Let's begin with Captain America #37 (written by Ed Brubaker, drawn by Steve Epting), an issue where everybody hassles Bucky and/or Tony Stark for the whole New Cap thing. Its tone is lighter than the book's been in a while, with Bucky commenting on everyone hassling him and a weird anachronistic dream sequence. After the relentless pace of the last few issues, though, it's a welcome change. There are also some nice moments involving the Falcon which I appreciated more in light of plok's advice on the '70s Steve Englehart run. My one complaint involves a certain ex-Avenger who shows up at Bucky's loft. I wouldn't have known who it was without his being identified in dialogue; and I know that's part of what dialogue does, but I see "burly blond guy" as drawn by Epting and I think Steve Rogers. Either him or Aquaman. In other words, he didn't look like ******* to me. Nitpicky, I know.
Bat Lash #5 (written by Sergio Aragones & Peter Brandvold, drawn by John Severin) finds Bat looking to settle affairs with Brubaker and Wilder, the story's main villains. Helping matters along are the rest of the town and Bat's Native American allies, all of whom want the bad guys dead. It's a darkly comic issue which doesn't zip along as quickly as it wants to. It's decent enough, I guess. It does set up what I presume will be the final showdown, which in turn should form the foundation of Bat's familiar personality. So, looking forward to next issue, because it needs to make up for the shortcomings of its predecessors.
Exposition balances action in Tangent: Superman's Reign #2 (written by Dan Jurgens, pencilled by Jamal Igle, inked by Robin Riggs), as the Tangent GL revives one of the Tangent Jokers for one last adventure. That has to wait, however, because the Joker needs to tell us about her death at Tangent Superman's hands. The other action sequence involves more Tangent heroes trying to free the Tangent Atom, and that's balanced against a scene with the Tangent Superman intimidating some sheiks. Tangent, Tangent, Tangent. Still, I'm surprised at how well the Tangent U. holds together, considering it started life as a series of one-shots. This continues to be one of Jurgens' better writing efforts, and I like Jamal Igle a lot already.
Superman #675 (pencilled by Renato Guedes and Jorge Correa Jr., inked by Jose Wilson Magalhaes and Correa) is Kurt Busiek's last issue as writer before he moves over to the weekly Trinity starting in June. Accordingly, he can go out on a story where Superman fights Daxamite priests (I thought they were pacifists), the power-duplicating Paragon, and the new Galactic Golem. Busiek has done a great job recreating the feel of a Superman comic from the 1970s, when the conflicts came from disruptions to the character's semi-formal routines. Here, Busiek has been building those routines, so the normal super-fights tend to come across like days at the office. This particular arc has been a little more shaggy than some, but it still holds together well, even in the parts describing the Golem and how to defeat it. The art is good -- Guedes' work is very similar to what I'd call the thin-lined, "open" style of Pete Woods, who started with Busiek two years ago. Superman is big but not bulky or overmuscled, and everybody moves well. Correa picks up the spare without being too noticeably different, so god work all around.
I liked The Flash #239 (written by Tom Peyer, drawn by Freddie Williams II) more than I did Peyer's first issue, and that's mostly due to the rationalization of Wally's behavior. An increasingly cranky Jay Garrick gets a lot of attention this time out, which leaves Wally free to act more like the Wally we know. He does get a pretty good gig this issue, but doesn't get a chance to enjoy it. Peyer's script is effective at portraying the tide of public opinion turning against Wally. While a lot of that might be mind control, Peyer gives it enough nuance that we're never quite sure. I also liked Williams' art throughout this issue, which I think is a first. He's finally getting a good feel for Wally's figure and his movement. (Hey, it took me a while to come around to Pat Gleason too.)
The Brave and the Bold #12 (written by Mark Waid, pencilled by Jerry Ordway, inked by Bob Wiacek) finishes the "Megistus" storyline with a plethora of characters including Superman, the Challengers, Green Lantern, and Metamorpho. However, the star turns out to be Challenger June, who apparently has some inferiority issues over not "living on borrowed time" like the original Challs. Why she has these issues after forty-odd years with the group is never quite explained, but not being a COTU scholar I'll defer to Waid on that one. The script is a little more clunky than is usual for this book, probably due to the number of characters and the wonky element-transmuting mechanics of the plot. Ordway does well with it, though; and he delivers customarily solid work here. Although there's a clever nod to Final Crisis, here's hoping that this book continues to be the tonic for the constant-crossover mentality.
