Powerless Nightmare - a review of JLA: a Midsummer's Nightmare Deluxe Edition (2017)

 

Review:

Everyone on Earth has been trapped in a dream-state by a powerful villain. Heroes need to gradually realize that it is a dream world and extract themselves to combat and thwart the villain and set the world right again.

Having recently read and reviewed some of the Knight Terrors crossover series, I am struck by the similarities of plot outlines. This book, reprinting the 1996 Justice League reboot, presents a fascinating contrast.

On balance, this earlier iteration of the global threat in the dream-world is better at showing the diversity and complexity of humanity. Whereas Knight Terrors is all about darkness and the worst fears of our nightmares, this story has space for a wider range of experience and emotion. There is fear, of course, and a handful of nightmarish elements. But the dreams also bring pure joy to the Martian Manhunter, confusion to Wally West Flash, frustration to Kyle Rayner Green Lantern, and almost boredom to Clark Kent Superman.

The clever nightmare twist is that our heroes are just ordinary people in their dreams, while millions of other people are "sparking" and developing sudden super-powers. Who has not dreamt of having the power to fly, the strength to hoist cars into the air or to be too powerful to stop.

What this series lacks, compared to Knight Terrors, is a clear purpose behind the villainy. In Knight Terrors, the terrifying Insomnia seeks a magical stone that will give him even more power. Here, the enslaved Doctor Destiny and his manipulator, Know Man, lack a coherent goal. Know Man, as the brains of the operation, seems to have a desired outcome in mind, but seems unable to communicate it to the confused readers. He mutters some things about saving the world from the heroes, whom he critiques for failing to use their godlike powers to maximum effect. But it comes across as inane villain-babble, not solid character motivation.

The 2017 Deluxe Edition hardcover in my hands coincided with the 2017 release of the Zack Snyder Justice League film. A deluxe reprint needs special additions and inserts to raise it above the rest, and this most notably includes concise little profiles that outline the motivations of each of the founding seven JLA members.

Grant Morrison, a writer renowned for his own skills at rebooting characters like Animal Man, Doom Patrol and Green Lantern, was a smart choice to pen the preface. But his words badly overstated the mythic status of this series. Yes, it was pivotal in restoring the Justice League franchise to its pride of place - by the mid 1990s, it had been diluted and tarnished by the likes of Justice League Task Force or Extreme Justice, and this hard reboot reset it on its way to glory.

But his claim that this series was the tipping point away from the gritty realism and dark violence of the preceding decade of comics is a bit much. Did this restore the nobility and grandeur of the superhero genre? Its predecessor Kingdom Come would have a better claim to that honour, and in hindsight its impact falls short of the boast.

As a solid reboot and fun tale, filled with at least the art stylings of the mid 1990s - most notably in both men's and women's hair styles - this is worth a read. But it is far from perfect, slipping too easily into overwrought melodrama and simplistic formulas.

Description:

The most powerful super-team in comics history is reunited in JUSTICE LEAGUE: A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHTMARE, a prologue to Grant Morrison’s legendary JLA series.

Something is wrong. The world’s heroes—Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter—are gone, and in their place, their alter egos live peaceful, happy lives. Meanwhile, millions of everyday people are “sparking,” transforming into super-powered beings whose unleashed abilities are wreaking havoc on law and order and causing panic across the globe.

In a world lost in a nightmare, Earth’s greatest champions must awaken to remember their true identities, reclaim their powers and discover that together they are, now and forever—

From acclaimed writer MARK WAID—the Eisner Award-winning author of seminal works including KINGDOM COME, SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT and celebrated runs on Daredevil and The FLASH—comes this classic Justice League tale that serves as a precursor to one of the greatest comics runs of all time!

