Action Comics #862

posted by Tygrrius @ 7:48 AM

Action Comics #862 (DC Comics, April 2008 cover date)
Writer: Geoff Johns
Penciller: Gary Frank
Inker: John Sibal
Colorists: Dave McCaig and Hi-Fi
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Associate Editor: Nachie Castro
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover: Gary Frank

After the whole "Escape from Bizarro World" dud, Action Comics writer Geoff Johns has gifted us with "Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes" to redeem himself. Featuring an intricate, compelling storyline and art that is just as top-notch, this story arc has been a welcome reminder of the power of comic books when all of the elements come together.

This issue features part five of the six-part story. In the 31st century, the Justice League has been corrupted by Earth-Man, who has spread a concocted story that Superman was actually human rather than Kryptonian and that "aliens" have been the cause of all of Earth's woes.

On the other side of this fight is the Legion of Super-Heroes. Earth-Man is simply a jealous, Anakin-Skywalker-type who was unable to handle rejection when he applied to the Legion. Seeking revenge, he captures many of them and absorbs their powers to increase his own. Near defeat, the Legion has brought Superman into the future to help. Earth has a red sun in this time period, though, so Superman has none of his yellow-sun-derived powers.

Is Superman still super without those powers? Very much so, as his greatest power is his character—which is there with or without a yellow sun. Over the last few issues, though, the 31st century Justice League has continued to push the Legion to the brink of defeat.

At Superman's suggestion, they call in reinforcements—the Legion of Substitute-Heroes. Unlike Earth-Man, these Legion of Super-Heroes rejects have been constructive rather than destructive and made the most of their situations.

The action ratchets up as the Subs join the battle, and Earth-Man and Superman finally begin to square off. With Johns back in form, and Gary Frank's art just as incredible as the narrative, Action Comics is finally must-read again. I can't wait for the conclusion, next issue.

Story/Writing: 9 (out of 10)
Art: 9
Cover Art: 8
Overall Experience: 9

Superman #673

posted by Tygrrius @ 3:10 PM

Superman #673 (DC Comics, April 2008 cover date)
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist: Jesus Merino
Colors: Kanila Tripp
Letters: Comicraft
Associate Editor: Tom Palmer, Jr.
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover: Peter Vale and Wellington Dias

The last several months of issues for both Action Comics and Superman have been terrific. Geoff Johns on Action and Kurt Busiek on Superman have both woven intricate yet interesting storylines that have added new depth to the characters we know so well.

Superman #673 is the third and final installment of "The Insect Queen." Not being overly fond of bugs, even of the alien variety, I did not hold high expectations for this arc. I figured after the compelling "Third Kryptonian" arc, "The Insect Queen" would be a quick throwaway to pass some time. Filler issues, if you will.

I was pleasantly surprised with parts one and two of "The Insect Queen." The alien ruler kidnaps Lana Lang, now head of Lexcorp, and holds her prisoner on Lexcorp's secret moonbase to use as a sort of breeding stock with the alien insects in her effort to dominate Earth and use it as the center of her empire. The queen actually takes on part of Lana's appearance and personality. She even manages to capture and subdue Superman so that he can be used in the process as well. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Chris has been suffering reactions from a red sun watch that subdues his powers. When Lois helps him remove it, there is an explosion of pent-up energy that levels the Kents' apartment.

As part three begins, Lois is trying to help Chris cope with his guilt about hiding the effects of the watch, while Superman is still within the clutches of the Insect Queen. After such a great start, the conclusion of "The Insect Queen" is a little disappointing. The main problem is that the ending feels rushed, and thus, necessarily contrived. A comic book issue is so short these days that I think expanding this story to at least another issue would have been warranted, especially after the buildup of the first two issues.

There are plenty of positives, though, including a couple of great scenes for Lana. I am a fan of strong, female characters and she really delivers a punch, both figuratively and literally, in this issue.

The interior art is mostly acceptable, though oddly inconsistent. While a character may look perfect on one page, that same character may be poorly drawn on another. The cover art, featuring the Insect Queen and one of her "super-soldier ants" is horrible. I will just leave it at that.

Though not as satisfying of an ending as his work in "The Third Kryptonian," Busiek proves again in "The Insect Queen" that he really knows how to write Superman. I will be sorry to see him leave the title after issue #675. At least he will go out with a bang, as that is billed as an anniversary issue (Superman's 70th) - complete with Alex Ross cover art.

Story/Writing: 7 (out of 10)
Art: 6
Cover Art: 1
Overall Experience: 6

Superman #670

posted by JediSheltie @ 7:29 PM

Nov7th RoundUp

Superman 670

The Third Kryptonian arc comes to a close, with the Third Kryptonian joining the rapidly swelling ranks of Krypton's survivors. The big reveal happened last issue, and this issue is mostly a cover to cover slugfest between Earth's contingent of Kryptonians (backed up by the World's Greatest Detective) and a crew of intergalactic bounty hunters who specialize in anti-Kryptonian warfare. As far as cover to cover slugfests go, this one delivers, as the tools and weapons the bounty hunters employ make it a believable fight for the Kryptonians' lives.

Wisely, Busiek includes Power Girl in the proceedings. Power Girl is all too often left out of the "Super Family" even though its the closest thing she has to a family unit outside the JSA. In the end... "the boy" saves the day, though. Could have done without that, but looks like my fervent hopes he's written out aren't coming to fruition as quickly as I thought they would. That being said, there is a Final Crisis on the way, and that is usually where the big "reset" button gets pressed.

As to the Third Kryptonian, Busiek made an interesting choice in having her be a refugee from Krypton's old Imperial Navy. Granted, I find this new addition to Kryptonian history somewhat strange ever since it was alluded to in the first post-Infinite Crisis storyline. Nagging questions like, "If Krypton had an interstellar navy, why couldn't ole Jor-El find a ship big enough for the whole family?" are just going to make my head hurt, though. I know, I know, it was the past, they elected scientists and become isolationists, etc. Still, I feel the whole origin narrative takes a believability hit if Kryptonians were literally "galloping around the galaxy" for so long.

I believe that whistling sound you've been hearing for months on end is Camelot still falling. Supposedly the Annual is just a couple weeks away, so we'll see how that one finally turns out as well.

Oct 31 RoundUp

posted by JediSheltie @ 7:13 PM

Action 858

I suppose Richard Donner knows as much about the original Legion of Superheroes as I do, thus he's not a writer on this new arc. The recent creation of 52 parallel universes has afforded DC the opportunity to have a couple Legions floating around, and reinstate the one that visited Super"man" when he was a "boy".

I am in no way, shape, or form attached to these characters in any way, so ultimately this book will pretty much need to stand purely on the story merits for me. I admit, I'll fanboy out for some things, but since I've never been LoS fanboy, I can't do it here. On the up side, this is a fairly strong start to what may be an engaging arc. Granted, Johns is coming off 3 issues of Bizzaro, so it's not like the last act has a chance of overshadowing this one.

