Enter the Clowns: Justice League 3000 Volume 2 - The Camelot War (The New 52)

 

Review:

Superstar comics writing team Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis caught lightning in a bottle in the 1980s and 1990s with their work on various Justice League titles. They concocted a brilliant blend of wit, slapstick humor, compelling new characters (perhaps most notably Maxwell Lord, who became a major force of disruption in the DCU), clever plots and new twists on familiar characters. It all led to the widespread recognition of a nomination for Best New Series (which they ultimately lost to the beautifully poetic Concrete series by Paul Chadwick).

Their 31st-century Justice League title, which started in 2014, tries to recapture that success, but ultimately misses. Not for lack of trying, though - perhaps the bar was just too high?

Set 1000 years in the future, the series features Justice League stalwarts Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Green Lantern. They've been resurrected by the Wonder Twins and Cadmus. But the process is flawed and they wind up, well, different. Green Lantern is being slowly poisoned by the Green energy that powers his ring, and is stuck at a height of about 6 inches. Wonder Woman is laser-focused on the ferocious warrior side of her personality, almost to the exclusion of other personality traits or even interests. Superman is a goofy, arrogant frat-boy who is unable to fly.

Even as Wonder Twin Terry kills his sister Teri, then Barry Allen AKA Flash, the tone stays light, the banter humorous, the characters goofy. The league escapes to Camelot 9 and joins the battle against the hordes of hell led by the rhyming demon Etrigan. The story is off-the-wall and careens from one absurdity to another.

Seemingly sensing that something is not working this time around, Giffen and DeMatteis bring in some of the stars of their earlier run. Tora, no longer the Ice Maiden, has lived for the entire 1,000 years as an Ice Goddess. Her bestie Fire has also somehow survived, living in Hell as Etrigan's lover. But they don't stop there; they bring back the chief clowns of their earlier work, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle. The two of them are, if possible, even more ridiculous than before.

Howard Porter's art is brutal and harsh, with severe expressions that get lots of play given his love of closeups. It makes for a stark contrast to the light tone of the dialog. And 31st century fashion has its own contrasts, with some absurd haircuts and an apparent love of over-the-chin jawline straps.

It is an interesting exercise in watching a renowned writing team trying to make adjustments mid-stream to bend a title more into their wheelhouse. But ultimately it cannot recapture the magic of their earlier run. 2 Capes out of 5.

Description:

In the far flung future in the year 3000, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Green Lantern are still defending the Earth as the Justice League. From the classic Justice League writing team of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis with legendary artist Howard Porter (JLA), comes volume 2 of this series starring the heroes of today--tomorrow!

Collects: JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 #8-13

Authors: Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis
Artists: Howard Porter
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: April 28, 2015
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401254148
Pages: 144 pages

Ode to 70s Sexploitation Films? Harley Quinn and Power Girl TPB

Review:

At a flea market one time, I found a bookseller with graphic novels. As I browsed, I observed one young girl, maybe 8 years old, lobbying hard for her parents to buy her a copy of this book - teaming the sometimes-cartoonish, always-risque Harley Quinn with the peekaboo-wearing Power Girl. She succeeded in the end and left with her treasure. I suspect her parents were not aware what they were buying, as this is decidedly not a PG-13 book.

Befitting the Queen of Crazy, the oddball anti-hero of the DC Universe, Harley Quinn, this six-part mini-series is zany, corny, violent and with more than a little sexual innuendo. All-star creative team Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, who know Harley Quinn so well from their work on her solo titles and ongoing series, team with Justin Gray to pen a cross-dimensional love story - well, sorta.

If, by "love story," we mean one-sided obsession, gender-bending role reversals and a giant floating Head-of-God bent on destroying everything in entire galaxies.

The plot sees Power Girl and Harley Quinn as an albeit temporary Superhero duo team, with Harley as the comic-relief sidekick to the more powerful and much more straight-laced Power Girl - Peej or PG for short, in Harley-speak. Mid-battle, they are sent to and stranded in another dimension. Their quest begins, to find another trans-dimensional ring portal that can return them home.

