Justice League: Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Rod Reis, Dave Sharpe, Billy Tucci, Hi-Fi, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Halleeeeelujaaaaah!

Oh wow that’s so lame in just text. I wish I could post a sound effect.

I am, of course, referring to the brand-new art team of Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, and Rod Reis. I’m so profoundly happy about this change that I’m peeing myself right now. This whole issue is full of beautiful art, and really impressive splash pages.

But more than that, it’s also got something of a story cooking up. I’m actually pretty interested in this one, too. So it starts with what appears to be a routine missile test on an aircraft carrier (do aircraft carriers have missiles? Shows how much I know about naval engineering). The missiles go haywire, and then fire into the ocean and start bombing what appears to be Atlantis.

Superman then shows Wonder Woman the importance of having a secret identity, and it’s an interesting scene. But it’s far too short. We quickly move along to Cyborg talking to his father about the botched missile test and how the ship is out of contact now. There’s a nice moment where Cyborg mentions wanting to keep what humanity he has left.

But even that’s too short. The power goes out and it then jumps to Gotham City, where Batman’s taking down some of Scarecrow’s goons and Aquaman jumps in to help. He says there are tons of fish not answering his telepathic calls, which means something’s driving them from the area.

Clark and Diana are out on a date when the sea attacks. Yeah, the sea. It attacks. With the missing aircraft carrier. This kind of excitement is something much more along the lines of the Aquaman title, and the earlier Justice League issues. It’s taken this issue, #15, for me to realize that this title just isn’t as exciting as it used to be.

Aquaman realizes what’s happening, admitting it to Batman, that Atlantis is attacking, following the war plans that he wrote, himself. And, with that realization, we finally see Ocean Master! It’s so nice seeing all of these iconic characters drawn with expert precision in one title.

The Shazam! back-up story shows Billy and Freddie trying to get by with the new Shazam powers, but they don’t yet seem to have a handle on the whole “for the greater good” idea. In fact, any do-gooding they actually do pull off seems to be purely by accident. A sort of avatar of the wizard appears to Billy and tells him that he’s drawn to evil that needs righting, and then Billy discovers he can fly. That’s when he and Freddie have an outs, and Billy leaves him behind. Sad day. This one’s finally getting interesting, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all works its way into the main story of Justice League.

Justice League #15, the verdict: I’m all for this new story, and this new threat. It’s helping bring the team together to do something together…to face a common enemy. I’m really excited, actually. Mainly because I don’t think Ocean Master has any kind of magic bite that can turn any of the heroes against each other. I’m so done with that. The new art team is, as I’ve mentioned many times before, outstanding. The back-up story is finally picking up tremendous momentum. And Aquaman’s going to be taking a leading role in the Justice League here. All in all, it looks like this book’s going to be getting a whole lot better.

(Photo Source: Talking Comic Books)

Justice League: Geoff Johns, Tony S. Daniel, Matt Banning, Sandu Florea, Tomeu Morey, Dave Sharpe, Richard Friend, Jason Fabok, Alex Sinclair

Shazam!: Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, Brad Anderson, Nick J. Napolitano

The story continues with Superman’s crazy episode in the jungle. And Cheetah’s infectious abilities seem to have boosted Superman’s own. It’s made his heat vision explosive! See, I thought heat vision just meant heat. As in hot. Not explosions. Perhaps his heat vision ripped air molecules apart? I dunno.

More confusion ensues as the location box tells us we’re in the Congo. I thought we were in the Amazon. Oh well, all the jungles look the same to me. As Superman wipes the floor with his teammates (because we need any excuse in the world to have friends fight each other), some jungle chick named Hara comes by and chases Cheetah off with some kind of horn.

Hara tells the team about the Cheetah and the other god spirits of the wild. Even Ya’Wara, from Aquaman, is mentioned. Wonder Woman and Flash work to drive Cheetah to a cliff, and toss her into the river…where Aquaman waits with a school of piranha. This is what I’m talking about, with that confusion. Piranha are only found in South America, and have even been seen in parts of the Middle East. Not Africa (the Congo).

What follows is a truly baffling conversation between Wonder Woman and the newly captured Cheetah. She talks about how she’s happy being caged because it’s where she belongs “with the world the way it is,” whatever the EFF that means. Turns out Cheetah was a criminal, and so she belongs in a cage for as long as…society doesn’t accept criminals? So she’s okay with not being able to commit crimes? That’d be fine if she was reforming or whatever, but she says “not everyone can be saved.”

So, obviously, she’s not ready for that. It also seems to be a ploy to pacify Wonder Woman’s suspicions, as she’s then seen talking to someone about being “in place,” and to let her know when Black Manta arrives. Is this…the beginning of a New 52 Legion of Doom?

Daniel’s art is back in a big way, and I’m finding it hard to be 100% on-board with it. Especially when there are those crazy lady poses all over the place. You know, those insane, spine-snapping poses where you get to see both their butts and their boobs? Yeah. Those.

Shazam’s back in this issue, and we do get to see more of Black Adam, and what he thinks about the modern world. He believes a change is needed, so he starts recruiting the seven deadly sins of man to help wage war on the wizard’s champion. Interesting. I really hope that the odds are super stacked against Shazam to make this really good.

Justice League #14, the verdict: I feel like the whole confrontation between the team and Cheetah was rushed, we’re given a resolution in a single issue and nothing really happened. They got Superman fixed? How? They made it sound all urgent and important, they pour some weird blood on his neck, and then the next time you see him, he’s fine. Then he goes on this weird date with Wonder Woman. I mean…I’ve lost all sense of cohesion in this book.

(Photo Source: Major Spoilers)

Red Hood and the Outlaws: Scott Lobdell, Timothy Green II, Blond, Dave Sharpe, Kenneth Rocafort

So remember when I said I was done buying this book? Well, looks like I still have a couple left. I swear, though, I’m pretty much done. This issue definitely left some scars on my psyche, so let’s see how it panned out.

I’m noticing that Lobdell likes to begin his issues with “I’m so-and-so” with the characters narrating. And they go off into their schpeel about who they are, what they do, and how their team formed. I’m thinking to myself, yeah, I know…I’ve been reading the book this whole time. Isn’t there a more creative way of introducing these elements or information into the natural flow of the story of the issue? I’m sure new readers could pick up on those signs. Having it spoon-fed to me every issue is a bit annoying.

