The Phantom Stranger: Dan DiDio, Brent Anderson, Philip Tan, Ulises Arreola, Travis Lanham, Ethan Van Sciver, Hi-Fi

The fun continues as we learn how the Stranger has built a life around his purpose. Yes, that means that they managed to create a “mild-mannered alter ego” for Stranger. I can’t remember if this occurred preboot, but it actually works to the comic’s advantage now. Here’s why.

We start the issue with a soccer game. In attendance is Stranger, known as Philip Stark, and his wife, Elena. Their children, Allie and Tim, are playing in the game on opposite teams. Philip seems distracted, and we soon find out why: Pandora is also at the game. The Stranger goes to talk to her, to tell her to gtfo basically, but she insists she knows how to save the world and rid it of the evil she unleashed. She has the box again, but can no longer open it.

Stranger says he’ll do everything he can to stop her, because he believes that only more evil waits within the box, and that her actions will doom the world. Makes sense, really. Pandora comes off as super desperate here, and I think that’s very fitting, providing her with an “I’ll-do-anything-at-this-point” frame of mind.

Philip then goes home with his family, where he finds yet ANOTHER unwanted visitor: Belial, eldest son of Trigon. Yeah, if you haven’t read issue #1 yet, and didn’t want the surprise spoiled, too bad. Rachel, better known as RAVEN, is back! I love all this talk about Trigon. It gives me a husband’s bulge, because I can’t help but think about the Teen Titans in their heyday, and how awesome that heyday was. Belial thanks Stranger for the forced accommodations for Raven that he helped arrange, but warns him that if he ever tries that betrayal stuff on the sons of Trigon, then it’s all over. He openly threatens Stranger and his mortal family before leaving. I love this character. Very cool.

What follows is this really great introspective where Stranger realizes that, even though he keeps the Phantom Stranger separate from his family, they will never be truly safe from his actions and their consequences. It’s that whole moment of Spider-Man realizing he can never be in love because his enemies will hurt his loved ones deal. I like it. You get the feeling that, even with the Phantom Stranger’s incredible power, he cannot always be there to save his family. How human.

The Starks then receive a phone call - man, this guy is popular! - from none other than Terrence Thirteen! Okay, not THE Terrence Thirteen we saw in All-Star Western, but his last descendant. However, there is a link with that back-up story from that title: THE HAUNTED HIGHWAYMAN! He’s back to claim the soul of the last of the line of the Terrence Thirteen that so plagued him all those centuries ago!

And this is where the art officially throws it into high gear. All of the Highwayman art, and colors, is amazing. He really does look like something out of Hell. What bugs me is how nonplussed Terrence seems at this whole thing…just standing by, smoking his cig. Brent Anderson does a great job with the pencils on this issue. I like how, when Philip’s with his family, everything looks normal, solid, real. But when it’s the Phantom Stranger, things seem incorporeal, almost. Like they’re not really there. And that’s exactly the visual attitude that belongs in a book about an eternal wanderer. My one single complaint was that apparently Allie’s a girl? I dunno, I can’t tell. If Tim wasn’t running around naked in this issue, I wouldn’t have known either of the kids’ genders just by looking at their faces.

The Phantom Stranger #2, the verdict: It’s still a pretty fun book! I like the humanizing we’re seeing with the character. I didn’t get that feeling a whole lot with the preboot Stranger. Whenever he appeared, he did so just because something interesting was about to happen. It’s as if an eternity of being unable to interfere left him perpetually bored (which may very well have been the case). Right now he’s still active, he’s still proactive, even. He’s taken steps to building a normal life, even though he knows it probably won’t last. Gutsy, but human all the same. I like this character, and - scarily enough - I like how DiDio’s writing him.

(Photo Source: Comic Vine)

Justice League Dark: Jeff Lemire, Mikel Janin, Ulises Arreola, Rob Leigh, Ryan Sook

Wow, I had a lot of emotions reading through this one. It was a roller coaster, no lie. I thought there were a couple of clunky dialog issues, but overall I had a really good time. There was a moment where I almost threw the book across the room, but I kept pressing on, and it paid off. I won’t give away too much, since this is still a “fresh” issue, and I’m no fan of spoilers. This Annual picks right up where issue #13 left off: the House of Mystery in the Sahara Desert, destroyed from Dr. Mist’s magic blasts. This opening bit does have good humor, with Constantine fretting over his crumpled cigs, and N’aall the demon crying over the broken china.

What comes next is a bit of a surprise, to be honest - Franky shows up! Frankenstein. Agent of S.H.A.D.E.. Wanted to make sure no one was confused at my meaning. This is pretty cool, I suppose. Lemire was writing Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. up through issue #9, and - while I never read the book myself - I did just learn that it was canceled as of issue #16. Sorry, chaps. In any case, it makes sense that Lemire would bring his old character aboard for this special Annual issue. What I don’t get is how come nobody ever notices the huge flying ships that show up overhead out of nowhere in the middle of nowhere? You’d think you’d see it coming off in the distance instead of not knowing until it’s right on top of you….

Nick Necro, aboard the HMS House of Secrets, recants his tale about how he came so very close to finding the Books of Magic before his delightful sojourn into Hell, and we get to see - once again - Mordru and Merlin! Seemingly right out of the pages of Demon Knights, we watch these giant-sized magic men duke it out over the all-knowledge of magic! We also learn that Timothy Hunter is apparently part of a prophecy to have the Books, and how Felix Faust is responsible for bringing Necro back from Hell. So, instead of incredible power or ancient knowledge, Faust sold his soul to a demon to break Nick out of eternal damnation……in exchange, then, for half of the books, which is equal to incredible power and ancient knowledge, so it all makes sense still.

Nick Necro then reveals that HE is responsible for forming the magic-based “Dark” team, thanks to Dr. Mist influencing Steve Trevor within A.R.G.U.S.. This is the far-fetched part, really. And super-corny as well. I mean, Nick Necro actually mentions the name “Justice League Dark” as their official sanction. That turned my smile upside-down. Wait, that didn’t rhyme. That turned my upside-down frown upside-down. There. Double-rhyme.

