Review: Justice League #2

The first issue of Justice League already feels like it's an eternity away. It came out in a time when everyone still thought Aquaman was a loser, and when people were more concerned with Wonder Woman's lack of pants than her actual comic. The DC relaunch was a completely untested quantity. We didn't know if Scott Snyder could do justice to Swamp Thing, or if Grant Morrison could pull off his blue jeans wearing Superman. Justice League #1 was burdened with everyone expectations and all of their fears, and it's only with issue #2 that I feel like we can get a real sense of what this series might be like.

To my surprise, this issue did not pick up right where the last one left off, but instead opened on Barry Allen, who's been tasked with finding the identity of The Flash. Barry apparently has some history with Hal Jordan already, and they've fought together in the past (fighting Gorilla Grodd, which was a nice touch). Based on solicits, I was expecting this to be a Superman showcase, but for me, this did a better job of showing why the Flash is awesome than anyone else. He genuinely showed up Supes for a while there, even if he did manage to touch him in the end.

Cyborg was probably my favorite part of the last issue, and while I didn't find his scenes quite as striking here, writer Geoff Johns still does a solid job of building up the character. It looks like things are going to get much more interesting for Vic Stone come next issue, and I'm looking forward to seeing how his transformation into Cyborg is handled in the DCnU. Young Hal Jordan continues to entertain, but he also continues to be a major doofus:

Insert your favorite facepalm image here.

This isn't a point of major concern, since it's a flashback arc and Hal shouldn't even be in the league once we get back to the present, but I don't know that Hal acting like a dolt is going to be funny for all that much longer.

Kirby dots will always make me smile.

Jim Lee continues to do a terrific job with the book's art. These are some of the best constructs we've ever seen from Hal, and the level of detail in the book's splash pages is really impressive. I'm not crazy about the outfit he stuck Silas Stone in, but I am more than willing to excuse some awkward fashion choices when the rest of the book looks this good. There's an energy here that isn't always present in Lee's work, and I think he must really be having a blast working on this. I'm not sure how much lead time he has on the comic, but I hope it's enough to enjoy his work for at least a few more months. Anyone who's enjoyed Lee's work in the past should give this comic a look. I don't think of Lee as being someone who really emulates Jack Kirby, but it was great to see him use some of those elements here.

There's also some really interesting stuff included in the book's bonus content. We get more of the character design stuff we saw in the last issue, but we also get a really intriguing Amanda Waller/Steve Trevor interview.  I haven't enjoyed Waller in the new Suicide Squad at all, but her voice comes through clearly here, and there are some very nice hints of what might have to come. Most of the interview deals with Wonder Woman, but we also get an idea of what we might see in the upcoming Justice League back-up tale "The Curse of Shazam", and some references to a character I'm guessing we'll be seeing soon.

Overall, I enjoyed Justice League #2 more than the issue that came before. Not only was it easier to relax and enjoy the book on its own merits, but the comic was well paced and is really starting to feel like the team book it's supposed to be. I'm excited to see how Johns handles Wonder Woman next issue, and I'm really looking forward to the team's expanded roster. I've lost track of how many times Justice League #1 has been reprinted, but I imagine it's pretty easy to get a hold of now. If you decided to hold off on the series, now's not a bad time to give it a go. Those buying this for the throw down on the cover may be disappointed, but this story arc is off to a solid start, and things should only get better once the full team is assembled.

By Marceline with No comments

Review: The Fury of Firestorm #1

The awesomely named The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men is one of those titles I got more excited about over time. I'm not particularly invested in Jason, Ronnie, or the Firestorm concept, but I do like Gail Simone, and the Yildiray Cinar preview art we saw looked pretty fantastic. I really disliked both the Blackest Night Firestorm stuff and the Brightest Day storylines that came after, so seeing them rebooted was a bit of a relief. And mostly, the concept of Firestorm changing from two people to something on a more global scale was really cool to me. Seeing the way various characters use the Firestorm powers seems like it has great storytelling potential to me, and I'm glad to see the series breaking away from some of the aspects I never found to be entertaining.

