Memorable Night, Forgettable Book: Review of Batman: The Wedding (2018)

Review:

As a writer, Tom King evokes a love-or-hate reaction in fans. His stories often take big, audacious swings and, like the baseball slugger, the result can be a grand slam or a strikeout. In this trade paperback book, we have a mixed bag in its four distinct stories. The two standalone ones are home runs. The other two multi-part tales? Not so much.

"Your Big Day" is the first home run, a short tale from DC Nation #0. It was also included in the Preludes to the Wedding collection and, as I said in reviewing that book, it is a darkly funny, twisted delight. King does a great job building tension through growing threats, both implied and real, dad jokes and the mundane act of waiting for the mail delivery. Will the Joker receive his invitation to the wedding? what will happen to his hostage if he does not? An excellent little tale!

The other big success is the title tale, The Wedding itself from Batman #50. After two years of build-up, since the proposal in Batman #24, the happy day has finally arrived, and what a joy it is! 

Pages alternate between the approaching ceremony (collecting the best man, the maid of honour and the justice of the peace) and interstitial pinups of Batman and Catwoman by more than two dozen guest artists. Many of these pages are poster-worthy and highlight the artist's own unique style and perspective of the happy couple. Frank Miller's, for example, is immediately recognizable to anyone who read Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Amanda Connor's echoes the fun frivolity she became known for during her run on Harley Quinn. And so many more!

Tom King's story itself is brilliantly structured as an interplay between two love letters between the couple. This is a delightful read, filled with tasty visuals.

Sadly, the other two tales in the collection are bad-King; the three-part The Gift with Booster Gold and the two-part The Best Man story with the Joker are horrendous fails.

In The Gift, the time-travelling hero Booster Gold, self-proclaimed "greatest hero you've never heard of" and caretaker of the health of the time stream mucks things up over three issues. He decides that the best possible gift for the happy couple is to tinker with history so that Bruce Wayne can spend some time with his long-ago murdered parents. Except things do not go as planned and it takes him two years to put things right again. But, along the way, that timeline's Batman (hint: not Bruce Wayne) is killed and Bruce himself commits on-panel suicide. Booster is so far out of character (and he is not the only one) that his fans rate these as some of the worst Booster Gold appearances ever. A very frustrating and disappointing story arc.

In the two-part The Best Man, the Joker goes on a killing spree at a wedding, not Batman's but another random one. In the resulting battle, he winds up very nearly killing Batman, leading to a grand showdown with Catwoman which leaves both her and the Joker mortally wounded. The growing tension is apparently intended to be based on which of them will bleed out first? It is a super-slow moving, dark and morbid but ultimately ridiculous tale. Even the attempted levity of the two dying villains gossiping about the other rogues fails to land.

Tom King continues to swing big, but this collection is a lot more miss than hit. The fantastic first and last stories slightly salvage an otherwise deeply awful collection.

Description:

Batman and Catwoman are about to have the wedding of the century... or are they? For these star-crossed crime-fighters, nothing ever comes easy.

As Bruce and Selina prepare to tie the knot, the time-traveling hero called Booster Gold crashes the party with a dangerous and deadly mission that will send them hurtling through the space-time continuum--and threaten to rip it all apart.

And though Gotham City's greatest couple is ready to elope in order to escape their enemies, Batman's greatest nemesis is not about to hold his peace. The Joker intends to make himself the Dark Knight's best man--and wherever the Clown Prince of Crime goes, chaos is sure to follow.

The stage is set for an event that will change the lives of two of comics' most iconic characters forever!

You are cordially invited to attend Batman Vol. 7: The Wedding. Featuring the union of acclaimed writer Tom King (Mister Miracle) and Bat-artists Tony S. Daniel (Deathstroke) and Mikel Janín (Grayson), with a host of comics' most talented artists on the guest list! Collects stories from Batman #45-50 and DC Nation #0.

Collects: Batman #45-50 and DC Nation #0

Authors:  Tom King
Artists:  Mikel Janin, Tony S. Daniel
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Oct. 30, 2018
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401283384
Pages:  176 pages

Parties and Invitations: Review of Batman: Preludes to the Wedding

Review:

The days before a wedding are so busy, fille with countless tasks and decisions, parties and preparations. Now imagine how much more complicated it must be for a pair of celebrity costumed characters with secret identities to protect. And so few people to ask for help.

This book collects all the one-shot prelude comics. All are written by Tim Seely and include Robin vs. Ra's al Ghul, Nightwing vs. Hush, Batgirl vs. Riddler, Red Hood vs. Anarky and Harley Quinn vs. The Joker. From Bachelor and Bachelorette parties to the Joker's obsession with his (lack of) invitation to the nuptials (most visible in the DC Nation story by Tom King that leads off the collection), Seely gives us some intense interaction between key people in Batman and Catwoman's circle.

