“Supergirl” Special Extendo Ultra Director's Cut DVD

posted by JediSheltie @ 12:37 AM

In “honor” of the recent re-releases of pretty much all Super films to DVD, I decided to bite the bullet and review one of the... less than stellar entries in a pack that's not exactly lacking in them. Yet one close to my small sheltie heart.

When I discovered the version of Supergirl being released to DVD was not the full on “Director's Cut” 138 minute version released back in 2000, but rather the 124 minute “International” version, I decided this would not do. I had always wanted to see the 138 minute cut, and damned if eBay wasn't a few clicks away.

Well, you know, 138 minutes of mediocre movie is still... mediocre movie.

I didn't bother watching both versions, or even trying to find an original 1984 North American version for comparison. I probably should have, because I saw little in this film that seemed new or different at all. Yet a good 30 minutes are supposed to be, anyway. It just seemed to take sooo much longer to get to the end....

Plot

In a way, there were seeds of what could have been a pretty good idea here. Pit a Kryptonian against one of the canonical, age old weaknesses... magic. Even back in the Silver Age, when Superman could split planets by flying through them, he was still susceptible to magic. So Supergirl would face a sorceress, amped up by a little MacGuffin called the Omegahedron.

In this little continuity, where Superman kills and exacts petty revenge on people who beat him up in a diner, Argo City is in some pocket of trans-dimensional space and is powered by the aforementioned Omegahedron. After an extended jaunt through Argo City, the same thing happens as it did in the 105 minute version, Kara Zor-El, played by the then fetching Helen Slater, loses the Omegahedron after playing with it. Feeling a bit bad about the fact she's consigned her entire home to a slow death, she goes after it.

She's apparently armed with all the knowledge of Kal-El one could get- his powers, his secret identity, everything. Despite this encyclopedic knowledge of Superman, she's surprised by her own abilities once she enters our world. There's an extended “power sequence” after she emerges from the lake, kind of a “good” version of what Zod and company experience after they arrive on Earth in Superman II. While she's “exploring her powers,” the Omegahedron has fallen into the well manicured palms of Selena, the wannabe sorceress who, thanks to the little spinning orb, leaps from wannbe to “is.”

Supergirl slowly works her way up the final showdown, cutting her teeth first on a drunk trucker Max Headroom and his pal, then moves on to the school bully. She doesn't really have to break a sweat until she meets a runaway tractor. The “shadow monster” is the first real “superhero level” threat, and that's about halfway through the film. Along the way she meets up with Lois Lane's sister, Lucy, and a vacationing Jimmy Olsen. Finally, there's the “hunky gardener” that serves as the love interest/romantic rival between herself and Selena, the evil sorceress.

The penultimate showdown leads to a short detour through the Phantom Zone for our heroine, which is a bit more spacious than Zod and Co. seemed to have experienced. With the help of a drunk Peter O'Toole (who may have been 'method acting' as a way to kill the pain of being in the film), she escapes, beats Selena, retrieves the MacGuffin. Everybody then commences to living happily ever after.

Special Features

This, like the late, lamented “original theatrical releases” for Star Wars, was a special feature. Deftly reading the back of the DVD, I'm told this, the Special Edition from 2000, also includes, on Disc 01, a selection of trailers, making-of featurette, and an audio commentary by director Jeannot Szwarc. Perhaps in this commentary he attempts to say his own name 3 times fast, I'm not sure. Maybe one day I'll listen to it.

Personally, I hope Mike considers this for a RiffTrax. After all, he's got experience with Mr. Szwarc's work...

Again, keep in mind, kids, this is not the recent reissue on the shelf today. Don't buy that and complain this is not what “I told you” was on the disc.

Disc Quality

God, why does everyone have to have these ultra technical details on sound and picture? Trust me, I'm a pixel jockey, born and bred, but Photoshop's my game, not video editing. I'm pretty easy going as far as video picture quality goes. (One develops a high tolerance after seeing the fruits of what the Internet provides over the years.) I do know that HD rocks, and DVD's like this one aren't in HD. So, that being said, I will proclaim the following: picture quality was “good”, and audio quality was “good.”

By which I mean to say I could easily see the picture and hear the words. These high standards will generally receive a top notch technical rating from me. The picture neither sucked, nor did it cause slight drooling like my initial contacts with HD did, so it's probably going to be “okay” for the vast majority of people out there.

Conclusions

If anyone's been following my posting's here (and if you are, then seek help, immediately), then you'll probably have noticed I'm a big Supergirl fan. I was pretty into this movie when I was kid, and now I merely find it a bit tedious. It's not exactly horrible, but it's not really great either. Unlike the problems I have developed with Superman II, this film is mostly just a tepid disappointment.

I'd love to see something more modern done, with all the CGI goodies available today, and a really great script. I don't think CGI goodies would have saved this script, though perhaps it was written with the then-limits of filmmaking technology in mind. If you're looking for some simple fantasy fare, this flick will hold you for an afternoon.

Film: 5
Picture: 5
Sound: 5
Bonus Features: 5
Overall Experience: Eh...
Recommended: Killing time with heat vision and miniskirt.

Dec. 20 Comic RoundUp + Special Bonus DVD Edition

posted by JediSheltie @ 11:38 PM

Couple of Simone selections, plus an ultra special non-comic review in a comic column. Just taste the editorial goodness.

Birds of Prey #101

Not entirely certain why I started picking up Birds of Prey, but I started in the mid-#90's somewhere and kept going. I think it may have been because Simone was doing a run on a Superman title pre Infinite Crisis and I liked that, so I thought I'd give BoP a whirl. Glad I did, actually. Though I've never been a huge Black Canary fan (remember Morrison's league is my favorite), or really a huge fan of any of the individual team characters, the combination has been highly entertaining.

With issue 100, I didn't have to worry about Canary anymore, anyway, as it ushered her out and ushered in the new, rotating roster Birds of Prey. I'll say I'm for the idea, but I'm aware I had just started, and wasn't particularly married to the current team. I suppose there are some long time fans out there screaming bloody murder. Change, after all, is not received well in comics. By way of analogy that few will understand, when I say I'm a “Mike” fan, not a “Joel” fan, that's mostly because I started watching when Mike was hosting.

The first “flavor of the arc” guest stars include Big Barda, Judomaster, and Manhunter. Joining them are series mainstays Huntress and Lady Blackhawk. Their mission is ostensibly to secure the release of the daughter of a drug kingpin from a south-of-the-border prison. Towards the end of this issue we learn that was primarily a distraction, but one that catches the notice of more than just the local guards. A new Spy Smasher is on duty, and she's here to protect us from terrorist threats, foreign and domestic. Oracle and the Birds have just made the list. Oracle and Spy Smasher are shown to have some history, making her determination to take the Birds down just as personal as is it professional.

