Best Shots Reviews: GREEN LANTERN, X-MEN LEGACY, Tons More

Greetings, campers.  As you know, you can find the previous reviews and columns from this past week at the Best Shots Topics page, linked HERE for your convenience.  Also, please visit Blog@Newsarama for even more reviews from our friends and associates.  Let’s start off with Reverend Overachiever.

I Can't Believe I Got TEN BOOKS This Week!
A look at an insanely busy week by The Rev. O.J. Flow

As was the case a while back, a good chunk of my monthly supply of comics happened to fall all on the same week.  So rather than single out the best of the bunch, I figured all of them were worthy of at least some mention.  (Full disclosure: DC's currently the only publisher occupying my comic book shop pull list, but this is not intended to be a promotional piece on their behalf.  No conspiracy here, folks.)

If you fancy yourself a fan of the Justice Society, this was a pretty good week.  I'd been down on the lead monthly book for a while, yet I was quite pleased with what I found in Justice Society of America #35.  The long, dragged out breakup of the team was unbecoming a team of such stature, but now that they've turned a corner and set up shop at an old HQ of the Justice League, writer Bill Willingham is offering much more assured material.  The dialogue's a lot snappier, and the leaner, meaner assembly of veterans are the ones I enjoy following and will continue to do so.  As a bonus, the Society's involvement in the Black Lantern invasion was detailed further in Blackest Night: JSA #2.  What's funny is the way this felt almost like a continuation of "Blackest Night: Superman," what with the combination of writer (James Robinson), artist (Eddy Barrows) and characters (the late Superman and Lois Lane of Earth 2).  While it's a perfectly serviceable read, the formula that we've seen for months is starting to show signs of wear, so I'm glad that we're starting to see the light at the end of this.  I think we know the drill:  dead characters rise, torment their living loved ones, rinse and repeat.  

Wonder Woman #40 is a shining example of what an absolutely terrific series it is in the hands of Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti.  It's great to see a whole new story being told, not one particularly bound to Diana's frequent struggles with her Amazonian heritage and her recurring role as goddess of truth on Earth.  WW is facing a whole new kind of threat to herself and the citizens of Washington, D.C., a quintet of Angus Young wannabes who collectively possess a lethal power of persuasion.  Simone's script is sharp and engaging, and it's made all the better with some sparkling line work by Lopresti and inker Matt Ryan.  This artistic duo makes Diana look amazing month in, month out, and for "A Murder of Crows" they only made things prettier bringing in Power Girl as some guest muscle.  Appropriate for such a strong title.

I think any comic reader here can empathize with the idea of sticking with a title for the sake of "completism" when you've all but given up on it.  That's me right now with Justice League: Cry For Justice.  With #6, the penultimate chapter, things get no better as the lion's share of the book is Prometheus knocking off one Leaguer after another with great ease, and James Robinson is not making me feel any better about this team right now.  It's ugly, literally and figuratively, made no better by Mauro Cascioli's fill-in, Scott Clark.  To his credit, Clark maintains the look and feel of things from previous issues, but it almost looked more like Cascioli simply lost a step or two, failing to keep up with the book's schedule (which, apparently, he did).  And was I this only one who found it crazy that Roy Harper, after what the character was put through one issue ago, didn't even figure into one panel of this issue?  I made it this far, so I'll be around for the seventh and final issue, and I figure that's a good place to leave things until DC decides it's time to bring in a creative team who's up for restoring the JLA to genuine greatness.

The World's Mightiest Mortal is definitely better represented in Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! #12.  A superbly action-packed tale, writers Art Baltazar and Franco handle each character with such care and reverence, and if this book's made just one kid out there a fan of the Big Red Cheese, I'd say they succeeded.

