Justice League #13 (DC)

writer: Geoff Johns
artist: Tony Daniel

I've been saying for some time now that Geoff Johns has more or less used Justice League as his first experience writing a Wonder Woman series, and recent issues have only made that more obvious.  In the preceding issue the most notable thing everyone's favorite Amazon did was kiss Superman, and as a lot of people made a big deal about it, I'd say it was notable indeed.

Yet other issues went to great lengths to explain how another of her relationships, with Steve Trevor, affected the whole team and indeed series, which has continuing consequences with the forthcoming Justice League of America series.

With this issue, Wonder Woman's importance to the series can no longer be overlooked.  Perhaps Johns has been working toward this moment deliberately, as 2013 will feature the "Trinity War" event that features not only Wonder Woman but also Superman and Batman.  Over in her own book, Brian Azzarello has been going for a more mythic approach (which I will be having another look at once the New Gods hit in the near future), but here she's grounded in the real world, struggling to find her way, which is exactly what this issue is all about, how she feels responsible for the creation of one of her most famous foes, Cheetah.

If having one of her signature villains be featured in Justice League isn't evidence enough of what I'm arguing here, then I don't know what to say.  If you've ever wondered if you could find Wonder Woman compelling but had never found a reason before, Geoff Johns has your back.

Tony Daniel, meanwhile, has the front covered beautifully.  In the past I've compared his work to Jim Lee, who just completed his run in the series, especially Daniel's Batman, which he carried over from "Batman R.I.P." to the initial peeling of the Joker's face in Detective Comics #1 at the start of the New 52.  His style seems to have undergone another evolution, though.  It looks fantastic in the issue.

Also included is a preview of Justice League of America, by the way.

Happy! #2 (Image)

writer: Grant Morrison
artist: Darick Robertson

It's important to note that as bad as Nick Sax's day is, it could easily be worse.  Grant Morrison starts the second issue of this mini-series with a strong suggestion that some very bad men had some very bad ideas in store for him, and that it's a good thing that he was lucid enough to escape.

"Lucid" may not be the first word Nick uses to describe himself at the moment.  He escaped mostly thanks to the fact that he's currently being visited by Happy, a magical blue pony that floats in the air and only he can see.  He spends the issue trying to convince himself that Happy is just a delusion, getting himself into some pretty hot water (again) during a card game when Happy calls his bluff.

With this issue, I think I've figured out an interpretation of Happy that might make sense to long-term fans of Morrison.  It's essentially the Bat-Mite story he never got to tell.  Bat-Mite is a curiously of Batman lore, an imp Morrison used during "R.I.P." while the Dark Knight's mind was compromised.  Bat-Mite presents a challenge to any writer who prefers to write a serious Batman (unless you're Grant Morrison) because he's a pretty silly character.

What Happy does is finally explore the dynamic between a character very much set in the world of serious comics, who's gotten himself into a situation he may only be able to survive by relying on the least likely support imaginable.  To someone like Nick Sax, Happy must be something of a nightmare.  Except he's learning to accept this peculiar little friend as an ally.

Darick Robertson has just concluded The Boys along with Garth Ennis.  There was at least one initial episode in my past where I publicly struggled with the existence of The Boys, its nihilistic interpretation of superheroes, and I dragged Robertson's name into my reaction.  At the time I wasn't all that familiar with him.  By the time he participated in 52, which remains my favorite comic book of all-time, I had to reconcile my opinion of his abilities, or rather my previous underestimation of them.  To his fans, of course even questioning it would always have sounded pretty stupid.  The man has an established career on notable books (including Transmetropolitan).  Needless to say his work in Happy! is impeccable, and indeed just Robertson's depiction of Happy makes him an inspired choice, if there are many other readers like myself who thought they knew his instincts.  I'd just like to get that out of the way, in case I've got residual bad karma.

Cobra #18 (IDW)

writer: Mike Costa
artist: Antonio Fuso

Much of this issue is dedicated to another of Cobra's patented character studies, this time of Ronin, a character unique to the series.