For people like me, who are mostly clueless, Johns gives us a primer on the Legion's involvement with Clark's "boy-hood" in Smallville, showing them to be confidants he can trust with his own big secret. His fond boyhood memories are reawakened by a large version of "robot" Braniac, which turns out to be just a decoy to get his attention and eventually get him into the future. Or, more specifically, the future of the future. I'm sure that makes sense.

Art is taken over by Gary Frank, and that's apparently a huge deal. At least, most comic media outlets seem to think it is, so I'll take their word for it. Frank worked for Marvel for some time exclusively, thus the primary reason I'd never heard of him until this point. Since it is such a "big deal" I'll comment on the art. It's... okay. I found myself neither blown away nor peeved by it. Frank goes with a less hyper-muscled Clark than most artists, something I generally have no trouble with. Were I to nitpick, I'd say Clark's face kept looking gaunt, like he had the flu the entire time.

Overall a good issue, and I'm finally looking forward to the next issue of Action.

Justice Society of America 10

Speaking of having some spare worlds to play with, Johns has another trans-multiversal refugee appearing the latest issue of JSA. This one is a slightly bigger deal for me, as I recall the original Kingdom Come to be one of the best pieces of comic fiction ever produced. Now I'm getting a 3 issue sequel featuring Kingdom Come's central character- Superman.

I'll try to hit the highlights of Kingdom Come, since Johns nicely dovetails the very existence of the JSA with them. In a world where Superman retires because the "hero" that kills the Joker is set free after Superman takes him in for murder, the descendants of the original generations of superheroes are running wild, untrained and unguided. He returns from retirement to try and clean up the mess, but that road is paved with the best of intentions, and it ends in big nuclear explosion.

Basically, this Superman is here, with the JSA, the organization that sees itself as responsible for providing the guidance and training that up-and-coming superheroes need. Needless to say, KC-Superman says the JSA disbanded and most of them were dead in his world. The absence of this stabilizing force in his world helped lead to the eventual tragedy at the end.

For a comic in which very little actually happens (KC-Superman basically sits in the JSA meeting hall), there's a lot of necessary exposition, and cool Alex Ross art, that brings everyone up to speed. The ending of this issue recalls the ending to the first part of Kingdom Come, which may or may not, be a good sign.

As the issue closes the JLA arrives, and the set up for the next issue is that Clark and KC-Superman are going to have a chat. That, alone, should be 10 kinds of awesome.

See, I told you I could fanboy out.

Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman Prime

posted by JediSheltie @ 7:09 PM

Oct 24th RoundUp

Ah, time, time, time.

Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superman Prime

Since I've commented elsewhere on the site about this, I can't let this review get away from me.

I called bull honkus on the "coming of age" excuse Johns used for the name change before reading the comic. In retrospect, that was unfair. I should give him a chance to prove his case. My conclusion after actually reading the comic... bull honkus. Note that I'm not saying this is a bad comic, just that it didn't strike me as a "coming of age" story, as "Superman" Prime acts like the petulant child he's always acted like.

There's no really progression in the state of the character. The story, and art, flips between the "current events" of the Sinestro Corps invasion of Earth, and, "S-Prime's" backstory on Earth Prime. It's interesting to note that this kind of switch between Ordway's "old style" art and the more modern art of Woods and company was supposed to be used to similar effect in Infinite Crisis but the delays caused the addition of many different fill-in artists which caused that aspect of the work to be somewhat muddled.

S-Prime is pretty much every kid who wanted to grow up and be Superman, the difference was, he actually got the chance. It lasted about two seconds before his universe was eaten by the Anti-Monitor and he was tossed into the original Crisis on Infinite Earths. A long detour through a pocket dimension watching his parents die over and over again, and out he pops for Infinite Crisis, all bat-*#!@ insane.

The interesting things about the book aren't really the backstory pretty much everyone is familiar with, but a peak into the current motivations of S-Prime, who, it is revealed, has not forgotten who actually did the whole parents killing thing. Turns out S-Prime has his own agenda for the Anti-Monitor and his new pals in the Corps. Not that the assembled forces of the JSA and Teen Titans really know or care, they just try to put him down before he can "reach sunlight."

Now, I hate to be "that guy", but the central conceit of the modern part of the story is that S-Prime is "weakened" in his solar armor and is trying to make around the globe to the sunlight so he can recharge. I just have to point out that he appeared in space before heading to Earth. Even if we assume he was in the Earth's shadow the whole time, there's still a whole bunch of solar radiation out there. It seems it was an effort to make the fight at least seem reasonable, as S-Prime has already demonstrated a "Silver Age" power level.

The fight that ensues sees a macabre bit of humor involving Risk, who's last encounter with S-Prime went just about exactly as well as this one does. We learn, off page, that the 3 Kryptonians (-girl -girl -man) regrouped and kicked the Cyborg's tail when they turn their attention to S-Prime. That's about the time the sun comes up.

It seems the big fight now turns to the new Ion, something I'm not particularly happy about. I realize this is a Green Lantern arc, but S-Prime is also kind of "Superman Family" problem, and I hope they don't just have him sit it out.

Other than those nitpicks, and the whole "it's-not-a-coming-of-age-story" thing, it wasn't a bad comic, really. I think some amount of pure honesty would have been nice concerning the name change and the lawsuit, but ultimately it doesn't matter.

Oct 10th Comic RoundUp

posted by JediSheltie @ 7:07 PM

Green Lantern 24

I'm not sure how the brass at DC really let the nature of this story, and it's universal ramifications, fly over their heads. I've found numerous comments about how it was a “surprise” this had been such a successful arc, and thus wasn't reflected much, or at all, in other titles. It's only a story where the literally “biggest” villains of the DCU band together to take over the universe. Who would think that would be popular?

I digress. Sinestro, his Corps, Parallax, "Superman" Prime (don't lawsuits suck, eh?), and the Anti-Monitor arrive on Earth to basically tear it down and make it their new home-sweet-hell. Johns pulls no epic punches in this, as the destruction wreaked on New York is obviously devastating. The human GLs have to stand alone for a while before backup arrives.

Johns is using this arc to toy not so much with the central character of, Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern with whom we are all familiar, than to change some of the underlying facts of Hal's universe. The Guardians of Oa are concerned they are about to be wiped out, and thus have started making some big changes to the Corps rules. First off, lethal force is now authorized. After suffering slaughter at the hands of a foe they could only hope to restrain or incapacitate, the GLC can now go blood for blood on the front lines.

Hal and company only learn of the change as the battle begins, and it's one only Guy Gardner, quite in character, reacts to rather positively. Since I'm one of the very few people who kept reading Guy's comic when he became "Warrior", I recall he dispatched at least one foe "permanently." They manage to successfully rid Kyle Rayner of the Parallax entity and are helped by a couple former Guardians who are none to happy about the direction their peers are taking.

A very strong issue in a very strong arc. Johns knack for the epic is on fully display here, with the art to match. There have been few, if any delays in getting the books out on time. It's sad this seems like another "major achievement" for the arc. I'm not even all that peeved with how Clark and company in the JLA are given a bit of a brush off. It's a Green Lantern comic, after all. Can't have Superman charging into save the day at the end.

