Hurm. Blogger's not letting me customize image placement like normal. And Google was no help in finding the blue-border variant cover I had. Well.
I think I bought my first copy of this at a mall about a year ago. I got this one in one of the Walmart three-packs, of course. I didn't necessarily mind buying, or reading, it again, as it contains a nifty Namor story.
This is significant in that Marvel, inexplicably, hardly ever actually does Namor stories. It's bizarre, since Namor is a great character, and he's also one of Marvel's oldest. As a DC guy, this is one of the most obvious differences between the companies. Even if DC used Namor like the Justice Society or the Spectre or Phantom Stranger, he'd still, at this point, have a far bigger and greater legacy behind him. And yet, at Marvel, he receives minimal attention, year after year, decade after decade.
Marvel will probably tell you that it's because, from its perspective, he's kind of...a villain. He's kind of Marvel's Black Adam. But he doesn't even, or was never given, a heroic counterpart. This is equally ridiculous. But even without one, he could very easily have been drafted into, I don't know, X-Men comics. Which of course never happened. At DC, meanwhile, of course there's Aquaman, and you'd maybe think that over the years someone at Marvel might glance over and see what a huge legacy even the guy routinely lampooned for "talking to fish" has, and say, "Maybe we can do something?"
But. No.
Even when there's great examples, like this (in this instance, contributed by Greg Pak, who was also the guy to finally break Hulk free from a storied but useless legacy, by the way), in which Namor is confronted by WWII, and the US government's big secret, the atomic bomb. Pak has Namor turning his back on the surface world because of it. It's a pitch-perfect story, and even makes Namor's traditional outlook perfectly rational.
And yet...Look, this is one of those things I'd do my damnest to correct, given half a chance. I just don't understand wasting such potential.
Ha! Don't have to worry about explaining which series this one is!
Because, as it turns out, the totally awesome Hulk...wasn't awesome. Let alone totally.
Ironies, amiright?
The funny thing is, I should have been someone who ate up the whole concept. Amadeus Cho was a cherished favorite of mine a decade back, costarring in a succession of Hercules comics that were perennially among my favorite reads. I'm not a Marvel guy! This was a huge exception for me! And Totally Awesome Hulk was even written by one of the writers from that era, Greg Pak (who was also, ah, known for his Hulk comics; who flipped over to DC during the New 52, but didn't stick as well, somehow having landed a Superman gig; Hulk and Superman are two vastly different characters).
Cho got the Hulk gig because, well, Marvel was replacing all its iconic characters at the time. Literally all of them. I have no idea why they thought it was a brilliant idea. This was a '90s thing because the sales for the death of Superman were a huge bonanza for the industry. Doing it just to keep things interesting (although, technically, Superman's death was actually just an attempt to forestall his wedding, which ended up delayed for years, while the TV counterpart in Lois & Clark actually got far less popular the closer it got) (ironies, amiright?), turned out just to piss off whatever fans were still paying attention.
And for whatever reason, this issue ties into a "Weapons of Mutant Destruction" crossover event. I have no idea why the Hulk has anything at all to do with mutants, other than...reasons.
But then, having a Hulk who wants to be the Hulk is also...not the Hulk. At all. It's the total opposite of the Hulk! And...why was Cho even tapped to be the Hulk? It makes no logical sense to anyone who didn't read the relevant material. It's just...reasons. This was a character who made his name by being one of the smartest people on Earth. He thought Hulk was cool. Apparently he cured Banner. That "cure" would've done better to make Banner happy to be the Hulk. This doesn't even work as a Doctor Spider-Man gimmick. it defies all logic, ideas approved without being thought out, just tossed out there. I think "The House of Ideas" can do better than that.
Covered this edition: Divinity II #3, The Flash #1, The Totally Awesome Hulk #7, Justice League #52, Robin: Son of Batman #13, Action Comics #958, and Wonder Woman #1.
Divinity II #3 (Valiant)
Matt Kindt continues the second volume of his visionary superhero saga, in which Russian cosmonauts Abram Adams and Myshka engage in the ultimate duel, across time and reality, as they attempt to determine whose will triumphs in this high-stakes game of god-like beings. For the second straight issue, it seems the villainous Myshka has once again come out on top, but there's a telling moment when Abram visits the young Myshka, years before the mission that was to change their lives and the whole world, and whispers something into her ear. Abram has taken great pains in explaining to the adult Myshka that you can't change the past. The suggestion is that whatever he said to the girl is more crucial than the adult currently realizes. I assume something of that sort will be involved in the conclusion next issue...