Nicola Scott's pencils are good with figures, though they're not exactly crackerjack with F-16's. That's a highly personal nitpick on my part, so you may feel free to completely disregard it. Overall the art is good, though I kind of liked seeing Barda in “civvies” last issue. She apparently packed that chainmail suit in her luggage this issue. Simon's script is entertaining, and at one point clearly spells out the absurdity of Barda's weapon naming choices.

With the rotating roster and arc based story telling, it's a good time to get on board. Simone has claimed she intends to work all the individuals on the cover of #100 into future arcs. Supergirl may be on the way then, sooner or later. The change up should keep things fresh, and allow some lesser used characters to get some exposure.

Secret Six #6

You know, when I was looking at the stack for the 20th, I picked these two and didn't realize until just now they were both Gail Simone books. So be it, I like the work.

I'll be the first to admit, I came to the Infinite Crisis party a little late, and, while scrambling to catch up, I decided to skip a lot of the lead-ups, including Villains United. Basically ended up trying to scrape together the OMAC lead-in, since that tied into the Sacrifice storyline most directly. That not withstanding, I decided to pick up that which seemed most interesting in terms of the mini's leading out of Infinite Crisis.

Of them all, only Secret Six seemed of passing interest. Sure, I was liking Simone's work, of course, but, yeah, I'll cop to the fact that it was Knockout and the revelation she had, to be really oblique about it... switched teams. This is primarily because I was reading Superboy back when she was introduced, so many years before, shortly after the Reign of the Supermen arc that created the spin-off.

If you told me, almost 15 years later, that Superboy would be dead and Knockout would still have “relevance” in the DCU, I probably wouldn't have believed you. Yes, I can still remember enjoying that first Superboy arc, and kind of rooting for Knockout to follow in Barda's footsteps and become a heroine. This Female Fury didn't fall quite so far from the tree, though.

So, having her turn up in a “neutral,” “guns for hire” kind of organization is the best we can do, apparently. The Secret Six aren't good guys, and claim not to be bad guys, merely “self interested guys.” Sure, if you're keeping score, I'd have to say most of the ledger for this arc falls on the “bad” side, but, when you're in a “villain vs villain” scenario, the calculus gets a little thrown off. Over the course of this arc they've had to deal with the grudge borne against them by Luthor's Society for their betrayal, as well as their ultimate threat, Vandal Savage. Vandal wants his daughter, team member Scandal, to give him an heir. Which is a bit of a problem for Scandal.

See... Knockout and Scandal are... on the same team. Got it?

What should be a kind of “Yeah, dad, about that...” moment in most families ends up being a rather bloody affair when immortal supervillains are involved. Scandal manages to “kill” her father with the help of the Six and ride off into the sunset, one member short. Granted, though it's arguable most deaths in comics isn't all that “permanent,” that must certainly be the case when the guy you killed was supposed to be immortal. No doubt, should the Six get their own monthly, he will probably return to plague them.

Perhaps, like Birds of Prey, Simone will have a revolving slot for the sixth team member. That being said, haven't seen anything to indicate that will happen. I'd keep going if it was. Having a good “villain” book helps clear the palate after spending most of the month keeping up with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman (certain months, at least), and Green Lantern. Remember, they're not “technically” bad guys... right?

Special Bonus DVD Section: Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

Well, it's based on a comic, and I didn't care to feel the pressure of a full on “review.” So I'll toss out my thoughts on this here. First off, thanks to our host for the gift of the DVD, which I will gratefully repay in the form of content generation.

I have problems with this movie, and they grow as I get older and a bit more set in my ways. My problems with this movie aren't really Donner's fault, it's more an issue with the scripting and characterization of Superman. The more I dissect it, the less I like it. Donner's cut didn't really do anything to change any of this. Though there is less dumbassery with Kryptonian powers, that's always a plus.

My main issue with his directorial choices in this cut is the removal of the “good part” of the theme when Superman returns to the Daily Planet after regaining his powers. That was one of my favorite parts of the film, primarily due to the use of the theme, and he took it away.

As for some of the other changes, Tygrrius's preference for the new “revelation” sequence baffles me. Neither are very good, but there's so many glaring holes in the scenario Donner used that it literally made my jaw drop. It also makes this Superman look like a complete idiot.

Also, the addition of the Jor-El sequence to explain how Superman got his powers back didn't move me much. This comes down to my issues with how the character is presented in the film, though, nothing more. The whole “you have to be human to boink a human” device just doesn't work for me anymore. The slavish devotion to what is essentially a holographic simulation of his father seems completely irrational. “Touching?” Perhaps, but I much prefer the more “well adjusted” Clark Kent of the of the comics.

Fortunately Johns addressed the “simulated” nature of Jor-El in one of his interviews, regarding their decision to bring back the giant floating head for the Action comic's run. Clark will take his advice with that in mind.

Not even going to bother complaining about the ending.

"Superman Returns: The Prequels" graphic novel

posted by Tygrrius @ 10:43 PM

Superman Returns: The Prequels graphic novel (DC Comics, 2006 compilation)
Story by: Bryan Singer, Michael Dougherty, and Dan Harris
Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti, Marc Andreyko, and Justin Gray
Art/Pencils/Inks: Ariel Olivetti, Karl Kerschl, Rick Leonardi, Nelson, Wellington Dias, and Doug Hazlewood
Front cover art: Adam Hughes

Superman Returns: The Prequels is an odd collection of half-stories with varying art where characters go from resembling the 1978 Superman movie to the 2006 Superman Returns movie to recent DC comics continuity, and then back again. Yet, for some reason, I love it.

For one thing, it was nice to get back to Superman art that is pleasing to the eyes. My most recent Superman reads before this one were Action Comics #844 and #845. Though I have loved Geoff Johns & Richard Donner's writing in the "Last Son" arc, I have thus far hated artist Adam Kubert's rough-around-the-edges style. I feel his art is doing the story a huge disservice, but I'll save that tirade for another review.

In Superman Returns: The Prequels, most of the art has a stylized, finished quality. Nearly every page is top-notch. Most characters are rendered realistically. Though, as I mentioned, their appearances do fluctuate over the course of the graphic novel. Since each of the four individual comics that make up this collection had different artists, this is not entirely unexpected.

