Can't Put Off These Reviews Forever

Three for now; two feh, one great.

The Battle for Bludhaven 1
I will not be reading issue 2. I usually give a new title a few issues at the very least, and mini-series the full run, but this was just too dreadful for me to contemplate trying the next one. What an f'in mess. On the cover, in the bottom right corner, there's a sign intended as part of the art: "DO NOT ENTER By Order of the United States Government." Consider it a warning.

I couldn't keep track of all the poorly drawn characters, poorly drawn in the sense that it was dfficult to tell them apart, especially with the dark coloring. The telling point here is that I didn't care that I couldn't tell them apart. If something important happens in this series, I'll have to learn about it some other way, maybe by reading blogs. heh

JSA Classified 11
The Vandal Savage storyline continues. he continues to dominate, but at least some of the JSA appeared. I'm not overly fond of Gulacy's art. I tolerated it on Catwoman and I'm tolerating it here. The story is inching forward, but there isn't enough going on yet for me to have anything to discuss. Maybe next installment.

Birds of Prey 93
By far the best of the 3 and one of the few superior OYL books. The trade of place Shiva and Dinah have engaged in is explained a bit, Dinah shows what she's capable of and yet is off the mark as she struggled to figure out the tests Mother set for her. And the case the rest of the birds are on is moving forward.

The art is nice, but except for the hairstyles and costumes, it's difficult at times to tell the dark-haired female characters apart. I've been spoiled by artists who can draw nuances in the various characters.

But the main thing here is that Gail Simone understands the concept of OYL perhaps better than anyone writing at DC right now, or at least is among a very few. She's not changing things for change's sake. And the changes all have a logic for the characters. Dinah wanting to experience what Shiva did in her training is fully in character and the switching of places gives the group dynamic of the birds a bit of, uh, goosing (sorry, couldn't resist). Gail is mixing things up without making drastic changes. Above all, she's writing a solid story, blending two plotlines seamlessly, pacing things to perfection, and generally, entertaining BoP's readers by remembering character is as important as action.

So far, OYL has been a mixed bag.