What I mainly didn’t like about Necro having been behind the team formation is that most of them had already been a team, formed under Xanadu because she wanted them to help save the world. So…after that, these same people happened to also be suggested to Steve Trevor by Nick Necro? Why include Xanadu? She’s so powerful. And Deadman and Black Orchid? I mean, the team that Nick helped assemble are full of people who, under the right circumstances, could take him down. That doesn’t seem wise. I suppose if he did it just for the sake of getting the Books of Magic, the risk would be worth it, because then he’d have unlimited power.

The House of Mystery rebuilds itself, and out come running Xanadu and Timothy. Xanadu finally reveals her vision of death with Constantine in possession of the Books, and Constantine suggests that, for Tim to get his magic power back, he just needs a jump-start. Constantine then starts to gather the “reserves” of his team, calling Princess Amaya by using the pink gemstone he found in Sword of Sorcery #0. That’s pretty cool, I’ll admit. She even has the right reaction at being “kidnapped,” so to speak. However, she does help Tim rediscover some of the magic buried within him…which…is…AWESOME. Finally, Constantine pulls Andrew back into things…but, luckily, it’s the Andrew Bennett BEFORE he goes crazy-evil and absorbs all vampires into himself. Whew.

Avengers Assembled! Kind of. I think Tim’s too short in this group shot. He was the same height against Constantine while he was sitting. That…doesn’t make sense to me. He looks like he’s eight at that height, or Constantine is REALLY tall. Even Andrew doesn’t meet his height there. What happened?

The big confrontation unfolds as the JLD descend upon Nanda Parbat. The team has some really good chemistry on these pages, and it was a lot of fun to read. I kind of wish it lasted longer. But even an Annual can only have so many pages. The best part, of course, was Deadman making his possessed body punch himself out. Hilarious.

We finally get to see the Books of Magic, and Faust is removed from the equation as he touches one and is super-zapped. The JLD arrives, and some REALLY crazy stuff goes down with Nick Necro demanding Constantine kill Tim to release Zatanna. This was where I almost threw the comic across the room. Not to give anything away, I did end up being okay with everything that happened, in the end.

Though, if I have to say one thing about the last page, it’s, “DAMNIT ZATANNA!” She’s always getting into trouble. The whole thing with the Books of Magic…I have no clue what the hell is going on there. That was super surprising and quite confusing. Obviously meant to be that way, but I mean Lemire did a GOOD JOB in befuddling the crap out of me.

Justice League Dark Annual #1, the verdict: A very fun issue full of great surprises. The additional characters were awesome to see together, and worked well off each other. I’m looking forward to seeing them more, Franky and Amaya. Those feel like good fits for the team as they no-doubt search for Zee. Well, Lemire’s first arc is safely tucked under his belt, and it was a great run that brought this title out of it’s fitful funk and away from the “drop list.” That is to say, I’m keeping this book! The art is fantastic, as always, and the few splash pages we saw were very well done. Great, witty dialog, and entertaining character interactions really drove this Annual forward with strength and confidence. I share this confidence as the title moves forward.

(Photo Source: Major Spoilers)

Justice League Dark: Jeff Lemire, Mikel Janin, Victor Drujiniu, Ulises Arreola, Rob Leigh, Ryan Sook

So things get pretty exciting as the JLD nears the answers on where to find the Books of Magic. Constantine and Black Orchid are in Gotham’s Slaughter Swamp (featured in All Star Western’s Dr. Thirteen backup story), where they face the horrible fire-wielding cannibal troll, Black Boris. Now, I may be nit-picking, but wouldn’t a cannibal troll eat other trolls? Not people? Perhaps it’s not that choosy when it comes to meat.

Moving on, we find out that Black Orchid’s powers are not only connected to the Red, like Animal Man’s. Turns out she’s able to manipulate plants…something that also links her to the Green, like Swamp Thing. I wondered why it looked like she was wearing giant, purple leaves all over her costume. She declines to comment on this discovery, however, when Constantine presses. So we’re once again left in the dark about the mystery of Black Orchid. I think I’m okay with this, though.

Meanwhile, in Peru, Deadman and Zatanna are fighting Blackbriar Thorn, a giant being of wood. Deadman decides to possess the spirit of the man within the leafy exterior, and goes off on this tangent of how his acrobatics still help him as he descends through the layers of the tree-being to find the man within. I really do appreciate the opportunity to expand on Deadman’s character, and give him a moment to shine - honestly. But this makes no sense. He’s a ghost. Conventional “moving” is no longer a factor for him, so why would he still need to use acrobatics in his ghost form? Surely moving through someone’s soul or spirit doesn’t suddenly make things physical so that Deadman must swing and tumble through the psyche….

Deadman and Zatanna then find the House of Secrets…and the true antagonist for this whole arc, Nick Necro. Honestly, it’s obvious after reading the Zero Issue. Kind of a bummer, ruining the surprise like that. Though, to be honest, if he had been revealed before the Zero Issue, it still wouldn’t have been important to me, because I still don’t know who this guy is. He’s a brand-new creation by Jeff Lemire, see? So it’s no great big deal with some kind of returning character that all us fans know - like Faust and Tim Hunter were. So is that a let-down? Kind of, but not really. We do know that Necro was a big part of Zee’s and Constantine’s past…and there was a big deal with how they turned on him and sent him to Hell. Funny, that’s usually what happens to Constantine.

Another meanwhile, Madame Xanadu is about to leave Tim’s house when Faust strikes! Yeah, remember? She was trying to recruit Timothy Hunter when he told her he had given away all his magic. Now apparently Faust wants him, no doubt because Nick Necro needs him. Fortunately, Xanadu’s able to get them out of there. I loved this moment, because Xanadu actually displayed power, for once. Whereas, before, she always seemed pretty useless. Lemire does a good job, what with her declaring, “I have walked this earth for centuries and seen evil that would make you cower!” I agree with this sentiment, because IT’S TRUE. Xanadu’s been around since, at least, Arthurian days, and is a child of Avalon. She’s got magic to SPARE. So that was fun.

