Women and their Men: a Review of Gotham City Sirens Book 2

 

Review:

Our trio of sirens all originated as villains whose plans and schemes were always foiled by Batman. Each also had a significant romantic love interest in their history. Harley Quinn was the psychotic romantic sidekick of the Joker. Poison Ivy's origin story has been rebooted more than once but for a time it featured her lover Jason Woodrue running experiments on her before leaving her for dead. And Catwoman has almost from her first appearance been characterized by her flirtatious fixation on Batman.

So it should come as no surprise that this ongoing series, teaming together the three of them, would have romantic entanglements and confrontations with Batman. Still, if not surprising, seeing them take center stage in these series of stories was nonetheless disappointing.

This volume, Book 2 reprinting the complete series, collects the entire second half and drawing it to its conclusion. The first story arc comes from the pen of Tony Bedard, before passing the writing duties to Peter Calloway to bring things home and wrap up the run.

In Bedard's arc, Poison Ivy falls in love with an extra-terrestrial plant creature. Can Catwoman and Harley keep her rooted in her humanity enough to stave off the pending invasion her lover seeks to trigger?

Starting with #16, Calloway's first multi-part story brings a couple other strong and independent DC women into the mix. Zatanna and Talia al Ghul land with explosive results in the lives of our sirens. At issue is whether Catwoman knows too much about Batman's secrets and would be too easily captured or kidnapped by someone seeking to extract those secrets. With Zatanna trying to wipe Catwoman's memory and Talia satisfied with just killing her, can Harley and Ivy protect her enough to survive?

The answer then launches straight into the next multi-parter, with Harley Quinn breaking into Arkham Asylum in order to kill the Joker. It is a tale that leans heavily into her education and history as a therapist, and the ability that gives her to manipulate people, while steering away from the silliness and insanity side of her personality.

When Batman must then intervene to restore peace at Arkham it's Catwoman's turn to intercede and protect her sisters in arms.

These tales have often gorgeous art by Andres Guinaldo. He shows a deft hand with different styles, shifting with apparent ease between gritty Arkham scenes on one end to the ethereal dream sequences and again to the leafy and thorny panel borders in an Ivy spotlight. His visuals are filled with life and emotion, a delight to view.

Alas, the stories themselves, with their focus on the male antagonists in the sirens' lives, drifts from the fun adventures of the first half of the series, found in Book 1. They showed that there is so much more story potential in these women. Maybe, by getting these man-focused ones out of the way, it might have opened up new frontiers for future issues. 

But no, unfortunately the series ends. By the final issue, Calloway does give us a nice retcon of the earliest issues, casting those first tales in a whole new light. Except even then, he doubles down on the men in their lives again pulling the strings and manipulating them.

Revealing the men in all their power and sway and manipulations is a disappointing way to end a series so focused on three strong, independent women.

Description:

Together, Catwoman, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are three of Gotham City's most powerful quasi-reformed criminals and together they spark scandal wherever they go.

Poison Ivy has long charmed the men of Gotham City, but now she's the one falling under a spell. Captivated with a plant-based alien inside S.T.A.R. Labs, she weds her cause to his and undertakes a Plantifest Destiny that leaves no room for humans—not even her sisters-in-crime. Catwoman and Harley Quinn try to tear their friend's heart away from the alien menace, but they find out how slowly the threat of love dies.

The excitement continues when an underworld plot to kidnap Catwoman and pluck her beloved Batman's identity from her mind shakes the Sirens. As the sorry enemy of Ivy and Harley' ex the Joker, the Dark Knight will always divide the three, and Catwoman's feelings have barely been tolerated to this point. So when Talia al Ghul and Zatanna rush in to help save Selina, it's not exactly clear who's doing the saving…and who's doing the hurting.

And when Harley stages a riot in Arkham Asylum to the Joker, it could be the beginning of the end of the Gotham City Sirens. As the situation inside Gotham quickly spins out of control, and Harley becomes more and more mired in her obsession with the Clown Prince of Crime, Poison Ivy and Catwoman struggle over how to handle their estranged teammate. The Gotham City Sirens are ready to make their final stand, but will they be fighting each other?

Writers Tony Bedard (SUPERGIRL) and television's Peter Calloway (Brothers & Sisters, Hellcats) team up with artists Andres Guinaldo (NIGHTWING), Jeremy Haun (BATWOMAN), Ramon F. Bachs (BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM) and more, in GOTHAM CITY SIRENS BOOK TWO! Collects issues #14-26.

Collects: Gotham City Sirens (2009) #14-26

Authors:  Peter Calloway, Tony Bedard
Artists:  Andres Guinaldo
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  May 5, 2015
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401254124
Pages:  304 pages

A Strong, Green Foundation - Review of Green Lantern: The Silver Age Vol. 1

 

Review:

Continuing DC Comics' effort to reprint its early stories for the modern world, this book collects the first two and a half years of Hal Jordan's Silver Age appearances as the rebooted Green Lantern.

He would become the most famous Green Lantern in pop culture, with movies and a constant presence in Justice League media. In-story, Hal would become known as one of the all-time greatest Green Lanterns.

These earliest stories lay the foundation of so much of the most recognizable Green Lantern characters and themes that would endure from the 1960s through the 1990s. Things like the 24-hour limit on the ring's charge, the impurity backed into the ring that gave it its weakness against yellow things; Carol Ferris as both a hard-driving business-woman and  a swooning love-interest; the little blue Guardians of the Universe;a pan-galactic Corps of fantastical alien ring-wielders, and more. Even little things, like using the initials GL as a shorthand abbreviation.

More examples of the mythology established right from these earliest pages that would play a constant and persistent role in GL stories forever after: the Weaponers of Qward debut in #2; Hector Hammond in #5; and Sinestro's first appearance is in #7.

This is all a great testament to author John Broome's tremendous imagination and his ability to create characters and relationships that would excite and inspire fans for years to come!

Several artists contributed to the visuals of these early days, and 1960 treated credits differently than today so identifying who did which pages can be tricky. Artist Gil Kane contributed the most, though, and when his work can be identified it shows his flair for dynamic images. In this early Silver Age work, his pages generally hold six panels, vs the 9 panels most common in the Golden Age comics. This lets the panels grow in size, and Kane fills the extra room with creative angles and ample close-ups. 

Even with the excessive narrative text cramping the space, Kane gave us compelling images more often than not. His villains were the weakest elements, with the alien baddies excessively goofy and over-the-top, and a shocking number of bald men, especially the villains! The Guardians are an exception, but the Qwardians and most normal human villains are all smooth on top. 

As vital and foundational as these stories from 1959 to 1961 were, reading them thorugh 2025 eyes is a struggle. Our tastes and sensibilities have become darker, more into realism and harsher, more violent visuals than these Comics Code-approved tales. 

So the goofier tales, such as Hal's friend and co-worker Tom Kalmaku turning into a seagull, the candy-looking colouring of Sinestro and some of the monsters, and the narrative repetitiveness are less compelling today. And the constant use of a racial slur in reference to Tom Kalmaku and his indigenous (Innu) heritage is a constant aggravation. It may have been common at the time of these stories but no longer fits today's sensibilities. Call it a constant reminder of how much we've learned and grown as a society. 

But this was not written in 2025, it was written more than 60 years ago. And it was so well received precisely because it was such a perfect fit for the society of that day. The exotic planets and aliens, the high-tech test pilot role of Hal Jordan, the romantic interests, the magical powers of the ring itself, all spoke to the America of the early Space-age. 