They throw in their lot with Groovius, a jive-talking, Afro-sporting loyal citizen of Valeran and its currently-captured and imprisoned ruler Vartox. But Vartox, with mutton chops and a mustache out of a porn film, already knows Kara AKA Power Girl. It turns out he has met her before, or at least one of her from yet another dimension. And he has fallen madly, hopelessly, obsessively (but not exclusively, let's not go too crazy) in love. To the point of going all Stepford Wives on her. Not to mention the shrines and statuary erected to her. The affection is decidedly not mutual, and so begins Vartox's efforts to woo and wed Power Girl.

All of which happens between the battles to rescue Vartox, defeat his captor Oreth Odeox and finally clear the Boss-Level giant floating head who, it turns out, is no match for the mixed-up mind of Harley Quinn. But the biggest challenge of all? Persuading Vartox to let go of his love and send them home.

Stephane Roux leads the charge in the art department and keeps things moving with a little nudity, a little more phallic imagery, and a lot of visual innuendo. It exudes the visual vibe of the Sexploitation and Blaxploitation films of the 1970s. At key moments he gets an assist from Elliot Fernandez and Morritat, whose style differences take over for a swirly-green flashback sequence here, and there a little sepia-toned trip into a sweeter era (well, except for the killer-mother version of Power Girl).

This book is loads of light fun. Definitely not for 8-year-olds, though!

Description:

Spinning out of the hit series HARLEY QUINN, this six-issue miniseries tells the story-within-the-story of the unlikely super-duo's adventures in outer space!

Hey, remember the panel gutter between panels 3 and 4 of page 20 of HARLEY QUINN #12? What? You don't? It's only, like, the most memorable panel gutter of the twenty-first century! We'll jog your memory - our heroes, Harley Quinn and Power Girl, were tossed through a teleportation ring, dropping them into galaxies unknown.

It's a cosmic adventure beyond your wildest imaginings: Power Girl and Harley Quinn, stranded in a forgotten dimension, on the homeworld of the amorous warlord Vartox! They'll sacrifice anything they have to in order to get home - except their dignity. Kidding! That'll be the first thing to go. 

Collects: the complete 6-issue mini-series

Authors: Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti
Artists: Stephane Roux
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: March 8, 2016
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401259747
Pages: 152 pages

The Fall of Luthor and Darkseid: Superman / Batman vol 1

 

Review:

Superman. Batman

Two of the most iconic, culturally relevant superheroes in comics history. They make a natural team-up, and DC Comics has long indulged fans with their partnership on cases both big and small.

What makes this terrific ongoing series, which consists of nothing but Superman / Batman team-ups, so brilliant is the way writer Jeph Loeb leans so heavily into the profound differences between them From the superficial - one masks his heroic identity, the other disguises his secret civilian identity; one works in the shadows, the other in the glare of the public eye; one plays on fear, the other leverages societal admiration. 

Loeb teases out these differences and more, and plays with them repeatedly. He also frames the stories in the dual narration, giving us the inner thoughts of both heroes, and revealing their mutiual respect, trust and friendship. 

Neither would ever dream of solving their challenges in the methods of the other, but each knows and trusts the other so well that they can make plans and react to changing situations confident in the tiniest nuances in the other's personality and approach.

This handsome square-bound bookshelf format TPB collects the first 13 issues of this phenomenal series. Quality paper and prinring give this tome some heft, and the contents live up to the treatment.

Inside, we find two major storylines, of six chapters each, bracketing the standalone "Protege" tale of Robin and Superboy and their special assignment to recruit the brilliant new 13-year-old self-declared "Toyman"

The first six-parter begins with a super-brief parallel retelling of their origins, then dives into its global threat - a massive meteor of Kryptonite is rapidly approaching Earth. American President Lex Luthor blames Superman. He marshals first a super-team of his own, with the likes of Captain Atom and Major Force. Then when that approach fails, he tries to turn the whole world against Superman. Can Batman and Superman work together to stop both President Luthor and the meteor without doing too much damage to America or the rest of the world?

Ed McGuinness leads the art duties in this story, and it looks great! Bright colors and compelling images suit the drama while providing us readers with a visual treat. At least until we reach the monstrosity of a rocket ship, built and drawn to be half-Batman and half-Superman, a painful and silly choice that fortunately is destroyed within a few pages.

