DC doesn't seem to have released new packs recently; these are just more from the last round I hadn't gotten yet (each one has a featured lead comic).
Batman Eternal #1, 16 (DC)
from 2014
I consider Batman Eternal to have been Snyder and Tynion's attempt to sprint through everything they were never going to get a chance to explore during the New 52 as they explored their own arcs, revisiting classic characters and even letting some new ones (Harper Row) a chance to breathe. The first issue is early DC Jason Fabok, who would later have his true breakthrough in the pages of Justice League. #16 is another one featuring art from Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs.
Batman #7 (DC)
from 2016
This was one of the featured lead comics, reprinted as Batman: Night of the Monster Men #1. As I've said before, I love that these are true variants. I have no idea if they'll ever be worth money, but I just love that they exist. "Night of the Monster Men" was billed as the first crossover event of the Rebirth era, and it seems positively tame in hindsight. It's also funny that Tom King bowed out as writer for the tie-in issues, allowing Steve Orlando, fast emerging as a new force in the company, a chance to step in.
Green Arrow #48 (DC)
from March 2016
It's downright baffling that DC didn't make a greater priority of Green Arrow once Arrow, the TV series, began and eventually expanded into a whole franchise. This late issue from the New 52 era seems to have left Oliver Queen a...werewolf?
Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse #10 (DC)
from June 2015
Injustice: Harley Quinn (DC)
from 2016
The later was originally published as Injustice: Ground Zero. But being reprinted with Harley Quinn in the title isn't merely gratuitous, it's also acknowledging that the story is all about her, plus a review of everything that's happened in the Injustice comics. I'm not a video game guy, so the Injustice comics, and the Infinite Crisis comic listed above, are as close as I'll get to those experiences.
The New 52: Futures End #13 (DC)
from September 2014
It's really shocking that fans didn't really care about this weekly series. The assembled writers were certainly impressive enough: Azzarello (synonymous with prestige), Giffen (synonymous with DC weekly comics at this point), Jurgens (still synonymous with "Doomsday," the biggest comics event of the modern era), and Lemire (now synonymous with the modern vanguard). I still want to catch up with it. This issue features part of the Superman arc, where he's been amnesiac about being Superman. It was also the mainstreaming of Batman Beyond. Terry McGinnis seems on his way to...involuntarily bequeathing the role to Tim Drake in this issue...
Convergence: Action Comics #2 (DC)
from July 2015
I still love Convergence. Maybe it's because it came at a dark moment for me, and it was a rare beacon of life. I didn't read the Action Comics two-parter at the time, and I'm not sure what I missed. Maybe not too much.
Trinity of Sin: Pandora - Futures End (DC)
from November 2014
I've written about Pandora often enough. This version of her story reveals an alternate explanation for the character (Geoff Johns had a different one during the Justice League "Trinity War" event, and a much different fate in DC Universe Rebirth). But it was certainly interesting to see this one, even if the art didn't really do it much justice.
Showing posts with label Convergence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Convergence. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Quarter Bin 74 "Drax, foiled again..."
These actually were bought for a quarter each, thank you very much. The local haunt frequently puts damaged comics aside with steep discounts, so most of them this time are younger than is usual for this feature...
Drax #2 (Marvel)
From February 2016.
Being, perhaps somewhat uniquely, a fan of comics as well as professional wrestling, I can probably give insight into a CM Punk comic better than you might find elsewhere (were you so inclined). Punk famously ditched the WWE after feeling he wasn't getting his due, even though he was one of the company's top performers, and somewhat irreplaceable, as the last few years since his departure have helped prove. I have a complicated perspective on Punk. On the one hand, he truly is as good as he thinks he is. But on the other, his ego is probably more massive than he can support. Strange combination. But my sympathy for him has only increased since his departure from the ring. I'm definitely Team Punk. When he started writing comics, I was instantly intrigued, because it's a well-kept secret that comic book writers often intermingle their personal thoughts with their fictional ones (especially when they leave a series). I quickly found I wouldn't be disappointed.
And yet, I wasn't sure I wanted to make a commitment to his first regular assignment, Drax, so I avoided sampling it until now. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. Punk is definitely reflecting on his own life here, but not in a way that gets in the way. Drax has a series because Guardians of the Galaxy made him more famous than he'd ever been. And this series follows, more or less, with the character as established in the movie, which is a good thing because his was a fairly minimal role in the movie, and so there's plenty of room to explore (unlike, say, Rocket or Star-Lord, or the Guardians in general, but I digress). Anyway, Drax is a unique situation in a comics era that's desperately grasping for unique situations (making them less and less unique by the minute), and again, Punk is ideally suited to explore it. Nominally, Cullen Bunn, who never met a concept he couldn't suck the life out of, is there to help guide Punk, because Marvel probably had the same concerns I did, but I sense little Bunn here (again, a good thing). So this was a very happy reading experience.
Superman: Lois & Clark #1 (DC)
From December 2015.
Another comic I was hesitant to read was one of the several Convergence spin-offs. Fans cooled almost instantly on Convergence (I thought it was a pretty great success, both the mini-series itself and the creative freedom of the side projects), so maybe these spin-offs were never going to be the big hits DC thought they'd be (just as copying "Batgirl of Burnside" made that less significant, and led to DCYou being the failure it seems to have been). Lois & Clark is a continuation of Convergence: Superman, with creators Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks along for the ride. Jurgens famously was one of the writers DC tried on the New 52 Superman itself, one of the writers who famously failed to make it anywhere the success Grant Morrison's Action Comics was, at least in terms of garnering any kind of buzz. Jurgens wisely seems to have used Lois & Clark as a commentary on that, and the New 52 as a whole. And in case you didn't know, it also continues the Superman era last seen at the end of the '90s, the last time DC was ready for a major overhaul (technically, the early millennial Superman was not a reboot, but it really was). The series also features Superman's son, who will be playing a significant role in the DC Rebirth era. The comic itself is a fine read (and looks fine, too, thanks to Weeks, who knows how to translate Jurgens better than Jurgens has for years). The issue outlines the whole concept, how the '90s Superman ended up in the New 52, and stood out of the way of history. Like Drax, makes me wish I hadn't been so dismissively originally.
Action Comics #47 (DC)
From February 2016.