The Flash #1 (DC)
My name is Tony Laplume, and I am the happiest Flash fan alive. Well, maybe one of them, because this debut issue of the series proper lives up to the promise of the Rebirth preview, as Josh Williamson sets up a bold new arc in which the gift of the Speed Force starts spreading around. Williamson's best bit of storytelling is actually the whole issue, which starts out explaining Barry Allen's origin again, while inserting a key new player, who by the end of the issue is the first (there will be others) to experience the expansion of speedsters. This series is in excellent hands.
The Totally Awesome Hulk #7 (Marvel)
Easiest some of the best Marvel comics I ever read were Incredible Hercules and its several continuations, which featured Amadeus Cho as the Hulk's (and yes, Herc's) biggest fan. This shouldn't have worked, right? In the modern era, the "kid sidekick" idea is passe, but Cho's enthusiasm, not to mention his smarts, puts him in a league all his own. And in this era where every Marvel superhero is being replaced by their biggest cheerleader (of various extractions), this is the best variation possible. But the issue actually puts the focus on Bruce Banner, who is totally free of the Hulk for the first time ever, and he's struggling to deal with it. You'd think it would be a good thing, but when you're Bruce Banner, it's much more complicated than that. If you like your Hulk to be good for something other than smashing (although that's good, too), then this is a good time to be a fan. Spearheading this new era is Greg Pak, who knows a thing or two about the big green guy.
Justice League #52 (DC)
The final issue of the series strangely harkens back to the very beginning, as a new hero is introduced to the world. This time it's Lex Luthor, presenting his version of Superman. The writer is Dan Jurgens, providing a bridge between where Geoff Johns left off with Luthor and where Jurgens picks up again in the pages of Action Comics. Lex Luthor was one of the characters who benefited greatly from the New 52, and Justice League. It's only appropriate to give him the nod like this. What I love perhaps even more is that the artist is Tom Grummett, making this a mini '90s Superman reunion.
Robin: Son of Batman #13 (DC)
The final issue of the series, which I decided to read so I could say I was fair to the creators not named Patrick Gleason who worked on it. (Okay, so technically it would have been more fair to read more than one issue, but still...) As it turns out, Ray Fawkes is once again better than I seem to have given him credit for, as his version of Damian and friends fits in wonderfully with Gleason's, and even serves as a truly fitting finale. Nice one, Fawkes. I'll try to remember next time.
Action Comics #958 (DC)
Jurgens, Lex Luthor, and Superman, and Doomsday, and Clark Kent, oh my! Clearly there are things going on that aren't quite what they seem, but I love, love, love that Jurgens is getting the chance to further expand on his Superman legacy, which admittedly he's had many chances to do over the years. I think he's really nailed it this time.
Wonder Woman #1 (DC)
I thought Greg Rucka would be fixating somewhat exclusively on Wonder Woman's origins, despite the alternating storylines ahead, but this issue presents a wrinkle in that idea, as the end of the issue reveals that she's been locked out of Themyscira, and she's had to turn to Cheetah, of all people, for help. I also like Rucka's characterization of Wonder Woman's reluctance to fight, and Steve Trevor's reclassification back into a military guy. All around good stuff here.
This is a back issue feature. The title is not always literal.
Recently I dipped back into the same comics pack source I hit a few weeks back, and came up with some stuff I'd already read, and some new stuff, too (hence, the title). But let's just dive in, shall we?
Detective Comics #1 (DC)
From 2011.
These packs featured some reprints geared toward the release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. You can tell, because the reprints have ads for the movie littered throughout them. I'm glad this was one of the reprints, because it's a reminder that Tony Daniel was still writing Batman at the start of the New 52. He's one of the many artists DC has helped transition into writing. He was Grant Morrison's artist from "Batman, R.I.P.," which led to him writing Batman before the New 52 relaunch. He brought the same stuff to Detective Comics, including the character responsible for the Joker's grizzly new look ("look ma! no skin on my face!"). But fans by that point hopped on the Scott Snyder bandwagon (Snyder had been writing Detective Comics, so it was a flip flop that worked extremely well for one of them). Daniel's work on Batman is by no means lousy. But I guess it couldn't compete with Snyder's. Like Snyder, he was keenly interested in creating new villains. But again, I guess Snyder just did it better.
