Back in 2010, Dynamite and Liquid Comics released what was intended to be a kind of graphic novel trailer for 18 Days, which became an online animated series. Now, that series is being adapted into a comic book. The original graphic novel was actually more like an elaborate series bible. And so this first issue covers familiar material, more setup than actual storytelling. The art is not exactly the lush work from the graphic novel, and that took some getting used to, but that's what the animated series looks like. I have no idea how long this will last, but I intend to read it for as long as it exists. This is Morrison's Morrison Version of the Indian epic Mahabharata, which might be described as The Iliad by way of The Lord of the Rings.
I'm reading this one on delay because I had to request the series from the local shop, and it took a while for it to come in. If I hadn't asked last week about its status, I still wouldn't have seen it yet, because the shipment came up damaged and the shop owner didn't want to sell it like that. Listen, I don't read comics, much less buy them, as investment potential. The best comics are some of the best things I read, period. For me, that's the best reason to read them.
Incredibly, this is the first time Cyborg has ever had an ongoing series. He was originally introduced in Marv Wolfman and George Perez's New Teen Titans. Since the start of the New 52, he's been a member of the Justice League. Very wisely, this series seems to have been taken directly from the pages of Geoff Johns' work, written by David F. Walker and especially aided by the art of longtime DC standout Ivan Reis. Everything that isn't familiar, in the best possible way, sets up space robots who will likely further complicate Victor Stone's relationship with his new body. I think it was incredibly wise to wait this long to launch the series. Here I'm thinking of Mr. Terrific from the start of the New 52, which had to reinvent the wheel twice over. Not only did that series also star someone who had never had an ongoing series before, but far less track record and to that point only one context, as a member of Johns' Justice Society. And it was not only introducing a theoretically new version of the character, but in totally new context. It's no surprise that Mr. Terrific was one of the early failures. And so hopefully, doing everything exactly the opposite, Cyborg will be the success it deserves to be.
Technically the end of the story, since as far as I know the next and final issue is an epilogue (apparently solicited as NEW MGMT #1), because this issue the good guys defeat the bad guys. Anyway, I guess what I really want to address is editor Brendan Wright, who spent every letters column I saw fawning over the series, saying how proud he was to be involved in it. I guess it was a pretty big deal for him (as outlined in how he presents his career). For a series that lasted three years, which would be a long-term failure for a lot of other companies if it hadn't been the creator who dictated its length (the series was originally commissioned at six issues, and was allowed to expand from there), this is the kind of reaction you'd normally expect from a Vertigo series like Y: The Last Man or Sandman. It is odd, because MIND MGMT in a lot of ways seems like it should have been published by Vertigo rather than Dark Horse. I have no idea how or why it happened this way. The advantage to having it Vertigo would have been to bring Matt Kindt into the DC fold. Except he's been doing exceptionally well in the Valiant fold. He's the rare talent who helps comics as a whole rather than merely himself or try and puff up his and/or a given company's chest (the way Image tends to do it, say). But I don't want to read about how special he is from the editor who probably will never be associated with something this good again. I want to hear from Kindt himself. Because in my experience, this is a novelty for Dark Horse. Which is why I'm confused about how it was published by them to begin with.
Last time I believe I talked a lot about artist Ben Caldwell. I love that guy. Increasingly, I wonder if it's because his work reminds me of Jeff Smith. Either way, I need to stress that I love Prez for its storytelling, too, which means I need to stress Mark Russell's contribution a little more directly. I hadn't even made a label for him, so now there's that. Prez is such an oddity. There's nothing superhero about it at all. I have no idea why it's being published by DC and not under the Vertigo imprint. Ostensibly, it's because it's a new version of a classic DC concept. And because there are now a lot of series with superhero connections that are aiming for the youth vote, it's harder for Prez to stand out, especially when it seems like it's nothing more than the stupid gimmick the original was. This Prez is flat out great political and social satire. "Corndog Girl" is only elected president this issue, expressly because of all the shenanigans the arrogant official candidates were up to, and the compromises the electoral college (anyone still wondering what that's all about in the wake of the...2000 election might look here for an explanation).
And unfortunately, originally set to be a twelve-issue maxi-series, Prez was just shortened to six. As someone who absolutely loves what Prez is doing, I'm sad that it's been reduced like that, but at least that's not as bad as when The Great Ten, originally scheduled for, well, ten issues, was dropped to nine.
It's been hard to make me care about Superman comics in the New 52 era if it weren't being written by Grant Morrison or Geoff Johns. Every now and then I check in with what other people are doing. I was aware of the Doomed event, which was the New 52 version of Doomsday, which was actually a pretty interesting idea. This and the first issue are the bookends, and are now everything I've read from it. The writers this time are Greg Pak and Charles Soule, although it's Scott Lobdell who continues to be associated with the concept thanks to his new Doomed series (which does not feature Superman, but will, eventually, have Alpha Centurion in it, which is good enough for me). There are about a million artists involved in the issue, as well as Lois Lane in her most notable New 52 arc to date (in the least likely way imaginable, unless you're thinking of the Silver Age or Jimmy Olsen), plus Brainiac. And I read this issue trying to figure out how it related to Convergence, and for most of the issue, I thought not at all, until at the very end. And I don't know, maybe I'll have to do further research, but that ending makes it look like it might actually completely redefine Convergence.
But getting back to Doomsday, having the concept become something like a Venom parasite is probably better than what DC originally did with Doomsday in the aftermath of killing Superman. He ended up being a Kryptonian monster who reincarnates after each defeat, no longer able to be defeated that way again, and he and Superman fought again many other times (Dan Jurgens at one point tried his best to further his legacy solely in this way). While I haven't read the Doomed series itself yet, and generally I've been far more forgiving of Lobdell than fans tend to be, I'm glad this new vision exists even though I'm not immediately interested in delving into it myself.
Where you might have expected the second issue to have spent time with members of this Robin gang other than Duke Thomas...Nope, not so much. This is still the Duke Thomas show in all but name. I mean, other members are addressed, but they're not really featured. They exist. The issue begins to explore the mystery of who has been recruiting them. There's also teasing of the villain who will apparently kill one of them soon. Dead Robin. It's a thing. So it figures that We Are Robin will be waiting very little to reach its own Dead Robin story. All the better! Writer Lee Bermejo's covers continue to represent not at all the interior art, but I guess that's okay. I can learn to live with it.
I read the whole Doomed storyline when they had it on sale online for $4.99 so that was a good deal. I thought it was good.
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