The final six-parter reveals the contents of that meteor - a rocket ship from Krypton, carrying Supergirl to Earth. She has much to learn, about her powers, life on Earth, combat ttraining with the Amazons on Themyscira, and most urgently, who she really is.

When Darkseid begins influencing this last quest of self-discovery, it brings out the full protective fury of Superman and the courage, planning and strategy brilliance of Batman. Artist Michael Turner takes over, and gives us a visceral, violent and sexy treat.

These are intense tales, not intended for children or Saturday morning TV. The depth of characterization, even for heroes so well-known by society at large, combinbed with the complex story-telling, frequent duality in the narration, and amazing art, scores 4 Capes out of 5.

Description:

The world's most iconic super-heroes are united for an unbelievable adventure when Superman's greatest foe, Lex Luthor, becomes President of the United States and starts an all-out super-powered hunt for the Man of Tomorrow. Nearby in Gotham, Batman finds that Superman is not the last Kryptonian, as he discovers another survivor alive…Kal-El’s cousin, Supergirl! However, behind this immense discovery may be the gravest threat of all: Darkseid! Together, Superman and Batman square off with each other against the greatest threats known to the DC Universe in an unforgettable team-up!

Acclaimed writer Jeph Loeb (BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN, SUPERMAN FOR ALL SEASONS) along with superstar artists Ed McGuinness (Avengers vs. X-Men), Pat Lee, and Michael Turner (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA) pair together the DC Universe’s finest heroes for an epic, action-packed adventure in SUPERMAN/BATMAN

Collects: SUPERMAN/BATMAN #1-13

Authors: Jeph Loeb
Artists: Ed McGuinness, Pat Lee, and Michael Turner
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: May 6 2014
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 9781401248185
Pages: 336 pages 

The Cat and the Martian - Justice League of America Vol. 1: World's Most Dangerous (The New 52)

 

Review:

The mega DC crossover event and reboot, the New 52, produced a plethora of Justice League titles. There was Justice League, with the usual crew of A-list heroes like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman. There was Justice League Dark with a collection of magic and mystery characters such as Deadman, the Question and John Constantine. The Justice League of America title was the late-comer to the party, a fact author Geoff Johns leveraged as a US Government reaction and response to the potential threat and growing realization that no one would be able to control Superman and Wonder Woman. National Security depends on preparing a counter-force to mitigate that risk.

And so is born the New 52 version of Justice League of America. It falls to Steve Trevor to assemble, unify and even train these heroes into a new team. Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman, Star Girl, Green Lantern (Simon Baz), Catwoman. The first issue does a superb job of introducing each of these team members as Trevor recruits them. And artist David French's images are dark and dynamic. Catwoman's drop-kick practically pops off the page, would turn into a great 3D image.

The great focus on the individuals and the challenges of bonding them into a team fades from subsequent chapters. Some emerge and stand out - Catwoman and Martian Manhunter most strongly - while others fade to the periphery, Star Girl and Green Lantern in particular. Johns does clever work with the Manhunter and Catwoman, shocking us with Catwoman's death - and the shocking art of her bound, bleeding and limp body - before a clever twist brings her back. 

Matt Kindt's backup tales also focus on the Manhunter and his powers. His back-story origins emerge. I especially love the Catwoman tie-in, a tale of their insights into each other's minds, as a backwash effect of his mind-reading. Brilliant!

The final two chapters tie directly into the other Justice League titles with the grand Trinity War crossover. These tales are even louder and fast-paced and dramatic than the others in the collection. But as they collect only the JLA parts of the crossover, the reader will need to fill in the gaps elsewhere.

A promising start with an eclectic group of heroes.

Description:

Following the events of Throne of Atlantis, it is deemed necessary to create a new Justice League.  This new superhero team is under the command of Col. Steve Travor, of the United States Military's A.R.G.U.S. division (Advanced Research Group Uniting Superhumans).  Signing up for duty with this new incarnation of the JLA are Catwoman, Katana, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Steve Trevor, Hawkman, Star Girl and the long-awaited return of 80s superhero, Vibe

Collects: issues #1-7

Authors: Geoff Johns
Artists: David Finch
Published By: DC Comics
Published When: Nov. 12 2013
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1401242367
Pages: 224 pages

Blossoming After Death - Saga of the Swamp Thing Book One

 

Review:

Before his stunning V for Vendetta series, before he stood Batman's world on its head with The Killing Joke, before he redefined superhero comics with the Watchmen, before all of these legendary accomplishments, came the Saga of the Swamp Thing. Alan Moore began his mainstream comics run here, with ground-breaking work in visual story-telling set in the horror genre. It was here, in these Saga pages, where he began to reimagine what graphical narrative could be, and began his influence on the medium that continues to reverberate 40 years later.

