Covered this edition: Dark Knight III #5, Blood Feud #1, Steve Rogers: Captain America #2, The Rocketeer at War #4, We Are Robin #12, X-O Manowar Annual #1, and Heavy Metal #280.
Now, the whole point of this edition is that it comes from last week, which was a skip week for DC Rebirth, which meant there were no Rebirth titles published. I shouldn't even have gone to the comic shop, right? Well, I did go, and ended up finding stuff anyway...
Dark Knight III: The Master Race #5 (DC)
Admittedly, I haven't made a great effort reading the complete story, but it's always been worth checking in. It's interesting, this issue, as Batman has been cast as a target the Kryptonians who are running amok (they escaped from the Bottle City of Kandor) trying to be gods consider him an element that needs to be eliminated in order to complete their conquest. Batman, whether in Miller or Azzarello's voice, describes fear as his greatest ally. "Fear is why I don't kill. There is so much that I'm afraid of -- that we all are -- While you? Just look at you, all -- Fearless. You Don't stand a chance." That reads like classic Dark Knight. The depiction of other characters is excellent, too. The Flash observes about Superman, "I know you were raised as a human, but every time you say, 'Oh my god,' I want to hand you a mirror." In that particular sequence, Barry, whose feet have been crushed earlier, has been immobilized, but now he's using his speed to keep up with the Information Superhighway (remember that term?). Who has ever thought of the Flash that way? We see Aquaman riding majestically on a giant sea creature (I know there are plenty of people who will never lose the impression of him as a joke, but images like this are made to show us he's anything but). But the greatest line of the issue belongs, again, to Batman: "I've never wielded an angry mob as a weapon before." The issues ends as Batman realizes he really can't engage in the fight physically. But it's okay, because Superman is fighting at his side again. This really does feel like a necessary closing chapter in the Dark Knight saga.
Blood Feud #1 (Oni)
I got this one (the issue was actually released last October) because artist Drew Moss frequents the comic shop I've been going to, and I actually saw him drawing pages for this series (his editor was calling him to complain about how long it was taking). I figured I owed Drew at least one issue. (He just recently scored a new assignment: Jay Faerber's Copperhead, which I've sampled as part of my comiXology adventures, and I can vouch for as a result.) The writer of Blood Feud is Cullen Bunn. Having read this, I think I can finally contextualize Bunn for myself: he's another Scott Snyder. Snyder first rose to prominence with American Vampire, which Blood Feud resembles in several ways, such as tone, and the presence of, well, vampires. I've never read Bunn's Sixth Gun, the series he made his name on, but his mainstream work has always struck me as unwieldy, as if it were an ill-fit. And maybe that's exactly what it is for him. Not everyone is meant to write superheroes.
Steve Rogers: Captain America #2 (Marvel)
The all-important follow-up to Steve Rogers, Agent of Hydra unexpectedly spells out exactly what's going on, and I can see where people who had no idea what was going on before last issue might not have seen this coming, because even I didn't, because it just seems too simple: it's that Cosmic Cube running around as a little girl, and Red Skull (of course Red Skull). The issue reads better than the last one, possibly because it's so heavily centered on exposition (I'm not a reader bothered by that sort of thing) and as such the more cartoony elements of characterization are kept to a minimum (although, somewhat unfortunately, the Cosmic Cube girl suffers from it). It's just unfortunate that this big idea was conceived, as can so easily be resolved, because the bad buy's plans always fall apart, which makes it all the more perverse to have Red Skull declaring that this time he's finally prevailed. Yeah, right. I'm not convinced that Nick Spencer is a much better writer than Ed Brubaker (I eventually soured on that run, although conversely acknowledge that it's probably Captain America's best-ever), but at least he gets right to the point. Brubaker had a whole arc before he got around to explaining the Winter Soldier. Points for speed, Spencer.
The Rocketeer at War #4 (IDW)
As an Atomic Robo fan, reading this sort of thing is kind of old hat at this point, but the Rocketeer is one of those superheroes that stands out from the pack of everyone outside the Big Two. He even had his own movie in the '90s! Although he's a thoroughly retro character, set in the era of WWII, Rocketeer actually dates only to 1982. His helmet evokes Robo, but it also looks like Iron Man. This is the character you've been looking for if Iron Man's actual comics have left you disappointed after all those movie appearances, because until recently Marvel never thought to duplicate that. Marc Guggenheim, a screenwriter who dabbles in comics, and whom I discovered in this medium from his Resurrection, published at Oni, is the writer for this story, which centers as much on heroics as Rocketeer's effects on the ladies. There's also a prose story, and in IDW's listings for other recent published works, Mark Russell's Apocrypha Now, a follow-up to his God is Disappointed in You. I became a big fan of Russell from his Prez over at DC. I will read this stuff eventually.
We Are Robin #12 (DC)
Catching up with this final issue, the group disbands after one last adventure involving a rogue member who's been convinced to participate in burglarizing Bruce Wayne, who's seen a faceless enemy of the people. Alfred comes to the rescue, and Duke Thomas ends his days as a quasi Boy Wonder. Some interesting observations to close out the series.
X-O Manowar Annual #1 (Valiant)
Speaking of finally figuring out Cullen Bunn, I think I finally figured out why Robert Venditti was tapped to replace Geoff Johns as the writer of Green Lantern in the New 52, because what Johns did for that franchise, Venditti did for X-O Manowar, and Valiant in general, establishing a bold new vision on which to hang further adventures across a variety of concepts. It's just, I don't think Venditti was at all prepared to do it all over again. Hey, not everyone is, especially when he's never left X-O, where he contends with alien armor being sported by a Visigoth who ended up as a superhero on Earth but is seen as a villain by the aliens he got it from. The full scope of the concept is on display in this annual. I'm glad I finally had a real look at Venditti's work. As much as I've gotten into Valiant in the last few years, I never did get around to X-O, because I was disappointed with what I saw in X-O's early issues, and underwhelmed by Venditti's later Green Lantern work. That's why it's always worth giving something additional chances.
