Supreme: Blue Rose #6 (Image)

via Image

writer: Warren Ellis

artist: Tula Lotay

This genius revision of Alan Moore's version of Rob Liefeld's Supreme will go down as a classic.  I'll keep saying that so that there's at least one voice saying it on the ground floor.  History in the making.

The problem, if there is one, is that perhaps it's history that will perhaps best be understood in the future.  That is to say, when the thing is collected and you can read it all at once.

The problem is that an issue like this one perhaps doesn't read like history because it doesn't itself ring like anything special.  But it's a necessary link in the chain.

And it's the penultimate issue.  Characters are figuring out where they've been headed.  Darius Dax plays his hand.  We're one issue away from finding out what exactly happened to Ethan Crane, the erstwhile Supreme.

Warren Ellis and Tula Lotay are brilliant even in isolation from what makes the project in itself brilliant.  

That's about all there's to say this time.

Quarter Bin 65 "Binge-worthy X: Some Things Old, Some New"

Blackhawk #16 (DC)
From 1990.

I picked this one up because of the Rick Burchett art.  Burchett was one of the artists who was later converted into Batman Adventures work, along with the late Mike Parobeck.  I wanted to see how much he had to modify his work to conform to the Bruce Timm model.  Turns out a bit more than Parobeck, whom I'd encountered in the pages of a Justice Society revival previous to the comics based on the Timm/Paul Dini cartoon.  But the real revelation is that Burchett's work was surprisingly sexy, and the bigger revelation that Blackhawk was a pretty darn excellent comic book.  This was its final issue, by the way, so it was another of those excellent comics that still somehow failed to find an audience.  It's the bane of fans everywhere.  But at least I've had the chance to discover this one, a quarter century after the fact.  The last time I did that, I fell in love with Loeb and Sale's Challengers of the Unknown, from around the same period, so it was good news/bad news for attempts to revive older DC properties at the time, right?  Blackhawk told the story of secret agents who were also pilots.  The last time a revival was attempt was Mike Costa's New 52 series Blackhawks, which also was an underrated series, though this time my late discovery of it was far less forgiveable, as I'm a big fan of Costa's (he's coming back to G.I. Joe/Cobra next week, by the way, in the pages of G.I. Joe - Snake Eyes: Agent of Cobra) who nonetheless made a poor effort to try out his first mainstream superhero effort.  My bad.

via Idol-Head

Brightest Day #3 (DC)

From 2010.

The image on the left is Patrick Gleason's Martian Manhunter.  Brightest Day was the biggest victim of my near-2011 implosion as a reader (this is the same time period in which I started this blog, so the whole journey has been documented for all its dubious relevance).  I loved it when it debuted, but have never had the opportunity to read the complete story, which along with Flashpoint helped usher the age of the New 52.  It was a bi-weekly series, but it's easily the best weeklyesque comic DC has managed since 52, and it was spearheaded, naturally, by Geoff Johns, working alongside Peter Tomasi, in the closest to an apprenticeship for the Tomasi who now writes the brilliant Batman and Robin as you're likely to find.  Tomasi's chief collaborator, Gleason, is present and accounted for, naturally, and of course his portions of Brightest Day revolve around Martian Manhunter.  This was a fact I'd forgotten until I picked up this issue.  This was a time in which J'onn J'onzz was getting some of his best material.  The Brightest material is in some ways a sequel to the 2006-2007 mini-series that was at the forefront of this era.  The Deadman and Aquaman material are also highlights of the issue that remind me of other things worth remembering about the series.

Justice League America #89-90 (DC)

From 1994.

Parts 1 and 4 of the "Judgment Day" Justice League crossover event that tried to ramp up the significance of the League books at the time (a little over two years later, Grant Morrison's JLA rebooted the whole field), this was a big dramatic end-of-the-world-type story.  The creative team is Dan Vado and Marc Campos, who soon after launched Extreme Justice, a series I followed throughout its run even though Vado and Campos left soon after it launched, apparently because of conflicts with the editor (so you see, New 52 creators, this was nothing new), Vado back to Slave Labor Graphics.  The Vado/Campos team was heavily influenced into following the Image style of the day.  The villain for "Judgment Day" was a kind of cross between Galactus and Darkseid, Overmaster, whom Vado chose in much the same fashion as Grant Morrison later would Libra for the purposes of Final Crisis, an afterthought of a character that could use a slight revision.  There were three additional chapters to the event, which may be best known, if at all, for the death of Ice.  I used to think it would make a nice trade collection.  Booster Gold's post-"Doomsday" woes, in which his original costume and therefore source of powers had been destroyed, also saw progress during the event, from a ridiculously bulky set of armor to a more streamlined look, which eventually led back to the form-fitting version for which he was known.  It was the start of Booster's transformation from a Bwa-ha-ha image to someone who could be taken seriously again, returning the focus back to his sometimes-anomalous background as coming from, ah, the future, who couldn't be relied upon to provide foreknowledge of major crises such as this and, yes, the whole Doomsday thing, which Blue Beetle rightly points out here as having been, in hindsight, a pretty dick move, since Beetle was among the ones severely injured during it, besides the cost to Booster himself.  All of which is to say, no matter how awkward this particular era might seem, it was a necessary evolution or at least transition.  Extreme Justice later addressed the Armageddon 2001 dangling issue of Captain Atom's involvement with the figure of Monarch, saw the return of Firestorm, and to Vado's chagrin the in-continuity debut of the Wonder Twins, one of the issues that drove him away from mainstream comics.