In these pages, the legend is born  I give the book two capes with today's eyes, with a recognition that it would have been 4 capes in its day.

 

Description:

Perhaps the most famous of all the Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan put on the lantern’s ring for the first time in 1959. A re-envisioning of the original crime-fighting Green Lantern (Alan Scott), created by John Broome in the 1940s, this new Green Lantern was a science fiction adventurer. He battled aliens, giant monsters, wealthy sociopaths out to steal his power ring...and the efforts of his lady love, Carol Ferris, to discover his true identity. As the Green Lantern of the Silver Age of comic books, Hal Jordan captured the imagination of a space-minded society of the ’50s and ’60s.

GREEN LANTERN: THE SILVER AGE VOLUME 1 collects the adventures of Hal Jordan as he takes on the responsibility of the ring and the lantern for the first time in SHOWCASE #22-24 and GREEN LANTERN #1-9.

Collects: Showcase #22-24 and Green Lantern #1-9

Authors:  John Broome
Artists:  Gil Kane, Mike Sekowsky, Carmen Infantino
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Oct. 11, 2016
Parental Rating: General
ISBN:  978-1401263485
Pages:  356 pages

 

History and Politics - a Review of Green Lantern Corps: Beware Their Power Vol. 1

 

Review:

Creative team Steve Englehart and Joe Staton continued to do amazing things in their late-1980s run with the Green Lanterns. After shiftnig focus of the ongoing series from Hal Jordan to John Stewart to Guy Gardner then to a whole corps, after sheperding the book through the turmoil the universe-reshaping Crisis on Infinite Earths, after rebranding the book from Green Lantern to the Green Lantern Corps, they continued to give us strong, surprisingly grown-up stories with their cast of characters.

In an era where other titles were going darker and more brutal, Englehart penned tales of mature and complex inter-personal relationships. He even rooted some of these tales in a familar, recognizable world and well-known IRL peresonalities.

Take, for starters, the cover story arc, which sees Kilowog realize he is more in tune with the principles of socialism than capitalism. It provokes him to locate his earthly base of operations in the USSR. Englehart weaves in real-world tensions of that late Cold War era and unapologetically names names. This is not the Golden and Silver Age of using thinly veiled stand-ins for the real world - no Star City or Central City (although still Coast City). Instead, he gives us Washington and Moscow, Reagan and Gorbachev.

Through Kilowog, Englehart gives Soviet society in general and communism in particular a fairer airing than much of the media of the day. We also get a clear political statement with Hal Jordan declaring himself to be an "unregenerate liberal," if not to the same extent as Kilowog. Ultimately, of course, the USSR is portrayed as more duplicitous and brutal than the USA, but this would have been a notable and brave story when published.

The Earth-based Corps is not opposed to dating co-workers; in these pages we get lots of scenes with happy couples, culminating with the wedding and honeymoon of John Stewart and Katma Tui. They spend a wonderful honeymoon on an asteroid they encountered in a previous issue.

In fact, two of the recurring themes in this collection are the romantic lives of the heroes, which also include Hal Jordan and Arissa as well as Guy Gardner, and unapologetic references to Green Lantern tales past. These history callbacks identify the issues to which they nod, a helpful touch to those of us who do not get the reference or who don't recall their details. 

Some even go all the way back to the earliest Green Lantern days of the 1960s. Star Saphire and Hector Hammond, teaming up here to defeat the Corps, first met in Green Lantern #5, and the Solar Director of AD 5700 connects all the way back to issue #8.

Star Saphire and Hector Hammond hatch a scheme to kill first Hal and soon after the entire Corps. And they appear to have succeeded in their first step, through Hammond's mind control, sabotage, and making use of their knowledge of the power ring's limitations and weaknesses. Most thrilling of all, however, is the interplay between the two frenemies, as each seeks to manipulate the other, Star Saphire most shockingly by stripping naked in front of him.

The AD 5700 Solar Director story comes with a twist - instead of Hal Jordan, they pull Salaak into the far future and he is in turn seduced by the lovely Iona. But when Ch'p arrives in AD 5700 too, he takes the other side in the conflict. The interpersonal rift occasionally delivers tender and intense moments, although this story arc is by far the goofiest in this collection.

The beautiful hardcover collection is bookended by two series annuals. In each, the writers were given the assignment to tell us tales from the other thousands of Green Lantern Corps members. Most striking and memorable are the ones by Alan Moore, with his tale of long-game manipulation leading to the death of Abin Sur, then a fascinating tale of how the green light of the lantern would translate to a place of such profound darkness that light-based language has no equivalent.

This is a delightful set of stories and a beautiful bookshelf treasure.

Description:

The Green Lantern Corps, now only made up of Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Arisia, Katma Tui, Ch'p, Salakk and Kilowog, have made Earth their new home. Now the Green Lanterns must battle cosmic threats while dealing with the national politics of the United States and the Soviet Union! Plus, the alien members of the Corps are eager to explore their new home and learn all about strange new human customs!

GREEN LANTERN CORPS: BEWARE THEIR POWER VOL. 1 collects for the first time ever GREEN LANTERN CORPS #207-215 and GREEN LANTERN CORPS ANNUAL #2-3, from the veteran Green Lantern creative team of Steve Englehart, Joe Staton and Mark Farmer!

Collects: GREEN LANTERN CORPS #207-215 and Annual #2-3

Authors:  Steve Englehart, Alan Moore
Artists:  Joe Staton, Mark Farmer
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Feb. 13, 2018
Parental Rating: Parental Guidance
ISBN:  978-1401277505
Pages:  296 pages

Down-to-Earth Meets Cosmic Creation Constellation: Review of Domino: Hotshots

Review:

Domino and a double-sized crew of battle-ready ladies must bury their competing interests and loyalties, band together and bond as a team, all in time to stop a cosmic-level artifact from falling into the wrong hands.

From a minor character in the world of Cable and X-Force, Domino and her mutant power of psychic probability manipulation - the power of Luck - emerged into a handful of solo mini-series and brief ongoing ones, including this 2019 five-issue mini-series collected in these pages.

She and her sidekicks Cowgirl (with her super-strength) and Diamondback (with her explosive powers) are decidedly down-to-earth in their interests and abilities - hardly the types you would normally put into a tale with such cosmic themes and a key role played by the Celestials. But that is exactly what Gail Simone gives us here. Looking at her history as an author, cosmic stories are not her wheelhouse, but strong female heroes definitely are, as seen in some of her other work, such as on Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey and Red Sonja.

It is the interactions, tensions and bonding of the women at the centre of this story that is the real strength. Domino, Cowgirl and Diamondback are joined in their quest by Black Widow, exhibiting an on-again, off-again, love-hate relationship with her Avengers teammates, as well as White Fox and Atlas Bear. It makes for a potent mix of nationalities, continents, loyalties and secrets. As a group, they do not hit it off immediately, and Simone draws out the tension through almost the entire run.

Deadpool makes an extended appearance in a comic-relief role; Tony Stark is portrayed as a distant, arrogant billionaire Avenger who deigns to send his drones to assist / keep an eye on the women.