Constantine and Black Orchid show up to help Zatanna against Nick, but succeed no more than Deadman had. Zatanna agrees to go with Nick to keep him from killing everyone, and she shares an unexpected moment with Constantine. The way Milligan wrote it…she seriously disliked John. Constantine and Deadman have, what I thought, was a really funny moment involving unfreezing Deadman, and they go back to the House of Mystery to give chase to Nick’s House of Secrets.

And then, ladies and gentlemen, begins the first ever high-speed house chase. Dr. Mist has something to say about that, and the House of Mystery goes down. It’s pretty exciting stuff…especially considering now there’s nothing stopping Nick from taking Zatanna to the Books of Magic.

I have to, again, praise the art team for this book. Even with guest finisher Victor Drujiniu, the issue is beautiful as it always is. I loved the fire effects on Black Boris, and all the destruction we saw, like Tim’s house, and the House of Mystery at the end. The magic lightning in this issue wasn’t as crazy awesome as it was in earlier issues (like with Shade the Changing Man around), but what I was REALLY impressed by was how different Nick Necro looks from Constantine. I mean, it would’ve been really easy for them to share so many features. A lot of other artists I see have a hard time distinguishing unique facial shapes, but these two actually look very different, and I liked that.

Justice League Dark #13, the verdict: It’s been really fun reading this book, and it’s become so much more with Lemire behind the wheel. I really hope he sticks around for a long time. I love, also, seeing John Constantine. I mean, really, that’s a huge selling point for this book. Forget that it’s a book about magical heroes (though any book with Constantine in a starring role is likely to be about magic), and forget that it’s based around the fringes of the known and visible universe where the strange and macabre dwell. It’s a book that follows John Constantine. Sold! It’s great seeing him interacting with these DC Universe characters - unlike with “Hellblazer.” But with everything around him, it’s a very full book with great fun and action. I’m invested, I’m ready for the Annual. Let’s do this.

(Photo Source: Talking Comic Books)

Phantom Stranger: Dan DiDio, Brent Anderson, Philip Tan, Ulises Arreola, Travis Lanham, Jeromy Cox

Ghk! Frrrbbk! Wuvvtbdr!! What’s…nff…happening…rngh!…to me?!? I…have this…uncontrollable urge…hrrhk!…to take back…everything I’ve said…about Dan DiDio!! Whoa, HOLY CRAP that was awesome!! SO AWESOME!! What did I even read?!! It couldn’t have been DiDio! The same guy who wrote that Challengers of the Unknown stuff?! NO! No way!

Well, folks, if I hadn’t already read the Zero Issue, I wouldn’t believe it. But it’s true. Dan DiDio wrote a totally kickass comic book starring the Phantom Stranger. There are some light spoilers in this review…but I’ll do my best not to reveal too much. So read along while squinting sidelong at the page just in case.

The issue starts in a park where a boy runs into the Stranger while playing soccer. He then runs out into the street because, apparently, the ball leaped out of his hands and he goes chasing after it. Well, he’s killed. It’s actually really sad. I was pretty blown away, pretty shocked. At his funeral, there’s a girl there who can apparently feel the love and grief all around her…and has to run out because it’s all too much.

The Stranger follows her, until she starts to use shadows to ward back who she thinks is an attacker. Yeah, this is a girl who’s been on the run for some time. Running from followers of a cult. The girl sends out a bird-shaped blast at the Stranger, who repels it back into her easily. He says he only means to help her find the training she needs to focus her empathic abilities. Her name? Rachel.

Her father’s a pretty important guy. A ruler, even. A guy with a massive army that he means to use to strike against all the nations in search of his daughter. That aforementioned cult worships him like a God, in fact. Rachel and the Stranger talk about her dad, and how her mother kept her hidden from him in another dimension. But her luck’s running out. And it’s in the nature of the Stranger to betray those he looks after. So he takes her to Stonehenge…which, unfortunately, turns out to be a gateway for her father.

He comes looking for her, and realizes the deal that Heaven is making the Stranger perform. It works. For now. Have you guessed who this girl is yet? Oh, come on, it’s so bloody obvious…the only way you wouldn’t get it is if you’ve never read a DC Comic book in your life, or have never seen a DC animated TV show before. All I’d have to do to sell it out completely would be to say Azar—. Whoops, almost gave it away.

The ART!! Oh my god, it’s an artgasm. I really, really liked the style of this issue. It’s completely different than the Zero Issue…which was a surprise, but a welcome one. I really, really hope this style maintains throughout the series because it’s very fitting of the ethereal quality of the character and story. Nothing is ever truly “in focus,” much like the character himself.

Phantom Stranger #1, the verdict: I seriously can’t believe how awesome this was. I was SO EXCITED when I realized who the girl was, because I’ve been waiting for her reappearance in the New 52 ever since Teen Titans #1 (dangit, did I give it away?). I still love the idea of Stranger betraying souls one at a time to pay his penance for his sin. I love, even more, that we never really knew what angle he was playing to fulfill his deed until the end. I hope that approach stays consistent throughout the series. Kind of like “Quantum Leap,” where he never knew exactly how to solve the problem until he just did it. I like that we, as readers, don’t know exactly what needs to be done for the Stranger to meet the requirements before being done. More of this, please.

(Photo Source: Source Comics and Games)

Justice League Dark: Jeff Lemire, Mikel Janin, Ulises Arreola, Rob Leigh, Ryan Sook

Fantastic. The mayhem continues as Faust and Dr. Mist reveal their team-up and betrayal of the JLD, and steal the map to the Books of Magic. The rest of the JLD arrives to discover the double-cross before the evil alliance escapes. Deadman returns from the land of the afterlife, and Trevor rounds on Constantine for being foolish.

