Doc Savage

Doc Savage is part of the First Wave universe at DC and his is a testosterone-filled realm. Which doesn't bother me as such and Doc's female cousin Pat, a newswoman, does show up for a bit. Doc is Mister-Can-Do-Anything. He's a doctor, an inventor, a warrior, a perfect physical specimen, a... well, you get the point. But he does sometimes make mistakes, so he isn't perfect. Whew! He is human, after all.

His team are an interesting lot, but much as I like the art, it isn't always easy to tell some of the team members apart. The stories have been over the top, but entertaining enough to keep me reading, for now. I thought the diversity in the First Wave mini made for a better book, though. The tone in First Wave was very noir, and it's noirish here, too, but more adventure, too. The second storyline is focused around a war theme and a fallen comrade who isn't dead, after all.

But the book is worth it for the backup feature, Justice, Inc. I had doubted I'd like that, but it's turned out to be superior, in my opinion, than the lead feature. Justice, Inc. focuses on The Avenger/Richard Benson, a wealthy man who lives in squalor and runs Justice, Inc. They take cases of desperation and Benson has one hard and fast rule. No killing unless absolutely necessary. Yet these people are no angels, and it's the moral ambiguity that makes this a compelling read. I'm not the biggest fan of noir, but I do enjoy it when done right, and while this might not follow all the tenets of noir (I'm no expert), it does entertain and pose questions while exploring the underbelly of a city and the inner psyche of the damaged and the desperate members of society. Plus, I like Scott Hampton's art, which suits this feature as much as it did the creepy Simon Dark a year or so ago.

Next up: the new Spirit.

Legacies, Freedom Fighters, and First Wave

I really can't explain how I got this far behind. No, wait. I can. Facebook games! Specifically, Frontierville and now Cityville. Plus being too tired after work to read. Plus having a gazillion other things to do and falling behind on them, too.

So, yesterday, I got caught up with three more books.

Legacies is not quite what I'd expected. I like the storyline of the narrator. I hadn't realized that would be the framing device and I like how Len Wein is weaving the man's love of costumed crimefighters with both his own life and the world around him. Nicely done. The art has been good and in some instances, superb. The choice of art style for each issue really fits the time frame.

The main thing I wasn't prepared for is that this isn't really the true history because it's told through the view of a human cop, from boyhood through adulthood, who isn't/wasn't privy to all the nuances and events. This is history based on the post-Crisis DCU, so while Crisis happened, it didn't happen the way it did originally and it didn't collapse the multiverse, which didn't exist in the new consciousness. Therefore, the JSA/Golden Age characters are now not from another Earth, but from the past of the one Earth. Apparently, that means there was no Supergirl so we don't get her death and how it affected Superman. That for me was the most glaring absence, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment of what I've read so far.

Freedom Fighters is somehow more complex and intricately plotted than the preceding limited series from Palmiotti and Gray, and as scary conspiracy-wise. There's a lot going on here and we've been left in a real cliffhanger.

I'd really been looking forward to reading the First Wave books, thanks to the great introduction in Batman/Doc Savage. Of all the DCU characters, Batman is perhaps best suited for this new realm, especially a younger, less experienced Batman who uses guns and is still finding his way to really being a hero. Background comes out gradually in the stories, and I'm enjoying the process of discovery along with the adventure. The First Wave opening arc is a long one, featuring The Bat Man, Doc Savage, The Spirit, and a bunch of supporting characters who may or may not be all that trustworthy. And how can I not be excited by a book with a version of Rima the Jungle Girl!

I'm now eagerly awaiting the concluding chapter to this complex, densely plotted story. The art has been amazing. Rags Morales is at the top of his game here, and while I prefer the art on the issues he did by himself, Rick Bryant's inking on the others is just fine.