Heavy Metal #280
Kind of the American version of 2000AD, this is a longstanding mature readers comics anthology magazine. The reason I finally read an issue is because the new editor is Grant Morrison, who is also a contributor. His story "Beachhead" is an ironic commentary on the relentlessness of military campaigns (aliens come to Earth when life is still at the bacterial phase, and the commander isn't satisfied with that as a reason to rethink his strategy). The rest of the material is certainly interesting, in a variety of ways. The one that strikes my fancy the most is the first installment of Mozchops' "Salsa Invertebraxa," which features some sweet poetry. Besides that, there's Morrison's introduction, in which I have to face, all over again, the full brunt of his personality, which is always more complicated than I sometimes give him credit for. The idealized version of Morrison, like how anyone imagines their idols, is someone much like themselves. But Grant Morrison really is pretty wild, although he's not as gonzo as he can sometimes seem, if that makes any sense. He's someone who's earned the confidence to voice his thoughts exactly as he thinks them, is all, and maybe isn't afraid to cater to the audience he's currently addressing, such as Heavy Metal readers...This feels like an ideal format for someone like Morrison, who's interested in the full possibilities of his chosen creative medium, with few restrictions when the story calls for it. Not every story here is for mature readers, but none of it is particularly mainstream, without going the full underground that you might otherwise expect from material of that nature. At any rate, I found myself capable of reading pretty much the whole thing without too much skimming, which is more than I can say for a lot of anthologies.
Showing posts with label We Are Robin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label We Are Robin. Show all posts
Friday, July 8, 2016
Monday, October 5, 2015
Countdown to QB50 2015: September
18 DAYS #3 (Graphic India)
In which I realize Grant Morrison will not actually be writing the series. But turns out not to drastically affect its quality.
ATOMIC ROBO AND THE RING OF FIRE #1 (IDW)
New home, same great storytelling. Very glad to see Clevinger and Wegener back in print.
BATMAN #44 (DC)
Snyder and Azzarello make for a potent combination. Out of current continuity, this flashback tale made the news thanks to its commentary on the spate of police shootings making news.
ROBIN: SON OF BATMAN #4 (DC)
If Deathstroke (with all due apologies to Tony Daniel, etc.) were as awesome in his own comic as here is here, I'd read that, too. Reminds me how awesome it was to see him in The Shade, too.
BLOODSHOT REBORN #6 (Valiant)
In which Bloodshot realizes there's a bad guy who's also attempting to absorb all the stray nanites...
CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE #1, 2 (Marvel)
Seven years in the making, Loeb and Sale finally return to this latest collaboration. I'm ecstatic to see this happening. Curiously, the first issue reprints the long-ago zero issue, but after the contents of the new material.
CIVIL WAR #4 (Marvel)
Black Panther turns out to be a Skrull. And suddenly the follow-up to the original Civil War, Secret Invasion, seems less random. Yet another thing this reprise gets more right than the original. Thanks, Soule. Again.
DAREDEVIL #18 (Marvel)
I assumed all along that Waid was headed to a quasi-rehash of the classic Daredevil narative, and in this finale that's exactly what he does. The comic itself is not so bad, but then Waid writes in his going-away thoughts how this run has been his most creatively-rewarding to date. How he forgotten writing Wally West? Even if the style was more deliberate, I'd hold the best of that run to anything Waid has written in a regular superhero comic since...
DIRK GENTLEY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY #4 (IDW)
I've settled in to really enjoying the random pleasures of this experience. Viva Douglas Adams! Who makes a cameo this issue!
DOCTOR WHO: FOUR DOCTORS #4, 5 (Titan)
Cornell concludes the crossover epic. Eventually gets around to explaining why the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) wasn't included.
DOOMED #4 (DC)
The only objection I have to this series, as it turns out, is the poor choice in style for the lead's narrative captions. Otherwise, more solid material from Lobdell.
E FOR EXTINCTION #4 (Marvel)
The conclusion to this Secret Wars tie-in seems to be a comics version of X-Men: The Last Stand's final encounter between Wolverine and Jean Grey. Nice save, Burnham.
EARTH 2: SOCIETY #4 (DC)
I love, love, love how this series has completely embraced the full potential of being its own continuity.
FIGHT CLUB 2 #5 (Dark Horse)
Finally had a look at this. That's about all I've got to say about that.
THE FUSE #14 (Image)
I'm settling in as a regular reader.
GRAYSON #11, 12, Annual #2 (DC)
Yeah, I've finally decided to read this series more regularly. It's just too darn good to continue overlooking.
GREEN LANTERN Annual #4 (DC)
Venditti promised, or someone promised, answers. But there are frustratingly few. Darn you, Venditti!
IMPERIUM #8 (Valiant)
Divinity, the guy from Divinity (no, seriously!) pops up in something other than Divinity. Although this is kind of more or less a rephrasing of Divinity except in an Imperium context...
JUSTICE LEAGUE #44 (DC)
Don't tell anyone else that Darkseid dies in this installment of "Darkseid War"!
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 #3, 4 (DC)
Don't tell anyone that I snuck back into this series because I realized all over again, this is supposed to be Legion of Super-Heroes territory. But Giffen/DeMatteis have managed to create yet another platform for their genius instead...
MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER #12 (Dynamite)
I caught up with this release from earlier in the year because it concludes a story I finally got around to seeing in its inception from a first issue I read in my comiXology account (don't tell anyone I'm still working away at that!). I don't think the muted impact (the first issue was better) is because I skipped, oh, ten issues. But it's still fun seeing Van Lente in something I actually wanted to read again.
