"No bad thoughts. She's 17. 17. 17." - The Brave and the Bold - Lords of Luck

 

Review:

DC's classic team-up title gets a reboot by a creative team that goes out of its way to pay homage to its extensive history.

The story tying together these six chapters sees our rotating team-ups of heroes chasing down the Book of Destiny, a powerful artifact that gives its reader perfect knowledge of the past and future. It has fallen into the wrong hands. But can they succeed to defeat an enemy who knows their every move in advance?

The chapters see Batman and Green Lantern team up first, to begin piecing together the mystery. The Green Lantern and Supergirl travel to Ventura, a planet-sized casino. Don't miss Supergirl's flirtatious teasing, and her battle in the wrestling ring, complete with innocent-little-school-girl outfit! Batman and Blue Beetle team up back on Earth, to chase down a related stolen weapon. This team up morphs into Batman and the Legion of Super-Heroes, as Batman gets merged into a cybernetic villain. Meanwhile Supergirl pairs with Lobo for a hilarious romp through interstellar space, All heroes converge at last in a showdown with the Lords of Luck. Can the Challengers of the Unknown save the day?

It is a wild romp, reminiscent of classic Silver Age storylines. Overall, the chapters are a little uneven, with the Supergirl ones standing out - author Mark Waid nails her 17-year-old flirty and cheeky attitude, as Green Lantern tries hard to stay focused on the task at hand - is his famous will power so easily distracted?

But what really lifts this collection to the next level are the many homages and Easter Eggs. Waid and legendary artist George Perez craft a beautiful tribute to past tales and characters. Capped by six pages of Waid's annotations, pointing out many of their deliberate choices to us readers who did not internalize these histories to nearly the same extent.

For sheer joy of the story and the scope of the homages, I give this book 4 capes out of 5.

Description:

Batman. Green Lantern. Supergirl. Blue Beetle. Lobo. The Legion of Super-Heroes.

Alone, they are among the greatest heroes the world has ever known.

Thrown together by fate and teamed up for justice, they are THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD!

Someone has stolen the Book of Destiny, an all-powerful artifact that gives its possessors knowledge of everything that is, was and will be - enabling them to erase any chance of failure because they know every defense the heroes will mount before they try it!

Now, to retrieve the Book and restore the fabric of reality, Batman and Green Lantern forge unlikely alliances and find themselves in some impossible situations with a galaxy of the DC Universe's biggest stars. Will they be brave enough to unravel the terrifying plot - and bold enough to stop it before their luck runs out?

Collects: The Brave and the Bold (vol 2) #1-6

Authors: Mark Waid
Artists: George Perez
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: Dec 16 2008
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401215880
Pages: 152 pages

The Light Touch of Real Strength - Review of Captain Marvel vol 2 Stay Fly

 

Review:

With these three tales, spanning issues #7 - 11 of the Captain Marvel ongoing series, writer Kelly Sue DeConnick's marvelously imaginative plots take our hero into three vastly different life and death confrontations.

This series is driven by emotion and relationships, and artists Marcio Takara and David Lopez do a solid job of conveying both through their work. Their images take turns with DeConnick's dialog to give depth to the storytelling. A perfect page example has a series of Carol Danvers headshots, all rendered so well that the tone of the speech attached to them is crystal clear. 

The first tale sounds dull - a daily-life rendezvous as Captain Marvel returns to her own ship, being looked after by the Guardians of the Galaxy. So prosaic and ordinary is the premise that we get panels of her brushing her teeth and ordering coffee. But the creatively twisted mind of DeConnick throws in Rocket Racoon's reprogramming of her ship's speech module into Cat. And not to be missed is the awesome reveal that her cat is ... not a cat. If you're not familiar with its Flerken powers from its other appearances in comics or the 2019 Captain Marvel movie, its mouthful of tentacles is a great and sudden surprise revelation. Oh, and there is also the attack by a ship full of oozing black goo.

