Re: Not Bizarro-Ray's 4th Unofficial DCU Minithread - No OOMPH Here!!!
Originally Posted by Crazy Ray
Dude, it started the best way it possibly could - with the two family men trying to get back to their lives. Everyone bitched when this was announced that it was ridiculous that Buddy would just leave his family for another wacky adventure. Well, he didn't! They're giving us setup.
It was miles better than the soak job that was Countdown to Mystery today. They just repackaged a crappy Dr. Fate series that no one would buy as a Countdown miniseries. The backup was great, though.
You still haven't explained the change in character personalities. Or maybe the new eyes that Adam Strange has , has affected his personality. And how Ellen is now suddenly really jealous after only a few weeks has passed since her husband returned from the "dead".
Will Munny: All right, I'm coming out. Any man I see out there, I'm gonna shoot him. Any sumbitch takes a shot at me, I'm not only gonna kill him, but I'm gonna kill his wife, all his friends, and burn his damn house down.
Re: Not Bizarro-Ray's 4th Unofficial DCU Minithread - No OOMPH Here!!!
Originally Posted by Mojo Walrusshitclops
I love reading it in singles.
Same here. I actually only recently read #30. It definitely seems like it could be moving away from politics to more traditional superhero action. Not sure if I'd be too thrilled about that.
Will Munny: All right, I'm coming out. Any man I see out there, I'm gonna shoot him. Any sumbitch takes a shot at me, I'm not only gonna kill him, but I'm gonna kill his wife, all his friends, and burn his damn house down.
Re: Not Bizarro-Ray's 4th Unofficial DCU Minithread - No OOMPH Here!!!
Originally Posted by DJizzle
Same here. I actually only recently read #30. It definitely seems like it could be moving away from politics to more traditional superhero action. Not sure if I'd be too thrilled about that.
Well themes of leadership connect to the two concepts together, so it's all good.
Re: Not Bizarro-Ray's 4th Unofficial DCU Minithread - No OOMPH Here!!!
DC Universe Reviews:
Countdown #32 - ****1/2
I really don't know what to make of Countdown anymore. I've been very disappointed with the last few issues, and then this one comes along and hits it out of the ballpark. It just shows what Dini and Bedard can do with a little focus on good stories and some clever writing. This is easily the most focused Countdown ever, as well as the most fun. We open with Mary Marvel kicking the shit out of the creepy Klarion, who tries to drain her. As she flies off, she hears that mysterious voice again, calling for her to follow it. At this point, we cut to Trickster and Piper dealing with Zatanna's guard mummy, which keeps them from leaving. Doesn't stop them from trying again, though. However, the main story of the issue is the hilarious depiction of Black Canary's bachelorette party. This issue is chock-full of great character moments and humor, not the least of which is Supergirl and Wonder Girl's repeatedly unsuccessful attempts to get hammered. Meanwhile, Jimmy Olsen makes his way to Cadmus, where we're greeted by old friends Serling Roquette and Dubbilex. For any fans of the Superboy series, this should be a blast from the past. We also see the Challengers make their way to Earth-3, and the first appearance of the new Crime Syndicate, and at the end of the issue....Mary Marvel finally comes face to face with Eclipso. A great issue, packed with action, comedy, and things actually HAPPENING! Why can't every issue be like this. And poor Supergirl and Wonder Girl. They never did get drunk.
Green Arrow/Black Canary Wedding Special #1 - ***
Well. That was interesting. Honestly, this whole wedding extravaganza has been a bit of a disappointment. The wedding planner was filler, the JLA Wedding Special was a launch pad for the new run, and this...well, it's got a lot of good. But there's also a lot of bad. I don't particularly like how Winick writes the two title characters. They're a bit too broad and cruel to each other, especially in the distasteful first two pages. Where this issue does go right, however, is in the portrayal of everyone else. Clark and Diana, especially, are written very well. At the wedding, it shouldn't surprise anyone that all hell breaks loose. The battle scene between the heroes and the Injustice League is great, especially Dinah's one-on-one with Deathstroke. But at the wedding night, things go wonky. As Ollie and Dinah are about to have wedding night sex....Ollie pulls a knife and tries to kill Dinah! Unable to overpower him, Dinah does the only thing she can....grabs an arrow and stabs him through the neck, apparently killing him. So, yeah. Okay. I can only assume this is a clone/shapeshifter/something, and the real Ollie was kidnapped by the society during the wedding. Guess we'll see. But overall, this issue was a bit of a mess. Hope the new series will do a bit better with this duo, once one half of them is back. And if it actually was Ollie....yeah, dropped. Amanda Conner's art was great here, though.
Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Parallax #1 - ****
Much like the Ion series, I really think the enjoyment people get out of this issue will be greatly determined by their investment in the character of Kyle Rayner. The issue doesn't shed much light on Parallax himself, but it is a fantastic character piece for the man currently playing host to the creature. Trapped in his own mind, Kyle is forced to relive all his past failures(Alex, Donna, Jade, his mother) as he's trapped inside a mental replica of his mother's old abandoned house. The art, by Adriana Melo, is one of the most stunning works I've seen in comics in some time. This artist deserves to be a superstar. However, for me the story lags a little when Kyle actually does confront Parallax. It's a pretty standard hero vs. villain duel with some cool scenes, although it's hard to see a point. Parallax has control, why is he wasting time battling Kyle for amusement? And it's unlikely that Kyle winning would do anything right now. But Marz does a fantastic job with Kyle's horror and helplessness as he sees his friends under attack by his posessed form, and the hopeful ending does exactly what was intended: ensures that we're actively rooting for Kyle in the war to come. A must-read for Kyle fans or Sinestro Corps devotees.
Countdown to Mystery #1 - **
You know, I cut DC a lot of slack here. I defend their work a lot, argue that the tie-ins aren't that bad and their books are really good. But there are some things I won't defend. Anyone remember the Dr. Fate series? You know, the one that was pre-cancelled after the Helmet of Fate specials tanked like a rock? Well, they didn't just bury it. Instead, they didn't change a thing, relabeled it as a Countdown tie-in, and slapped it in here as part of a double-bill. And oh, lord, is it clear why it was pre-cancelled. It's a shitty, shitty book about a sad, pathetic descendent of the original Dr. Fate and how he finds the Helmet, whines about it, and relives what an utter failure he is. There's a fine line between an imperfect protagonist and an utterly unpleasant one, and this jumps that line. And then he fights demons. Why? I don't fucking know. I wasn't going to buy this series, but now I've been tricked into it. And it's a shame, too. Because the backup, by Matt Sturges and focusing on a battle between Spectre and Eclipso, is actually excellent so far. Eclipso's ties to Apokalips are revealed, and some very wierd things are up for Crispus Allen. But it's not enough to justify buying a $4 comic where two-thirds is shit. I'll be reading the Eclipso part in store.
The Flash #232 - *
Okay, I tried. No more chances. This isn't about Bart Allen, or my dislike for the new Flash status quo. There is that, but I'd be willing to look past that if the stories were good. They aren't. The art is slightly less hideous than last issue, but the story is even worse, if possible. Iris and Jai West have officially established themselves as the most annoying characters in all of DC, with their constant whining, incompetence, and bickering. Yes, they're kids. That's why most superheroes don't have kids. Because they don't make for good stories. And don't even get me started on the villains this issue. Tentacle demons of some kind who take over the city and start posessing people. And Wally has to vomit in his wife's face to make her see this. I swear to fucking God. With the heavy "wierd science" elements of this issue, it's pretty clear that DC is trying to make this title DC's Fantastic Four, but it's not working. The kids are annoying, Linda is window dressing, and Wally is written blander than ever here. And this insufferable tentacle demon alien story isn't over yet. I'm almost tempted to see what happens next when the JLA shows up and tries to take Wally's kids, but no thanks. I'll check it out in store. Wake me with the next creative team. And when Iris and Jai are hurled into a wormhole. Oh, and Iris stealing from and mocking fat people is sure to be a hit.