I love how this book is still maintaining that haphazard quality with its team. These people don’t work well together at all…and the dysfunctional nature of it should always be causing trouble. Constantine taking on Faust alone, Dr. Mist’s betrayal, Zatanna’s ineffective magic, Deadman’s banishment…they had their asses handed to them by the empowered Faust! It’ll be fun to see these guys overcome this defeat and get back in the game.

We learn a bit about Dr. Mist in this issue, what he’s fighting for. I like that we start out that way, so any Mist fans are put at ease to discover that Mist’s betrayal was because of the promise to master death a la Anakin Skywalker. Dr. Mist lost his wife, who meant everything to him, and so he seeks the Book of Death, one of the four Books of Magic, so that he may resurrect her. Yeah, I can already see that going horribly wrong.

We also see Xanadu talking to Timothy Hunter about how Tim was able to expel all of the magic from his body and create with it a physical form that could then exist in the world. He wants nothing to do with magic anymore, and therefore cannot become the powerful mage Xanadu needs. This is…well, it’s depressing. I was really hoping to see Hunter back in action. Kid’s gone soft. Xanadu, now, has no idea what to do. She has no clue who the most powerful mage in the world is to be. It’s not the first time I’ve felt she’s pretty useless. But magic is complicated, so I should give her a break.

Speaking of magic, we get to see a lot of really cool stuff in this ish. There’s a panel where Zatanna’s backwards magic is reflected back at her, and the actual words she spoke appear in the air, forwards, to her. That was pretty neat, never seen that before. Constantine’s cigarette divining rod was awesome. I love that there’s these little things the characters do…it’s not explained, it’s not completely bogus-sounding either (okay, it’s slightly bogus-sounding, but that’s why it works)! It’s nice to see magic done, in my opinion, properly.

Another really cool panel is when we see Zatara! Yes, Zatara!! He sits at a table with Zatanna, Constantine, a guy whom I believe is the villain in this arc, Baron Winters (from Night Force), and two others I don’t recognize. I love things like this because it helps to build the world as a whole. It also shows us how large the magical community really is.

Speaking of this arc’s villain…. There’s this mystery guy that Faust and Dr. Mist are working for, who is getting two of the Books of Magic when they’re found. Throughout the issue, his face is kept from us, even as he attacks Dr. Occult. Don’t know who he is, but I’m excited to find out. I hope it’s someone I know from preboot, otherwise this whole “keeping him hidden” thing is gonna feel empty to me.

Justice League Dark #12, the verdict: Another fantastic issue that continues this really awesome story. It’s going to hurt, in the heart, if Lemire leaves the title after this arc. Because DANG he’s doing an outstanding job, and delivering what I had always hoped from the JLD title since it was announced. He’s capturing the very essence of what I wanted out of a magic book. We’re given so much in this issue that I can’t help but think that there’s a LOT still to come, especially with the teasing of all these other characters. Mikel Janin and Ulises Arreola are still on art duties, and they’re slaying every issue. I love the style, and I love the coloring - especially on Dr. Mist and the general magic spells and abilities we see. I could stare at this book all day.

(Photo Source: Newsarama)

Justice League Dark: Jeff Lemire, Mikel Janin, Ulises Arreola, Kyle Ritter, Rob Leigh, Ryan Sook

Brilliance in twenty-something pages. So much going on in this arc of Justice League Dark. The title’s previous writer, Milligan, may be a “Hellblazer” veteran, but never spun a story so intricate, or involving so many different aspects of the magical world within the DC Universe as Jeff Lemire.

In just three issues, he’s introduced so many more important, magical elements than Milligan did in eight. Here’s what we’ve seen: Felix Faust, Dr. Mist, Orchid (though it’s slightly unfair to use new villains and team members), the House of Mystery, the Books of Magic, the Black Room, and now Timothy Hunter. Whoop, slight spoiler? Yes, the main character from the Neil Gaiman penned “The Books of Magic” miniseries is back and, apparently, everything that happened in that series still exists in the DCnU. Xanadu was able to brilliantly outline what some readers missed in just a few panels. I’m excited to see what happens with this character in this title. Could be big stuff!

So, in this issue, the JLD faces off against Faust - with Zatanna’s backwards magic suddenly somehow effectual against the Demons Three (see last ish) - as Constantine and Orchid make a run for the Black Room to gather a bunch of mystical weaponry to combat Faust. In the Black Room, we see a NUMBER of interesting artifacts. I cannot say I know absolutely everything I see here…but here’s some of them: Etrigan’s armor from Demon Knights (that much is clear), a giant coin (I’m sure it’s NOT the penny from the batcave) that says something like “raugger manicus,” a large Roman or Viking boat, a dragon skeleton, a chandelier made of bones, a German tank, and a large black jewel rock that makes me think of a black diamond. Could this be the hint of the return of Eclipso?

So Constantine comes barreling at Faust with all these magical objects, but it doesn’t last long before he’s betrayed! Oh no! By whom?! I won’t say. It’s interesting to see Faust is still playing all the events around him, even Constantine getting into the Black Room. It’s crazy, but it’s definitely devious and I like that Faust is a bit of a mastermind. Other titles have been trying to pull off this same thing, but have been failing horribly. Lemire’s Faust here actually has concocted a plan that we can see, and it’s falling into place perfectly. There may be a couple hiccups, and those are addressed, and Faust reacts reasonably. I like it.

Janin’s art is great, as always, though a couple of Faust’s expressions are a little too manic and, actually, quite hilarious. I really have to hand it to Arreola - like I do every issue - and Ritter for their color job. This is unbelievable stuff. Every time, they bring us bright, vivid colors that really make us understand that what we’re seeing is magic. Looking at this book, I don’t see how it could be called anything else. Just really loving the whole staff on this title right now, and I hope they stick with it for a while.

