Skip to main content

Featured

Of Embassies and Origins - Justice League International Part 2 (Eaglemoss Collection v77)

  Review: Since we are doing a series of reviews focusing on Booster Gold over his nearly 40-year history, we include this one as a collection of some of his earliest appearances, dating to late 1987. That places the original publish date of these tales while his original solo series was still going strong.  This book is a beautiful, glossy hard-cover with smooth and heavy-stock paper inside, although the sometimes-low print reproduction quality leads to blurred and hard to read word balloons on occasion. It is also a rare book here in North America, as Eaglemoss Collections targeted UK fans with this series. At this point in the history of the 1987-rebooted Justice League, they have gained official United Nations recognition and sanction. To ensure their reach truly is global, they rebrand as Justice League International (as does the title of the series!) and they open new headquarters buildings around the world: New York, Paris and Moscow are included here. As this is a product of 19
Post a Comment
Read more
Labels

Ugly Me vs Pretty Me - Review of Teen Titans: Earth One Vol. 2

 

Cover of Teen Titans Earth One - volume 2


Review:

After the beautiful visuals of volume one, there is a noticeable drop in artistic power in the sequel. Andy McDonald still gives us some beautiful graphics - the New Mexico sunset scene is one standout example. But it falls short of the richness of the art in volume 1 and is especially noticeable in the faces of our heroes.

One face that is deliberately deformed is the twisted child-monster and Starfire-clone named Blackfire. But we're getting ahead of ourselves.

This original Graphic Novel follows on the heels of the conclusion of the first volume. Jeff Lemire's tale moves our central chars - Gar Logan, Vic Stone, Tara and their new aquatic friend they call "Tempy" or Tempest - to a hideout in suburban Seattle. Stealing food to survive and pain-killers to help ease Vic through his increasingly metallic transformation, they eventually draw the attention of the authorities.

Niles Caulder, the mad genius behind the whole project, learns of their location and sends in his other team of children whose DNA has had Starfire's grafted on, resulting in tremendous powers. Wonder Girl, Kole and Flash descend on our runaways, easily capturing them and hauling them to Caulder's Utah base.

Meanwhile Jericho, and his uneasy control of Slade's body, tracks Raven and Starfire to New Mexico and apparently captures them.

It all comes to a head in Utah, with the death and destruction spreading out from the secret base into the streets and drawing the attention of the wider public. Facing defeat, Caulder releases the failed first effort, a direct clone of Starfire that went horribly wrong. This deformed Blackfire, dubbed "Ugly Me" by Starfire, attacks "Pretty Me" with enthusiasm and some real success too. And when Jericho jumps into her body, things turn really nasty.

Our tale has a happy, almost sappy ending, belying the long stretches of teen angst, confusion, anger and violence. There is nothing uneasy about the peace between the two sets of children, they truly have become a united team by the end.

Far from sidekicks in the shadows of their mentors, these Teen Titans are ready to stand on their own and face the challenges of the future that they know are coming. Just not yet, and in the meantime, they will enjoy their quiet New Mexico days and evenings.

Some elements of volume 2 do not work as well as the amazing first volume, in many ways it is the "ugly sister" of the two. But in combination, these two volumes are a powerful, moving and stunning reinvention of the Teen Titans. Heartily recommended. 

3.5 capes out of 5


Description:

The sequel to the NEW YORK TIMES best-selling original graphic novel is here with TEEN TITANS: EARTH ONE VOL. 2!

Picking right up after the cliffhanger ending to the first volume, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Terra and Aqualad are in desperate straits--they're homeless, destitute, and on the run from Cadmus, the project that created them. Unfortunately, Cadmus has more surprises up its sleeve... and a whole new set of teenage weapons, with none of the bothersome morals of the originals!

From writer Jeff Lemire (SWEET TOOTH, ANIMAL MAN) and illustrator Andy McDonald comes the highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed original graphic novel in TEEN TITANS: EARTH ONE VOL. 2!

Collects: Not applicable - an Original story

Authors: Jeff Lemire
Artists: Andy McDonald
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: Aug. 16 2016
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN-10: 1401259065
ISBN-13: 978-1401259068
Language: English
Pages: 144 pages

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts