisible Kid try to learn more about Res-Vir. And on Earth, even as he's advising his teammates via interplanetary hologram, Brainiac 5 tests the limits of teenage witch Glorith's powers.

Whew! A busy one this. And easily the best Legion comic since the New 52 relaunch - writer Paul Levitz really knows his characters and is one of the few writers who regularly has metahumans use their powers in smart, surprising ways. So here we have Phantom Girl doing some Kitty Pryde-style mechanical disrupting, while Polar Boy uses the ships' cold-proofing against itself.

What's also wonderful is the camaraderie between the team - while there are occasional fallings out back at Legion HQ, in the field this gang acts as one. Not for Mon-El any lingering resentment over Shadow Lass having left him, he's too busy praising her heroism. Newbies Chemical Kid and Comet Queen are fitting in nicely, while Dragonwing is less irritating than she was (she's still attention-seeking, mind). With little touches such as the protocol when disembarking onto a new planet, Levitz reminds us that the Legion are professionals. And hurrah, Res-Vir gets a villain name - the Renegade - this issue, as the Dominators reveal that they have 'our answer to the Legionnaires' almost ready to launch.

Illustrator Francis Portela gets better by the month, choreographing massive battles like a veteran, and giving almost every member a moment in the artistic spotlight. Only Invisible Kid seems to vanish into the background, but for all I know he could be having a big old hero moment right in front of me. Portela seems comfortable with all the character designs, with Phantom Girl and Cosmic Boy apparent favourites, and he looks to relish Cham's transformations. He's also getting a little wilder with the layouts, giving us panel designs that progress the story while tickling the eyes. My one request would be to tweak Dragonwing so that I stop mistaking her for the Secret Six's Ragdoll.

I'm used to bright and shiny scenes from Portela, but he surprises with the interior of the Dominators' ships and the horrible visages of its operators. I don't think they've looked so scary since Todd McFarlane drew them over 20 years ago. Praise is also due to the talented duo of colourist Javier Mena and letterer Pat Brosseau, both of whom are vital to this good-looking comic.

The Dominators look differently eerie on that Chris Sprouse/Karl Story cover up top, while the Legionnaires are suited and booted and ready for their close-up.

Levitz and co seem to be hitting their stride now, so hopefully superhero fans will sit up and take notice. It's about time the Legion had a hit comic once again, and this could well be it.

Supergirl #3 review

2011-11-16T23:04:00.002Z

Kara Zor-El can't believe her newly super-ears. The man claiming to be her cousin is telling her that her homeworld, Krypton, is no more. Because he has no evidence to show her, because only three days ago she was babysitting the child this ... Superman ... claims to be, Kara turns tail. She flees China and returns to Siberia, where the pod that brought her to this strange new world came down.

There she finds no pod, but is joined by a hologram, avatar of an Earthling she can't understand. But we readers can, so are introduced to Simon Tycho, a 28-year-old trillionaire who pays national governments for the right to reclaim any extraterrestrial objects which land in their territory. He's taken Kara's pod to his satellite base above Earth, and lures her there for a series of trials.

An encounter with mechanical, heat beam-blasting butterflies reveals a new wrinkle to the regular super-power set, while a transparent brain being makes things a little sticky. Kara overcomes both, only to fall to a bad case of irony.

Writers Michael Green and Mike Johnson provide the best issue yet, striking a fine balance in their presentation of Kara. She's annoyed, yes, but understandably so. Unlike last issue, she doesn't lash out at Superman, she removes herself from his confusing presence. And she shows insight into people, realising that whoever this Superman is, 'there's something in his voice. Like he can only ever tell the truth'. And she recognises that the holo-smile of Tycho isn't the smile of a friend, it's that of a crocodile. She's using her brain, trying to work out what's going on and how to control her new abilities.

It's all very engaging.

Superman also does well out of this script, with Green and Johnson providing one of the best summations I can recall of what he's about (click on image to enlarge).

And how beautifully the cousins are rendered by regular artist Mahmud Asrar and visiting inker Bill Reinhold. Teamed with colourist Paul Mounts' sensitive tones, they produce stunning work, marrying dynamic layouts to delicate expressions - the feeling is as important as the force in this issue, and the three artists capture that. And look, they sneaked in Superman's banned kiss curl - ha!

The only thing I don't like about the art isn't their fault - how Supergirl and Superman look in their new costumes. When Mattel comes to make the next round of action figures there'll be no having to work out the points of articulation (let's just hope they have enough skin tone for Supergirl's Arse of Steel).

Rob Leigh, as he does in many comics each month, produces splendid lettering.

The cover, also by Asrar, is another winner, with Kara suitably stunned and the green of the exploding Krypton reflecting how sick she feels on hearing - and inwardly, believing - that her home and loved ones are gone. It's a terrific opening to a terrific issue.

Wonder Woman #3 review

2011-11-16T21:30:00.000Z

In which the Amazons bury their dead and Diana learns that she has a father as well as a mother.

Last issue, in the midst of tricking Amazon into killing Amazon, demi-goddess Strife told Diana that they shared a father - Zeus. Diana didn't believe this, her mother Hippolyta having told her that she was a clay statue brought to life in answer to her mother's prayers.

Believing herself to be responsible for the slain, Hippolyta feels ashamed. She admits to Diana that Strife speaks the truth - she is the result of a passionate affair between Queen of the Amazons and King of the Gods. Learning she was pregnant, Hippolyta concocted the magical birth story to hide Diana from Zeus' wronged, vengeful wife, Hera. Feeling her life to be a lie, Diana goes into the Amazon jungle (no, not that one) and smashes things for awhile, before emerging and announcing that she is no longer to be referred to as Diana, and certainly not by the dismissive nickname Clay - from now on, it's Wonder Woman.