An extreme close-up of the Joker peering through a mail slot kicks off this book, the full-page splash for DC Nation #0. In this prelude to the Preludes, King gives us a darkly funny short tale of the Joker holding hostage a man while they eagerly await the day's mail delivery. The mail must - MUST - contain an invitation for the Joker. Filled with Dad-jokes and twisted humour, this tale does not end happily but it is a joy to read. Clay Mann's clean, straight-forward art is a nice nod to the history of these characters.

The Robin vs Ra's al Ghul tale is highlighted by a sweet bonding moment between Damian and Selina. Beyond that, though, this is a violent, trippy guilty pleasure of a tale. Cheeky, arrogantly over-confident Damian must battle some of al Ghul's assassins, and the man himself, despite being buzzed by some psychedelic drugs they slipped into him.

The Nightwing vs Hush tale begins with a costumed bachelor party at the classy (?) Bat Burger diner. An accidental trip through a portal leaves Nightwing and Hush trapped in a Negative Zero dimension, trying to avoid an army of "Gone Men." The dark horror-inspired aspects and apparent death of Hush fail to overcome the otherwise elevated levels of silliness in this one.

Batgirl takes on the Riddler to solve a series of increasingly high-stakes riddles and battles. In a clever device, the Riddler never speaks directly, only via cassette tape. This Prelude is the best of the bunch. Artist Minkyu Jung faithfully portrays the increasingly beat-up face of Batgirl as the long, hard night continues and she battles hench-people, including fishnet-stockinged Riddlerettes. Is this a Wedding Prelude? Maybe a little. But it is a lot of fun.

If the Bachelor party happened in Nightwing vs Hush, the Bachelorette party appears in the Red Hood vs Anarky prelude. Red Hood has been assigned a rather paternalistic role of supervising the ladies as they party. Of all these Prelude tales, this is the only one to hint at something larger going on, outside of the Epilogues. Not that anything comes of it, but there is the clear sense that someone is behind all these attacks. The tension between the beautiful partying people is also a palpable wrinkle that Seely handles well.

The final prelude is Harley Quinn vs the Joker. It has a wonderful series of nods to the classic Death Traps of earlier comics eras, especially the Silver Age and the 1960s TV series. My personal favourite is Harley's attempt to drown Mistah J in pudding - an instant classic! Unfortunately, this tale does not have much else going for it. The tensions between former lovers and silliness in the plot are too much at odds and this one fails to land.

In all, this collection of Preludes to the Wedding is a mixed bag, leaning more toward uninspiring but saved somewhat by the opening DC Nation story and the Batgirl vs the Riddler tales. We give it 3 capes out of five.

Description:

You are cordially invited...

Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle are about to tie the knot, uniting two of Gotham's greatest vigilantes in the wedding of the century. But the city's deadliest villains are determined to crash the party, and only Batman and Catwoman's closest allies stand in their way!

Robin vs. Ra's al Ghul: It's grandson versus grandfather as the son of the Bat faces the head of the Demon in a fatal family feud!

Nightwing vs. Hush: Batman's original partner turned best man squares off against Bruce Wayne's oldest friend turned bitterest enemy!

Batgirl vs. the Riddler: Two of Gotham City's greatest minds clash as the one-time Oracle and the overlord of Zero Year launch a war of wits!

Red Hood vs. Anarky: Agents of chaos collide in a battle between the Dark Knight's rogue Robin and the underworld's most unpredictable mastermind!

Harley Quinn vs. The Joker: Once upon a time, they too might have said, "I do." Now the Clown Prince of Crime and the Mistress of Mayhem are at each other's throats, with all nine of Catwoman's lives hanging in the balance!

Writer Tim Seeley and an all-star wedding band of artists proudly present Batman: Preludes to the Wedding, a killer collection of action-packed matrimonial madness that will help determine the fate of comics' greatest couple!

Collects: Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Robin vs. Ra's al Ghul, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Batgirl vs. Riddler, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Red Hood vs. Anarky, Batman: Prelude to the Wedding: Harley Quinn vs. The Joker, DC Nation #0 and #2

Authors:  Tim Seeley, Tom King
Artists:  Brad Walker, Travis Moore, & more
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Sept. 11, 2018
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401286545
Pages:  144 pages

Strong Women in his Life: Review of Batman volume 6: Bride or Burglar

Review:

In his long, 80+ year history, Batman's tales have had many different flavours. At times campy and silly, other times dark, violent, brooding. Sometimes packed with action, occasionally filled with pensive, introspective analysis. From battling thugs in alleys to space-faring extra-terrestrial adventures.

This collection is decidedly on the mystical, numinous end of the spectrum and is all the more remarkable for the prominent women throughout. 

Catwoman's presence is a given, as these stories are part of the run-up to the 2018 wedding of the Bat and the Cat. But for two chapters, they are separated while Batman spends decades battling a never-ending horde of monsters alongside Wonder Woman. The setup is that the Gentle Man, who has sworn to battle those same hordes for all eternity, needs a break. Batman and Wonder Woman make good on a past promise to give him a day off. But time moves differently in that mystical land and thirty years pass for them while the Gentle Man takes his time visiting family for an evening.