Batman Eternal #2 (DC)
From June 2014.
The weekly series Snyder and sidekick James Tynion IV launched featured some good storytelling, although perhaps it failed to be considered as iconic because its storytelling was less precise (I mean, like Geoff Johns on Green Lantern before him, Snyder managed to make a crossover arc of every story). This second issue features Jim Gordon in trouble with the law. The oddest thing is that Eternal really had nothing to do with Snyder's work in Batman itself. They existed as two separate entities, and weaved visions that really had nothing to do with each other. Eternal was a gimme to the fans, and Batman was busy making new ones. I guess it makes sense...
Batman #41 (DC)
From August 2015.
Featuring the debut of Commissioner Batman, this was among the most recent issues included in the packs. It still strikes me that Snyder basically parodied the whole "Knight Quest"/"Reign of the Supermen"/Doctor Spider-Man concept. He knew from the start that fans wouldn't really buy Gordon as Batman, and yet went with it anyway. Took real guts. But by this point, he literally could get away with anything, and he knew it.
Batman: Arkham Knight #1 (DC)
From 2015.
Based on the series of video games, this is part of a series of mini-series that weave a story around them (like the following title). Peter J. Tomasi, at his best, is among the best. But he's not always at his best. Sometimes, he's merely functional. That's what he is in this.
Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Two Annual #1 (DC)
From December 2014.
Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Three #1 (DC)
From December 2014.
These are based on a fighting game, but the reality they pose might as well come from Batman's fever dream in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. They posit a Superman gone wildly out of control, attempting to bring order to Earth as a despot. The best story in these issues features Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Sinestro, in a dynamic that's reminiscent of how Geoff Johns depicted them. Also featured: Detective Chimp. But not nearly enough of him!
Justice League #1 (DC)
From 2011.
This reprint features the beginning of Geoff Johns' seminal introduction of the team at the start of the New 52 era. I've been an eager champion of this from the beginning, but it was fun to read it again (and incidentally, this is the fourth time I've purchased this story; one time was in the collection). After rereading Frank Miller and Jim Lee's All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder recently, it was fun to see how Johns and Lee did a variation on the Batman/Green Lantern confrontation, and how it, and its relation to Miller and Lee's work, helped set the tone of the series. Some really great stuff.
Justice League of America #1 (DC)
From August 2015.
I read this issue when it was originally released. Reading it again was to find it better than I remembered. I mean, I liked it then, too, but to read it from a time when I know Bryan Hitch will be handling the DC Rebirth Justice League is to know the title will be in good hands. So that was good to find out.
Superman #32 (DC)
From 2014.
The start of the Johns/Romita era is an exceptional as I remember it. Johns was truly at the top of his Superman game in this run, and he was no slouch the last time. The Ulysses character apparently plays a role in Tomasi's "Super League" arc that's helping to round out the New 52 era. He's basically Johns' new Superboy Prime. That's good, too.
Action Comics #36 (DC)
From January 2015.
Greg Pak's Superman just doesn't do it for me. Although I love Superman sporting a beard.
Superman/Wonder Woman #1 (DC)
From December 2013.
I became such a fanboy of Charles Soule's at that time, it's fun revisiting some of that time. I thought the concept of this relationship was one of the genius moves of the New 52, but I guess it was something DC was just as quick to shut down, because the "Truth" arc wasn't especially kind to it. Doomsday was a busy monster at that time, too. Since I didn't read further issues of this story, or the complete "Doomed," I only know so much of what the monster was up to. I don't even know if the arcs were related! Oh well...Oh further note is the course of journeyman artist...Tony Daniel! He ended up bouncing from project to project. But at least DC kept finding work for him!
Superman Unchained #1 (DC)
From August 2013.
It's funny, because ads for Man of Steel can be found in this issue, and so I guess everything comes full circle. Snyder and Lee, reporting for duty. But I'm not sure what either accomplished with this project. Certainly there's evidence of more important work elsewhere in this edition of Quarter Bin...
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...
Batman #1 (DC)
From 2011.