Superman Returns: The Prequels is set within the Superman movie timeline, specifically the Superman Returns variation of that timeline. The first story, "Krypton to Earth," offers a re-telling of Superman's origins as depicted in 1978's Superman, from the escape from Krypton to his adoption by the Kents. The first Superman movie was never adapted into a comic book, so The Prequels offers a unique, first chance to see parts of that movie in comic book form.

This brings up the problem I have with this collection, though. A good portion of it is an adaptation of Superman. I'm all for that, as it is obviously a prequel to Superman Returns. The issue, though, is that none of the writers of 1978's Superman are credited or acknowledged anywhere. Entire chunks of dialogue and most of the subplots are lifted completely from that film, with no mention of the contributions of Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman, Robert Benton, or Tom Mankiewicz. The "story by" credit goes solely to the Superman Returns film writers instead, and I'm not sure I can agree with that decision.

The second story, "Ma Kent," fills us in on what Clark's adopted mother has been up to lately, as well as sharing her memories of Clark growing up--including several more Superman scenes. Of the four issues, "Ma Kent" contained my favorite art (Kerschl).

"Lex Luthor" details Luthor's release from prison and introduces Kitty. Luthor flashes back to being foiled by the Man of Steel in more scenes from Superman. The characterization of Luthor here seems much more akin to the comic book version than the versions portrayed by Gene Hackman or Kevin Spacey (Spacey's essentially just being a darker, more hardened version of Hackman's Luthor). In fact, this story seemed the most out of place. Even the art (Leonardi & Nelson) is not up to par with the other three entries.

Finally, "Lois Lane" closes out the prequel series with more Superman scene adaptations, including the famous dangling from the helicopter rescue. Unfortunately, since the biggest (yet, in some ways, most obvious) secret of Superman Returns had not yet been revealed by the time of the original release of these individual comics, her story is somewhat lacking.

All four original covers are also presented here. All are by Adam Hughes and are solid. As for the graphic novel's front cover, it is a fantastic concept that is nearly ruined with what appears to be a rushed job on Superman--who resembles more the horrible version from the animated series than any of the live action incarnations. This could have been a cover for the ages but is instead just mediocre. It also does little to tie in with Superman Returns.

Despite the lack of credit for the film's writers, I loved seeing the Superman adaptations sprinkled throughout this graphic novel. Though it lacks a true storyline of its own, I still recommend Superman Returns: The Prequels as a fun read with great art.

Story/Writing: 7 (out of 10)
Art: 8
Cover Art: 5
Overall Experience: 8
Recommended: To Superman movie fans

"You Will Believe: The Making of a Saga" DVD

posted by Tygrrius @ 10:16 PM

Superman: The Ultimate Collector's Edition
Disc 13: You Will Believe: The Making of a Saga

A 14-disc set for a five-movie series is bound to have some space-filler. While I hate to call You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman space-filler, the 90-minute, 2006 documentary on the making of the four Christopher Reeve Superman films and (very briefly) Supergirl, often feels like just that.

The documentary is at its best when covering controversy. And when it comes to the Superman films, controversy always seems to involve Richard Donner facing off against Alexander & Ilya Salkind. Without really taking sides, the documentary follows up the comments of one side (Donner, for instance) with contrasting comments from the other side (Ilya Salkind).

Though the documentary's makers attempted to include him, noticeably absent is Richard Lester, the often maligned replacement director on Superman II. I'm sure Lester has his reasons for not choosing to tell his side, but I find his decision to remain silent regrettable. As it is, we get the tale as told by Donner, who makes a convincing argument, and a somewhat weaker, defensive take by Salkind.

Far too often, though, You Will Believe doesn't offer much in the way of entertainment. Predictably, Superman III, Supergirl, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace are glossed over. All-in-all, a documentary that could have been so much is disappointingly average and, ultimately, unfulfilling.

Several other separate features are also included on the You Will Believe disc. The Mythology of Superman puts the Man of Steel in the context of legendary heroic myths. The 20-minute featurette is interesting mostly for on-screen appearances of many DC notables, such as Paul Levitz (President and Publisher) and Roger Stern (Writer). I'd never seen most of these people before, so it was interesting to put faces with familiar but behind-the-scenes names.

The Heart of a Hero: A Tribute to Christopher Reeve is, unfortunately, another disjointed documentary that seems to lack any kind of vision and feels randomly assembled. Rather than this 18-minute featurette, I would have preferred a full-on biographical piece of at least an hour in length. Reeve deserves at least that much on a 14-disc set. Instead, we get Superpup.

As first seen earlier this year in the Look Up In The Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman documentary, The Adventures of Superpup was a 1958 TV pilot. It was a dumbed-down version of The Adventures of Superman with little people playing the parts dressed as various dog breeds. Superpup is disguised as Bark Bent, a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Bugle.

The pilot is presented in its entirety on this disc. It features many of the same sets and props as the Superman series. I was oddly reminded of a Conan O'Brien episode I flipped by a couple of years ago where the entire episode had been re-done in claymation.

I managed to watch the whole Superpup episode, which clocked in at about twenty minutes. It was a surreal experience, and not in a good way. To be honest, I would not have watched all of it under normal circumstances, but I don't like to review DVDs without taking in all of the content.

I will give Warner credit for exhaustively searching their vaults for unreleased Superman material. Superpup is an odd curiosity piece. No background is presented on this disc, though Look Up In The Sky covers it adequately enough (Disc 12).

There is payoff for making it through this disc. Two out of the three classic Warner Bros. cartoons that close out the disc are fantastic. Up first is Super-Rabbit (1943) starring Bugs Bunny. While this is arguably a similar concept to Superpup, Bugs is a classic and avoids the pitfall of equating entertainment for children with stupidity.

Snafuperman (1944) is a dated piece that was rather slow. In 1956's Stupor Duck, Daffy Duck takes a turn as yet another Superman variation. Honestly, the Bugs and Daffy cartoons are the highlights of this disc and earn it an extra point.

Features: 7 (out of 10)
Video Quality: 8
Audio Quality: 8
Bonus Features: N/A (the entire disc was a bonus feature)
Overall Experience: 7

Visit http://www.christopherreeve.org to support the Christopher Reeve Foundation.

Comic Round Up – Dec 13

posted by JediSheltie @ 9:14 PM

Not a big week, with one exception perhaps. I'll try to keep this one brief.