The book opens on a dark scene that lets us know that the book's high school setting doesn't mean things are going to turn out okay. I think this opener is going to turn a lot of people off, especially those who think there's been too much violence in the new 52 comics, but the inclusion of some black humor really made it work for me. It was a sharp contrast to the book's next scene, which introduced Jason and Ronnie, and absolutely influenced the way I perceived the two characters and their problems. I don't think I'll have the patience for more than an issue or two of constant bickering when the stakes have been shown to be so high. On the other hand, seeing these characters have to confront real world issues on this scale could be pretty compelling, so it could go either way.

Ideas are introduced at a pretty breakneck pace throughout the issue, leaving readers with a lot to ponder before issue #2. I believe we get a glimpse of the new Killer Frost here, and I was genuinely surprised to see Cliff Carmichael make an appearance. There are a lot of easter eggs I'm probably missing out on because of my limited Firestorm knowledge- I could identify Firehawk in a panel, but not the characters around her- and I'd bet a bigtime Firestorm fan would be able to appreciate the book in a way I couldn't, reboot or no reboot. I think I'm more intrigued by where the comic might be going than I was by the issue itself. I really feel like I can't accurately predict what's going to happen, and that's awesome.

Yildiray Cinar does a beautiful job on the book's artwork, especially when rendering various Firestorms. I love the inclusion of the Kirby dots. His facial expressions and figure work are really strong, and the action scenes feel really kinetic. I believe Cinar inked his own pages, and I really like that he did it with such a light touch. It adds a real sense of motion to the flames we see throughout the issue, and makes Firestorm feel different on a whole different level. Steve Buccellato, the brother of Flash colorist Brian Buccellato, does a great job of adding atmosphere to the pages, and really highlight the best aspects of Cinar's work.

The comic is fairly accessible to new readers. Like Justice League Dark, I think the comic is more effective with some universe familiarity, but someone new to comics should be able to pick this up without running to Wikipedia. The pacing is a bit unusual, and I can see how that could make the comic feel confusing, but as long as you're willing to read the book twice, this shouldn't be an issue. The book ended on a bit of a weird point for me. It reminded me a little of the ending in this week's The Dark Knight, and it seemed a little silly and off in tone when compared to the rest of the issue. Because I read Dark Knight first, it's hard to say if I'm letting that influence my perception of the page, or if it's a genuine problem.

I'd recommend this issue to readers looking for a darker comic with some social commentary and less of a focus on superhero-dom. I'm not sure if this'll appeal to longtime Firestorm fans or not, but I suggest they at least flip through the issue to see if they can pick up on some cool stuff I missed. Even after reading through it three times, I'm still not sure how I feel about this comic. I am sure, however, that I'll be back for issue 2. Goofy ending or not, I really want to find out where this story is going to go. There's a lot of potential here, and I'm anxious to see it realized.

By Marceline with 1 comment

Review: The Savage Hawkman #1

First things first, let's get all biases out in the open. I've never been much of a Hawkman fan. The bulk of my exposure to the character comes from team books, so I'm probably missing out on some of his best stories, but he's just always rubbed me the wrong way, and his cool looking weaponry wasn't enough to get me past that. I'm also not that big on Tony Daniel. I think he's a talented artist. He's worked on some books that I've really enjoyed. But when it comes to his stories, I'm always left feeling cold. So, good reader, if Tony Daniel is your favorite writer, and you think Carter Hall, not Dick Grayson, was the sensational character find of 1940, you might want to ignore what I have to say. Everyone else? Keep on reading.

I'll see you in hell, costume.

The comic does not open with Hawkman whacking things with that sick looking weapon you see on the cover, but with him shooting at his his wings and armor? Why? Well, apparently, one of them had to die, and also, he didn't ask for this. But wait, no. Apparently, bullets aren't any good against the mysterious nth metal, and maybe Carter Hall will be dying instead of his harness. Thankfully, he's only temporarily paralyzed, and a little Bride-style toe wiggling gets him moving again. Meanwhile, archaeologists are making discoveries, and wondering why Carter is off firing his gun in the woods instead of translating their alien symbols. This version of Hall is a cryptologist, which is actually a good idea. Slowly translating symbols, boring though it may sound, can work really well in serialized storytelling, and it's the sort of thing I like to read about.