These low-powered, down-to-earth heroes seem far outmatched by the challenges and powers facing them. Simone never quite manages to bridge this divide. Nor does the Luck power of our title character play much of a role, despite Black Widow's insistence and mentorship. And the celestial-level threat of the "Creation Constellation" remains too under-developed. Why is this such a threat and danger? We get hints and pieces only, it never fully settles into a chilling bigger picture.

What Simone does give us is an endless run of cleverly written dialog. The relationships and fun in the midst of danger makes for plenty of smiles while reading these pages.

David Baldeon's art is uninspiring. The marketing proclaims a tale with a whole troupe of hot women, but that selling angle was never communicated to the man making the visuals. The panels lean too much on excessive inking to tell us of the growing control the Creation Constellation is exerting over different characters. And the close-up facial expressions lack punch.

The book carries a "Parental Advisory" rating, which seems excessive. There is no sex or nudity or even revealing poses and angles; even the cussing uses the classic comics code of asterisks and symbols. There is, I suppose, a little off panel canoodling between Deadpool and Diamondback, but overall, this is a pretty safe read for young eyes.

Description:

Bully, brawler, mercenary, spies! The Marvel Universe's hottest new team is on the scene! When Domino and her pals Outlaw and Diamondback find themselves caught between warring nations, they'll have to call on a whole new crew of international women of mystery - including the Black Widow - to sort it out! But can the newly minted Hotshots survive the arrival of the Merc with a Mouth? Picture it: six undercover, highly trained, armed-to-the-teeth women hunting a device from space that will change life as we know it - but when Deadpool crashes the party, more than just the mission might be blown sky high! The immense power of the Creation Constellation will soon be in reach! But the only thing standing between Domino's squad and its power is…one another! Which of these knockouts is gonna get knocked out?!

Collects: Domino: Hotshots #1-5

Authors:  Gail Simone
Artists:  David Baldeon
Published By:  Marvel Universe
Published When:  Sept. 10, 2019
Parental Rating: Parental Advisory
ISBN:  978-1302918330
Pages:  112 pages

Sleepy Science Class - a Review of The Science of Marvel: From Infinity Stones to Iron Man's Armor, the Real Science Behind the MCU Revealed!

 

Review:

In this short book, Sebastian Alvardo highlights moments in a wide variety of the many films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From these moments, he dives into the current scientific thinking and research. It is a noble endeavour, one that seeks to ground in reality some of the scientific techno-pseudo-babble explanations of these fantastic sci-fi stories.

Occasionally drawing from his own field and research career in molecular ecology and behavioural neuroscience, he tackles more than forty topics, from gadgets like exosuits and aero-rigs to Thor's lightning and Spiderman's Spidey-sense.

Brains and Neuroscience get careful coverage, looking at, for one example, what about Hawkeye's body could work together to give him perfect aim?

So, too, do exotic creatures, from Ant Man's giant ants to Groot and Rocket Racoon themselves.

Physics phenomena like wormholes and phasing get their own section, too.

And for technology, Alvardo delves into things like web shooters and Iron Man's power reactor, giving careful analysis of the comics-based claims versus the best explanations of the greatest scientific minds.

I admire Alvardo's goals in this project, seeking to map comic book and movie motifs onto our reality. And he does his readers great service by linking the topics to specific films, scenes and characters, rounding out the picture with back-story details when needed. And he gives due consideration to any explanations offered in the films themselves, before usually bursting their bubbles with the cold water of reality.

Unfortunately, it is just not a very interesting read. Whether Alvardo is slipping into dense techno-babble of his own, or just walking us through explanations, it all feels very prosaic. Rather than connecting with his readers by putting science concepts into layman's terms, the text leaves us feeling like we are in a dull high school science class.

He does wisely include a dual glossary, one of Marvel terms and one of the Science terms he uses.

Description:

Science meets fantasy in this behind-the-scenes look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe—now you can experience the magic of the movies, and learn how to replicate it in real-life.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with extraordinary humans and abilities. There are teenaged geniuses swinging through the streets of New York, billionaires creating impenetrable armor in hidden caves, and aliens flying through wormholes to Earth. All of these characters seem to lie firmly in the realm of fantasy—but the technology behind them might not be as farfetched as you think…

The Science of Marvel pulls back the curtain and reveals the secrets behind Marvel movie magic, and shows us how to recreate these comic book wonders in our everyday life. Using quantum physics, a little bit of mechanical engineering, and some out-of-the-box thinking, you’ll be amazed to discover that it’s possible to create a real-life Captain America, Incredible Hulk, or Black Panther. The perfect gift or collectible for Marvel fans everywhere, The Science of Marvel brings beloved movies and characters to life like never before.

Collects: NA

Authors:  Sebastian Alvarado
Artists:  NA
Published By:  Adams Media
Published When:  April 9, 2019
Parental Rating: General
ISBN:  978-1507209981
Pages:  240 pages

Red Hot Rogues - a Review of Gotham City Sirens Book 1

 

Review:

This sleek and beautiful book is bursting its leather, spandex and leafy seams, so packed is it with brilliance. With witty banter, non-stop action, villains reformed and heroes deformed, it is a tour de force collecting the first year of the Gotham City Sirens ongoing series from 2009-10.

It all starts with a brilliant concept: three of the Batman's most persistent and popular female villains band together, not to kill the bat, but to turn over a new leaf and follow a more straight-and-narrow path - well, sort of. They wind up as partners and roommates. They promise to have each other's back and be there for one another physically, emotionally, mentally. Again, sort of.

I mean, there is Ivy's attempt to drug Selina and extract the identity of the Batman. And her gagging of Harley Quinn at inopportune moments to silence her childish chatter, even if she is the only one who sees what is really going on.

But whether it is adapting to Catwoman's weaker heart or finding and plunging a desiccated Ivy in a pond to resurrect her, or keeping Harley from bat relationship choices, there is a clear respect, bond, even affection between them.

And what a ride they give us readers! Writer Paul Dini does the heavy lifting script-wise, giving us confrontations with Hush in disguise, Joker and Gabby and Doctor Aesop. Carnage and chaos and clever, caring conversations. The Riddler is also a regular in these pages, another reformed rogue - sort of. He gets a standalone team up with a new Batman as Scott Lobdel pens a one-shot chapter and Mister Nigma gets several other more-than-cameo appearances.

Why all the "Sort of" descriptions here? These classic characters have well-known passions, motives, foibles and they are all present in these pages. But Dini uses our familiarity with their villainy to tell a richer story with more complex characters, ones whose motivations and decisions are always to be viewed through a multi-faceted lens.

Check out, for example, the sweet, if dark, Christmas special (#7) in which each of the three leading ladies marks the festive season in their own unique way. As much about death and dysfunction as peace on earth.

Guillen March's visuals are stunning. With action bursting from every page, good use of forced perspective and extreme close-up, fluid borders to panels with characters regularly overflowing. He especially shines in the darker arcs, the darkest of all being the serial killer one-shot tale that he plotted and drew, with Mark Andreyko putting his concepts into dialog.

Tony Bedard also pops in for a two-parter focused on Catwoman and her holy nun of a sister. The sister, unfortunately, is convinced that she can drive the demon from Selina. Dark, delicious if a bit more magical than the typical Batman universe fare.

There is so much to like about this collection, a highly recommended four capes.

Description:

From Emmy and Eisner Award-winning Paul Dini (DETECTIVE COMICS, Batman: The Animated Series) comes GOTHAM CITY SIRENS BOOK ONE!

Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn—they’re beautiful, they’re deadly, and for the first time in their lives, all three are trying to fly on the straight and narrow. Tired of playing by other people's rules, regardless of which side of the law they're on, these tough ladies have a new agenda that's all their own, and they'll use any means necessary to pursue it.

Only, sometimes, friends can be more trouble than they're worth. Particularly when they're unaccustomed to things like loyalty… or sanity.

With the Bat away, these sirens will play, and no one— not Hush, the Riddler, or even the Joker—knows what to expect from the bad girls of Gotham City. But life off the lam is no bed of roses. Especially when maniacs are killing innocents and making it look like the Sirens are the culprits, when Ivy’s new civilian identity proves murderously difficult to maintain, and when Catwoman’s sister comes to town to ride of the demon she believes possesses her… and rid her of her life in the process!

Featuring the gorgeous artwork of Guillem March (BATMAN), Andres Guinaldo (NIGHTWING), and more, Batman’s hottest rogues tread a new path by the along with writers Paul Dini, Tony Bedard (SUPERGIRL), Scott Lobdell (TEEN TITANS), and Marc Andreyko (BATWOMAN) in GOTHAM CITY SIRENS BOOK ONE.

Collects: issues #1-13

Authors:  Paul Dini, Tony Bedard, Mark Andreyko
Artists:  Guillem March
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Oct. 28 2014
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401251758
Pages:  320 pages

The Crisis Connection - Review of Green Lantern Sector 2814 book 3

 

Review:

Comics issues with big, round numbers like #200 are natural places for big celebrations, classic villains in memorable confrontations, and momentous events. And when it coincides with the end of DC's universe-reshaping Crisis on Infinite Earths, multiply the significance ten-fold!

The creative team of writer Steve Englehart and penciller Joe Staton deliver. By the end of #200, the final chapter in both this book and the three-book run of "Sector 2814" books, they have shaken the Green Lantern universe, corps and mythology to its core and sent it off in an intriguing new direction.

Issue #200 is the clear standout of the seven comics collected here. From Hal Jordan's sheer joy and exuberance at becoming Green Lantern once again, to the duplicitous sneak attacks from, first, Star Sapphire and then Sinestro, to the shocking departure of both the Guardians of the Universe and the Zamarons, the extended, double-sized issue could barely contain it all. Englehart's breakneck pace of narration, coupled with Staton's strong and emotionally rich visuals carry the reader through this emotional roller coaster. With brilliant nods to the rich history of Green Lantern, we finish the book excited to see the new developments to come.

The other six chapters here are less compelling. Englehart's storytelling shines with moments of surprise and delight - through shocking team-ups like Guy Gardner and Star Sapphire, or John Stewart and Sinestro, or the touching moments around the death of Tomar Re, a significant secondary character with a long history with the Corps.

But the Crisis tie-ins pull against these elements and ultimately fragment the tales too much. With so many threads on the go, so any cuts between scenes, sudden reversals and shifts in tone and direction, these other chapters fail to live up to the strength of #200. It is also fascinating, in today's retrospective view, to see how much more central to the Crisis storyline the Green Lanterns and the Guardians are here, in the Green Lantern title, compared to the mainline Crisis books. Like a bratty child acting up to get more attention, it feels almost undignified.

Joe Staton turns in solid work through a wide range of characters and locations - Earth, sea, air, space, Oa and a dozen other planets. Lots of angry confrontations and green energy blasts, with notably fewer light constructs in these pages. A particular favourite of Staton's work here is the spread of close-ups to show the different reactions in the audience when the Guardians announce they are leaving. The emotional range goes far beyond mere shock.

Staton's habit of switching from rectangular to more slashing, almost triangular panels gets a little out of hand here, a visual style that can be effective and shocking when well-used but that, in these stories, distracts more than it enhances.

The run-up through all three Sector 2814 books, with different Green Lanterns of Earth as the focus of each book, sets up very well the shift to the Green Lantern Corps with issue #201, giving the series a new title while continuing the numbering and doubling down on the ever-growing cast of Lanterns.

Description:

In this new collection of 1980s Green Lantern adventures, John Stewart clashes with Guy Gardner to see who will be the Green Lantern of Earth. And while Stewart battles Harbinger during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Gardner recruits enemies of the Green Lantern Corps to stand against an evil that could destroy the entire universe--including The Shark, Hector Hammond, Sonar, Goldface and more! As the two factions fight each other--John Stewart and the Green Lantern Corps vs. Guy Gardner and the villains--a fallen Lantern's ring finds Hal Jordan, who reclaims his place in the Corps.

Collects: Green Lantern (vol 2) #194-200

Authors:  Steve Englehart
Artists:  Joe Staton, Bruce Patterson
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Jan 21, 2014
Parental Rating: PG
ISBN:  978-1401243272
Pages:  200 pages

Rookie Call-up to Big Leagues - Review of Green Lantern Sector 2814 volume 2

 

Review:

Book two of the three-volume Sector 2814 set of Green Lantern trade paperbacks puts John Stewart at the center of the action. The set continues to collect some momentous and turbulent times in the life of Green Lantern, whoever bears that title.

Len Wein and Dave Gibbons establish the new Green Lantern out of the gate with battles against some classic foes, first Major Disaster, closely followed by Eclipso. Through these confrontations, the new guy is clearly learning the ropes, making mistakes, slowly getting better and more confident.

It includes one of my favourite scenes in the whole collection, the sanity-breaking "everyone is a Green Lantern" sequence. Whether or not it's an early nod to the cosplay culture, it is a fun page. I am less impressed by some of the sloppy green-power structures John Stewart creates - sure, he is still learning, but he is supposedly a highly regarded architect and the best he can imagine is an elevated platform without safety rails for his date with the reporter?

As the Wein & Gibbons run ends, Paul Kupperberg steps in for a one-parter standalone "day in the life" tale, although still contractually obligated, it appears, to move some of the secondary plots forward with a panel or page here and there. Fill-in artist Bill Willingham is already in this era showing the distinctive visual style elements that will become so strong in his Fables series in the future. Unfortunately, here in Green Lantern, those traits of posture and expression just feel awkward.

With #188, Steve Englehart takes over the writing and Joe Staton becomes the penciller. This new team immediately starts moving the characters and themes in intriguing new directions. They reveal John Stewart's secret identity in their very first issue, so he loses the mask - because what is the point, who are you hiding from now that everyone knows?

They also start a budding romance between Stewart and Katma Tui, the veteran Green Lantern assigned as his tutor by the Guardians. In their hands it feels natural and sweet, building to their first kiss and beyond.

And over several issues the creative team builds the tension brewing between Hal Jordan, Carol Ferris and the mysterious Predator. Ringless Hal is still without fear and does his best to confront the vicious Predator who, in turn, becomes increasingly romantically fixated on Carol. It all culminates (spoiler alert!) in the shocking return of Star Sapphire!

In all, it is an audacious debut for this new creative team, as they take a big swing at putting their own stamp on the Green Lantern mythology. Not everything they try is a hit - the Hal Jordan vigilante arc foremost among them. And Staton occasionally switches from rectangular panels to slashing diagonals and triangles for no apparent reason, just a page here and there of sudden visual disorientation.

I also appreciate how they are slowly setting up Guy Gardner for a future role, and the many nods to the long and rich history of Green Lantern. In particular, the retrospective of past confrontations with Star Sapphire and the extra legwork on the Editor's part to stick in references to issues past, where these events took place.

