Had to take care of some personal business that got sprung on me Friday afternoon. I will try to get these reviews up quicker in the future.
War of the Green Lanterns Aftermath #1 of 2
Maybe its just me, but DC's comic line really seems to be suffering from the thought that "we are rebooting in just over a month so nothing that is happening really matters". There is some talk on the internets that in GL # 67 last week and this issue that the characters are acting "out of character" this issue did a good job of showing why that is, although it must have gone over reviews heads. The Green Lantern Corps is suffering from PTSD after having their minds controlled by Krona and force to become his army of killers. I know this is only half of the story, but it still feels lacking. The story doesn't move forward, the issue only deals with immediate issues. It shows Hal on Earth being depressed and feeling like he is no one without his ring. I really don't like were DC is going with Hal's story. No one wants to see mopey Hal Jordan. The big plot point, Sinestro once again wearing a GL ring goes absolutely no where. There are some angry words said, Kilowog tries to quit, and the Guardians decide to have a closed meeting with Sinestro to decide what to do with him, and that is all we get on the subject. I would have liked to at least see some debate among the Guardians and Sinestro as I can only imagine that is what the concluding issue will cover. Kyle Raynor tries to protect Jon Stewart when some friends of Mogo come gunning for him, but that only leads to a confrontation between the two senior lanterns. Its obvious Jon is upset about what he had to do, but he really just comes of as a dick.
Rating: Good, but needs more plot development
Batman Gates of Gotham # 3
I am enjoying this series as it shows Gotham City being built and how the three families, the Waynes, Elliots, and Cobelbotts, were responsible. It contrasts with a yet unnamed villain that is working in the present to destroy Gotham threw the "Gates". In each issue we learn different things that "gates" could refer to. In the first issue it is believed to be the massive suspension bridges that link parts of the city as one of them is blown up. Along the way we find out that "gates" could also refer to the three families or also to the two brothers that are the main characters in the past stories whose last name is Gates. These brothers were the architects that designed the newer buildings in Gotham such as Cobelpott's Iceburg Lounge and Wayne Tower. The writing is really well done and includes the majority of the Bat family, only Bruce is missing which seems odd as the story revolves around a massive threat to Gotham City, his city.
Rating: Good read, sadly only a five issue series.
Batman # 712
Having recently finished The Long Halloween, this arc has been a good followup. Harvey Dent and his wife Gilda are reunited after a confrontation with Mario Falcone who had taken Two-Face's coin and at some point found Gilda and seeming was having a relationship with her. Batman (Grayson) tries to save Gilda from Dent as he is seemingly about to shot her, but we don't get to see the result of the coin flip that is to determine her fate. Gilda shoots Batman with a .22 which his cowl absorbs the majority of the impact. He is knocked out only to awaken back at the Bat bunker. The is a side story going on with the Riddler and his daughter Enigma. This serves as the end of the issue in a very lack luster kind of way.
Rating: Decent story arc, but bad ending
Justice League of America # 59
Epic battle with Eclipso on the Moon, only they defeat him by making him think he has won. While distracted, all the heroes present with light-based powers pour it on and Eclipso is beaten. The moon, which was split is repaired off panel and everyone lives happily ever after. Only, cut to five weeks later and a special meeting of the JLA so they can disband. Another good example of DC doing whatever they feel like as in just over a month it won't matter anyhow.
Rating: The Atom cheers the new league, and thus they disband....WTF!?
Titans # 37
Deathstroke plays God to keep his son from dying a horrible death. Then tells his team he can use the Methuselah Machine Dr. Sivana has built to bring back their dead loved ones. The team agrees, some reluctantly, except for seeming newly created character of Cinder. This comes off as kind of hollow as she hasn't had much development, but Roy Harper joins her because he finally comes to the conclusion that he doesn't need drugs to remember his daughter. Jericho fights back as he feels responsible for all the murders his father committed to save him. Jericho attacks and presumably possesses Deathstroke as the issue closes.
Rating: Good series that has had lots of ups and downs, look forward to conclusion after this issue.
