Countdown to Final Crisis 2
It was a bit odd for Superman to just let Darkseid and Orion battle it out, given all the damage that would cause, but I guess for Supes and the others to intercede, or try to, might've made it worse. A nice action-packed issue.
Flash 239
Nothing like a bit of mind control. Things are moving along, and now that Jay's been affected, Wally doesn't look like a jerk. This isn't the best book out there by far, but it's nice, easy, fun entertainment.
Brave and Bold 12
I was getting very annoyed with this with the way the guys on the Challs were treating June, but she showed them, displaying courage and ingenuity. So, a nice, solid end, especially when the guys were broken up when they thought she was dead, then when their hopes soared when they realized she might be alive somewhere out there. The *bold* experiment of doing a 12-issue arc to start off this revival of a classic book worked out well.
Suicide Squad 8
Another solid ending for an extended story. The scenes with Deadshot and Boomer Jr were nice, and Boomer came through. And as usual, Waller lands on her feet. She must have some feline blood in her. I'll miss this.
Catwoman 78
The cover does creep me out with Selina biting Cheetah's lip, but the story was good. I especially enjoyed Slam's search for Selina. I will really miss this title. Catwoman might show up elsewhere, but what about Slam? And what about a reunion someday between Selina and Holly?
This week...
Countdown to Final Crisis 1
A letdown from last week. Just wrap up vignettes, some silliness about monitoring the monitors, and clear evidence that the whole year was just prologue to the Final Crisis. I was hoping for a more universe-changing, charged up, emotional ending the way 52 concluded.
Birds of Prey 117
Manhunter guests! And Zinda and Huntress show up for the big rescue. Babs shows faith in Misfit who proves it's well-placed, and realizes she's been doubting herself because of what Superman said to her and then taking it out on the Birds. Nice character bits in this.
Justice League of America 20
One of the oddest, and uglier, covers I've seen from DC in a long while. And I had to repeatedly check it to make sure it was JLA I was reading and not another issue of Flash, guest-starring Wonder Woman and some other JLAers. Focusing on a few JLAers is fine, as with Roy and Vixen a while back because neither has a solo book or gets enough attention. But Flash and WW have their own books and this was a lot of talk, nearly half the *story*, about Wally's inattention to his JLA duties/responsibilities. Yawn. Brad might not have paced his stories well for the format, but at least, things happened and there were emotions. So far, McDuffie's run is leaving me flat, and he's had to share time with the tie-in Salvation Run stories, so he shouldn't waste his pages. The only thing worth it this issue was van Scriver's gorgeous art, especially the full panels of Flash and Wonder Woman.
I have to admit that Countdown drove me nuts. The penultimate issue at least had a big flashy battle, but the ultimate issue, was just infuriating. Nothing has really changed for so many of the characters after this huge drawn-out affair, and it's annoying.
ReplyDeleteFlash is just fun. I still don't see why Batman couldn't just give Wally a stipend for being in the Justice League so that he could support his family. Loved to see Jay.
Brave & the Bold is also fun. A little convoluted but fun. I enjoyed Hal of course. And Superman was smart!
Loved Suicide Squad. Nice to see Boomer Jr. and Deadshot have a bonding moment, they are probably my two favorite characters next to Waller, Faraday and Count Vertigo. I don't know WHY I like Count Vertigo, it may have to do with how dashing he looks in a cape.
Birds of Prey was nice. Good to see Babs out of her funk.
Now, I actually liked JLA. Lovely art for a change, and a decent story.
brave and the bold did tie up nicely and i really like the story structure. megistus was also a pretty cool villain visually this book has set a nice template for itself.
ReplyDeletethe last 2 issues of crisis were good. 2 better than 1 and i actually like the conclusion that our challengers become the monitors monitors its an interesting idea that has been touched on in comics before but not really in a cosmic level way.
I agree the art in JLA was nice, but I also like Ed Benes' art, so that wasn't a big difference for me. But since McDuffie took the reins, the book hasn't felt like a team book of major proportions. JLA should be more than little stories. You use the little stories as a change of pace.
ReplyDeleteStephen, I agree that monitoring the monitors is an intriguing idea, but why those heroes? What gives them the right? And the whole build-up to it wasn't what it could have been. I hope this will be fully and properly developed in Final Crisis.