Justice League Dark #11, the verdict: A great addition to the story that included a ton of information about the magical world within the DCnU…something that’s been really devoid of definition since last September. I fell off the couch at the mention, and then appearance, of Tim Hunter…and I’m super excited to see what kind of role he plays in later issues (because, c’mon, it can’t just end at those few panels). While Faust is proving to be a very formidable villain, I’m looking forward to seeing what else Lemire can throw at the JLD and us readers. I know he has some cool ideas he can shape into another great story involving all kinds of obscure references in the next arc.

(Photo Source: ScienceFiction.com)

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)

Justice League Dark: Jeff Lemire, Mikel Janin, Ulises Arreola, Rob Leigh, Ryan Sook

I know I said this at the end of last ish, but I almost dropped this title. I was frustrated with how different it was from when it started, and I was not understanding why nothing ever worked magic-wise, and it felt like a mess. It was like the series started with their magic being ineffectual because of Enchantress, and that continued on as the theme…that their magic was always sub-par.

Well, Jeff Lemire swooped in and gave us a victory story in his first issue. The JLD goes to Peru and kicks serious ass. Now we’ve seen Lemire handle the horror side of DC Comics quite wonderfully over in Animal Man (seriously, read that book or you’re dead to me), and now we see that he does the occult just as well. Just some of the things he has these characters do, act, and say is brilliant. For example, having Constantine wave the flame of his lighter to show the story of the books of magic is so something right out of Hellblazer. I wonder if Jeff is a big fan of Hellblazer. Well, who isn’t?

So now we come to it: The House of Mystery! How awesome is this place? Look at that mansion! We’re even given a little history on it. Fantastic. The best part is Constantine saying he won it playing poker with Father Time and Dr. Occult. Ah, the Trenchcoat Brigade. Not Father Time, but…well, nevermind. We meet N’aall, the demon caretaker who is humiliatingly bound to the house and Constantine forever, and I immediately want to see this character appear in this series a whole lot more. He only has a few panels, but he’s funny as all get out.

Xanadu foresees Constantine will betray everyone and has apocalyptic visions. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! It’s time to play…SPOT THAT DEAD HERO! Yes, it only happens every now and then, when a prophetic vision appears that depicts a scene of terrible futures, where piles of superheroes lie dead all heaped together. Hmm, I see Constantine, Zatanna, Deadman, and some shirtless dude with black pants that have a V on the waistline. Can’t tell who that is. I also see Frankenstein, Etrigan, and Swamp Thing. Cool! That kind of foretells that we’ll get to see some of these characters make appearances later.

Xanadu receives a warning that John cannot be allowed to have the Books of Magic, a map to which is within the trinket the JLD stole from Faust and now sits on the table within the House of Mystery. Well, John ends up trying to open it, but the Demons Three pop out and attack! Turns out, it’s a trap set by Felix Faust, who is currently in ARGUS captivity! Looks like Steve Trevor’s in trouble.

Janin is a great artist. I could just leave it at that and move on, but that wouldn’t be fair. Janin is not just a great artist, he’s incredibly talented at creating memorable, yet varied faces. The faces are reminiscent, always, of the characters that appear in other DC books…but there’s something more to them in this title. A realism that I’d expect to see on the big screen. Real actors, real people. Not just drawings on a page.

And that’s all made even better by Arreola’s outstanding coloring work. In a book full of magic spells and energies flying all over the place, it’s incredibly important to have a strong colorist who not only understands the importance of the right color palette, but also how to use those colors to create light. This title, whether it was Wijaya or Arreola, has always had such great lighting.

Justice League Dark #10, the verdict: Another fantastic issue. I’m so glad Lemire is working on this one. It’s going to be so good as long as that continues. I’m loving seeing Faust back in the picture. Such a good villain, and I like that he’s more devious, cunning, and powerful now. It makes him much more of a real threat. The team is coming together, and I dig the new additions. Doctor Mist gets a chance to shine in this issue. Overall, looking forward to what madness this team can crank out next!

(Photo Source: Talking Comic Books)

Justice League Dark: Jeff Lemire, Mikel Janin, Ulises Arreola, Rob Leigh, Ryan Sook

Holy frijoles! Wow, what a way to kick off the new series! This feels MUCH more like the Justice League Dark I loved from the beginning, but just SO much more improved!! And it’s no surprise, with Jeff Lemire on the case. This felt like a true magic book, celebrating the magical abilities instead of feeling encumbered by them, limited by them. Confused by them.

Also, Mikel Janin is back on from his departure after #6, and the series feels like it’s really shining now. There are so many things I loved about this ish, so let’s get down to it.

First of all…Felix Faust. What would the magic community of DC Comics be without Felix? Typically he’s more closely tied with Black Adam, but here we’ve got him in the Amazon jungle — perhaps not far from Aquaman? — taking refuge in old ruins. He’s building an army with an unknown magical artifact that Constantine’s been recruited to acquire.

So I’m getting into the JLD here, and I should mention the team change-up. Gone is Shade and Mindwarp, though Mindwarp’s been gone for a while, so it’s no surprise. In fact it’s more of a surprise that they keep mentioning him for some reason. Andrew Bennet, of I, Vampire, is present because of a “you-owe-me” to John. Finally there’s Black Orchid, a superhuman female with multiple skillsets…most useful of all is shape-shifting. I don’t know much on Black Orchid, and this issue literally explained nothing about her history or character, but some quick online research shows me she’s been around since the 70s!

Many incarnations later, she seems pretty damn awesome, and I’m pulling for full-time team membership. Deadman, Zatanna, Constantine, and Xanadu all remain (though Xanadu remains at home for this ish). I have to admit how much I love this new lineup. Bennett is a really cool addition, and I really hope they’re able to keep him on for several issues after this. Sure, this arc will have Bennett brooding up the pages for a few, but it makes so much sense for Constantine to want to keep him around.