Description:

The mid-1980s run of Green Lantern tales continues with the final stories by the team of writer Len Wein (creator of Wolverine and Swamp Thing) and artist Dave Gibbons (Watchmen). Over the course of these tales, John Stewart becomes the new Green Lantern of Earth, only to face the threats of Eclipso and Star Sapphire. Plus, John Stewart battles his predecessor as Green Lantern of Earth, Hal Jordan.

Collects: Green Lantern (vol 2) #182-183, 185-193

Authors:  Len Wein, Steve Englehart
Artists:  Dave Gibbons, Joe Staton, Bruce Patterson
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Aug 27, 2013
Parental Rating: PG
ISBN:  978-1401240783
Pages:  232 pages

Not Cloned, Not Fun: Review of Justice League 3000 volume 1 Yesterday Lives

 

Review:

A legendary Justice League creative crew is reunited and given a brand new New 52 era Justice League book. Keith Giffen and JM Dematteis, who co-wrote Justice League titles (Justice League, Justice League International, Justice League Europe) for many years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, team up for a new take on the league. They bring in Howard Porter, who provided art for them on such lesser-known titles as Magog and Scooby Apocalypse.

It all held so much potential with high expectations from fans of their previous run. Unfortunately, this time it doesn't work. The magic fails to click.

The so-called Wonder Twins, Terry and Teri, have resurrected key members of the classic Justice League - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Green Lantern.

It's now the 31st century and half the known universe is run by The Five, ruthless and near omnipotent beings. There's Kali the 6-armed god, Locus the reality-altering teen, Coeval the sentient program, the Convert who can possess several thousand other beings simultaneously, and one other to be named later.
Can the resurrected Justice League defeat The Five and saved the oppressed?

No, in part due to the flawed process used in their resurrection. Ariel Masters knew of the flaws and sought to prevent the process, but is now on the run in an effort to preserve her secrets. The results of the process once executed give us, not the classic heroes everyone knows, but beings with some hiccups.

Superman is an arrogant frat boy with immense power but not flight. Wonder Woman is a blood-thirsty warrior. Green Lantern is slowly being killed by the Green energy. Flash has no anti-friction aura. The closest to their old self is Batman, yet something is still off.

The result is that these beings, flawed in powers and personalities, fail to bond into a team that transcends its individual parts. With all this internal squabbling and self-doubt, how can they possibly overcome the awesome power of The Five?

The ongoing series is flawed in its attempts to resurrect the magic of this creative team, too. Howard Porter's art is chunky and slapdash. The constant exotic panel layouts do little more than distract and confuse. Even Hi-Fi on the colours, in other places so jaw-dropping, here are blocky and sub-par. 

For a couple issues, Keith Giffen handles the layouts and it does make an immediate, if not lasting, difference. 

Giffen's primary involvement is with the plots, with longtime collaborator JM Dematteis putting those ideas into words. But the fun banter and non-sequiturs of their renowned Justice League run are missing here. A handful of forced and one-dimensional exchanges give hints of levity and fun, but they are too few, too wooden, too uninspiring.

Maybe these are just not the right characters for this team. When they wrote for Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire, Ice, Captain Atom and more, they excelled with mid-tier heroes or new characters of their own making. This attempt to reinterpret this set of A-List heroes is forced, not much fun and ultimately falls flat.

Description:

In the far-flung future in the year 3000, the Justice League still exists and they're more familiar than you could imagine. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Green Lantern comprise the League, but how is it that a millennia from now, these heroes could still exists? JUSTICE LEAGUE 3000 VOL. 1: YESTERDAY LIVES is a new series starring the heroes of today--tomorrow from the classic Justice League writing team of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis with legendary artist Howard Porter (JLA).

Collects: Justice League 3000 #1-7

Authors:  Keith Giffen, J. M. Dematteis
Artists:  Howard Porter
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Oct 21, 2014
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401250461
Pages:  176 pages

Hal Jordan Checks Out: Review of Green Lantern - Sector 2814 volume 1

 

Review:

Writer Len Wein and artist Dave Gibbons are both highly regarded for their comic book work over the decades. Wein is perhaps best remembered for co-creating the Swamp Thing for DC Comics, and Wolverine and several other key X-Men characters for Marvel Comics. Gibbons most famously teamed with Alan Moore in the Watchmen series, described as "one of the most important literary works the field has ever produced" (Paul Levitz)

Despite these accolades and accomplishments, these Green Lantern tales are not among their best work. And yet even in the midst of standard mid-80s superhero fare, there are memorably transcendent moments.

This book is the first of three volumes that collect #172-200 of the ongoing Green Lantern series that started in the late 1960s. It was a critical couple years in the Green Lantern universe, moving Hal Jordan out of the centre and letting other Earth-born ring-wielders take centre stage. It all culminated in the series switching to become the Green Lantern Corps with #201, kicking off a more team-based series with more extra-terrestrial characters.

Wein dazzles with a poetic touch in the narrative-heavy sections. Exhibit A is the repeated use of a newspaper image in #175, as he takes a potentially trite and contrived idea into the backbone of the story. And the personal tension and internal turmoil that leads to Hal Jordan's resignation as Green Lantern is nicely built over several chapters.

Where he falls short of his reputation are, first, how small-thinking Hal Jordan becomes upon his return to Earth - having seen the universe, it is unexpected that he would become so focused on the problems of one company in once city on one planet; and second, the middle section of this collection is decidedly ho-hum standard superhero fare, especially the chapters with the Javelin and the Demolition Team. 

The Shark chapters pull that way too, but Wein manages to mitigate the worst with the newspaper and the inner-mind battle. Wein also gives characters different accents - Irish, southern USA, east-coast USA, which injects more variety into the voices but becomes too cute.

Dave Gibbons nails the art in the Shark chapters. The inner-mind battle especially stands out, with its jagged tooth-like panels and reduced colour palettes. Some other charming touches show up too, like the Flash with one leg casually draped over the arm of an easy-chair. And he is reasonably restrained with the light constructs created by the power ring. But much of the rest is cookie-cutter work and some secondary characters are hard to distinguish - good thing they rarely change their clothes, so we can tell them apart!

Reading these 40-year-old stories today, they are obviously dated and did not always age well. But there are some sparkling moments and it sets up a key moment of succession in the Green Lantern character, a radical change that did not come with any attempts to kill off a character as historically significant as Hal Jordan.

Description:

In 1984, DC Comics introduced British artist Dave Gibbons to U.S. readers with Green Lantern #172, the start of a popular run by Gibbons and writer Len Wein, best known as the creator of both Swamp Thing and Wolverine. Over the course of thirteen action packed issues, Green Lantern battled some of his greatest foes, clashed with the Guardians of the Universe, and was replaced by another human Green Lantern - John Stewart! This title is a showcase for the art of Dave Gibbons, who moved straight from Green Lantern to Watchmen, the best-selling graphic novel of all time. Gibbons returned to the world of Green Lantern in 2007 as the writer of the new series Green Lantern Corps.

Collects: Green Lantern (vol 2) #172-176, 178-181

Authors:   Len Wein
Artists:  Dave Gibbons
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Nov 20, 2012
Parental Rating: PG-13
ISBN:  978-1401241667
Pages:  192 pages

An Ill Wind: Review of Justice League America volume 1 The Tornado's Path

 

Review:

The 2006 Brad Meltzer reboot of Justice League of America resulted in a team with a nice diversity of heroes. It included heavy-hitters like Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern; with a mix of lighter-powered characters with other expertise like Black Canary, Vixen and Red Arrow. And of course the Red Tornado.