... And speaking of which, the penultimate issue of Countdown (#2 written by Paul Dini and Sean McKeever, story consultant Keith Giffen, drawn by Scott Kolins) starts with Giant Turtle-Boy Jimmy and ends with what looks like the series' most obvious setup for Final Crisis. (That is, before DC decided that this series wouldn't really lead into FC quite so much.) It's pretty straightforward stuff -- two interconnected fights bridged by some Atom heroics, portrayed well by Kolins and colorist Tom Chu. (I'm guessing Giffen might have contributed to the breakdowns, but I don't know for sure). Let's put it this way -- this issue made me think Kolins would be a good fit for a Hulk series. It didn't redeem all of Countdown, and I doubt there'll be much in this week's final issue to do that, but on its own it was a good fight.
Bat Lash #5 (written by Sergio Aragones & Peter Brandvold, drawn by John Severin) finds Bat looking to settle affairs with Brubaker and Wilder, the story's main villains. Helping matters along are the rest of the town and Bat's Native American allies, all of whom want the bad guys dead. It's a darkly comic issue which doesn't zip along as quickly as it wants to. It's decent enough, I guess. It does set up what I presume will be the final showdown, which in turn should form the foundation of Bat's familiar personality. So, looking forward to next issue, because it needs to make up for the shortcomings of its predecessors.
Exposition balances action in Tangent: Superman's Reign #2 (written by Dan Jurgens, pencilled by Jamal Igle, inked by Robin Riggs), as the Tangent GL revives one of the Tangent Jokers for one last adventure. That has to wait, however, because the Joker needs to tell us about her death at Tangent Superman's hands. The other action sequence involves more Tangent heroes trying to free the Tangent Atom, and that's balanced against a scene with the Tangent Superman intimidating some sheiks. Tangent, Tangent, Tangent. Still, I'm surprised at how well the Tangent U. holds together, considering it started life as a series of one-shots. This continues to be one of Jurgens' better writing efforts, and I like Jamal Igle a lot already.
Superman #675 (pencilled by Renato Guedes and Jorge Correa Jr., inked by Jose Wilson Magalhaes and Correa) is Kurt Busiek's last issue as writer before he moves over to the weekly Trinity starting in June. Accordingly, he can go out on a story where Superman fights Daxamite priests (I thought they were pacifists), the power-duplicating Paragon, and the new Galactic Golem. Busiek has done a great job recreating the feel of a Superman comic from the 1970s, when the conflicts came from disruptions to the character's semi-formal routines. Here, Busiek has been building those routines, so the normal super-fights tend to come across like days at the office. This particular arc has been a little more shaggy than some, but it still holds together well, even in the parts describing the Golem and how to defeat it. The art is good -- Guedes' work is very similar to what I'd call the thin-lined, "open" style of Pete Woods, who started with Busiek two years ago. Superman is big but not bulky or overmuscled, and everybody moves well. Correa picks up the spare without being too noticeably different, so god work all around.
I liked The Flash #239 (written by Tom Peyer, drawn by Freddie Williams II) more than I did Peyer's first issue, and that's mostly due to the rationalization of Wally's behavior. An increasingly cranky Jay Garrick gets a lot of attention this time out, which leaves Wally free to act more like the Wally we know. He does get a pretty good gig this issue, but doesn't get a chance to enjoy it. Peyer's script is effective at portraying the tide of public opinion turning against Wally. While a lot of that might be mind control, Peyer gives it enough nuance that we're never quite sure. I also liked Williams' art throughout this issue, which I think is a first. He's finally getting a good feel for Wally's figure and his movement. (Hey, it took me a while to come around to Pat Gleason too.)
The Brave and the Bold #12 (written by Mark Waid, pencilled by Jerry Ordway, inked by Bob Wiacek) finishes the "Megistus" storyline with a plethora of characters including Superman, the Challengers, Green Lantern, and Metamorpho. However, the star turns out to be Challenger June, who apparently has some inferiority issues over not "living on borrowed time" like the original Challs. Why she has these issues after forty-odd years with the group is never quite explained, but not being a COTU scholar I'll defer to Waid on that one. The script is a little more clunky than is usual for this book, probably due to the number of characters and the wonky element-transmuting mechanics of the plot. Ordway does well with it, though; and he delivers customarily solid work here. Although there's a clever nod to Final Crisis, here's hoping that this book continues to be the tonic for the constant-crossover mentality.
... And speaking of which, the penultimate issue of Countdown (#2 written by Paul Dini and Sean McKeever, story consultant Keith Giffen, drawn by Scott Kolins) starts with Giant Turtle-Boy Jimmy and ends with what looks like the series' most obvious setup for Final Crisis. (That is, before DC decided that this series wouldn't really lead into FC quite so much.) It's pretty straightforward stuff -- two interconnected fights bridged by some Atom heroics, portrayed well by Kolins and colorist Tom Chu. (I'm guessing Giffen might have contributed to the breakdowns, but I don't know for sure). Let's put it this way -- this issue made me think Kolins would be a good fit for a Hulk series. It didn't redeem all of Countdown, and I doubt there'll be much in this week's final issue to do that, but on its own it was a good fight.
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