The setup is reminiscent of Marvel's 2011 storyline leading to the death of the Human Torch, who sacrificed himself to stop a horde in the billions from passing through the portal into our universe (see my review here). But while it is clear why Johnny Storm battles those hordes; in the Gentle Man's tale it is not clear what Batman and Wonder Woman are protecting and why they must do battle for these many decades. It is the one, rather large, plot flaw in this otherwise fantastically plotted and imaginatively unique Batman tale.

Poison Ivy stars in the next three chapters, as Batman and Catwoman are apparently the only people in the whole world not under her control. To save the world, all of Nature and the Green, she has extended her ability to control people chemically in shocking new ways. She makes brilliant use of Justice League members in order to keep tabs on the pair. And yet, they are clearly not themselves: Catwoman easily takes out three Flashes, while Batman knocks out Superman with a whistle - hilarious!

Ivy's actions, however, have only superficially controlled Harley Quinn, which Batman manages to use to break through. It spins into a tale with a lot of conversation about human hurt, brokenness and healing. The result is an at-times gripping and fun if slow-moving therapy session of a tale.

These two centrepieces are bookended by standalone tales, the first much in line with classic Detective Comics tales requiring Batman to solve a confusing chain of murders. The final standalone tale that closes this collection shows us how Catwoman shops for her wedding dress. In her own, inimitable style, of course! With awesome insertions of historical Catwoman outfits, this final tale is a balance between sleepy and fast-paced, with a light and humourous tone throughout.

As the wedding day draws nearer, this collection gives us some delightfully off the wall tales of the Bat and the Cat. 4 capes!

Description:

The path to the altar has never been so dangerous!

Not long after Batman announces his engagement to Catwoman, he and Wonder Woman are called to honor an old commitment requiring them to fight for Earth in a distant, magical realm. But time flows strangely in this new land, and an hour in our world could be years there. The storied friendship between two great heroes begins to unravel--while the universe itself does the same around them!

Next, the Bat and the Cat find themselves isolated as Poison Ivy seemingly takes over the rest of the world, including the Justice League! Can they nip Ivy's plans in the bud before the whole world falls under her dominion? After all, there's still a wedding to plan...

The big day approaches in these stories from Batman #38-44, from author Tom King (Mister Miracle) and artists Mikel Janín (Grayson), Joëlle Jones (Supergirl: Being Super) and Travis Moore (Fables: The Wolf Among Us).

Collects: Batman #38-44

Authors:  Tom King
Artists:  Mikel Janin, Tony S. Daniel
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  July 31, 2018
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401280277
Pages:  168 pages

Fatherhood's Complications - Review of Superman: Booster Shot (2018)

Review:

Action Comics published issue #1000 in 2018, a landmark milestone, the first DC title to hit four digits.

Interesting trivia: Detective Comics is actually older than Action Comics, but it fell behind in its numbering when Action Comics switched to a weekly schedule for several months in the late 1980s.

This book collects the all-important run-up to the big #1000 - reprinting issues #993 to 999. And who better to set the table for that celebration than Dan Jurgens? He knows the Superman cast of characters inside and out, having written various Superman books for years, most notably with the Death of Superman arc that introduced us to Doomsday.

Jurgens delves deep into Superman's classic origin story and set of villains, giving us a multi-part tale with several twists on General Zod and on Superman's father, Jor-El. Superman travels back in time to the destruction of Krypton to try and confirm rumours that his father survived. But doing so fragments the time stream, and DC's spandex-wearing Time Master, Booster Gold, gets involved to put things right.

In the hands of Dan Jurgens, these characters are pitch perfect. Booster, whom Jurgens created in the mid 1980s and has returned to several times over the years, is as cocky, humourous and self-promoting as ever. But here he is well balanced by his new Time Master role and its constraints and responsibilities. He is comfortable in his skin, correcting and guiding Superman when required, and his courage and compassion shine through.

As for Superman, even as he reaches Action Comics' 1000th issue (not to mention his many other titles!), his character and story continue to grow. We feel his pain at watching Krypton die or when he is forced by Booster to leave groups of suffering innocent people without his mighty help.

Jurgens also pencils the first two chapters of this collection, before turning things over to Brett Booth and Will Conrad. And what a job they turn in! Booth especially - his two chapters are so packed with creative visuals! He is truly outside the box, completely unconstrained by the standard rectangular shapes of panels and pages or their conventional linear flow. He pushes the boundaries of visual storytelling in ways that work superbly well, and they are an absolute delight to read.

Hi-fi on colours delivers their usual brilliance and nuanced, smoothly flowing shading, adding to the beauty of these pages.