MARTIAN MANHUNTER #4 (DC)
Through no real fault on my own, I missed the previous issue. But I still love this series.
MIRACLEMAN #1 (Marvel)
This new first issue marks the start of the reprints as they reach the Gaiman material, having concludedAlan Moore's The Original Writer's. Turns out to be very similar to Sandman, somehow...
MS. MARVEL #18 (Marvel)
Kamala's mother knew!
NAMELESS #5 (Image)
Morrison's weird comic (his latest weird comic) finally saw another issue published. Burnham shows restraint (for a change). Reads a lot like the first issue. Made me interested again.
THE NEW DEAL (Dark Horse)
See thoughts elsewhere.
PREZ #4 (DC)
The comics shop had a giant mix-up in its shipments that week. So I panicked and got a digital edition. I've had some fun digitally lately, but I'm not gonna tell you anything else. Then the shop got the print edition. And this becomes the latest comic where I have both, and don't mind. Just two issues left, alas.
SANDMAN: OVERTURE #6 (Vertigo)
All along I've been reading how this whole story leads back to Sandman #1. And that's exactly what happens. This was probably my favorite issue of the series. Sad to see it go. Very, very gorgeous work, Williams (III).
STAR TREK/GREEN LANTERN #3 (DC)
Larfleeze on the cover...!
STAR WARS #9 (Marvel)
I thought they promised answers from Sana Solo this issue?
STAR WARS: SHATTERED EMPIRE #1 (Marvel)
Takes place concurrently with the Battle of Endor (at least during this issue). Features Poe Dameron's parents. No idea who Poe Dameron is? Perhaps this prequel to The Force Awakens just isn't meant for you, son...
The, ah, misshipment issue prevented me from reading a new Star Wars: Lando...
STRINGERS #1 (Oni)
Guggenheim and Greenwood (Resurrection) started working on this years ago. Guggenheim and Greenwood, meet Loeb and Sale...
SUPERMAN #44 (DC)
As far as I'm concerned, some of the best Superman storytelling...ever.
THIS DAMNED BAND #2 (Dark Horse)
Cornell's second issue was good enough to helped the series get a foothold in the QB50 running.
WE ARE ROBIN #3, 4 (DC)
In the fine tradition of the original Robin ongoing being the best thing about Jean-Paul Valley's stint as Batman, Bermejo has turned this one into the best thing about the Commissioner Batman era. That second issue, which doesn't feature Duke, is the best one to date.
SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #21 (DC)
My periodic sampling of this series continues. Superman is a dick. But he kind of has a reason to be.
In which I realize Grant Morrison will not actually be writing the series. But turns out not to drastically affect its quality.
ATOMIC ROBO AND THE RING OF FIRE #1 (IDW)
New home, same great storytelling. Very glad to see Clevinger and Wegener back in print.
BATMAN #44 (DC)
Snyder and Azzarello make for a potent combination. Out of current continuity, this flashback tale made the news thanks to its commentary on the spate of police shootings making news.
ROBIN: SON OF BATMAN #4 (DC)
If Deathstroke (with all due apologies to Tony Daniel, etc.) were as awesome in his own comic as here is here, I'd read that, too. Reminds me how awesome it was to see him in The Shade, too.
BLOODSHOT REBORN #6 (Valiant)
In which Bloodshot realizes there's a bad guy who's also attempting to absorb all the stray nanites...
CAPTAIN AMERICA: WHITE #1, 2 (Marvel)
Seven years in the making, Loeb and Sale finally return to this latest collaboration. I'm ecstatic to see this happening. Curiously, the first issue reprints the long-ago zero issue, but after the contents of the new material.
CIVIL WAR #4 (Marvel)
Black Panther turns out to be a Skrull. And suddenly the follow-up to the original Civil War, Secret Invasion, seems less random. Yet another thing this reprise gets more right than the original. Thanks, Soule. Again.
DAREDEVIL #18 (Marvel)
I assumed all along that Waid was headed to a quasi-rehash of the classic Daredevil narative, and in this finale that's exactly what he does. The comic itself is not so bad, but then Waid writes in his going-away thoughts how this run has been his most creatively-rewarding to date. How he forgotten writing Wally West? Even if the style was more deliberate, I'd hold the best of that run to anything Waid has written in a regular superhero comic since...
DIRK GENTLEY'S HOLISTIC DETECTIVE AGENCY #4 (IDW)
I've settled in to really enjoying the random pleasures of this experience. Viva Douglas Adams! Who makes a cameo this issue!
DOCTOR WHO: FOUR DOCTORS #4, 5 (Titan)
Cornell concludes the crossover epic. Eventually gets around to explaining why the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) wasn't included.
DOOMED #4 (DC)
The only objection I have to this series, as it turns out, is the poor choice in style for the lead's narrative captions. Otherwise, more solid material from Lobdell.
E FOR EXTINCTION #4 (Marvel)
The conclusion to this Secret Wars tie-in seems to be a comics version of X-Men: The Last Stand's final encounter between Wolverine and Jean Grey. Nice save, Burnham.
EARTH 2: SOCIETY #4 (DC)
I love, love, love how this series has completely embraced the full potential of being its own continuity.
FIGHT CLUB 2 #5 (Dark Horse)
Finally had a look at this. That's about all I've got to say about that.
THE FUSE #14 (Image)
I'm settling in as a regular reader.
GRAYSON #11, 12, Annual #2 (DC)
Yeah, I've finally decided to read this series more regularly. It's just too darn good to continue overlooking.
GREEN LANTERN Annual #4 (DC)
Venditti promised, or someone promised, answers. But there are frustratingly few. Darn you, Venditti!
