Some quickie reviews as I try, as usual, to catch up.
Justice League of America 34
Not bad. It wasn't the JLA that I particularly want to read about, but it was a nice enough conclusion to the current story arc.
Wonder Woman 33
Gail Simone concluded the Rise of the Olympian arc. Maybe. There's nothing new about Diana being on her own, without the Amazons, which is how this ends, but Gail made it feel fresh, and Lopresti's art, with inking by Matt Ryan, is among the best I've seen on this book.
Justice Society 27-28
A fill-in 2-parter by Jerry Ordway, with art supplied by Bob Wiacek, to bridge the gap til the new team takes over. The first half was better than the second, which got a bit bogged down with repition over the Hiroshima ghosts and it felt as if nothing was happening. But in essence, this felt stale.
Power Girl
Aside from my love for Amanda Connor's art, I found myself nearly breathless as PG tried valiantly to get free of the "crazy monkey guy" and I'm looking forward to seeing how she finally manages it. Palmiotti writes crisp dialogue, giving PG a strong personality. The cover is stunning.
Supergirl 42
Gates, Igle, and Sibal continue the restoration of Kara as a strong character who can carry a book on her own. This is a Kara with real feelings, deep emotional conflicts, a determination to do what's right, and a youthful energy to back it up. Finally, she has a supporting cast that actually supports her. Her scenes with Lana have been great, and in this issue, the interaction between Kara and Lois after Lois learns about Lucy's activities and death were painfully realistic. Kara/Supergirl is definitely back, and I couldn't be happier. Or more relieved.
Green Arrow and Black Canary 21
With the "clever" title of Green Arrow vs Black Canary. The lack of speech is a gimmick, but it's playing out better than I'd thought past the initial scene last issue (I think I'm remembering that correctly, but the book hasn't been all that memorable lately), with the words coming in thoughts only. Ollie has his hands full with his stalker, and while the book continues to be a disappointment (I'd hoped for more Nick and Nora Charles that some bad comedy act), this issue was better than expected. At least it wasn't dull.
Secret Six 10
A new story as creepy or more so than the last gets started, with the gang in a rather nasty predicament at the chapter's end. Good times, folks. This is my favorite team book right now.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Attention Span of a Gnat
I have been reading comics, just not all that quickly, but I hope I have a good excuse. I've been playing with my new digital slr camera (a Canon Rebel T1i). I got a nifty macro lens for it and have been playing. This is a shot with the macro lens of the Catwoman Heroclix figure.The pile of comics here continues to grow and I suspect it soon will be as tall as me (and I'm just under 5'3"). I'll get to them and reviews of them soonish, or at least, that's the plan.
Happy Father's Day to all fathers out there.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Short and Sweet
The stack of comics waiting to be read is now a mountain. Actually, two of them. *sigh* Here's what I read recently.
Titans 14
I skimmed this. It focused on Vic. He ended up deciding a social life would be nice and went on a date. For some reason, I feel as if we've been through this before. Plus, it was boring.
Trinity 51-52
Nice end to this weekly series that cut to the heart of what makes Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman tick, and why they're the mind, heart, and soul of the DCU.
Greem Arrow and Black Canary 20
GA and BC see a marriage counselor, Dinah flashes back to discovering her Canary cry when she was a teen, Ollie's crazy stalker is back, and some other stuff happened. I must still be reading this for Ollie and Dinah; it can't be for the stories.
Justice League of America 33
Some nice moments for Dr. Light don't make up for the complete mess this book became. I appreciate the frustrations McDuffie had on this book re: editorial issues, but I'm hoping the next writer finds a way to make this work, because really, when the main characters become a sidenote in their own team book, something's wrong. And when the best part of a book is a preview for another book, well, that's the end right there.
Supergirl 41
Now here's a turnaround that worked. Rather than try to fix the mess left by his predecessors and risk making something murky murkier, Sterling Gates started writing a superior version of Kara, gave her a whole new outlook, a supporting cast that makes sense, and worked her into the overall Superman storyline to give SG a cohesive storyline and solid place in the DCU. His characterizations, pacing, dialogue, and plotting are first rate. After the big reveal of last issue re: Superwoman, he didn't stop with the surprises, and gave Kara a real jolt that will no doubt resonate for the next story arc and beyond. Kara matters again, and I couldn't be happier.
Wonder Woman 32
Gail Simone has really put Diana through the wringer since taking over this book and Diana is the better for it. She's stronger than she's ever been, physically and emotionally. She's a survivor, tough but fair, caring and determined, confident and capable, and when she's at her lowest, she claws her way back up, yet she never compromises her principles, no matter how frustrated, angry, or desperate she gets. As for where she and Tom might end up, who knows, but there's nothing simple or cliched about their relationship.