The Greg Pak era in Action Comics was kind of completely overshadowed. It turned out to be for those who didn't want the Geoff Johns, or Gene Luen Yang, Superman. But it's not really much to write home about. This is from the "Truth" period, and features a villain who kind of has a valid perspective (seemingly ripped from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). But it seems so pedestrian compared to the Johns/Yang Superman. The artist is Georges Jeanty, whom I originally encountered in the pages of '90s Superboy, and who later resurfaced in the pages of Dark Horse's Bffy the Vampire Slayer comics. But his work here is completely unrecognizable, which is a shame, because I liked his work from that time. Equally baffling is Frankenstein's appearance in the issue. It's not really dwelt on. It's a visual element and nothing more, probably explained elsewhere, but surely disappointing for someone randomly stopping by.
Wildcats 3.0 #1 (WildStorm)
From October 2002.
This older issue is from the last attempt to keep WildStorm a viable, separate entity within DC once t became an imprint here instead of at Image. The characters continue to pop up (they had supporting roles in Futures End, for instance, plus random efforts at ongoing series like Grifter and Midnighter), but it'll never be the same. Speaking of completely different, this third volume of Wildcats was part of the Authority era, in which the company helped set up the Ultimates era, which helped set up the Avengers movies. But clearly the original intent was something, again, completely different. The idea was new maturity. Joe Casey writes the corporate Wildcats in a way that sheds new light on just what America looked like at the turn of the millennium. No wonder we've been struggling with our financial health ever since, because that was the era in which corporations really did seem to take over. I mean, the '80s were the Greed Decade, but they had nothing on the '00s. I think we all see that now. A little too late, perhaps, but maybe it's because of things like Casey's fairly incomprehensive buzz speak heavy Wildcats. Amusingly, Casey explains the evolution of the team in an essay, and it really doesn't help explain how Wildcats 3.0 makes sense from that any better than the comic itself, which ignores pretty much everything Wildcats except for Grifter. I guess that makes sense...
Drax #2 (Marvel)
From February 2016.
Being, perhaps somewhat uniquely, a fan of comics as well as professional wrestling, I can probably give insight into a CM Punk comic better than you might find elsewhere (were you so inclined). Punk famously ditched the WWE after feeling he wasn't getting his due, even though he was one of the company's top performers, and somewhat irreplaceable, as the last few years since his departure have helped prove. I have a complicated perspective on Punk. On the one hand, he truly is as good as he thinks he is. But on the other, his ego is probably more massive than he can support. Strange combination. But my sympathy for him has only increased since his departure from the ring. I'm definitely Team Punk. When he started writing comics, I was instantly intrigued, because it's a well-kept secret that comic book writers often intermingle their personal thoughts with their fictional ones (especially when they leave a series). I quickly found I wouldn't be disappointed.
And yet, I wasn't sure I wanted to make a commitment to his first regular assignment, Drax, so I avoided sampling it until now. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. Punk is definitely reflecting on his own life here, but not in a way that gets in the way. Drax has a series because Guardians of the Galaxy made him more famous than he'd ever been. And this series follows, more or less, with the character as established in the movie, which is a good thing because his was a fairly minimal role in the movie, and so there's plenty of room to explore (unlike, say, Rocket or Star-Lord, or the Guardians in general, but I digress). Anyway, Drax is a unique situation in a comics era that's desperately grasping for unique situations (making them less and less unique by the minute), and again, Punk is ideally suited to explore it. Nominally, Cullen Bunn, who never met a concept he couldn't suck the life out of, is there to help guide Punk, because Marvel probably had the same concerns I did, but I sense little Bunn here (again, a good thing). So this was a very happy reading experience.
Superman: Lois & Clark #1 (DC)
From December 2015.
Another comic I was hesitant to read was one of the several Convergence spin-offs. Fans cooled almost instantly on Convergence (I thought it was a pretty great success, both the mini-series itself and the creative freedom of the side projects), so maybe these spin-offs were never going to be the big hits DC thought they'd be (just as copying "Batgirl of Burnside" made that less significant, and led to DCYou being the failure it seems to have been). Lois & Clark is a continuation of Convergence: Superman, with creators Dan Jurgens and Lee Weeks along for the ride. Jurgens famously was one of the writers DC tried on the New 52 Superman itself, one of the writers who famously failed to make it anywhere the success Grant Morrison's Action Comics was, at least in terms of garnering any kind of buzz. Jurgens wisely seems to have used Lois & Clark as a commentary on that, and the New 52 as a whole. And in case you didn't know, it also continues the Superman era last seen at the end of the '90s, the last time DC was ready for a major overhaul (technically, the early millennial Superman was not a reboot, but it really was). The series also features Superman's son, who will be playing a significant role in the DC Rebirth era. The comic itself is a fine read (and looks fine, too, thanks to Weeks, who knows how to translate Jurgens better than Jurgens has for years). The issue outlines the whole concept, how the '90s Superman ended up in the New 52, and stood out of the way of history. Like Drax, makes me wish I hadn't been so dismissively originally.
Action Comics #47 (DC)
From February 2016.
The Greg Pak era in Action Comics was kind of completely overshadowed. It turned out to be for those who didn't want the Geoff Johns, or Gene Luen Yang, Superman. But it's not really much to write home about. This is from the "Truth" period, and features a villain who kind of has a valid perspective (seemingly ripped from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). But it seems so pedestrian compared to the Johns/Yang Superman. The artist is Georges Jeanty, whom I originally encountered in the pages of '90s Superboy, and who later resurfaced in the pages of Dark Horse's Bffy the Vampire Slayer comics. But his work here is completely unrecognizable, which is a shame, because I liked his work from that time. Equally baffling is Frankenstein's appearance in the issue. It's not really dwelt on. It's a visual element and nothing more, probably explained elsewhere, but surely disappointing for someone randomly stopping by.
Wildcats 3.0 #1 (WildStorm)
From October 2002.
This older issue is from the last attempt to keep WildStorm a viable, separate entity within DC once t became an imprint here instead of at Image. The characters continue to pop up (they had supporting roles in Futures End, for instance, plus random efforts at ongoing series like Grifter and Midnighter), but it'll never be the same. Speaking of completely different, this third volume of Wildcats was part of the Authority era, in which the company helped set up the Ultimates era, which helped set up the Avengers movies. But clearly the original intent was something, again, completely different. The idea was new maturity. Joe Casey writes the corporate Wildcats in a way that sheds new light on just what America looked like at the turn of the millennium. No wonder we've been struggling with our financial health ever since, because that was the era in which corporations really did seem to take over. I mean, the '80s were the Greed Decade, but they had nothing on the '00s. I think we all see that now. A little too late, perhaps, but maybe it's because of things like Casey's fairly incomprehensive buzz speak heavy Wildcats. Amusingly, Casey explains the evolution of the team in an essay, and it really doesn't help explain how Wildcats 3.0 makes sense from that any better than the comic itself, which ignores pretty much everything Wildcats except for Grifter. I guess that makes sense...