IMPERIUM #8 (Valiant)
Divinity, the guy from Divinity (no, seriously!) pops up in something other than Divinity. Although this is kind of more or less a rephrasing of Divinity except in an Imperium context...
JUSTICE LEAGUE #44 (DC)
Don't tell anyone else that Darkseid dies in this installment of "Darkseid War"!
JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 #3, 4 (DC)
Don't tell anyone that I snuck back into this series because I realized all over again, this is supposed to be Legion of Super-Heroes territory. But Giffen/DeMatteis have managed to create yet another platform for their genius instead...
MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER #12 (Dynamite)
I caught up with this release from earlier in the year because it concludes a story I finally got around to seeing in its inception from a first issue I read in my comiXology account (don't tell anyone I'm still working away at that!). I don't think the muted impact (the first issue was better) is because I skipped, oh, ten issues. But it's still fun seeing Van Lente in something I actually wanted to read again.
MARTIAN MANHUNTER #4 (DC)
Through no real fault on my own, I missed the previous issue. But I still love this series.
MIRACLEMAN #1 (Marvel)
This new first issue marks the start of the reprints as they reach the Gaiman material, having concluded
MS. MARVEL #18 (Marvel)
Kamala's mother knew!
NAMELESS #5 (Image)
Morrison's weird comic (his latest weird comic) finally saw another issue published. Burnham shows restraint (for a change). Reads a lot like the first issue. Made me interested again.
THE NEW DEAL (Dark Horse)
See thoughts elsewhere.
PREZ #4 (DC)
The comics shop had a giant mix-up in its shipments that week. So I panicked and got a digital edition. I've had some fun digitally lately, but I'm not gonna tell you anything else. Then the shop got the print edition. And this becomes the latest comic where I have both, and don't mind. Just two issues left, alas.
SANDMAN: OVERTURE #6 (Vertigo)
All along I've been reading how this whole story leads back to Sandman #1. And that's exactly what happens. This was probably my favorite issue of the series. Sad to see it go. Very, very gorgeous work, Williams (III).
STAR TREK/GREEN LANTERN #3 (DC)
Larfleeze on the cover...!
STAR WARS #9 (Marvel)
I thought they promised answers from Sana Solo this issue?
STAR WARS: SHATTERED EMPIRE #1 (Marvel)
Takes place concurrently with the Battle of Endor (at least during this issue). Features Poe Dameron's parents. No idea who Poe Dameron is? Perhaps this prequel to The Force Awakens just isn't meant for you, son...
The, ah, misshipment issue prevented me from reading a new Star Wars: Lando...
STRINGERS #1 (Oni)
Guggenheim and Greenwood (Resurrection) started working on this years ago. Guggenheim and Greenwood, meet Loeb and Sale...
SUPERMAN #44 (DC)
As far as I'm concerned, some of the best Superman storytelling...ever.
THIS DAMNED BAND #2 (Dark Horse)
Cornell's second issue was good enough to helped the series get a foothold in the QB50 running.
WE ARE ROBIN #3, 4 (DC)
In the fine tradition of the original Robin ongoing being the best thing about Jean-Paul Valley's stint as Batman, Bermejo has turned this one into the best thing about the Commissioner Batman era. That second issue, which doesn't feature Duke, is the best one to date.
SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #21 (DC)
My periodic sampling of this series continues. Superman is a dick. But he kind of has a reason to be.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Reading Comics 170 "From 7/22/15 plus more"
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.
Back in 2010, Dynamite and Liquid Comics released what was intended to be a kind of graphic novel trailer for 18 Days, which became an online animated series. Now, that series is being adapted into a comic book. The original graphic novel was actually more like an elaborate series bible. And so this first issue covers familiar material, more setup than actual storytelling. The art is not exactly the lush work from the graphic novel, and that took some getting used to, but that's what the animated series looks like. I have no idea how long this will last, but I intend to read it for as long as it exists. This is Morrison's Morrison Version of the Indian epic Mahabharata, which might be described as The Iliad by way of The Lord of the Rings.
I'm reading this one on delay because I had to request the series from the local shop, and it took a while for it to come in. If I hadn't asked last week about its status, I still wouldn't have seen it yet, because the shipment came up damaged and the shop owner didn't want to sell it like that. Listen, I don't read comics, much less buy them, as investment potential. The best comics are some of the best things I read, period. For me, that's the best reason to read them.
Incredibly, this is the first time Cyborg has ever had an ongoing series. He was originally introduced in Marv Wolfman and George Perez's New Teen Titans. Since the start of the New 52, he's been a member of the Justice League. Very wisely, this series seems to have been taken directly from the pages of Geoff Johns' work, written by David F. Walker and especially aided by the art of longtime DC standout Ivan Reis. Everything that isn't familiar, in the best possible way, sets up space robots who will likely further complicate Victor Stone's relationship with his new body. I think it was incredibly wise to wait this long to launch the series. Here I'm thinking of Mr. Terrific from the start of the New 52, which had to reinvent the wheel twice over. Not only did that series also star someone who had never had an ongoing series before, but far less track record and to that point only one context, as a member of Johns' Justice Society. And it was not only introducing a theoretically new version of the character, but in totally new context. It's no surprise that Mr. Terrific was one of the early failures. And so hopefully, doing everything exactly the opposite, Cyborg will be the success it deserves to be.