The final chapter in the collection, #999, depicts Superman offering human compassion to Cyborg Superman, even as Lois Lane, after her dramatic rescue of her father, attempts the much harder task of then actually reconciling with him. It is a beautifully intertwined tale that puts family and relationships front and centre leading into the big #1000.

Description:

Is Jor-El really alive?

Superman and Booster Gold travel back in time to verify the claims that Kal-El's father somehow survived the destruction of Krypton. What they find, though, is a vastly different world than history has shown.

When the time intruders are discovered, Jor-El and General Zod collaborate to capture or destroy them. The Eradicator will chase the pair through time to the 25th century Gotham City and back to Krypton in pursuit of justice. Unable to alter the past, Superman and Booster must make certain that they survive. Zod, his son Lor-Zod and Ursa want to make certain they do not.

Not that things are perfect back on Earth. The Pentagon reports that Lois Lane's father, General Sam Lane, has gone missing. When they won't mount a rescue operation, she goes after him on her own. Or so she thinks. Her super-powered son Jon tags along, adding a new level of risk to the mission.

Dan Jurgens' final major story arc, collecting Action Comics #993-999 and a story from Action Comics Special #1, raises the stakes for all concerned. These high-powered tales are illustrated by Jurgens, Brett Booth, Will Conrad and Norm Rapmund.

Collects: Action Comics #993-999

Authors:  Dan Jurgens
Artists:  Brett Booth, Will Conrad, Norm Rapmund
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Aug. 28, 2018
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401275280
Pages:  200 pages

Plucky Bucky: Review of Captain America: White - Deluxe hardcover edition

 

Review:

Writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale make an award-winning team, with a history of spectacular projects to their credit. My personal favorite was their Superman: For All Seasons series. In Marvel circles, they are better known for their Color books - Daredevil: Yellow, Spider-Man: Blue and Hulk: Grey.

In my hands, I have the deluxe hardcover edition of Captain America: White. It is filled with amazing extras, including an extended Q&A with the creators, loads of sketches and even a few examples of the creation of the gorgeous wash effect used to great artistic effect throughout.

With this wash effect, the art truly is breath-taking. Page after page is filled with stunning colors, selective over-inking, well-timed extreme close-ups in tightly cropped and stacked panels, and the wash effect giving this book a unique visual appeal. Clearly this project has been a labor of love for Tim Sale.

Jeph Loeb's work here, though, is more of a mixed bag. He has the chops and the history to pull off this project, with his experience writing TV series like Smallville and Heroes alongside his critically acclaimed other comics projects. And in these pages, he gives us a powerful exploration of Bucky's origin and of the deep bonds of friendship and mentorship between him and Cap. Their heroism, strength, leadership and trust are as beautiful to read as the images are to look at.

The plot itself, unfortunately, peters out by the end. Their early days and adventures and their occasional partnership and tense relationship with the Howling Commandoes makes for a compelling first half. But the Paris arc bogs down and, by the time we reach the climactic showdown with the Red Skull - who is more visually eye-popping than I have ever seen! - ultimately disappoints.

With the whole narrative overlaid with the melancholy and introspection and grief weighing on Cap decades later, we get a tone that is more depressing than revealing. Add to that the one-dimensional portrayal of the Howling Commandoes and Sgt. Fury, and the unsurprising twist of betrayal in Paris. Loeb has given us much stronger plotting and pacing elsewhere.

Still, on the basis of the strong visuals and the relationship deep-dive between Cap and Bucky, we still give this 3 capes out of 5.

Description:

Journey back to the Big One as Captain America recalls one of his most incredible missions. It's 1941, and the Howling Commandos are enjoying a respite from the ordeal of World War II — until Cap and his faithful partner, Bucky, lead them into the hands of the enemy! As the Nazis unleash their latest deadly soldiers, an old ally lends a hand — but an even older enemy will threaten America's greatest hero like never before. Will the Sentinel of Liberty gain his freedom in time to rescue Paris from the clutches of a monster? The Eisner Award-winning creative team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (DAREDEVIL: YELLOW, HULK: GRAY, SPIDER-MAN: BLUE) reunites to deliver another colorful exploration of the early days of a Marvel icon!

Collects: Captain America: White #0-5

Authors:  by Jeph Loeb
Artists:  Tim Sale
Published By:  Marvel Comics
Published When:  2016
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-0785194194
Pages:  142 pages

Yabba-Dabba-Huh? DC Meets Hanna Barbera (2017)

 

Review:

What if the characters from one comic publisher's universe crossed over and met those from another, completely different universe? What would happen? If they fought, who would win? Fans occasionally wonder and ask such questions, indulging in the sheer joy of speculation and debate. Who doesn't love a good Superman-or-Spider-man argument?

This collection attempts to offer some answers by pairing characters from two very different comic worlds.

The problem, however, is how painfully silly the answers offered here are. DC's modern universe and Hanna-Barbera's classic kids-cartoon characters are simply too different for this to succeed. The situations and interactions are too forced and ridiculous, offending fans on both sides. Maybe, with different characters in a different era, this could have turned out better. Think Golden-Age Shazam, for example.

