Some Reviews

We're now in the post-Nu52 era, aka DC You, or who the hell knows what. Since continuity isn't a big deal right now, I've decided to think of each book as being part of a different part of the multiverse. This approach will influence which DC books I read.

I have to stick with Red Hood/Arsenal (and can a title be worse?) because it has Roy Harper, he's being written decently, and while the book could be a lot better, it doesn't suck. I'm giving Starfire a try, even though it seems to be featuring a version of Kory who recently arrived on Earth, not the one who Roy is pining for in Red Hood/Arsenal. I'm sticking with Gotham Academy because it seems to be in its own bubble within the DC books.

I'm also sticking with Harley Quinn because it's a continuation of the book I've been enjoying, no changes evident. And because of that, and because I love the way Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner write it, I'm going with Harley Quinn/Power Girl. This is a limited series, I believe, covering the time Harley, in full fangirl mode, convinced an amnesiac Peej that they were a crimefighting duo. It was a fun sequence in the main Harley book and this is more of the same, but for some reason, it felt redundant to me. I'll continue reading it, but the regular Harley book is better, always moving on to the next wacky thing or, more accurately, always adding on more wackiness, rather than sticking with one thing. A joke can get old kinda quickly.

Black Canary 1

I love the art. Annie Wu brings a simple, edgy, cartoonish style to one of my favorite characters, yet puts a lot of expression in the faces. Brenden Fletcher is handling writing chores. I figure this is a new approach to the character and if it continues anything from the Nu52 books, I don't know it, so this is all new to me. Dinah is singing with a group of gals called Black Canary, and violence seems to accompany all their gigs. There's some mystery about Dinah's past that she doesn't want to talk about and even more mystery surrounding the youngest member of the group. I'm intrigued. Confused, but intrigued and willing to give this time to find its groove.

Ms. Marvel 16

The world seems to have gone wild, and Kamala has her hands full, especially when her decidedly former boyfriend Kamran shows up and tells her her brother might be an Inhuman, too. Things are spiraling out of control, but then, someone special shows up to help. Next issue should be awesome! This one was really good.

Black Canary and Zatana: Bloodspell

Paul Dini and Joe Quinones did a wonderful job with this in a story that includes flashbacks to their first meeting as teens. The story involves a past case of Dinah's that's come back to haunt her, literally, and she needs the help of Zatana's magic to end the threat. Originally published in 2014, this seems set in its own part of the multiverse, one with Dinah and Ollie as a couple (or was that going on in the Nu52? I have no clue.). As entertaining as the actual case is, better is the friendship over the years between Dinah and Zee. Definitely worth reading.

Astro City 24

This is one of the books that routinely brings tears to my eyes at the end of nearly every story, tears of joy. Sticks, the super strong, intelligent, music loving, ex-soldier gorilla just wants to be a professional drummer, but old enemies keep threatening his bandmates. A solution is found, one that has so much heart. I hope we see Sticks again sometime.

Lazarus 17

With her father in a coma he's not expected to survive, Forever Carlyle prepares for war with Hock and his allies. This is a dark book about a dark, dystopian future, but oh, so good.

Empty Zone 1

I like most of the books Image publishes, so I decided to give this a try. The art is nice and evocative, the writing good, the story confusing but interesting. Jason Shawn Alexander handles writing and art chores and while I want to really love this, I'm not quite connecting with it. I'll give it a few more issues to see where it's going, but1 so far, all I know is that is has to do with talking to the dead. Which I got from the inside back cover, where the subtitle "conversations with the dead" appears.