Wonder Woman 14

In a quick "epilogue" to Amazons Attack, the "other" big event of the summer, we find Wonder Woman doing a little soul searching while helping with the DC clean up. There's not much here, actually, in what amounts to a little fill-in episode before Gail Simone takes over (finally). We see her trying to penetrate the magical shell over Paradise Island, where her mother sits alone. It does beg the question of what happened to the island between the end of Amazons Attack and the current events of Countdown, where "Athena" is now using it as her personal Amazon training ground. I suppose someone will fill us in on that. For the moment, I'm just physched to get Gail's first issue next month.

Superman 668

Gonna have to call this. Kurt Busiek is, right now, the better Superman writer. I've just praised Johns in the review up top, but that doesn't mean I love everything he does. For my money, and it is my money, come to think of it, Busiek writes a pitch perfect Clark. He also serves up some intelligent stories that have looked a lot deeper into the mythos, where others are content to take it for granted.

The Third Kryptonian arc begins here, finally following through on the most interesting tease from the post-52 "Back in Action" storyline. Enlisting the aide of his friend, Bruce Wayne, they search the globe for this new lost Kryptonian, but come up mostly empty. The search reveals other nefarious alien elements, such as some left over Dominators, but they're easily dispatched.

Clark and... sigh... "the boy", as one H. Simpson might say, have a little heart to heart about how it's not such a good idea to be flying around class, or leaving it anytime you want because you can. Can't blame Busiek for the boy, and he does a decent job of it, doing a little throwback to the "World Finest" scientific team as Superman and Batman team up to figure out how to give Chris Kent a more "human" childhood.

Finally, some kind of intergalactic bounty hunter (less stylish than Lobo) is on the way to earth in search of Kryptonians, and will no doubt be looking for all three and more. Apparently the "big reveal" on who the Third Kryptonian is will happen with the next issue, but the bounty hunter's sensors indicate it will be a "young woman". Kara Zor-el was covered by the "girl" part. I guess this means she's, what... 20's?

It's a Kryptonian for the college slacker set!

Sorry, couldn't resist. Art was great, and I'll confess excitement about seeing a new Kryptonian (that isn't a child adopted by Clark and Lois).

Oct 3rd Comic Round Up

posted by JediSheltie @ 7:00 PM

Star Trek Year Four - 3

I really should just give up. Never thought of myself as a masochist, but expecting this comic to improve when the problems are so fundamental now seems a bit like going back to the fridge 5 minutes later and hoping there's something new in there. Damn... I do that too.

Here, I'll just explain what happens in this issue and I think everyone will probably get the core problem with Tischman's plotting.

We have a fairly standard "crew is taken over" story. I've got no problem with reusing a basic sci-fi standby plot. In fact, taking the familiar and building something interesting on it gives the author a challenge. Tischman again fails to rise to this challenge. He does provide a "twist", so to speak, but we'll get to that.

The Enterprise investigates the loss of communications with a colony on the outer reaches of space. Everyone is dead when they arrive, giving McCoy an excuse for a classic proclamation on the loss of vitality itself. The deaths appear to be caused by some kind of viral infection. They discover the colonists demise occurred shortly after they unearthed an alien escape pod. Deftly assuming these events could be connected, Spock investigates the data tapes from the colony.

Soon after the crew starts to act strange. Soon people are disobeying Kirk's orders and sending the ship off to some unknown destination. Kirk, rightly, doesn't appreciate this fact, but is soon accused of being infected himself. McCoy helpfully straps Kirk down to 'cure' him, but not before he pleads with Nurse Chapel for escape. Then, the chase is on. The thrills! The drama! Can Kirk save his ship and crew from whatever dastardly fate this infection has for them!?

No, apparently not.

Tischman chooses as his "twist" that everyone gets infected and the ship happily zooms off to its hijacked destination. In the final page epilogue, Kirk logs that the infection was actually an alien consciousness that just wanted to go home. Once the ship arrived to the alien homeworld and they beamed down, it left them. And that's the end, folks. Again, the crew of the Enterprise is literally just along for the ride, helpless to do anything to effect the outcome of a Tischman plot.

I thought the fact that Kirk and McCoy were sitting by helpless in a cell while the resolution of the first issue took place off page was bad enough. Now we simply have a story where Kirk fails to save his ship. Sure, its "okay" because the alien just wanted to go home. Those first colonists were just an unfortunate bit of collateral damage, presumably. Somehow, I think Picard might have rolled over for this, but not Kirk. Sorry, just not Kirk.

Action Comics 856

Me love Bizaro. Me want more Bizaro comics. Read lots Bizaro speak make head feel good. Care deeply for everything that happen this arc. Hate see new non-Bizaro stories start 2 months from now.

[There, I wrote a Bizaro speak review of a Bizaro story. Truly inspired, totally original decision on my part, I know. Especially since I don't have to write anything else, as Bizaro's are creatures of few words, unlike me, who's now rambling just a bit, admittedly.]

Superman Doomsday DVD

posted by JediSheltie @ 9:30 AM

The "Death of Superman" was the first time I started seriously collecting comics. It lasted through college, and after a small hiatus due to massive debt, has resumed with full intensity to this day. Superman has always been my favorite superhero, so I was there if they were going to kill him. I happened to be there a week late... but that's a story for another day...

Naturally one can then assume that I have a bit of an attachment to the original story, which was truly a spectacular effort at comic storytelling whose ramifications are being felt even today, in the "Sinestro Corps War" most notably.

Were I reviewing a animated feature based on that story, I might be quite harsh and unforgiving in my assessment of its merits. Fortunately, Superman Doomsday brings us quite a different story, so I'm able to step back, and review this story on its merits, instead of simply tossing off paragraph after paragraph about how they got so many "little details" of that rich, compelling comic saga wrong.

Though produced by Bruce Timm and done in the same style, this story appears to occur in its own little corner of the multiverse. There's quite a bit of pulling from multiple sources, including comics both old and new, and, as is common these days, the films. Here we have Superman (Adam Baldwin) and Lois Lane (Anne Heche), happily dating as Metropolis's most well known secret couple. Lois is concerned Kal-El isn't letting her in on the big secret identity, and a minor tiff ensues. The size of the next "tiff" is far more epic in scale.

Drilling through the earth, a team of Lexcorp scientists accidentally release a failed experiment in super-soldier development, a "Doomsday" weapon, buried on earth by some unnamed alien race, and patly explained by a trip through the archives of the Fortress. This Doomsday promptly eliminates the scientists and tears off for Metropolis. Yes, at PG-13, deaths, though not clearly shown on screen, are more than simply "implied."

The ensuing fight is well done. The fight choreography takes into account the power of the combatants. No one bounces off walls, they smash through them. Streets are torn up just in passing, and entire buildings crumble. The smashup is definitely a highlight of the entire film. Were I to retreat to my picky ways, I might suggest the whole "can't bleed" excuse did handicap the visual impact a bit.