The most natural and promising pairing is the lead story. DC offers the time-travelling Booster Gold; what if, in his many adventures through time, he landed in Bedrock and met Fred Flintstone and friends? It is not too crazy a premise in either universe. 

Its intriguing possibility, however, goes off the rails immediately, when Booster's arrival accidentally kills the peaceful visiting prophet from an alien race. This sets the ball rolling for a future extra-terrestrial invasion, of course. Tampering with the time stream, come on Booster, you know better than that! Where are those hard-earned Time Master skills?

Throw in the caveman-tech repairs to the damaged time sphere and this degenerates into a goofy, slapstick farce.

The Green Lantern and Space Ghost cross-over is the most fun to look at. Ariel Olivetti's visuals lean toward paintings and water-color scenes. Well-done to take the assignment so seriously, as it seems more effort than this light tale deserves, as much a stretch as the Booster + Flintstone cross-over.

Adam Strange is no stranger to, well, strange and unusual places and scenarios, so his cross-over with Future Quest also has some potential, at least at the pitch-deck stage. But like so many others in this collection, its attempt to walk a line between serious and silly winds up disappointing on all fronts.

As for the cross-over between Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad and the Banana Splits gang - well, we just won't mention it again.

The collection brings together four one-shot specials and includes the bonus backup story from each issue. These use other characters, such as the Jetsons. The biggest standout of the bonus features has to be Batman meeting Top Cat. Writer Dan Didio gives us a clever story of Top Cat's struggles and Batman's compassionate offer of assistance. The line of the whole book comes after they part ways: "Is he always this gullible?" Top Cat asks an off-panel Catwoman. 

Alas, that is as good as it gets with these cross-over stories. 1.5 capes.

Description:

DC’s iconic superheroes meet some of Hanna-Barbera’s best-loved characters in the most unexpected stories of the year, collected here in DC MEETS HANNA-BARBERA.

When Booster Gold tries to rescue future Earth from an alien invasion, he travels back in time and finds help from none other than Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble! In an unexplored sector of space, Green Lantern and Space Ghost join forces to help an alien race facing disaster! Adam Strange lands on an unfamiliar Earth, and only Jonny Quest, Hadji, Dr. Quest and Race Bannon can help him get home! And when Amanda Waller needs to rescue the Suicide Squad, she reaches out to the newest inmates in Belle Reve: animal rock band the Banana Splits!

All this plus unexpected takes on Hanna-Barbera characters the Jetsons, Top Cat, Ruff ’n’ Reddy and Snagglepuss in a collection featuring some of comics’ top creators, among them Howard Chaykin, Mark Russell, Jeff Parker, James Tynion IV, Steve Lieber, Tony Bedard, Marc Andreyko, Ariel Olivetti, Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Dan DiDio and Howard Porter!

Collects: BOOSTER GOLD/THE FLINTSTONES SPECIAL #1, GREEN LANTERN/SPACE GHOST SPECIAL #1, ADAM STRANGE/FUTURE QUEST SPECIAL #1 and SUICIDE SQUAD/BANANA SPLITS SPECIAL #1

Authors:  Mark Russell, IV Tynion, James, Christopher Sebela, Marc Andreyko
Artists:  Various
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Sept 26, 2017
Parental Rating: PG
ISBN:  978-1401276041
Pages:  168 pages

What is Protocol Six? Review of Smallville Season 11 Volume 4 - Argo (2013)

Review:

Superman. Supergirl. Booster Gold. The Legion of Superheroes. Doomsday. A Lois Lane and Lana Lang team-up. There is so much packed into this slim volume collecting a baker's dozen of digital chapters tying into the hit CW TV show, Smallville.

When a brash Booster Gold pops in on Clark at his civilian job, it leads to them both getting whisked to the 31st century. Booster's (stolen) Legion flight ring has enacted Protocol Six, an emergency summons to all recognized Legionnaires - Booster not being one of them, of course.

They find themselves dropped into the middle of intrigue, plots and battles between Earthgov and New Krypton. Mutual suspicions between Earthgov and the Legion complicate any peace efforts. When Supergirl, a captured prisoner and spy, is freed, Clark learns firsthand of the power of xenophobic fear of the foreigner. He is not only not revered but actively hated.

Booster fares no better. After a humiliating dressing-down by Brainiac, Booster seeks to prove his courage and heroism, but only succeeds in getting himself arrested and tortured. But, after escaping and stealing / commandeering a large frigate space vessel, his heroic efforts to save the citizens of Metropolis from certain death triggers a peaceful cooperation between all sides.

Meanwhile, Superman's battle with Doomsday, resurrected in Earthgov's near-sighted efforts to tip the conflict in their favor, leads to him nearly sacrificing himself. Only a last-minute rescue through the cooperative efforts of all the citizens of New Krypton saves him.