Next, something has to be said about the scene between Steve Trevor and Constantine. It’s so well done. The dialog is quick and snappy, even though there’s a lot of it. I didn’t mind the lengthy dialog here, because it did a great job of explaining what’s going on. Constantine’s apartment/place is a filthy mess, and I just love the detail that went into it.

Another thing that was awesome was how Constantine gets Zatanna to go along on the mission: the promise of her father’s magician’s hat. Apparently a very power magical item. It’s hidden away in the Black Room, a warehouse containing magic artifacts under government lock-and-key, Indiana Jones style. Trevor promised Constantine five minutes inside to take whatever he wants. I love this idea, because I really want to see Constantine tricked out with magic things that blow people up. I’m sure he wants the same.

Finally, what I loved was the tease at the end for…THE HOUSE OF MYSTERY!! I almost pooped my pants when I saw that on the last page. Suddenly, this title contains nothing but PROMISE. A future full of outstanding writing and really incredible, detailed art. Arreola’s nailing it on the coloring, as can be seen in the various glow effects throughout the issue. The lighting and shadow. All very well done. I also really dug how the ish FELT like it looked different, simply because the team was out in the sunny open jungle! They were bathed in sunlight (still can’t pinpoint why Andrew doesn’t burst into flames. Magic?), and all the scenes there were almost washed out. It felt like they were really there and out of their assumed comfort zones.

Faust as a villain did feel powerful here, and they were trying to pull a preboot Dr. Light on us with suddenly making Faust a much stronger villain than he was before. His motivations seemed a bit flat, and I can’t honestly say exactly how deep he was preboot either. I always assumed he was extremely power/knowledge hungry, like the Faust of lore, so I felt this issue fit for him in that regard.

Here’s my prediction: the Steve Trevor that recruited Constantine…was Black Orchid. Because isn’t Trevor incapacitated over in Justice League?

Justice League Dark #9, the verdict: Wow, this title just did a 180 on us. I was so disappointed with last issue, and the inclusion in Rise of the Vampires, that I almost dropped this title. I might’ve even crossed it off my pull list, so I now have to double-check. As long as Lemire remains on the book, I’ll be happy. He has an excellent feel for displaying magic to a broader audience, while including huge Easter eggs and hints at bigger concepts and circumstances to hardcore DC magic fans. Constantine, I think, as a character falls in between those extremes. He’s accessible while being pretty hardcore magic, over in Hellblazer. And that’s why I know Peter Milligan’s not a hack (he writes it). There was just something not working for him in Justice League Dark. The early issues were fun, with Enchantress, but after that it felt like it completely lost focus and spiraled out of control. Lemire fished it out of the sea, cleaned it, cooked it, and served us up some really fine dinner salmon. Sorry, I’m a little hungry.

(Photo Source: Talking Comic Books)

Batgirl: Gail Simone, Ardian Syaf, Alitha Martinez, Vicente Cifuentes, Ulises Arreola, Dave Sharpe

We start this issue with a very provocative image: Batgirl with her head being shoved underwater. What’s interesting about this series is how Simone isn’t afraid to really drag Babs through the mud. Put her through the ringer. Really let her have it. She’s human, and she’s not yet at the top of her game since the shooting. We’re also introduced right here to the villain of this next arc…and his name is Grotesque. And he’s probably my favorite villain of this entire series so far. This guy is FUNNY. It’s really unclear as to what his metahuman abilities are as well…but we quickly go back in time to trace the beginnings of this story. Babs spars with Dinah Lance, the Black Canary. She gets advice on how to deal with her mother being back, and then drops in on a party that’s under attack by this Grotesque guy. That leads to the chase into the sewer where we first saw her in this issue. Then…we see a really big revelation that leads into next issue…and it’s pretty incredible. I really liked this twist, and I talk about it a lot in the next issue’s review. So check it out there if you want to know what it is. Syaf’s art is really fantastic, as per normal, then we get Alitha Martinez in for the sparring with Canary. She does a good job of keeping the style consistent with Syaf’s. And his is a very unique style, I think. It definitely does this book justice.

Batgirl #7, the verdict: While I’m not super crazy about this title, it is good. I have seen very consistent results out of it with every issue. Every issue has delivered a solid story with great characters…and a really fantastic representation of Barbara Gordon. She’s even more real than Batman is. Even Nightwing. Those are still a little more fantastic. I’ve stopped collecting this series, though, so there may not be any more reviews on this title. I hope you continue to enjoy the book!

(Photo Source: Kotaku)

Batgirl: Gail Simone, Vicente Cifuentes, Alitha Martinez, Ulises Arreola, Dave Sharpe

So holy crap this was incredible. If you missed my #7 review (because I didn’t do it), then you may not know that one of the goons working for the new masked villain, Grotesque, is none other than Danny Weaver…one of the people who stood by and watched while the Joker shot Barbara through the spine. What a revelation…what a twist. This is excellent, and what’s better…is that Batgirl lets him go! She has him pinned down, but she doesn’t turn him in! We don’t quite understand why at first…but we get it by the end of the issue. Danny tried to turn over a new leaf after getting out of prison, but as we can see it didn’t work out quite that way. Before Batgirl goes after Grotesque again, she decides to face her mother - finally. We learn that she ran away in order to save the family from the even-then psychotic James Jr. (who would grow up to be quite the disgusting little killer). This whole aspect felt a little flat, mainly because we don’t learn why James Jr. wanted his mother out of the picture. Perhaps we’ll find out soon (especially what with what happens at the end of this issue!). Batgirl is still facing her demons concerning her devastating injury, and it comes out strong as she fights Grotesque and comes to terms with Danny. Her talk with Danny at the end was really heart-wrenching, actually. Very well-written. Also excellent in this issue is Cifuentes’s art. I love the panel of Batgirl snapping her arm back to strike the oncoming attacker while she holds Danny in the beginning of the issue. The book is so detailed, it’s great. I’m pretty excited to see what happens next!