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Reading Comics 162 "Convergence Week 8"
Something fascinating occurs in the finale of Convergence, something certainly I never saw coming. This was an event billed as the point where DC finally learned to stop worrying and love the multiverse, something that has been a whole process since Crisis on Infinite Earths thirty years ago. And this is really revolutionary for a major comic book publisher. What it means is that it no longer matters if every title doesn't match up in the same context, which was actually something the New 52 itself started with the Geoff Johns Green Lantern that wasn't a reboot but rather a continuation of prior continuity, just as Grant Morrison's Batman Inc. was, as opposed to everything else, which was a series of reboots across the line.
Anyway, so Convergence was also an excuse to pander to all the fans still upset (boo-hoo!) that their favorite version of a given character technically no longer existed in the New 52. This was achieved in the dozens of spin-offs that brought back various eras. The best writers weren't constrained by the story given to them, in that these characters were meant to be pitted against each other in what otherwise might have seen as somewhat meaningless battles fated to mean nothing at all. As it is, Convergence might have, ultimately, been viewed as perhaps the most gimmicky event in gimmick event history, especially after head writer Jeff King basically abandoned his character-centric approach about halfway through the main series.
That was the point where I started to lose a sense of what Convergence itself would end up representing, not just its goal but its own worth.
Early on, it was pretty easy to assume that the story would pivot on Dick Grayson and Telos. Dick came from Earth 2, where he wasn't Robin or Nightwing or Batman, but just plain Dick Grayson. Convergence was basically an effort to make him a superhero. Word is that he'll be Batman in Earth 2: Society (I've already heard snide remarks about his version of the famed costume). More than that, however, as an outsider he was the lone voice capable of questioning Telos, a new character introduced in Convergence as a kind of lieutenant for Brainiac, as well as a continuation of the avatar idea that has gained considerable traction in the New 52 (Earth 2's Green Lantern even takes on the role Swamp Thing occupies in that regard from what's increasingly difficult to call regular continuity). Telos starts out as the main villain, the guy who pits everyone against each other, and thus the direct impetus for all the spin-offs.
Eventually, though, both are sidelined by would-be usurper Deimos from Warlord, which was actually the start of pushing Convergence forward from what it originally seemed to be. Warlord himself meant very little to the story, but the inclusion of a character from his continuity, and one that became increasingly significant, was a sign that the series was reaching maturity.
Which brings me to Convergence #8. Here is where everything wraps up, and a lot of observers have said it was in unsatisfactory fashion. Yet the evolution of the event reaches its apex in the most unexpected but also expected way possible. Brainiac finally enters the picture. Through the course of the issue, Brainiac reveals his back story (something initially teased for Telos, who will undoubtedly show up in Earth 2: Society, where all the lingering mysteries will likely be revealed; Convergence itself was essentially an Earth 2 event anyway, picking up where Earth 2: World's End left off and continuing, as I've repeatedly noted already, in Earth 2: Society), including the many incarnations he's had through the years. It should already have been notable that the New 52 Brainiac wasn't all that familiar (there was a Villains Month issue that I may have to track down, but I can't off the top of my head remember another appearance before Convergence), even though Geoff Johns had introduced a viable new version not so long ago that hadn't really been explored.
So Convergence was already as much a Brainiac story as anything else. Except the final issue also completely turns his character around. He's horrified of what he's become. He wants to change (somewhat ironic, given how the event brings back the classic version of Parallax that didn't seem capable of such introspection even though it was almost immediately retrofitted in order to give Hal Jordan the redemption fans yearned for), and so he's the one who helps set things right (pointedly transforming Crisis from the point where the multiverse collapsed to one where this particular element never happened, which is another point that confused most observers; but that was the whole point of Convergence all along, wasn't it? and so complaining that it muddies the continuity of later stories...yeah).
And the thing is, Convergence achieves something even more remarkable. Two of the three villains...are completely redeemable. In a superhero comic??? Yeah. That just happened. With the depiction of Lex Luthor in the New 52 included, DC is launching an idea that completely skewers even the worst reviews of the recent Forever Evil, that villains in comics don't have to be one-dimensional, mustache-twirling lunatics. Comic book fans have a curious relationship with supervillains. In a lot of ways, they seem to love the villains most of all. One of the signs of Marvel fandom is eternal devotion to Doctor Doom, who is one of the most generic villains ever. And yet the violence villains brings to the table frequently horrifies fans. Apparently the giant backlash to Jeph Loeb began with Ultimatum, which gleefully tore apart the Ultimate line. And of course there's the backlash to Man of Steel (Superman would never do that!!!). Among many other examples. If most fans were aware of what Garth Ennis was doing in the pages of The Boys, they'd faint (or something more ridiculous). Yet they were more than happy to laud praise on Alan Moore when he perpetrated the worst act of violence in comics history (Batman: The Killing Joke). It's an odd subject to even breach.
But suffice to say, DC is finally distancing itself from the rampant, mindless carnage of the past (making it all the more...curious, the latest backlash that resulted from evoking Killing Joke in an alternate cover for an issue of Batgirl). (I'll never understand...) And all of which is to say, Convergence ended on a high note. It did what it set out to do, and it had surprises along the way, stuff nobody would have expected from it, building on history, making history, and even being history. Bravo, Jeff King and DC.
Convergence: Blue Beetle #2 (DC)
As with the first issue, the conclusion to this one was a highlight of Convergence for me, both with the trio of lead characters (Beetle as well as the Question and Captain Atom) and the guests from the Legion of Super-Heroes, who were cleverly presented as a deluge of opponents rather than with an attempt to present them individually, which normally would be what I'd want to see from them, but for once the numbers game worked in their favor. Too often the Legion is just assumed to be a bunch of characters always in the right...but in reality, they're a bunch of teenagers, who are bound to make mistakes, not in the way Convergence: Superboy demonstrated, but as only, well, a bunch of teenagers could do it. And that's another way the Legion could work much better than it's managed to in recent years (Grant Morrison achieved a similar fresh take within the pages of Action Comics). Also features a preview for the new Black Canary, which is building strong buzz for good reason, a series that will embrace the new opportunities post-Convergence. So what I'm saying is, if you didn't read Convergence: Blue Beetle originally, you should probably correct that oversight.