These chapters were published in 2013 and collected in 2014, but here in 2025 they feel spot-on, speaking as they do to the fear of others and the conflicts that can ensue when people raise the stakes rather than open their arms.

The final story, Valkyrie, sees Lois Lane and Lana Lang team up in a very different tale. Lois, on assignment as a reporter embedded with a military unit in Africa, discovers that the legendary "Angel of the Plateau" is not only real, but is... Lana Lang? With Prometheus infecting her and giving her powers, she is out to save the children and bring justice to the oppressed, caught in the middle of a regional conflict between factions and warlords. But not everyone appreciates her efforts, and John Corben, with absorbing powers of his own, is dispatched to stop her.

The stories in this little volume have several frustrating gaps and jumps. Some of them might be clear to fans with a deeper knowledge of the TV series, but not enough back story is provided for the rest of us. The visuals, especially in the Valkyrie pages, are disappointing, with stiff and amateurish postures. The result of these shortcomings in both the writing and the art leaves the reader occasionally bewildered and unimpressed.

In all, these stories contain an intriguing premise but ultimately disappoint.

Description:

The first time in print for these digital-first stories, the hit CW series Smallville continues!

Clark Kent finds himself transported to the future, where he meets the greatest heroes of the 31st Century: Booster Gold and the Legion of Super-Heroes! However, it's not a mere social call: Superman must stop war between Earth and a stunning villain! Collects issues #13-15 and SMALLVILLE SEASON ELEVEN SPECIAL #2.

Collects: Smallville Season 11 online digital chapters 41-53

Authors:  by Bryan Q. Miller
Artists:  Daniel Hdr, Cat Staggs 
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  March 25, 2014
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401246372
Pages:  160 pages

Broken Down - Review of Justice League International vol 2 Breakdown

 

Review:

With this book, which collects the second half of the brief run of Justice League International, the New 52 era JLI, and Booster Gold as a team leader, fizzle to their anticlimactic end. The premise was sound: a UN-sanctioned, globally representative metahuman peace-keeping force, fronted by someone comfortable with the media spotlight. Heroes from nearly every continent. Globe-spanning challenges and adventures. 

The formula had worked before, granted with a lot more silliness, in the late 1980s first edition of Justice League International and its connections to Justice League titles set in Europe and America. But ultimately it falls flat in 2012. It was clearly time to either reboot or end this series.

For a time, a radical reboot seemed in the works. This collection opens with the immediate aftermath of the bombing of the United Nations, seen at the very end of volume 1. The chaos, heroism, confusion, death and mourning packed into an intense first chapter of this book start us off with a bang. And what an impact the bombing had on the team! Gavril aka Rocket Red is dead. Ice is badly wounded, her leg shattered like, well, ice. Vixen is out of commission and in hospital. Fire is in a deep coma. We are set up for a major overhaul, potentially a whole new direction.

Instead, we get a wandering and unfocused plot. New character like Batwing pop in and out. The team jumps halfway around the world and back on a wild goose chase. Budding relationships disappear. Heroes behave out of character.

The final panel of the last issue of the series is artistically set up by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan to look like the start of something new. The heroes have survived and rededicated themselves to each other and their cause. But even this wrap-up is at odds with its own scattered lead-up, so much so that it feels like a forced happy ending.

The book also includes the Annual and one issue (#9) from Fury of Firestorm. But they only serve to compound the lack of focus. While including the Firestorm issue does fill in some of the details of their Paris diversion, the characters are so embedded in their own plotlines that it leaves JLI readers more confused than enlightened.

For its part, the Annual, written by Geoff Johns and Dan Didio, is more interested in setting up the return of Brother Eye and the next major crossover event than in furthering the stories and characters of the JLI. In the process, they muff significant bits of the continuity, such as it was, of this short 12-issue series run.

There are glints and glimmers of gold in this disappointing book. The heroism, confusion and sorrow after the UN bombing is very well handled in both its writing and visuals. Lopresti and Ryan give us some fun panels over the course of these chapters, a personal favorite being the dissolving of Guy Gardner's ring creation once they arrive back in New York and no longer need it.

But ultimately this disappointing series ends with a whimper. 2 capes out of 5.

Description:

Trying to collect themselves after an extra-terrestrial attack and death of a teammate, members of Justice League International expected to bask in glory and appreciation. However, Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Batman and company are learning that's not the case as a new threat, one far more dangerous than anyone dared suspect. Called Breakdown, he emerges and attacks with dire results, forever altering the team and sending it in a bold, new and unexpected direction!

Collects: Justice League International #7-12 and Annual #1, plus Fury of Firestorm #9

Authors:  Dan Jurgens
Artists:  Aaron Lopresti
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Jan 8, 2013
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401237936
Pages:  200 pages

What a Difference a Mentor Makes! Review of Justice League International v1 Signal Masters

            

Review:

This New 52 version of the Justice League International follows on the heels of the Justice League Generation Lost series. The world - and especially the United Nations - has seen the need for a team of superheroes with less freelance attitude, one who is more responsive to their needs and concerns. 

