You might already have seen my lengthy (shocking!) post about Titans #1 and Batman Confidential #16 over at Blog@Newsarama. Regardless, there's still a truckload of new books to go through here.
First I want to mention Green Arrow And Black Canary #7 (written by Judd Winick, pencilled by Mike Norton, inked by Wayne Faucher). When I saw that Cliff Chiang would be leaving this title, I announced loudly that he was one of the big reasons I was buying the book. If he went, I might just follow him; and how would you like them apples, DC?
Well, as it happens, new artists Mike Norton and Wayne Faucher do their darndest to replicate Chiang's endearing thick-lined style, which is nice. It also doesn't hurt that there's a touch of Mike Parobeck in their work. So, well done all. As long as Norton and Faucher are on the book, I'll be getting it.
As for the story, it may not please readers who think that longtime Justice Leaguers shouldn't comport themselves like they've OD'ed on "Alias" reruns; but hey, I liked it. After Ollie, Dinah, and Mia interrogate the guys they captured last issue, it's off to England for more hijinx in a pub. The story seems to have gotten padded out by at least an issue, but that may be so that Winick can introduce the guy our heroes meet this issue. Anyway, the trail leads back to one of Dinah's old flames, which should be interesting....
I liked a lot of things about The Last Defenders #2 (script by Joe Casey, breakdowns by Keith Giffen, pencils by Jim Muniz, inks by Cam Smith), but it's hard to describe why. The book isn't so much about this weird little group of "Defenders" as it is about the idea of the Defenders, and I suppose the sense that you can't impose too much organization upon it or it all falls apart. This issue is divided essentially in two: the opening fight scene which picks up from last issue, and the "infiltration" scene which sets up the cliffhanger. Running through the book is a jaunty, smart-aleck attitude where Joe Casey (by his own admission) essentially becomes Giffen's Justice League scripter, following in the keystrokes of J.M. DeMatteis, Bill Messner-Loebs, and Gerard Jones. It's that kind of attitude, and it actually ends up propelling the overall plot. Accordingly, the somewhat chunky, Ed McGuinness-y figures Jim Muniz pencils sometimes seem out of place -- too macho where they should be more comical -- but once we get past an Iron Man whose head seems to be shrinking as we watch, the effect becomes negligible. Revealing the book's villains as a couple of obscure Jack Kirby creations from the '70s doesn't hurt either.
Who wants to bet that Marvel does a "Special Rough Cut!" of Fantastic Four #556 (written by Mark Millar, pencilled by Bryan Hitch, inked by Hitch and Andrew Currie) where the stupid "blizzard" effects are removed? If you've seen the issue you know the problem. If not ... well, let's just say there are probably a half-dozen better ways to depict a snowstorm via sequential art, but obviously none of them looked as "realistic" as just putting random white splotches all over the panels. Especially when said panels depict dozens of tiny superheroes attacking a big red-white-and-blue robot. Thanks, Marvel, for making Hitch's work unreadable. The rest of the book is about like you'd expect; namely, very pleased with itself. I didn't think FF could test my patience any more than the JMS run did, but maybe I was wrong.
Superman Confidential comes to an end with #14 (written by B. Clay Moore, pencilled by Phil Hester, inked by Ande Parks), the conclusion of the Jimmy Olsen/Toyman story. I liked it well enough. I like Hester and Parks' work generally, and this issue hit all the right Toyman, Jimmy, and Superman beats. The story itself wasn't anything special, but it wasn't egregiously bad either.
It was good to see the regular team of Peter Tomasi (writer) Patrick Gleason (penciller) and Prentis Rollins (inker) back in Green Lantern Corps #23. The Boodikka story was only two issues, but it felt like an eternity. However, we're now looking at a few months with Mongul, the Sinestro rings, and a garden full of Black Mercy. This issue introduces that arc, with most of it devoted to summoning Guy, Kyle, Dr. Natu, et al. to Oa for their mission to round up the aforesaid yellow rings. I liked it pretty well. Tomasi has a better handle on the dialogue here than he does in Nightwing, by which I mean that he doesn't seem to be trying as hard to make the characters sound cool. Gleason and Rollins have long since settled into a comfortable groove on this title. The Black Mercy might be getting overexposed of late, but I still have high hopes for this story.