It was a jam-packed week for the Man of Steel, and it was all pretty great.  Superman: Secret Origin #4 opens things up more with Lex Luthor and reinvents the Parasite along the way.  A very shrewd conception by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank to recreate Rudy Jones as a self-serving leech even before fateful exposure to toxic radioactivity turned him into one of Superman's most formidable opponents.  Johns has already proven in this young 2010 alone that he has quite a handle on Luthor's character, and here's no different.  I wish the cover art was actually implemented in the book's contents, but hopefully that gets touched on in one of the last two issues.  Back in the present day, things are anything but dull in Supergirl #49 and Superman #696.  In Part 3 of "Man of Valor," Mon-El especially proves how worthy he is of holding the starring role of this series while the original lead is elsewhere.  Adding to Mon-El's renewed confidence is the artwork of artist Bernard Chang.  Considering that I can't remember the last time an artist strung together six issues in a row on this book, I'm keeping my happiness with Chang's assignment in check.  Oh, and another lost Legionnaire is revealed!  Elsewhere, some big excitement is getting built up for the Maid of Steel's fiftieth issue a month from now, and it should be interesting to see what's in store for Lana Lang.  Going off the final page, I can't help but wonder if an old identity of hers is being dusted off for a new generation.  We shall see very soon what Sterling Gates & Co. have planned, because I know I'll be there to check it out!

Artist extraordinaire J.H. Williams gets a much needed break from blowing our minds with Detective Comics #861.  But stepping in nicely and servicing Greg Rucka's script well is (just) Jock.  And those who have found their "Detective Comics" lacking in a certain Dark Knight have to be happy with the flashback sequences featuring the one, the only Bruce Wayne.  Turns out an old foe from his earlier days may be back with even worse intentions for innocents in Gotham City.  Is Batwoman up for resolving some unfinished business?  Stay tuned.  Rucka's secondary work in the book, the backup series "The Question" brings up some interesting ideas as the duo of Question and the Huntress use some, um, questionable methods to get a hired assassin of their trail.  What'll be interesting to see is if a line's been crossed from which they can't come back.  

And finally, some major developments go down in "Blackest Night" as the star of Green Lantern #50 gets a most unsettling makeover.  To editorial's discredit, that key plot development is laid out for all right there on the cover.  Fortunately the journey is spectacularly rendered by Doug Mahnke who's turning in some lights-out graphics in this series since it's been the secondary book to "Blackest Night."  Geoff Johns' story is also nicely streamlined since all the action in this chapter takes place on Earth as opposed to when things got dizzying prior when all the characters were bouncing between planets elsewhere.  The threat here is pretty much all Spectre as the combination of a black ring and a thirst for vengeance bears catastrophic results.  Call me crazy, but I was wondering what Nekron and Black Hand were up to through all of this, but I guess that's for another book, another time.  One major plus about "Parallax Rebirth" is getting to see more of the different colored Lanterns in action.  Who knew that a Batman villain in Scarecrow could get such good coverage in a Green Lantern book?  And again Mera gets an amazing moment or two, and her confession is killer.  Another stellar component to the best crossover DC's produced in years.  

And now the rest of us mere mortals . . .

Call me crazy, but I have not been thrilled by "Blackest Night" as a whole.  There are parts I am enjoying, but to be honest I have felt somewhat disappointed with the progression of the story.  It feels a little rushed for the various factions who were at each others' throats to so quickly team up with such aplomb, particularly since most of the colored Corps at hand are such new elements in the DC Universe.  I wish more time had been spent building the interplay between each corps before jumping into the big picture.  Further, there are certainly moments where I can feel the strain of inflating the tale from an epic Green Lantern story to a line-wide event.  Green Lantern #50 is indicative of nearly all these problems, suffering from issues with pacing and impact despite its appealing package.  Before digging a deeper fan-hole for myself, I will dispense with the compliments.  First, the art in this issue is gorgeous; Doug Mahnke's linework is so clean, and his characterization so strong, that it's hard not to enjoy his work.  Personally, I find his work to be the best of the Green Lantern pool of artists.  Geoff Johns continually proves his mastery of the DC stable of characters, providing excellent moments with nearly everyone involved in this chapter, particularly the Yellow and Orange lanterns.  Further, he provides more of the type of moments I wish I was seeing in the event as a whole, such as Sinestro and Hal Jordan arguing over who will take up the burden telegraphed by the cover of the issue. 

