I Read Some More Comics

There was quite the stack of new comics this week. Here's what I read today, with possible spoilers.

Countdown Presents The Search for Ray Palmer Wildstorm
I wasn't planning on reading these, but it was the Wildstorm universe, so what the heck. It was a fun bit of fluff, with some silly jealousy on Kyle's part re: Jason. For his part, Jason was a bit possessive of Donna, and all I could think of was how much better Roy is for her. However, the book was ultimately disappointing because there was almost no WildCats involvement, other than Majestic (who is/was/isn't/wasn't on the team) and a non-speaking cameo by my beloved Grifter.

Green Lantern 23
Lethal force authorized! Scary stuff here. Unlike Amazons Attack, the Sinestro Corps War feels like an actual war, with intrigue, courage, heroism, and realistic characters, aliens and humans. This war has weight and isn't just a bloodbath. The inclusion of Hal's brother and family as a framing sequence added a level of import, driving it home that innocent lives are at stake. Nicely done, all around. Oh, and the art was great.

Booster Gold 2
It don't get better than this. Time travel. Time paradoxes. Earlier versions of established characters. The art nicely captured Michael and any book with Sinestro before he went all evil and with the lovable Skeets has got to be good. I loved seeing the pre-coma Guy and the whole bit with him being prevented from being the greatest GL because of Booster was priceless. Rip being, well, nearly ripped to shreds, Jonah Hex next, and who is in the Supernova costume? keep this title sizzling.

Countdown 33
Y'know, the hunt for Ray has been fun, but sheesh, it's everywhere. Fortunately, it didn't really dominate this issue. Which, given the Wildstorm crossover book reviewed above and Atom 15, is a good thing because I think I'm close to ODing on the storyline. Wally, Trickster and Piper make for fun scenes, Mary Marvel is a loose cannon, the Jimmy Olsen plot got more intriguing, and in general, the pieces are starting to come together.

Justice Society of America 9
Power Girl as a sexy woman, not a sex object. I love the realism of Alex Ross' covers and inside, Eaglesham and Jose render a PG with the smallest cutout on her costume's upper section. Sure, she's still big-chested, but she's all woman, not some grotesque inflatable doll created out of fanboy wetdreams. There are lots of nice bits. All the kids. Ted and his son sparring. Acknowledgment of the time Jesse and Grant were in the Titans together. Starman opening the black hole to save them all, and being carried to safety by the Kingdom Come Superman. Great stuff here that leaves me eager for the next ish.

Justice League of America Wedding Special
Well, a lot of fun, but not quite what I expected. So, when do Dinah and Ollie actually tie the knot, get hitched, marry, etc? Artwise, I enjoy McKone and Lanning's work, but I thought, out of costume, that Roy looked too chunky instead of muscular, and Joker looked almost normal as in he had too many facial expressions. His dialogue was topnotch, tho. Luther's band of unmerry men and women are a formidable group and the danger in this opening chapter was palpable. Hal and Bruce were priceless in their non-conversations. Bruce was in full "I'm Batman and I know everything" mode. And Hal helping to pave the way for John Stewart to show up in the JLA was nicely handled as well.

There was one word balloon that either was pointed to the wrong head at the bachelor party, or simply didn't make sense to me. In the previous panel, Roy grabs Ollie and says, "I love you, old man!" and Ollie asks when he started drinking. So far, so good. Logically, Roy gets the next line of dialogue, but the balloon is pointed to Ollie who says, "You know, for a touchy-feely, granola-eating, Prius-driving child of the sixties, you're awfully uncomfortable with expressions of real emotion." Now, that would barely describe Ollie, himself, although with so much retconning, the rich cad of the '60s who took in Roy and went gallivanting as GA might just be touchy-feely, but even though Roy had been a child of the '60s, and Ollie a generation earlier, no way Roy grew up in the '60s if we assume the DCU is in 2007. Connor's line that follows supports Roy as the speaker, not Ollie.

Okay, that was a lot of pixels wasted on one word errant word balloon. I do love that McDuffie displays a good grasp of the characters. Roy and Hal had the easygoing rapport one would expect given their history together. It was Hal, of course, who saved Roy by finding him in the alley in Chinatown and taking him to Dinah's where he went cold turkey from his heroin addiction. And Batman taking Roy with him to investigate the crime scene, intentional or not, echoed the Batman plus Arsenal one-shot, though Roy's not as intimidated by Bruce these days. I did think the Injustice League took Diana, Kendra, Roy, and Bruce down rather easily, all things considered, but maybe because they were just twosomes and when they're playing at full strength as a team, things will be different.

I could go on and on about this, but McDuffie is showing me that he's got what it takes and Roy and everyone else are in good hands.