Convergence: Detective Comics #2 (DC)
In the previous issue Superman: Red Son ended up having a better showing than the Robin and Huntress from a previous Earth 2. The second issue balances the scales, and throws in Batman for good measure. As with the last time, the artwork of Denys Cowan remains perhaps the main selling point. The ending has Dick Grayson becoming Batman. This keeps happening, it seems. Anyway, the preview here is for The Flash, featuring Van Jensen's debut as writer. He'd actually written the past near-dozen issues along with Robert Venditti (both were also writing Green Lantern titles at the time), but I never saw as good writing from that time as is apparent in this preview. The only thing I'd change now is the art. I don't normally have a problem with Brett Booth, but there are a few instances in these few pages where I wished he'd made different choices. Once Barry suits up, however, these problems disappear.
Infinity Inc. #2 (DC)
I originally became interested in this one because of Ben Caldwell, but probably because of the upcoming Prez he's not really in the second issue. Which otherwise is still worth reading. Infinity Inc. was a concept I was exposed to early in my comics experience, and so I was happy to see it return. A lot of these characters ended up repopulating DC in the years following the end of the team, but the original concept of their being the children and successors of the Justice Society was lost (although it would be pretty interesting, once and for all, to read a series featuring Alan Scott and his two kids Jade and Obsidian, even if the rest of the team comes along for the ride) along the way. Brainwave emerges as the most interesting character in the bunch, having been the biggest victim of the dome and subsequently the one with the biggest issues when it came down. His entry into the fight (their opponents are a legitimate weak point, or are at least not compatible with the leads) is the high point of the issue, which also features a preview of Batgirl, which has picked up considerable buzz since it was revamped with a much less loose connection to continuity (another early schism that helped make Convergence possible). I was not particularly impressed with what I saw, but I'm sure there's an audience. I'm sure because clearly there is.
And just like that, Convergence is done.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Reading Comics 161 "Convergence Week 7"
The penultimate issue doesn't feature Dick Grayson at all (!), but rather Deimos being defeated by Parallax (a kind of response to Zero Hour), who at first seems like he isn't going to have much of an impact but then returns a few pages later and handily finishes the job. Telos explains that this is kind of a bad thing, but essentially this is how the event is going to end, by officially stating all these alternate realities will get to continue existing after all. Well, probably. I guess the point was to make it official that all these prior continuities that DC has abandoned over the years can still exist, do exist, and because they've now been revisited, it's that much easier, should DC decide to again, to revisit them again. Convergence itself has lost its edge as the weeks have progressed, letting the general mayhem take over. Hopefully next week Jeff King has rallied and lets Telos have a proper ending, and positions everything that follows (you know, besides Earth 2: Society) in a suitable, dignified manner...
Convergence: The Flash #2 (DC)
The focus kind of dramatically shifts from Barry Allen to Tangent Superman, who is kind of dick concerning how seriously readers should be taking Convergence as a whole (although I guess that would be writer Dan Abnett speaking, technically). But since I loved the Tangent comics, and always love seeing those characters show up again, I don't mind at all. This might actually be the first time Tangent Superman isn't the villain, because originally he was the guy everyone mobilized against (I may be slightly misremembering). I love the Tangent variants because they're conceptually fascinating, and if anything, this exposure has helped them find more traction. Speaking of which, I think it's a little surprising that the Milestone characters weren't included. Is Milestone being revived somewhere? Did I read that? They tried Static Shock at the start of the New 52, but quickly backed off when all the creative hassles started happening. It'd be a shame if Milestone were abandoned. Other than Tangent Superman is the fact that...Tangent Superman points out that he can't harm Barry, because Barry needs to survive in order to...participate in Crisis On Infinite Earths. It's an interesting acknowledgment that perhaps some of these stories aren't somehow spin-offs of their own realities, that Brainiac and Telos have perhaps only interrupted the time-frames they come from. And presumably, these events won't be remembered once Convergence is over. Well, right?
Convergence: Green Lantern Corps #2 (DC)
Basically, Guy Gardner is a kick-ass hero with or without a green ring, so exactly what happens to him after the Crisis era anyway. I'm not familiar enough with the '80s Green Lantern era. Would Guy, John Stewart, and Hal Jordan working together be a first? Obviously, the Corps itself existed, but the idea of multiple human bearers working in tandem, I would think, was something that happens only starting with Green Lantern: Rebirth during the great revival. Anyone want to correct me on that?
Convergence: The Adventures of Superman #2 (DC)
Like The Flash, features a character very much aware of what Crisis awaits them. What separates DC's handling of events so distinctly from Marvel's is that although Marvel does sometimes build on events, they rarely outright reference a prior one if they can help it. DC has been referencing Crisis since Crisis, and "The Flash of Two Worlds" just as often (speaking of which, I guess it had to be during Convergence #6 that a direct visual reference was made to that one, which was pretty awesome). Supergirl otherwise spends all her time kind of being the big sister to Superman. Again, this particular revisit has been special because it's featured a version of Supergirl that hasn't existed for decades, even though there have been multiple versions of the same basic character since then. And even though I did miss that era, I miss her because of this....
The bonus material in this week's comics is expanded with some text previews of what DC has planned for June (DC You!), promising something for everyone (for real this time!), plus the usual batch of previews. Suicide Squad looks like it could possibly interest me, for the first time ever. Gotham Academy features, randomly, rhyming poetry, which quickly dissuaded me from something similar in a project I'm working on. Martian Manhunter, thankfully, looks as fascinating as character always seems to in solo adventures. Which begs the question, why it so hard for the company and fans to find him as fascinating as I do?
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Reading Comics 159 "Convergence Week 6"
This week that meant Green Lantern/Parallax #2 and Superboy #2, as well as Convergence #6 ended up on my read list.
Convergence itself continues to let the story unfold. At eight issues I think Jeff King realized there was more room than he was comfortable playing around with as far as the kind of character work he has shown he's best at, so that the story around the character work stretches out more comfortably than his exploring, say, Dick Grayson or Telos, both of whom remain the most interesting elements of the core title (they, ah, converge once again this week) without pushing either further in actual development. For me it's kind of disappointing only in the sense that King has presented better material previously. But there should always be time for story, too. At least that's what people keep trying to tell me...
Green Lantern/Parallax and Superboy generally conclude more strongly than the crop from last week (Batman and Robin, Nightwing/Oracle, The Question, Speed Force, Superman), so that was certainly something of a relief, both of them doing an excellent job keeping the focus on the characters rather than Convergence fighting, even though both feature Convergence fighting as the impetus for continuing to explore their characters. Apparently this is a difficult thing to accomplish, because last week's titles tried that, too, but didn't end up doing too well in that regard.