Birds of Prey #110 - ***1/2
This feels a good deal more like a fill-in issue than the previous one, but it's still a pretty good one. Tony Bedard, with three issues to go before McKeever takes over, turns the spotlight on Huntress this issue. Helena is in the process of stopping a bunch of carjackers who have taken a school bus hostage with kids inside, when Oracle calls about a bunch of Atomic Skull fans threatening to detonate a nuke unless the skull is released. When Huntress wrecks her bike in the process of stopping the hostage-takers, she's forced to commandeer the school bus for her mission. This issue does a really good job of showing the relatioship between Oracle and Huntress, which has never been as tight as the Oracle/Canary one. It also explores the history of the team and its agents. The story is never spectacular, although there are quite a few funny scenes and some clever handling of the bad guys on Huntress' part. Where I give Bedard the most credit is in his encyclopedic knowledge of DC. He referenced Superman: King of the World over in Supergirl, and here he brings back the freaking Atomic Skull! This is a perfectly fun issue, and feels every bit like Birds of Prey. High praise for a fill-in.
Robin #166 - ****
Beechen's run concludes with a bang, and although I never felt it reached quite the highs of the earlier issues, it does do a very good job of wrapping up. The issue starts with Tim at school, practicing tennis, and then discussing his social life with Bruce. One of the things I'll miss most about Beechen's run was how he writes Bruce. Stern and tough, but also warm when he wants to be. Their conversation before Tim leaves is one of my favorite scenes in this run. Then, it's off to the races as Tim faces off with the team of villains. But all isn't what it appears to be. The "Tim" that Cheater, Skill, Brutus, and the unwilling Dodge attack isn't Tim at all. It's a disguised Zatara, and Skill? Not so much a villain. Actually Ravager in disguise. Tim brought his friends to the party, and the villains don't stand a chance. The morts actually show some promise here, as Brutus debuts a horrifying new form and Cheater shows some real skill. In the end, it comes down to Dodge, who seemingly sacrifices himself to take out Cheater. I've never liked Dodge, but Beechen has his storyarc come full-circle here, and I liked the way they had him exit. He went out a hero. I'll miss Beechen on this book, but I think Dixon will pick up the ball and run with it in January. The future's looking bright for Tim Drake.
Checkmate #18 - ****
Checkmate is finally getting back on track, with Rucka and Bennett back solo, and the story this title has been gearing up for a while finally hitting. It's "Fall of the Wall", as Amanda Waller's web of lies starts crashing down. We start with the Suicide Squad. They're coming after a distraught Scandal, out for revenge for the death of her lover Knockout. They net her and try to recruit her, but it doesn't go well. Also unfortunate for the Squad...a little piece of her armor left behind for people to find. Back at Checkmate, Oracle and Sasha Bordeaux are mending fences over the Spy Smasher fiasco, and Taleb Beni Khalid expresses his distrust of his new Bishop, August General in Iron. As suspicion of Waller grows in the aftermath of the Scandal grab, Bordeaux and her Knight track King Faraday to Waller's location, only to walk into Deadshot's trap, and the Knight is nearly killed. Deadshot is apparently back to being a hardcore villain, and I'm not sure I like this. There's one more big twist left to come, though. Fire and Khalid travel to Paris to meet with a secret contact of Khalid's...Khalid himself. Or so it seems, because the second Khalid reveals himself to be none other than J'onn J'onnz! I assume he's been a spy inside for some time. Definitely a promising storyline.
Shadowpact #17 - ***1/2
Well, it's the first issue with the new creative team, and it's a mixed bag. Matt Sturges, while very readable and knowledgable in the characters, just doesn't seem to have as much flair as Willingham usually does. He doesn't miss a note on any of the characters, and the story is suitably freaky, but something's just a tad off. However, Doug Braithwaite's art is perfectly suited to the story. Most of the plots this issue didn't stand out to me, such as Blue Devil's first labor(just a bunch of monster-killing), or Dr. Gotham's mysterious boss creating a new young minion from him out of his mind(in a very creepy segment). The new kid seems like a good villain, though. Where this issue shines is in the focus on Warlock's Daughter and Enchantress. When Laura nearly gets herself killed by popping in on a mission, Nightmaster orders Enchantress(who really doesn't like her) to train her. The training session between the two of them is very well done, as Enchantress successfully breaks down Warlock's Daughter in a brutal magical assault that seems half-tough love, half sadism. This was a slightly slow issue, but Sturges showed enough potential for me to think this series will be okay.
