July 18th Comic RoundUp

posted by JediSheltie @ 7:45 PM

All Flash 1

Mark Waid returns to a title that remains a claim to fame for him. He does so bringing along the recently returned Wally West to the red and yellow leotard. This special issue picks up where the last issue of the now defunct Flash: Fastest Man Alive title left off. Bart is dead, but there's no question who did it. Wally quite literally "catches up" with the prime mover in Bart's death, Inertia and has a little word with him.

As you now no doubt know from clicking that Wikipedia link, Inertia is a clone of Bart, which doesn't make it any easier for Wally to confront the boy, as Bart is obvious inside. It's not exactly a spoiler to say who wins. Interia hardly has a chance against the experienced speedster. Inertia's ultimate "fate" is left for the end of the book, which switches gears to get people a bit more acquainted with Wally. The book gives you as much of a primer as you might need to jump on board.

The art in the book is by a selection of top-notch talents. Though efforts were made to confine one artist to one section of the book, it does seem a little choppy in places, as we see some fairly desperate art styles. None of them "bad" per se, simply different enough from one another to make the transitions a bit more obvious than they would have been otherwise.

Waid's script is tight and focused. The individual primarily responsible for Bart's death is brought to justice, though the remainder of the Rouge's are still at large, and rather worried about their current notoriety. Wally's visit with Bart's grandmother (from the future) reveals some teases of his future, promising that is will be a fairly rich ride. Doubt they'll be killing him off any time soon, at least.

Justice League of America 11

Meltzer's last issue is pretty good, mostly because he's not weighed down with pacing issues. He's got a one issue story that's far less decompressed than previous efforts. Though the characters of our tale are quite compressed, indeed. Featuring only two members of his league, Red Arrow and Vixen, this is quite the claustrophobic character study.

Trapped beneath a partially collapsed Watergate Building, Red Arrow and Vixen are stuck, awaiting a rescue the Red Arrow considers unlikely to come. These are 2 members of the JLA who don't have the convenient ability to simply dig their out with brute force, after all. It's Red Arrow who takes the initiative and begins plotting escape. Vixen, perhaps more heavily wounded, is a bit less pro active. Red Arrow is faced with the task not only of devising an escape, but of keeping his trapped companion alive and willing to fight.

Its here we learn one secret Vixen has been keeping nearly throughout Meltzer's entire run, one that puts a bit of a hitch in Arrow's escape plans. The revelation isn't all that stunning, but it's well handled and make sense in terms of how it was presented both in this issue and in previous ones.

Art is handled by guest artist Gene Ha, who turns in an excellent performance, even considering that much of the book's panels are dominated by black. The rendering is artistic, in that the characters, as we 'see' them can't really see each other in the pitch darkness of the collapsed building. Ha provides a good impression of the claustrophobia by having virtually every panel framed in deep black, with only the characters and the meager space between them visible.

Dwayne McDuffie is taking over JLA. I'm defiantly primed for a new take on JLA. Meltzer's work wasn't the greatness I was hoping for, I have to admit. McDuffie's experience in other mediums, both with the animated JLA and other comic teams, makes him a good choice for the role. I'm excited to see what the future will hold here.

Birds of Prey 108

Just wanted to give a quick overview of Gail Simone's "swan song" on Birds of Prey. In an epilogue to the last arc, and perhaps to her run, we see Barbara Gordon prove her true strength over her physical handicap, her friends. Challenging Spy Smasher to a duel for control of the Birds, Barbara quickly reminds her old friend why she was Batgirl. The fight is nicely rendered by Nicola Scott, who is certainly getting a workout with Simone's last few issues.

Spy Smasher doesn't give up easily, even after Barbara manages to bruise her up fairly well. It's only when an old friend shows up with quite a few other friends that Katrina understands it's a fight she can't win. Nicola Scott gets a stab not only at Bird's members old and new, but also some of their friends, like the JSA. I won't spoil the spread completely, but it's impressive.

With Amazon's Attacking for another couple months at least, we're not going to be seeing Gail take over Wonder Woman immediately, but I certainly can't wait. Oh, and for those looking for a Tora fix, check out Checkmate 16, where the reunion we expected actually does take place.