Sometimes I find myself forming opinions as a reaction to what I consider to be the stupid opinions of others. Hey, we all do it. I tend to be accused of it probably more than others, but this is a far more common phenomenon than people think (probably for obvious reasons). Thankfully, I sometimes catch myself. I hated how much Scott Snyder's Batman caught on. As an affirmed Grant Morrison fan, I just wanted to shout, Morrison's Batman hasn't even finished yet! What's wrong with you? But I can also acknowledge that Morrison is an extremely divisive writer, and his Batman had already gone through several permutations, and had long since moved on from its most sensational story, "Batman R.I.P." By this point, he was approaching concluding it with the second volume of Batman Incorporated. Snyder, meanwhile, had created some positive buzz with his initial Batman work within the pages of Detective Comics. DC obviously recognized his unique new voice, and gave him the chance to get the widest exposure with the Batman relaunch at the start of the New 52. And it caught on like wildfire. In the following years, the company even began touting the first collection of his run, The Court of Owls, as a new classic, a must-read. I thought that was beyond the pale. I mean, does popularity really qualify something as a classic?
Well, in some cases, probably. But that's kind of beside the point. Snyder's work wasn't just considered good Batman material, it became the gold standard of success in the New 52 era, one that every other title DC published failed, time and time again, to match. I mean, eventually Harley Quinn caught on in a big way, but for the same reasons Deadpool was a surprise blockbuster earlier this year. That's just the character of fans at the moment. Snyder's word, ideally, really does transcend the moment. There's a reason why. This first issue subconsciously evokes another moment in which Batman broke out of a slump, 1989's Batman movie, actually, which remained the gold standard of Batman movies until The Dark Knight. Snyder has Bruce Wayne overhear a conversation Jim Gordon has about an open crime scene, and a fat detective waits on-scene (this time one of the good guys, ol' reliable Harvey Bullock).
Like I said, it's a subconscious connection, probably one few readers realize even now, but it sets the tone. Snyder's Batman is a hopeful one, in the manner of what Morrison had sought to accomplish, but perhaps mistakenly associating it with a whole movement. Batman works best when it's clear he's in control, even when he loses control (as he often does in Snyder's series). Whether he has partners is beside the point. It's not about subtracting grim from the equation (it's been observed that Snyder's Batman was basically a horror series), but that Batman himself doesn't have to be grim.
I read this issue again, thanks to another lucky find of bargain packs that seem to be popping up everywhere I go lately, before reading the final issues of Snyder's run, and it's the reason I bought those to begin with. I mean, I've been reading the run sporadically since the beginning, and sometimes I've really loved it, but I've never really shaken my basic reaction, Of course this isn't as good as they say it is. There will be a lot of reasons why fans eventually cool on the run, all the things Snyder never quite accomplished but easily could have but for whatever reason never did, and while those points will be valid, they don't take away from the base accomplishment, which was to present a whole era in which Batman's popularity was guided by a single man, who more or less lived up to the occasion. Sound like faint praise? It isn't.
Batman/Superman #13 (DC)
From October 2014.
I could never quite bring myself to read this series, which I originally thought was a sad attempt to recapture the glory of Jeph Loeb's Superman/Batman, which later writers in that series, to my mind, amply proved already was all too easy to accomplish (the failure, you understand). But I knew the series was different, that DC was making a serious attempt. While certainly a quieter entry than its predecessor in the chronicles of the World's Finest, it attracted some quality talent, like Greg Pak, as part of his overall Superman duties, and Jae Lee, who has consistently produced some of the most gorgeous art in comics. This issue features the duo with amnesia, and some interesting moments with the likes of Catwoman, Bruce Wayne, and Lois Lane as a result.
Thus rounding out a pretty good bargain three-pack in what is usually a pretty dicey prospect.
Covered this edition: Grant Morrison's 18 Days #1, Cyborg #1, MIND MGMT #35, Prez #2, Superman: Doomed #2, and We Are Robin #2.
Grant Morrison's 18 Days #1 (Graphic India)
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.
Cyborg #1 (DC)
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.
MIND MGMT#35 (Dark Horse)
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.
Prez #2 (DC)
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.
Superman: Doomed #2 (DC)
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.
We Are Robin #2 (DC)
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.
Ever since Detective Comics #27 (the second one), I've been itching to read if not the rest of then at least more of "Gothtopia," the what-if scenario John Layman introduced in the anniversary issue that proposed a happy Gotham and an appropriately coordinated Batman family, free from the grim nature more common to both. Layman was third tier in the Batman titles after Scott Snyder (in Batman) and Peter Tomasi (in Batman and Robin), so getting the chance to have an extended crossover event of any size was a considerable acknowledgement for what he'd been doing.
