Finally made it through my stack of DC issues for this week. Here are my thoughts. There are spoilers so be aware.
Green Lantern # 67
I'll start of by saying I am a huge Green Lantern fan so my opinion of all things GL is going to be a bit biased. This issue was an action packed conclusion to a great story arc. Despite the issue being delayed and coming out over a month after the major part of the story, the ending seemed rushed. From out of no where, both Kyle and Hal have gained the ability to do things they could not have done 5 min ago. To release the other lanterns from the Book of the Black, Kyle draws a picture of them escaping and thus it happens. Hal kills Krona with a huge ring blast, and we are told afterwards by the Guardians that his will overwrote the programing of the ring which would not have otherwise been able to kill a Guardian. There should be something before Hal kills Krona showing him overpowering the ring. The big reveal of the issue is that Sinestro is once again a Green Lantern, and I actually like this. Ever since the end of the Sinestro Corps War, it has felt like Johns was trying to redeem Sinestro's character. Hal is stripped of his ring and returned to Earth as he is deemed a threat to the Guardians. Doubt this will last too long.
Rating: Good not Great
Green Lantern Corps # 61
I can't say too much about this issue because I could not bring myself to read it much like Emerald Warriors from last week. You have this huge potentially universe altering event like the War of the Green Lanterns in which Jon Steward kills Mogo and you just write it off, I'm not even going to bother reading that. I did flip through it and glance over the issue. It isn't too awful, and there are some references to Jon killing Mogo in a conversation between him and a lantern recruit who takes over as main character for the issue. I kind of feel like there should be 80's training montage music in the background. I like the end of the issue as it shows Jon Stewart flying off still mourning the loss of Mogo. I would like to see this develop into something, but we have already been there with the destruction of Xanshi.
Rating: Not Bad, needs Work
Detective Comics # 879
The story arc that Snyder has been developing with Commissioner Gordon's son continues to blow my mind. If I can find the time I want to go back and read this issue again as its sequence of events were somewhat confusing. The story switches between Gordon secretly investigating his son James and getting Barbra to help him test the medication James is taking and Joker breaking free of Arkham. I blame the art for this confusion. It's not that I don't like the art, it just doesn't fit well. This is a very powerful issue for Gordon's character, specifically when Barbra asks him why he doesn't use any of the other resources to analyze the medicine as they could get it done quicker, and he replies that it is a family matter.
Rating: Great story, bring back Jock for the art though
Flashpoint Round-up: Booster Gold # 46, Emperor Aquaman # 2, Citizen Cold # 2, Deathstroke # 2
To save time and to keep this from being a novel instead of a blog post, I'll lump all the Flashpoint books into one section. I like what is going on in Booster Gold, even if it does seem completely unrealistic (I don't care if it is a comic, I'm using unrealistic). U.S. military sees a man flying near Coast City and assume it must be an Atlantian. Sure, because we've seen flying Atlantians and that makes way more sense that it being an undocumented meta-human. So we unleash mind controlled Doomsday on it. Bad things happen, and at the end of this week's issue, Booster may or may not have been killed by Doomsday.
Emperor Aquaman is great. It definitely shows a side to Aquaman we'd all like to see rather than how he is viewed as some wuss who can talk to fish. This Aquaman has power and determination. This book and Batman: Dark Knight of Vengeance are my favorites from Flashpoint.
As for Citizen Cold, I was never a huge fan of the Flash so I think there are some references here that I am just not getting. Cold is a hero, that is also a huge jerk, and a killer (but almost no one seems to know this). Without a reason for his actions, and you have to give me something other than just greed, I don't really care about this character good or evil.
Finally, Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager. The story here is pretty good, but could do with some back story to put it into perspective. We understand he is looking for his daughter, but how did she get captured and why is she "being passed around like meta-human currency"? Good story, good art, needs development.
Rating: Get to the (flash) Point.
Teen Titans # 97
Great story of good vs evil. This issue shows why the Teen Titans work so good, Red Robin provides narration showing how every member of the team plays their own parts. Raven finally overcomes her powers and helps defeat a horde of demons. The dialogue between Kid Flash and Superboy is classic. In the end, the titans gain a new member in Solstice whose powers conflict with Raven and in classic for, Red Robin tells her it is okay, they will find out why. Teen Titans has developed into an amazing book since J.T. Krul took it over. The last panel of the issue reveals in text that the next issue will see the return of Superboy-Prime. While he is an interesting character, just let him go he is whinny, no one cares, and he is way to powerful.