Starfire and Blackfire come down to Tamaran’s surface to do some burny justice against the Blight. Though…when they land…they’re holding guns. So…no burny justice? In previous issues, Starfire just used her abilities to take out enemies. It was pretty damn effective the way she was able to melt people. Oh, and tanks. So…why bring something as “clumsy and random as a blaster?” It makes no sense. We actually never see Starfire shoot the damn thing until, in one panel, she’s just tossing it aside. So what the hell?

In another panel, after Red Hood and Arsenal have joined the fight (though how they got there I have no idea, since Kori and Kom “halo’d” in), Jason doesn’t seem the least bit perturbed that he’s about to have his head chomped off. That seemed a little out of character, even for the slight nihilist.

DePalo, the First Officer of Kori’s ship, has apparently made a plan to sacrifice himself and self-destruct the ship near the Blight motherships. I guess I don’t understand why he needed to die when he could’ve used the transporter to beam down to Tamaran instead. But I suppose this works, because apparently DePalo hated everyone - as is the ways of their species, or something. I’m confused.

There’s also a lot of corny lines here, obviously borrowed from pop-culture. Like K’Tten, aboard Kori’s ship, says to Jason’s date, Isabel, “Come with me if you want to live,” as they exit the ship before self-destruct. I honestly said, out loud, “Are you kidding me right now?” And then, later, Roy says, aloud, “Oh no he didn’t,” after Blackfire is seriously injured. Like SERIOUSLY injured. You’d think the dude porking Blackfire’s sister would have some more adult, worthwhile things to think or say as this unfolds. He definitely seems to legitimately care about Kori…so why would he say something like that? It’s obviously supposed to be for comedic value. I just don’t get it.

And then, later, the Joker steals Red Hood’s red hood and says, “Here…we…go,” just like Heath Ledger from the “The Dark Knight” film. That was the last page, and it literally just pushed me right over the ledge I was teetering upon. I couldn’t believe it. I just…I feel like that performance is sacred, and I really dislike imitations and knock-offs. Especially this one, it felt so out of place with the story, and Green’s art style. I dunno, it just rubbed me completely the wrong way.

Speaking of Timothy Green II, I both liked and disliked his work here. There are panels and pages where everything looks FANTASTIC. And there are panels where characters just look plain weird. There’s an exaggerated quality that we see here that doesn’t seem to quite fit the tone of the book. I should say, however, that with Lobdell’s quips and one-liners, an exaggerated tone should be expected. But perhaps my mindset just wasn’t there while I was reading this issue…and so the whole thing didn’t gel for me.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #13, the verdict: So it’s a bit of a disappointment, especially since nothing really profound came of the issue. As I mentioned, Blackfire was gravely injured during the fight. Oh, but don’t worry, she’s fine. Better than fine, it seems. Only weeks later, she’s back on her feet (for the most part). I should mention that the “weeks later” is stated to be in Tamaran time - which could be much longer than our standard week, for all I know. But still. Why even bother saying the specific time elapsed then? No consequences for the brutal injury, and no harm done to the team themselves. Also, Kori’s forgiven her sister and all of Tamaran for their betrayal, thereby negating her whole motivation system.

(Photo Source: Comic Vine)

Green Lantern Corps: Peter J. Tomasi, Cafu, Scott Hanna, Gabe Eltaeb, Dave Sharpe, Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert, Rod Reis

Wow, I really wasn’t thinking I would ever get invested in this Third Army stuff DC’s pulling on us. But here we go with my favorite of the “Green Lantern” books, making me care, making me fear for my favorites of the GLs. The Third Army creatures make a hell of an attempt at becoming a legitimate threat to everything we know in this issue, and they only appear at the beginning and end of the issue. That’s power, my friends.

The issue starts with two major hits…two huge blows that really stack the cards against our plucky hero, Guy Gardner. First, the Third Army dudes attack space miners, assimilating everyone quite gruesomely…and then somebody on Oa goes into the deep sub Science Cells, where the most dangerous of dangerous enemies are kept, and breaks out Xar. Now, if you’re unfamiliar with Xar then you probably didn’t read the Zero Issue…this was a dude that Guy Gardner takes down at the very beginning of his GL career, before he even has his badge. And, looking at the walls of Xar’s cell, he’s never forgotten that.

We then go to the upper parts of Oa to find the Guardians commend Guy, and promote him to the new rank of Lantern Sentinel. This is, of course, all a dog-and-pony show because we know the Guardians have put into place the dismantling of their Corps. I do like, however, that Guy is getting this kind of recognition, regardless of whether the smurfs are being murderous douchebags while doing it.

Next, Guy takes a group of GLs on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan Ronos to oversee the journey of peace ambassadors to Oa in order to negotiate a cease-fire on their war-torn planet. John is called before the Guardians to let him know that pieces of the GL planet, Mogo, are traveling through space to some unknown point of origin…and the Guardians believe he is re-assembling himself. I actually love this news…it’s awesome. The blue dudes send John on a lone mission to find where Mogo is, possibly, rebuilding. I can definitely see this tactic putting John easily into harm’s way.

Meanwhile, Guy gets word that Xar’s escaped the Science Cells, and he heads to Earth to keep the alien from hurting his family out of revenge. The Guardians are livid, and order Guy to stay with the ambassadors…but they predicted he would fly away, and have arranged for a special someone to intercept the ambassadors instead. Tricky little f*$&s.

As Guy, Vandor, and a smaller group of GLs head to Earth, they are ambushed by the Third Army posse. Someone gets torn to pieces and assimilated. And it’s CRAZY, and very gruesome. I do like how Tomasi and Cafu (guest pencilling for Gleason) aren’t afraid to show these horrors of war - throughout the entire series, people have been getting hacked up, murdered, and maimed, with nothing held back. This team fearlessly shows the dangers of being a space cop.

This scene in particular is…pretty horrific.

Speaking of Cafu, nice job on the guest pencils. He does a really great job of emulating Gleason’s style that I honestly didn’t notice the difference, shame on me. Everything’s pretty much the same. The colors are rich, as usual, courtesy of Gabe, and once again there’s not “too much” green.