Infinite Holiday Special

Yeah, you know they really wanted to call it Infinite Christmas, it does roll of the tongue so much better, after all. But such is the season. Here we have a part seasonal/part promotional collection of stories featuring some of the more recent releases and would-be releases along with a few classics. For me, the collection was hit or miss, and mostly miss. With such a broad range of characters and stories, it's going to be hard for any one person to find all them great.

The Green Lantern story that kicks off the book is mediocre at best. Hector Hammond could probably have thought of more direct ways to “ruin Christmas” for Hal Jordan. The Shadowpact story that follows did not make me sorry I've not added it to my box, drunk reindeer not withstanding.

Fortunately the Supergirl story provides a bit of a pick-me-up, despite the rather bitter tone of the story. Sure, it was basically a “meaning of Christmas for the alien” tale, but instead of some schmaltzy by-the-numbers family togetherness action, we get a broken family with an absentee father who has no desire to return home. He “sees the light,” or rather the onrushing pavement, during a near-death experience courtesy of the Maid of Might.

I suppose were I actually reading “Trial's of Shazam” I'd know what the hell was going on in that story. Like the Shadowpact tale, it did do much for my desire to actually read it.

Like the Green Lantern story that kicks things off, The Flash's entry does not rise much above mediocrity. There's even some more background on Bart, in case readers might not aware he's the Flash now. “Lights” was more of a disappointment than most of the stories, as, though we find out some family history on Kate Kane, Batwoman, the rest of it wasn't really all that engaging. Let's hope Kate get's some better stories should she ever break out of 52.

Finally, there's “Yes, Tyrone There Is a Santa Claus”, which, more than anything else, reminds us why the Silver Age ended. Honestly, even I didn't get half of this. It had the helpful “Elseworlds” logo at the end, though if you hadn't figured that out by the time Pretty says “Lane! Be a peach and get me some coffee, sweetheart!”on the second page, then you really weren't paying attention.

JLA Classified #30

Speaking of comics that, I hope, end with an “Elseworlds” logo on the last page... For everyone who wants a red state fix with their JLA, this last arc has certainly served it up in spades. Beyond the weird “US President is good” “UN is bad” inversion from “normal” popular fiction, it seems to invert the personalities of Clark and Bruce. Perhaps this is some kind of low-key Bizarro world JLA story, everyone just has their faces all nice and smoothed out.

Granted, a reviewer from Newsarama's Best Shots pointed out this story could never have actually happened, considering the state of the characters in the line up Chaykin chose.

Oh, and will the Dutch guy who peed in Howard Chaykin's Cheerios please apologize? I've never seen such a virulently “anti-Dutch” sentiment in... well... anything, much less a comic book. I know some very nice Dutch people via IM, and I was actually feeling a little bad reading this book. Not to “spoil” anything, but the point of this arc is that an “evil Dutch mastermind” is using some presumably South American backwater conflict to perfect a meta-human serum (a la Luthor's Everyman project from 52, I suppose) to enact a new age of Dutch superhero hegemony.

Seriously.

Anyway, there's one issue left before the palate can be cleared and a new arc will begin. Trust me, this is one you can skip.

Justice League of America #4

Ah, a more true-to-form rendering of the JLA, only one that's moving along at a slight more “sedate” pace. Yes, Meltzer's JLA is still not quite formed up yet, even as all the principals gravitate together to form the group. They're getting closer as of the close of issue 4, where the rather “out of left field” reveal of the “evil mastermind” brings focus to their efforts.

Still, I think the “unclassified” JLA's antagonist is far more believable than an evil Dutch mastermind.

There is action here, and as well as the last issue. What has many, with a bit of grudging approval from myself, a little worried is the fact the “Trinity” hasn't done much but sit around and talk a lot. Yeah, I know all these secondary characters need some introduction, and we need to “get to know them” as people to anticipate how they'll relate in the group dynamic. Yeah, they need to be more than just “colorful” background decorations. Lord forbid the “big” characters overshadow the rest of the group...

But I kinda want to see Clark punch some stuff, too. And Bruce kung-fu stuff... And Diana lasso stuff...

You get the picture. I think Meltzer might be erring too far on the side of caution in the lack of focus on the Trinity. After their break-up facilitating the events of Infinite Crisis, this book more than any other, is the one we expected to deal with how they've “patched up” and work as a team. So far we've seem them sit around and talk, a lot. I know, if the opposite of what we were seeing was true, there'd the “outcry” that the lesser characters aren't getting their due. Comic fandom is a zero-sum, damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't kind of thing.

Still, the story has been good to the point, and very engaging. I'm definitely interested in “what happens next”, part of me is just really pulling for some top-tier action. It seems... seems... next issue will bring the poundage, but again, there are no guarantees.

"Star Trek: Legacy"

posted by JediSheltie @ 7:05 PM

Wow, was it any surprise the wickedly frustrating, game-stopping mission was the first time Picard's voice echoes through the speakers? Sorry, had to get that out of the way first. That being said, consider this due notice my review is based on all campaign content prior to the mission known as "Revelations." Read on...

Legacy is here, a grand tour of the history of Star Trek, as written by starships pounding the crap out of one another. Sure, you can pipe up with a “Gene wouldn't have wanted it this way,” but that's kind of pointless, as the basic tension between the show “mythos” and the point of a video game isn't really able to be resolved. The first couple missions, where Archer gives lip service to attempting to “reason” with the enemy before going in guns blazing prove this point.

Somehow, I had a pretty good idea he wasn't going to be able to talk them out of it...

Legacy is all about starships blasting each other, and, (regrettably) blasting asteroids from time to time. The problem with most space combat sims that weigh in on the “line ship” level is they have a habit of turning multi-hundred thousand tonne starships into single engine fighters, a la Wing Commander. Now, Wing Commander worked, it was fun, and Legacy pays some attention to it, though mostly in its story driven campaign design and not the “physics.”

Don't think you'll be getting Meyer's submarine-inspired strategic engagements of Star Trek II, either. No, this is the epitome of the swooping, big-ship formation flybys with phasers blazing ushered in during TNG and beyond... and before... with Enterprise.

Story

What I was able to discover of the story involves a suitably long-lived Vulcan and her saucy flirtations with the Borg. Through the years, she comes in contact with all our principal commanders, from Archer to Picard, with some Sisko and Janeway thrown in for good measure. In the case of Kirk and Picard, her encounters are spaced around their long careers, allowing you to ride both the 1701 in its original incarnation and my personal “starship crush,” the 1701-A, into battle.