Clay? Really? The queen allowed her beloved child to be referred to so dismissively while growing up? It's one thing to keep a lie going, but allowing your child to be hurt in the process? Not cool.

Mind, Diana seems sanguine about the nickname; less so about her mother's well-intentioned deceit. While I'm not buying writer Brian Azzarello's self-evidently silly argument that having a father who's a god is more relatable than Diana being a transformed statue (not a Golem, that's a culturally specific term), the comic book Hippolyta of earlier continuities has form when it comes to lying to Diana 'for her own good'. And Diana has been angry at her previously, on learning the truth. This lie, though, is rather massive, changing Diana's sense of self - her mother is her genetic parent; she has a dual heritage as Olympian as well as Amazon; and >ulp< she's likely to be murdered by one of the most powerful of the gods. It's a lot to take in, and given that praying to her deities for succour might not be the wisest move right now, I can understand her smashing a few things.

But I'm not delighted that when she comes out of the jungle she immediately puts the trash-talking Amazon Aleka in her place, with a well-placed punch. Yes, Aleka is stirring up ill-feeling against Diana, but she does have a point - knowing that the mortal Zola was being hunted by Hera's monsters, bringing her to Paradise Island wasn't the wisest of ideas. Rather than lash out with a closed fist, Wonder Woman should hold out a conciliatory open hand - love and understanding is meant to be the core of her being.

And while I'm not judging Hippolyte for her unwise choice of man/god, her obvious pleasure in sharing the details of her shenanigans while purporting to be ashamed makes her seem like a daft old tart. Then there's the crab fight on the beach as Aleka rabble rouses - it's not subtle.

Things I do like in the script include the spunk of Zola, which is enough to stop gods in their tracks, and the mischief of Strife, always stirring the pot. And it's good that Azzarello obviously know just where his story is going, and he has a fine turn of phrase.

It's just a shame that he's turned Diana into the kid who's OK with who they are, only to suddenly find themselves the scion of a rich clan - the Adam Carrington of the superhero set. I truly hope this series isn't going to be filled with godly, godawful soap opera. At its best, the Wonder Woman strip is a delicate balance of superheroics and mythology - go too far in the one direction, confine her to one milieu, and Diana loses a big part of her appeal.

And never mind Zeus, Diana's real-life father, William Moulton Marston, intended Diana to inspire. Wonder Woman's powers weren't innate, they were the result of Amazon training. She strove to become the finest, wisest warrior on Paradise Island - her only birthright was her mother's love. So making Diana an actual demi-god cheapens the ideal of Wonder Woman, takes away from her message that any of us could become a wonder too.

On the artistic side, Cliff Chiang continues to dazzle. His Diana has the physique of an athlete rather than a whippet-thin model, while - partnered with colourist Matthew Wilson - he choreographs action and sets the mood superbly. There's one panel in which Diana's body is a little off, and unfortunately it's the capper to the issue, but disappointing Chiang is still pretty nice

And there's one hilarious panel in which ... wait, I'll show you ...

I'm a great proponent of 'sometimes a cigar is just a cigar' but Lord, that's one big fat Cuban. Still, the Zeus scenes have the requisite sexy intensity to them, probably more than a Teen-rated comic should have. This is a good-looking book, it's a well-written book. I just hope the creative team remembers that it's supposed to be a Wonder Woman book.

Justice League #3 review

2011-11-16T14:56:00.001Z

Wonder Woman joins Superman, Batman, Flash and Green Lantern as winged beasts wreak havoc in Metropolis, destroying property and kidnapping citizens. Meanwhile in Detroit, another attack by the aliens sees STAR Labs scientist Professor Ivo carried away as colleague Silas Stone bids to save son Victor from succumbing to burns received as the monsters arrived in a tunnel of energy. Filled with advanced nanobots, Victor's mind links to that of the massive creature rising from the Metropolis ocean. And another hero enters the fray ...

I think it's fair to say this book is firing on all cylinders now, delivering a solid mix of story advancement, characterisation and action. The introduction of Wonder Woman in this five-years-ago serial shows us that she's new to the United States and being babysat by the military. Leaving via the wall is apparently her way of reminding her minders that she's not their prisoner. There is one minder whom Diana doesn't seem to mind, though - liaison Steve Trevor. He follows her onto the streets of Washington DC as she searches for a winged creature news reports say is assaulting citizens, and frets needlessly about her safety.

Diana's interaction with a little girl and a street vendor are delightful, demonstrating that while she's fierce when there's a monster to be stopped, she's all about enjoying life. And her introduction to her future League colleagues, and their reaction to her, hits some entertaining notes.

The heroes don't yet know they're facing para-demons from Apokolips, and that the thing rising from Hobbs Bay is Darkseid, but they do know they're up against an evil too powerful for a single hero.

Geoff Johns jollies the story along nicely with a well-paced narrative, and offers some gems of dialogue ('Has anyone seen a harpy?') while penciler Jim Lee and inker Scott Williams produce their best artwork yet on this series. The pages blaze with incident without looking cluttered and the struggle between heroes and villains makes for an entertaining ride. We see the power of Superman, GL's concentration issues, Flash's multi-tasking and Batman's ability to hold his own without powers. There are a few splashes and spreads, all used well in the pursuit of impact.

The only thing I'm not happy about is Diana slicing and dicing with an (apparently extendable) sword. It's been said many times, but she's not Xena, Warrior Princess. The creators of Xena copied her - she's Wonder Woman, and the only weapon she needs to defeat any opponent is her magic lasso. Yes, it restrains, but it can certainly lash a beastie if necessary, and can put a foe down without killing them. You know, like a hero should. Using a sword makes Diana look less impressive, not more.