Technically the end of the story, since as far as I know the next and final issue is an epilogue (apparently solicited as NEW MGMT #1), because this issue the good guys defeat the bad guys. Anyway, I guess what I really want to address is editor Brendan Wright, who spent every letters column I saw fawning over the series, saying how proud he was to be involved in it. I guess it was a pretty big deal for him (as outlined in how he presents his career). For a series that lasted three years, which would be a long-term failure for a lot of other companies if it hadn't been the creator who dictated its length (the series was originally commissioned at six issues, and was allowed to expand from there), this is the kind of reaction you'd normally expect from a Vertigo series like Y: The Last Man or Sandman. It is odd, because MIND MGMT in a lot of ways seems like it should have been published by Vertigo rather than Dark Horse. I have no idea how or why it happened this way. The advantage to having it Vertigo would have been to bring Matt Kindt into the DC fold. Except he's been doing exceptionally well in the Valiant fold. He's the rare talent who helps comics as a whole rather than merely himself or try and puff up his and/or a given company's chest (the way Image tends to do it, say). But I don't want to read about how special he is from the editor who probably will never be associated with something this good again. I want to hear from Kindt himself. Because in my experience, this is a novelty for Dark Horse. Which is why I'm confused about how it was published by them to begin with.
Last time I believe I talked a lot about artist Ben Caldwell. I love that guy. Increasingly, I wonder if it's because his work reminds me of Jeff Smith. Either way, I need to stress that I love Prez for its storytelling, too, which means I need to stress Mark Russell's contribution a little more directly. I hadn't even made a label for him, so now there's that. Prez is such an oddity. There's nothing superhero about it at all. I have no idea why it's being published by DC and not under the Vertigo imprint. Ostensibly, it's because it's a new version of a classic DC concept. And because there are now a lot of series with superhero connections that are aiming for the youth vote, it's harder for Prez to stand out, especially when it seems like it's nothing more than the stupid gimmick the original was. This Prez is flat out great political and social satire. "Corndog Girl" is only elected president this issue, expressly because of all the shenanigans the arrogant official candidates were up to, and the compromises the electoral college (anyone still wondering what that's all about in the wake of the...2000 election might look here for an explanation).
And unfortunately, originally set to be a twelve-issue maxi-series, Prez was just shortened to six. As someone who absolutely loves what Prez is doing, I'm sad that it's been reduced like that, but at least that's not as bad as when The Great Ten, originally scheduled for, well, ten issues, was dropped to nine.
It's been hard to make me care about Superman comics in the New 52 era if it weren't being written by Grant Morrison or Geoff Johns. Every now and then I check in with what other people are doing. I was aware of the Doomed event, which was the New 52 version of Doomsday, which was actually a pretty interesting idea. This and the first issue are the bookends, and are now everything I've read from it. The writers this time are Greg Pak and Charles Soule, although it's Scott Lobdell who continues to be associated with the concept thanks to his new Doomed series (which does not feature Superman, but will, eventually, have Alpha Centurion in it, which is good enough for me). There are about a million artists involved in the issue, as well as Lois Lane in her most notable New 52 arc to date (in the least likely way imaginable, unless you're thinking of the Silver Age or Jimmy Olsen), plus Brainiac. And I read this issue trying to figure out how it related to Convergence, and for most of the issue, I thought not at all, until at the very end. And I don't know, maybe I'll have to do further research, but that ending makes it look like it might actually completely redefine Convergence.
But getting back to Doomsday, having the concept become something like a Venom parasite is probably better than what DC originally did with Doomsday in the aftermath of killing Superman. He ended up being a Kryptonian monster who reincarnates after each defeat, no longer able to be defeated that way again, and he and Superman fought again many other times (Dan Jurgens at one point tried his best to further his legacy solely in this way). While I haven't read the Doomed series itself yet, and generally I've been far more forgiving of Lobdell than fans tend to be, I'm glad this new vision exists even though I'm not immediately interested in delving into it myself.
Where you might have expected the second issue to have spent time with members of this Robin gang other than Duke Thomas...Nope, not so much. This is still the Duke Thomas show in all but name. I mean, other members are addressed, but they're not really featured. They exist. The issue begins to explore the mystery of who has been recruiting them. There's also teasing of the villain who will apparently kill one of them soon. Dead Robin. It's a thing. So it figures that We Are Robin will be waiting very little to reach its own Dead Robin story. All the better! Writer Lee Bermejo's covers continue to represent not at all the interior art, but I guess that's okay. I can learn to live with it.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Reading Comics 166 "Comics from 6/24/15"
Covered this week: E for Extinction #1, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #215 (plus #214), Green Lantern: Lost Army #1, Superman #41, and We Are Robin #1, as well as The Multiversity: Pax Americana Director's Cut.
E for Extinction #1 (Marvel)
Among the many, many Secret Wars spin-offs attempting to pick up the pieces of past Marvel stories is that incredibly rare title, E for Extinction, otherwise known as acknowledgment that Grant Morrison did, in fact, write X-Men stories for a number of years. You may be forgiven to forget this happened, because Marvel has been trying to scrub history of this for years. The minute Morrison left, for instance, Xorn was retconned far away from being Magneto. Perish the thought! To be fair, this run did have a fair impact on the future of mutants, but any and all associations with Morrison seem to have been severed as completely as possible, and everyone agreed that Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men was in fact the true watershed of the franchise, and that was that.
I confess to have played a part in this debacle. Observers today might assume I've always been a hopeless devotee of Grant Morrison. This is true to a point. I became a fan through JLA, which is probably true for the vast amount of us. But then I had to work my way back in. I never read New X-Men, only a few issues here and there in later years (still working my way toward the complete run, as with Invisibles, Animal Man, and Doom Patrol, the titles the truly devoted would call the starting point, although this would be from a critical and not popular standpoint). I was keenly aware of Morrison's mutants, so there's a kind of mythological element to the run, as with the fourth-wall Animal Man breakthrough, mostly what became of Xorn and how Beast became subject to a secondary mutation (to his present look).