Since I wasn’t able, and am no longer interested in, beating “Revelations,” I can say her first encounter with Picard is his first taste of starship command aboard the Stargazer, after her captain is incapacitated. Presumably one would find themselves aboard the ship design abortion that is the 1701-D and the “fair to middl’in” 1701-E for the ultimate encounter. The Sovereign class battleships are the most powerful vessels in the game, after all. But thanks to the genius who designed the Revelations level, I'll never know.

Suffice to say, I felt the 2 missions with the A were a little too brief, but I suppose anyone is welcome to make the same claim for their own personal favorites. Oddly, I had a bit of an appreciation for the original TOS Enterprise and her fleet on those missions, as it gave the feeling of a bit more kinetic action the show and its budget couldn’t hope to encompass so many years ago.

Gameplay

Sadly, the appreciation I had for the ships was marred by their general unwillingness to… move… aim… fire… Granted, were this in the true “spirit of Trek” perhaps the lack of easy fire control was an intended feature. Perhaps the developers are actually Organian.

Crossing your fingers and hoping your ship will actually “warp to” a location when you tell it to does not really foster the feeling of fleet command. Watching your view go haywire as you press the space bar to target something leaves you hoping the other guy’s targeting officer is, well, an a**hole. Because, let’s face facts, once you try to shoot something, you realize you’re surrounded by them.

The W, A, S, D movement configuration is great for shooters, but it didn’t really bring much here. It can be a study in frustration to bring ships with only forward baring weapons back into their arc after the first pass. You’ll appreciate ships with rear phaser banks quite a bit as you fly past and start the numbing process of swinging around.

Not to worry, though, the game actually makes control a non-issue with mid-mission cut scenes that roll while the battle is still going on. One particularly egregious example is in the stolen Bird of Prey mission, where, with a limited cloak, a cut-scene fired, and when I returned, my cloak had run out and seven ships were cutting into me.

Oh, and did I mention this game violates the Sheltie Jedi Order’s One Paramount Rule of Game Design? Mid-mission saves. Bethsoft must have left this out of their "polish" kit. Absolutely, utterly, no excuse. Never an excuse for this decision on a PC, and there’s not even one on consoles anymore, as the damn things are just hard drives as well. It becomes unfathomably galling in a game where missions span 30 minutes to an hour.

Oh, and in missions where success is based entirely on luck… Yes, I have decided it's not worth my sanity to try and beat the mission known as Revelations. Popular mission apparently:

http://startrek.bethsoft.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4094
http://startrek.bethsoft.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4272
http://startrek.bethsoft.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4351
http://startrek.bethsoft.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3872
http://startrek.bethsoft.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3887
http://startrek.bethsoft.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3555
http://startrek.bethsoft.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3483

I play games to have fun, not tear what little is left of my hair out.

Graphics

Fair. I wasn’t blown away overall, but the ships are serviceable with a good level of detail. I got a little misty as I panned around the refit Enterprise, just drinking her in. Damage is area based, and nicely differentiated. Some damaged areas vent burning gas as you move around, which is a nice touch. One glitch seems to be that damaged ships all take on the Enterprise’s name and registry graphics, even if they started the mission with their own unique names and registry numbers.

The star fields and background are richly rendered, and provide that kind of “space isn’t really empty” backdrop that keeps the eyes busy. The planets are… well… “abstract” might be too weak a word. The small textured balls that hang in space that you bounce off of are not, suffice to say, “to scale" even with "large" starships.

Large ships, like the Borg cubes and space stations are not rendered in great detail, and their destruction is almost laughable, as huge, large poly chunks break off with just a internal "destroyed" texture to indicate they are anything remotely like massive, flaming debris they're supposed to be.

Sound

Ships sounds and music are all “authentic”, phasers sound like phaser, torps like torps. The only thing people seem fixed on in this the voice acting, which I found serviceable. I won’t say Bill “phoned-it-in”, because I found his work pretty good, under the circumstances. The story elements play out as dialog spoken over the external ship views. Heh, for a ship-o-phile like me, I’d actually prefer it if more Trek ended up like this.

Bottom Line

Bottom Line is I need to come up with a rating scale, I guess. So… Here’s the ratings, with and without the violation of the single most important rule in gaming and a mission whose success is entirely based on luck:

Star Trek: Legacy – No Mid-Mission Save + "Revelations" Mission

Gameplay : 0
Graphics : 0
Sound: 0
Overall: -10

Star Trek: Legacy – Ignoring those “minor details”

Gameplay: 3
Graphics: 6
Sound: 7
Overall: 5.5

Comic Roundup- Dec. 06 Edition

posted by JediSheltie @ 10:59 PM

Well, appears I've been garnering notice from the fine folks over at When Fangirls Attack. Um... I suppose in the interest of "full disclosure," I should point that, well... I'm a boy sheltie. Now that that ugly fact is out there, we can continue with the program.

Supergirl #12

Ah, yet more disclosure. I've been a Supergirl fan for almost as long as I was a Superman fan. And, just to call into question the masculinity I only recently asserted, I shed a few tears over Crisis on Infinite Earths #7. I was 10, for the record. Being 10, my standards for characterization were, well... a might slimmer than they are today. Still, I have fond memories of being a fan of the "original" Kara Zor-El.

Thus, I invite more hate when I say I'm a fan of the new one as well. Especially this issue, where guest writers Justin Grey and Jimmy Palmiotti temporarily take the reigns, primarily to introduce the latest version of a character I have absolutely no attachment to, never having been a "Titans" fan, but also to lay down a few basic truths about the new Kara Zor-El.

Were I to lose all sanity and actually involve myself in forum debates about this Kara, I would make the same arguments for her behavior that Gray and Palmiotti make. Granted, part of me longs for some more "routine" super heroics on a monthly basis, with a rouges gallery and the saving of the world. But, really, from what I've been told, lots of 16-year-old girls don't really show much interest in the world, period, much less saving it.

This 16-year-old girl is stranded, forever, in a strange place she didn't grow up in, in an alien culture, and she happens to have the exact same powers as the world's greatest hero. The question she struggles with, constantly, is "why do I *have* to use them?" Nobody is forcing her, after all, to save the world. There's a lot of, if slightly less powerful, costumed freaks out there rather eager to do it for her. So why? Why, when even if you do save it, The World has a terribly regular habit of picking up the phone and calling Jeopardy for another date, even though it knows it's really bad to get into it again.

Gray and Palmiotti don't usher Kara to the answer to these questions. They lay them out, for anyone wondering why this book isn't about the beat-down of the month.

But, there is a beat-down.