Another Green Lantern shows up in Wonder Woman #19 (written by Gail Simone, pencilled by Bernard Chang, inked by Jon Holdridge), but since he's unfamiliar to us, Diana spends most of the issue fighting him. It's a good illustration of the "fighting shows the value of not fighting" philosophy that informs the modern take on Wonder Woman, and it has the added advantage of letting Diana go one-on-one with a Green Lantern. Meanwhile, Etta Candy and a couple of Khunds have their own roles to play in deciding the fate of the planet. The art is good, but I still can't put my finger on who Chang's WW looks like. I was also pleasantly surprised at the ending, which I hope has repercussions down the line.
Speaking of repercussions, Booster Gold #8 (written by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz, pencilled by Dan Jurgens, inked by Norm Rapmund) finds the death-cheating Blue Beetle and Booster Gold teaming up with a motley crew of superheroes to invade Max Lord's headquarters and maybe try to free Superman from Max's mental control. Yeah, good luck with that. Johns and Katz's script is good as usual, and I notice this issue how much more fluid Dan Jurgens' figures have gotten over the course of this series. It's another solid issue of a title which might just make DC's labyrinthine history accessible to (and, more importantly, fun for) the casual reader.
On the other hand, there's Countdown #3 (written by Paul Dini and Sean McKeever, story consultant Keith Giffen, drawn by Freddie Williams II), a Superman/Darkseid fight involving Dark Mary Marvel, a Kryptonite-powered Jimmy Olsen, and the Atom. There's 40-odd pages left in this monster storyline, and they'll pick up on Wednesday with Jimmy Vs. Darkseid. I can't make that sound any better. Freddie Williams, bless his heart, isn't quite the right artist for this throwdown either -- his characters look just a little too goofy for what's obviously meant to be serious business. Well, except for the last page, but I think that on some level that's meant to be serious too ... and if so, that's just sad.
The serious/funny thing is handled much better, of course, in the concluding issue of Groo: Hell On Earth (#4 produced by Sergio Aragones, with help from Mark Evanier, Tom Luth, and Stan Sakai), in which the Sage manages to get everyone lined up so that war is averted and environmental catastrophe is at least mitigated. It's been a fun little story -- somewhat obvious as an allegory, but it's not like Groo has ever been subtle.
Serenity: Better Days #2 (written by Joss Whedon & Brett Matthews, drawn by Will Conrad) finds the crew imagining what they'll do when they're rich, which turns out to be quite entertaining whether presented in single-panel gags or more extended sequences. The art is fine, and Conrad captures the look of the show and its cast well. As was the case last issue, the mechanics of one scene still don't make sense to me after multiple readings, but again, maybe I am slow. Also, the cliffhanger seems a little confusing. I was entertained, but maybe the book isn't technically as good as I thought.
Finally, I did buy Batman: Death Mask #1 (by Yoshinori Natsume), the "look! Bat-Manga!" miniseries, because I try to keep an open mind. I don't read manga, and I don't watch much anime, mostly because I am too busy with other things to give those media any significant attention. However, I will say that this Batman manga doesn't seem very innovative either for Batman or for manga. It certainly doesn't have the energy that a rookie like me might have expected. Instead, it's a black-and-white Batman story told from right to left. Maybe the speed lines and hyperactivity have been toned down for us entry-level readers? That would be understandable, but unfortunately the story isn't much to recommend either. The titular death mask kills people, there's a mysterious woman from Bruce Wayne's past, and Bruce is having strange dreams. But for the format, it'd be an average arc from Legends Of The Dark Knight. I'll keep getting the miniseries to see how it turns out, and to support this kind of cross-pollenization, but so far it looks like a missed opportunity.