Our author then pops our hero to a whole other universe for a battle to the death over choice and marriage customs, in which the dialog is entirely spoken in rhyme. Writing this took how much time?

Finally, Carol Danvers returns to Earth for 24 hours, to visit a dying loved one. Only to be captured by two twisted villains with a plot to steal her powers for themselves. But before they can finish their evil plans, Captain Marvel is rescued by.. Santa Claus? Yet as the villains struggle with their own power, the quiet confidence and strength of Captain Marvel shines through clearly and brilliantly.

Kelly Sue DeConnick gives us a delightful series, filled with fantastic jumps between bizarre, fun and deeply imaginative adventures and situations.

Description:

The Secrets of Chewie!

Captain Marvel, Earth's Mightiest Hero with an attitude to match, is launching headfirst into an all-new adventre! As Carol Danvers comes to a crossroads with a new life and new romance, she makes a dramatic decision tht will alter the course of her life - and the entire Marvel Universe. But as Carol takes on a mission to return an alient girl to her homeworld, she lands in the middle of an uprising against the Galactic Allance and the 4Spartax! While investigating the forced resettlement of Rocket Girl's people, Carol discovers she has a history with the man behind the plor. But when the bad guy tries to blackmail Carol and turn the Avengers against her, it's payback time! Guest-starring the Guardians of the Galaxy!

(Note: this is the description from the back of the book. However it describes Volume 1 not Volume 2, and is a misprint on this edition of the book)

Collects: Captain Marvel (2014) #7-11

Authors: Kelly Sue Deconnick
Artists: Marcio Takara, David Lopez
Published By: Marvel 
Published When: Jan. 1 2015
Parental Rating: Teen+
ISBN: 978-0785190141

The Simulation Solution: Superman / Batman: Saga of the Super Sons

 

Review:

This trade paperback reprints a fascinating piece of history, collecting the entire Superman Junior / Batman Junior appearances in World's Finest from the 1970s, all written by Bob Haney until the final, shocking twist in #263, which was penned by Denny O'Neil.

If you are not familiar with the Super Sons, they are the late-teen young adult sons of Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, imaginatively named Clark Jr and Bruce Jr. Neither son appreciates their overbearing superhero father, and their words of lament or even general chatter are full of the hip slang of the period. Bruce Jr. in particular, with his constant exclamations like "Dig that, Clark baby!" or "You want a sock in the nose?" In their language, they certainly wear groovy threads, just look at the orange and brown stripes on the pants of Bruce Jr. in the cover image!

Also of the period are both the social attitudes and overall scope of the stories. Their exchanges with the town full of only women or with Lex Luthor's daughter show a less than full embrace of the emerging principles of women's liberation and equality. Their interactions with Indigenous characters is well behind the state of 2020s society which, while needing much more growth yet, has clearly evolved in 50 years.

The stories are as trippy as the slang. From a spiritual retreat with their dads, to a trip to the planet Lexor to recapture Lex Luthor, who was busted from prison by his alien daughter, to a ghost town of women, and another populated only by Wild West killers, to a battle of theories between competitive and manipulative scientist experts in human nature. The spread of stories is wide, and the imaginative scenarios are astounding.

And who, exactly, are their mothers? That is never revealed! It's a clear, intentional secret from the start, one that Denny O'Neil turns on its head in the grand reveal: spoiler alert! they never existed, it was all a simulation in Superman's computer. Perhaps well ahead of its time, given later social sensations like the Matrix movies or contemporary theories of our own existence. Was this Bob Haney's original concept? From the start, he teased the reader about the identities of the mothers. If so, he was playing a long game and must have been frustrated to hand over the final revelation to another author. If not, then the simulation solution is a brilliant twist by Denny O'Neil to smoothly write their stories out of canonical continuity.

Description:

Have you ever considered what it would be like if Superman and Batman each had a son?

Would they be super-powered successors—or dynamic disappointments?

Wonder no more, because the Super Sons are here!

A hoax? A dream? An imaginary tale? No!