What follows is a rather truncated exploration of the funeral and how Metropolis deals with the loss of their primary guardian. Lois promptly figures out her dead boyfriend's secret identity so she can have a chat with the, in this universe, solitary Martha Kent. But its really not all that long before Superman is back.

There in lies the third act, one which enters spoiler territory to even attempt to describe. If you've noticed Lex Luthor in a lot of the previews, there's a good reason for that. Lex, reacting with some disappointment that he was not ultimately responsible for the destruction of his arch nemesis, manages to turn his lemons into a rather dangerous glass of lemonade. Luthor's plot was certainly in character, and is, in some very abstract fashion, based on what he attempted in the comics.

Baldwin and Heche turn in decent performances in the lead roles. Though I like my Superman rather reserved, I might say Baldwin was a little too laid back in his vocal characterizations. Heche's Lois certainly rang a bit more true to the character than Kate Bosworth, and she only had to use her voice. Marsters' Luthor was serviceable, but he will forever be in the shadow of Clancy Brown's spot-on performance from Justice League Unlimited. The remainder of the cast was comprised of solid vocal talent.

Animation is what you've become accustomed to from any Timm production. This means you can expect rave boos from Tygrrius, folks, who hates it. I could give or take. Doesn't bother me, but I've always preferred more detailed art styles. I did find the cheekbone features on Superman oddly distracting, as they seem out of place.

I have yet to delve through the bonus features, so can't help anyone there. Tygrrius loves bonus features, so perhaps you can expect a detailed run down in his review

Since it seems important, I'll go ahead and do the grade thing:

Overall: B-
Voice Acting: B-
Animation: B
Plot: B-
Extras: N/A

Action Comics #855

posted by JediSheltie @ 7:17 PM

August 28nd One Comic Comic RoundUp

Think of this as "rounding down" to one.

Action 855

Disclaimer: Overall there's so much about the setting of this issue/arc that trips my personal "Superman prejudices" that I won't even begin to call this a fair review.

Almost surprised me when I got this issue. Forgot that this "Donner" guy was still working on this comic. The giant floating holographic head reminded me pretty quickly he was. Really, what's up with the head? Though I find Donner a perfectly respectable director, he and I disagree on a few things, and one of them is the need for giant holographic heads. This guy have daddy issues or something?

If he does, we're about to talk a big walk through them, as not only does the floating holographic head of Jor-El make it's obligatory appearance in this first issue of the new "Escape from Bizzaro World" arc, the story itself centers on the kidnapping on Johnathan Kent by Bizzaro. Thus the whole "escape" thing. Yes, out there in the space of the main "New Earth" universe is a big square planet filled to the brim with vintage Silver Age wackiness.

I have mentioned in the past there's many things about the Silver Age I feel should remain there, and I have to count Bizzaro World as one of them. Basically, Johns and Donner are working at a distinct disadvantage when trying to sell me on this idea. Did they succeed? Once again I'll come down with an extremely non-committal "it's okay." Seriously, I know it could have been a lot worse, and I really can't think of any constructive ways to make it much better.

Thankfully they've taken the track of trying to bring some Modern Age sensibility to a old Silver Age concept, unlike Morrison in the All-Star series. Bizzaro world is a dank, gray place that is not the happy-go-lucky, carefree idiot utopia most commonly seen in the Silver Age. We don't learn much about how it came to be in this first issue, only that it exists and Bizzaro has imprisoned Johnathan Kent there. Clark spends most of his time on world in this first issue dealing with those little "cultural idiosyncrasies" of the local population, before getting into a smash up with Bizzaro.

Bizzaro and the world are mostly scripted in the "backwards talk" form, though I think it sliped into "simpleton" mode a few times for editorial convenience. Bizzaro is number one criminal, etc. Always gives me a headache, honestly. Leob's use of the character in Superman/Batman was almost infuriating sometimes, and Johns/Donner don't do much to improve my opinion of this character's particular linguistics.

My hope is that this plot will be a good way to all Clark some deeper reflection on his relationship with his father and how that differs slightly from his relationship with a giant floating holographic head. Remains to be seen, though, as there wasn't much of that in this issue.

Art by noted "Goon" artist Eric Powell fit the "Bizzaro" concept well. His mildly exaggerated art style captures the kind of twisted reality that encompasses Bizzaro world and the residents without sacrificing too much with the "normal" characters. I still prefer more realistic art styles, but I can certainly see why Powell was chosen for this arc. I presume he can also turn in work on time, as well, another stellar reason to choose him, I presume.

Well, even though I want to go back and rewrite this to be even more negative, I'll let it stand. Not really too bad for a heavily prejudiced review, I think. Then again, I could be biased...

Action Comics #854

posted by Tygrrius @ 6:24 PM

Action Comics #854 (DC Comics, M. October 2007 cover date)
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Brad Walker
Inker: Livesay
Cover: Brad Walker & Livesay

So, this time around, we get the third and final part of "3-2-1 Action!," the tale that started horribly but improved a bit in the middle act.

After an initial revelation that was all but mapped out in the last issue, the story progresses along by means of a framing device. Since the DC universe did not come to a halt at the end of Action #853, Jimmy catches Superman and the readers up on what occurred next.

The writing is still a bit amateurish for my taste, but it's a decent one-off tale. Krypto is back, so that scores a lot of points with me as a dog lover. Keep in mind, I loved the recent Underdog movie. Which, I gather, puts me in a very small minority.

Since the covers, art, and writing have all been a bit off in this arc, could it be that we're actually reading a comic book created by Jimmy? They're just missing the little note that says "Jimmy drew this." It would explain a lot. . . .

Anyway, with dog points added in, this one isn't too bad. Walker should stick to drawing Krypto and forget about Superman, though.

Honestly, I'm glad this one's over. Though the ending of the last Geoff Johns/Richard Donner arc has yet to be revealed, Action is moving on to their next arc, "Escape from Bizarro World." More than likely, this means your regularly scheduled JS will resume his reviewing duties on this title. Until my next fill-in, I'll catch you on the DVD aisle.

Story/Writing: 6 (out of 10)
Art: 6
Cover Art: 3
Overall Experience: 6 (out of 10)

August 22nd Comic RoundUp

posted by JediSheltie @ 7:22 PM

Superman 666

For those of you non-Christians, the number 666 is the "Number of the Beast." Perhaps all the Buddhist Superman fans were confused as to why this issue was double sized and featured a "Hell" theme. Just trying to do my part to foster understanding of Christan eschatology. It was also why Batman was heading off the Apocalypse two issues ago.

The #666 story itself is a bit of a one-shot, not figuring into any current arcs. As such, it has a relatively timeless feel. In a number of ways, actually. Most notably the way in which it recycles the possessed Superman storyline. I'm a little disappointed in Busiek, who's been turning in some great work recently. He even turned in a rather great story a few issues back that looked at the whole possession angle from a fresher perspective. Here it's back to a pretty common well.

Seems Krypton had a Hell, too. This one didn't have a chance to freeze over though, as it pretty much got blown to bits with the rest of the planet. The metaphysical implications here are pretty mind-blowing, but they aren't fodder for the story. We're only to note that not everything in Kryptonian Hell was killed when the planet went "boom." One little lesser demon makes it out and finally enacts a plan to take control of Krypton's last son. Boy, is he successful.

The possessed Superman does all the bad things you expect him to do. Granted, I was a bit amused when he popped Jimmy Olsen. Really, we all kind of want that from time to time. Luthor's death also qualifies as the most creative use of spit in comics recently, that's for sure. After completing an earthly rampage, Clark ends up in Earth Hell, ruler of all he surveys. Naturally, this isn't the status quo when the issue ends. Suffice to say, when one is vulnerable to magical forces, it helps to have friends who know a lot about magic.

The one part where the script shined was at the end, when Clark, his old self, points out to Hell's head honchos that he could basically ruin their entire millennium if he wanted to, and they didn't have a local snowball's chance of stopping him. He doesn't only because he knows it's an ultimately empty gesture, that Hell will still be there, and something else will just take over. I do enjoy seeing Clark assume an "I'm a complete bad-ass" demeanor from time to time, especially when it stems from him losing his temper a bit. I consider it a very humanizing characteristic.

Art was fine. Done by old hand Walt Simonson, it brought back memories of my first years reading Superman, post "Death." He was never my favorite artist, but he's "okay."

I think Camelot is finally going to "fall" next issue. The oft-interrupted, but still narratively pleasing, arc might finally be coming to a conclusion. We shall see.

Batman 668

This issue is second of a 3 part arc that sees Batman arriving on a reclusive billionaire's remote island to reunite with a very, very short-lived "super team" of the world's "other" Batmen. Before you go thinking there's a bunch of guys in knock-off bat costumes, don't worry, Morrison and artist J.H. Williams dig a little deeper. Based on a very old, Golden Age idea, this league of “Batmen of All Nations” is composed of very distinct members, very few of which actually wear costumes that have any relation to Batman's. They are all getting killed, though.

The Black Hand has shown up to spoil the party and, presumably, kill them all. It's a rather classic setup, one seen in a few different places. The protagonists are trapped on the island with a killer. They just happen to be superheroes, and one of them is Batman. The setup actually reminded me a bit of an old Avenger's episode. Should be interesting to see what the big reveal is at the end, but the mystery is compelling, even if the plot is well worn. Morrison is basically taking that well worn plot and shaping a very good Batman story around it.

Exposition on the other heroes is brief but deep enough to serve the purpose of the story. Hard to say what the clues are, as this isn't an episode of Columbo. Morrison evokes the rising tensions among a group of people who would otherwise be considered "fearless crime fighters." Bruce Wayne remains the coolest cucumber in the room, of course. This is a Batman-as-detective yarn, less a superhero tale of the kind Morrison is more well known for. He certainly shows no signs of being out of his depth, though.

Art is handled by J.H. Williams III, who turns in a excellent, stylish performance that suits the story very well. The use of the black hand in large splash panels to define the page structure is an excellent way to communicate the character's guiding of the events unfolding. Tension filled faces and dark rooms abound, providing a perfect accompaniment to the dark script. All in all a very good arc for Morrison.

Action Comics #853

posted by Tygrrius @ 9:31 PM

Action Comics #853 (DC Comics, October 2007 cover date)
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Brad Walker
Inker: Livesay
Cover: Brad Walker & Livesay

Tygrrius here and I'm about to review Action Comics #853, so hit the deck!

Yes, I pretty much hated the last issue, so much so in fact that JS had to mop clean-up behind me for a change. So, I can't say I was exactly looking forward to Part 2 of "3-2-1 Action!"

In fact, when this issue was a bit delayed arriving at my doorstep, I initially took it as a benevolent gift from the DC gods that perhaps this one got lost in the mail.

No such luck. Fortunately, though, this installment isn't nearly as bad as last time. Perhaps I was more prepared for Superman merely making a guest appearance in what is actually a Jimmy Olsen story.

Considering how poorly Superman is drawn and written in this story arc, I'd just as soon he appear as little as possible. Walker just doesn't have a handle on Clark yet, whether dressed as the reporter or the superhero. To be fair here, I will point out that Walker's non-Superman art looks decent enough, and the colors (Pantazis & Loughridge) are vibrant and near-perfect.

The Jimmy as superhero story moves along fairly well, though. It's only when the story gets bogged down with the Kryptonite Man and his monkey that readers begin to suffer. Most of the issue is fun, and the surprise ending on the last frame of the last page actually makes me look forward to Part 3. Considering where I was at the end of Part 1, that's quite an accomplishment.

Story/Writing: 5 (out of 10)
Art: 6
Cover Art: 4
Overall Experience: 5 (out of 10)

The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection DVD set

posted by Tygrrius @ 1:31 PM

The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection (8 DVDs)

Are you afraid of the massive 14-DVD Superman: The Ultimate Collector's Edition set? Are you a fan of the Christopher Reeve Superman movies but not so sure about this Brandon Routh guy? Then the 8-DVD Christopher Reeve Superman Collection is marketed at you.

The real question here is, though, should you buy this set over its bigger brother? Let's find out. Click on the links to view my individual reviews for each disc.

Discs 1-4
Superman: Special Edition
(Overall: 10 out of 10)

Discs 5 & 6
Superman II: Special Edition
(Overall: 9)

Disc 7
Superman III: Deluxe Edition
(Overall: 7)

Disc 8
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace-Deluxe Edition
(Overall: 5)

* * *

Since I am also a fan of Brandon Routh's performance in Superman Returns, this set is really not aimed at me. However, I am definitely a huge fan of Christopher Reeve. He defined "Superman" for my generation, and inspired countless others by his own life.

The 8-DVD Reeve set costs about 30% less than the 14-DVD Ultimate set. In addition to all material covered by the Reeve set, the Ultimate set also offers the following:

· Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
· Superman Returns: Special Edition (2 disc version)
· Look, Up In The Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman
· You Will Believe: The Making of a Saga
· Bryan Singer's Video Journals

If you are a Reeve-only fan, you will also need to purchase Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut separately. Now, instead of 30% less than the Ultimate set, you're now at only 6% less.

Yet, you're still not done shopping. You'll also need to pick up Look, Up In The Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman, the essential Superman documentary that focuses extensively on the Reeve films and includes a moving tribute to him.

Now, your 6% savings by not buying the Ultimate set has been wiped out. For your 10 DVDs, you're now paying nearly 10% more than you would have for the 14-DVD Ultimate set.

Yet you're still missing You Will Believe: The Making of a Saga, which is only available on the Ultimate set and cannot be bought separately. It contains a new, 90-minute documentary focused solely on the making of the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, a 20-minute tribute to Reeve, and other extras.

Plus, I'd still have to recommend you at least obtain the one-disc version of Superman Returns. Did you really give it a chance the first time around? The film itself is basically a tribute to Christopher Reeve and Richard Donner, and is dedicated to Dana & Christopher Reeve. As a Reeve fan, you should own it.

