First Reads

First, for anyone and everyone who's friended me on ComicSpace, I really have intended to visit your pages (well, I have at least done that) and leave comments (mea culpa, that I haven't managed to do), but time has been short, stress has been high, and I still don't quite get the whole idea of ComicSpace, but I'm gonna do my best to be social, which isn't my strong suit.

I came home with what can be described only as a "shitload" of comics. This was a very busy week for the last week of the year. The highlight is The Huntress: Darknight Daughter. I won't need to actually read the stories as I've read them when they were first published. I'll read the intro and then I'm gonna revel in the wonders of the first and best Huntress: Helena Wayne.

And with such a large haul, I don't know when I'll get 'em all read, but I did rush through 2 on the subway ride home, in the dim light of a crowded train. So maybe I missed a few things.

Justice League of America 5
There is something about an articulate Solomon Grundy that I find deeply disturbing. Just wanted to get that out of the way. And he's almost a handsome fella on the cover *shudder*

This plotline has gotten a tad more convoluted than I think necessary for an opening arc, especially since the team hasn't exactly finished forming yet. Clearly, Hal invited Roy along on a "mission" he was handling with Dinah and they weren't yet part of the JLA, or so it seems. Okay, fine, I can live with that. And by the end, we do finally have the big three onsite. Yay.

Things I'm having just a teensy bit of a problem with. I like 2-page spreads as much as the next comics fan, but some of these are impossible for me to decipher. Half the time, I'm reading in the wrong direction. And while I love Benes' art and don't mind the cheesecake if I get my share of beefcake shots (and there were no Roy butt shots but plenty of Vixen's ass), I thought Diana's outfit could've used an extra inch or two of fabric in the area where legs meets body. I shouldn't be able to tell that if she's wearing panties, they must be a thong. Storywise, I don't know what Geo-Force has to do with things, so maybe this wasn't the time to intro another element into the story? Unless he plays a role in the story next issue, of course.

Things I did like: the Vixen scenes were lovely and beautifully drawn. Roy ogling Kendra and muttering "Pretty Bird." That was pretty cute, as was Black Lightning's ribbing him about it. Oddly enough, I don't think I like Roy cleanshaven. And I guess I'll pretend his sleeve is just long enough to cover the tattoo no one seems to want to draw on his upper arm anymore.

52 34
What a cliffhanger to end the year! Some real movement in the stories. Never thought I'd feel sorry for Black Adam, but I do. And Amanda Waller is such a bitch, even moreso here than she's been in Checkmate. At least in that book, she comes across as ruthless but dedicated. Here she seems to enjoy crossing the line from decency to bully. Maybe the events of 52 tempered her a bit. .... Nah.

Neat moves by Babs to get Dinah and John into place. Natasha looks like maybe he's finally getting through for her. And did I miss something? How did Lex get his hands on Clark? The scene was pretty funny, though. This is the time anyone would be able to inject him. I can't imagine anyone not being moved by Charlie dying and the way Renee has stuck with him. Her depth of emotion, her growth as a character so far during 52 has been amazing. If for nothing else, 52 has been a success in my mind for its handling of Renee and Ralph and their storylines. And the countdown to New Year's superimposed with the countdown to Charlie's death managed to stay above the corny, maudlin level. It's not easy interweaving so many storylines and to give each starring character enough panel time, but the creative team has more than risen to the occasion. There might be slow moments and other moments that don't quite work, but overall, this book has been great.

Finally, the Zatanna origin was nicely drawn and told. I don't think she ever looked better.
~~~o0o~~~

I'm thinking I need a shtik, a something that defines this blog. A regular feature perhaps. But there's a danger there. Readers will come to expect it and what if I miss a time? Worse, what if it flops? What if I can't come up with anything clever. So many good ideas have already been taken and are in use on many fine comics blogs. Such is my dilemma.