When it comes to the elements that fell flat in this issue, there are artistic low points, such as when some of the myriad inkers overshadow the Mahnke's excellent pencils.  There are several pages and panels in which the proportions of certain characters seem off, and when it is obvious that the respective inker just wasn't jiving with Mahnke.  Much like the event as a whole, the pacing was a little spotty.  There were moments that I wish had been given more import, and moments that had lost all momentum by the time the book moved on to it's next bit.  More attention could have been paid to the interplay between Luthor and Larfleeze, and the scene where Hal is nearly taken by the black ring.  The six panels it took him to escape it's grasp went by so fast that it was almost as if it never happened.  Finally, the ending would have had much more impact had it not been revealed on the cover.  Actually, I would've liked to see Sinestro claim the power of Parallax.  That would've been a fine twist, and certainly would've turned expectation on it's ear.  All in all, if I have one complaint, it is that the status quo has yet to even be threatened in this series.  Certainly the apparent deaths of some major characters have tugged at the heart strings, but too often it feels more like shock value than actual substance.  I long for more actual surprises and impact, but it is hard to feel the punch when characters you barely know (such as many of the six new corps) are having their worlds turned upside down.

Overall, Green Lantern #50 is a fine beginning for the next chapter of "Blackest Night," despite its weak points in the realm of overall importance and impact.  Much like many of the moments that have been thrown down to make us gasp in "Blackest Night," the final moment of the issue feels anti-climactic at best, and predictable or safe at worst.  Perhaps the true weakness of this issue, and indeed the larger crossover is, ironically, my lack of fear for these characters.  There are characters for whom we should be afraid that we know will survive, and it is almost a foregone conclusion that more will be gained at the end of this story than lost through it's course.  This is often the case in oversized events, and perhaps it is a reaction to the status-quo wrangling of events like the multiple Crises of recent memory, or even crosstown rivals such as "Civil War" or "Secret Invasion," however for the build up "Blackest Night" received, this is maybe the first time we braced for the worst and were hit with less powerful blows.

It's always tough, being the kid in the middle, and it's likely no different for X-Men: Legacy.

Its sister title, Uncanny X-Men, is the flagship book, focusing on Nation X and the ever-evolving status quo. The action-packed X-Factor is pulling along the Necrosha event, while Cable is prepping us all for the mutant messiah's Second Coming. X-Factor has the smarts and sense of humor, New Mutants has both nostalgia and a sense of indie rebelliousness, and Deadpool is... well, Deadpool.

But if you really want to do yourself a favor, forget the flashiness of those other books and take a look at the unassuming X-Men: Legacy -- because this is one heck of a solid book that really packs the goods.

While Matt Fraction and the rest have been pushing the X-Men as far as they can go, Mike Carey dishes up a nice slice of relative normalcy, pitting Rogue, Psylocke, Nightcrawler, Magneto, Husk and Colossus against the resurrected reality-warper known as Proteus. There's a lot of action to this issue, and yet it really reads like a breath of fresh air -- every character gets their moment to shine, and there's a real air of desperation to everything. The Necrosha X event is put neatly into perspective by only two word balloons: "Every friend we ever lost, and every enemy we ever killed," Nightcrawler says. "How can we win this?