Green Lantern Corps #13, the verdict: I loved it. The Third Army actually felt menacing, and extremely dangerous. Their ferocity and strength is displayed very plainly, supplying the issue with very strong bookends. Seeing what happened to the character at the end of this ish made me really fear for my favorite GL characters for the first time. I honestly don’t expect Tomasi to kill off John or Guy, especially so early in the series’ life, but there are other GLs around them that could very easily kick the bucket, and no me gusta. I like that this book remains my favorite of the “Green Lantern” titles, because it shows consistency in the creative team in terms of pumping out great work month after month. Year 2 of this one is starting off just right, I feel, and I can’t wait to see what’s coming next.

(Photo Source: Digital Daily Fix)

Batman Incorporated: Grant Morrison, Chris Burnham, Nathan Fairbairn, Dave Sharpe, Andy Clarke

Wow, this was fantastic. I mean really, really good. I keep saying how surprised I am at this title, and how much I continue to love each issue that comes out. There was only one little thing that I thought was strange…but, other than that, I did really enjoy this issue. Let’s get to this.

Last issue saw Damian masquerading as a new hero: Redbird, with a costume that reminds me of Red X a little bit. Also, Matches Malone (Bruce Wayne) was in the clutches of Leviathan goons intent on killing him. We also learned previously that Leviathan is headed by Talia al Ghul herself. She’s the creepy skull-faced leader. So anyone who may have forgotten, and is wondering what she means by Batman taking her “son” away from her, will suddenly understand she means Damian.

So Matches is able to free himself and calls in practically all of Batman Incorporated (the main guys, at least) to put the attack on Leviathan. It was, to put it colloquially, AWESOME. We got El Gaucho, Azrael, Knight & Squire, Nightwing, Red Robin (Yeah, that’s right- Tim!), Batwing, and the mysterious new Wingman…whose identity has yet to be revealed. Remember, Wingman was killed on Mayhew’s island, and a new person has stepped in since. I thought it was Dick before I saw Nightwing come crashing through the window.

Damian’s also curious about who’s under the Wingman mask, and spends much of the issue questioning it, saying he recognizes the fighting style and voice. Meanwhile, Batman’s tying up loose ends within the Leviathan mansion, and calling out Talia, gloating that they’ve won. Talia says it’s not over, and that only when Batman reveals Wingman’s identity to Damian will they talk.

What’s this? Wingman is someone Talia knows as well? Why, yes, they know each other quite well, in fact. If that doesn’t give it away, well I won’t say anything. But this was the one thing I mentioned being a bit iffy on. I never thought this person would be so willing to fight alongside Batman, and so it didn’t make a whole lot of sense. But it was nice to see, I suppose? Damian didn’t agree too much, though. It makes their pairing on the cover as “the new dynamic duo,” and the fact that they fight together so well pretty funny.

In fact, Batman starts talking to Damian, then, and tells him something earth-shattering. It’s actually something a little upsetting for me, too, as I don’t want this to happen (trying not to spoil it). But part of me thinks it’s a ruse, a put-on for Talia. I get this idea it’s going to be like when Damian went off and fought with Nobody in Batman and Robin, only this time Batman’s in on it.

I have to say, also, one reason I like this book so much is that it’s really cool seeing all the Batmen fighting alongside each other. Azrael with El Gaucho, Wingman and Batman. It’s just a lot of fun. That’s a huge draw. All the best fighters Batman could find and they’re all working together to take down the world’s deadliest assassins.

I’m very excited to see what Morrison brings next. I’m also curious as to what’s going to happen to the book after Morrison leaves. Will Chris Burnham take over completely? They’ve been working together for some time, it seems obvious that he’d work closely with the title after Morrison goes.

Batman Incorporated #4, the verdict: I really like this title. It’s a lot of fun, and there’s a lot of great action. The artwork is still weird to me, but I’m getting used to it. I thought the identity of the Wingman, once unmasked, looked too similar to another of Batman’s long-time allies, and that was a little strange to me. I like it when they’re made to be very different, like Tyler Kirkham did. Whoops, did I give it away? Anyway, I’m still intrigued by this Leviathan thingy, and I’m anxious to see where it goes in future issues. I’m actually intrigued enough to want to read that one-shot “Leviathan Strikes!” issue. That’s a first.

(Photo Source: DC Wikia)

Green Lantern Corps: Peter J. Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin, Scott Hanna, Gabe Eltaeb, Dave Sharpe

The conclusion of the Alpha War happens here. I did like this story arc, even though it can be boiled down to one of things I dislike most in comics: in-fighting. The GLs are rebelling against the Alpha Lanterns. It could only get more in-fighting if Guy socked John in the jaw.

So we’re in full revolt mode. I’m surprised the GLs didn’t go knock down the Guardians’ doors afterward to tell them what happened. I’m surprised the Guardians didn’t come out and say something about the radical behavior of the Alphas, maybe make up some bullcrap about how the Alphas lost control of themselves, or became to willful. I dunno.

The only reason I say that is because I can’t see the Guardians getting away with it. Guy’s the type of…erm, guy…to go up to them and tell them that the Alphas were always a bad idea. While the Guardians are planning the collapse of the Corps, how will they respond to that?

This issue is pretty action-heavy. There are a couple of great character moments, but mostly it’s there to serve the purpose of showing the GLs taking on the Alphas. There are a lot of really gorgeous splash pages full of ring blasts and Alphas being badasses. Pasarin’s art is unleashed in this ish, thanks to all the huge images he has to draw. I’m really impressed. Even more so that Eltaeb’s colors are still amazing to look at, and each green is distinct from another’s. Like, it doesn’t all blur together.

The end scene with the Guardians was interesting, and I like what they did. It definitely closed a chapter in the GL history…one that actually doesn’t seem that long. It’s sad, also, when you think about the characters that are lost. Yeah, that does happen. But I remember reading some of these characters decades ago…to see them finally go is a bit depressing.

So the Rise of the Third army starts next. Knowing GLC, we’re likely to get even more character deaths…and, yet, I find myself excited for what’s to come. I really hope we get to see Guy punch out a Guardian.

Green Lantern Corps #12, the verdict: I wish I had more to say about this one, but it was pretty straightforward. Without revealing too many spoilers, it’s hard to talk about my favorite parts. There’s a sacrificing moment that was pretty powerful at the end. And there was a bit where Guy and John are yanking power batteries out of Alphas. Oh, is that all we had to do to them? In any case, it’s pretty awesome looking. Good action, and good use of constructs. Great character moments at the end. Incredible work by the art team.