There are all sorts of hints of things I like here. The moment I read the words "alien shipwreck", I perked up in my seat a little. If you showed me a list of things about Professor Ziegler, I'd probably think he sounded like a cool character. And if you asked me if I wanted to read about crazy Indiana Jones style archaeological adventures mixed with superheroics, I would tell you hell yes. But for whatever reason, none of this was compelling to me. When I got to the book's final action scene, I felt bored, and the most interesting element of the comic's final page was the appearance of the mysterious hooded woman. Interesting ideas on their own aren't enough to make a story engrossing. You have the find a way to draw in the reader, and Hawkman never managed to do that.

The dialogue here is occasionally clunky or silly the way it was in Detective Comics. I giggled at lines like "Born and bred in the US of A, and wherever you came from, I'll be sure to send all the pieces back". Most of the time though, it was just dull and lifeless, and I had to riff on it in my head to stay interested. Daniel throws a lot of information at the readers, but doesn't do much to make either the characters or the concepts intriguing. They're just sort of there, and I never felt like I had a reason to care about Carter Hall or the Nth metal. Just small things, like getting more hints as to why Hall wanted to leave his life as Hawkman behind, or getting a chance to watch Hall work on the translation process would have made a huge difference. Both of those and more will probably be in issue 2, but that doesn't matter much if readers don't care enough to keep on reading.

Phillip Tan's art isn't always to my liking, but he really creates some beautiful looking pages here. There's a splash page near the beginning that's absolutely stunning, with a wash that gives it a watercolor like appearance. Sunny Gho's colors complement Tan's work wonderfully, especially when it comes to flames. Tan's visual storytelling is a little lacking, and his facial expressions are sometimes a bit flat, but overall, I think most readers will enjoy his work here, especially the way he renders the Hawkman costume. His work seems to have much more energy when he shies away from traditional page layouts, and I hope he experiments with his style more in the issues to come.

Hawkman isn't a terrible comic. If it was, I might have found it more entertaining. It has its occasional so bad it's good moments- the villain's name is Morphicius- but most of the time, it's just mediocre. I can handle a mediocre comic if I really love something else about the book, like a character or the art or even a story element, but there's just nothing to get me past that here. This one's only for readers who are really interested in Hawkman, who are starving for some kind of artifact based storyline, or who like Tony Daniel's writing a lot more than I do. People who don't fall into one of those categories may be as bored as I was, and there's no reason to spend your time on a dull comic in a week that's given us The Flash, Justice League Dark, and All-Star Western. My journey with Hawkman ends here, and only the likes of a Static Shock crossover will be enough to lure me back.

By Marceline with No comments

Review: Aquaman #1

The general public perception of comic book characters is typically very different than the perception of actual comic book readers.

"They wear their underwear on the outside." "Those are just for kids." "BAM! POW! Holy rusted metal Batman!"

The intricacies and depth of characters is often highly simplistic or in many cases considered non-existent by those who've never thought to look deeper.

No single character is likely more maligned by this than Aquaman. Everyone knows who Batman and Superman are and what they can do. The recent movie boom will ensure that the general public knows a few more than that, but everyone knows Aquaman, and no one seems to like him. "The fish guy? Yeah, great power there." Aquaman has become to superheroes what airline food is to comedians: A cliché that is almost instantly referenced for a cheap laugh.

This is really a shame because he's a great character with a lot of (pun imminent!) depth. I loved how he always whispered in Justice League Year One because sound travels better under water than through air, or how utterly badass he was as a war general in Flashpoint.

Pictured: An Aquaman you do not #)@* with.

For me he became a definitive character in Morrison & Porter's seminal run on JLA. Minus a hand and orange shirt this Aquaman was on par with Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter in strength and fighting, held a ruthlessness close to Batman in battle, and had an aloof and entitled attitude because he's King of 2/3 of the planet!