It's interesting to finally see how the new costume designed by Lee for Wonder Woman works when he draws it; I'd not previously noticed that the tiny chest eagle head is part of a star design, which is clever, but if there's one thing this outfit doesn't need, it's more stars. Sure, Diana has far fewer on her shorts than in previous times, but they've migrated to her bustier, a choker, an armband ... and there are so many jagged edges it seems Wonder Woman likes a bit of pain as she moves. But then, Lee really does go for bits of costuming that get in the way of free movement, such as Superman's long sleeves that cover the back of his hands, and his and Green Lantern's high mandarin collars that would give any normal person a crick in the neck. Fussy fussy fussy.

Still, I can stand a bit of bad superhero fashion if the comic is good, and it's not like it'll last. Meanwhile, you won't find a bigger, noisier superhero story for your $2.99 (US) this week.

Sadly, this book is $3.99, and after the 22 pages of fun we have another look at Jim Lee's sketchbook, showing us how he's made GL's costume needlessly complicated with all kinds of noodling that will be ignored by other pencillers, inkers and colourists the minute his back's turned.

Worse, we have a five-page 'extract' from an in-universe book, The Secret History of Atlantis, by one David Graves. Sounds interesting? It isn't. This is pure Amazon.com 'Look Inside' space-wasting, with a bare cover, library card page, About the Author, dedication and foreword. Don't waste your time looking for interest, here's the meat: 'Atlantis may exist'. Oh, and Sea Devils leader Dane Dorrance is mentioned, whoop-de-doo.

DC really is stealing money with this filler material. We need a Justice League to stop them.

Legion Lost #3 review

2011-11-11T00:00:00.001Z

Good Lord, what a horrible creature on that cover.

It's Dan DiDio in an OMAC tee shirt!

Kidding ... well, not about DC's co-publisher, there he indeed is, just above the barcode. But I mean the monster Timber Wolf's fighting. It's one of the alien/human hybrids created by the Hypertaxis Plague released by 31st-century terrorist Alastor into the 21st century. And it's out for blood, hunting and killing other victims of the virus.

The why is revealed on the final page, but before that we see Timber Wolf, this issue's narrator, steal a police car as he tracks down the killer. Teammates Tellus and Dawnstar are using their telepathy and tracking to find other victims of the plague, while sonic boomer Tyroc and energy being Wildfire attempt to rebuild their disabled tech.

It's another improved issue of the new Legion of Super-Heroes spin-off, building the momentum and continuing the character work. It also adds a couple of new mysteries to the storyline - as well as the nature of the killer's quest, there's the identity of the woman glimpsed by Tellus on a telepathic sweep. It seems she's keeping tabs on the virus too, could she be connected to the Metacontrol organisation referred to by an air traffic controller left in Dawnstar's super-speed wake?

We also see Timber Wolf using his heightened senses in a disgusting, but effective, way, prior to a blisteringly good fight scene that ends when the hero gains a surprise advantage.

Other good moments include glimpses of 'native' DCU heroes during Tellus' mental recce, and the Legionnaires' difference of opinion over whether they should ask them for help. Then there's the ending ...

Read DC's publicity for this issue and you learn that the killer beast is named Red Rage, a fact not made clear in the story, though it is the name of the chapter. More interestingly, we're meant to learn the answer to the question: 'What secret does Tyroc hide in plain sight'? After several reads, all I can say is: beats me. The goggles that seem glued to his forehead finally cover his eyes, as he works on the knackered tech, so perhaps he's short-sighted. Shocking.

Anyone? Or is this a case of Solicitation Gone Wrong?

What hasn't gone wrong is the story and art. Fabian Nicieza's script is a fine balance of searing action and quieter moments, peppered with sparky dialogue. Pete Woods' illustrations get stronger by the month as he makes the Legionnaires his own. The scene in which Timber Wolf smashes into the mall, leaping from a police car at, yeah, Red Rage, is outstanding. And every page is superbly coloured and lit by Brad Anderson (who also tones that great Woods cover), and lettered by Travis Lanham. The whole creative team - and that includes editors Darren Shan and Brian Cunningham - is really gelling, having taken this book from ho-hum to hoo-hah in just three issues.

Legion Lost? Hardly.

Marvel Point One #1 review

2011-11-09T23:21:00.000Z

Every three years Uatu, Earth's Watcher, takes a break. For 42 minutes he uploads memories to the Watcher Collective, leaving the 616 Universe occupied by Marvel's heroes unobserved. This provides the opportunity for dodgy scientists to sneak around the Blue Area of the moon and look into the 'wall of memories', portals into other universes - a What If? Wall, if you like. This sequence - efficiently scripted by Ed Brubaker and drawn with Ditko-esque daring by Javier Pulido - frames half a dozen past, present and future hints at what's coming from Marvel next year

They see: Terrax the Tamer, former Herald of Galactus, ignore Nova's warnings to evacuate the planet, resulting in him and the people he affects to protect being eaten by the Phoenix force. Jeph Loeb scripts in charmingly bombastic style, Ed McGuinness and Dexter Vines provide generally good-looking art, but choose to draw the Human Rocket as a ten-year-old. The colours of Morry Hollowell are outstanding.

A peaceful future in which mutants have displaced humanity is disrupted by a group calling themselves, stupidly, the X-Terminated, the last five humans alive. David Lapham provides the tough-talking script while Roberto De La Torre supplies the intense illustrations. The lovely colourwork here is to the credit of Lee Loughridge.

Kaine beginning his new life as the Scarlet Spider, fighting the instincts that tell him to kill. The short is brought to us by writer Chris Yost, who handles Kaine's internal narrative well, and artists Ryan Stegman and Michael Babinski do a fine job of making a Spider-Man knock-off in a hoodie rather sinister.