In the end, the numbers just don't add up. The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection falls short compared to Superman: The Ultimate Collector's Edition. Even if you don't plan to watch the Superman Returns material on the Ultimate set, you will still save money over buying the remaining essential Reeve material separately.

Features: 9 (out of 10)
Video Quality: 10
Audio Quality: 9
Bonus Features: 9
Overall Experience: 9

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

Superman: The Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD set

posted by Tygrrius @ 5:15 AM

Superman: The Ultimate Collector's Edition (14 DVDs)

It's taken me nine months, but I've finally made it to the end of Superman: The Ultimate Collector's Edition. I have watched every movie, every feature, and listened to every commentary in the big silver tin. Just about the only thing I didn't do was listen to the non-English audio tracks.

Does this set live up to its name? Well, let's find out. Click on the links to view my individual reviews for each disc.

Discs 1-4
Superman: Special Edition
(Overall: 10 out of 10)

Discs 5 & 7
Superman II: Special Edition
(Overall: 9)

Disc 6
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
(Overall: 10)

Disc 8
Superman III: Deluxe Edition
(Overall: 7)

Disc 9
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace-Deluxe Edition
(Overall: 5)

Discs 10 & 11
Superman Returns: Special Edition
(Overall: 10)

Disc 12
Look, Up In The Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman
(Overall: 9)

Disc 13 (Bonus)
You Will Believe: The Making of a Saga
(Overall: 7)

Disc 14 (Bonus)
Bryan Singer's Video Journals
(Overall: 8)

Other bonus items
Superman: Rampage comic book (Overall: 4)
Full-sized, theatrical one-sheet posters for the first five (1978-2006) Superman movies [mail-in offer, pay only $5.80 for shipping]

The verdict
Simply put, Warner Home Video has assembled the best DVD collection I've ever purchased. Paramount and Lucasfilm, pay attention for your next Star Trek and Star Wars efforts. This is how you do an ultimate boxed set. You release the highest quality versions of the theatrical versions of the films and alternate cuts, pack the discs with bonus features including vintage specials, throw in some non-DVD extras, and release it all at an affordable price.

The only Superman-related movies missing from this set are the 1948 and 1950 theatrical serials starring Kirk Alyn, 1984's Supergirl starring Helen Slater, and (this is a stretch) 1997's Steel starring Shaquille O'Neal. The Superman serials and Supergirl are currently available on DVD. As for Steel, the odds are it will eventually surface. Whether or not that's a good thing, I'll leave up to you.

Superman: The Ultimate Collector's Edition was so successful that it sold out in most areas within a month. After a second pressing, it is now back in stories. If you're a Superman fan, be sure not to miss this one.

Features: 9 (out of 10)
Video Quality: 10
Audio Quality: 9
Bonus Features: 10
Overall Experience: 10

Superman II: Special Edition DVD

posted by Tygrrius @ 9:00 PM

Superman II: Special Edition
The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection, Discs 5 & 6
Superman: The Ultimate Collector's Edition, Discs 5 & 7

This marks my 50th review here on The Film Frontier, most of them within the last year or so. JS is closing in and will soon surpass me, though. Up this time is Superman II: Special Edition.

Most of the drama of Superman II, of course, occurred behind-the-scenes. The Salkinds tapped Richard Lester to replace Superman director Richard Donner, and there's been controversy ever since.

Having listened to various tellings of the Donner vs. Salkinds/Lester story on Superman: Special Edition, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, this Superman II: Special Edition release, and various other places, all I can say is, enough already. Can't we just watch the movie(s)? I really don't care anymore whose fault it was. The fact is, it happened. Move on with your lives.

As far as the movie goes, this theatrical version of Superman II benefits from being a completed film, while The Richard Donner Cut had to make some necessary compromises. Which is better?

It's still hard to say. My heart wants to go with the Donner version, but is it really the promise, the idea of the Donner version that I love, rather than the rough cut seen on that DVD?

No matter which version you prefer, the theatrical/Lester version of Superman II holds up well. Minus the controversy, it was fun to watch it once again.

Lots of bonus features on this Special Edition. Only one deleted scene, though. Shot by Lester, it explains a comment made by Donner on Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut commentary (that's what I get for watching that one first). The Donner Cut itself, of course, includes a number of once deleted scenes, as well as additional deleted scenes available separately on the disc.

Other bonus features on the Special Edition include the vintage Making of Superman II television special, which unfortunately runs slightly too slow, effectively deepening everyone's voice. In fact, I'd say that Christopher Reeve actually sounds a bit more "Super" with a deeper voice. It's not too annoying, though, and certainly isn't worthy of a recall on the part of Warner Home Video as some have called for. It's just a bonus feature, folks, and it's more than watchable.

I remember hating the Superman 50th Anniversary television special when it originally aired. Nearly twenty years later, watching it on DVD, I still hate it. Though I now, at least, recognize host Dana Carvey. Lots of other SNL cast members also appear. But the special just isn't as funny as it thinks it is. Think SNL on a bad season. A really bad season.

The highlight of the bonus features are a new documentary, First Flight: The Fleischer Superman Series and the remaining eight Famous Studios Superman movie cartoons from the 1940's, which are influenced greatly by the still-in-progress World War II.

Many of the key Superman features we take for granted, including flying instead of leaping, were actually established by this cartoon series. The popularity of these cartoons forced the comics to follow along and make Superman fly. So much for being the one, true record of Clark's adventures. I love seeing how the various Superman incarnations on various forms of media inspire one another.

Executive Producer Ilya Salkind and Producer Pierre Spengler provide the commentary track for the film. Considering the beaten given to them by Richard Donner and Tom Mankiewicz in the expanded Superman and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut commentary tracks, it's only fair that they respond.

Though I enjoyed Salkind on Superman and Superman III, I found his ramblings on this one to be tiresome. For example, I just don't care to hear his insight on the phrase "worked like dogs" (which he uses in reference to those involved on the first film) which he questions since he's never seen dogs work very hard, except police dogs.

Forget the commentary and controversy. Just watch the movie and the cartoons. They're still terrific.

Movie: 9 (out of 10)
Video Quality: 10
Audio Quality: 9
Bonus Features: 8
Overall Experience: 9

Aug 1st RoundUp

posted by JediSheltie @ 7:40 PM

Well, in light of the founder horning in on my “action,” literally, I'll toss out my thoughts on the whole fill-in thing by pulling up Action from last month along with my reasonably common take on the Maid of Might.

Supergirl 20

Friggin' finally. Though I still think Sean McKeever will take over on this title, at least new author Tony Bedard is getting us a little more towards a superhero comic. In fact, punches are thrown in the real world, not an kind of imaginary hallucinogenic fake test world. Anyway, I digress. Kelley is gone and it looks like the scales are tipping back towards pasty white guy from teenage girl. Being a pasty white guy, I'm pleased.