(Photo Source: Collectorz.com)

Green Lantern: New Guardians: Tony Bedard, Aaron Kuder, Andrei Bressan, Greg Adams, Nei Ruffino, Dave Sharpe (Guillem March, Tomeu Morey)

This was an okay issue. I haven’t read New Guardians since issue #6, so I can’t speak for its recent consistency (god knows its initial consistency was all but absent). I enjoyed seeing Carol again. Last I saw her was in Green Lantern #3 or so. But the issue had some problems with the art, and I’m bummed out that some jerks at DC decided not to credit Guillem March and Tomeu Morey for their cover work. The sigs are there on the cover, but their names are nowhere to be seen within the issue.

So that art thing. Aaron Kuder does a great job drawing these characters, and I really enjoyed seeing his work here. But I guess maybe he was having trouble meeting the deadline, because that’s the only way to explain why Bressan comes in for 5 pages. Two, near the beginning, and three later on. It feels completely random, as if Kuder just hadn’t drawn those yet. It’s jarring, too, because their styles are completely different, and I didn’t like Bressan’s style either. Thankfully, Ruffino’s coloring work remains consistent.

And Ruffino’s colors, whoa. There are a lot of really cool images in this issue, like Rayner tapping into the Hope spectrum, and pretty much every panel with Star Sapphire. Ruffino does a good job of making them really spectacular with the colors.

The story itself doesn’t really serve the same purpose as the other Zero Issues. In fact, it feels like it should be “Green Lantern: New Guardians #13.” It doesn’t give us an origin story or anything. I guess that’s because the Green Lantern universe was pretty much left completely intact following “Flashpoint.” So there’s nothing more to say…everything remains valid. Why retell it, right? That chafes me because it’s like “Carol’s not good enough to get an origin story,” or something. We saw Kyle’s earlier in this title, why not give us someone we haven’t seen yet, like Carol…or one of the other rainbow lanterns?

Anyway, I missed out on Green Lantern #12 (still getting to that), so I’m not sure exactly how this takes place at the same time…because Carol mentions Hal leaving with Sinestro “the other night.” That was way back in, what, Green Lantern #2? #3? We’re supposed to believe that those 10 issues took place in the course of one or two days? I suppose that’s believable…but it just messes with my head clock. Space-time is relative?

So Carol and Kyle investigate the happenings at the cemetery where Hal and Sinestro face off against Black Hand (apparently happening in GL #12), and find out that something terrible has happened. It’s interesting, and it shows the coming of Simon Baz as well, and I’m definitely wanting to read GL #12 now. So…this issue, if anything, made me excited to read an issue of a book I already read on a monthly basis. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? That Green Lantern should be feeding into its supporting titles? Sure, currently it’s setting up for the Third Army deal, but it doesn’t really seem to be affecting New Guardians all that much, at least from what the Zero Issue shows.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #0, the verdict: What I enjoyed about this was how this whole title has apparently been building Kyle Rayner up as this hopeful savior in the fight against the Guardians…how he seems to be some type of glue that’s holding things together, thanks to his affinity for the other colors of the spectrum. That seems like a really neat idea that was introduced right in issue #1. I like that it’s arced over this far. So that, and the awesome addition of Carol Ferris as the Star Sapphire again. I missed her, and I love her new costume design. She now also has the negative “black” energy on her suit just like the others, and it fits a heck of a lot better. Nice job, Brett Booth, on the redesign.

(Photo Source: Green Lantern Wikia)

DC Universe Presents

OMAC - Origins Matter After Cancellation: Keith Giffen, Dan DiDio, Scott Koblish, Hi-Fi, Travis Lanham

Mister Terrific: James Robinson, Tom Derenick, Mike Atiyeh, Dave Sharpe

Hawk & Dove - Balance of Power: Rob Liefeld, Marat Mychaels, Matt Yackey, Dezi Sienty

Blackhawks - Mother Machine: Tony Bedard, Carlos Rodriguez, Bit, Guy Major, Carlos M. Mangual

Deadman - Instant Karma: Tony Bedard, Scott McDaniel, Guy Major, Dave Sharpe

Five stories. Four canceled titles. And only those that were canceled are allowed to grace the cover with their presence. Two of these books I never read, so I won’t be able to give any kind of comparison to what they were like before. Hold on tight, this might go long. Here we go.

I was wondering how the Brother Eye satellite would have fit into the DCnU, but apparently its origins remain very similar, as Brother Eye explains it. The story here is his, not so much OMAC’s or Kevin Kho’s. He talks to Maxwell Lord about how he was created by a mysterious, wealthy, and powerful man (still Batman, apparently) who used the tech gained from the defeat of Darkseid in Justice League to enhance the Brother One’s metahuman tracking abilities. The mother box tech allowed Brother One to become sentient and rename itself Brother Eye.

So why doesn’t Batman know about this? Why haven’t we seen some kind of conflict there in any of the Batman books? True, the concept seems really high superhero stuff, whereas the Bat-books never really carry that tone.

This story isn’t terrible, but it’s really old school. Dialog and page layouts, even the art style itself is straight out of the 80s. Makes me assume DiDio’s on art duties, while Giffen writes. The character designs are SUPER 80s as well. Look at Max. Why is he wearing pink? A lot of the images are really striking, and have such a retro feel that I couldn’t help but enjoy it. I know! Me, enjoy it!

Mister Terrific was awful. I’m really upset about this story. Why they didn’t ask Eric Wallace to come back and write this one is far beyond me, but Earth 2 scribe Robinson takes over and tells this benign, origin-shattering story that just pushed me over the edge.

So MT is first donning his costume, and actually refers to the T-mask as a separate element that fuses with his face. Except that, when Wallace wrote it, the mask was a t-sphere that molded into the mask. Nice job with the consistency there, Jimmy. He then finds a rift in the Ninth Dimension that he explores, and is shown his life: the death of his wife, his adventures in the Mister Terrific series Wallace wrote, his joining the “JSA” on Earth 2, and Terry Sloan’s shooting him (which, didn’t that happen AS Holt arrived on Earth 2? So, how could he have been on the “JSA” team if he refers to himself as dead there?).