To my dismay, no one really seemed to pay attention to the arc, and because Detective proved frustratingly difficult to find in a store before the Manapul/Buccellato run that succeeded Layman's, catching up on "Gothtopia" outside of the eventual collection (and not digitally) seemed like a lost cause.
Obviously I've managed to correct that, somewhat, at last.
The arc occurred in the pages of the 27th and 28th issues of Detective, Batwing, Birds of Prey, and Catwoman, as well as Batgirl #27 and Detective #29, the issue I found. Before even the first act of "Gothtopia" was over, the cat was out of the bag (not Catbird or even Catwoman, just the metaphorical one) that the whole thing was the result of Scarecrow's fear gas in a new manifestation, lulling the city into a false sense of security. Which was fine. I'm assuming the intermediary issues still had some fun with the illusion the gas conjured.
By Detective #29, the illusion was over and it was time for Batman to put Scarecrow away again. Layman, who is best known for his curious culinary experience known as Chew, proved to be a deft handler of Batman's rogues, and his Scarecrow was no different.
I wouldn't mind reading the whole thing. If it weren't for Snyder and Tomasi, I think a lot more attention would have been given to "Gothtopia." One of its signature elements was a New 52 acknowledgement of a classic Batman subplot, the on-again/off-again quasi-romance between Batman and Catwoman, which will surely help it stand out for future Bat-archivists.
Action Comics #25 (DC)
The only Greg Pak Superman I'd read prior to this was the debut issue of Secret Origins. What made me pick this one up wasn't Pak but rather it's tie-in with "Zero Year," one of Snyder's Batman crossover arcs, which expanded into a number of non-Batman comics, making a limited glimpse into the New 52's past as a whole.
Overall I wasn't hugely impressed with the issue, but in some ways I was, too. I chose this particular image to represent it because I like how Pak depicts the young Superman. It's rare to see Clark gleeful about his powers. The only other young Superman the New 52 had to this point was Grant Morrison's opening run in the series, which clearly was intended to set the pace. Pak chooses a time prior to Morrison's take, when Superman is still learning his limits, but already in the t-shirt look that Rags Morales helped make instantly iconic (the Geoff Johns Superboy had this look previously, but it has been, uh, superseded).
Perhaps more notable for me was the back-up feature, also written by Pak. The artist for all but the final page (which, along with the main story is from Aaron Kuder) happens to be Scott McDaniel. He's long been a personal favorite, so it's always nice to catch more recent art, especially since he seems to have been relegated to supporting work after the failure of his Static Shock at the start of the New 52 (I still owe the guys at Collected Editions the answer to their challenge of reading the run and coming to a more positive impression than they did; you can read a version of how the series imploded behind the scenes here, although for the record, the difference may still turn out to be their awareness of what happened between the creators, which is far too often the case, above and beyond the material itself).
This wouldn't be the first time McDaniel has worked on Superman (he handled the Man of Steel and also Batman in the early part of the new millennium following his best-known work, on Nightwing), so this is actually a welcome return on multiple levels.
Yeah, I always love his work. (That's another reason I think Static Shock, on an art level alone, must be worth more than the poor reputation it gained.) Hopefully, if he's in a doghouse or not, McDaniel can get back to some level of prominence.
Swamp Thing: Futures End #1 (DC)
The more I read of Charles Soule's Swamp Thing, the more I wish I'd been reading it all along. The Futures End issue is another prime example of how excellent it truly is.
As far as I can tell, Soule has followed in the footsteps of Geoff Johns from the pages of Green Lantern (and to a lesser and/or unknown extent, Jeff Lemire's Green Arrow) and Aquaman, building a whole mythology out of existing material. I know Scott Snyder began the series at the start of the New 52, and that the idea of the Parliament of Trees and the Green were introduced by Alan Moore in his seminal Saga of the Swamp Thing run, but a significant amount of what Soule has been doing (and will soon conclude before that oft-lamented Marvel-exclusive contract officially kicks in) seems to be derived from his own imagination.
As with other Futures End month issues I have previously discussed (headlined by Grayson and Soule's own Red Lanterns), Swamp Thing took the opportunity to look five years into the future as a chance to piggy-pack a conclusion to a creative run that will obviously not be in-place five years hence. So I'm glad to have had another chance to catch this one. Although I have a feeling I will be reading the complete Soule Swamp Thing at some point.