For Green Lantern/Parallax, that meant deciding once and for all whether or not Hal Jordan, outside of The Final Night/Day of Judgment/Green Lantern: Rebirth, which is to say, the Hal Jordan of "Emerald Twilight"/Zero Hour, is irrevocably tainted by his transformation into Parallax. The conclusion is thoroughly in favor of how Parallax was originally viewed, a final corruption of a once-heroic figure. This is thoroughly interesting, and clearly something that could only have happened here. Almost from the start, DC back-peddled and suggested Hal wasn't such a bad guy after all.
In Superboy, the Kingdom Come Superman (whom in Convergence itself is presented in far less favorable light) struggles to end the fight in a way that doesn't mirror Man of Steel and its apparently endlessly controversial conclusion. In fact, that ends up being the entire issue, which actually takes the focus off of Superboy himself, waiting until he "does the right thing" and submits to Superman. It's another fascinating conclusion, because this is another one that seems like what should have happened to the character as originally conceived, a hothead who wouldn't back down despite his lack of awareness of his own limitations and huge ego besides.
So I would actually rate both as quite excellent.
The June previews included are more of a mixed bag. Cullen Bunn's Lobo is featured in Green Lantern/Parallax. I think everyone knows by now that the New 52 radically altered Lobo. As presented here, I'm not really sure what the point is, because the new version doesn't seem very compelling. It could be that I still can't get into Bunn himself.
Superboy features a peak at "Truth," the Superman arc that promises the New 52 version of Clark Kent being exposed as the Man of Steel. Apparently someone also decided to take away Superman's powers. I don't know if this is a continuation of handling the recent new powers, which at last check-in only temporarily affected his overall powers (and there were two issues that confirmed that, even), but at this point...it may seem like an unnecessary complication. Unless the arc seeks to take away all of Superman's safety nets. This would certainly be a vulnerable version of the character...
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Reading Comics 158 "Convergence Week 5"
We'll start with Convergence #5. There's plenty going on with this won, including Warlord's biggest outing in years. But above and beyond that, his nemesis Deimos has hijacked the whole darn story, supplanting Telos and even Brainiac in every possible way. Not a bad bit of work, and this is exactly how you keep things interesting, folks, not only using a character few remember, but finding all sorts of unexpected things for him to do. The nearest comparable figure I can think of at the moment is Extant in Zero Hour, but previously he'd been Monarch, who was the Big Bad from Armageddon: 2001. But the villain everyone came to see in Zero Hour wasn't Monarch, but rather Parallax (you know, Hal Jordan Gone Wild!), and so to see this other guy play such a prominent, crucial role (at least for a while) added whole dimensions to the story. And so we get to see something like that again.
By the end of the issue he's even undone the central gimmick of Convergence, telling everyone that they don't have to fight each other. But that isn't reflected in any of the spin-offs, alas. In Batman and Robin #2, which only have something worth saying once Batman goes full paternal. The Extremists are generic and dull as opponents. Nightwing and Oracle #2 dances around its plot so much, by the time the lovebirds reconcile, it just seems as if the whole story was just wasting time. The Question #2 says more about Two-Face than any of the trio of gals. That was the biggest disappointment. Speed Force #2 is more or less the opposite case of the pack, in which Wally (and hopefully the reader) maybe sees his kids as less a detriment and more an asset than ever before. Lee Weeks doesn't draw Superman #2, but Dan Jurgens does some of his modest best work in recent years, so that's good to see, even though by the time the historic birth of Lois and Clark's baby finally happens, it's mostly an afterthought.
Perhaps more revealing are the previews for June comics included in the backs of these issues. Batman and Robin has Omega Men, which evokes the Islamic State in its execution (*gasp!*) of Kyle Rayner. Very dramatic. Very bold. Nightwing and Oracle has Midnighter (which is most appropriate, because the character technically spins out of Grayson), and hopefully the whole series is this sharp. The Question has Starfire, which features the orange-hued heroine trying to figure out how to be normal in a world where someone like her is anything but. Should be interesting in a Power Girl kind of way. Speed Force has yet another Green Arrow creative reboot. Superman has Doomed, which features Alpha Centurion! As a supporting character. Who looks like he gets somewhat mortally injured. It's like someone is trying to trick me into reading the series just to find out for sure...
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Convergence: Infinity Inc. #1 (DC)
artist: Ben Caldwell
I'm not gonna lie: I was hugely interested in this particular Convergence spin-off for only one reason, and that's artist Ben Caldwell.
Simply put, I became a devoted fan of Caldwell's after his masterful Wonder Woman feature in Wednesday Comics. The panel I've included from Infinity Inc. is as close as this one gets.
Which is not to say, Ba! and darn you Ben Caldwell! but that clearly he didn't get to go the full Caldwell. "Full Caldwell" means some of the most interesting page layouts I've ever seen. But it's okay. It's enough to see more Caldwell art at all. I have no idea why, but this has proven to be incredibly scarce over the years.
So yeah, I leaped at Infinity Inc. to see it again.
The rest of the comic isn't too bad, though. The writer is Jerry Ordway, another impressive talent (with more pedigree and longer history) who doesn't seem to get enough work. The featured characters are the offspring of the Justice Society. Back in yon olden days I had randomly acquired an issue of the classic Infinity Inc. material, so I was familiar with the characters from their original context (Alan Scott's offspring, Jade and Obsidian, have the longest publishing history of the set). And it struck me, these guys make for excellent storytelling material. Grant Morrison's Multiversity issue The Just featured a different second generation entirely (as did Kingdom Come, and come to think of it Geoff Johns' JSA/Justice Society of America), but this is the original version. If I were DC, I would consider bringing them back on an ongoing basis.
And, you know, locking down Ben Caldwell. He'll be doing Prez after Convergence concludes. I will certainly have to take a look at that, too...
Convergence: Detective Comics #1 (DC)
artist: Denys Cowan
Wait, why am I using an art sample from an issue that by the cover is supposed to feature Robin and Huntress as featured in full '70s Justice Society alternate reality mode?
Because Len Wein is another of the writers clever enough to do something interesting with the opportunity he's been given. See, he gives equal time to Superman: Red Son's Soviet soldier. And this is a very good idea. The conversation between Dick Grayson and Helena Wayne (daughter of Batman and Catwoman) throughout the issue, at least for me, is far less interesting, mostly Huntress needling Robin for wearing a hybrid of Boy Wonder and Batman costumes (in this reality, Batman is dead) rather than outright assuming the blue cowl. Of course, by the end of the issue, it seems Huntress has let her impetuousness prove fatal. We'll see.
The art is from Denys Cowan, who's pulling double Convergence duties (he's also the artist on record for Batman and Robin). I like his work better here, especially for Superman (another reason to cheer this part of the book on).