All of which is to say, I'm glad E for Extinction exists. Named after the opening arc in Morrison's New X-Men (in all, forty issues, with eight arcs), which along with several others features the art of Frank Quitely (the cover of this issue closely mirrors the famous art for the run), this is a wonderful reminder of how Morrison attempted to push the franchise forward. Morrison himself isn't present, but Chris Burnham is. Burnham is currently collaborating with Morrison on Image's Nameless and also did the art for the second run of Batman Inc., and as such has become associated with him enough that I guess he was a go-to guy for Marvel for this project. That, I guess, and the fact that his art somewhat resembles Quitely's. But he's not doing the art for this, rather another guy who somewhat resembles Burnham's!
Burnham himself has an issue of Batman Inc. in his credits as writer (#11, plus credit for #0 along with Morrison). For most of this issue he's remarkably adequate, although he has instincts that one would not typically associate with Morrison material (although I could be wrong; I'm not familiar enough with New X-Men to identify all the characters in E for Extinction who come directly from it). At any rate, he does an excellent job of conveying everything Morrison hoped to accomplish. The representative panel in relation to that philosophy demonstrates how it's hilariously outdated to suggest today that minority groups in America haven't gained a certain mainstream credential (if not outright equality) that can no longer be denied with the simple moral equivalencies typical for mutant allegory. Magneto (no mention made of Xorn, naturally) leads the new X-Men, with hopelessly dated Cyclops and Emma Frost used in counterpoint (the clearest connection to more recent material like how Bendis started out All-New X-Men). Thrown in as well is Wolverine, because: Wolverine.
I'm just not a big fan of Burnham. I don't like his art, and I think he tends to ruin what he does. As a writer this is less so, but then there's the guy hired because he kind of draws like Burnham, so more or less, this is all Burnham all the time. Unfortunately. Fortunately there's plenty of Morrison present. So as far as this first issue goes, I like this project. I'm very glad it exists. Clearly Marvel kind of desperately wants Morrison back in the fold (going back to the Marvelman annual that finally brought to life one of his old scripts). I guess we'll see where that goes...
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #215 (IDW)
(and #214)
IDW did something somewhat remarkable when it acquired the G.I. Joe franchise. It began publishing new issues of Larry Hama's Marvel run along with its own material. This in itself was not hugely unique, since at the time Marvel itself was doing (or very near to doing) the very same with Chris Claremont and the X-Men. But the Claremont experiment ended years ago, and Hama's G.I. Joe continues. And it's just completed its biggest arc ever: "The Death of Snake Eyes."
And so apparently readers get to discover that when a publisher like IDW does a story like this, the rules are different, because the actual death occurred two issues ago. I found that out because I was only reminded this was happening at all when I looked at the cover and saw the arc's title, so I flipped through the issue. Seeing that the death didn't happen this issue, I went to see what other issues had to say about it. Needless to say, #213 was not available. I'd assumed it did occur in #214, but no such luck. I decided to buy it even though it's a silent issue (appropriate) depicting full G.I. Joe honors for the body.
What this issue does is conclude a journey for the new Snake Eyes, someone Hama is careful to set up in the same mute mode as the original (seems somewhat convenient, but I'm willing to go with it). So a little like "Knightfall," which ended with the new Batman defeating Bane rather than Bane's snapping of the original Batman's spine, the next chapter has already begun.
The issue also includes a tribute to Hama's original collaborator, Herb Trimpe, who passed away earlier this year.
Green Lantern: Lost Army #1 (DC)
I figured I'd give this one a shot because with the end of Red Lanterns I would otherwise not have been reading Green Lantern, and generally speaking, for as long as I've been reading comics I've been reading Green Lantern. And I'm still not particularly interested in Robert Venditti's run (his revamp in the main title is something that looks radically...desperate to me). And this does feature Guy Gardner, although the how and the why of his having a red and a green ring will apparently have to wait.
Otherwise, the most interesting thing about Lost Army is the inclusion of Krona, a traditional Green Lantern villain who for some reason or other is working alongside the heroes. If anything, Lost Army reads like New Guardians crossed with Red Lanterns. I have considerable doubts about whether I will be reading this long-term. Why oh why did Venditti have to be given control...
Superman #41 (DC)
In Gene Yuen Lang's debut, quite unexpectedly "Truth" technically has not even begun yet. Unlike the rest of the titles included in the arc, which have already released their first entries, anyway, the moment of, well, truth hasn't been reached yet.
Actually, thanks to the continuity of artist John Romita Jr., this issue reads as seamlessly with the Johns run as Romita's own issue, and I guess that's probably the point. The other common link is Superman's apparent obsession with his new solar flare power. It seems likely at this point that Superman will have probably used it once too often, and thus deprived himself of all his powers, which accounts for the other gimmick of the "Truth" arc. The other being the loss of his secret identity.
And that is to say, I think the whole point of the arc is a complete deconstruction of Superman. At this point, DC probably feels more than ready for something to dramatically shake things up. Other than Grant Morrison's run in the early issues of Action Comics, nothing any creator has done since the start of the New 52 has really stuck. This tends to make DC think there's a problem, and the answer invariably is a defensive one. So: "Truth."
Given that he has managed to make himself at home in the Romita era, Lang already has my endorsement for being able to pull it off. I'll be skipping the tie-ins from other series. As far as I'm concerned, Superman is absolutely worth reading again.
We Are Robin #1 (DC)
For whatever reason, DC decided to be all mysterious about this series from writer (usually known as artist, but in Suicders, both) Lee Bermejo. But to clarify, this series stars Duke Thomas, one of the many characters Scott Snyder has tossed off in the pages of Batman. As depicted in a possibly unreliable Futures End: Batman and Robin #1, Duke at some point does in fact officially become Robin. For now, he will have to content himself with a more unofficial distinction.