Here’s the kicker…when he returns to his sanctuary, some kind of pulse or some crap wipes his memory, and the t-spheres, of everything he saw. So…it’s like it never happened at all. ….Then why did we just go through all that? Why not write something that actually takes place on Earth 2? Or show Michael losing his brother (who’s mentioned twice) and wife? That way there’s some kind of “theme” or “tone” - as we writers call them - in the story. AND THEN! To jam salt into an already painful, infected wound, the Aaron that appears to Michael Holt, the grown version of his unborn son, that tells him to help people and do something with his knowledge and tech…TURNS OUT TO BE TERRY SLOAN. Oh. Spoiler.

Sorry, I was just really pissed off about that. This was something genuine, something positive that came out of Michael’s life after he had experienced so much tragedy. And Robinson comes along and turns it into something twisted and malicious. I hate this Sloan character, and how he’s somehow able to plan all this from his own Earth 2 even though he knows nothing about Michael Holt. It makes no sense. This story was the worst for any reader who really enjoyed the Mister Terrific title.

Hawk & Dove was similarly bad, but not in the “screwing up origins” way. More in just the overall writing. This title was canceled way long ago, and why they thought to include it in the Zero Issue is beyond me, when they could’ve chosen to focus on another of the heroes featured in this title: Kid Flash. His origin is still unexplored. But I digress. Hawk & Dove here shows how Dawn Granger became the Avatar of Peace after Don Hall died, and how War, the actual embodiment of Chaos, is pissed off that Peace “manipulated” Dawn’s way into the place of Don, whom War deemed worthier.

Here’s what’s stupid about that. War spends the ENTIRE story saying how Peace is useless and will fall, and he will one day rule the world through war and chaos, blah blah blah typical “agent of chaos” touting. So…if the concept of peace is so useless and weak…why are you so upset about who Peace chooses to be their Avatar? Why is Dawn so much worse than Don? Wouldn’t you have hated Don too? He spends no time whatsoever talking up Hank or anything.

Remember those manipulations War was upset at Peace about? Well, Peace always denies her direct involvement in arranging Dawn’s place as Dove. But…she does. She talks about putting them together and strengthening their love, and - in the end - she says, “my manipulations will save the universe as we know it.” So which is it, Liefeld? Did she manipulate it or not? Also…is there a universe as we don’t know it? You would think powerful deities like War and Peace would be aware of that kind of thing. But, maybe not.

The art here is pretty mediocre, and very old-school. Definitely not my style. Colors are good, at least. The final words for this story are, “To Be Continued…” All I can think is, “God, I hope not.”

Blackhawks is next, another canceled title that DC saw fit to write one more story about…despite the books themselves not selling enough to keep them on the production line. I don’t think I understand this move they’re making with this issue. So this takes place while Apokolips is invading Earth, and the new team of soldiers, led by Lincoln, go in to rescue a captive squad member.

The writing is…I dunno, it felt more like a buddy comedy film than a military action comic. There’s military jargon, sure, but it doesn’t feel sincere…only like it was thrown in because they needed some semblance of a “soldier” tone to the story.

We are introduced to Mother Machine here, apparently a villain that wants to download programming into all people everywhere. She refers to herself as having an intelligence expanded into the worldwide “hive-mind,” which makes me wonder if she’s a New 52 version of Queen Bee. Or maybe a marriage of Brainiac tech and Queen Bee motivation. In any case, it feels like a lazy story that didn’t need to be told. How pertinent is this in a New 52 where Blackhawks was canceled? Also, I think that’s supposed to be “Batt” in the Inker credit, not Bit. Never heard of Bit. Sorry, Batt, if that’s the case.

Deadman was an interesting tale that tells us what happened right after his death and sentencing by the God, Rama. I liked that we were given this story, where Boston gets a chance to avenge his own death. We never get to see this for Deadman, so I liked the opportunity.

Of course, what happens within the story is never what Deadman thinks, and so he ends up regretting his actions…like always. It’s a little predictable, I’ll admit, but I still enjoyed it. You get to see both sides of Deadman: the indignant, self-absorbed man he used to be; and the caring, heroic ghost he became.

It’s also nice to see Scott McDaniel’s art again. I loved his work on Static Shock, and it’s cool to see Deadman done in his style, I do like it. It was also fun to go back to that first DC Universe Presents story that feels like came out forever ago (a year, actually).

DC Universe Presents #0, the verdict: Well. I found myself enjoying 2 out of 5 stories featured in this Zero Issue. That’s not what I would call a “hit,” especially considering the hefty price tag of $5.99. Of the four stories presented so far in the entirety of this title’s life, I’ve liked more than what’s shown here in the Zero Issue. OMAC was enjoyable, and gave us some necessary background on a major event that’s still timeline-questionable in the DC history, and had nice old-fashioned style art. Mister Terrific had bad art, and a story that negated nearly the - dare I say - terrific run Eric Wallace gave the title. Hawk & Dove didn’t know which way it was going, didn’t explain anything the canceled title left out, and also had terrible art. Blackhawks’ art wasn’t fantastic, it was just “meh,” and felt like a half-assed story that wasn’t pertinent to the rest of the DCnU. Deadman at least gave us something new in his journey: closure, and the art was great - if you’re a fan of McDaniel. Why did this Zero Issue decide to focus on only canceled titles? Beats me.

(Photo Source: DC Comics)

Green Lantern Corps: Peter J. Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin, Scott Hanna, Marc Deering, Gabe Eltaeb, Dave Sharpe

Guy Gardner, the most headstrong, audacious, and loudest of all the Green Lanterns, gets an origin telling here in this Zero Issue. It differs greatly from his original story, in which he was beaten by his father and escaped into comic books. Now, he’s a former police officer who grew up having to constantly compete for his father’s affection over his older brother (now named Gerard and not Mace) and younger sister, Gloria.

I like that there are less origin stories of abuse these days, because that kind of thing isn’t tolerated anymore, or overlooked, like it used to be. The parent who ignores is much more likely these days. The guy was married to his job, dedicated to being a police. He was wounded and started drinking to drown his sorrow. Being the middle child, Guy had a lot to struggle with.

Going through this issue, I felt nothing but sadness for Guy. All of the things he felt or said, the things other people said to him, it was all so tragic because I knew what Guy would become. I knew what he’d go on to do. He would save the world several times over. He would defend his world and his people, and give everything of himself. To watch these people around him treat him badly, and to see him doubt himself or fight for his pride and honor really made me feel for him.