Red Tornado debuted in 1968 and was a frequent member of the Justice Society of America in their annual cross-overs with the JLA. He eventually moved permanently between dimensions, landing on Earth-1 and joining the Justice League.

In his history, the sentient android/elemental fusion has seen his body badly damaged or destroyed countless times, followed by a reanimation /resurrection story. The years have seen a dozen reboots and retcons of his story.

It has all left DC readers in three camps - some who find the character compelling and who crave more; a second group (this reviewer included) who find the repetitiveness of the destruction and reanimation tales annoying and overdone; and a larger third group for whom Reddy is a trivial minor character who deserves little more than the occasional non-speaking cameo.

Brad Meltzer and Ed Benes, in this reboot of the whole JLA, take their turn resurrecting and rewriting Red Tornado. How did their version do on this well-trodden path?

In this book, the soul of Red Tornado aka John Smith longs to be human. With the help of Felix Faust, disguised as Deadman, and a schema ultimately masterminded by Solomon Grundy, that soul is successfully transplanted into a flesh-and-blood human body.The bad guys then steal the empty android shell for their own nefarious purposes.

But the human body is intentionally more flawed than Reddy was led to believe, and he must fight for his life and ultimately (spoiler alert) sacrifice for his loved ones. While Meltzer's writing gives us a few genuinely moving moments, the arc is prone to lapsing into melodrama and over-sentimentality.

Much stronger is the ongoing voting among the big three of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, as they discuss the pros and cons of other heroes and decide whom to invite into their newly reformed club.

Or the spotlight on Black Canary's immense courage and ferocity in combat. Or the Vixen arc as she struggles with her sanity after the loss of her totem. Putting Red Tornado at the centre of this whole narrative feels out of place and produces somewhat predictable plot twists.

The powerful images Ed Benes gives us with his art do a lot of the heavy lifting in the parts of the story where Tornado's involvement actually works. I love the cute nods to the four-colour newsprint days of the Silver Age in the Tornado flashback sequences. While Benes gives us some intense action framing and combat sequences, the poses and expressions become as repetitive as the Tornado destruction / reanimation cycles. The one exception is Black Canary, who has seldom looked better in hand-to-hand combat scenes than in these pages.

Description:

New York Times best-selling novelist Brad Meltzer teams with artist Ed Benes to redefine the Justice League for today...and tomorrow! After the darkest hour in the DC Universe, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman meet to once again choose who among Earth's greatest heroes will comprise the new Justice League of America. But while they meet in secret to decide the fate of the team, dark forces move against their friends and allies.

Collects: Justice League of America (2006) #1-6

Authors:  Brad Meltzer
Artists:  Ed Benes
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  June 7, 2007
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401213497
Pages:  226 pages

Training Raw Recruits - Review of Green Lantern Corps - To Be a Lantern (Eaglemoss Collection volume 103)

Review:

With the mythology of a Corps of Green Lanterns - a small army (numbering in the low thousands) policing the many sectors of space - dating back to the Silver Age of comics, the possibilities for stories and adventures of this team are nearly infinite.

This hardcover book, volume 103 of the massive Eaglemoss DC Comics Graphic Novel collection, brings together two starting points of the Corps.

The title tale comes from issues #1-6 of the 2006 ongoing Green Lantern Corps series. These characters and stories were not occurring in a vacuum, other than that of space, and the book helpfully sets the table of the Geoff Johns tales of Rebirth and Recharge work in the Green Lantern universe. This new series emerged from those plot lines, with writing duties going to longtime Green Lantern penciller Dave Gibbons.

Why did Eaglemoss choose this story for its larger collection of key stories from DC Comics history? It's because these pages set in motion elements that will ultimately lead to and culminate in the War of the Green Lanterns and Blackest Night. I will have to take their word for this long-term impact and importance of these stories as, on their own, they are not very interesting or satisfying.

Guy Gardner, sick of training raw recruits, tries for some Rest & Relaxation, only to be interrupted by the bounty hunter Bolphunga the Unrelenting. This is the comic-relief arc, I suppose, with Guy's lecherous resort getaway and running battle, sometimes while missing his power ring.

Soranik Natu and partner Myrrt are put through the emotional wringer with death and devastation, the execution of a prince of the ruling dynasty, elements of self-doubt, naked racism and the death of a Lantern.

Elsewhere, Vath Sarn and partner Isamot Kol, who should be enemies based on the interplanetary war between their peoples, work through their sometimes-tense interpersonal differences and fend off a surprise assault from a third force.

The story jumps to other settings, too, such as Kilowog's boot-camp for new recruits and a battle against kidnappers hiding in a sentient city. As I said, infinite possibilities. And yet somehow the result is a dull and uninteresting read. The scattered Corps has no unity, their powers are all identical, and the jumps between scenes ultimately fail to make us care about these heroes. Some character depth does emerge for Soranik Natu but the others are forgettable and one-dimensional.

Art duties switch from Patrick Gleason to Dave Gibbons after the first three issues. The difference is immediately noticeable, with Gleason's darkly inked and brutal images yielding to the more goofy and bright style of Gibbons, showing his deep familiarity with the Green Lantern concepts.

Eaglemoss books almost always include one much older chapter as well, and in this volume it is Green Lantern Corps #201 from the mid-1980s. It is an important pivot point in Green Lantern history, moving from a focus on in individual Lantern in its first 200 issues to a team book. The events of the major DC crossover event Millenium triggered this switch. Some highlights in this one packed issue include the first appearance of Kilowog, new and varied uniforms, and Earth becoming the new base of operations for the team. It is a tale packed with new beginnings, new villains and schemes. Still not a terribly interesting read, 40 years later, but it serves as a fascinating counterpoint - this old group is a much more integrated and cooperative team than the scattered pairs shown in the rest of the book.

Description:

Eaglemoss Collections volume 103

The beacon of hope that was the Green Lantern Corps shines brightly once more. Following its destruction at the hands of an insane Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern Corps has been resurrected as a force for peace in a chaotic universe. Now veteran ring-wielders like Guy Gardner must hep raw recruits learn what it means to wear the emerald insignia...

and

With the powerful Guardians of the Universe departing for parts unknown, it falls to Hal Jordan and a band of extraterrestrial Green Lanterns to defend the Earth from any and all threats.

Collects: Green Lantern Corps (2006) #1-6 & Green Lantern Corps (1986) #201

Authors:  Dave Gibbons (1-6), Steve Englehart (201)
Artists:  Patrick Gleason (1-3), Dave Gibbons (4-6), Joe Staton (201)
Published By:  IDW Eaglemoss
Published When:  July 18, 2019
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  9772054373515
Pages:  170 pages

 

Attack of the 50-Foot Relic: a Review of Green Lantern Lights Out

 

Review:

Relic is a fifty-foot-tall sole survivor of the universe before ours. More super-scientist than super-villain, he tried to warn the light-wields of his own universe that the energy they channeled was a limited, finite resource. Those light-wielders were far more advanced in their constructs and other uses of the light than the coloured Corps originating with Oa and the Guardians, building whole cities and more in their societies and universe.

But when none heeded the scientist's unprovable theories, they eventually exhausted the finite supply of emotion-based light and everything collapsed.