Now, revealed in all of its action and drama, the classic chronicle of the two greatest heroes the world has never known:

SUPERMAN JR. AND BATMAN JR.—THE SUPER SONS!

Finally recollected after years out of print!

Collects: WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #215, #216, #221, #222, #224, #228, #230, #231, #233, #238, #242, #263 and ELSEWORLDS 80-PAGE GIANT #1

Authors: Bob Haney, Denny O'Neil
Artists: Dick Dillin
Published By: 
Published When: Jan. 31 2017
Parental Rating: PG
ISBN: 978-1401269685
Pages: 248 pages

Pirate, Puritan, Private Eye - Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne

 

Review:

Six Elseworld-worthy tales rolled into one make this a fascinating if only loosely coherent collection. It gives us Bruce Wayne as an 18th-century pirate, or a 17th-century Puritan witch-hunter, a stone-age loner, a Wild-West vigilante and more. 

Grant Morrison spends a single issue on each character and time period, tying them together with a vague and ultimately less satisfying overarching plot. Masterminded by Darkseid, this larger plot sees the Justice League making every effort to stop Batman from making his way back to the present. Why? it would trigger the end of everything, called the All-Over in this tale. It's a middling super-hero story and narrative necessity that simply cannot compare to the creativity of the historical settings. Ultimately the Darkseid plot is less interesting or coherent than the component parts.

Morrison's writing in the first four of the six-chapter set is especially powerful, the situations demanding a hero to push back against the deep injustices and harsh lives of the eras. They are crying desperately for a savior, and a disoriented Bruce Wayne gravitates to that need.

A different artist handles each chapter, and the creme de la creme is Frazer Irving's eye-popping work on the Puritan tale, titled "Until the End of Time." The gorgeous, almost watercolor visuals, unique shifts in perspective, subtle shifts in tone, texture and palette are inspired, a treat for the eyes.

Georges Jenty's work on part four, "Dark Night Dark Rider" goes in a very different direction. His faces, especially the eyes and the leering smiles convey with a sharp clarity the evil at the heart of these Wild-West characters. And Andy Kubert's main covers are powerful works of art and character studies all by themselves.

For occasionally amazing art and a few great ideas tied int a middling superhero plot, I give it 3 capes.

Description:

A time-spanning graphic novel featuring Bruce Wayne's return to Gotham City to take back the mantle of Batman written by award-winning writer Grant Morrison and illustrated by a stable to today's hottest artists including Chris Sprouse, Frazer Irving and Yannick Paquette. This is the final chapter of the epic storyline that began in the best-selling graphic novels, BATMAN:R.I.P. and FINAL CRISIS where the original Batman was lost in time after being bombarded with the omega beams of evil despot, Darkseid and continued in BATMAN & ROBIN: BATMAN REBORN where Dick Grayson, the original Robin, took over wearing the cape and cowl of the Dark Knight after the world's heroes believed his mentor to have died.

Collects: all 6 of the 2010 limited series

Authors: Grant Morrison
Artists: Chris Sprouse, Frazer Irving, Yanick Paquette
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: Jan. 10 2012
Parental Rating: Teen+
ISBN: 978-1401233822
Pages: 232 pages

Beyond Incredible - Indestructible Hulk 1: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

 

Review:

With his tweaking of the delicate Banner / Hulk balance, Mark Waid has launched an exciting new chapter in the life of the Green Guy. The first five issues collected here are very promising, some of the most entertaining Hulk stories I've ever seen.

The conceit has always been puzzling: mild but brilliant Bruce Banner gets angry; the big green hulk-shaped force of nature then emerges to wreak havoc. It feels fun but limiting, with an almost schizophrenic mental division and a trigger with many possible control techniques, from meditation to medication. Yet it's lasted into the high hundreds of issues.