Shirts? Who needs shirts?

Still, how is Geoff Johns going to talk your non-comic book reader into picking up a book starring "The fish guy"? In the way that I think only Geoff Johns can, by very nearly becoming meta, Johns not only acknowledges all the misconceptions the public has about Aquaman, but gives those same misconceptions to the public in the DCU!

The bank robbers we open on think he's a joke, the police are embarrassed by his presence,

What do you think, Bob? Lunch; sushi? What?

and everyone else reacts pretty much how you'd expect them to:

I don't know, how do you think this wicked Trident feels?

This is great for a number of reasons. First, it's just damn funny to see this play out in the actual comic. Second, it actually works great to give us an insight into Aquaman's psyche, persona, and demeanor. Clearly he's a lot younger, like everyone else in the new 52, but he's also a regular guy. Clearly a guy who can jump city blocks, communicate telepathically with fish, breath underwater, flip a speeding van with his trident (and it's a badass trident), and is basically bullet proof isn't regular, but that's really the sense you get.

He stops the bank robbery because he was nearby and heard the sirens. He goes to a restaurant for lunch because he's hungry and it reminds him of his Dad. He decides to relinquish his throne and live on land because he feels out of place and full of responsibility he never asked for. Well, that and to get it on with the apparently human (it's kind of unclear) Mera.

Johns treats him more like a celebrity constantly berated with idiotic questions and has Aquaman react pretty reasonably to what would almost certainly push a lot more people to start introducing Mr. Fist, or Mr. Kickass Trident, to Mr. Idiot public's face.

Your mother, on the other hand...

Yeah, I just flipped a getaway truck and did your job for you, a glass of water is clearly the
 appropriate form of gratitude.

Through all this we still get a pretty good, if quick, introduction to his past. Raised by his Dad ‘til 13, taken back to Atlantis, made King, doesn't really fit; he wants a new life. Nothing earth shaking here, but it's a nice FYI for new readers.

I really like this take on the character. I think Johns has set him up with a lot of possibilities. I'm really looking forward to those moments when the general public starts to realize that he's not a joke.

While I love the story I'm, torn with the art. I think Ivan Reis draws a fantastic Aquaman, but I'm not really sold on the rest. The other characters seem uninspired and almost flat. I can see wanting to make Aquaman stand out (it is his book after all), but I think everyone else ended up being too toned down.

Certainly a high point is the bright color work of Rod Reis. Given the nature of Aquaman's costume he makes the bright colors seem fitting in a way that works in the comic book world. I love the dichotomy represented between darkness and almost singular color scheme of the monsters in the ocean depths and the brightness and color variety of the surface. It works as subtle metaphor of the frightening unknown of Aquaman's sea life (he was kidnapped after all) and the hope and promise of the new path he's planning to take. I also think his action scenes worked well and the new deep sea monsters he created are probably going to haunt my dreams.

Screw Jaws. THIS is now why I'm never going in the ocean.

Really this is what Johns does best, showcase charaters in their day-to-day lives. I think he falters sometimes in the 'Epic battle, end of the world' stories, but I love every time he works with a character in their element. I think this is one of the most interesting, honest, and unique new takes on a character in the new 52 and cannot wait to read more. And, if nothing else, how insanely awesome is that trident!?

VERY insanely awesome!

By Kephus with 2 comments

Review: The Flash #1

Before I begin this review, I need to be honest about something: I was going to enjoy this comic no matter what. Francis Manapul is one of my absolute favorite comic book artists, and I knew going in that even if every word bubble was filled with Wingdings, his art would be enough to make me happy. But in spite of that, I wanted something more for this book. There are so many things about The Flash that I love. Speed powers are fantastic taken alone, but with the Flash, they're at a whole other level. His rogue's gallery is second only to Batman's. And maybe more than anything else, I wanted a reason to love Barry Allen.