Action Comics #806 and 809 (DC)

From 2003.

Joe Kelly was part of the Man of Action alliance (also including Joe Casey, Duncan Rouleau, and Steven T. Seagle) that was a different kind of evolution, doing the Image founders one better by going into business for themselves outside of the comics medium, helping to create, among other projects, Ben 10 (Rouleau and Seagle also created Big Hero 6, which became a smash hit film in 2014).  This was a sort of lost generation for DC, most of whom had been tapped to join Jeph Loeb as the new millennium Superman creative team.  The first of these two issues features Traci 13 and Natasha Irons, who by the end of the issue has discovered a new set of armor forged for her by her uncle, Steel, who had recently undergone one of several crises (including a temporary death coming out of Our Worlds at War).  Superman is basically a guest star in the issue.  The second issue features Lois and Clark on a cruise, forced to contend with the irrepressible Jack Ryder, whose dual existence as the Creeper doesn't explain his human behavior.  It's a character who is always interesting but apparently can't carry his own series.

Supreme #64
From 2012.

As you may be aware, I've become heavily invested in Warren Ellis's Supreme: Blue Rose.  The previous attempt at a Supreme revival started with this issue from Erik Larsen, best known for his ongoing Savage Dragon.  Larsen used as his launching pad a lost script from Alan Moore, who had used Rob Liefeld's creation as a platform for writing Silver Age Superman adventures in the '90s.  That script was used for Supreme #63.  Larsen threw Supreme into a whole clash of multiple versions of himself and brought back the idea Liefeld originally envisioned, basically a violent version of Superman.  (Anyone find it ironic that Moore didn't want to use that version, from a creator who helped build his legacy on Miracleman?)  The result is typical Larsen, whose only competition at one point for the kinds of stories he likes telling was, of all comics, Garth Ennis's Preacher.  Larsen's profile has dropped considerably since he launched Savage Dragon, but he remains one of the more interesting subjects for critical analysis.  And unlike every other Image founder, he's remained true to the cause.

Tangent: Superman's Reign #1 (DC)
From 2008.

Speaking of causes, Tangent was Dan Jurgens' big to recreate DC's Silver Age revolution, when new versions of The Flash and Green Lantern helped revitalize its landscape.  Using familiar names but totally revamping the mythology, it jumpstarted the idea of legacy that became so important to the company.  Jurgens didn't have any pretensions of such a large-scale effect, but he created a fascinating concept all the same, one he was able to revisit after its debut in the '90s thanks to Dwayne McDuffie's Justice League of America, which also served as a platform to temporarily mainline the Milestone heroes.  It's amusing how subtle Jurgens can be as a storyteller when someone else is providing the art.  This is something I've remarked on before, but it bears repeating.  He scales back on excited speech patterns that remain the most unfortunate aspect of older comics in general, and allows himself the liberty to let loose creatively, something that was a highlight of his Superman at the start (he's also, remember, the creator of Booster Gold, the antithesis of the Man of Steel).  Superman, meanwhile, is the villain of the Tangent universe.  It's a concept that remains interesting.  If DC ever did decide to undergo another radical overhaul, it could do worse than look here for inspiration.

Reading Comics 144 "Supreme: Blue Rose"

via Image Comics

Rob Liefeld isn't dead, but he's began to have a wonderful creative afterlife.

A few years back, a couple of his characters were revised away from their strictly superheroic origins in the most recent Glory and Prophet comics, with Prophet in particular making a cult-sized impact.  Starting this year, it was Supreme's turn.  Liefeld originally conceived of Supreme as a more violent Superman.  Not long afterward, Alan Moore came along for the first revision of the character, crafting him into a full-blown homage to the Silver Age Superman, which later inspired Moore's own Tom Strong.  Image even brought this version back recently.