Convergence: Blue Beetle #1 (DC)
artist: Yishan Li
Seriously, though, folks: Scott Lobdell. The guy can't seem to catch a break with the fans, but he's a genius, he really is. That excerpt from one panel in this issue helps prove it all over again.
Across multiple Convergence spin-offs fans have seen characters breaking or attempting to break the rules of
It takes the Question to say it. Of course it does. The title says Blue Beetle but it's actually a whole Charlton reunion, featuring Question and Captain Atom as well (the nucleus of the characters Alan Moore borrowed for Watchmen, and borrowed back by Grant Morrison for Pax Americana), plus referencing others.
Lobdell knocks the whole issue out of the park. Usually his comics shine best in narration, so he would certainly be the one to know all about the rules of the storytelling device. This one doesn't have narration, but it does have yet another novelty (again, in my personal Convergence experience) in showing Telos himself as his explanation for the dome experience is once again repeated, as it is in each Convergence spin-off. Usually it's featured as it was in Convergence itself, as disembodied words in the air. Lobdell and Yishan Li play by their own rules. And thank goodness.
Convergence #4 (DC)
artist: Stephen Segovia
Well, I think at this point it seems clear that the great cosmic significance of Convergence is going to result in...Earth 2: Society. Maybe elsewhere, too, but as it seemed obvious from the conclusion of Earth 2: World's End and even Convergence itself, that's where the story is headed.
Pretty bold move for DC, actually. Earth 2, without or without James Robinson, was never going to be the company's top book. It's set in an alternate reality. The only other time anyone was really paying attention was when this version of DC revealed Alan Scott (Green Lantern) to be gay. And now it's not only got a weekly under its belt, but its own crossover event.
I say, bravo. This was always a great idea, in my book. Fans were pretty annoyed that the Justice Society concept itself was more or less discarded, but I thought that was a pretty good idea, too, finally leaving behind the concept of aging heroes and thereby making the reintroduction of at least some of them more relevant than they've been in years.
All the time travel villains this issues makes obvious (some of them always having had direct Justice Society significance, such as Per Degaton, who was featured in Geoff Johns' JSA; others like Extant who should have, considering what he did to the team during Zero Hour) add an additional layer of new significance that should certainly be interesting to explore, should they factor into the new series launching in June.
Telos identifies the Earth 2 Dick Grayson as the first he's seen who doesn't wear a mask (the current mainstream one doesn't, either, but that's after years of Robin/Nightwing/Batman), and clearly that's another element of what we can expect in the future (see how many Convergence tie-ins feature the original Boy Wonder?), his new prominence.
I'm liking Convergence quite a bit.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Convergence: The Green Lantern Corps #1 (DC)
artist: Steve Ellis
David Gallaher apparently comes from DC's short-lived Zuda experiment. It's good the company finally remembered discovering him, because he proves a deft hand in this effort. He and frequent collaborator Steve Ellis, actually.
Otherwise, the story is all about Guy Gardner (aren't they all?). I'm convinced that the average comic book fan still doesn't know or even care that there is and have long been more than one claimant to the superhero persona "Green Lantern." Guy's journey was a particularly complicated one. Fans who know anything substantial about Green Lantern know Guy less for being a Green Lantern than for his brash attitude, "One punch!," and subsequent re-absorption into the mythos following Green Lantern: Rebirth, where it took his turn in Red Lanterns to stand out again (Charles Soule and Landry Q. Walker took the character to new heights, by the way, thanks to this latest turn).
Back in the day, Guy was the most luckless of Green Lanterns. Hal Jordan, the Silver Age original, was the original emerald jerk, and Guy the replacement unlucky enough to have spent most of his in-continuity time in a coma while John Stewart had his angst-ridden turn with the ring. This Convergence spin-off picks up with the Guy who was awakened by the Guardians to try and set things right. Except being a Green Lantern has never been a guarantee of such things (another unique quality to the franchise).
Guy, and John and Hal, end up trapped under the dome, like everyone else in this event. Except he's got a huge chip on his shoulder. Not the ego he'd become known for. More like a legitimate beef. He realizes he's had a raw deal all this time, and uses his time trying to set things right. The Hal he encounters is possibly the most enlightening version of that character, too, a man who became obsessed with using SETI to contact aliens (imagine if someone retroactively made Hal a UFO nut, huh?) to solve the dome dilemma.
Oh, and Guy brings attitude. He's always good for that. Gallager is another writer who takes full advantage of every storytelling opportunity Convergence affords. Makes it a pleasure all over again to be a Green Lantern fan. And now, perhaps, the uninitiated have another opportunity to find out what the rest of us already know. There is more than one Green Lantern. And this makes things very, very interesting...
Convergence: The Flash #1 (DC)
artist: Federico Dallacchio
Listen, so I was a huge fan of Mark Waid's Flash. For that reason, I became interested in the character in a more general sense. Eventually this led me to "The Trial of the Flash," a years-long arc that wrapped up Barry Allen's stories prior to his death in Crisis On Infinite Earths. I obsessed over reading the complete arc for years, and then DC collected most of it in a giant black and white omnibus.
And you know what? It's...not easy reading for someone who grew up with comics written from a more...literary perspective, the impact of the British Invasion that was just getting underway when Barry seemed to have left comics behind forever.
So it's great to see Barry Allen's adventures from that time in a style I can more easily appreciate. Because that's exactly what this is. And it's another of the many excellent things to appreciate about Convergence.
It also doesn't hurt to have Dan Abnett at the helm. Abnett typically works in tandem with Andy Lanning, but I discovered the pleasures of a solo Abnett through his excellent Conspiracy mini-series for Marvel, and ever since have been hoping to see it again. I am not at all disappointed with the results.
(Also, the included image is a wickedly delightful meta commentary on the whole Convergence event.)
Convergence: The Adventures of Superman #1 (DC)
artist: Roberto Viacava
Well, this one is one of the best excuses to have done Convergence at all: giving Marv Wolfman an excuse to revisit Crisis On Infinite Earths. Years later Wolfman also wrote the novelization of his most seminal work, so this continues a welcome tradition. Here it's an even less likely, ah, convergence. A different era's Supergirl was one of the famous deaths in Crisis. Today that Supergirl might as well have not have existed at all except historically, because there have been so many other versions that she has been completely lost in the shuffle.