With this as his back-story, Relic is both a villain, in his attempts to halt the Lanters of all colours and to steal their lights, emptying their central batteries, and also a hero, attempting in his own way to ultimately save their universe.

It is a narrative setup with imperfect parallels to our 21st century environmental concerns, with its obvious echoes of our own fuel-driven destruction. Yet unlike our world, with its melting ice caps and more, Relic lacks tangible evidence that using the Lantern power rings is contributing to the destruction of the universe. 

Into this grey area step all the colours, of course with different intentions. Hal Jordan and his Corps of Green Lanterns are bent on stopping Relic. The Red Lanterns, behind their new leader Guy Gardner, are bent on destroying anything they can. Kyle Rayner as the White Lantern, wants to help Relic while many of the Guardians themselves want to join Relic in his quest for deeper knowledge.

The complete story of this crossover tale, bridging all the Green Lantern-based titles of the New 52 era (around 2013 in this case), is collected here in this hardcover volume. Robert Venditti's Green Lantern books form the backbone of the story, from the backgrounder in the oddly numbered #23.1 to a couple other issues and the Annual. All the other contemporary Green Lantern spin-offs join the action with crossovers and tie-ins. Green Lantern Corps, Green Lanterns: New Guardians, and Red Lanterns all contribute to the unfolding tale, using their own creative teams and spins. One key element missing from this collection, however, is any indication of which series is which as the tale unfolds. Not that the attentive reader is terribly stumped, it's not too hard to figure it out, but frustrating that I have to do that work.

It all culminates in an ultimately unsatisfying final confrontation at the Source Wall at the edge of the known universe.

More than a dozen pencillers take turns telling the story with their visual touches. Most stunning among these pages are the series of full-page, poster-style images from Rags Morales illustrating the Relic backstory as told by Robert Venditti. Brad Walker's dynamic use of non-rectangular and overlapping panels also stand out in his work. And Alessandro Vitti's appropriately rage-filled visuals in the Red Lanterns chapter match the theme of that series very well.

This hardcover book gives the reader the entire story of Relic, in order, but lacks any extra features worth mentioning. We are left with a tale of intriguing possibilities behind the non-renewable nature of the light powers, without too heavy a political or environmental statement. The reader can judge if that is for good or ill.

3 capes for an interesting tale and above-average crossover with some visual highlights, even if the packaging leaves some things to be desired.

Description:

The epic event that will forever change the universe and the different color Lantern Corps forever!

Relic has arrived and the universe with shiver in his wake. The lights of the Lanterns are fading as the emotional spectrum is being drained. It is up to Hal and the Green Lanterns to rally the other Corps together if they are going to survive. Many won't and others will change allegiances, but one thing is certain--nothing will ever be the same.

Collects: Green Lantern New Guardians #23-24, Green Lantern #23.1: Relic #24, Red Lanterns #24, Green Lantern Corps #24, Green Lantern Annual #2

Authors:  Robert Venditti, Justin Jordan
Artists:  Billy Tan, more
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  June 24, 2014
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401248161
Pages:  192 pages

Hal in Charge: a Review of Green Lantern volume 4 Dark Days

 

Review:

In the early pages of this hardcover book, Hal Jordan Green Lantern is promoted to leader of the entire Green Lantern Corps. And while he brings the Corps through a serious challenge, including the destruction of Oa, there is room for growth in his leadership style and skills. His Command-and-Control style is not so out of place in a universe-spanning police force with military overtones. But there is no structure in place for leading the thousands of Corps members. He is more vanguard than general, leading a small, central team from the front lines.

Granted, the Corps is much in flux in this book. Collecting issues #21-26, including #23.1 and Annual #2, it spans the runup to the Lights Out cross-over, the three issues from this series that contribute to the cross-over, and some follow-up issues.

There is a lot to like about this book. Author Robert Venditti introduces several intriguing plot threads and interpersonal relationships to be mined. Relic is a fascinating new villain, and his quest to exterminate the ring-bearers before the source light is extinguished. Nol Anj is also a striking new Star Sapphire with a mean streak and legions of criminal followers who do truly love her. Tensions with Carol Ferris, and a dozen new recruits with scattered teasers about their back-stories round out the many little promises of future tales.

Billy Tan handles most of the art duties in these pages. I love the variety of panels and layouts he employs as he plays with the tempo of graphical storytelling made possible through his multiple techniques. He gives us a few classic Green Lantern constructs too, although most often the rings seem to simply shoot power blasts.

Somehow, the solid art and intriguing and daring plot hooks fail to gel into a strong book. Hal's need to grow up, if he is to lead, is obvious but not terribly compelling, and goes nowhere anyway in these pages. Like Booster Gold in his new leadership role in the pages of Justice League International, Hal needs a career coach or mentor. Nol Anj and her followers should clearly not have been such a large challenge, one needing the Corps leader to summon all available personnel to handle. It is just one of the leadership fails on Hal's watch in these pages, none of which seem to amount to anything.

So many strong ideas yet the overall result is disappointing.

Description:

Just as Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Guy Gardner are putting back together the Green Lantern Corps, lights across all of the different colored Corps begin to flicker. Lanterns from all over the universe begin to lose power, but unlike times' past, the reasons for the outage don't seem to be in-fighting between one another. Allying with enemies and friends alike, Hal links the answers to the mysterious alien Relic and their confrontations will leave all the corps forever changed.

GREEN LANTERN VOL. 4 begins a brand-new era for the entire emotional spectrum, from writer Robert Venditti (X-O Manowar) and artist Billy Tan (New Avengers).

Collects: GREEN LANTERN #21-26, #23.1: Relic, GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #2

Authors:  Robert Venditti
Artists:  Billy Tan
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  April 29, 2014
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401247447
Pages:  200 pages

Assassin Vs Spy: a Review of Cinderella: Fables Are Forever

 

Review:

Creative team Chris Roberson and Shawn McManus join forces again to bring us another Cinderella Super-Spy story from the larger Fables universe created by Bill Willingham. With another titular nod to the James Bond franchise, this book collects the full limited series of Cinderella's ongoing and historic adventures.

This time, she must find and do battle with a villain from her past - the skilled assassin Dorothy. Long after she fled both Kansas and Oz, Dorothy became one of the most successful and dangerous hired guns to ever flee the Homelands for the Mundy world.

Cindy watched Dorothy fall to her death years earlier, and this tale is sprinkled with reminisces and flashbacks to battles past. From Russia to Thailand, from Switzerland to Burkina Faso and beyond, their epic confrontations spanned the globe and involved the narrowest of escapes - from each other and from other magic-infused creatures.

But these are memories, and the present has its own dangers. Roberson's writing strikes a superb balance between past and present. Even with the occasionally heavy narration, it successfully builds to a satisfying final confrontation.

On the visual side, McManus gives us a Cinderella who is strong, soft and sexy. Despite the occasional facial flop, his images flow smoothly between the normal and the magical. The book has a Mature rating, and I am not sure why - certainly not for the art. There is no nudity, only a panel or two of tastefully handled sex, and no more than a comic book level of violence. There are lots of hot ladies in various stages of undress but no peeping past well-placed objects.