Linked to Jinx (killed early in the Cobra chronology) and Chameleon (Erika Le Tene), which was actually Ronin's previous identity, this is the first time we spend quality time with her.  Ronin might previously have been described as the chick with the samurai swords who struck an impressive appearance but who otherwise was pretty anonymous.  That's what helps make this another standout issue, although Cobra has been full of them, just one of the many reasons that I still cannot understand why it has never broken out from anything more than cult status.  This has consistently been one of the best comic books in the market.

(It's worth noting that Mike Costa's original writing collaborator, Christos Gage, is referenced in an Easter Egg this issue.)

Anyone looking for additional signs of awesomeness will also take note that the issue also includes the Oktober Guard, the Russian equivalent to G.I. Joe, an element that has only just been introduced to the series.  Anyone concerned when I say "character rich" ought to know that there is plenty of action.  As I said, Ronin was previously known as the ninja, and Cobra clashing with the Guard makes a big splash at the start of the issue.

I cannot possibly recommend this series highly enough.

Reading Comics #83 "Angry Faerie Con!"

I should note that although I am an acknowledged comics aficionado, I had not until this past Saturday been to a comics con.  (For those even more pathetic than me, "con" in this context is short for "convention," although "concave" and "convection" and "conquistador" are also acceptable if wholly inappropriate extrapolations.)

In fact, I had only been to one other con in my life, and that was back in 1996 (possibly 1995) when Star Trek rolled into Portland, ME on the heels of Voyager's launch (there was to be a screening of "Heroes and Demons" as well as an appearance by Robert Picardo, but I didn't get a chance to see either one, though I did snag a Bajoran earring).

Anyway, so I went to my first comics (and toys) con on Saturday, the same day Colorado Springs hosted its annual Veterans Day parade, held at the Clarion Hotel.  It was not exactly San Diego Comic Con or any of the other major circuits.  There were some fan girls who gushed over a creator, but I had no idea who he was.  Otherwise slim pickings by way of celebrity.  Actually, no celebrities.

There were, however, a lot of Star Wars toys, and vendors with white boxes of comics (if I'd thought of it, I might have tried to get some pictures, but I don't think of these things and I don't do lots of pictures anyway, either in my blogs or real life, unless you're my sister's cat and sometimes her dog, which coincidentally on the same weekend turned out to be a really good opportunity to snap more of both).

And a few local creators.  One of them was an artist I used to work with (not creatively, but rather in a bookstore), but it looks like he's still sketching.  I had attempted to collaborate with him artistically, but it didn't work out.

No, there were pretty much two tables with creators sitting behind them, sketching away.  I had a look at both.  I settled on memorializing the experience with Angry Faerie from Scott Springer.  Neither Angry Faerie the website nor its Facebook page acknowledged Springer's appearance at the con, which was kind of disappointing (I guess even for him this was pretty low-key), but there he was, and I walked away with a Ka-Blam graphic novel collection of this web comic covering developments from its Merlin arc.

I checked around, by the way, and I'm pretty sure it's only available when Springer himself has it on display, or perhaps in local shops as well, so I'm plugging something my audience will only be able to enjoy digitally.  Some of you love that sort of thing.

The web comic, then, is about the Anger Faerie, who lives in Bullfinch, where various genre entities exist and have conflict.  Obviously in the story I read the problem was the historical Merlin.  Springer's style art-wise is anime-based, while his storytelling is very contemporary, on par with what I've seen in other web comics.  It's pretty enjoyable, doesn't take itself too seriously, with some fun, clearly defined characters.  It updates three times weekly.

And just to make sure that you don't think I made a mistake, in the strip the main character is known as the Anger Faerie, but the title mostly definitely identifies her as the Angry Faerie.  Just go with it.

The copy of the con edition I picked up was marked #1 of 25 (as in editions, not number of collections), and I picked up the exclusive variant cover, just because I could.