It's perhaps helpful to mention, as well, that Bermejo has made at least one thing official: finally, a connection between the concept of Robin and the legendary Robin Hood. Traditionally, DC has attempted to make such distinctions with Green Arrow (most blatantly during the "Brightest Day" era just before the New 52). In a nutshell, that's what the concept behind We Are Robin seems to be.
But really, it's just good seeing Duke again. Featured in "Zero Year" and "Endgame" (the timeline seems a little muddled, but then as far as Batman's concerned that's been true throughout New 52, so it's just best not to worry about it), this is the first time he's gotten his own story (which is one better than the other Snyder castoff, Harper Row, who fans must be content to find in the pages Batman Eternal, apparently). The artwork is nothing like Bermejo's cover, and it's easy to suspect that DC may have been thinking of Miles Morales with art that somewhat evokes Humberto Ramos (who has been identified with Spider-Man for a number of years now).
Also along for the ride is Leslie Tompkins, a Batman staple whom fans have been protective of over the years (she was tied up in the Stephanie Brown arc when the once and future Spoiler took on the role of Robin), so that's good to see. Overall, I like this series quite a bit.
The Multiversity: Pax Americana Director's Cut (DC)
The local shop finally stocked copies of this, so I snapped one up. As you can see, the crux of this is the entire issue reprinted with Frank Quitely's original pencil art, which I think actually looks better than the finished work. There're also excerpts from Grant Morrison's script and looks at the art in development. For some reason it always humbles me to see how much Morrison is involved in helping to visualize the art, since I stopped doing artwork of any serious nature years ago. If I were to try what he does, it would not be fit to print.
To the extent that I've read any reaction to this release at all, it's griping that this is all it is. "Director's cuts" in comics usually tend to include creator commentary if not outright added story (which is impractical in comics). Morrison's script is represented only in part, his descriptions for panels, showing just how much he does in collaboration with Quitely to accomplish this ideological answer to Watchmen. It begins with a full-blown description of intent, actually, which for the subsequent reader is also like an introduction-after-the-fact.
It was also an excellent excuse to read the whole thing all over again, by the way. Still love it.
Also included in this polybagged issue is a larger version, in fold-out poster form, of the Multiversity map.
E for Extinction #1 (Marvel)
Among the many, many Secret Wars spin-offs attempting to pick up the pieces of past Marvel stories is that incredibly rare title, E for Extinction, otherwise known as acknowledgment that Grant Morrison did, in fact, write X-Men stories for a number of years. You may be forgiven to forget this happened, because Marvel has been trying to scrub history of this for years. The minute Morrison left, for instance, Xorn was retconned far away from being Magneto. Perish the thought! To be fair, this run did have a fair impact on the future of mutants, but any and all associations with Morrison seem to have been severed as completely as possible, and everyone agreed that Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men was in fact the true watershed of the franchise, and that was that.
I confess to have played a part in this debacle. Observers today might assume I've always been a hopeless devotee of Grant Morrison. This is true to a point. I became a fan through JLA, which is probably true for the vast amount of us. But then I had to work my way back in. I never read New X-Men, only a few issues here and there in later years (still working my way toward the complete run, as with Invisibles, Animal Man, and Doom Patrol, the titles the truly devoted would call the starting point, although this would be from a critical and not popular standpoint). I was keenly aware of Morrison's mutants, so there's a kind of mythological element to the run, as with the fourth-wall Animal Man breakthrough, mostly what became of Xorn and how Beast became subject to a secondary mutation (to his present look).
All of which is to say, I'm glad E for Extinction exists. Named after the opening arc in Morrison's New X-Men (in all, forty issues, with eight arcs), which along with several others features the art of Frank Quitely (the cover of this issue closely mirrors the famous art for the run), this is a wonderful reminder of how Morrison attempted to push the franchise forward. Morrison himself isn't present, but Chris Burnham is. Burnham is currently collaborating with Morrison on Image's Nameless and also did the art for the second run of Batman Inc., and as such has become associated with him enough that I guess he was a go-to guy for Marvel for this project. That, I guess, and the fact that his art somewhat resembles Quitely's. But he's not doing the art for this, rather another guy who somewhat resembles Burnham's!
Burnham himself has an issue of Batman Inc. in his credits as writer (#11, plus credit for #0 along with Morrison). For most of this issue he's remarkably adequate, although he has instincts that one would not typically associate with Morrison material (although I could be wrong; I'm not familiar enough with New X-Men to identify all the characters in E for Extinction who come directly from it). At any rate, he does an excellent job of conveying everything Morrison hoped to accomplish. The representative panel in relation to that philosophy demonstrates how it's hilariously outdated to suggest today that minority groups in America haven't gained a certain mainstream credential (if not outright equality) that can no longer be denied with the simple moral equivalencies typical for mutant allegory. Magneto (no mention made of Xorn, naturally) leads the new X-Men, with hopelessly dated Cyclops and Emma Frost used in counterpoint (the clearest connection to more recent material like how Bendis started out All-New X-Men). Thrown in as well is Wolverine, because: Wolverine.
I'm just not a big fan of Burnham. I don't like his art, and I think he tends to ruin what he does. As a writer this is less so, but then there's the guy hired because he kind of draws like Burnham, so more or less, this is all Burnham all the time. Unfortunately. Fortunately there's plenty of Morrison present. So as far as this first issue goes, I like this project. I'm very glad it exists. Clearly Marvel kind of desperately wants Morrison back in the fold (going back to the Marvelman annual that finally brought to life one of his old scripts). I guess we'll see where that goes...