Heat and cold-controlling twins Dragonfire and Coldmoon learning that they're pawns of an evil corporation. Fred Van Lente writes a pleasant, unremarkable opening, apparently ignorant of the fact that British readers will titter heartily at the forename Wanxia. Salvador Larroca and colourist Guru-EFX produce juicily crisp artwork.

Dr Strange finding that realities colliding could mean the end of all in a pedestrian script by Matt Fraction, nicely drawn by Terry and Rachel Dodson - but Stephen Strange looks a right Wanxia in a bowler hat.

The Avengers in an apocalyptic battle against an army of Ultrons. Brian Michael Bendis is sparing with the dialogue but the script has a good blockbuster quality. Penciller Bryan Hitch benefits from the laser-sharp inks of Paul Neary, but their dramatic art suffers from some off-register printing.

And the bad boffins of the framing sequence reveal their ultimate plan - to facilitate the murder of The Watcher by someone known as The Unseen.

And unseen, by me at least, is what most of the continuations of these threads will be. The Ultron business looks like another Days of Future Past scenario, but instead of X-Men and Sentinels we have Avengers and Ultrons. Plus, it's being run in Avengers by Bendis, whose work I find usually begins well, before rambling into nothingness. And Kurt Busiek already gave us an ultimate Ultron War.

The X-Terminated are showing up in X-Force as the Age of Apocalypse gets another go-round ... I found the first time bad enough. Plus, it features some of the least-interesting X-Men villains - William Stryker, Donald Pierce, Graydon Creed, preachy types all.

After the excellent Spider-Island I've been intending to pick up Scarlet Spider, but even though he's not killing anyone here, Kaine is far too keen on slashing for my taste. I'll likely give it an issue or two, see if he gets a tad gentler.

The Defenders, too, I was already planning on picking up, but the Dr Strange taster dims my enthusiasm; I realise a first chapter can't have the hero enjoying the big win, but Stephen Strange is naive to the point of uselessness here. Perhaps the addition of Iron Fist, Silver Surfer, and, well, none of my actual favourite Defenders, will help. I'll try issue one, at least, in the hope that Nighthawk, Hellcat and the other fun Defenders show up.

Super-powered twins, hot and cold powers - it all feels over-familiar, but I love that Coldmoon and Dragonfire smile constantly, and wouldn't mind following them, for a while, at least. Shame this book doesn't mention where their story is continued - I suppose their meeting the Avengers points towards one of that team's 19 Bendis-written books, so that's that.

The framing sequence likewise ends without telling us where to go next - possibly one of Brubaker's Captain America titles, but who knows? 'Kill The Watcher' seems a little too cosmic for a Cap story.

Talking of over-Cosmic, the reason I liked Nova in his early years was that he was an unashamed Spider-Man rip-off: amazing powers + rubbish home life = a fine superhero soap. I'm not interested in him as a full-time space cop (somehow back from the Cancer-verse he was recently thrust into). Plus, his new costume is a terrible tweak of a classic, especially the helmet. Instead of a charming bucket, it looks like Nova is wearing a Starro on loan from DC Comics. And again, we're not told where the Phoenix story will be taken up before becoming some line-wide monster.

Marvel Point One fails in its aim of getting me excited about 2012's events. There's nothing in the way of fresh notions on display, it seems to be more a case of revisiting some of the former House of Ideas' greatest hits. I don't doubt some of the stories will be well done - there's undoubtedly a high level of craft on display here - but Marvel's current crop of creators have stood on the shoulders of giants so many times, the big guys are toppling over. Just one or two new concepts of the type Marvel's founding fathers would come up with, month after month, that's all I ask.

All in all, this is a useful comic from Marvel, a giant-sized special telling me what I won't be reading next year. I will be reading Daredevil, Avengers Academy, Secret Avengers, Spider-Man - books with steady creative teams who are, for the most part, left to go their own sweet way. Bloated events? No thanks.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #13 review

2011-11-09T14:01:00.002Z

Mystical man of mystery the Phantom Stranger gathers Robins past, present and future to save the Batman, riddled by bullets after an incident in Crime Alley. Can Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne and Carrie Kelly revive Batman ... or will it be a case of 'Batman Dies at Dawn'?

Longtime readers will recognise the title, and the Phantom Stranger's splash page posing with a comatose Batman, as a homage to one of the most-famous stories of the Silver Age, Robin Dies at Dawn (Batman #156), but that's where the similarities end, as this issue strikes out into new territory. Can the most experienced Robin, Dick - here in his Nightwing guise - wrangle his very different successors long enough to save their mentor?

Of course he can, but the lack of suspense in this area is more than made up for by the joy of watching such little-seen Robins as The Dark Knight Returns' Carrie, and short-lived Steph, fight alongside one another. The solution is one that a fair few readers will see coming, but there's a satisfying twist, followed by a delightful coda.

It's another superb issue from writer Sholly Fisch and artists Rick Burchett and Dan Davis. Differentiating Boy, Girl and Teen Wonders with dialogue and fighting styles, they demonstrate that when Batman takes on a new Robin it's never a case of trying for a Dick Grayson clone. Rather, it's Batman tweaking the Robin role to fit the personality of the occupier (click to enlarge image).

As ever, a cleverly worked plot is studded with gems of dialogue - it's no wonder Grant Morrison has had Fisch assigned to the role of back-up writer in Action Comics, after naming Batman: The Brave and the Bold his favourite comic. Glad it's not just me! As well as the main action, there's a prologue with Nightwing teaming up with Speedy to fight the Royal Flush Gang, shortly after Dick graduated to the role of adult hero. Suffice to say, the teen archer's not impressed with the new look.

If you've yet to try this book, here's another chance. With luck, Morrison's patronage will bring in new readers and ensure a healthy run for the only series currently embracing the full delights of DC Comics' seven decades-long library.