But now comes Warren Ellis.  Ellis is the slightly more grounded version of Grant Morrison, the one the mainstream couldn't hope to tame, as it has Jonathan Hickman.  From the moment I heard of Supreme: Blue Rose, I knew I had to have a look.  The longer it took for the opportunity to present itself, the more I wondered if the diminishing but intrigued response I heard, very tepidly, from my sources might be telling me that perhaps it wasn't all that remarkable after all.

But then I read an issue for myself.  And then was able to read the rest of the issues released to date.  It's amazing.

And actually, it's not hugely different from a personal favorite comic of mine, IDW's Cobra, which Christos Gage and Mike Costa envisioned as a first look at G.I. Joe's enemy just as if the reader had never seen it before, a true psychological exploration that exploded the concept onto a whole new level.

That's what Ellis is doing with Supreme.  Oh, and Supreme himself is barely even present in this story.  He's identified by his secret identity, Ethan Crane, but he's basically become the maguffin of his own story.

Instead, the focus has shifted to Diana Dane, the Lois Lane equivalent Moore introduced.  In fact, all the characters I can identify other than Supreme himself were created by Moore.  Darius Dax, Moore's Lex Luthor, has become very much a Lex Luthor figure.  Doc Rocket, a member of Moore's Youngblood, is present and better than ever.

It's hard to say much more about what's happened over the course of the first five issues except to say that Dane's investigation into the mystery of Ethan Crane's existence has continued.  The other thing Ellis shares with Moore is a fascination with the acknowledgment that there has been more than one incarnation of Supreme.  But this is not metafiction.  There isn't even much of a connection to Morrison's tendencies.  This is simply a creator embracing an opportunity to be creative, in ways most writers never even imagine possible.

It is unarguably one of the best comics of the year.  Astonishingly good, and the art of Tula Lotay helps in exactly the same way Fiona Staples does for Saga.  More people need to talk about Blue Rose.  More people need to be reading.  Because this is comic book history in the making.

Batman without Grant Morrison, Part 2

Last year I wrote about Batman comics from the perspective of someone who could just barely at that time accept that there were other writers in 2011 capable of writing a compelling story and not be named Grant Morrison.

Yes, I’m part of the Grant Morrison orthodoxy.  At that point, he’d just launched BATMAN, INCORPORATED, the last stage of an epic saga that had already delivered “Batman R.I.P.” and the launch of BATMAN AND ROBIN.  In 2012, BATMAN, INC. is slated to finally begin its endgame, returning as part of the second wave of the New 52.  Other writers have been able to dominate the bat-sandbox in the meantime.  You may have heard of Scott Snyder, for instance.  Before we reach him, let’s just go over the two books I’m not actively reading.  DETECTIVE COMICS currently features Tony Daniel continuing his fairly traditional version, while BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT is the comic any fan who isn’t already invested in the character can enjoy if they’d like.  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Daniel’s work in the past, but in an effort to streamline my comics purchases, I haven’t really attempted to keep up with his stories since last fall.

BATMAN #6 (DC)

Scott Snyder: right, then.  This issue probably does a fine job of summing up exactly the approach he’s taken with the franchise.  Where someone like Morrison takes in an expansive look at what others have done and what can be done on top of that, Snyder has built something of his own.  The issue actually reads a lot like Frank Miller’s Batman, with art from Greg Capullo that could easily be mistaken for pages from THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS (probably intentional).  It’s a little disappointing that the story in the issue falls into the same basic territory Morrison touched on in “R.I.P.” and can also be found in “Knightfall,” or otherwise an enemy that seems to not only have outsmarted Batman, but outmuscled him as well.  Yet Batman outlasts his foe Talon, embodiment of the Court of Owls, a layer of intrigue Snyder has added to the Gotham City tapestry (building on what he and Kyle Higgins established in GATES OF GOTHAM) that may or may not become a permanent addition to the landscape (depends on what’s left to play with once the big crossover’s done).  Let’s get another thing out of the way: the cover of this issue is a classic, and was something I needed to have in my collection.  But yeah, Snyder is at the head of a major crossover arc while Morrison’s feet are still in the sandbox.  It’s not sacrilegious, but it’s definitely interesting.  Will fans ultimately remember this Court of Owls business with as much enthusiasm as what Morrison is on the verge of completing?  Well, that’s what I’m talking about, Batman without Grant Morrison.  It actually has happened before, and it’ll happen again, and it’s actually happening right now. 