Wolfman cleverly plays on that, too. He's got a blank slate to work with, and so not only takes the opportunity to play with her acknowledged fate in Crisis but demonstrating how much fun the character could be. This is probably the only innocent version of Supergirl available, which is extremely odd to even consider. Subsequent versions were all dark in one way or another, including the New 52 one, who eventually signed up as a Red Lantern, with all the rage therein implied. Crisis Supergirl is much more in-line with, say G. Willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel, or even the popular reboot of the New 52 Batgirl. This is a Supergirl who has a direct relationship with Superman. Yeah, this hasn't happened since Crisis. And yeah, that's weird to think about, and even weirder to realize that it took this to realize that.
And even weirder that Lucius Fox, a supporting player I know from other iterations (much like Supergirl herself) comes off in the early pages like Fringe's Walter Bishop. Which is awesome. Coming off his most famous version (Batman Begins et al's weapons developer), this is either like finding out what he once was, or could become all over again. Either way, pretty awesome.
The Crisis era Convergence spin-offs probably have the best chance of helping fans discover, or rediscover, potential like this. And Wolfman's Adventures of Superman seized this wonderful opportunity.
Convergence #3 (DC)
artist: Stephen Segovia
The third issue of Convergence isn't as sharp as the second, but it still shows the inherent strengths of allowing a clear new voice into DC's most hallowed grounds.
The included page introduces the old stomping ground of Skartaris into the narrative. "Old stomping ground" is a phrase here that means a relatively obscure location from Warlord, the main character from which does not appear in this issue, but who is referenced at the bottom of the page in such a way that totally redefines him in much the way Convergence itself, in full Crisis tradition, hopes to redefine DC for a new generation.
Which is to say, yes, Convergence is meant to reassure older fans that everything they loved still exists, but it's also a wonderful opportunity to use that familiar in exciting new ways. Much as DC has done pretty much throughout its whole history.
Jeff King has a remarkable way of going about it. The issue includes [SPOILER ALERT] the death of the Thomas Wayne Batman from Earth 2, in a sequence that includes many famous villains from Grant Morrison's "Batman R.I.P.," including of course Dr. Hurt. It's a scene that works well for those familiar with these faces, but it also leaves Thomas Wayne's reluctant traveling companion, to that point, on his own. The companion's name? Dick Grayson.
I mentioned in my review of the previous issue that Dick is an excellent choice for a number of reasons to focus Convergence around. This particular incarnation also evokes without anyone needing to point it out the star of Grayson, the familiar erstwhile Boy Wonder who is also walking around without a superhero costume these days. Dick Grayson is best known as Robin and/or Nightwing, but the Dick in Convergence comes from Earth 2, where he was never either one, much as the Dick in Grayson is what resulted from his experiences during Forever Evil, in which he was forced to leave the costumed life behind.
An, ah, convergence...
So yeah, conceptually at least King is absolutely pulling this off. Probably most readers are still thinking of this as a gimmicky story where heroes are nonsensically pitted against each other. But it's quickly becoming much more than that. I for one can't wait to see where King goes with all this.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Convergence: Superboy #1 (DC)
artist: Karl Moline
For me, it will always be tough to beat DC in the '90s as the best era in superhero comics, and to further categorize me I admit Superboy as one of the defining elements from that time. Exactly the Superboy depicted in Convergence: Superboy.
I mean, the recap at the back of the issue even references Knockout. And Sidearm!!!
And it's good to see Dubbilex, the so-called DNAlien assigned to Superboy by the scientists of Cadmus (just like in the pages of Convergence: Green Lantern/Parallax, the later Geoff Johns elements are overlooked, so you won't find any reference to Lex Luthor here). Granted, he doesn't look as good in the issue as when he was depicted by Tom Grummett, but you can't have everything. Although the inclusion of Serling Roquette is a nod to the later Karl Kesel/Grummett era that is otherwise not technically represented.
Superboy's costume is usually referred to as one of the most comically-dated elements of any superhero from that time, but I don't know, I always liked it, and I was sad when it went away. The New 52 Superboy gets a nod-of-sorts in the opening pages, too, although so too does Superboy's Jack Kirby connection.
Otherwise this is a story featuring Superboy in all his brashness and need to justify himself, a version of the character that hasn't existed since the end of "Reign of the Supermen," when he learned how to be humble at the expense of a close brush with death. So this is a particular snapshot of an era that was technically never truly given a chance to shine, the character as originally conceived but almost instantly replaced with a horndog who obsessed over Supergirl and then later Tana Moon, Knockout, and having a good time with the Ravers (*sign* I will always wish Superboy and the Ravers could receive half the love from other readers that I heap on it).
And it's written by Fabian Nicieza, whom I last enjoyed in the pages of Robin, and was sufficiently far enough in the past that until now he was yet another favorite creator had nonetheless not been featured at Comics Reader. So it's good to finally include his work.
Convergence: Green Lantern/Parallax #1 (DC)
artist: Ron Wagner
The thing about Convergence is that it could drive you crazy trying to reconcile when, exactly, these snatches of DC history would have been gobbled up by Brainiac and/or Telos. Green Lantern/Parallax, for instance, freeze-dries history apparently in the middle of Zero Hour, and obviously no such thing actually happened in Zero Hour. Maybe Convergence itself will explain, and maybe that doesn't really matter. There are other things to care about.
One of which is certainly to have the ability to revisit favorite eras. Hopefully new fans can use these stories to discover older stories, too, but there's a certain nostalgia built into Convergence.
One of the things to keep in mind about Green Lantern/Parallax is that it doesn't involve the later developments from Geoff Johns. This is the Parallax you will remember from "Emerald Twilight," Zero Hour, and other stories prior to Green Lantern: Rebirth. There's a remorseful Hal Jordan involved, but that's because he's spent a year completely powerless just after the point where he punches Superman upon the big reveal in Zero Hour, the moment depicted in the included panel. The Kyle Rayner present, meanwhile, is taken from just after the infamous murder of his girlfriend Alex (I won't get into the controversy here, but the one thing you will always have to grant DC is that it's never let the girl be forgotten; at this point she's about as crucial as Gwen Stacy to Kyle's narrative).
Hal is remorseful up to the point when the domes are lifted and powers are reactivated. Then he turns right back into Parallax and is right back in full Parallax mode. The interesting thing Tony Bedard does is depict Hal in a remorseful mode at all. He's suggesting that the guy (not Guy) was redeemable all along, with or without changing the nature of Parallax.
There's a fair bit of manipulating the classic story involved. At one point Kyle suggests that Batman doesn't hold Hal's actions against him. This is not the case in other stories like Day of Judgment and Green Lantern: Rebirth, for instance. Batman does hold a grudge. (Uh, would he be Batman otherwise?) Kyle even has Hal killing off the entire Green Lantern Corps, although Hal at first limits his greatest atrocity to genocide of Oa.