So they reassemble the core of the Generation Lost team, with Booster Gold as leader, Fire, Ice and Rocket Red joining him. Add in some lesser-known international heroes like Godiva from the United Kingdom (she had a minor role in Infinity Inc.) and August General in Iron from China (who debuted in the early issues of the 52 series), Vixen from Africa (an occasional member of the Justice League over the years). The best-known of the teammates rounding out the roster is Guy Gardner (from I guess the USA via Oa?). Last but not least is Batman, an unofficial and definitely unsanctioned occasional member. He is, after all, not possible to control, in the eyes of the team's UN handlers.

The result is a genuinely multinational and multi-racial, if rather low-powered, team. Guy Gardner is the strongest, followed by Booster Gold and the August General, I suppose.

This dearth of heavy hitters leads to an ignominious failure and retreat on their very first mission. A feel-good rescue mission, with loads of public-relations upside, uncovers a literally Earth-shattering plot. Intergalactic villain Peraxxus is using a quartet of giant robots to disassemble the planet for its most valuable natural resources. The robots are new, and a bit silly in the grand plot, but Peraxxus is a more serious and dangerous version of Manga Khan, who pulled a similar stunt in the Formerly Known as the Justice League series.

The art team of Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan gives us pages packed with dramatic, frame-busting poses. They love the big splash, taking a cue perhaps from series author Dan Jurgens, who has mastered the technique in his own art. The inks are well balanced and the vivid colors pop from nearly every page. It makes for an intense and immersive, absorbing read.

Jurgens gives us a solid story with lots of layers. Global politics and bureaucracy. Social opposition to change. Earth-threatening villains. But where he shines most is in the team dynamics. This is a new team, thrown together with no time to truly even get to know each other's names. No training camp or onboarding time for them! They must learn each other's powers and reactions under pressure, sure. But even more than that are the personal relationship dynamics. The post-romantic tension between Guy Gardner and Ice. Godiva's flirtatious advances on Booster. Her doubts and the surprising role of friend and mentor adopted by the August General. Booster's own growth as both a team leader and as a political player.

It's Batman's mentorship that really advances Booster's leadership. Batman - whose presence is unsanctioned, who lurks in the shadows, when necessary, but is always there to push, instruct, mentor and otherwise guide Booster in his leadership skills. He repeatedly takes Booster under his wing and shapes him into, not just the pretty face of the team, but its heart and head. This interaction is so well handled by Jurgens, who as Booster's creator, must have delighted in writing this significant character growth after decades of the self-centered buffoonish portrayals.

Description:

A New York Times Bestseller

As a part of the acclaimed DC Comics - The New 52 event of September 2011, the United Nations brings together Batman, Booster Gold, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, August General in Iron, Fire, Ice, Vixen and Rocket Red - a new group called Justice League International!

With the growing presence of super beings around the world, the JLI are charged with promoting unity and trust - but if they're going to discover the mystery behind the giant alien Signalmen who are appearing all over the globe can they reach that goal without killing each other first?

Collects: issues #1-6

Authors:  by Dan Jurgens
Artists:  Aaron Lopresti, Matt Ryan
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  May 15, 2012
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401235345
Pages:  144 pages

Max Power - Review of Justice League Generation Lost volume 2

 

Review:

This is the explosive conclusion to the bi-weekly Justice League Generation Lost limited series. And what a conclusion! Maxwell Lord has been playing a long game, always several steps ahead of Booster Gold and his Justice Leaguers, the only people in the world who remember who Maxwell Lord is and the horrendous things he's done.

In these 12 chapters, including a double-sized finale, Captain Atom takes another time jump into the future and contributes to the destruction of the moon, Fire is shot and very nearly killed, Blue Beetle is captured by Maxwell Lord, tortured, shot and killed (not another Blue Beetle killed by Lord!), Batman and Power Girl finally remember Max, and Wonder Woman barely survives her own beatdown. Yes, bursting with action!

Writer Judd Winick mostly sticks the landing in this long running and complex serial. All the apparently scattered threads of Max's plan come together, and, in the end, he controls Checkmate plus the OMAC project, stitches together elements of Blue Beetle's alien tech and Creature Commandos into a giant, sassy, adaptive OMAC-Prime. The more the team fights it, the more it studies them, learns their weaknesses and mimics their powers back at them.

Rotating through three teams of artists, no doubt due to the deadline pressures of their challenging bi-weekly schedule, gives each chapter a subtly different look. Keith Giffen had done layouts for the first six chapters of the series, but with him long gone, the creative teams have been more free to apply their own styles. The result is impressively consistent and coherent, with the artists clearly buying into the concept from the beginning. Hi-Fi colors, as always, are gorgeous.