Kara meets up with the "new Terra" and pounds on a sizable subterranean lizard. The youthful idealism of Terra rubs our young Kryptonian the wrong way, and Terra's questioning of Supergirl's motives, or lack thereof, only serves to irritate Kara further once the battle is won. She flies off, back to her condo, and "sorta" boyfriend, the dearly departed Captain Boomerang's son, Boomer, to commiserate over these questions.

Answers aren't forthcoming, but, as a character, Kara is on her journey to discover them. That is, perhaps, why the original, pre-COIE Kara Zor-El wasn't much of a character. She was basically a cypher, lacking in a strong personality, because, ultimately, she was simply there to be a pair of boobs with an "S" on them. Again, I have fond memories of her. Perhaps I shouldn't have put those 2 sentences so close together... Ahem, the point is, this Kara is far more deeply developed character. I do regret she ended up retconing Peter David's Linda Danvers / Supergirl, whom I also liked. Linda was also a far more deeply developed character than her predecessor. This Kara Zor-El will do well to carry on that aspect of the Supergirl legacy.

Manhunter #26

Heard good things about Manhunter, and about how, depending on sales, this will be the final arc of the series. Making it a sequel to Sacrifice, the event that, perhaps more so than many others, "kicked-off" Infinite Crisis, means that is has sufficient gravitas to interest a wider range of comic fans like myself, who aren't all that familiar with the character. Oh, and it has a chance of being a monthly comic featuring Wonder Woman, unlike, say... Wonder Woman. So if you've got an Amazon jones, this is a decent fix.

This incarnation of Manhunter is Kate Spencer, one of the few federal prosecutors in the DCU who moonlights as a superhero vigilante. Though capable as a vigilante, it's the attorney part that leads Princess Diana to her office door. That minor matter of her very publicly executing American Checkmate agent Maxwell Lord is still "unresolved" in the eyes of the US government at the moment. Everybody knows we don't have any patience for that "international tribunal" crap.

Diana wishes to defend herself in court, presumably to earn her exoneration, and she chooses Kate as her lawyer. She also knows Kate is Manhunter, which comes as a bit of a shock to Kate, who, for some strange reason, is probably concerned about her superiors in the Justice Department discovering she's sneaking out at night and killing people... bad people, though. It's never explained how Diana knows, but she's got both Bruce Wayne and Babara Gordon in her proverbial Rolodex, so it probably wasn't hard.

Diana wants Kate to defend her because they see eye-to-eye on that one minor detail that nearly caused Bruce Wayne to stop taking her calls- lethal force. She offers to pay, but Kate declines, instead choosing to avail herself of Diana's plentiful combat experience and defend her in exchange for training. The book bounces back and forth between the training and their initial office meeting, along with a couple other "B" plots that I'm sure will mean something to longer terms readers than myself.

I did find it somewhat ironic, in a book with a "strong female lead" that one of these "B-plots" involved the kidnapping of a member of the supporting cast's sister, who is then menaced by a guy with a big metal jaw threatening to kill her. It's about as classic as "damsel in distress" angle as you can get.

I enjoyed the book, and, assuming it lasts beyond the current arc, will probably keep it in the box. The characterization of the Amazon Princess was good, and the issues raised at her trail will be very interesting, to say the least. I have no doubt Big Blue will be on the stand before the arc is over. How Clark's written will be important, as that could be a deal-breaker for me. Either way, should be fun to find out.

Justice Society of America #1

I mentioned (way, waay, up there) I never read Teen Titans. Here, I'll mention I never read any of the myriad incarnations of the Justice Society, despite Power Girl's... uh... ample... presence. Geoff Johns is why I'm giving this a whirl, I won't lie. PG is nice window dressing, of course, but it's a team book, so your time to ogle will be severely limited.

That being said, this was a good intro issue. The JSA's membership always seemed slightly more crowded, but the first issue gives you the front page on a few of the new arrivals without overwhelming you. The background on the more established heroes is sparing. I'm okay with this, as the central members, the "old timers" who form the JSA's core, pop up with regularity outside the JSA. It's hard not to have some passing familiarity with them. Reading 52 is enough. In fact, just from the opening splash and John's Newsarama interview series, the JSA will be figuring a bit in the later chapters of 52.

Bruce, Clark and Diana show up for a quick cameo to provide the basic delineation between the JLA and JSA, for those of us who might be wondering why there needs to be such diversification on the whole "Justice" front. The JLA is a strike force, a collection of the heaviest hitters in the DCU to take care of immediate, and very sizable threats. The JSA is a training force, of the "on the job" variety. The elder heroes team with the young up-and-comers to show them the ropes, and provide them moral grounding. Clark can set a great example, but he doesn't have time to do apprenticeships, after all. That's where the JSA comes in.

While the introductions are going on, others are checking out. The family of an obscure hero with old ties to the JSA has been murdered, and they aren't the only ones in danger. Greater plot details aren't forthcoming, as the balance of the book is devoted to the introductions, but the brief allusions were compelling.

Johns' writing is excellent, as I've come to expect. In fact, now that I think of it, I may be reading everything he's writing at the moment. Despite his working with Donner on Action, he's not shy about saying this is baby. It shows, through the deep characterizations present in both the introductions and in their interactions with the "regulars" on the team. Dave Eaglesham's pencils bring these emotions to life as well as they bring the action to life. This is a book where expressions can communicate as much as the dialog.

I suppose, even outside the shameless, yet wonderfully effective, last page "Coming this year in JSA" page, I'd keep this in my box. The promise of the JLA, Kal-L, and Kingdom Come tug at my fanboy heartstrings, and make me eager to see what unfolds. Definitely a keeper.

"The Librarian: Return To King Solomon's Mines" TV movie

posted by Tygrrius @ 5:15 AM

Not wanting JS to take all of the self-sacrificing glory, I decided to take a huge blow for the team and watch TNT's The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines.

Directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation's Jonathan Frakes (Riker; director, Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection), Return to King Solomon's Mines is described as an "action/adventure/comedy" in the style of "Indiana Jones/The Da Vinci Code/The Mummy/James Bond/Harry Potter/Casablanca."

Huh?

As you might expect, the melding of so many genres and movies results in a mishmash no more appealing than lumpy mashed potatoes. And stale ones at that.

Starring as Indiana Jones wannabe Flynn Carsen is Harrison Ford wannabe Noah Wyle (ER). Wyle is horribly miscast, performing poorly in the action scenes, the adventure scenes, the comedy scenes, and, frankly, most other scenes.