To me, Wally West is the Flash. Barry Allen died before I was old enough to read, and I've never really warmed up to his return. It's not that he's a bad character; it's more that he felt weighed down by all his past heroism. Nothing was going to top his sacrifice during Crisis on Infinite Earths, and I felt reminded of that all the time. He needed some kind of clean break, some sort of fresh start. And with The Flash #1, he has that.

In the grand scheme of things, not that much about Barry has changed. Despite that, he manages to feel like a brand new character here. Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato were unknown quantities as writers going into this, but they've now proven they know how to write a real #1 issue. When I got to the splash page with Barry's origin condensed into a single paragraph, I wanted to cheer. It had such a throwback vibe that I could the old school narration style in my head, but Manapul's incredible stylization skills made it feel really modern and different. And it makes perfect sense. Of course he'd speed through his backstory. He's the Flash.

Manapul is always fantastic, but this is truly some of the best work of his career. In speedster comics, the art takes on a whole new level of importance. Things can never feel static. There always has to be a sense of motion for readers to really grasp how different the world is for someone with these powers. Manapul's been doing an excellent job of drawing Barry for a while now, but in this issue, the character feels fast in a way he never had before. There's plenty of energy in the scenes with Barry as himself, but once he completes his tokusatsu hero style transformation into the Flash, it's like we've entered a whole new world. It reminds me of how artist Paolo Rivera has strived to show the reader how Matt Murdock experiences the world in Daredevil.

Onomatopoeia isn't always used well in comics, but here, it's rendered brilliantly. The splashes and kapows feel like the move as much as the Flash himself does, and they really added to the excitement of this comic. In sharp contrast, the intricately drawn backgrounds feel peaceful, making it all the more powerful when our hero interacts with them. Manapul takes full advantage of the freedom being a writer/artist allows him, and plays with the way Barry moves from panel to panel and across the page in an interesting way that remains easy for a newer reader to follow. While this issue is absolutely readable via Comixology, I'd recommend using the guided view feature. This comic is better taken one page at a time.

Colorist and co-writer Brian Buccellato frequently collaborates with Manapul, and I'm really grateful that he's a part of this book. There are lots of little details in Manapul's work that could be lost in the coloring process, but Buccellato really understands how to highlight the best aspects of his art. There were several times reading this when I was struck by the textures of various objects, and that they stand out is largely due to Buccellato's work. Sometimes his colors look more like a standard superhero book, and other times they look like they're part of a painting, but he always seems to understand what's right for each panel.

Little things like this are why I love comics.

The plot itself is a little lightweight, but I'm fine with that. Lightening up on the angst is a good thing for a Flash comic, especially when the series is getting a new start. I genuinely liked all the characters we spent time with here, from Barry to Patty to the mysterious Manuel. The dialogue felt natural, and was sometimes pretty witty, and was occasionally highlighted by a nice bit of lettering. There's a lot more to the issue than it feels like at first read through. We're not the Flash- sometimes it takes us a little longer to catch up.

This is one of those titles I recommend everyone check out. Even if you're sick of Barry, even if you've never been that into The Flash, give this issue a shot. It's one of the best introductory issues I've seen in the new 52, and it does a great job of selling the concept of the Flash as well as Barry Allen as a character. I've had faith in the aesthetic appeal of this comic since it was first announced, but now I'm genuinely excited to see where this book is going to go. If Manapul and Buccellato could sell me on Barry so easily, just think of what they could do with Wally and the Speed Force.

By Marceline with 1 comment

Review: Wonder Woman #1

YES! FINALLY! 

This is seriously what I have been waiting for this entire reboot. 

This comic has what I’ve been looking for in all the first issues I’ve read. It’s engaging, yet simple enough for any reader to jump in. The comic opens up with three women on a rooftop suite of a hotel with a man whose eyes glow, yet they seem to not be bothered by it. Before the scene changes to a woman with a scythe chopping off horse heads (I thought of the Godfather too), it seems as if he kills the girls by throwing them off the rooftop. And this, ladies and gentlemen is what sets the tone for the rest of the book.  A woman named Zola is visited by Hermes, and is suddenly attacked by centaurs. Hermes pushes her out of the way and takes an arrow in the chest for her, and gives her a key to teleport her away to save her.