Rating: Great but overshadowed by more popular books
Batman: The Dark Knight # 3
The last issue of this series was released March 23. That's over 4 months in which I have forgotten the story. Batman (Bruce) has been investigating the disappearance of Dawn Golden, which has some kind of mystical connection. The story has a good flow to it, but the fact that there has been over 4 months since the last issue really hurts it. There is a two page spread of a demon at the end asking the Penguin to open the gates of hell for him. I can only assume I should know who this is as it is a two page spread of just his face, but the reference is lost on me.
Rating: Good, but being killed by delay
Red Robin # 25
Another issue knocked out of the park by Fabian Nicieza. Ever since the beginning of this series, ever issue has served to develop Tim Drake's character. Despite the great work DC has done to develop the character previously, I never really cared too much about him. Red Robin has seen Tim grow into his own much like Dick Grayson did as Nightwing. With the help of Cassandra Cain, he takes down the tournament of assassins and is revealed an even greater nemesis that makes what he just took down seem like "a single drop of rain". I only wish there wasn't the four pages of events afterwards. The story of helping Cain a.k.a. the Black Bat, with her problem would have made for a good issue. The wrap up with the Fox family would have made a good ending, but even it seems rushed through. And once again Red Robin has a new hideout, I believe this is his third in the so far 25 issues.
Rating: Great, with minor faults
Superman # 712
We are almost at the end of a story I like to describe as "Superman goes all Cain walking the Earth". The story, which has now spanned over a year of issues has gone almost no where with a character that has in that time made national news. I understand the story is trying to show Supes depressed. Only a short time ago he lost his father, regained and again lost his home. That is really depressing. In the Grounded story, Superman does not come off as depressed, he seems more like someone trying to find his place in the world. This issue comes off as a response to the controversy sparked by Action Comics # 900 wherein Superman said he wanted to renounce his American citizenship because he didn't want to be thought of as an agent of the state. Ever since then we have been beat over the head with "Truth, Justice, and the American Way". Honestly, DC, grow some balls. You did a good thing and showed how one man can do great things without being forced to be labeled as an agent for any government. Anyways, I'll stop ranting now. This issue does a good job of explaining counter-points to Clark's reasons not to be Superman. Look forward to the conclusion if only for the fact that it is concluding.
Rating: Good, but too much controversy. Wrap it up.
Birds of Prey # 14
Was about to sing the praises of Gail Simone when I turned around and realized, Birds of Prey changed staff. Simone's Birds of Prey was amazing, based off that run, I'd read just about anything of her's. This new issue is not bad, but it feels like a hole exists between issues 13 and 14. Hawk and Dove have somehow disappeared and we get a story that takes place in 1950 Argentina and has repercussions in the present. I don't know why DC decided to change staff for this book in its last 2 issues, they really should have Simone finish out the run. I get the feeling it has something to do with the DCnU reboot. The issue is not a bad read overall, it just leaves you with the sense that something is missing though.
Rating: Nice read, but bad ending for an amazing series
Batgirl # 23
This book has made me a little jealous. Not to sound too chauvinistic, but as an aspiring writer that is male, I have a problem writing female characters. Bryan Miller has done a great job doing this in Batgirl. I feel slightly ashamed that Batgirl remains at the bottom of my DC pile. The writing on this book is really good, but it is overshadowed as it is not a mainstream tittle. Batgirl finally defeats the techno-suit wearing Reapers with some help from her friends Supergirl, Miss Martian, Bombshell, and Stargirl. There is a great exchange between Batgirl and one of the Reapers where the Reaper calls her weak because she couldn't handle the Reapers alone. Batgirl replies "knowing when I need someone watch my back only makes me stronger". The big reveal on the last page is that her father is behind the Reapers is great, but as I don't know who he is it is a little lost on me. As the text for the next issue reveals, the next issue concludes this Batgirl as Stephine Brown is not Batgirl in the DCnU, I'll save my opinion on this for when I take the time to type up a rant about the upcoming DCnU.
Rating: Great, going to miss this character.
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