All in all, not a bad way to commemorate the event, and perhaps now that I'm no longer a con virgin, I may even attend more of them, perhaps even invade some of the major ones (in case you don't follow any of my other thousand blogs, I'm something of a big deal these days, penning a Bluewater bio of Russian superstar Mikhail Prokhorov).

As Springer signed in my copy of Angry Faerie, stay angry!

Beyond the Fringe #1 (DC)

writer: Joshua Jackson
artist: Jorge Jimenez

Full disclosure compels me to admit upfront that this comic was published earlier this year, and was originally serialized online last year.

Fine, and let me just also say for the record that I'm glad I finally stumbled into it.  I read DC's initial Fringe comics, based on the cult TV show, but lost track of them a while back.  I've been a fervent fan of the show since it debuted in 2008.  In case you don't know too much about it, Fringe is another ambitious project created by J.J. Abrams (his active involvement ended fairly soon, though), which follows FBI agent Olivia Dunham as she attempts to solve bizarre cases involving science run amok, which leads her to forming unlikely partnerships with Walter Bishop, the eccentric genius who inadvertently caused many of the problems they've since had to clean up, and his son Peter, whom Walter rescued from an alternate reality after his own son died.

Peter is played by Dawson's Creek alum Joshua Jackson, who is indeed the writer of this very comic.  The fact of his integral role in the alternate reality development that played an increasingly expanded role in the show is also central to the story Jackson chose to explore, what happened to Peter after his entered a particularly ominous machine at the end of the third season, which caused plenty of complications in the fourth when the aftermath of this event forced a monumental reconciliation of everything that had come before it.

The biggest concern was that this machine was meant to settle the affairs of the competing realities, with Peter having to choose between them.  In the one he had fallen in love with Olivia.  In the other he was technically a native.  The choice was not as easy as it might have seemed.  In fact, that's the general theme of the whole show, that nothing is as simple as it seems, from the traditional X-Files freak-of-the-week episodes to the subtle maneuvering of Olivia and the two Bishops from season to season as they confronted the wider forces at play.

Jackson's story is like the missing link that the show didn't quite get to explore about its mythology.  Granted a shortened fifth and final season that will explore the Observers who represent the logical end game of trying to manipulate science for personal gain, Fringe didn't quite get to tell this particular tale, including the role of the enigmatic Sam Weiss in the history-spanning saga that Walter initiated.

It's wickedly fascinating, although incredibly dense.  Jackson does an excellent job of capturing the feel of the show (something previous comics did not always do satisfactorily, mostly because they didn't have the proper vision or scope), and is in the right position to offer an authoritative view of the mythology.  If you love Fringe already this is essential.  If you don't know Walter from Walternate, this may serve as an elaborate initiation.  Until this final season Peter has always had to wait for his story to be told properly.  Well, aside from this comic.

Reading Comics #82 "Manny Trembley"

I first became familiar with Manny Trembley's work when I was an active member of the Digital Webbing community.  At the time Trembley was launching a web comic called PX! with Eric A. Anderson.  I followed PX! for years, and was pretty happy when Image started collecting it under its Shadowline/Silver Lining imprint in graphic novel collections (two volumes).  Trembley and Anderson also collaborated on Sam Noir, which Image published directly.

Then PX! went on permanent hiatus, and I wondered if I would ever hear from either of them again.  Flashforward to this year, a few months ago when Anderson announced on his Facebook page that Trembley was launching a Kickstarter campaign for a new project called Martin Monsterman.  It was a little sad to see that the band indeed had broken up, but knowing that either of them was still pursuing the comic book dream was enough to motivate me.

To my surprise, I learned that Trembley was pursuing this new project through his own FishTank imprint, with an aim to creating books for young readers that don't pander to them but rather engage their imagination.

What was more, he had already put out another book earlier this year, Hoss and Feffer.  Naturally I needed to have a look!  A few weeks ago the book arrived in my mail (packaged with previews of Monsterman and Bamboo, which continues Trembley's interest in pandas, which also feature in PX!, which is short for Panda Xpress, so shortened because of the Asian fast food chain with an incredibly similar name).