Wonder Woman and origin(al) sin

2011-11-08T00:36:00.009Z

Every day, people come up to me on the street and ask the same question: 'I know Superman came to Earth in a rocketship and Batman saw his parents shot, but what's the origin of Wonder Woman?'

In the past, I've explained that she was a clay baby given life by the gods after her Amazon queen mother prayed for a child. The questioner looks blank, and tells me they just don't understand a word I've said, and therefore can never, ever try a Wonder Woman comic.

With the coming of Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang's version of the Amazon, I can tell them: 'Daughter of a god.' Immediately, they subscribe.

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Why am I making this rubbish up? Because of the interview that the writer and artist of the relaunched Wonder Woman gave to Hero Complex this week. In it, they explain why Wonder Woman's origin - the same since 1941 - has been changed:

Azzarello says: 'We’re kind of forging our own trail right now. We’ve cleaned her up. You can describe who she is now. She’s got the specific description now just like Batman or Superman. She’s the daughter of a god. It’s weird, through the years people don’t have a strong grasp of her. In the general popular culture, she’s huge, not that anybody really knows anything about her. I’ve asked people –what do you know about Wonder Woman and they say, ‘The Amazon, right?’ And that’s about as far as it goes. They don’t know what her origin is. The idea of the character is bigger than the character herself. She’s recognizable but not known. And when that happens they go to the side stuff, they talk about [the accessories] like the lasso and the bracelets.'

Right. The one thing stopping Diana winning the hearts and minds of non-comics readers is the fact that they don't know her origin. How about this for a radical thought - try telling them it.

Worried that they may think the clay baby bit a tad silly? It's no sillier than an ordinary man dressed as a bat who takes serious blows every night of his life and doesn't wind up in a wheelchair after a month. Or a hero who goes maskless but isn't recognised by the reporters he gives interviews to regularly.

Or Marvel's legion of irradiated humans who gain powers rather than die horribly. Or talking ducks with girlfriends. Fantasising beagles.

Let's not underestimate the willingness of the public to go along with an idea if there's something compelling to grab on to. And with Batman, Superman, the Hulk, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Donald Duck and Snoopy, there's a great visual and there are compelling stories.

Wonder Woman has the great visual. Certainly, the traditional star-spangled 'bathing costume' look is a mite outlandish outside of the comic strip context, but it's memorable. And Lynda Carter showed, in the Seventies live action TV show, that it can work on an actual human being. I don't recall the programme suffering in popularity because it didn't decide that Diana was the daughter of a god. She was a magic Amazon - it's loony, but delightfully so, and certainly no loonier than anything else.

No one is confused by Diana's origin. Comic readers know it. Non-comic readers who don't ... can you actually be confused by a knowledge vacuum? Surely it's bonkers to care about people not having information they'll never need? Somehow, I get by without knowing how to re-inflate a hot air balloon, or the GDP of Peru. What does it matter if people who aren't comic readers don't know the ins and outs of Wonder Woman's background? If they're interested, they can look the origin up online in ten seconds flat.

'The Amazon, right?' That's really all you have to know about Wonder Woman to begin reading her adventures. Newcomers will learn the origin as soon as it's relevant to the story. It's up to Azzarello and Chiang to make the stories rip-roaring and original enough to keep new readers around long enough to learn.

If not knowing really is stopping anyone reading a Wonder Woman comic, DC have the perfect entry point - The Circle storyline by Gail Simone, Terry and Rachel Dodson, handily collected in an affordable package. It takes the clay baby anecdote and expands it into a dark, compelling look at the Amazons of Wonder Woman's homeland, Themiscyra. It's a superbly scripted, beautifully drawn tale of passion - Queen Hippolyte's desire for a child, and the jealousy felt by some Amazons at Diana's existence - and good old superheroics.

I recommend it wholeheartedly. I don't, though, think it's a vital read. The person in the street isn't itching to know Diana's back story - they know as much about her as they do about Batman and Superman. She's an Amazon who comes to America to fight for peace. There you have it, in a single line. The concept has been presented in the aforementioned live action TV show, years worth of Justice League cartoons, a recent full-length animation and, more importantly, thousands of comic book stories. Anyone who reads US comics knows Diana, princess of the Amazons, we've grown up with her. Little boys may snub her title, but they definitely recognise her; how else would they know she's (eurgh!) soppy?

As for '... they go to the side stuff, they talk about [the accessories] like the lasso and the bracelets' - well, a magic lariat and bullet-deflecting bracelets are indeed part of Diana's bag of tricks. What's actually wrong with that? They're unique, they're cool.

The genie is out of the bottle. Azzarello and Chiang have already put the idea that Diana is the daughter of Zeus out there, in their eminently readable Wonder Woman revamp. Can we expect DC to fund a massive ad campaign telling the world, hey, she's a demigod, it's safe to read her book? Because otherwise, the average person's perception of Diana isn't going to change one jot.

I'm actually fine with the demigod bit, it's a tweak that could bring some fascinating stories. And it's a change that decades of comics reading tell me will be gone within a few years - in superhero lore, the classic version always comes back. Always. So make your change, and I'll give it a chance.

But don't tell me it's necessary.

Amazing Spider-Man #673 review

2011-11-03T00:50:00.000Z

Manhattan's tenure as Spider Island is over. Having been given Spider-Man's abilities, then transformed into giant arachnids, virtually the entire population is waking up after the cure with a fuzzy memory ... and a distinct lack of clothing (click on image to enlarge).

So there's no better name for this epilogue than The Naked City.

Happily for the New Yorkers, they don't have to display their big apples for long; superheroes are on the scene with trousers aplenty.

