Blackest Night: Batman #1 (of 3) — Writer: Peter J. Tomasi; Penciller: Ardian Syaf; Inkers: John Dell and Vicente Cifuentes
Green Lantern Corps #39 — Writer: Peter J. Tomasi; Penciller: Patrick Gleason; Inkers: Rebecca Buchman and Tom Nguyen
I don’t usually bother with spinoffs of main events (actually, anymore, I don’t usually bother with main events, but this one has been so high-concept, so gleeful in its fannish use of character resurrection and destruction, that it’s been impossible to resist), and these two are no exception. However, they’re well done — although they aren’t by Johns, Tomasi, the regular writer on GLC, has been involved with the storyline since the beginning, so both feel like part of the main event, instead of far-away side battles; there are some hints dropped about what’s going on, plus a number of “zombie” Black Lanterns introduced — lots of earth villains (and a few heroes) in BN: Batman, and lots of former GLs in GLC. For readers of the main mini-series, both books are worth checking out.
From The Ashes #3 — Writer/Artist: Bob Fingerman
Disappointingly, this has gone off the rails for me. The first issue’s post-apocalyptic New York City setting was interesting, and the art is great, but the story has veered into easy-target social satire — look at how stupid fundamentalists are! — and when the Mad Magazineish parody of Bill O’Reilly (“Rile O’Biley”) shows up, it feels like jump-the-shark time already. I loved Fingerman’s Minimum Wage, but that was grounded in the real-life struggles and small triumphs and tragedies of its characters, and this new offering’s fantasy setting and broad attempts at humor leave little room for any of that.
The Red Circle: The Inferno #1 (of 1) — Writer: J. Michael Straczynski; Artist: Greg Scott
This is actually Part Two of Straczynski’s revival/reconception of the Archie Red Circle superhero characters, and picks up just where last week’s The Hangman left off — although you’d think DC would have made that more obvious on the cover, and it’s not clear why they didn’t just number the whole package as a mini-series (wouldn’t that have increased sales? I almost skipped this one because the I thought the guy on the cover was yet another use of that stupid Human Flame villain). As with The Hangman, it’s OK — Straczynski knows what he’s doing, and he’s carefully building a solid world here — but, despite all the flame and explosions, there just doesn’t seem to be much spark of interest in any of this, in either the art or story; it’s much too easy to glance through it, put it back on the rack and move on to something else.
Ghost Rider: Heaven’s Fire #1 (of 6) — Writer: Jason Aaron; Artist: Roland Buschi
Pretty much just a continuation of the former Ghost Rider storyline, by the same writer. Aaron first demonstrated his considerable new-guy chops on this title, so it’s nice to see him return to it, but even though it’s only been a few months there’s a whiff of you-can’t-go-home-again around the proceedings: there’s antichrists, motorcycles, guns, demons and the Son Of Satan (although my fanboy self mutters “He’s out of continuity!”), but somehow it just doesn’t generate much buzz; it feels like we’ve already been to this dance, and since moved on.
Adventure Comics #1 — (Superboy story/22 pgs.) — Writer: Geoff Johns; Artist: Francis Manapul; (LSH story/8 pgs.) — Writer: Geoff Johns; Artist: Clayton Henry
The “Superboy” here lives with the Kents in Smallville, but he’s the recently-revived Conner, and the book’s set in current continuity. Johns and Manapul make a good team, and do their best to set up a supporting cast and conflicts — but it’s Superboy, you know? Even positioning him as the heir to both Kal-El and Lex Luthor, trying to do right but influenced by both, only produces a little fizz in an otherwise-bland drink. The LSH story focuses on Starboy, in the present, and stems right out of the recently-finished Legion of Three Worlds story; at only eight pages, it can’t do much more than throw in a double-page splash of the characters, and drop a number of “coming events” hints; I’d much prefer 22 pages of this, and eight of Conner, but then with the title “Adventure,” maybe that’s the eventual plan….
Final Crisis: Run #4 (of 6) — Writer: Matthew Sturges; Artist: Freddie Williams II
Dark Reign: Zodiac #2 (of 3) — Writer: Joe Casey; Artist: Nathan Fox
Absolution #1 — Writer: Christos Gage; Art: Roberto Viacava
These are grouped as examples of (to use a current Internet meme) superhero decadence: none have “mature readers” labels — or any label at all — but all of them should (Well, Zodiac has a little “T+” down in the price/UPC box, but does any parent actually look at that, or know what it means?). Run has considerable violence — blood everywhere, plus scissors through eyeballs, squashed heads, noses sliced off, etc. Zodiac, the best of the lot (Casey knows how to write, and Fox’s art is very indie/Paul Popeish) offers a just-this-side-of-graphic sex scene (the woman moans “Don’t hold back. You know I like it rough…,” and although that leads to a clever bit, it’s also happening in a non-Max title, in a book that guest-stars the Fantastic Four and is centered right in the middle of current Marvel continuity). Absolution, as an Avatar title, has both the most leeway and the least excuse: by page three, we have both “bitch” and “skull-f*ck” (with the “u,” not the “*”) in the dialogue, and by page five there’s the inevitable full-page splash of bound, gagged and topless rape victims. Not to get all old-guy cranky, but… eeww, and the fact that it’s badly drawn doesn’t help (although, come to think of it, being well-drawn might make it even worse, by legitimizing it more). All of this is lazy storytelling, trying to be edgy and just ending up dark and silly and stupid, and comics would be better off if it weren’t the default setting for so many creators.
Phil Mateer