Fables creator Bill Willingham gets one of his own Cinderella tales added as a special feature at the end. The collection would be stronger without it. It's the tale of Cindy switching from spy to diplomat and ambassador to the Giants and is goofy and light. After all the fun of Fables are Forever, the silliness does not compare well. Such collections often include special features or alternate covers or glimpses into the creators and their work, but we get no such thing here, only this weaker one-off tale.

Description:        

Fabletown's favorite secret agent and bon vivant Cinderella is back on the job again in this follow up limited series to CINDERELLA: FROM FABLETOWN WITH LOVE. Someone is killing sorcerers out on the Farm, and all signs point to Cinderella's archnemesis from the old days. The only problem is, Cinderella has always believed that her nemesis has been dead for years.

Collects: Complete 6-issue limited series

Authors:  Chris Roberson, Bill Willingham
Artists:  Shawn McManus
Published By:  Vertigo 
Published When:  April 24, 2012)
Parental Rating: Mature
ISBN:  978-1401233853
Pages:  160 pages

Cinderella Bond: Review of From Fabletown with Love

 

Review:

Cinderella, in the finest British tradition of dashing super-spies, moves with ease through the crustiest layers of modern society, both Fable and Mundy. With a titular nod to one of the earliest Bond films, this book easily sells her haute-society lifestyle. Little do any of her peers in the Bill Willingham-created Fables universe know of her real purpose - to find and retrieve any illicit magical artifacts before they can fall into the wrong hands.

In this adventure, she even encounters a sexy companion, Aladdin. His turn as a gender-flipped Bond Girl serves as both collaborator and dude-in-distress in need of rescuing. Together, they must find the source of the magical objects flooding the black market and put a stop to it.

From Dubai to the North Sea and finally the Fable-world Ultima Thule, they must dodge weapons of both the magical and Mundy varieties as well as shape-shifting monsters, harem girls and a not-so-friendly fairy godmother.

Writer Chris Roberson weaves a tightly plotted and fast-paced tale, befitting the super-spy genre. The comedic banter between Cindy and "Lamp Boy" Aladdin is delightful; her reflections on her past battles and training add depth, although they do become a touch repetitive. The result is a strong female lead character with a nicely balanced blend of brains, brawn, beauty and bewitching.

The biggest flaws in Roberson's spy tale are the "meanwhile back in Fabletown" interruptions. These moments, fundamentally intended for levity, fail to serve any real purpose in the overall story, nor do they contribute anything meaningful to the growth and development of these or other characters in the Fables universe. Given how well the Cinderella and Aladdin parts are written, there is no need to pull our attention away with these distracting asides.

Shawn McManus' visuals are soft and beautiful. He mixes clean lines and panels with exaggerated facial expressions to sometimes amusing effect, especially with the shapes of mouth and nose. The pages are sexy but discrete, with no nudity or on-panel sex scenes. Since the moments of violence are also tastefully done and far from the gore found in other Fables books, the "Mature" rating on the book is excessive; Teen would certainly be enough, and some more liberal cultures would classify it PG.

I give this fun, fast-paced, clever and beautiful book four capes.

Description:

When supernatural artifacts from the Homelands begin surfacing in the modern world, it falls to Cinderella, Fabletown's best kept (and best dressed) secret agent to stop the illegal trafficking. But can Cindy foil the dark plot before Fabletown and its hidden, exiled inhabitants are exposed once and for all? And how does her long lost Fairy Godmother factor into the equation?

Whether she's soaring through clouds, deep-sea diving, or cracking jaws, Cindy travels from Manhattan to Dubai and hooks up with a handsome, familiar accomplice who may be harboring secret motives of his own. Meanwhile, trouble brews back home in Fabletown when Cindy's overworked, underappreciated assistant decides to seize control of The Glass Slipper, Cindy's exclusive shoe boutique.

Collects: the complete 6-issue limited series

Authors:  Chris Roberson
Artists:  Shawn McManus
Published By:  Vertigo 
Published When:  Aug. 10, 2010
Parental Rating: Mature
ISBN:  978-1401227500
Pages:  144 pages

Memories of One Perfect Day - Review of Batman the Dark Knight volume 3 - Mad (New 52)

 

Review:

A substantial portion of the Batman's Rogues Gallery of villains have an at-best tenuous grasp on reality. Hence the need for Arkham, an asylum for the criminally insane. Joker, Riddler, Scarecrow, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, to name a few, are less about super-powered villains, leaning more to the twisted, sadistic, psychopathic or deranged.

Gregg Hurwitz gives us a deep-dive origin backstory of another member of this group of twisted psychopaths, the Mad Hatter and his Wonderland prism through which he sees the world. A childhood marred by medical issues and experimental treatments with risky side-effects collided with heartbreak over a teenaged crush who dumped him after a seemingly perfect day together.

In this six-chapter story arc, Hatter seeks to recreate that perfect day through mind control, abductions, murderous auditions and staged rehearsals and more. It is a dark, disturbing tale, befitting the collision between a Dark Knight and an insane, diminutive Wonderland escapee. 

Hurwitz does give us occasional moments of humour scattered throughout the narrative, for example playing on the famous turn-around-and-he's-gone Bat-trope ("Nope. Still here.") but they ultimately either fall flat or are dwarfed by the sheer depth of darkness.

Overlaying the insanity and paralleling Hatter's own lost love is a love story between Bruce Wayne and a world-famous pianist. Will he share his deepest secrets with her? This love story attempts to give depth and social connection to Bruce Wayne, to pull him out of his bat-cave and dark obsessions. Unfortunately, it does not work. It blooms and advances so quickly that the reader can't help but feel that it is just a plot device and, sure enough, a tragic twist leads to a predictable Bat-rage.

The art is deliberately repulsive throughout this collection. Ethan van Sciver does most of the heavy lifting and casts the Mad Hatter's flashbacks in appropriately nostalgic sepia tones. Hatter's face is ugly, a horrific mask of hate and insanity. His henchmen, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, flit between cartoonish, roly-poly buffoons and dangerous thugs. 

Yet the chapters drawn by Szymon Kudranski are even less pleasant. The sepia is replaced by a harsh back-lighting; the panels are reminiscent of water-colour paintings but over-inked and indistinct, and it is frustratingly difficult to tell the characters from one another.

Where Kudranski's style works best is in the Annual, a standalone Hallowe'en tale in which Hatter, Penguin and Scarecrow are trapped in a house of horrors. They are convinced that Batman lurks around every corner. Can they work together enough to survive the night and escape the trap? This limited cast of very distinct characters eliminates the character-recognition issue and Kudranski's images can shine in this moody, spooky context.

The book itself, the hard-cover collection, feels like a cynical attempt to take advantage of Batman's enduring popularity. There is nothing special about the volume, no extras features or insights. Just a ho-hum book collecting a dark and twisted but ultimately ho-hum New 52 Bat-tale.

Description:

Everything hangs in the balance in the Dark Knight’s life as Bruce Wayne grapples with revealing Batman to the woman of his dreams. But just as he’s ready to give her his all, the Mad Hatter joins the ranks of one of the greatest threats Gotham has ever known. By poisoning and kidnapping its citizens, he terrorizes Gotham in an attempt to rebuild his lost hopes into a wonderland.

Can the Caped Crusader save the city-and his new love-before the Hatter shatters their world forever?

Collects: Batman: The Dark Knight #16-21, Annual #1

Authors:  Gregg Hurwitz
Artists:  Ethan Van Sciver, Szymon Kudranski
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Jan. 21, 2014
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401242473
Pages:  176 pages