Having shown with Spider-Island that despite the evidence of Fear Itself, Marvel can still do satisfying big events, the Amazing Spider-Man team demonstrates that they can do epilogues too. This issue is crammed with little codas to the storyline, and pointers to upcoming events. There are turning points in Peter Parker's relationships with former partner Mary Jane Watson and current girlfriend Carlie Cooper; new plots hatched by mad scientist The Jackal; clone Kaine sets off with one of Peter's hi-tech suits to strike out on his own as a super-hero; Eddie Brock, who gave up his Anti-Venom abilities to facilitate the cure, is New York's big hero; J Jonah Jameson makes a decision; Madame Web delivers an annoyingly cryptic warning (nothing new there!); and Peter learns that in rallying the good people of Manhattan to help out in the previous days' crisis, he's weakened a certain spell cast by Dr Strange.

It's all go in Amazing Spider-Man, and all entertaining. Writer Dan Slott has a tremendous handle on the tangled web that is Peter Parker's life, and a whole issue exploring it without the noise of a super-villain battle is a treat. Peter's days have been pretty good of late, what with being on two respected super-teams, having a fulfilling job and dating one of New York's Finest, so he's due some of the old Parker luck. And while he gets understandably angry as things go south, he keeps his priorities straight, and he doesn't wallow.

Artist Stefano Caselli interprets the script beautifully. Compositions, figurework, backgrounds - they're all strong and work together to ground the story physically and emotionally. The colouring by Frank Martin is note perfect, with the first Peter/MJ chat a masterclass in lighting a scene for the time of day it's set - in this case, morning. Storm, appearing in one panel, looks distinctly Caucasian and I really hope the moment doesn't inspire a slew of articles yelling 'racism'. Ororo's such a big name character that there's no way Martin will have gotten it wrong; it's a glitch. Luke Cage and Robbie Robertson also look far lighter than they should, backing up my feeling. On the lettering side, Joe Caramagna turns in his usual fine job.

And the cover? A cute, appropriate take on a classic by Caselli, marred only by the massive, unnecessary Spider Island title lettering and baffllingly prominent hashtag.

I'm not a fan of the $3.99 price tag of this comic, but while Slott and co only have 22 pages to play with, editors Stephen Wacker and Ellie Pyle look to have sent out a memo instructing creators to pack them with story - Spider Island chapters have been dense, rewarding reads. And so long as that's the case, I'll keep buying.

Action Comics #3 review

2011-11-02T17:48:00.001Z

Three months into the Superman relaunch and we get our first look at Krypton, as Jor-El warns Lara to get out of Kandor just in time for her to see it stolen by, presumably, Brainiac. A quarter of a century later, on Earth, Clark Kent dreams of the catastrophe, witnessed by him as a babe-in-arms. A rude awakening sees his flat raided by Metropolis police - rattled by Clark's anti-corruption exposes - and someone disovering his makeshift super suit.

Later, Lois Lane tries to persuade Daily Star reporter Clark to join the Daily Planet, which is owned by Superman's least-favourite businessman, Glen Glenmorgan. And Lex Luthor's transformation of military man John Corben into an anti-alien super-soldier is interrupted by the incursion of an alien hive mind - Brainiac has reached Earth..

This issue reads rather choppily, with no obvious focus, but Grant Morrison's zippy script nevertheless carries us along. I'm not delighted to see the revised origin of Metallo/Corben, and the shrinking of Kandor again so soon given they were dealt with in depth in the old DC continuity, not so long ago. Still, new readers start here, and all that.

What I really don't like about this issue is Rags Morales and Rick Bryant's depiction of Clark Kent (click on images to enlarge). I get that he's less powerful at this 'five years ago' point in his heroic career, so picks up bruises, but with his hair super-tousled and the bruises looking like dirt, the man could pass for a tramp. And an ugly one, at that. Other than that, the artists' work serves the modern day sequences well, with Metropolis a bustling hulk of a town and its inhabitants characterful enough to survive it.

The Krypton flashback is simply gorgeous, with Jor-El, Lara and their family looking like sparkling gods, and the removal of Kandor awe-inspiring. Kal-El has never looked more like a 'star-child' than in the opening panel. Art Lyon's colours sizzle in this sequence, while Brad Anderson does a great job with the Earthbound scenes.

Finally, I'd like to drop Krypto's fluffy canine corpse >choke< on whichever DC bean counter decided to charge us $3.99 for just 20 pages of strip. Eight pages of advertorial about the new Superman books? I'll buy that for a dollar - because I have no choice. It's a Marvel style rip-off and no mstake.

Avengers Academy #21 review

2011-11-02T16:12:00.000Z

It's a new term at Avengers Academy. The Fear Itself crisis saw their interdimensional headquarters, Infinite Avengers Mansion, destroyed. One student, Veil, quit after feeling forced to kill in battle. Teachers Speedball and Justice resigned to go on a road trip.

Relocating the Academy to the old Avengers West Coast Compound, headmaster Giant Man takes the opportunity to open the doors to new students. He reckons the current class - Hazmat, Finesse, Mettle, Reptile and Striker - will benefit from contact with other super-powered kids. Ones who weren't tortured by Norman Osborn, and aren't at such high risk of winding up as super-villains.

So it is that the likes of Butterball, the teen She-Hulk and (randomly annoying spelling alert!) Juston Seyfert and his pet Sentinel are having a whale a time by the pool at the renamed Avengers Campus. And as the new kids play, the existing students train. And seethe. And worry.

Like a child with a new baby sister or brother, they fear they're being usurped, that the Avengers will kick them out to embrace the new kids with their lack of baggage. Cue a raging argument with visiting Avengers Captain America, Luke Cage and Hawkeye which leads to fisticuffs. The incident ends only when faculty member Jocasta makes a rather insistent plea for peace.

The Avengers explain that rather than dispense with the current group, they want to provide one-to-one mentoring, but their display of aggression has the older heroes wondering if the kids are indeed worth bothering with. While everyone calms down something happens that is sure to bond the generations - the apparent murder of one of their number. And that's not the only surprise this issue has before the end.

Hmm, should I even mention that there's a second surprise? You're perhaps less likely to be surprised if you're expecting a surprise. But on balance, I'll stick with the previous paragraph - even knowing something's coming, it's not something that can be guessed, the surprise will hold. I'm hoping to persuade anyone who hasn't yet tried this book to give it a shot, and intrigue always helps.

This really is one of the best comics Marvel puts out, packed to the gills with fascinating characters and situations that change and grow from issue to issue. It also features some of my favourite Avengers as teachers - along with Giant Man there's Tigra and Quicksilver and, as of this issue, another longtime team member. Plus, the core class is joined by Julie Power, aka Lightspeed from Power Pack aka, according to Hazmat, 'Double Rainbow Barbie'. And this month's version of the White Tiger, Ava Ayala, steps in to add a few sparks.

Christos Gage is one of the best plotters in comics and his scripts are brimming with character and his love of classic Avengers lore. One favourite scene this time has killer robot Ultron characterised as a deadbeat husband to Jocasta ('she claims she hasn't heard from him in months'), while Hawkeye's earliest arguments with Cap see him sympathetic to the trainees' frustrations and rudeness. All this and the kind of twisted teen romance that's a log way from Riverdale.

The pencils of Sean Chen are deliciously clear, and sharply finished by Scott Hanna. The pair do a fine job of telling the story visually, handling a couple of dozen individuals without making the pages seem cluttered. And the bright colours of Jeromy Cox and Veronica Gandini, and clear lettering of Joe Caramagna, are always appreciated. Rodin Esquejo joins the comic as cover artist and produces the perfect image to ring in a new era. I've no idea what the post-Fear Itself banner, Shattered Heroes, refers to, but the '1ST ISSUE of a new era' blurb is just clever marketing.

The new Avengers Academy has no need of another .1 issue - although the comic's entry in the ongoing Marvel promotion was excellent - as editor Bill Rosemann has your jumping-on point right here. Enrol, enjoy.

Uncanny X-Men #1 review

2011-11-02T14:40:00.002Z

Utopia leader Cyclops gathers his lieutenants and announces his latest notion - the Extinction Team. They'll protect mutants and humans alike, and their world-saving displays of power will hopefully deter humans from victimising mutants. His thinking is that as non-mutants fear the X-Men without any show of force against them, they may as well amp up the forcefulness and make the ordinaries so afraid they'll back off.

While telling non-mutants that, really, we just want to live side by side, embracing peace.

It's rather the mixed message, and the team membership isn't exactly one to soothe the nerves: as well as Cyclops, Storm and Hope Summers, there's Magneto, Emma Frost, Namor, Magik, Danger and a Juggernauted-Colossus.

Storm's concerns bring the book's best moment (click on image to enlarge).

Indeed. Still, everyone decides to give Scott's plan a crack, and as they wait for a suitably big menace to tackle, the Utopia community goes about its business: new mutants train; Dazzler's 'street team' tackles San Francisco crime; the boffins of the X-Club upgrade Danger's frankly terrifying head; Hope keeps an eye out for emerging mutants; and Psylocke squats to show off her arse ... oh all right, she's handling security and watching for threats, but I do get tired of 'porno' being her default pose.

A problem finally arises - the Dreaming Celestial, the unmoving, giant, ancient god which looms over Golden Gate Park, is giving off strange energy readings. Cyclops and co rush to the scene and find that behind it all is old X-Man villain Mr Sinister, but before they can learn his plans he takes off in the being's head, reshaped to resemble his own.

This leaves the X-Men to fight battle-bots launched from the Celestial's body. The likes of Magneto and Colossus get to show off how truly powerful they are, which should make Cyclops happy ... but one member is maimed. Mr Sinister, meanwhile, demonstrates that the X-Men aren't the only ones who can create their own sovereign territory.

And that's the bare bones of the first #1 issue Uncanny X-Men has ever had (the previous version didn't gain the adjective until well after its hundredth issue). The meat includes sparkling dialogue from writer Kieron Gillen and - Betsy Braddock's bottom apart - irreproachable art from penciller Carlos Pacheco and inker Cam Smith. Gillen obviously knows what he's doing and Pacheco and Smith, with their epic staging, will make it look great. The sharp opening, which goes from whimsy to horror in seconds, is followed by a richly characterised discussion among the senior X-Men, and that's succeeded by plenty of action leading to an arresting final image - it's exemplary work all round.

But I don't think this is the comic for me - there are so many villains as members that it may as well be called the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Cyclops compromised by decisions he's taken. Colossus struggling to fight off the Juggernaut's demonic tendencies. Storm hanging around only to temper a team she sees as liable to go all-out evil at any moment. Hope working some hoodoo on the emerging mutants ... the only member regularly beinging humour to the team is Emma Frost, and she can get a tad one-note.

As for the villainous Mr Sinister, I like his new look, but he's just so dreadfully panto. I can never read a line of his dialogue without imagining a green light on him and kiddies booing and hissing. Hopefully he's just around for the first storyline.

Back-up features include a cute 'who's who on Utopia' and Cyclops' message to humanity, which seems not wholly unreasonable until you get to the FAQs at the bottom. Scott Summers truly is the heir to Magneto.

I can see the more hardcore X-Men fans loving this book. It's very well crafted, includes fan favourite characters and continues the 'nobody like us, everybody hates us, think we'll go and eat worms' storyline of the last 20 years or so. I'll certainly give it an issue or two more, see where it goes. But I suspect I'll be packing my bags and moving the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning full-time. At least until the X-Men become a group of heroes again.

All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #11 review

2011-10-30T23:59:00.000Z

In the DC New 52, Jonah Hex has decamped to Gotham City. In the Johnny DC line, he's there too (click on image to enlarge).