In Waid's hands, Banner can monitor and self-regulate to produce a, say, 95% control success rate. But he knows and now accepts that Hulk cannot stay forever suppressed. So, he trades the carnage to S.H.I.E.L.D. in exchange for a well-funded lab in which to make a difference with his brilliance. It's a deal director Hill gladly accepts, and she finds ways to aim Hulk as a Weapon of Mass Destruction at their targets and enemies. Including, in these initial tales, the Quadronic Man and Attuma on his quest to conquer Atlantis and destroy the surface dwellers, using the pejorative "Air gulpers" - love it! There are some narrative gaps in the action sequences, but the human side of Banner is solid. Waid is clearly setting up some very intriguing relationships with future possibilities.

Leinil Francis Yu does some jaw-dropping work in these pages. Hulk's sheer bulk, raw power, focused intensity and near indestructability shine through in his pencils. Everything from facial subtleties to panel shape and flow works brilliantly. Do take time to linger over these images, they are inspired!

The Hulk titles have rarely been more entertaining to read. Highly recommended!

Description:

The Incredible Hulk - an indestructible force of nature, more weapon than man. Bruce Banner - the Hulk's human alter ego and smartest man alive. Combined they are the most powerful, most intelligent weapon on the planet - and now they're both working for the government as Marvel NOW! makes the Hulk an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.! Taking on deadly threats including the Mad Thinker, the Quintronic Man and Attuma, Hulk goes from walking W.M.D to world saver. But even when playing the hero, the Green Goliath is going to do what he does best...

Collects: Issues #1-5

Authors: Mark Waid
Artists: Leinil Francis Yu
Published By: Marvel 
Published When: Jan. 1 2014
Parental Rating: Teen+
ISBN: 978-0785166474

More Friends than Enemies - Superman Action Comics vol 9 Last Rites

 

Review:

Relationships are always key. To life. To good stories. And to this unexpectedly strong collection of Action Comics stories. It collects the final issues of this ongoing series, #48-52, before another restart returned it to its original numbering.

With the awful Truth storyline dominating the Superman books at this time, these five chapters turn away from anger and vigilantism to relationships and their centrality to who Superman is at heart.

There's Wonder Woman and their romance and strained partnership. The trust and respect between Batman and Superman get strong play. Clark's friends are many. Countless Superman supporters in Metropolis and around the world also factor into these stories.

Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder co-write the epic three-part Vandal Savage story. It's filled with high drama, violent conflict and shocking, costly decisions. But it is the human relationships and interactions that make this worth reading. The manipulative parent-child relationship between Vandal Savage and his children. Wonder Woman's affection for Clark's smile. The subtle fist bump of two exhausted everyman fighters amidst the chaotic battles in Metropolis. From these small touches, Pak and Kuder build a strong, towering, sweet, absorbing tale.

The ferocity of Kuder's art makes this as much a visual treat as a touching story. Reds and Blues dominate the color palate, and the layout drives the action as it jumps from panel to panel and page to page.

Peter J. Tomasi ratchets up the relationship angle even further in his two postscript chapters. Superman and Supergirl wrestle with and work through some tensions in their relationship. The sweet tenderness of Diana and the simple act of handholding helps power her appearance. The respectful compassion of Batman seems out of character with the Dark Knight's stereotypes, yet faced with the weakened state of Superman their partnership proves layered and complex. And don't forget relational tensions, they appear in the interactions with Lois Lane and Solar Superman, among other facets of these nuanced tales. So many revelations packed into these pages! A highly recommended wrap-up to the New 52 Action Comics series! 

Description:

The acclaimed creative duo of Greg Pak (BATMAN/SUPERMAN) and Aaron Kuder (GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS), plus fan-favorite scribe Peter J. Tomasi (SUPERMAN), usher in the Man of Steel’s final days in SUPERMAN: ACTION COMICS VOL. 9: LAST RITES.

Superman’s downfall, impossible as it seems, has come at the hands of Vandal Savage. After eons of seeking a method to draw back to Earth the meteor that granted him immortality, Savage has discovered he can realize that goal by tapping into the Man of Steel’s super-abilities, and in turn the combined might of the Justice League.