Collects: JUSTICE LEAGUE: A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHTMARE #1-3

Authors:  Mark Waid (Author), Fabian Nicieza
Artists:  Jeff Johnson (Artist), Darick Robertson
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Oct. 31, 2017
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401274320
Pages:  128 pages

More Mouths than Arms - Review of Martian Manhunter Vol. 1: The Epiphany

 

Review:

This is the Martian Manhunter at his most alien. Collected in these pages are the first six issues of his 2015 ongoing series, plus a Sneak Preview short story, all sixty years after his debut. For much of those six decades, he strode through the pages of DC Comics as a tall, green humanoid, clad in little more than a long cloak, blue briefs and a red X across his chest. The green skin and pronounced brow ridges on his bald head lent an alien aura to him but he was otherwise very human-like.

His standard, long-standing look is quickly swept aside in these pages, dismissed as a result of his shape-shifting abilities, chosen to make us more comfortable but with at least a little reminder of his alien origin. Freed of that historic look, artist Eddy Barrows amps up the sheer otherness of his appearance. In these pages, J'onn J'onzz is all spikes and protrusions, long and gangly limbs beneath a more classically alien head. Not quite the four-armed monsters of our imagination, tracing to Edgar Rice Burroughs, but still very alien.

J'onn is hardly the only Martian in this tale. He is not, we learn, truly the last of his kind, pulled to Earth almost by accident. Rather, he is a weapon designed to pave the way for the eventual Martian invasion of Earth. To prevent that from happening, J'onn deliberately splits himself into multiple scattered parts. Most of these pages are the tale of those parts trying to find each other and reunite.

There is the Dubai-based thief, the Pearl, who falls briefly for Aquaman. There is FBI Agent Daryl Wessel, probably the most reluctant of the group. And Mould, a senior citizen in khakis and a cape, who calls himself the Manhunter's head. They are joined by Mister Biscuits - a clever nod to J'onn's classic penchant for cookies - who is an excessively tall and thin deformity; and the mysterious Leo, wheelchair-bound and exhibiting MS-like symptoms. Can they get back together? Should they?

Tying it all together is the coming to Earth of the strangely named Epiphany, which will trigger the Martian conquest of earth and make Mars the only planet with life in our solar system. That would be a revelation, I suppose, but hardly seems to fit the 'Epiphany' label.

If this review sounds disjointed and confusing, all the more so is the story being reviewed. Writer Rob Williams puts these and more disparate plot cards on the table and shuffles them around but fails to put them together into a decent hand. 

Mister Biscuits and his young orphan friend Alicia are the most compelling characters, most of all in their achingly beautiful parting scene; sadly, most of Mister Biscuits's scenes are played for comedy. The rest of the characters fail to gel and seem every bit as confused as the reader.

Eddy Barrows with his pencils and the ink work of Eber Ferreira give us page after page of lively images, keeping us on the edge of our seat that everything is on the verge of going sideways. Their work frequently slips into horror motifs although we could use with fewer mouths filled with super-long and super-sharp teeth. The worst of the monsters have more mouths than arms.

The real highlight of the images in this volume are the covers, variants and initial sketches by Eric Canete. His work visually explores the blend of Earth and Mars, the central tension in the heart of the Martian Manhunter. Very striking and compelling.

What tried to be a powerful reimagining of the Martian Manhunter and his mythology trips out of the gate and ultimately falls flat.

Description:

An unforgettable new take on J’onn J’onzz is presented here by up and coming writer Rob Williams (Star Wars: Rebellion) with stunning art by comic veterans Eddy Barrows (NIGHTWING) and Eber Ferreira (TEEN TITANS).

For some time now, the Martian Manhunter has been lost in our world. An alien in every aspect, he has struggled to find his place even after joining the Justice League of America, Justice League United and Stormwatch. Now his past has come back to haunt him as an alien invasion threatens to destroy the world. In order to prove to the world, and to himself, that he is the hero he knows himself to be, the Martian Manhunter must make the ultimate sacrifice. What happens next is truly alien!

Collects: MARTIAN MANHUNTER #1-6

Authors:  Rob Williams 
Artists:  Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira 
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  March 1, 2016
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401261511
Pages:  160 pages

Try Rebooting Again - Review of Captain Atom New 52 volume 1 Evolution (2012)

 

Review:

The New 52-era reboot of DC Comics character Captain Atom threw out much of his previous iteration's characteristics and started over. If this volume, collecting the first half of the ultimately unsuccessful 13-issue run, is any indication, too much was removed or changed, and it all fell flat in the end.