Don't expect saloon girls coming to sticky ends, though. This being an all-ages book the story centres on Ra's al-Ghul, a giant robot and an earthquake machine. It's the latter which sees Batman travel more than a century into the past, when the long-buried plan of 'the Demon's Head' threatens Gotham with massive earthquakes. Jonah has headed east to hunt down the killer of a friend. Bat and bounty hunter team up, with the former handling Ra's and the earthquake machine while the latter faces the steampunk robot.

As ever with this comic - kudos to editor Jim Chadwick - story and art are tons of fun. As well as the two stars, writer Sholly Fisch finds room for DC stalwarts Cave Carson and Geo-Force in a story that's linear, yet circular. And artist Dario Brizuela produces mouth-watering animation style art, full of fun moments both big (Gotham crumbling) and small (Batman's attempt at a disguise).

Adding to the artistic fun is Guy Major, who colours the Old West - sorry, East - as confidently as he tones the Gotham night, and letterer Dezi Sienty, whose work is as sharp as ever. The splendid cover is the work of Rick Burchett, Dan Davis and Gabe Elteab.

If you're enjoying All-Star Western and fancy a more straightforward, fun version of Jonah in Gotham, buy this comic. Or if you 'just' like clever, amusing superhero fare, same deal. I'm a month late with this one, but you should still be able to find it in shops.

Superman #2 review

2011-10-27T21:31:00.000+01:00

Superman is getting slapped about by a monster that's invisible to his senses, but a comment from Lois Lane tells him how to get into the fight. Defeated, the creature dissolves, but not without muttering one word in an unearthly language - 'Rosebud'.

Oh all right, it was 'Krypton', and yes, pretty much the same thing happened last month when a fire demon came to Metropolis. Obviously, they're connected, but two generic, basically silent monsters in two issues makes for pretty dull fight scenes. This is Superman, he should be battling baddies who can exchange banter as well as blows. The silent enemy provided the perfect excuse for writer George Perez to give us another internal narrative; last month it was a cringeworthy 'news story' by Clark Kent, this time it's Superman's thoughts.

But it's Superman's thoughts in the past tense, distancing us once more. We eventually find that he's dictating the encounter into a machine at the Fortress of Solitude, but the knowledge doesn't make the narrative device any more palatable. Twice Superman might as well cry 'Oh, the humanity!' as he frets about civilian casualties ... too, too melodramatic.

Away from the fight, the issue isn't bad at all. There's a tense, illuminating confrontation with General Sam Lane played out in a holographic 'Star Map' used to monitor Earth in relation to alien invasion. We see that as worried as he is that Superman's presence attracts danger to Metropolis, he's equally afraid that his daughter is too close to the hero.

The conversation motivates a flashback, of Clark helping Lois move into her new office. Lois wants him to know that her dating (I'm putting a polite sheen on the situation) the Jonathan guy we met last issue doesn't mean she's not Clark's friend. She hopes that her being out of the field, having been promoted to TV news producer, won't result in print journalist Clark's standards falling; in her mind, every good reporter needs another who's almost as good/slightly better to keep them on their toes. The logic is skewed, but I like Lois's confidence, which doesn't quite stray over into arrogance.

Clark himself lacks spark, assuring Lois that he's fine, but displaying no get up and go. I don't care that Lois doesn't think of him as a potential suitor because, well, why would she? There's no chemistry between them.

The monster Superman can't defeat (until he can) is right out of a Seventies Superman comic. Not literally - well, not that I can recall off the bat, but I'd be surprised if a similar story hadn't been previously told - but the gimmick battle is the sort of thing legendary editor Julius Schwartz would have loved. The idea is smart, though Superman comes across as pretty stupid in not immediately finding a vat of paint to throw over the beastie, giving him an outline to hit. The dictation implies that he had this thought at the time, but let's be generous and assume Superman is narrating strictly in hindsight.

George Perez is a great storyteller. The book is well-structured plot-wise and visually, and while I disagree with some characterrisation choices, he knows what's he's doing. The main thing he needs to make this book work is an editor to lighten up some of the dialogue: 'How ironic, then, that despite all of General Lane's apprehensions, this time it was his daughter Lois who saved me' - that's not dialogue, that's treacle. And Lois' final phone call to Clark is too soapy by half. So over to you, editor Wil Moss.

There are no problems with the art. Perez the writer gives Perez the draughtsman more room to breathe than last month, allowing illustrator Jesus Merino to show just how great he is with pencils and inks. Merino is the only artist so far to make the new Superman costume look good, while he conveys the moments of drama big and small with finesse. He sells the fight scenes, captures Lois' classic combination of brains and beauty, and makes Sam Lane something more than the overbearing father. Clark doesn't look bad at all, despite the 1930s specs and workwear inappropriate for a representative of the Great Metropolitan Newspaper - or doesn't he meet the public? And Jimmy Olsen, with his Justin Bieber makeover...

... he still looks a proper twat. Come on DC, Jimmy's been a proud, freckled ginger for 70 years. Making him look like the pop cherub du jour obliterates the personality we know. Unless sales stats reveal a sudden influx of tasteless teenage girls buying this comic, change him back, eh?

And give Perry White a few pies.

Flash co-writer Brian Buccellato shows that he's still enthused by the day job with an exemplary colouring turn, and Carlos M Mangual's lettering is sharp. Buccellato also colours the Perez cover, which is marvellously busy without being over-cluttered. Well, apart from the super-fussy boots. (DC decides it's going to be tough with artists who don't hit deadlines, then redesigns costumes so they take three times as long to draw - good thinking!)

It's been announced that Perez is leaving this comic after six issues to do other projects. You can just bet that by then all the little problems will have gone away and this book will be firing on all cylinders. It's the law.