With the Last Son of Krypton powerless to stop him, the immortal is primed to recall the comet that granted him eternal power. And as it nears Earth, it also awakens Savage’s genetic signature within members of the world’s unsuspecting populace. Literally growing mad with power, Savage’s progeny will stop at nothing to ensure their patriarch succeeds.

Superman’s salvation—and Earth’s—may lie in the one substance that’s lethal to the Man of Steel. Should he use it and somehow defeat Savage, one thing will be certain: regardless of the outcome, Superman as the world knows him will be no more.

Collects: issues #48-52

Authors: Greg Pak, Aaron Kuder, Peter J. Tomasi 
Artists: Aaron Kuder, Rafa Sandoval, Paul Pelletier, Dale Eaglesham, Scot Eaton
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: June 13 2017
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401274108
Pages: 152 pages

Which is the True Superman? Superman Action Comics vol 8: Truth

 

Review:

When Grant Morrison rebooted Superman at the start of the New 52, it was a throwback to the classic description; he did not fly, but could leap over tall buildings; he traded in the tights for a jeans-and-T-shirt look with sensible footwear. Post-Morrison, the near-omnipotent Man of Steel returned. Now, in the Truth story spanning all Superman titles, he is reinvented again. His mighty powers are largely gone, or significantly reduced; his secret identity has been revealed. He returns to the jeans and T-shirt look, but what is missing now is the fun, intrigue, and sheer joy of those early reboot issues.

Sadly, these 'Truth' tales suffer from the same affliction as the related stories in the sister titles (Superman, Superman/Wonder Woman and more). Namely: this Clark Kent is so different from the classic traits as to be unrecognizable, and his anger and vigilantism quickly grow tiresome.

In credit to Greg Pak, the 'Truth' tales in this collection are coherent and complete. No need to track down all the sister titles to follow the cross-over. If only he could find a way to make us care for this annoying and unlikeable Superman.

The art is as brutal as the vigilante justice. As Superman battles Wrath and her Shadow Monsters, the creeping strands and distortions of human form are vivid and disgusting. Yet Aaron Kuder and his crew of seven other artists mix in a few candy colored reprieves, to give a breather to our assaulted senses.

Despite the best efforts of Pak and Kuder, the 'Truth' tales remain, in the eyes of this reviewer, among the least interesting Superman stories I have ever read.

Description:

Superman’s secret identity has been revealed and his powers are failing him, but not even that can stop the Man of Steel from protecting the innocent when a mysterious shadow monster appears in Metropolis.

But the biggest threat Clark Kent faces when he returns home comes from the people he once called his friends and neighbors. While some still stand by him, others—including the Metropolis police department—are fearful and angry…too angry.

Is this just a reaction to Superman’s deception, or is there something more insidious infecting the people of Metropolis? Clark knows he needs to regain their trust, but in his weakened state, can he even survive long enough to try?

Storytellers Greg Pak (BATMAN/SUPERMAN) and Aaron Kuder (GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS) unleash an unstoppable force on an underpowered Superman, with help from artists Scott Kolins (JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001) and Georges Jeanty (BATWOMAN) and more!

Collects: issues #41-47 and DC SNEAK PEEK: ACTION COMICS #1

Authors: Greg Pak, Aaron Kuder
Artists: Aaron Kuder, Howard Porter, Scott Kolins, Georges Jeanty
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: Dec 27 2016
Parental Rating: Teen+
ISBN: 978-1401269203

Smallvillains - Superman Action Comics vol 7: Under the Skin

 

Review:

After the all-caps BIG story arc in the previous volume, filled as it was with powerful villains and global threats, the main tale in this collection goes small, with the action limited to the Smallville region.

Yet it is clearly the stronger story, which shows that we do not need displays of might and massive threats to have an interesting Superman tale. Greg Pak's writing here is taut, well-paced and filled with the raw material of human relations. In the end it is a much more effective and powerful tale than the more prosaic save-the-world fare of the previous volume.