So we see Guy fight with his father, and then run off to save his brother, who’s under fire. It’s a really great sequence where Guy comes to his rescue, and goes all Hollywood action star on the gang bangers. There’s some tragedy in this scene, but it’s also a triumphant moment because it’s in this moment of bravery when the ring selects Guy to be a Green Lantern.

Later in the story, Guy faces off against a big brutal dude named Xar with a bunch of other GL recruits, still not wearing their badge, and he watches as they’re all cut down…but he never gives up. In the end, we get a really great scene between Guy, Hal, and Kilowog.

I love how this book has never shied away from the gore. The beginning of the book is very gory, and there are plenty of other scenes of bloodiness as well. Pasarin has always delivered on the craziness. Remember issue #1? People being sliced up and brutally murdered. His art never disappoints, and I’m so glad he got to do the Zero Issue, when other titles are getting a different artist.

Green Lantern Corps #0, the verdict: A great story that really moved me, and somehow made Guy even more my favorite Green Lantern. Tomasi has given us excellent stories with each issue, and I’m looking forward to reading this whole year again all at once. It’s a true accomplishment to make a supporting title book that turns out to be better than the main flagship one. Incredible job, everyone on the team.

(Photo Source: DC Comics)

Green Lantern Corps: Peter J. Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin, Scott Hanna, Gabe Eltaeb, Dave Sharpe

Wow, this was a fast read! It was paced perfectly, and it was full of edge-of-your-seat action! The Alpha Lanterns continue their ruthless campaign against Guy Gardner and John Stewart, taking out their frustrations on Kilowog and the others who helped rescue Stewart from the Sciencells.

Varix, one of the Alpha Lanterns, starts to have second thoughts about what the Alpha Lanterns are doing…the lengths they’re going to, and the rules they’re bending. Well, the feeling seems to be widespread, because soon everyone is disobeying the Alpha Lanterns. There’s a great moment of defiance from Salaak, one of the staunchest of the rule-followers in the Corps. I cheered for him at this part when I normally think of him as an annoyance, or comedy relief.

John and Guy go down to the Ring Foundry and find all of the designs and prototypes of all the failed machinations the Guardians built. The Manhunters, the Alpha Lanterns, and something called the Psions. I’m not familiar with these, actually. A part of the Green Lantern mythos of which I’m unaware, interesting. John gets an idea, and assembles a large group of animatronic warriors to fight against the Alpha Lanterns.

In the attempt to beat them back and overthrow the Alpha Lanterns, these machines start to mold together…and it results in a very intimidating splash page that’s beautifully done by Pasarin.

Meanwhile, the Guardians are just watching. They’ve become so disillusioned with their own Corps, the lives of these people that they’ve chosen to fight for them, that they don’t even care what happens to them. They’re all just pawns in their greater game. A means to an end. Well, they’re the thing that needs to “end” for the means to become real, the Third Army. Interesting that Guy and John didn’t find any clues to this Third Army in the tunnels of Oa. That’s definitely where I thought that sequence was going.

We do discover, in line with that, all of the new rings the Foundry is making aren’t leaving to find new recruits. In fact, they’re all stuck there in an unbreachable containment field.

The loyalty the other Lanterns display for Guy and John is really incredible, and it made my heart soar to watch them endure great pain for these GLs. It’s funny, the things the Alpha Lanterns are saying and doing to them…and the unanimous refusal to cooperate from the Corps members…is very similar to what John went through with the Keepers. And the Alphas don’t even realize what they’re doing. Boodikka in particular. How ironic that the Alphas are now in a position that could force the same kind of actions from a Lantern that John had to take. The hypocrisy of it all is staggering.

I normally say how amazing Pasarin’s artwork is…and it still is…but I want to take a moment to take my hat off to Gabe Eltaeb, the colorist. Do you realize how much freaking green is in this title? There’s green in almost every single panel. EVERY ONE. That’s hard to do without making the entire book bleed together into an ugly pile of boogers. I’ve seen Green Lantern constructs that looked like that, too, trust me (mainly from the Golden Age, but still). It’s not easy to make the look of a book up of just one color and still make the visuals interesting and, more importantly, striking. It’s got to be an image that stands out from the rest of the book, the other panels surrounding it. And while Pasarin does a great job of showcasing different things on each page, it’s Eltaeb who makes it easy to read and not an eyesore of green. Nice work.

Green Lantern Corps #11, the verdict: This is quite excellent. If this issue were a delicious alcoholic beverage, I wouldn’t sip at it gently because it’s too strong and it’d burn going down. It’s smooth, tasty, and easy to drink so that I can enjoy it thirstily. If it were a dessert treat, it would be enjoyable, sweet, probably green, and good to the last bite. Not something that you get three-quarters of the way through and decide you’ve had enough, or the taste is getting too strong, or it’s leaving a film in your mouth. No. Green Lantern Corps, and #11 specifically, is everything good about story, character, and art, wrapped in a neat, well-wrapped package. That’s green. I can’t get enough of this book. To me, it’s the best of the GL titles. No contest. Nice job.

(Photo Source: Newsarama)

Batgirl: Gail Simone, Ed Benes, Ulises Arreola, Dave Sharpe

Perfection. This is an outstanding issue, and - easily - my favorite of the title so far. What Gail does here is so brilliant, so identifiably “Batgirl,” that it’s hard to compare it to anything that’s come before. This is mainly because there hasn’t been anything quite like this before. This book aims to encompass everything that is Barbara Gordon, and it does that about five times over.

I can’t believe I wasn’t excited about this issue. Like, I knew that this was Zero Month, and we were getting all these backstories, but I honestly didn’t even think about Batgirl once. Surprising, given how eager I was to learn how her story went in the DCnU. I thought this Zero Issue would take place more recently, and explain the whole Oracle mystery…but this ish doesn’t even touch that word once. Not even as a hint or Easter egg.

Instead, we’re told the timeline of Barbara, Batgirl, and Oracle all at the same time. How? Well, just read it and find out. But basically, the book takes place all through Batgirl’s history, starting with her putting on a costume for the first time.

I really liked James Jr. in this issue, because it’s as much an origin for him as it is for Babs. There are so many hints dropped at his true nature, and what he grows up to be. The serial killer, Harry X, in this issue recognizes it, and mentions it a couple times. Calls him an “abomination,” even. 