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #215 (IDW)
(and #214)
IDW did something somewhat remarkable when it acquired the G.I. Joe franchise. It began publishing new issues of Larry Hama's Marvel run along with its own material. This in itself was not hugely unique, since at the time Marvel itself was doing (or very near to doing) the very same with Chris Claremont and the X-Men. But the Claremont experiment ended years ago, and Hama's G.I. Joe continues. And it's just completed its biggest arc ever: "The Death of Snake Eyes."
And so apparently readers get to discover that when a publisher like IDW does a story like this, the rules are different, because the actual death occurred two issues ago. I found that out because I was only reminded this was happening at all when I looked at the cover and saw the arc's title, so I flipped through the issue. Seeing that the death didn't happen this issue, I went to see what other issues had to say about it. Needless to say, #213 was not available. I'd assumed it did occur in #214, but no such luck. I decided to buy it even though it's a silent issue (appropriate) depicting full G.I. Joe honors for the body.
What this issue does is conclude a journey for the new Snake Eyes, someone Hama is careful to set up in the same mute mode as the original (seems somewhat convenient, but I'm willing to go with it). So a little like "Knightfall," which ended with the new Batman defeating Bane rather than Bane's snapping of the original Batman's spine, the next chapter has already begun.
The issue also includes a tribute to Hama's original collaborator, Herb Trimpe, who passed away earlier this year.
Green Lantern: Lost Army #1 (DC)
I figured I'd give this one a shot because with the end of Red Lanterns I would otherwise not have been reading Green Lantern, and generally speaking, for as long as I've been reading comics I've been reading Green Lantern. And I'm still not particularly interested in Robert Venditti's run (his revamp in the main title is something that looks radically...desperate to me). And this does feature Guy Gardner, although the how and the why of his having a red and a green ring will apparently have to wait.
Otherwise, the most interesting thing about Lost Army is the inclusion of Krona, a traditional Green Lantern villain who for some reason or other is working alongside the heroes. If anything, Lost Army reads like New Guardians crossed with Red Lanterns. I have considerable doubts about whether I will be reading this long-term. Why oh why did Venditti have to be given control...
Superman #41 (DC)
In Gene Yuen Lang's debut, quite unexpectedly "Truth" technically has not even begun yet. Unlike the rest of the titles included in the arc, which have already released their first entries, anyway, the moment of, well, truth hasn't been reached yet.
Actually, thanks to the continuity of artist John Romita Jr., this issue reads as seamlessly with the Johns run as Romita's own issue, and I guess that's probably the point. The other common link is Superman's apparent obsession with his new solar flare power. It seems likely at this point that Superman will have probably used it once too often, and thus deprived himself of all his powers, which accounts for the other gimmick of the "Truth" arc. The other being the loss of his secret identity.
And that is to say, I think the whole point of the arc is a complete deconstruction of Superman. At this point, DC probably feels more than ready for something to dramatically shake things up. Other than Grant Morrison's run in the early issues of Action Comics, nothing any creator has done since the start of the New 52 has really stuck. This tends to make DC think there's a problem, and the answer invariably is a defensive one. So: "Truth."
Given that he has managed to make himself at home in the Romita era, Lang already has my endorsement for being able to pull it off. I'll be skipping the tie-ins from other series. As far as I'm concerned, Superman is absolutely worth reading again.
We Are Robin #1 (DC)
For whatever reason, DC decided to be all mysterious about this series from writer (usually known as artist, but in Suicders, both) Lee Bermejo. But to clarify, this series stars Duke Thomas, one of the many characters Scott Snyder has tossed off in the pages of Batman. As depicted in a possibly unreliable Futures End: Batman and Robin #1, Duke at some point does in fact officially become Robin. For now, he will have to content himself with a more unofficial distinction.
It's perhaps helpful to mention, as well, that Bermejo has made at least one thing official: finally, a connection between the concept of Robin and the legendary Robin Hood. Traditionally, DC has attempted to make such distinctions with Green Arrow (most blatantly during the "Brightest Day" era just before the New 52). In a nutshell, that's what the concept behind We Are Robin seems to be.
But really, it's just good seeing Duke again. Featured in "Zero Year" and "Endgame" (the timeline seems a little muddled, but then as far as Batman's concerned that's been true throughout New 52, so it's just best not to worry about it), this is the first time he's gotten his own story (which is one better than the other Snyder castoff, Harper Row, who fans must be content to find in the pages Batman Eternal, apparently). The artwork is nothing like Bermejo's cover, and it's easy to suspect that DC may have been thinking of Miles Morales with art that somewhat evokes Humberto Ramos (who has been identified with Spider-Man for a number of years now).
Also along for the ride is Leslie Tompkins, a Batman staple whom fans have been protective of over the years (she was tied up in the Stephanie Brown arc when the once and future Spoiler took on the role of Robin), so that's good to see. Overall, I like this series quite a bit.
The Multiversity: Pax Americana Director's Cut (DC)
The local shop finally stocked copies of this, so I snapped one up. As you can see, the crux of this is the entire issue reprinted with Frank Quitely's original pencil art, which I think actually looks better than the finished work. There're also excerpts from Grant Morrison's script and looks at the art in development. For some reason it always humbles me to see how much Morrison is involved in helping to visualize the art, since I stopped doing artwork of any serious nature years ago. If I were to try what he does, it would not be fit to print.
To the extent that I've read any reaction to this release at all, it's griping that this is all it is. "Director's cuts" in comics usually tend to include creator commentary if not outright added story (which is impractical in comics). Morrison's script is represented only in part, his descriptions for panels, showing just how much he does in collaboration with Quitely to accomplish this ideological answer to Watchmen. It begins with a full-blown description of intent, actually, which for the subsequent reader is also like an introduction-after-the-fact.
It was also an excellent excuse to read the whole thing all over again, by the way. Still love it.
Also included in this polybagged issue is a larger version, in fold-out poster form, of the Multiversity map.
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