Batgirl #8, the verdict: A surprising hit. I have to admit that I’ve stopped pulling this title every month, and I believe this is the last issue I have. But it’s issues like this - and a couple others so far - that really stand out with some powerful moments that make me want to read more. If only every issue could promise emotion like this…but that wouldn’t necessarily be fair to ask. Would it? In any case, the creative team on this book is pretty much killing it. Next issue is the Night of the Owls issue, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how Gail builds and handles her personal Talon.

(Photo Source: iFanBoy)

Justice League Dark: Peter Milligan, Mikel Janin, Ulises Arreola, Rob Leigh

And we’re back with the fear-visions. At first I thought all this was a legitimate part of the issue, and then Constantine is just calmly standing outside Xanadu’s residence. Looks like they’ve all been having these nightmares and Xanadu’s bringing them together to discuss what and why. But not before some more of that in-fighting we’ve seen so far. Shade slugs Constantine while Deadman roots him on. Xanadu’s worried that Mindwarp hasn’t shown, so we’re to believe that he has a much bigger part to play. Just as Xanadu explains the obligatory “they’re more than just nightmares,” Shade’s own nightmare attacks the manor and the team. After Deadman and Shade work together, and they quell the threat, Xanadu says they all need to start working together. Before she screams in pain, saying that the vampires are all screaming. This is, of course, the precursor to the Rise of the Vampires crossover arc with the awesome title, I, Vampire. This is really exciting, I’m not going to lie. I can’t wait to see what Fialkov and Milligan have cooking for us in the issues to come. I want to mention Janin’s art, as I always do, but especially in the sequence where Shade’s nightmare lady attacks the team. Just look at her eyeballs…they’ve shiny, yet dull and they definitely look goopy. I really dig the look of this Clayface-esque monster. Then, on to Arreola’s colors, especially on the page with Shade and Deadman defeating said monster. That looks excellent.  There’s also that INCREDIBLE first double-page splash we see with the title. London’s burning! It’s just…so beautiful.

Justice League Dark #6, the verdict: Still a fun book, and I’m glad that we’re moving on to bigger things. The Night of the Vampires arc has a lot of potential, and I can’t wait to see how the Dark team handles these undead, and how the series of events affects the I, Vampire series and its characters. I also wonder if Batman will be making any appearances throughout this arc, since he’s partnered up with Andrew Bennett right now. 

(Photo Source: Bloody Disgusting)

Justice League Dark: Peter Milligan, Mikel Janin, Ulises Arreola, Rob Leigh, Ryan Sook

Woops! I can’t believe I forgot to review this one last month. This is January’s issue! Oh well, here goes. This is it…the big meet. Either June Moon or the Enchantress is going down in this issue. John Constantine shows up in order to finally put a stop to Enchantress’s madness. Deadman is still completely delusional and refuses to help Xanadu and the others. That’s when the crazy teeth attack and fear-visions strike the “team.” What’s really fun in this issue is how we finally get to hear that inane poem in its entirety instead of just broken snippets like we have so far. After the whole ordeal, the would-be heroes gather to talk to Xanadu about wtf just happened. It’s annoying that people keep referring to Constantine by his full name. I don’t call any of my friends, or anyone really, by their full name. It’s awkward. Especially Zatanna here…they have a history, so why does she keep calling him “John Constantine,” unless she’s trying to make it seem like they don’t have a history. Well Constantine’s fed up with the whole mess and leaves, sparking everyone else to do the same. Xanadu’s left looking quite pathetic on the floor playing 52-pickup when she finds a terrifying card that we don’t get to see. It was a pretty exciting issue, and brought our first real arc to a close. Nice job in wrapping it up in under 6 issues, team. I’m still getting used to all the characters, though. I like them, and I think they play off each other very well (in terms of generating conflict), and I’m excited to see how they’ll function together as one unit in the future…but at the same time, some of their flaws and their personalities can be somewhat annoying. Shade’s always crying over his girlfriend, Deadman’s constantly thinking that whatever his focus is at the moment is the most important thing in the world, Zatanna’s so passive-aggressive in her unwillingness to join up, Constantine’s so overly-aggressive in his unwillingness, and Xanadu spouts riddles and nonsense at every chance. Granted, I want to point out, it’s nice to have characters that are kind of broken. These people are misfits, let’s face it. Only together do they become complete…that’s kind of Xanadu’s whole purpose here, to bring them together. And don’t get me started on that Mindwarp character…I have no idea what he’s up to. This arc didn’t do a great job introducing him, but perhaps that was purposeful, and we’ll see him later. The in-fighting on the team is fun to read, but it gets stale. I’m hoping that new conflicts arise that will help them focus their unguided anger. And, as always, Mikel Janin’s artwork blows my mind. There are a few books in the New 52 that just have this stellar, immensely outstanding artwork. Justice League Dark is one of them. We’re drawing closer to this title’s first crossover arc, but more on that next time.

Justice League Dark #6, the verdict: Still a good book, and it’s nice to finally see the arc done. It felt like it dragged on a little bit, but it was still enjoyable. I get that we needed to see these characters introduced and interact with each other, but it still took a while to reach the resolution. Though it can be said that it was a scenic path, what with Janin behind the artwork reins. So at least it was a long trip with a lot of great sights to see out the window. I’m most looking forward to seeing the interiors of this comic match the covers, where they’re all fighting a common threat together.