A mist has descended on Smallville, cutting it off from the world and causing terror inside. Both Lana's and Clark's parents rise zombie-like from their graves, to assault them. Dark dreams and memories, creepy bugs and tentacled monsters - this book is filled with classic horror elements. Aaron Kuder partners with several other artists to pull off the chilling visuals, with the muted greys and browns sending a shiver down the reader's spine. Jae Lee with his distinctively creepy visual style is a natural guest artist for this book, and his flashback sequences are as evocative as ever.

The use of light and shadow, color, glimpses of monstrous appendages, all make this a wonderfully frightening collection. Highly recommended, though not for children.

In a side tale, Superman also blunders into Bizarro-World for a standalone story. Bizarro is a Golden Age relic who could stay there, according to many readers, yet remains surprisingly popular with others. I'm in the first camp and would be happy to see the end of Bizarro. And yet Doomzarro and his mist of cuteness makes this a worthwhile entry in the Bizarro canon.

Description:

A new epic begins! The deck is stacked against Superman when Smallville is poisoned by the appearance of dark magic and ancient horrors! Can Superman figure out what's going on and save his hometown before this evil epidemic spreads across the entire world? Superman must stop the evil undead threat of the Ultrahumanite from crushing humanity! 

Collects: ACTION COMICS #36-40 and ACTION COMICS: FUTURES END #1.

Authors: Greg Pak
Artists: Aaron Kuder
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: July 26 2016
Parental Rating: Teen+
ISBN: 978-1401262624
Pages: 168 pages

All the Heavy Hitters - Superman Action Comics vol 6: Superdoom

 

Review:

Doomsday's first appearance in the 1990s established him as one of Superman's most ferocious, destructive and dangerous foes. In a multi-part story spanning several of the DC Superman titles, he's been brought back by ominous forces.

This time, his defeat is reasonably swift, but he manages to first infect Superman with a mist that gradually transforms him into a variation on Doomsday, complete with spikes on his hands, head and body.

With Brainiac taking control of Lois Lane and others in a new attempted conquest, Xa-Du the Phantom King in the mix too, and Lex Luthor burying some of his own hidden motives and plans, this is a who's-who of Superman's greatest foes, all in one story arc.

It's a large and complex story, and write Greg Pak works hard to keep it balanced. I love the introductory pages for each chapter, which use the front page Daily Planet inserts to tell the reader what they might have missed in terms of key plot points that unfolded in one or more of the other Superman titles.

Aaron Kuder leads a trove or artists, with more than a dozen contributing to the collection. Such variety in panel and page approaches, the shifts between softness and sharp spikes on our characters, power and force vs mists and psionic control - they rise to the challenge of such breadth in artistic demands.

Yet despite the ambitious scope and approach, the story leaves the reader more confused than concerned. The relationships are there, but they fail to lift this collection to the heights that this many heavy-hitter villains implicitly promised.

Description:

Doomsday is here.

The most brutal force Superman has ever faced is back, killing all life everywhere he goes. But defeating the beast is just the beginning. The evil of Doomsday has taken root inside Superman himself, turning him into an even deadlier, more destructive monster…and leaving the Earth defenseless for an invasion from beyond.

However, Superman does not fight his battle alone. Lois Lane. Lana Lang. Steel. Batman. Some are superheroes, others just everyday people of extraordinary bravery. It will take all they have to pull Superman back from the brink. It will take all Superman has to save the planet from its enemies-and himself…

Writer Greg Pak (BATMAN/SUPERMAN) and artists Aaron Kuder (GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS) and Scott Kolins (JUSTICE LEAGUE) lead the charge against Doomsday -the Last Son of Krypton's greatest challenge yet!

Collects: ACTION COMICS #30-35 and ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #3

Authors: Greg Pak
Artists: Aaron Kuder, Scott Kolins
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: Dec 29 2015
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401258658
Pages: 200 pages