Catwoman #71 - ***
And the retcon of baby Helena begins apace. According to Catwoman standards, this issue is actually one of the best of the lot. The endless cycle of "someone threatens Catwoman's baby" seems to finally be over, hopefully for good. Selina contacts Batman, and asks for his help in dealing with the constant attempts on their lives. So Batman helps Catwoman fake her death by pretending to be a terrorist supervillain who kills the mother and child. Yeah. A bit out there, but still well-done with pretty art. Selina's constant whining is getting tiring, and the whole mother/baby in jeopardy vibe this book has had since OYL is just extremely played out. Not much else happens in this issue, except that at the end Selina calls Batman again and asks him for one more favor. No doubt, to take Helena and have her adopted somewhere safe. I kind of saw this coming. There was no way Catwoman with baby was going to work at all. The only question was how it was going to be retconned. I'm still hoping for the otherdimensional kidnapper who takes the baby, followed by the baby returning six issues later as a 17-year-old cat warrior, myself.
Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #56 - *
There really is no bottom for this series. For one thing, the art just seems to get worse and worse each issue. Characters look genuinely malformed in certain scenes. Also, the sheer number of characters and especially villains is just plain ridiculous. It seems like they pop up out of nowhere each issue for no reason. This issue we get a random puffer fish woman, and some wierd undersea fat guy who stabs Cal Durham's girlfriend. Then there's the fact that the series' supposed two master villains, Krusivax and Vandal Savage, are portrayed as absolute jokes here. Krusivax, granted, is a mort, but doesn't DC have big plans for Vandal Savage? I seriously don't think anyone else at DC even reads this book. Next issue is the "grand finale", and there's got to be at least 20-30 plotlines left to be wrapped up. I doubt many will be, and this entire nightmare of a run will likely soon be purged from everyone's collective psyche.
Bonus Reviews:
JLA/Hitman #1 - *****(Book of the Week)
I don't know if this book is current DCU continuity or what, but I do know that for a $3.99, 48-page comic, it's hard to get better than this. Garth Ennis is a genius, and despite his protests, he writes Superheroes better than most writers. This story is actually a flashback, with Tommy Monoghan long dead. A young reporter tracks down Clark Kent to ask him why Tommy Monoghan's bar had a picture with Superman's signature. I mean, why would a murderous thug know Superman? The story that Superman tells is pretty much classic Hitman, and believe it or not...classic JLA as well. Ennis does a great job with the 90's JLA, absolutely nailing Kyle Rayner, Batman, and especially Superman. Then there's the fact that this entire issue focuses around the return of the Bloodlines parasites, and if anyone can actually spin a good story out of that, they're a genius. And then there's the woman with the head of an Elephant, and too many other great moments to count. Garth Ennis is back, he's brought Hitman with him, and it just sucks that this fantastic story is coming out with Hitman long dead.
Superman/Batman #40 - *
What utter trash. With Superman posessed and seemingly lost to Darkseid, Batman is rescued by Orion's hot wife, who proceeds to seduce him. We're then treated to a whole issue of Batman seemingly falling in love without the slightest reason why. Oh, and a horribly drawn Darkseid seems to have lost his powers, and that's the point of all this. This issue makes a lame attempt to NOT seem like an inventory story, but it doesn't work. This arc fails.
Originally Posted by Mojo Walrusshitclops
You still haven't explained the change in character personalities. Or maybe the new eyes that Adam Strange has , has affected his personality. And how Ellen is now suddenly really jealous after only a few weeks has passed since her husband returned from the "dead".
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