The post-Crisis Captain Atom, from roughly 1985 to 2010, could rival Superman in his powers; he was militaristic in leadership style, intense in combat, pushing his Justice Leage teammates to reach new heights in their skills and strategies.

In this rebooted world, Captain Atom's powers now rival those of a god; he still has Air Force history but seems to have forgotten most of what made him a good pilot; he has elements of humanity and compassion, but it comes and goes; he is very much a loner, dealing with people either as needed or as an exercise of his godlike compassion.

Much of writer J. T. Krul's story falls short, in things both big and small. From little things, like a former hotshot Air Force pilot who cannot do mental math, to bigger flaws like the ever-present but never-explained countdown/count-up clock, the story in this book is frustrating and confusing to read.

The amped-up powers Atom exhibits are, on the one hand, almost unmatched - his ability to restore a radiation-burned hand or to find and eradicate the cancer cells in a brain tumour. But on the other hand, they feel less like Superman and more like Firestorm and his elemental transmutation abilities. As powerful as Firestorm can be, it is a downgrade in comparison, overall. The tale sets up Atom to really wrestle with the implications of the more godlike aspects of his powers, but little comes of that setup.

Supporting characters and their relationships, which should also enhance our interest in the main character and his adventures, also fall flat. It is a wonderfully diverse collection of secondary characters, from the wheelchair-bound Doctor Megala, inspired it seems by Stephen Hawking, to his assistant Dr. Ranita Carter, a woman of colour, and more. But in their limited on-panel time in these six chapters, they are little more than one-dimensional bit players.

Over these six chapters, the two main opponents for this immensely powerful hero are General Eiling, who goes from "come work for me" to "I must eliminate you" in the space of just a few panels, and a giant, mutated rat. Neither confrontation plays well, but at least the rat gives artist Freddie Williams II the chance to throw some horror-inspired elements onto the page.

The art by Williams throughout this series is the one shining light in an otherwise disappointing book. From almost the first page, the visual contrast he gives us between Captain Atom and everyone and everything else is stark and powerful. Captain Atom practically glows with light blues and shades of white all washing out his features. Using less inking and more pencil lines creates a stark contrast with the more muted, earthy and heavily inked tones of everything else in the book.

Ultimately, the clever artistic motifs cannot save this ponderous and erratic story. It would benefit from another reboot.

Description:

As a part of DC Comics - The New 52 event of September 2011, comes Captain Atom in his own solo series!

Charged by nuclear energy, possessing vast molecular powers, Captain Atom has the potential to be a literal god among men - a hero without limits. He is taking his powers to new heights - saving people all across the world in the blink of an eye. But as he uses his abilities more and more, Captain Atom realizes that he may be losing control of his powers, becoming a more dangerous foe to the planet than anything he's ever faced! Don't miss start of a legend from writer J.T. Krul (GREEN ARROW, TEEN TITANS) and artist Freddie Williams II (JSA ALL-STARS)!

Collects: Captain Atom #1-6

Authors:  J. T. Krul
Artists:  Freddie Williams II
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Dec 4, 2012
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1401237158
Pages:  144 pages

Which B is Which - Review of Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Across the Universe (2025)

 

Review:

Too many of my reviews are of books and stories from ten to twenty years ago. So I was excited to be able to review this one, hot off the presses. Maybe it would have tasted better with age? Because this tasted terrible.

With three Bs in this team-up series title, Batman: the Brave and the Bold, we readers are subconsciously invited to map which character fits which B. Who is the Brave? Who is the Bold? Is Batman one of the pair?

The answer to that last question is "yes" only for the shortest and final tale in the collection. Batman himself co-stars with Guy Gardner. In that tale, Batman deserves all three of the Bs. With a UFO crashing just outside Gotham, Batman battles both radiation poisoning and vivid hallucinations to save those in need.

This little tale by Joshua Hale Fialkov is teamed with painterly renderings from the pencil of Lisandro Estherren. It is also the standout story of the entire book. But it sets a low bar, as this tale itself lacks cohesion. The author mixes in several terrific and novel science fiction elements and concepts - the mysterious, image-based race of space voyagers; the different angles of radiation poisoning; the hallucinatory side effects. But teaming with Guy Gardner adds little constructive to the tale - he seems to be there only to portray the alien visitor as a unique galactic unknown. His presence ultimately prevents this tale from reaching its full potential.

The cover story team-up is between Nightwing and Deadman, two of DC's heroes with circus roots in their origin stories. Tim Seeley weaves both characters' back-stories throughout their adventure, a likely necessary repetition in the serialized format. It is clear here, going back to our Bs, that Nightwing, who leaps from the top of a high bridge to save a stranger, is the Brave while Deadman, who leaps unapologetically from possession to possession of others, is the Bold.

Seeley's Nightwing is full of reflective narration, pensively unpacking the unfolding action. It works well in Nightwing's self-analysis but the closer he moves to Deadman's mythology, the more it devolves into ridiculous, vaguely spiritualistic mumbo-jumbo.

Artist Kelley Jones's Deadman is gruesome and disturbing to look at. It is perhaps more fitting than the goofy ghost of other renditions. But Deadman is the only standout, visually. Jones's other characters blur together, victims of too few pencil marks. These visuals are not minimalistic overall, why could he not finish their faces or outfits? The result feels rushed and slap-dash, especially in the faces.

Finally, saving the worst for last, is the awful farce of Booster Gold's team-up with the intelligent dinosaurs of the Jurassic League. Nothing works in this story. Author Mark Russell's Booster is the time-travelling idiot of the Flintstones team-up. He shows all the intelligence of an 8-year-old with none of the deep responsibility of his 2007 solo series, which introduced him as a Time Master. And the Booster leadership skills that emerged in the runs of Justice League Generations and Justice League International have clearly been forgotten in another time.

The visuals from Jon Mikel fail to rescue the abysmal story. They are blocky and unrefined. Even the letters contribute to the flop - the funky, supposedly hi-tech or robotic font in Skeets's word balloons is nearly unreadable.

For its mix of one short sci-fi tale with some good ideas that fail to stick together, one decent team-up with rushed images, and a final one so bad it is not worth mentioning, I give this collection just 1.5 capes.

Description:

Nightwing and Deadman team up to face ghosts of the past, and the action continues across the DC Universe in this anthology collection!

In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, top talent and rising stars unite to deliver a variety of memorable stories starring both Batman and his allies in Gotham City, and also heroes across the DC Universe.

This volume features Nightwing and Deadman facing the ghosts of the circus, as presented in spectacularly horrific detail by horror maestros Tim Seeley and Kelley Jones! Their journey will reveal long-forgotten secrets…and they might wish it hadn't.

Elsewhere—or when—Mark Russell and Jon Mikel team for a time-traveling tale starring Booster Gold and the Jurassic League! Batman and Guy Gardner encounter an alien invader, courtesy of Joshua Hale Fialkov and Lisandro Estherren! Plus, stories starring the Flash and more, in a must-read anthology for any DC fan.

Collects: Batman: The Brave and the Bold #13-16

Authors:  Tim Seeley, Mark Russell, Joshua Hale Fialkov
Artists:  Kelley Jones, Jon Mikel, Lisandro Estherren
Published By:  DC Comics
Published When:  Oct. 28, 2025
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  978-1799502852
Pages:  168 pages

Knight Terrors: Knockturnal Creatures Hardcover (2024)

 

Review:

Spinning out of the Knight Terrors DC crossover event came several two-part specials. Each told the story of the nightmares inflicted upon the title characters. This fine hardcover book collects the nightmare tales of several of the most popular Bat-universe villains and adds Zatanna's tale to round out the set.

Dreams are notoriously fluid in both narrative flow and imagery, and each of these stories plays with this fluidity. Visuals cascade one on top of another in a nightmarish swirl, tumbling from moment to moment. Concepts and symbols and suggestions stack up and are not always resolved. Bravo to all the artists here for embracing the non-linear storytelling of these dreamscapes. 

It is especially effective in the Punchline story; I love the portrayal of her own tumble through social media and in-progress videos. Lucas Meyer really leans into the conceit and pulls it off. David Baldeon, though, in drawing the Zatanna tale, attempts something similar but with less success; he takes Zatanna and Robotman, battling the Sleepless Knights, soldiers of Insomnia, through the twists and turns of a magical maze. Sadly, he cannot quite pull it off, leaving the reader almost as confused as those lost in the maze.

The Joker and Poison Ivy tales are more linear, drawing their predominant visual interest from other elements. Both chose to convey the horror of the situation through the eyes and smiles of the characters. In Ivy's case, written by Ivy regular author G. Willow Wilson, the eyes are bugged out and wide open, paired with Stepford Wives-esque perpetual grins on everyone in her suburban nightmare. With the happy-couple Batman and Catwoman next door, the perfect lawns and smiles mask a lurking darkness.

In the Joker story the two-coloured eyes stand out; follow carefully whose eyes they are! The smile, on the other hand, is merely face paint trying to hide the quiet - and sometimes not so quiet - despair of a villain who has lost his humour and purpose. His bitterness makes this the most fun and downright hilarious of the stories in this collection. Kudos to Matthew Rosenberg for this brilliantly playful look at the side-effects of an accidental success! Joker's nightmare starts with him accidentally succeeding in killing the Batman, not through the cleverness of his schemes but a mere quirk of fate. Devoid of his life's mission, Joker winds up in a dreary middle-management job for a large bureaucratic company. How will he ever survive? A hilarious story with at-times moody and twisted visuals.

Harley Quinn, for her part, tumbles through an Elseworlds-like series of scenes. We meet Pirate Harley, then the super-powered Harlequin, and more. Veteran writer Tini Howard has some interesting ideas, but this tale ultimately bogs down in its own insanity - to be expected from Harley Quinn, yet somehow too much even for her. It ultimately lands, for reasons that are never made clear, on a love-hate relationship with Lady Quark, an odd pairing even for an Elseworld.

Zatanna, for her part, is overwhelmed by the strength of the dream forces and their magic. In desperation, she summons any available hero to her side and winds up with Robotman. The result is a very awkward team-up. She acts sixteen while he is in full cynic mode. Little wonder they faced such difficulty surviving and defeating their foes.

Punchline, in a twist similar to Joker's, must deal with the nightmare that follows her success in finally defeating and killing Batgirl. In her case, though, the result is the haunting power of Batgirl's surviving tech. While the visuals do yeoman duty carrying this story, it ultimately lacks both the historical depth of the Batman / Joker relationship and the ironic fun that permeates Joker's own tale.

I found this collection to be beautifully done and filled with variant cover images, but containing an uneven set of stories, leading to an average grade of three capes.

Description:

Horror devastates the DC Universe, and in this volume, Harley Quinn, Poison ivy, Punchline, and Zatanna all respond to the nightmare world of Knight Terrors in their own unique way!

In Knight Terrors, DC’s heroes are taken past the land of the living, beyond the land of the dead, and directly to a new villain called Insomnia...who uses his powers to engulf every single hero and villain in their own dark and twisted nightmares. 

In this companion collection, see how Insomnia’s Nightmare Wave affects four of DC’s most popular characters: Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Punchline, and Zatanna! Enter the Harley Quinn Zone as Harley is confronted by the surreal and unsettling consequences of her choices! It’s a suburban nightmare as Poison Ivy wakes up in the life that she never wanted! Punchline confronts her long-suppressed fears in true horror-movie fashion! And Zatanna teams with Robotman of the Doom Patrol to defend the world from Insomnia’s Sleepless Knights!