Superman/Batman # 86
A reporter working on a story about Batman's secret identity has been found dead in Gotham. The evidence seems to point towards Batman, and Clark Kent is sent from the Daily Planet to wrap up the story. Both Batman and Superman work on finding out what happened to the reporter in their own ways. On the closing page, the Joker is about to attack Clark with a large mallet.
Rating: Mediocre story for what has become a mediocre series, not sad to see this one go
Zatanna # 15
Bring back Paul Dini. This is another of those series where someone other than the established writer has been brought in to finish it off. Much like Birds of Prey, this series really suffers from not having a writer who knows the character, In the past few issues we have gotten single issue stories that only feel like a waste of time. In this issue, Zatanna is randomly attacked by a group of witch hunters who she eventually teleports to the Salem Witch trials.
Rating: Not worth the paper it is printed on... if not for the art
Hellblazer # 281
I have to confess, I didn't really get into this series until after I saw the movie Constantine. The movie is awful when you compare it to the source material. I haven't read it in a long time so I don't yet understand all that is going on, but the current arc has been a real good one. In a way, I hate that DC is bringing Constantine back into DC continuity as he is very strongly a Vertigo character. Hopefully, as they no longer use the Comic Book Code, his DC iteration will be much like the Vertigo. Glad to see Peter Milligan still writing him in DC. This issue of Hellblazer concluded a arc where John's niece has been trying to get vengeance against him for raping her some years past. It turns out that was the act of John's evil copy, and he had no idea it had happened. Constantine is saved from the demon she trapped him with by his wife Epiphany. The plot of this issue revolves around Constantine and how he has never really been afraid to face down evil, but now he is and it is all because of his feelings for his wife.
Flashpoint Wrap-Up: Deadman and the Flying Graysons #2, Wonder Woman & the Furies #2, The Outsider #2, and Legion of Doom #2
Deadman and the Flying Graysons has been a good series, but I am honestly glad it is only going to be three issues. Wonder Woman's furies attack Haley's Circus looking for the Helm of Nabu. Dick escaped along with Deadman and his father who is dying. They are led away by former Count Vertigo who is working with the resistance. While it is a good series, it seems to only serve to show what other characters away from the main plot are doing.
Wonder Woman and the Furies goes back to show us the beginning of the war between the Amazons and Atlantis. In the end of the issue, Wonder Woman kills Mera. It is hinted at that the two may have become friends while Diana was in Atlantis, but not much evidence is given to support this.
The Outsider is a prime example of DC doing whatever before the reboot. This character was created specifically for the Flashpoint event, and will never be seen again. Not enough depth is given to him for the reader to care about anything he does, and he is so far removed from the central plot that no one cares anyway.
Legion of Doom is not much better than the Outsider. At least it centers around an established character of Heatwave, but that is about all it has going for it. I would like to see this series cross over with Citizen Cold, even though that series barely has any more going for it than this one. Also, Plastic Man is in Legion of Doom, but don't call him that cause it makes him angry, and you wouldn't like him when he gets angry, I guess.
Rating: Saved this for last cause it goes into my next topic, but once again, Get to the (flash) point
I was not able to go to Comic Con this year, college kind of comes first right now. I have been reading a lot of news coming out of comic con, specifically the many panels DC held. Everything we want to know about Flashpoint, i.e. the why, the how, and what comes next won't be revealed until the final issues of Flashpoint, and a few of the extra series wrap ups. This is a bad move, as those details are what you use to hook the readers. The majority of the event has been bad, and no matter how good it could have been, it would still be overshadowed by the looming reboot. At Comic Con it was revealed that Flashpoint will tie directly into the reboot, with the last page of Flashpoint # 5 being in the DCnU. Also, without revealing how, it was said that characters such as Stephanie Brown will still be around post-reboot.
The point I am at now about the reboot is where DC wanted people two months ago when this was revealed. Still upset about the renumbering, but I believe like a lot of others do, that the big numbers will still be celebrated. Maybe this reboot won't be so bad after all. The preview they released this week did a good job of shinning a good light on the reboot, even if it didn't reveal much more info.
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