In these stories, reprinted here in box-set form over six volumes, Alan Moore pushed the boundaries of comics story-telling. Looking back, how were these stories so ground-breaking?

For starters, he rebooted Swamp Thing before the notion of a character reboot even entered the cultural lexicon. Beginning with Saga of the Swamp Thing #20, aptly named "Loose Ends", he radically rewrote the origins, even the very nature of the monster from the swamps. He began by tying up many loose plot threads inherited from the previous creative team. 

Then he killed the Swamp Thing! And left him dead for another two and a half issues. During that time, the little-known Floronic Man, Dr Woodrue, gives us an autopsy-esque anatomy lesson that completely flips our understanding of Swamp Thing. No longer is this Alec Holland turned monstrous, but a living plant creature that believes it is Alec Holland.

These stories, even forty years later, are shocking, horrific, at times terrifying. The monstrosity and inhumanity of its characters. The themes of life and death, love and betrayal and loss, anger and revenge, self-discovery and more deeply human traits saturate this collection.

Although of necessity heavy in narration and ponderous in pace, these tales still burst with poetry and profound human insights.

Supporting the phenomenal story-telling are the incredible visual sensibilities of Stephen Bissette and John Totleben. We feel the pain, the confusion, the budding new growth in their images. They employ innovative structures and sequences, with the story bursting out of its panels in sometimes surprising ways. At times dark, occluded, at other times exploding with the colors and beauty of a mountain meadow - or a swamp in bloom.

A great start to this 6-volume set!

Description:

Before Watchmen, Alan Moore made his debut in the U.S. comic book industry with the revitalization of the horror comic book The Swamp Thing. His deconstruction of the classic monster stretched the creative boundaries of the medium and became one of the most spectacular series in comic book history.

With modern-day issues explored against a backdrop of horror, The Swamp Thing stories became commentaries on environmental, political and social issues, unflinching in their relevance. Saga of the Swamp Thing Book One collects issues #20-27 of this seminal series including the never-before-reprinted Saga of The Swamp Thing #20, where Moore takes over as writer and concludes the previous storyline.

Book One begins with the story "The Anatomy Lesson," a haunting origin story that reshapes Swamp Thing mythology with terrifying revelations that begin a journey of discovery and adventure that will take him across the stars and beyond.

Collects: issues #20-27

Authors: Alan Moore
Artists: Stephen Bissette, John Totleben
Published By: Vertigo
Published When: April 10 2012
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 9781401220839
Pages: 208 pages

The Winner's Circle - Backtrack Vol. 2

 

Review:

This is the explosive conclusion to Backtrack, the wonderfully imaginative time-travelling road race series by Brian Joines and rendered by Jake Elphick.

Joines contnues his taut pacing and scintillating drama. The racers who have survived dinosaurs, earthquakes and East German soldiers, get no rest. Blasting through the 7 Years War between Britain and France, a pirate-infused scavenger hunt, even a jump to the far future, the race settings remain as varied as ever, and the risks and dangers keep us on the edge of our seats, white-knuckled death-grip on the wheel.

Casper Quillex, the mastermind behind the race, keeps the dangerous curves coming. When the survivng racers form an alliance, standard fare in Reality TV but a cause of dismay of his bettors and far-future audience, Quillex gives them a new twist of a scavenger hunt that forces them to work together in ways not anticipated by their alliance. Yet even working togehter, one racer does not survive the time in the land of Pirates, and another makes a shocking decision.

Quillex is also not shy about manipulating his mole in the race, forcing him to help skew the results, sabotage another racer, and in general raise the stakes and the drama for his demanding viewers.