The key teleports Zola to London and into the room of none other than our heroine Diana aka Wonder Woman. Zola explains the situation and they teleport back to Zola’s home. What follows is one of the best scenes I’ve read in comics lately. Wonder Woman fights the centaurs while some dialogue exchanges are occurring between characters that are elsewhere. The dialogue has nothing to do with the images, and yet they completely relate by the end of the book, and it is just so beautifully laid out.  I will leave out what happens after Diana kills the centaurs, since I don’t want to spoil it, but just know that it ties everything that happened in the issue together so perfectly that it warrants a rereading just to see it all again. 

I can’t get over how awesome this book is. I’ve always been a huge fan of Greek mythology and this iteration of Wonder Woman does not disappoint. While only one god is specifically named, subtle visual and textual clues point out who’s who, and it’s a treat to decode and realize who seems to be setting stuff in motion. That’s not to say though that anyone unfamiliar with Greek mythology can’t read and enjoy this issue; far from it, actually.  It’s not necessary to understand what’s going on; it just adds an extra layer to the comic, like rewatching a show and catching jokes/events in the background you didn’t see the first time.

Like I mentioned above, the writing is superb all throughout the book. There’s no long winded exposition, yet there’s enough backstory revealed to whet our appetites. Likewise, the art is excellent. The colors are bright and vivid, but don’t overpower, and the actual drawings themselves are simple and understated, yet portray everything clearly. 

The issue was so good in fact that the only issue I had was that I wished they had kept Wonder Woman’s previous costume, with the pants, and this issue is SUPER minor. The new costume looks just fine.

I will most definitely be back next month for Wonder Woman #2.

(Please excuse the lack of pictures. It was hard finding some that kept out spoilers.)

By Phoenix with 1 comment

Review: Captain Atom #1

Captain Atom was one of the bigger surprises of the new 52. The character isn't what I'd call obscure- he's appeared in several DC animated shows and was a part of recently popular maxi-series Generation Lost- but I don't feel he was a character that many were clamoring to see get his own monthly book. Personally, I think that his power set is better suited to either miniseries or team books, and I was curious to see how writer J.T. Krul would make this work for a long term book. I still can't say that I get how this title is going to work on the long term, but I can say that I went into this issue with fairly low expectations, and came out pleasantly surprised.

Those familiar with the character from the cartoons may be surprised at what they see here. Gone is the military persona, and in its place is a character that feels a little more like Watchmen's Doctor Manhattan. Doctor Manhattan was directly inspired by Captain Atom, and I think it's cool to see a little of that influence coming back. Makes me wonder what The Question (who inspired Rorschach) will be like when they make their grand return. While Captain Atom has usually had a strong personality, I didn't come away with this issue with a clear sense of who he was. However, given certain events of the book, I suspect this may be intentional, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how Krul builds the character back up. I'm a huge fan of "reconstructionist" storytelling, and I'd love to see a little of it here.

Much like this week's installment of DC Universe presents, I sometimes felt this book got a little too wordy. There were a few moments when I wished Krul explained things a little less and just let his story stand on its own. In spite of that, I think there are some really cool ideas here, and I'm intrigued by both of the supporting characters this issue introduced. The book's final page is probably my favorite ending hook of the week. It left me with no clear idea as to what was coming next, incredibly excited about the prospects to come, and with a quote that I've been wanting to repeat all over the place. It's one of those titles that I like the more I think about. It's stuck in my head since I read it, and I'm excited to see where it goes next.

Freddie Williams II has completely changed his art style for this comic, and it absolutely blew me in the way. In the past, I haven't been a big fan of his. His art was good, but much too static for my personal tastes. This though, is something completely new. Just to illustrate this for those unfamiliar with Williams:

This is what his art used to look like.

This is what it looks like now.