Carsen is a librarian for New York's Metropolitan Library. In a secret area of the library's basement, Jane Curtin (3rd Rock from the Sun) and Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart) hoard many of the world's treasures such as the Ark of the Covenant, Excalibur, and the Holy Grail.

Carsen doesn't get to be a librarian very much, though, as he spends most of his time retrieving these artifacts from around the world.

In some ways, these are actually just the kind of people Indy would be trying to stop in favor of placing such artifacts in museums for all to see.

This time around, Carsen is seeking out the fabled King Solomon's Mines. Along the way, he meets up with archaeologist Emily Davenport (Gabrielle Anwar) and frightening romantic tension ensues.

To be fair here, I have not seen the first installment of this series (The Librarian: Quest for the Spear, directed by Peter Winther), which starred most of the same people. This second installment has at least allowed me to stay far, far away from the forthcoming final movie of this trilogy. Why make one bad movie when you can make three?

Director Frakes seems like a nice guy. I'm not one to kick a nice guy while he's down so rather than continue to bash this movie, I'm going to spend the rest of this review going over what I enjoyed about it.

This concludes my review.

Story: 1 (out of 10)
Performances: 3
Visual Style: 4
Effects: 4
Music: 3
Overall: 3
Recommended: Do you really have to ask?

"Superman Returns: Special Edition" DVD

posted by Tygrrius @ 10:02 PM

Superman Returns: Special Edition
Superman: The Ultimate Collector's Edition, Discs 10 & 11

Warning: This review contains major plot spoilers.

Now that the newness of Superman Returns has worn off a bit, and I've since read the incredible, similarly-themed Up, Up, & Away graphic novel, I was wondering if my opinion of the film would change at all when I watched the DVD.

Superman Returns was actually the first review I wrote when re-launching The Film Frontier earlier this year. In fact, it was the impending release of Superman Returns that finally inspired me to get this new site far enough along to release in time to review the movie.

I'm nothing if not a procrastinator, you see. Note that I have still yet to add the Star Wars and Superman sections proper, though I will point out that the three blogs have been so much fun that I tend to spend all of my site time on them rather than building the rest of the static content.

Anyway, I loved Superman Returns back then. And now, after watching the movie on DVD and re-reading my original review, I can say that my opinion has changed.

Somehow, I managed to love director Bryan Singer's interpretation of the Superman legend even more than I did the first time around. Enjoying a movie more the second time is fairly rare for me. In fact, I can think of only one other example where this has happened.

There was just a lot to absorb on a single viewing. After all, this was the first Superman film in 19 years. My main focus then was could this Brandon Routh guy pull off playing Superman and Clark Kent? Happily, the answer was a resounding yes.

Maybe it was the comfort of home, but the movie didn't seem nearly as long as it did in the theater. At that time, I felt Singer should have trimmed the film a bit more, here and there. Now, I'm definitely glad he didn't. That's why he makes movies and I make websites about movies, I suppose.

Also, Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane is definitely growing on me. Since seeing Superman Returns the first time, I slowly began to think of her performance as the movie's weak link. Not true. On a second and closer examination, she may very well be perfect for the role.

I also appreciated Kevin Spacey's performance as Lex Luthor a lot more this time. And I have to give kudos to Tristan Lake Leabu, who plays Lois & Superman's son, Jason (I prefer to call him Jay-El).

Child actors can be iffy at times, but Singer did a fantastic job of bringing a great performance out of Leabu--who reminds me a bit of a young Macaulay Culkin. Though I do not want to see the main plot of a movie revolve around him, I'm definitely interested in finding out what's in store for Jay-El as a sub-plot of future movies. It will also be interesting to see Superman as a father.

So, in trying to keep this review a bit shorter than the massive tome I wrote for Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, I'll just refer you to my original review of Superman Returns for the other movie details. Spectacular movie. Everything I wanted it to be and more.

Though $200 million is nothing to sneeze at, the movie deserved to earn double that. I'm just glad that Singer will get to make the sequel. Is it 2009 yet?

Bonus features

Superman Returns: Special Edition is chock-full of bonus features--an entire disc devoted to them. If you're any level of Superman fan, the 2-disc Special Edition is the one you need to buy, whether separately or as part of the Superman: Ultimate Collector's Edition set. The standard edition contains only the movie, but the extras are definitely worth the slightly higher cost of the Special Edition.

The highlight of the special features is Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns, a nearly 3 hour documentary by Robert Meyer Burnett that covers the making of Singer's film up until Brandon Routh's last day of main unit shooting. Yes, the "making-of" documentary is longer than the actual movie.

Bryan Singer must be an optimistic guy. He commissioned this documentary to begin filming prior to his being hired by Warner Brothers, as he prepared to make his pitch to them.

I noted the first time around that Routh carried the movie. This documentary makes me believe in him even more. Seeing Singer at work is also a treat. I love watching the creative process behind these kinds of movies, and Singer brings a certain energy that is needed on a movie like Superman Returns.

Kevin Spacey sums it up well in the documentary, "Watching Bryan on set with this material is like watching a crazy kid who's in the biggest candy store that he could ever hope to find himself in." Singer even straps himself into a flying harness and super-leaps through the cornfields of Smallville in one segment.

Concluding with the last day of filming means that we miss out on finalizing the effects, scoring the music, and other post-production work.

That's okay, though, as the documentary is, to put it mildly, perfect as it is. Sure, it's a bit long but it is also neatly divided into manageable chapters. Considering its length, it manages to stay very compelling and to really give you a sense of being there as the movie is produced.

This is the kind of informative documentary I would love to have on each of the Star Wars prequels and Star Trek movies. It's hard to keep a three-hour documentary about anything interesting, but Burnett does it.

Separate from the main documentary is Resurrecting Jor-El, a brief featurette on the creation of a CGI Marlon Brando for the movie. The featurette was originally released on the Web, to promote the movie. I would've preferred some narration and more background, but it's still an informative piece.

The set also contains eleven, count them, eleven deleted scenes. As deleted scenes go, they are interesting to watch but this is one of those cases where I believe the correct decision was made each time in leaving them out of the finished movie. I would not want to see these edited back in to form an extended cut.

The excellent teaser and theatrical trailers are also present on the disc. Lacking are the television spots, but I can certainly live without those. I didn't particularly enjoy them the first time around anyway.

The only thing really notable in its absence on Superman Returns: Special Edition is a commentary track. I'm sure a future re-release will rectify this situation. The other features more than make up for it. I definitely want to hear a scene-by-scene analysis from Singer.

If this review has sounded like a love-fest, it's because, quite honestly, it is. I love the movie. I love the DVD. This will be one I'll watch over and over.