First I want to mention Green Arrow And Black Canary #7 (written by Judd Winick, pencilled by Mike Norton, inked by Wayne Faucher). When I saw that Cliff Chiang would be leaving this title, I announced loudly that he was one of the big reasons I was buying the book. If he went, I might just follow him; and how would you like them apples, DC?
Well, as it happens, new artists Mike Norton and Wayne Faucher do their darndest to replicate Chiang's endearing thick-lined style, which is nice. It also doesn't hurt that there's a touch of Mike Parobeck in their work. So, well done all. As long as Norton and Faucher are on the book, I'll be getting it.
As for the story, it may not please readers who think that longtime Justice Leaguers shouldn't comport themselves like they've OD'ed on "Alias" reruns; but hey, I liked it. After Ollie, Dinah, and Mia interrogate the guys they captured last issue, it's off to England for more hijinx in a pub. The story seems to have gotten padded out by at least an issue, but that may be so that Winick can introduce the guy our heroes meet this issue. Anyway, the trail leads back to one of Dinah's old flames, which should be interesting....
I liked a lot of things about The Last Defenders #2 (script by Joe Casey, breakdowns by Keith Giffen, pencils by Jim Muniz, inks by Cam Smith), but it's hard to describe why. The book isn't so much about this weird little group of "Defenders" as it is about the idea of the Defenders, and I suppose the sense that you can't impose too much organization upon it or it all falls apart. This issue is divided essentially in two: the opening fight scene which picks up from last issue, and the "infiltration" scene which sets up the cliffhanger. Running through the book is a jaunty, smart-aleck attitude where Joe Casey (by his own admission) essentially becomes Giffen's Justice League scripter, following in the keystrokes of J.M. DeMatteis, Bill Messner-Loebs, and Gerard Jones. It's that kind of attitude, and it actually ends up propelling the overall plot. Accordingly, the somewhat chunky, Ed McGuinness-y figures Jim Muniz pencils sometimes seem out of place -- too macho where they should be more comical -- but once we get past an Iron Man whose head seems to be shrinking as we watch, the effect becomes negligible. Revealing the book's villains as a couple of obscure Jack Kirby creations from the '70s doesn't hurt either.
Who wants to bet that Marvel does a "Special Rough Cut!" of Fantastic Four #556 (written by Mark Millar, pencilled by Bryan Hitch, inked by Hitch and Andrew Currie) where the stupid "blizzard" effects are removed? If you've seen the issue you know the problem. If not ... well, let's just say there are probably a half-dozen better ways to depict a snowstorm via sequential art, but obviously none of them looked as "realistic" as just putting random white splotches all over the panels. Especially when said panels depict dozens of tiny superheroes attacking a big red-white-and-blue robot. Thanks, Marvel, for making Hitch's work unreadable. The rest of the book is about like you'd expect; namely, very pleased with itself. I didn't think FF could test my patience any more than the JMS run did, but maybe I was wrong.
Superman Confidential comes to an end with #14 (written by B. Clay Moore, pencilled by Phil Hester, inked by Ande Parks), the conclusion of the Jimmy Olsen/Toyman story. I liked it well enough. I like Hester and Parks' work generally, and this issue hit all the right Toyman, Jimmy, and Superman beats. The story itself wasn't anything special, but it wasn't egregiously bad either.
It was good to see the regular team of Peter Tomasi (writer) Patrick Gleason (penciller) and Prentis Rollins (inker) back in Green Lantern Corps #23. The Boodikka story was only two issues, but it felt like an eternity. However, we're now looking at a few months with Mongul, the Sinestro rings, and a garden full of Black Mercy. This issue introduces that arc, with most of it devoted to summoning Guy, Kyle, Dr. Natu, et al. to Oa for their mission to round up the aforesaid yellow rings. I liked it pretty well. Tomasi has a better handle on the dialogue here than he does in Nightwing, by which I mean that he doesn't seem to be trying as hard to make the characters sound cool. Gleason and Rollins have long since settled into a comfortable groove on this title. The Black Mercy might be getting overexposed of late, but I still have high hopes for this story.