It all reaches maximum velocity in a final leg through Los Angeles and many of its time streams. Can Alyson Levy pull out the victory in the end? And if she does, what will she choose, given her journey of healing over the course of the race?

Joines hits his stride in sotry-telling and character development now that we are down to a core half-dozen racers. I love the brilliant flashbacks, the "Kind of .. Sort of" formula he leads with in each new chapter. These add depth to all the participants, avoiding any of them becoming simple, two-dimensional cardboard cutouts or stereotypes. And the twists come in every chapter.

The visuals also drive the story. Elphick's stylized postures and expressions can be tiresome, but the superb dynamismand creative spreads are engrosising, bursting with color and energy.

A pedal to the metal finish to a great story from concept to delivery.

Description:

Quellex is determined to make this his most entertaining race of all time and the drivers are in for more than a few curveballs. With each leg, the stakes accelerate, from pirate brawls, to colossal wars, to being transported to the far-future – they’ll have to move fast before they’re ancient history. But with their numbers seriously dwindled, hidden agendas bubble to the surface. In order to live through this, Alyson will have to cast that aside and put the pedal to the metal if she wants to win this race and change her past. Ready your engines, it’s down to the final racers. And it’s still anybody’s game.

Collects: #6-10

Authors: Brian Joines
Artists: Jake Elphick
Published By: Oni Press
Published When: April 13 2021
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1620108420
Pages: 160 pages

Dinos and other Dangers - Backtrack Vol. 1

 

Review:

Like automatic parallel parking, Backtrack is a brilliant concept that, when it works well, is truly amazing.

Blending elements of Reality TV shows like Survivor and Amazing Race with the sheer adrenaline of a Fast and Furious film, Brian Joines gives us a taut, fast-paced and engrossing 10-part tale.

Volume one collects the first half of the series, in which we meet Alyson Levy, a skilled getaway-car driver. She's drowning her sorrows after a job went sideways and led to her brother's death.

Enter Casper Quillex, schemer, bookie and entertainment maestro from the far future. He recruits people to his high-octane, dangerous races, the prize being an opportunity to go back and correct a past regret.

But as the race bounces through time - dodging Cretaceous-era dinosaurs, plague-ridden 6th century Constantinople, 16th century China in the moments before the destructive Shaanxi earthquake, East Berlin on the wrong side of the wall - the troupe of racers slowly dwindles as the dangers claim more victims.

Joines both entertains and educates with these epochal jumps. And the growing personal animosity between competitors adds to the growing tension. The biggest weakness in the writing of this first half of the series is the large number of competitors, which blur until enough of them are killed off that we can begin to better distinguish among the rest. They all also have an annoying tendency to lapse into long, background-detail monologues. Joines does much better telling such back-story details through his series of "Kind of .. Sort of" flashbacks at the start of each issue.

Artist Jake Elphick spends as much time on the vehicles as on the people, to the point that characters are as distinguishable by their ride as by their appearance. They are great representations of realistic racing machines. His images are so dynamic, and arranged so beautifully from panel to panel and page to page, that when the occasional facial expression is forced or crude, it is easily forgiven.

Description:

A former criminal driver is given the chance at redemption by entering a car race but there's just one catch: each leg covers a different period in history.

If you had a chance to fix a mistake from your past, would you take it? Alyson Levy would.

Guilt weighs heavy on former criminal "wheelman," Alyson, who led an illicit life that left hers shattered. Enter Casper Quellex, an eccentric businessman who offers her the break of a lifetime: a massive cross-country car race that grants the winner an opportunity to correct a single mistake in their life. But here’s the catch -- each leg covers a different period in history. As if keeping the cars on the often-questionable (sometimes nonexistent) roads and staying ahead of competition wasn’t enough, the drivers will now have to contend with medieval warriors, dinosaurs, and natural disasters…it's all a possibility. Only the one who survives it all will be proven the winner, and like that, Alyson and the rest of the drivers find themselves in a gut-wrenching race through time and quickly learn that they must band together to form any chance for survival. But for an opportunity to turn back time, Alyson will drive from the Big Bang to the death knell of the universe.

Collects: #1-5

Authors: Brian Joines
Artists: Jake Elphick
Published By: Oni Press
Published When: Nov. 17 2020
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN: 978-1620107867
Pages: 144 pages