Batman and Robin 1
I haven't read an actual Batman book, other than the crossovers (notably The Search for Oracle and the gangwar storyline when Stephanie Brown was supposedly killed). I read the peripheral titles, mainly Nightwing, Catwoman, and Birds of Prey. I was getting tired of Bruce and as with Superman, decided, when I returned to comics in the mid-'90s, to not read the main Batman and Sueprman titles to help keep things manageable (yeah, that coulda worked out better). But I knew Dick won the cowl, so I picked this up, trusting Morrison and loving Quitely's art, and I was far from disappointed. This was fun. Creepy villains, strong dialogue, perfect characterization, and a sense of wonder put this title on my pull list. I don't know Damian well, and I don't really like him, but he's a good counterpoint to Dick. Personality-wise, Dick and Bruce were very different, and that holds for Dick and Damian. Dick and Tim would've lacked that byplay, as they have felt more like brothers when they've teamed up in the past. Dick and Damian have the feel of the old Bruce and Dick team, with a difference, a role reversal when their personalities are considered. Quitely's art is the perfect complement, catching nuances in expressions and filling in details in the backgrounds. The book is a perfect jumping on point and it's a great example of the sort of thing that made me fall in love with comics in the first place.
Zorro 13
This continues to excel, getting better and better with each issue, with its new spin on an old, beloved character. Solid writing and art keep this book on my list of favorites.
Titans 14
I skimmed this. It focused on Vic. He ended up deciding a social life would be nice and went on a date. For some reason, I feel as if we've been through this before. Plus, it was boring.
Trinity 51-52
Nice end to this weekly series that cut to the heart of what makes Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman tick, and why they're the mind, heart, and soul of the DCU.
Greem Arrow and Black Canary 20
GA and BC see a marriage counselor, Dinah flashes back to discovering her Canary cry when she was a teen, Ollie's crazy stalker is back, and some other stuff happened. I must still be reading this for Ollie and Dinah; it can't be for the stories.
Justice League of America 33
Some nice moments for Dr. Light don't make up for the complete mess this book became. I appreciate the frustrations McDuffie had on this book re: editorial issues, but I'm hoping the next writer finds a way to make this work, because really, when the main characters become a sidenote in their own team book, something's wrong. And when the best part of a book is a preview for another book, well, that's the end right there.
Supergirl 41
Now here's a turnaround that worked. Rather than try to fix the mess left by his predecessors and risk making something murky murkier, Sterling Gates started writing a superior version of Kara, gave her a whole new outlook, a supporting cast that makes sense, and worked her into the overall Superman storyline to give SG a cohesive storyline and solid place in the DCU. His characterizations, pacing, dialogue, and plotting are first rate. After the big reveal of last issue re: Superwoman, he didn't stop with the surprises, and gave Kara a real jolt that will no doubt resonate for the next story arc and beyond. Kara matters again, and I couldn't be happier.
Wonder Woman 32
Gail Simone has really put Diana through the wringer since taking over this book and Diana is the better for it. She's stronger than she's ever been, physically and emotionally. She's a survivor, tough but fair, caring and determined, confident and capable, and when she's at her lowest, she claws her way back up, yet she never compromises her principles, no matter how frustrated, angry, or desperate she gets. As for where she and Tom might end up, who knows, but there's nothing simple or cliched about their relationship.
Batman and Robin 1
I haven't read an actual Batman book, other than the crossovers (notably The Search for Oracle and the gangwar storyline when Stephanie Brown was supposedly killed). I read the peripheral titles, mainly Nightwing, Catwoman, and Birds of Prey. I was getting tired of Bruce and as with Superman, decided, when I returned to comics in the mid-'90s, to not read the main Batman and Sueprman titles to help keep things manageable (yeah, that coulda worked out better). But I knew Dick won the cowl, so I picked this up, trusting Morrison and loving Quitely's art, and I was far from disappointed. This was fun. Creepy villains, strong dialogue, perfect characterization, and a sense of wonder put this title on my pull list. I don't know Damian well, and I don't really like him, but he's a good counterpoint to Dick. Personality-wise, Dick and Bruce were very different, and that holds for Dick and Damian. Dick and Tim would've lacked that byplay, as they have felt more like brothers when they've teamed up in the past. Dick and Damian have the feel of the old Bruce and Dick team, with a difference, a role reversal when their personalities are considered. Quitely's art is the perfect complement, catching nuances in expressions and filling in details in the backgrounds. The book is a perfect jumping on point and it's a great example of the sort of thing that made me fall in love with comics in the first place.
Zorro 13
This continues to excel, getting better and better with each issue, with its new spin on an old, beloved character. Solid writing and art keep this book on my list of favorites.
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