This is not to say I wasn't slightly concerned. The upshot of the grueling mess we just left behind was Kara's brief reconciliation with Clark. I was thinking that was really great timing to be dumping the whole "oopsie" with Air Force One. Turns out this was handled fairly masterfully by Bedard's script, where in lessons are learned in the field and not merely preached by a stuffy ole "big brother". That's a role that Clark is always in danger of filling in this title, and it's good he's managed to avoid it so long.

Picking up where the last issue of Amazon's Attack left off, Kara and Cassie (Wonder Girl) learn that the nuances of wartime relations are bit beyond their earnest efforts to stop the conflict. Certainly reasonable to assume that 2 teenage girls might think the idea of kidnapping the President of the United States to take him to parlay with the foe (to whom they have a certain sympathy). We've already learned the Amazons intervene in their attempt, and their kidnapping mission turns into a rescue mission as Air Force One goes down.

Kara flies off, heading back to the war zone that is Washington DC, particularly mortified at what happened. She quickly finds herself in the thick of battle with a very large, very magical ogre. (I wonder if the ogres are female too? I mean, that would be kind of hypocritical if all the Amazons' little battle beasts weren't girls too, right?) She receives both help and some enlightenment from a local man who is engaged in a civilian rescue. His connections to someone who might have just died on Air Force One give him a strong reason to doubt Kara's actions.

As the dust clears, Kara's a little older and a lot wiser. Bedard manages to cram more "development" into a single issue than Kelly did for six or seven. I mentioned I was highly psyched about Renato Guedes having art chores, and he did not disappoint. Beautiful renderings of both expression and action from cover to cover. Guedes allows Kara to "bulk up" a little from past artists' renderings. He captures the emotions she experiences, from anger and frustration to remorse and sorrow, beautifully.

This is a good new start. Bedard's Kara comes off as a well-rounded character. She is young and learning, and not so completely self-possessed and petulant as she has been. She'll carry this memory with her through her super heroine career and be the better for it.

Action 852

After Tygrrius' vitriolic rant about this issue, I suppose I'll chip in with my accurately appraised 2 cents. My experience is a bit different from his, in that Action is the sole comic to which he subscribes on a monthly basis. Hopefully you can, as I do, sympathize with the fact that he signed on to Action expecting one thing, and has, very surely, been given another- a variety of different "anothers," in fact.

Though I'm no fan of them, I've reached a kind of "zen" about comic delays. It's a dirty fact of life about the industry as a whole, and neither of the big 2 are immune from it. Ultimately, I just have to roll with it. In certain (okay, most) circumstances, I buy comics because I consider them to be the "official" record of what the "real" character is doing. Thus, I want to know what Superman is up to these days, so I buy Superman comics.

That means I'm not really prone to the whole "drop because story/art sucks, there's too much delay, I don't like the creative direction, etc. etc. etc." excuses.

As Action is Tygrrius' only comic, and he signed on specifically expecting at least a years worth of Superman stories from the Johns/Donner creative team, then he has a right to feel pissed off. He sure hasn't gotten what he bargained for.

I will pick one nit with his accusations. The nature of the Jimmy Olsen stories as "event tie-in" is true, but the back-up stories themselves weren't planned from anything I've seen. Thanks to a certain guy who shall remain nameless (Adam Kubert), the flagship of DC Comics has been lagging a bit in the ole issue number department. This is basically an attempt to get the numbers back to where they should be. Yes, they used it as excuse to run a Countdown tie-in, but it could have been anything, not just this so called “marketing stunt.”

Hey... I work in marketing...

It seems the initial plan was to have Johns/Donner/Kubert team turning out 1 issue a month for at least a year, just like Tygrrius expected and signed on for. That just didn't happen, so the fill-ins arrive, because Action needs to keep the numbers up.

So, we have an issue where Jimmy Olsen, who has now has the ability to randomly manifest the various and sundry random powers he was granted throughout the Silver Age, develops his new "Mr. Action" personae. We also learn how Jimmy came about his signal watch in a flashback sequence. Busiek's script stood up, even though it's primarily a Jimmy Olsen story. I credit his writing skills with keeping me even slightly interested in the character. Art, as Tygrrius pointed out, was not particularly grand. This guy is no Renato Guedes, basically.

I'd bump most of his grades up by 3 or 4 for this issue, except art, in my "zen" state of mind.

Action Comics #852

posted by Tygrrius @ 5:30 AM

Action Comics #852 (DC Comics, September 2007 cover date)
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Penciller: Brad Walker
Inker: John Livesay
Cover: Brad Walker & John Livesay

Warning: This is not really so much a review as it is a quick rant.

A few days after renewing my Action subscription, based solely on the promising look of Gary Frank's art and the hope that the Geoff Johns/Richard Donner stories will soon become the focus of the title, issue #852 arrived in the mail. It's a good thing I already sent my money to DC. This one would've made me think twice.

This issue ties in with DC's Countdown #42. DC seems to be on a countdown trip over the last few years. And what are we counting down to this time? Why, it's yet another Crisis of course. I suppose "events" are the only way to tip the scales a bit as far as comic book sales and DC will be forever chasing former glories. They are looking around for people to kill in order to boost sales.

Unfortunately, I bought into Action Comics last year expecting to see Clark Kent/Superman as the main character. I wasn't subscribing to Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, after all, but that's exactly what we get here.

Mind you, I've got nothing against Jimmy. He's a supporting character, and I can normally take him or leave him. He's like Sulu on Star Trek. It's fine if he's there, but if he's missing in an episode or movie, I don't really notice.

I don't want to see a Sulu episode, though, nor do I want to see a Sulu movie. The same goes for Jimmy. This issue is a Jimmy story, and not even a very good one at that. The worst part is, this story is apparently part one of three.

So not only has DC's latest marketing stunt hijacked this issue of Action, but it's also hijacking at least two more. I shouldn't complain too much about the lack of Superman in this issue, though. As poorly as he is depicted by Brad Walker, I would just as soon he not show up at all.

And, hey, DC, I really don't care about the monkey. Nor your Countdown. Nor the conclusion of this piece of junk. Save that for the annual and let me have the rest of the story I signed on to read.

Story/Writing: 3 (out of 10)
Art: 2
Cover Art: 2
Overall Experience: 2 (out of 10)

July 25th Comic RoundUp

posted by JediSheltie @ 9:04 PM

Superman and Batman? Hey, isn't that a comic?

Superman 665

I believe I've briefly mentioned that I'm not huge Jimmy Olsen fan here. Well, leave it to Kurt Busiek to make Jimmy bearable. In an issue that, artistically both inside and out, evokes a Silver Age feel, we learn about the "origin" of Jimmy Olsen. The narration is Clark's, but there's no indication of when he's narrating from. It simply jumps in with Jimmy as a paper-boy (literally) on the street corner, hocking the Daily Planet.

Jimmy impresses his future Chief enough that Perry White sends Clark off to get some more info on the boy. Clark is slightly distracted by the high-tech weapons funneling into the city from an unknown source, but makes short work of the assignment with the help of one of his least flexed super-senses... smell. It's a credit to Busiek that none of this seems particularly corny. In fact, Clark using is superhuman olfactory senses to find the boy shows an intelligent character who knows how to use his powers judiciously.