The whole sequence with Babs fighting Harry X had me smiling SO HARD. And the following pages, with a special appearance by a surprise guest, were just the tastiest icing on the best cake ever.

Speaking of tasty, Ed Benes - now off his title Red Lanterns - delivers some pretty awesome artwork. I thought he did a great job of bringing these younger characters to life, Babs and James Jr.. There was only one panel in which I was confused. Where Officer Dwight calls Barbara “intense,” and she later says, “There’s that word again,” there’s a narration box and dialog in between that makes me wonder if the bubbles and boxes are out of order somehow. It’s just cut up strangely, to me. And Babs also says she has “weak flirt fu.” What’s “fu?” I didn’t understand that. There’s one page where we see Batgirl, Batman, and Robin all together. I LOVED this page. Great imagery. Though Batman’s face looks a little too Liefeld-y for me. Still good stuff, though.

But I think the best part of the issue was the ending. That last page. HO WOW. That was the perfect ending, thus providing us with the complete timeline for Barbara: Batgirl, Oracle, and Batgirl again. It completed the picture. Perfection.

Batgirl #0, the verdict: NICE JOB. For a book I had to put down because I wasn’t feeling excited about it month after month, I found this issue to be super compelling, full of character, and extremely enlightening in terms of the histories of these characters. Each one was fully developed and had their moment to shine. Each character felt complete and motivated in the right way. Simone does a great job of giving the readers exactly what they want from an origin story. Perfectly executed. Benes’ art is great, and he shows us some really iconic imagery that I just gobbled up. Great work from them both.

(Photo Source: DC Comics)

Green Lantern Corps: Peter J. Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin, Scott Hanna, Gabe Eltaeb, Dave Sharpe

I converse with various DC Comics writers and artists over on Twitter every now and then. I like to think I’m being a liaison. But really, I’m just grateful. Now, there are times when this book, or Batman and Robin, is just so fantastic that I really wish Peter J. Tomasi was active on Twitter so I could reach out to him - like I do others - and let him know how much I enjoyed his work.

This whole Alpha War thing, with John’s sentencing, has kept me on the edge of my seat every single issue. I never know which way it’s going to go. Are they going to find him innocent or guilty? How are they going to sentence him? Is Guy planning on fighting the Alphas or breaking John out? What are the Guardians going to do in their efforts to manipulate the Corps? There are so many outcomes. So many roads the story could take. And the most thrilling part? I’m not one iota in control. I just grab my lap bar and hang the hell on.

I liked this series when it first started. The beginnings of the Keepers story was really good. I admit to faltering a couple times, but you know what? Overall, this title has had a really great run so far. I was hard keeping it out of my Top 10 at the time. It’s definitely a contender for the next round of Top 10 (yeah, keep your eyes open for that in the next couple of months!).

Everyone in this issue is playing their character to the letter. It’s great seeing Guy, in his new status, conferring with the Guardians while the Alphas decide the manner of execution. It was great seeing him interacting with John just before Kilowog intervenes. Even the Guardians continue to eschew responsibility for everything going on, and go on warping their Corps into the time bomb that’s going to cause the Third Army soon.

Pasarin’s art…oh, good lord, how I love Pasarin’s art. I wish Green Lantern were his to draw too. It’s so detailed, and the constructs are always top notch. You want to see how good Pasarin is? Check out that huge full-page splash of Kilowog’s construct busting through the wall above John and Guy. That whole page is ecstasy. A feast for your eyes. The detail and the scale of it is unbelievable. I almost missed that page because I mistook it for an ad.

Even in the huge crowd scenes at the Tribunal and such, Pasarin remembers to draw alien shapes in the audience. And Hannu? Look at the awesome closeup of Hannu on page 3. Incredible.

I’m still incredibly anxious to see where this goes, what’s going to happen next. Will the Guardians intercede? Will this be the hammer stroke that forces their hands to shut down the Corps? I just can’t wait!

Green Lantern Corps #10, the verdict: If this book somehow falls out of continuation because DC Comics makes yet another bonehead cancellation decision, I will cry. For maybe a week. I won’t be able to overcome a mindless tragedy such as that. Just imagining a world with one less Tomasi-written book, or without a monthly dose of Pasarinonin (an addictive drug I’ve just made up using his name), is a dark and cold world indeed. Green Lantern Corps continues to be one of the strongest of the GL family books DC is offering. And, thanks to the over-arcing story that ties in with most of the other titles, it’s seeing a boost in sales. Hopefully other people discover the addiction to Pasarinonin so that, after the arc, they still want more!

(Photo Source: Comic Book Movie)

Green Lantern Corps: Peter J. Tomasi, Fernando Pasarin, Scott Hanna, Gabe Eltaeb, Dave Sharpe

Alpha Lanterns: “John Stewart, you are under arrest for murder!”

John: “But he was gonna send the Keepers to destroy Oa and the Guardians.”

Alpha Lanterns: “…Oh, well…we forgot that part…”

John: “Yeah, I was doing my duty as a GL to protect our home.”

Alpha Lanterns: “I suppose that is more important than one Lantern’s life…”

And then John was free to go! YAY!

…Well, that’s how it SHOULD have gone down! Instead, John does basically say those things, but the Alphas don’t listen and force a trial upon our stoic GL. Guy has some really excellent character moments in defending John to basically anyone who’ll listen. The Guardians love how this is all fitting into their skeezy little plan. And here I am thinking, “REMEMBER WHEN ALL THIS WAS SIMPLER?!”

I admit, I miss the days when our heroes were all fighting external forces, and not each other. Used to be the majority of comics that were released were about fighting an enemy, either alone or on a team. It was a rarity, a special occasion that people excitedly talked about when something happened BETWEEN heroes and they started fighting.

Now it’s flip-flopped. And I’m sitting here shrugging and hoping things improve.

I’m not interested in my favorite heroes fighting each other. I don’t find myself sitting here going, “What would happen if all the Teen Titans fought each other?” I just don’t care! I don’t wanna see that! I wanna see my heroes working together! Being an awesome team! A focused weapon that totally rocks!

Well nobody in the New 52 seems to understand that. So John Stewart’s on trial for Kirrt’s murder. It’s so open-and-shut it’s ridiculous, but the spectacle is made and we’re given pretty much the cliche, predictable ending…but it’s still intriguing. And here’s why: This is pretty much all leading up to the whole Third Army deal - and apparently a new GL from Earth. So what does that mean for John?