(Photo Source: Batman Wikia)

Batgirl: Gail Simone, Ardian Syaf, Vicente Cifuentes, Ulises Arreola, Dave Sharpe, Adam Hughes

Mad props, yo. This is the best issue yet, I think. There’s a little bit of weirdness going on in the writing of Gretel’s character, but it ends up working very well anyway. Let’s start with Adam Hughes’ fantastic cover. I’ve been a fan of his for a while, and this one looks great with the darkness of Batman behind the lighter color of Batgirl’s cape and armor. And then there’s the white background - to which I’m partial. Complete the look with falling snow, and a glowing hue at the edges, and you’ve got a thing of real beauty. I’ve been loving Syaf’s pencils on the interiors. He gives Batgirl such a unique look that I really like. But I think it’s incomplete without Vicente Cifuentes and Ulises Arreola on inks and colors. The coloring in this book is so fantastic. It’s so bright and vibrant…and it almost gives the book a cartoony feel. But at the same time, the colors really help nail some realism down because of the real definition to the clothes and other elements that we see in the panels. This is probably one of the best books in terms of color. Simone has been doing a knock-out job with writing this series. This issue is probably my favorite so far because of the interaction between Batgirl and Batman - and Batgirl and Bruce. We get to see Gretel’s background here, which is good. It’s nice that the story moved right along without wasting any time. Two issues…and we’re good. We’re not dragging things out for many issues at a time. DC had said that they were going to move away from multi-issue arcs…but it looks like old habits die hard. Except here! The Mirror arc lasted a while, but we’re picking up speed and momentum. I liked how tragic Gretel was, and I dug how the 338 finally came out. What was even better, though, was how Batgirl was able to relate to Gretel and talk to her. I like that Batgirl is still aware of how fragile she is, and how new she is back at this whole gig. She recognizes how this could all go so poorly so fast. The piece with Batman visiting the injured Barbara in the hospital was really touching, and - like I said - the scenes between Batgirl and Bruce were really awesome. I love how, after Batgirl helps save him from Gretel’s hold, he says that she was always meant to be Batgirl…especially after Batgirl was questioning and remembering how she just soared onto the scene, with Batman never having wanted a Batgirl.

Batgirl #6, the verdict: Gail Simone continues to just absolutely nail it with a book that not only delivers in the action but on the emotional level as well. I’m really excited to see what happens when Barbara really starts to face her injury and recovery. The tease at the end of this issue is “The Joke Revisited,” complete with Joker colors. This…is completely exciting, in such a way that I cannot fully express. I’m also interested in getting a full admittance or denial that Barbara was Oracle after getting shot. I think if we start dealing with the Joker…that’s bound to come out (along with a lot of other things).

(Photo Source: iFanBoy)

(Photo Source: ComicsBulletin)

Batgirl: Gail Simone, Ardian Syaf, Vicente Cifuentes, Ulises Arreola, Dave Sharpe, Adam Hughes

Wow, the cover really makes her look younger than in the comic. Like probably how should’ve looked pre-Killing Joke. Anyway, now this is an interesting story. We have a true mystery on our hands, and it seems like there’s just no way for Batgirl to win! I’m really excited about this new story, and the new villain. What’s even greater is that Batgirl is still the same hero we saw in the last story. There’s no inconsistencies regarding her strengths and weaknesses. In fact, she gets pretty beat up in this issue. You can tell that Batgirl is still rusty from her time in the chair, and I like that. I like that she hasn’t magically become an expert after defeating just one villain. We see improvements here and there, one even pointed out by Batgirl herself, but she still has challenges she must overcome. This story starts us out with a crime family - father and three sons - who are robbing people on the highway…but only for $3.38. That’s all they demand. How strange, right? Well, even stranger when the father of the crime family does the unthinkable and Batgirl is left, yet again, questioning her ability to be a protector. Thankfully, that hasn’t gotten old yet. But that’s not the best part. The best part comes when Gretel shows up…a strange woman in white that seems to change her hair color in between fights. She can apparently feel no pain, and barely budges after savage blows from Batgirl. So…unfortunately, that’s similar to the last villain, Mirror, in that Batgirl cannot physically best her. I’m looking forward to a villain whom Batgirl would have no trouble beating down, but that would truly challenge her mind…like Riddler or something. Luckily, this new mystery is definitely going to be a headache because of the “338” that everyone associated with Gretel is talking about. Batgirl finds the first lead and discovers it’s somewhat tied to Bruce Wayne’s revitalization project (again, nice to see elements from other books incorporated here). Where that leads Batgirl, though, is a pleasant and unexpected surprise. I really wasn’t expecting that last page. It shows what kind of true power Gretel possesses, and just how ungodly dangerous she really is. There are a couple of side-plots that are touched upon in this issue, too. The main one I want to mention is in regards to Commissioner Gordon talking to Detective McKenna (the officer who lost her partner in issue #1) about tracking down Batgirl because of her connection to the murders at the beginning of this book. This will, clearly, put Batgirl on a collision course with her own father that could end up exposing her identity. I can only pray that this doesn’t happen soon. I would hate for Gordon to find that out so early in the series…if at all…because that jeopardizes Batman’s entire operation, and the identities of the rest of the bat-family. Tim recognizes this, and that’s why he doesn’t reveal his name (though his face is okay). So I’d be really upset if Gordon finds out Batgirl is his daughter. Remember that Batman Animated Series episode where Gordon and the GCPD is hunting Batman and Robin because of the death of Batgirl (due to Scarecrow’s fear gas)? I have a feeling that would happen…and that would just throw the entire DC universe out of whack. What would be interesting is if McKenna found out, and then somehow she was killed…and it’s kind of Batgirl’s fault…and then that guilt of “Did I really kill McKenna over my identity” would haunt Barbara going forward. But I’m confident in Simone’s skill as a writer to handle this issue with care. I’m still hesitant to fully trust Barbara’s roommate, especially when she starts talking smack against Wayne’s attempt to renew the city’s crime-laden areas…because that, again, will someday put her at odds with Batgirl…and things are gonna get cray-cray.

Batgirl #5, the verdict: January’s “failure” theme is also apparent in this issue. There are the deaths on the bridge in the beginning of the issue, and then that last page of the issue that shows us just how outmatched Batgirl is against Gretel. I’m interested to see where this goes, and I love this “338” mystery. I really hope it turns out to be something truly cool and original, that we haven’t seen yet in the “Batman” comics or rogues gallery. This has a lot of great potential.