The included artwork also brings up Soule's inclusion of the white ring (from Green Lantern lore, currently in the possession of Kyle Rayner as depicted in New Guardians) originally featured in Blackest Night and its sequel, Brightest Day, the pre-New 52 series that saw Swamp Thing (as well as others) make his in-continuity return. I like it when a creator has an expansive look at what's been done before them. Obviously, few will be quite as obsessive about it as Grant Morrison (his Batman is as close to a doctorate on the subject as anyone outside of Kurt Busiek is likely to get in comics), but seeing Soule accept the challenge will always be an excellent reason to admire his work.
(And meanwhile, I will at some point find out exactly how much his Swamp Thing owes to past creators. It doesn't really matter, though, does it?)
Some fans get tired of seeing secret origins regurgitated repeatedly. Me, I love the stuff. I love it as a creative exercise, to see how it'll be approached. Even if the elements don't change (which is seldom the case), the best writers will make their presence known.
So, four years in, DC has revived the Secret Origins series in order to catch fans up on the backstories that've emerged behind familiar faces in the New 52. Two Septembers ago, sure, a certain amount of that was already done in the zero issues, and many of the initial launches in 2011 incorporated the idea from the start. Still, as far as I'm concerned, this is a good idea, and I think this first issue proves why.
The first of three stories in the issue features DC's first and arguably still most iconic superhero, Superman. It's written by Greg Pak, who's recently joined the Man of Steel's writing stable, taking over Action Comics. Previously, Pak was a Marvel guy (best known for his Hulk and Incredible Hercules, the latter of which he wrote entertainingly with Fred Van Lente for years), which certainly makes the whole proposition all the more intriguing. If this effort is any indication, Superman is in very good hands.
Intriguingly, Pak approaches Superman's Kryptonian and human origins from the perspectives of his two mothers. This is incredibly rare. You're no doubt as familiar as I am with the idea of presenting Jor-El and Jonathan Kent ahead of Lara and Martha Kent, the heavier emphasis on the fathers over the years. In the movies, Lara had her biggest moment in Superman II when she replaced Marlon Brando's Jor-El in discussions at the Fortress of Solitude (that is, until the Richard Donner cut from 2006 brought Brando back). Pa Kent had periodically been depicted as dying relatively early in Clark Kent's life, but he's often credited with instilling Superman with the values that would define his heroic career. There's a lot I'm glossing over, but you get the point.
So that's perhaps reason enough to read that one. And Pak nails the idea, with both mothers.
Next comes Dick Grayson's story via Kyle Higgins. Higgins, of course, defined Dick for the New 52 set with his multi-year run on Nightwing. In a way, this is the effort I was waiting for all along, what he danced around for much of the first year of that series. Since Dick Grayson is a character uniquely defined by his past, not burdened by it but certainly informed by it, a concept Higgins nails in the piece, it's always profitable to look backward with him, which writers like Higgins and Marv Wolfman had tended to do over the years.
It helps to have Doug Mahnke doing the art for this segment. Mahnke is awesome. For a hiccup, after seeing his work in this issue, I feared that DC had finally let him slip through the cracks. That's not really the case, though. He's an excellent utility player when he needs to be (although it certainly looked like he was doing exactly that role at the end of Final Crisis, there was also the tie-in with his having already drawn the Superman two-issue mini-series for that event). And he always delivers.
Supergirl rounds out the issue via Tony Bedard, and this segment reads like one of those young adult book series that've been turning into profitable film franchises like The Hunger Games and Divergent. I have no idea if that's how Supergirl entered the New 52, but this is canny all the same, and deserves to be identified as such. Sometimes jumping on a bandwagon is a good thing. It's recognizing a good thing. And as far as I can tell, this new interpretation of Supergirl has been a good thing. In the past I've absolutely loved Bedard's work, but recently I've lost track of him. So it's good to see that he's definitely still got it.
It's an interesting mix for the first issue. Superman was certainly obvious. Including someone from the Batman family I suppose was equally obvious. And as I've suggested, it's probably a good thing to put Supergirl out in front of something like this, too, so she'll have a better chance of getting noticed. Higgins may have departed Dick Grayson's adventures, but the character has recently been repositioned, so in hindsight this was like a part of that relaunch, too.