Surely they won’t kill him. But will he become a refugee? An outlaw? Will they fight back and defeat all the Alpha Lanterns? Hard to say, and that’s the exciting part. I literally have no idea what happens next.

Still digging Pasarin’s art here. There’s lots of detail in his work that really adds depth to the panels. I especially like how the Alpha Lanterns lift their face shields, removing all possible links to their former, biological selves, when they announce their sentence of John. It’s just…creepy. In an “I’ve-lost-control-of-my-robot” way.

Green Lantern Corps #9, the verdict: Guy is really the one who shines in this issue. Poor John is merely left to protest his - not innocence, but justification. Guy, I’ve decided, is my favorite Green Lantern. John is kind of a plot device character at this point, but I’m hoping he’s going to have a bigger role in future issues. He really was in the right for what he did, but apparently Alpha Lanterns are dicks. Hence everything in this issue. I can’t help but think the Guardians are just sitting back, sipping champagne, and eating this all up. After all, Palpatine’s behind it all!!

(Photo Source: Science Fiction)

Stormwatch: Peter Milligan, Miguel Sepulveda, Alex Sinclair, Dave Sharpe

The Red Lanterns guest-star in this issue, and Red Lanterns series writer Peter Milligan takes the helm here. Thankfully, we still have Sepulveda’s gorgeous artwork to compliment, instead of Benes’ hit-or-miss stuff we see over in that title. Though, to be fair, Midnighter’s pose in that first panel is…weird. Let’s just say Eddy Barrows is still the KING of acrobatic poses.

So Midnighter and Apollo go to England to intercept an incoming Red Lantern while Manhunter, Hawksmoor, and Jenny Quantum head to Italy to stop a man with telekinetic powers who thinks he’s a part of Stormwatch…which is supposed to be a completely secret team organization. Weird, right? So…I’m hooked already. The gay couple of a man who can kill anything and a man who’s basically a conduit of the sun taking on a rage-fueled alien monster with a power-ring; and a super powerful Martian, a child who can conduct any kind of science that does/could exist in all of the 21st century, and a man who communicates with cities…apprehending a psychic loony. LET’S DO THIS.

Now when we first see Skallox, the Red Lantern, here…he looks weird. Like, disproportionate almost. Definitely not like he looks in Red Lanterns. But I kind of like that. Remember how I don’t like Atrocitus’ look in that title because he’s too humanized. I think Skallox here is even less humanized than he could have been in his home-title. And he looks much more alien, and threatening. Also, on the cover as well as interiors, he’s a heck of a lot more imposing…he’s huge! Look at how much larger Skallox is! I like that.

What follows is an epic battle that truly shows off some of Sepulveda’s incredibly detailed artwork. I love watching him destroy things on the page. So masterful. What’s best is how the story holds true that a Red Lantern basically “dies” when his ring is removed, because it stops the heart from beating. I would hope it remembers that much…what with the Red Lanterns writer scripting this issue. Stormwatch brings Skallox in as well.

I think things are going to get interesting while Skallox is kept aboard the Eye, especially if the other Lanterns start coming to look for him. The issue teases us a whole bunch, though, at the end, with Skallox’s power-ring zipping around from person to person. I would like to see some of Stormwatch’s members try on the ring, though, just to see what they would LOOK like, you know? And then the last page has a pretty awesome tease that I would actually like to see in a future issue some day. Hear that, guys? Get on this epic meeting of martial artists!

Stormwatch #9, the verdict: A pretty exciting issue. It’s definitely better than the Gravity Miners thing that was going on previously. I like the whole massive, Earth-shattering alien threats thing…but when it’s done too often, and Stormwatch succeeds, and is able to cover everything up so easily at the end…it gets boring. Now reading this issue, I see the value of one-on-one encounters, more personal battles that the characters fight. Though I do have a request…can we please give Manhunter more to do? He’s my favorite one on the team, I love the character, but it’s like no one really knows what to do with him, or how to unleash all his strength in the book. He’s too one-trick-pony, and that’s definitely not Manhunter.

(Photo Source: Comic Vine)

Justice League Dark: Peter Milligan, Daniel Sampere, Admira Wijaya, Dave Sharpe, Ryan Sook

Rise of the Vampires Part 3 starts with Constantine and Deadman going into the afterlife to search for Andrew Bennett. Andrew’s not that willing to come back, not at least until Xanadu has the Power Master shift the magic Cain is siphoning away from the evil vampire king. Some crazy stuff starts happening with Shade, and I’m really confused about that. That’s the problem with writing a world in where everyone understands the rules of magic: nobody talks about it! Nobody explains it! So us readers are left with half phrases and cryptic sentences about magic affects the world and how people use it and tap into it. Writers may think it makes it sound mysterious and romantic, but it doesn’t. It actually kind of makes me think the writers don’t know how the magic works themselves, so they’re skating by with all this rhetoric that has no substance. Shade’s vest goes nuts and takes him away, Zatanna “runs out” of magic, and Xanadu is more full of riddles than ever before. She also says that phrase that’s been the “logline” for this book: they’re a as much a danger to themselves as they are to others. What the HELL does that mean?! So far, they haven’t done any harm to themselves. And how would bringing them together solve that? Pretty confusing. I felt like some of the layouts were poorly done, and the action of the book is shoved into tiny panels and a very short amount of pages in the issue…much like several other issues of this series. They spend so much time talking about what’s going on, and about the dangers of the magical world, that there’s never any space to show them fighting back, USING their magic. That’s mostly why I wanted to read this book…to see Constantine and Zatanna kicking ass with arcane magic! But so far, it’s just been one panel of them setting up, or starting to use their magic, and then the next panel is always “Oh no, it’s not working!” and we’re never shown why or what happened. It’s a bit annoying, really.

Justice League Dark #8, the verdict: I was really excited for this series. Constantine, Zatanna, and Deadman all together? That sounded like a BLAST. And it should’ve been. But so far, every issue, the team has been so inadequate to face their foes and their magic has failed at practically every turn. And why? Because some unseen force wills it so. There’s never any visible, direct influence on the characters that causes them to falter. You want to know who the real star of this issue is? Admira Wijaya. The colors on this issue are STUNNING and beautiful. Very well done. Every single page has something really interesting to look at in terms of the color choices. Excellent.

(Photo Source: Player Affinity)