It's funny to me that it's possible for anyone familiar with comics at all who don't identity Hal Jordan as Green Lantern. It's much more likely that they "know" comics from other media, the way the kids were at the time of Tim Burton's Batman who subsequently had no idea who Robin was. No, Hal is synonymous with Green Lantern. But he's also synonymous with Parallax. And seeing that made clear again is one of the great pleasures of Convergence.
Convergence #2 (DC)
artist: Carlo Pagulayan
Oh, this is becoming quite good. And as the first issue to be written solo by Jeff King, it speaks to King's ability to write a good comic book, too, and that's very good to see.
The one thing that seemed to garner universal praise for Flashpoint was when Batman, who was in the altered reality Thomas Wayne, gave the Flash a note to give to the Batman from the reset reality, which is to say Bruce Wayne. As we all should know, Thomas Wayne is Bruce Wayne's father. In the Flashpoint altered reality, Bruce is the one who died in Crime Alley, whereas it is much more common for it to have been Thomas. Which is to say, having either aware of the other's existence creates instant poignancy.
King doesn't go for poignancy when he has Thomas and Bruce meet. He deliberately avoids the exchange between them. But the impact is still there. It's there when Dick Grayson of one reality realizes the wife he has lost in his own is still alive in another. This is common alternate reality material, but it's the first time a mainstream alternate reality story in DC, famously home to many alternate realities, has sanctioned such a possibility. Thomas Wayne as Batman is walking around in Convergence, too, but the one from Earth 2, not Flashpoint. That's where Dick Grayson comes from, and he's the lead character in the issue. Without King having to point it out, there will be plenty of fans who find this to be ironic, because ever since Infinite Crisis this is a character who has been walking around on borrowed time. DC had toyed with the idea of killing him off. This was the subtext of his fate in Forever Evil. And now in Convergence there's at least one issue where Dick is directly aware of the transience of fate.
King masterfully navigates such storytelling, with the kind of finesse not seen in a big event comic book since Identity Crisis. If Convergence never receives a similar reputation, it will be because Convergence is far more linked to the more outlandish things comic books can do. But the quality, certainly in this issue as we follow Dick Grayson and two Waynes, is the same. In some ways, by allowing the reader inside the veil, which is what makes narrative captioning so powerful, perhaps even better. On the page depicted in this review, it speaks for itself.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Convergence: Superman #1 (DC)
artist: Lee Weeks
Arguably the comic every '90s Superman fan wanted to read, the logical progression from the death to the wedding. And baby makes three. This is how Lois & Clark ended, too, that threshold that has never been crossed. Until now.
And it only figures that Dan Jurgens is the writer. Joining him is his collaborator from Superman: Futures End #1, Lee Weeks, and they make a great combination once again. Weeks brings out the dramatic side of Jurgens in a way Jurgens himself hasn't been able to since Superman #75 (but really, who was ever going to be able to top that, much less match it?).
For me personally, Weeks is also the Stuart Immonen connection, since there's no artist Weeks compares to from that time other than Immonen, who has been at Marvel ever since someone decided he wasn't needed in Superman comics anymore. (Still a terrible shame I hope to one day see corrected. Never-ending battle, right?). (It was great to hear he will soon be doing Star Wars, which is a project truly worth his talents.)
This issue also features the Flashpoint Superman, which was a hidden treasure of that event, a clever variation that saw Kal-El stuck in the Roswell position, kept hidden by the government.
The recap at the back of the issue runs through a list of events including: the wedding, the start of Grant Morrison's JLA, Electric Superman, Our Worlds At War, Infinite Crisis, and the Geoff Johns Brainiac story (appropriate for Convergence) plus the New Krypton arc. I think fans might have been happy to see just the '90s era recapped. Or at least this fan. Those remain some of my favorite comics...
Convergence: Speed Force #1 (DC)
artist: Tom Grummett
You have no idea how much I love reading those two sentences in a comic book. "My name is Wally West. I'm the fastest man alive." For me, it's like "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
I geek out. I totally geek out.
So it's great to see them in a comic again. Context doesn't matter. Not in the slightest bit. But as context goes, of course this is Convergence, and the context of Speed Force is the later Mark Waid era, when Wally has his two kids, Iris and Jai. along for the ride, one big superhero family. Waid had made a name for himself creating a speedster family, the real meaning of the whole Speed Force idea, but when he returned years later he lacked the same edge he'd exhibited so well previously. If he'd done the family concept before, with the rest of the Speed Force family around Wally, things might have been different.
As it is, Speed Force keeps the focus on Wally and kids. So, no Max Mercury, say (*sigh*). This isn't really such a bad thing. I liked the Wally West family era. Not as much as the Speed Force era, but if Wally's legacy must be evoked at all, it probably should be, at this point, an era fans feel less nostalgic about, because this is where his story ended, certainly where Waid's ended, and that is kind of the whole point behind Convergence and its spin-offs. To have Tony Bedard writing it is also appropriate, because Bedard was always an excellent curator, who received far too little credit in that regard.
And seriously, why would you not want to read a Flash comic in a wider story that so closely evokes the famous "Flash of Two Worlds"? Convergence is also happening because of Flashpoint, remember.
Maybe it would have taken a more clever writer to write those reflections directly into the story, but you can't expect everyone to realize everything that could have been done for this auspicious occasion. There will always be possibilities. And that's the whole point, right?
The artist is Tom Grummett, who has long been a favorite of mine, especially in his many adventures with Superboy. Always nice to see him again.
Convergence: The Question #1 (DC)
artist: Cully Hamner
Arguably the best Convergence comeback is Greg Rucka, who returns to DC after years away, having once been one of the most significant writers for the company, a status forever immortalized in the pages of 52, where he transformed Renee Montoya into the Question.
A journey he once again continues, and who needs Convergence itself to get in the way? Rucka doesn't seem to even sweat it. He merely picks up where he left off. And apparently, so the recap at the back of the issue suggests, I missed where that was. Yeah, I had stopped reading Rucka's Montoya after a while. I guess I got tired of waiting for DC to pull the trigger and make it an ongoing series already.
Montoya's journey began in the pages of Gotham Central, which led directly to 52, which led directly to Crime Bible, which led to a feature in Detective Comics concerning the Mark of Cain business referenced in this latest follow-up.
Of course, by the final page, Batwoman shows up.
The artist is Cully Hamner, another veteran I apparently gotten around to making a label out of previously, so here's his first mention at Comics Reader.
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