BATMAN AND ROBIN #s 6-8 (DC)

I was as big a fan of Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason in the pages of GREEN LANTERN CORPS as anyone, and so was pleased as punch when they were tapped as the regular successors of Morrison in the pages of the book he launched to further the adventures of the new Robin, Damian Wayne, and whichever Batman happens to be under the cowl.  But I didn’t really expect much from it.  I mean, it’s Damian.  Who writes Damian better than Grant Morrison?  I think I can now confidently say, Peter J. Tomasi.  I happened to stumble across this blockbuster story in total by complete accident.  I had no idea it happened until I looked at one issue, then another, until I had all three.  Basically the son of Henri Ducard tries to seduce Damian to the dark side, years after failing to impressive the formative Bruce Wayne.  Ducard, as BATMAN BEGINS reminded fans, was one of Batman’s main influences as he developed the skills necessary to wage his war on crime.  (Strangely, very few comics have used Ducard since the 2005 film that elevated his profile.)  Damian is no dummy, but he becomes more manipulated than he expected, leading to a shocking event the last of these issues dedicates itself to resolving, a major development in the life of the two heroes in the title of the series.  You don’t expect something like this, because most writers skirt character development as much as possible, and yet that’s what this whole story is about.  It solidifies Tomasi as arguably more important to the ongoing legacy of Batman than Snyder in the foreground of Snyder’s big moment, and makes BATMAN AND ROBIN a must-read.  At the very least, you must read these issues.  They’ll tell you everything you need to know.

I’ve got some other comics to talk about, too:

ACTION COMICS #s 7-8 (DC)

The problem with Superman is that most writers think of him more as an ideal than a functioning character, even when they’re working with all of his most traditional elements.  Do you really think Grant Morrison would make the same mistake?  Concluding his opening arc on this New 52 reboot, Morrison forces the Brainiac connection to its best possible results, forcing Superman to face his human and Kryptonian heritages in ways only Grant Morrison is capable of doing.  The conclusion is perhaps more fascinating than the rest of the storytelling, leading Superman in a typical Morrison direction, exploding all conventional wisdom, leaving him muttering in Kryptonian, and the reader wondering just where else Morrison intends to go. 

AQUAMAN #7 (DC)

Geoff Johns finally gets around to exploding mythology with Aquaman, meanwhile, introducing, brilliantly, a whole different league of allies that will hopefully allow readers and writers to finally acknowledge that Aquaman is not just some schmuck who talks to fish and serves as a de facto member of the Justice League.  If you’ve been waiting for an excuse to check this one out, this is it.

DEMON KNIGHTS #8 (DC)

Paul Cornell, meanwhile, is doing that kind of work in this overlooked series.  In this issue, Jason Blood and Etrigan are thrust into the spotlight, their weird and complicated relationship explored, all in the greater context of this brilliant comic.

GREEN LANTERN #8 (DC)

Hal Jordan is not one to accept limitations, and Geoff Johns has been exploring more of Hal in the pages of the New 52 relaunch than he managed in most of the past six years, where the most famous Green Lantern got swept from one momentous development in the greater mythology after another.  There are still big things happening, but Hal seems more ready to try and be himself again than at any point since his REBIRTH.  Too bad things like the Indigo Tribe finally playing its hand keep getting in his way.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #7 (DC)

Geoff Johns has secretly reshaped the Justice League into a team that supports the story of Wonder Woman, and this issue he gets to get back to that, spending considerable time with her forgotten lead association, Steve Trevor, who serves as official liaison for the team with government officials who are just as awestruck as the general public.  Only Steve sees things clearly, and now there’s someone who looks to exploit his budding cynicism…

NIGHTWING #7 (DC)

One of the perks of writing GATES OF GOTHAM with Scott Snyder is that Kyle Higgins gets to put Dick Grayson close to the front of the Court of Owls saga, as this conclusion to the first arc of the New 52 NIGHTWING relaunch helps make clear.  Finally discovering the awful truths behind the assassin Saiko and all the complications he discovered in returning to Haly’s Circus, Dick learns that he was supposed to be recruited as one of many Talons who are now being activated to challenge Batman’s control of Gotham’s future.  And to think I originally feared that Dick would lose all the respect he’d gained in his several years as Batman…

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #6 (DC)

I’ll be the first to admit that there’s no real way to hide the fact that I haven’t supported this series as much as I’d like to, despite vigorously opposing the ridiculous backlash that built up against it almost instantly.  I love that Jason Todd has his own book, and that it’s being done intelligently.  This is probably the most important issue to date, with Scott Lobdell exploring how Jason met Starfire, the center of all that controversy given that she apparently still dresses in the comics the way she didn’t in the cartoon.  Starfire’s prior relationship with Dick Grayson becomes just one of the fascinating focal points of the issue, how Jason reacts against it and then accepts her as an ally, and how this is probably the first time anyone has addressed the fact that Koriand’r is an alien who has basically been marooned on Earth.  That’s why you should ignore what you’ve heard and read this series.

SUPREME #63 (Image)

Alan Moore’s final script is much the same as his other heavily-inflected Supreme stories, but it at least provides a really convenient segue to what comes next in this latest Extreme relaunch.  Worth a look.