Another Green Lantern shows up in Wonder Woman #19 (written by Gail Simone, pencilled by Bernard Chang, inked by Jon Holdridge), but since he's unfamiliar to us, Diana spends most of the issue fighting him. It's a good illustration of the "fighting shows the value of not fighting" philosophy that informs the modern take on Wonder Woman, and it has the added advantage of letting Diana go one-on-one with a Green Lantern. Meanwhile, Etta Candy and a couple of Khunds have their own roles to play in deciding the fate of the planet. The art is good, but I still can't put my finger on who Chang's WW looks like. I was also pleasantly surprised at the ending, which I hope has repercussions down the line.
Speaking of repercussions, Booster Gold #8 (written by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz, pencilled by Dan Jurgens, inked by Norm Rapmund) finds the death-cheating Blue Beetle and Booster Gold teaming up with a motley crew of superheroes to invade Max Lord's headquarters and maybe try to free Superman from Max's mental control. Yeah, good luck with that. Johns and Katz's script is good as usual, and I notice this issue how much more fluid Dan Jurgens' figures have gotten over the course of this series. It's another solid issue of a title which might just make DC's labyrinthine history accessible to (and, more importantly, fun for) the casual reader.
On the other hand, there's Countdown #3 (written by Paul Dini and Sean McKeever, story consultant Keith Giffen, drawn by Freddie Williams II), a Superman/Darkseid fight involving Dark Mary Marvel, a Kryptonite-powered Jimmy Olsen, and the Atom. There's 40-odd pages left in this monster storyline, and they'll pick up on Wednesday with Jimmy Vs. Darkseid. I can't make that sound any better. Freddie Williams, bless his heart, isn't quite the right artist for this throwdown either -- his characters look just a little too goofy for what's obviously meant to be serious business. Well, except for the last page, but I think that on some level that's meant to be serious too ... and if so, that's just sad.
The serious/funny thing is handled much better, of course, in the concluding issue of Groo: Hell On Earth (#4 produced by Sergio Aragones, with help from Mark Evanier, Tom Luth, and Stan Sakai), in which the Sage manages to get everyone lined up so that war is averted and environmental catastrophe is at least mitigated. It's been a fun little story -- somewhat obvious as an allegory, but it's not like Groo has ever been subtle.
Serenity: Better Days #2 (written by Joss Whedon & Brett Matthews, drawn by Will Conrad) finds the crew imagining what they'll do when they're rich, which turns out to be quite entertaining whether presented in single-panel gags or more extended sequences. The art is fine, and Conrad captures the look of the show and its cast well. As was the case last issue, the mechanics of one scene still don't make sense to me after multiple readings, but again, maybe I am slow. Also, the cliffhanger seems a little confusing. I was entertained, but maybe the book isn't technically as good as I thought.
Finally, I did buy Batman: Death Mask #1 (by Yoshinori Natsume), the "look! Bat-Manga!" miniseries, because I try to keep an open mind. I don't read manga, and I don't watch much anime, mostly because I am too busy with other things to give those media any significant attention. However, I will say that this Batman manga doesn't seem very innovative either for Batman or for manga. It certainly doesn't have the energy that a rookie like me might have expected. Instead, it's a black-and-white Batman story told from right to left. Maybe the speed lines and hyperactivity have been toned down for us entry-level readers? That would be understandable, but unfortunately the story isn't much to recommend either. The titular death mask kills people, there's a mysterious woman from Bruce Wayne's past, and Bruce is having strange dreams. But for the format, it'd be an average arc from Legends Of The Dark Knight. I'll keep getting the miniseries to see how it turns out, and to support this kind of cross-pollenization, but so far it looks like a missed opportunity.
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