Movie: 9 (out of 10)
Video Quality: 10
Audio Quality: 10
Bonus Features: 9
Overall Experience: 10
Recommended: To all Superman fans

Comic Roundup- Nov. 29th Edition

posted by JediSheltie @ 5:18 PM

Installment two, and I'm not bored yet, so here's what's interesting in the box this week:

Flash #6

The conclusion of the “Lightning in a Bottle” arc is finally here. Sadly, though I won't say I'm a slave to popular opinion, the mob can be right from time to time. I'll join in the general critical disdain for the relaunch helmed by Danny Bilson and Paul de Meo. Hey, DC re-launched a bunch of stuff after Infinite Crisis, and we all knew not every single one of them was going to be golden. I'm sure bringing in the writers for the short-lived, if fan-lionized Flash TV series from 1990 seemed like a great idea.

Now, I'm not one of those who always talk up how great that show was. Primarily because I never watched it. Well, I think I caught 15 minutes of the end of one episode. I think Mark Hamill was playing a clown driving a semi. May have been how he got the Joker voice for Batman, The Animated Series. As a character, the Flash was never a big fave of mine, so I wasn't really drawn to the show. I started picking the new series up because I heard good things from the last run, with Infinite Crisis' Geoff John's at the helm. The Flash is also one of DC's main pantheon characters, so it seemed like a good time to hop on board.

Maybe it was the fact that Bilson and de Meo didn't know what to do with the new Flash, Bart Allen. Bart's backstory doesn't have that wonderful comic simplicity of being “splashed by chemicals at the police lab where he worked,” a la the Silver Age's Barry Allen. In fact, the complexity of it and the detailed rundowns reviewing it were parts of the early issues that bogged down. Bart used to be “Impulse”, a character I liked, in small doses, when he sometime paired up with Superman. The combination of the elder, deliberative hero and Bart's, well, impulse control issues, made for an interesting contrast.

Bilson and de Meo's Bart has rapidly aged as a result of the group Flashes' attempt to spirit away Superboy Prime during Infinite Crisis. In fact, one of the big, “eh” anti-climaxes of issue 6 is the “revelations” of what happened when the Flashes decided who has to go back and warn the DCU that Prime escaped and is coming back. Um... Bart? Yeah... it was Bart.

Now we can look forward to another short arc before Bilson and de Meo are shown the door in advance of the next “quasi” relaunch by Marc Guggenheim in February. Heh, I'm sure Bilson and de Meo will really put their all into it...

Green Lantern #15

Well, from the book Johns left to the one he's still on. This one is working out a bit better. What's nice is that the guy you probably remember as Green Lantern is, in fact, Green Lantern. There's a lot of others, but Hal Jordan is once more “the” Green Lantern.

Now, just to get this out of the way, and invite some people to hate me, my “favorite” Lantern is Kyle Rayner. Why? Perhaps chalk it up to an incident of timing. When I initially came back to comics post COIE, it was for, you guessed it, the “Death of Superman.” Astute readers will recall what implications of the “Reign of the Supermen” arc had for Hal Jordan. Suffice to say, soon Hal was out, and Kyle was in. I started picking up Kyle's GL run when it started, and enjoyed it. It's nice to know, in some box, somewhere, I have the issue that coined the phrase “Women in Refrigerators”. I liked the idea of a an artist getting the ring. A creative mind that could do more than “big green boxing gloves”.

Granted, Johns run so far has laid off a lot of big green boxing gloves. It's more about Hal as a character, one that still constantly lives in the shadow of his past transgressions, despite having “redeemed” himself many times over. This Hal Jordan has a personality, one that, pursuant to his “job” as a Green Lantern, comes down a bit on the hawkish, “law-and-order” side. In a way, I don't really care for it at times, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Having absolutely no reaction to the character would be a bad thing. Being written well enough to provoke reaction is a good sign.

Chapter 2 of “Wanted: Hal Jordan” continues to unfold, explaining why the otherwise fairly level-headed Global Guardians fried a bunch of Chechen rebels in cold blood and were planning on pinning it on Hal. Plans are afoot to relieve Hal of his ring by the son of the alien from whom he first received it. Apparently, that apple fell a little far from the tree. John's writing in the initial face off between the Guardians and Hal represents some great “fight banter.” Reis's art is an excellent companion, in both action and “form”. His full page Crimson Fox reminds us why adolescent boys like comics. And why I won't say anything bad about the French.

The Rocket Reds show up, also desiring to arrest Hal for breaking the “Freedom of Power Treaty” on numerous occasions, since, Hal's been flying around, crossing borders, apprehending supervillans without asking, etc. Their arrival is timely in that it allows him to escape his current captors, but Hal's a really popular guy these days, and one more team is looking for him. This one just happens to be one in which he's already a member, and I don't mean the Corps...

Some continuing sub-plots bubble here. The current ramifications of 52 continue to be teased by the Guardians, as well as the creation of an “Anti-Corps” in the anti-matter universe, though by whom is still unknown. The chief suspect appears to be discredited in this brief appearance of the creation of the yellow central power battery.

Johns is doing great work here, just like on Action, so definitely start picking this one up.

Batman #659

Cool, I get to review Morrison and Kubert's Batman!

Hey, wait a minute... Ostrander? Oh... crap...

As a great man once said, “Missed it by that much...”

Okay, so I've had a little fun at the expense of DC's scheduling department. The first “fill-in” arc for Morrison and Kubert's run appears a short 4 issues after their run started.

That being said, this is the start of a good, “fundamental” Batman story. A blizzard is hitting Gotham, a gang war is heating up, and the mad-man of the month is frying seemingly random people. The World's Greatest Detective is on the case, following clues and punching people, kung-fu like.

The mad-man of the month is arc's eponymous Grostek, a would-be avenger who claims be destroying those who deserve it. Though Batman is certainly a bit lax on the whole 'due process' part of the legal system, he does disagree strongly with Grostek's skipping to execution-by-flamethrower a little so quickly. Since this is issue one of a four issue arc, the current candidate for Grostek's identity is probably the red herring, not that we've been presented any further candidates.

Tom Mandrake's art is serviceable for the action. Set in a night in a blizzard, the overall tone is dark, “nior” if you prefer a more pretentious, cinematic term. Not that that's a bad thing, it works well. I don't have great expectations for this arc, in terms of “big events”. This is a fill-in, after all. Morrison will be back with the Joker in four issues to bring the “wow” factor back. For now, I'm just hoping for a good, pulp read, and so far, it's delivering.