Lesser authors probably would have gone with the ole "fly around with x-ray vision" trick.

Busiek is impressing me with his characterization of Clark. I personally find it spot-on. The development of Jimmy's past and how Clark reacts, in become his "pal" is handled well. This still doesn't make Jimmy my favorite Superman "family member", but I'm a little more understanding of the "pal" relationship.

Art here, by Rick Leonardi and Ande Parks, evokes a Silver Age feel, with broad lines and a little sacrifice of detail. Oddly the first page contains a strange error with the front page of the Planet bereft of what the reader assumes was to be a large photo. The self-referential 'meta' cover also evokes a Silver Age feel. Like Jimmy, the Silver Age has some things I don't really care for anymore, but Busiek wrote a throughly modern story in Silver Age dressing.

Batman 666

From the past to the future. Or "a" future, what with all our mulitverses going on.

Grant Morrison brings us a vision of the future, as the Batman battles to stop the Apocalypse. At least, he battles to stop someone who thinks he about to unleash the Apocalypse in Gotham. What's interesting about the story is that it's never directly revealed if this was the "really-and-for-sure" Apocalypse or if it was just the insane ramblings of yet another wacko with his own Batsuit.

In this future, Damien Wayne is Batman, trying to continue his father's legacy the only way he knows how. Morrison and Kubert (the other one, the one who can draw... slightly faster) get to update the suit, Alfred, and the city somewhat, but don't fall into the trap of just filling in updated versions of current Bat-baddies as the main villain's henchmen. They loose off a whole set of original wackos who look to be fresh out of Arkham, and not just "Joker 2.0".

Damien, as we learn in a quick flashback sequence at the start, was a trained assassin, and is a little harder on his foes that dad was. Commissioner Gordon, who is exactly who you think she is, doesn't much care for this version, even if his carrying on dad's work. Damien confronts his foe, the Armageddon-obsessed version of the Batman Morrison referenced only a couple issues ago, atop a soaring skyscraper. Damien isn't his daddy, and doesn't mind "cheating" to win, just as he doesn't mind spilling some blood in the pursuit of his goals.

For what is basically a one-shot issue, it was well done. The version of Damien Morrison presents is quite believable. He doesn't grow up to become the same Batman as his father. He skills and abilities are of a different sort, and so is his outlook. Andy Kubert's bloody portrayal of Damien's methods fits the book well. Though if you're prone to whine about the current "ultra-violent" state of DC comics, then this is just another log on the fire for you. I can stomach a little red ink here and there, so it doesn't bother me, and was definitely necessary to the character.

Morrison is now tapped to bring us the 3rd Act: Final Crisis. No doubt Batman will figure heavily in it, as will all of the "Trinity" and the expanded "big 5", at least according to the poster. I know Countdown is a little rocky, but honestly I'm already psyched for the next big event.

Yeah, I'm a sucker.

July 11th Comic RoundUp

posted by JediSheltie @ 12:16 AM

Hey, didn't I already write something last week? You know, it's funny, part of the reason I was put on "news alert" for that week was the half-hearted expectation that the Trek cast would be revealed. Didn't work out that way, apparently. Though additional irony points for a bit of casting news actually coming through...

Superman 664

Camelot has been falling, off-and-on, for a while now. It's strange, I remember seeing solicits months ago for the "shocking conclusion" of Camelot Falls. Now I see the same language in solicits for months from now. I'm honestly not sure if the problems with Action are somehow responsible for the sputtering pacing of this story. After all, bits that didn't appear to tie in have slowly been winding their way back. Like the Prankster issue. Not exactly sure why Busiek is attempting to revive the career of a Toyman also-ran, but at least he's contributing to the main arc.

Now that I've pointlessly complained about the story pacing, I'll say this was one of the best installments so far. Kicking off Camelot Falls with the "imaginary future" story was a little shaky. Especially as it casually tossed in a "death of Superman" angle so soon after a major crossover event just finished with the appropriate "happily-ever-afters."

That is the ultimate point of this arc, though. There just aren't any happily-ever-afters in the DCU. Something bigger is always on the horizon, and if you're guy prone to flying around in his underwear, you're going to be in the middle of it. Arion the Sorcerer considers that a problem, and is setting out to cause an unscheduled great disaster to let off a little of that pent-up pan-mulitversal steam which he believes threatens to just blow the whole thing all to heck.

Clark decides the decimation of the human race isn't on the agenda for today and sets about stopping him. Arion, being a magic user, isn't a pushover, and goes pretty quickly for the mental throat. That's really what makes this issue. Busiek deals with the whole "mind control" threat head on, with interesting consequences. Does Clark fight it off? Not really a spoiler to say he does. What happens after is where Busiek's script shines.

Camelot Falls is shaping to be a kind of meta-reflection on Superman and his place in the DCU. The central premise is the theory Clark's constant "day saving" is actually making things worse. We've seen him wonder if that's really the case, and decide he can't accept it. Now Clark is shown how the world is simply ready to flip him from the hero to villain column at a moment's notice. Busiek is doing good work, even if the story has been a bit decompressed over so many issues.

Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen

More non-DC. I know, fascinating.

I lost track of the release date for this, and when I realized it was "the day", I went to the shop praying they'd bothered to order some copies, much less have some left. I believe I walked out with the last one, so the day was saved, as they say. As I haven't done one of those "full disclosure" lines in a while, I'll toss in that I'm a rabid fan of the Colbert Report.

That being said, turning an original recurring joke of Stephen's unpublished manuscript (Stephen Colbert’s Alpha Squad 7: Lady Nocturne: A Tek Jansen Adventure) into an animated segment and now into something that actually is published wasn't really surprising. Granted, this is probably the first time in the history of comics that a title is a “spin-off” of a late night Comedy Central pundit parody show. To be honest, the animated Tek Jansen shorts on the show aren't one of my favorites, but they are ripe for comic fodder nonetheless.

I also give the show's writers all due credit for putting a parody reference to Shatner's “other” science fiction epic in the title.

The comic itself is one main story with a back up. For those wondering, the art does not follow the “anime” inspired take seen in the Report's animated segments. They let the artists do their own takes, which is fine with me and allows the material to breathe a little beyond its roots.

The first story, “Invasion of the Optiklons,” follows a fairly standard space epic parody beat. In fact, the portrayal of Tek Jansen in this story reminded me a bit of the Duck Dodgers character from the recent Duck Dodgers toon. (Which had a bit of DCU connection itself.) Tek is a self-possessed bumbler who always knows what's right, even when it is clearly not. It appears this will be the main story arc of the series 6 issue run, which is a little disappointing in its one-note presentation.

The backup story, the self-contained “Horn Like Me”, is more in line with the political parody roots of the Colbert Report from which the comic spawned, though in an agreeably subtle fashion. Here Tek is still the dashing, self-possessed space hero, but he does manage to complete his mission. All too well, as it turns out. His mission of planetary reconciliat