The focus on Booster Gold growing into a leader is a highlight of these chapters. He is far from a perfect leader, still clearly learning on the fly. 

Description:

Written by JUDD WINICK Art by AARON LOPRESTI, FERNANDO DAGNINO, JOE BENNETT and others Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN In this second JLGL collection featuring issues #13-24 of the twice-monthly series, the U.N. revokes Checkmate's charter, Captain Atom is wanted, and Blue Beetle is . . . dead? Don't miss the second half of this can't-miss epic!

Collects: issues #13-24

Authors:  Judd Winick
Artists:  Joe Bennett, Jack Jadson, Fernando Dagnino, Aaron Lopresti, Matt Ryan
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Oct 18, 2011
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401232832
Pages:  320 pages

Max Pursuit - Review of Justice League: Generation Lost volume 1

 

Review:

When Brightest Day followed Blackest Night, it took a unique publishing format. The DC Universe crossover event alternated between two series with weekly releases, meaning two issues from each series per month.

This beautiful hardcover book collects the first twelve issues of the Justice League: Generation Lost series. The story quickly reassembles the core of the old Justice League International team, with Booster Gold joined by Fire, Ice, Captain Atom, a new Rocket Red and the current Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes). There is no Guy Gardner - although the scene in which he turns them down, cringing in fear of his former girlfriend Ice is a cute tangent. The earliest days of the original JLI also saw regular appearances by Martian Manhunter, Batman and Black Canary, none of whom are here either.

The reassembled team has one driving mission: find Maxwell Lord, figure out what he is up to, and stop him.

Wait, wasn't Maxwell Lord dead? Killed by Wonder Woman during the Infinite Crisis? Well, yes, but in classic comic book style, he was resurrected in Blackest Night and is once again scheming. When Generation Lost begins, the whole world is hunting him and only his powerful mind control ability saves him. But once he blasts the whole world with a 'Forget Me' mental nudge, only this small band of JLI heroes remembers and keeps after him.

The dozen issues in this collection cover a lot of ground - beyond setting up the scenario where none of the other heroes remember Lord, nor are they willing to assist Booster and the team, there are battles with Checkmate, Max reappearing multiple times to interfere in their work and mind-controlling first Fire then Booster, before plotting to have Magog kill Captain Atom, as they chase him around the globe. But they are always at least one step behind, even when he shows up on their doorstep.

This book is a must-read for the fascinating growth in these characters. The Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle learns some lessons in being a hero and in teamwork; Ice gets an origin-story rewrite, one with eerie similarities to the Disney Frozen movie that hit theatres a couple years after this book (Mom's name is Elsa, little Tora can't control her ice powers and hurts her siblings and friends before embracing it and, well, letting go); Fire bounces between a fiery rage and deep compassion, especially for the injuries suffered by Rocket Red and her best-buddy Ice.

Most surprising of all is the growth in Booster Gold. With only passing references to his work with Rip Hunter in his solo series, Booster emerges as the team leader. He actively sets their goals; he leads their tactics and strategies; he works to bolster his team's flagging spirit and commitment. No longer the goofball of earlier Justice League days, nor the shameless self-promotion of his original 1980s series, nor even the behind-the-scenes fixer of his concurrent second solo series, this is a grown-up Booster who takes his responsibilities seriously.

By the end of this twelve-chapter volume, they are no closer to finding Max Lord. He is clearly toying with them, always a step or two or more ahead of them.

A bi-weekly publishing schedule has its challenges in pushing out actual printed comics by the deadlines. So, the book uses a rotating trio of art teams to meet those challenges. The result varies a little from team to team, but less than you might expect. No doubt a big influence on at least the first six chapters was Keith Giffen's role in doing the layouts, a skill that he has demonstrated elsewhere, as in the entire weekly series 52. Once he leaves the book, by issue #7, the individual style differences start to emerge and become more apparent. What stands out most are the gorgeous covers! The rotating set of artists gave several different people a role in the covers, and they produced a poster-worthy collection with impressive uses of color contrasts and strong inks.

The book does need a more careful edit. Maybe the quality of editing also suffered from the tight deadlines but there are several instances of typos or people using the wrong word, such as saying "in lieu of" when they clearly mean "in view of".

A fun and intense series, I look forward to part two.

Description:

Members of the original JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL team must stop their former friend from destroying all of the world's super-heroes in this graphic novel series that directly ties into BRIGHTEST DAY, the follow-up to the comics event of 2009, BLACKEST NIGHT.

Mind-controlling mastermind Maxwell Lord is targeting the old members of the defunct Justice League International. Now, surviving members Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Fire and Ice must stop him from destroying the entire superhero community.

Collects: issues #1-12

Authors:  Keith Giffen, Judd Winnick
Artists:  Keith Giffen, Joe Bennett, Jack Jadson, Fernando Dagnino, Aaron Lopresti, Matt Ryan
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  April 19, 2011
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401230203
Pages:  286 pages