He seems to have been influenced by Francis Manapul, one of my favorite artists, but there are elements here that really feel fresh and original too. It's so fluid, and Jose Villarubia's colors almost make it feel like a watercolor painting. The pages appear to be un-inked, creating a really cool visual effect. It doesn't work for every panel, especially some featuring background characters, but when it does work, it's magic. Williams' Captain Atom is surprisingly expressive, and he's going on my list as another man who needs more excuses to draw monsters.

J.T. Krul recently announced that he was leaving Green Arrow to focus on this title, and I think that it was the right call. This book works on all the levels that Green Arrow didn't for me. It really feels like something different from all the other titles out there. It's full of so many ideas that I want to see realized, and most importantly, I feel like it has some real heart. The book isn't perfect, and it still has some cheesy one-liners, but this Captain Atom felt both selfless and human. There are some concepts here that have been played with in Captain Atom stories past, but I feel like Krul is really trying to make them feel new, and so far, he's succeeding.

Overall, Captain Atom is one of this week's middle of the pack titles, but the concepts and art are both so interesting that for me, the title ranks a little higher. I don't think everyone is going to dig this, but I suspect a lot of people will like it who weren't expecting to. I'd recommend this to fans of Watchmen who are mostly unfamiliar with the DCU, fans of Williams' new art style, and to anyone willing to take a chance on a book. After that ending, I'll definitely be sticking with this one, and I'm really excited to see where the book will go in the months to come.

By Marceline with 1 comment

Review: DC Universe Presents #1

DC Universe Presents and the increased amount of miniseries are two of the coolest things about the DCnU. As much as I would like it to be otherwise, not every character can sustain their own ongoing, and stuff like this is the perfect way to showcase them. Deadman is one the of the characters most in need of a spotlight. While Brightest Day has given most regular DC readers some familiarity with the character, he's completely unknown to many others, and his presence in books like Justice League, Justice League Dark, and Hawk is a good reason to make sure everyone knows who he is. Supernatural creator Eric Kripke is also developing a Deadman series for the CW, and this assures that DC will have a trade paperback in stores should the series get picked up. 

Perhaps because of the television series, writer Paul Jenkins put a spin on the Deadman concept, injecting it with a heavy dose of Quantum Leap. Deadman's powers are essentially the same, but he must now atone for his wasted life by entering the bodies of the living and setting them on a better path. It's a great hook for episodic storytelling, and is an easy way to explain the character to a new reader. With a little tweaking, this actually would've worked nicely as a one-shot or back-up story. This issue on its own is more than enough to give anyone an understanding of Deadman. One scene in particular highlights his powers in a particularly entertaining way, and I hope we see a little of that in other comics. 

The set-up of this story arc is also a strong one. Deadman is beginning to think he is failing the people he's supposed to help, and is fighting to find a greater sense of purpose. What holds this issue back a bit is its overly verbose narration. There are some nicely written moments- I especially love the last panel on the first page- but in general, I wish Jenkins had been a little more economical with his words. I like my comics dense, but this often felt like it was wordy for the sake of being wordy rather than wordy because a lot of information needed to be conveyed. There's a lot to read here, but not a whole lot happens. We're given backstory, the introduction to our story arc, and that's basically it. 

Bernard Chang is an artist who seems to be getting better with every comic he draws, and his improvement is very evident here. While Chang still draws in a more traditional superhero style, he also throws in some pages that are interesting and atmospheric without being overly complicated. There are some great standalone images here, along with some instances of very effective visual storytelling. Colorist Blond does a great job of changing up the setting from scene to scene, and his colors really help in rendering Deadman's powers effectively. 

There are a few things I really wish we'd seen more of here, especially Deadman's sense of humor, but this is only the first issue, and there's plenty of time to show that off later in the storyarc. As a whole, I think this is a strong start to Deadman's tale, and a strong introduction to DC Universe Presents itself. More than anything, reading this left me excited about potential stories for other characters, and left me wondering who'd be showcased next. I've heard rumors that we'll see a Cyborg story somewhere down the line, and I'd love to see newer characters like Element Woman or some of the Stormwatch crew get fleshed out. 