Here then was the moment of truth.  I had adored PX!, I mean, really adored it.  Could Trembley, on his own, truly live up to these fond memories?

Well yes, as it turns out.  As I don't ordinarily provide artwork on this blog (which may or may not limit its user-friendliness in an age that really likes images with everything, especially its websites, and especially websites dedicated to comic books, and especially websites dedicated to comic books that pretty much leave all the content to images from comic books with a few witty remarks), I can only refer Trembley's style as being very similar to Skottie Young, Eric Shanower's collaborator in his ongoing adaptations of L Frank Baum's Oz stories for Marvel.  I love that stuff, too.  If you don't know that, then I will once again use Bill Watterson as a reference in regards to Mr. Trembley's work.  Watterson, of course, is responsible for the beloved comic strip Calvin + Hobbes.

Where Watterson could sometimes be hopefully cynical and Young whimsically fantastical, Trembley strives for a playful style that allows his work to match the bountiful imagination of his stories, whether or not Anderson is involved.  Hoss and Feffer is a take on the traditional tortoise-and-the-hare tale, superimposed on the video game culture that has absorbed the last few generations of today's youth.

As a first indication of what FishTank will ultimately represent, H&F suggests that Trembley has his finger on the pulse of a child's perspective on the world which is not, as he'd hoped, childish but rather filled with possibility, the way Watterson and Baum and Dr. Seuss represented it.  Much of what we expect from entertainment not in the form of video games seems to be featured in animated movies these days, filled with moral lessons, but Trembley correctly suggests that children don't always want adults to talk down to them.  If strange and bizarre things happen to them, kids are likely to try and figure out what happens next.  That's what Trembley allows to develop, too.

Hoss and Feffer is his initial offering.  It suggests that Manny Trembley is on to something. 

Batman Incorporated #4 (DC)

writer: Grant Morrison
artist: Chris Burnham

Those who worry about the continuity issues between the New 52 version of DC and what came before must still have a problem with Batman Incorporated, which in its original incarnation was Grant Morrison's concluding arc in his grand vision of the Dark Knight.  The series relaunched as part of the second wave of the New 52, and as such is about a year behind the average numbering for the publisher's books.

This is fine, because in any incarnation the series has always been the most accessible Batman from Morrison, even if certain elements demand that you know a few things, such as who all those allies are that've been featured in recent issues.  They're actually the manifestation of the title cooperative, formally known as the Club of Heroes but now so mainstream that Batwing has his own book.  Still most of them have only made sporadic appearances, and the focus remains on Batman and his current Robin, who happens to be his son by way of Talia Head, daughter of Ra's al Ghul.  Talia is the main villain in Morrison's endgame, and is reshaping Gotham in much the way Dr. Hurt attempted to in "Batman R.I.P.," but in that instance mostly in the Dark Knight's head.

Robin, Damian Wayne, has reshaped himself into Redbird (as far as I know a name last known in the franchise as Red Robin Tim Drake's one-time version of the famed Batmobile), who's on the cover alongside Wingman (not a reference, sadly, to How I Met Your Mother), one of the several aliases sported by Bruce Wayne in the issue.

The dynamic between the two, whatever they happen to be calling themselves, is something that has proven crucial to Morrison's Batman.  He previously worked on the first incarnation of Batman and Robin (which actually originally featured Damian and the first Robin, Dick Grayson, who is currently known as Nightwing; clearly identity has been pigeon-holed, correctly, as the dominant theme of this franchise), but it hasn't always been obvious that this would be how he ended his run, even though he's made one visit (and will again) to a point in the future where Damian has accepted the mantle of Batman for himself (must-read: Batman #666).

The series will run for twelve issues (Morrison is withdrawing from Action Comics sooner), which makes it almost sad that we have less than a year to go until it's all over.  Some fans are excited by the return of the Joker (in Scott Snyder's latest crossover event, "Death of the Family").  To me, Batman is still defined by Grant Morrison.  This is an issue that will make you dread the end of this era.