Collects: Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1-2, Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1-2, Knight Terrors: Punchline #1-2, Knight Terrors: Joker #1-2 and Knight Terrors: Zatanna #1-2

Authors:  Tini Howard, G. Willow Wilson, Matthew Rosenberg, Dennis Culver, Danny Lore
Artists:  Dayden Sherman, Stefano Raffaele, David Baldeon, Lucas Meyer, more
Published By:  ‎ DC Comics
Published When:  Feb. 27, 2024
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  ‎ 978-1779524690
Pages:  ‎ 328 pages

Try to Wake Up: a Review of Knight Terrors Hardcover (2024)

 

Review:

Insomnia, a frightful new villain striding through the DC universe, takes center stage in this book. Collected here is the core mini-series and one-shots that make up the backbone of this crossover event.

Insomnia has enough power to put the whole world to sleep and to then sift through the nightmares of billions of people, including the world's super-powered beings. Yet he must find a magical Nightmare Stone in order to really accomplish his goal of making the Justice League pay for how they made his life a miserable tragedy.

This incoherent dichotomy is just one of several frustratingly weak elements of this tale.

Since Insomnia cannot find the Nightmare Stone himself, he must manipulate the few heroes who remain awake in spite of the global nap-time he created: Deadman, in a long-term possession of Batman's body; Damian Wayne's Robin, who has trained his mind to control his dream states; and a resurrected Sandman. 'Motley' barely begins to describe this crew!

What, one wonders about others like Raven with her magical and underworld powers? or Martian Manhunter with his alien brain and mind-powers of his own? Or others with alien physiologies like Starfire or even Superman? although in his case, we do know that he succumbed as easily as any human.

Deadman easily falls into the trap that observant readers surely saw dozens of pages earlier, although he does have one card to play still, to break Insomnia's hold on the world. But can he break the nightmares that haunt Insomnia himself?

It all adds up to a brutal, horror-filled disappointment of a cross-over.

Artists like Howard Porter, Guillem March and more lean into the horror motifs and dreamscapes. Twisted bodies, tentacles and fangs, scattered and non-overlapping panel layouts all evoke the absurdities and terrors of a nightmare. If only they were enjoyable images. But too often they feel rushed, as though too much time was spent on those fangs and gory deformities, leaving too little time for faces and expressions. The colorists do a great job switching between the dark nightmares and the sepia-toned memories.

The introductions with Deadman breaking the fourth wall and addressing us readers directly add some nice touches.

And this hardcover volume includes the complete and stunning collection of variant covers from these comics.

But none of it is able to save an otherwise plodding, incoherent and unpleasant story.

Description:

Horror devastates the DC Universe as its greatest heroes confront their worst nightmare in this terrifying epic, perfect for all fans of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman!

When Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman find the body of one of their earliest enemies inside the Hall of Justice, their investigation takes them past the land of the living, beyond the land of the dead, and directly to a new villain called Insomnia...who uses his powers to engulf every single hero and villain in their own dark and twisted nightmares. The only way to save the world is to call for the help of an unlikely hero—Deadman!

As Batman, Deadman, and Wesley Dodds—the original Sandman—attempt to unravel this mystery, Insomnia unleashes his horrifying army—the Sleepless Knights!

This self-contained series is the summer blockbuster of comics events—set firmly in current continuity, but a perfect jumping-on point for all fans of DC and horror! Knight Terrors is written by DC mainstay and horror comics veteran Joshua Williamson, and chillingly illustrated by celebrated artists including Howard Porter, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Caspar Wijngarrd!

This volume collects Knight Terrors First Blood, Knight Terrors #1-4, Knight Terrors: Night’s End, the full main Knight Terrors story.

Collects: Knight Terrors First Blood, Knight Terrors #1-4, Knight Terrors: Night’s End

Authors:  Joshua Williamson
Artists:  Howard Porter, Guillem March, more
Published By:  ‎ DC Comics
Published When:  Feb. 6, 2024
Parental Rating: Teen
ISBN:  ‎ 978-1779524591
Pages:  ‎ 232 pages

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