I'd recommend this to anyone curious about Deadman, as well as fans of the quantum leap concept. This may be a little better when read one arc at a time, but there's still enough here to justify reading it issue by issue. I'd also encourage those planning to pass on this tale to keep an eye on DC Universe Presents. Deadman might not catch your fantasy, but there are a whole lot of other characters to feature, and sooner or later someone you like should get the spotlight. Deadman's in charge of this title for at least another 3 issues, but come 2012, it's anyone's game. 

By Marceline with No comments

Review: Mister Terrific #1

As a big fan of Mister Terrific, I simultaneously want to give it a harsher and more lenient review than it deserves. My fondness for the character makes it easy to overlook some of the book's weaker aspects, but it also makes it easier for me to see how much better a comic this could be. Many of this week's comics were a better read for me the second time around, but every time I give this one a look, its shortcomings become more apparent, and its greatest strengths seem to lie in what the comic could be rather than what it actually is.

I enjoyed the book's early pages. From the Doctor Who reference to a woman on the street admiring Mister T's bum, the opening scene reminded me a little of Power Girl. Is it silly? Absolutely. But sometimes I like reading silly comics, and I think super science characters suit them well. Writer Eric Wallace currently works on Eureka, a television show full of both super geniuses and not particularly scientific scientists, and I think that's a good direction for Mister Terrific to go in. Writing a believable genius is a task few writers are up to, and I think it's a safer bet to go big and crazy than to try and keep things grounded in reality.

Michael Holt's backstory is mostly unchanged, from the death of his wife and unborn son to his plans for suicide. In this new universe, however, the role of the Spectre has been replaced by something much more personal. Using the wrath of God in the origin story of an atheist always felt ridiculous in a Doctor Thirteen type way, and it's a welcome change. Mixing the tragedy of Michael's life with wacky comic book science capers is an idea with some mileage, and something I'd certainly be interested in reading about, but it's here the book starts to fall apart for me.

While there was some goofy dialogue in the book's early scenes, it flowed fairly naturally and worked with the tone the comic was establishing. In contrast, some characters in the book's later scenes seem to say things out of nowhere, as if pages of the comic were missing. The confrontation between Aleeka and Karen Starr seemed especially off, and I actually flipped back a couple times to make sure I hadn't missed something. Other lines, especially Michael's conversations with the senator, don't read very well. I suspect that the inability to hear the tone in which the lines are said is the culprit here, and expressive art might have saved this.

Unfortunately, the book's art is also wildly inconsistent. It's suffered more artistic changeups than any other book in the DCnU, and it shows. Initially, the very talented Roger Robinson was slated to work on the book, but he was replaced by Gianluca Gugliotta before the first issue was complete. While Gugliotta was credited for this issue, he himself has been replaced by Scott Clark and Dave Beaty. There are some nice looking panels and pages, but as a whole, the book looks really uneven, and I think it'll stay that way until they have settle down with one creative team. DC has several artists in its stable who'd be a great fit for this, such as Jamal Igle and Marcus To, and I hope they find someone to stick with the comic soon.

There's some potential in the book's supporting cast. Karen Starr didn't get a lot to do here, but she'll bring a lot to the book if they can capture her strength and sense of fun. Her super-heroic identity also provides a lot of potential for future stories, and I hope that she's not just kept as a civilian. Jamaal, Michael Holt's protege, also didn't get much paneltime, but I liked what little I saw of him, and I'm hoping to see more. Aleeka, Michael's right hand woman who is apparently secretly in love with him, didn't work for me at all, and for now, I'm just hoping she'll grow on me in the future.

There's a lot of potential in Mister Terrific, and I hope the series can find its footing. Eric Wallace proved he was capable of writing an interesting comic with his Ink miniseries, and I'd love to see a little more of that here. I plan to stick with Mister Terrific for at least the first two story arcs, but right now, I'd recommend the comic only to fellow fans of the characters. There's not enough here yet to win over anyone who isn't a fan of the character, and I think this week's Frankenstein is a better place for readers to get their fix of mad science. I'll keep covering the comic on this site, and my fingers are crossed that I'll be able to suggest a good jumping on point in the months to come.

By Marceline with No comments