But while Carey dazzles with his use of team dynamics, it's Clay Mann that really seals the deal. Why Mann doesn't get bigger props among comics readers is borderline criminal after seeing his pencils at work -- the pacing is fantastic, and whether it's a big shot of Nightcrawler executing a teleporting ambush or the slight face in the clouds you see menacing the X-Men, it just looks fantastic all around. The best word I can use to describe this is "epic" -- in particular, the last two pages is probably the most effective comics cliffhanger I've seen in quite some time. Colorist Brian Reber also deserves some credit here, adding a real

There are, of course, a few hiccups here and there -- the flashback structure to this book, combined with the fact that it's the second part of the arc, combined with the fact that this is tied into the Necrosha X storyline means that there may be a bit inaccessible to some readers. But if you know who the characters are (or if you've read this review), you'll know enough to get the basic gist of this rock-solid read. Being secondary to the flagship of a powerful franchise may be tough, but X-Men: Legacy #232 shows that it's far more than just "the middle kid" of the line -- it's also a hidden gem that dazzles when discovered. Do yourself a favor, and pick it up.

 

And.... we're back.

After a rough sophomore arc, Grant Morrison is proving that third time's the charm with Batman and Robin #7, which brings Dick Grayson's urban heroics to a global scale. With an interesting premise and Cameron Stewart's art electrifying this series back to life, this is a book that not only draws your attention, but rightfully demands it.

The mark of a veteran comic writer is working in tandem with their artist, in order to craft a story that's best suited to their strengths. Smartly, Morrison really spends the first few pages to let us get a sense of new artist Cameron Stewart's strengths on this book -- and what strengths they are. Looking at the new Batman through the prism of free-running and parkour, Stewart's Grayson is poetry in motion, with the speed really showing through powerfully.

But don't let the James Bond-esque opener fool you -- this is still Morrison's show, and he comes back with a bat after the disappointment of the last arc. Just like in the first arc with the Circus of Crime, Morrison's greatest strength is that he leaves ideas in his wake like confetti -- even throwaway names like Smooth Eddie English and the Metalek Xenoformer sound like villains that could conceivably work for either our revamped Batman or his English counterparts, the Knight and Squire.

Yet there's also a real heart of characterization to this issue, whether its Alfred remarking on that Damian may run "contrary" to his mother's ambitions, or Dick Grayson recalling his memories of his fallen father figure. "If there was a death trap he couldn't handle on his own, I was there to get him free..." Dick says. "I had a job to do and I never let him down."

With a cliffhanger that I won't spoil, I'm exceedingly curious to see where Morrison and Stewart take this arc. It's no surprise that Batman and Robin opens strong -- that's been one of this book's defining qualities since the first arc -- but it's nice to see that not only is Cameron Stewart swinging for the fences, but it's clear that even Morrison himself is stretching, clearly trying to improve upon his game. And it shows -- with a strong premise, a heartfelt subplot and an overhauled art team, I can't wait to see where Batman and Robin takes us next.

 

Picking up the pace from the last story arc, "War Killer," we find Wonder Woman out of Themyscira and we jump into the action back in D.C. with the new arc, "Murder of Crows." We are still taking a breather after the onslaught of Genocide but the new menace is bad enough, actually having hitched a ride from the last story.

That bewitched band of Amazon offspring we last saw led by Ares have popped in on Diana's turf back in D.C. and now, all decked out as prep school boys, are wreaking havoc left and right. First, they control the mind of a giant serpent god and have it swallow a subway train. Wonder Woman intercedes. Then they go about taking over the capital spiking it with all kinds of hate crimes run amok. It's not enough to cause violence, these guys want to tear right into the city's soul.

Ultimately, the goal is to tear right into Wonder Woman. There's a very moving scene as Wonder Woman enjoys an exchange with a little girl holding a Wonder Woman lunch box. It's a pure super-hero moment which, moments later, is destroyed when the boys plant seeds of doubt about Wonder Woman with the little girl and her mom. That too, actually, is a wonderful super-hero moment as it foreshadows the growing menace.

We also get a hint of what is to come from a scene with Etta Candy and a cryptic reference to Genocide. Etta is still healing from her wounds in a hospital, her husband, Steve Trevor, by her side. That brief exchange between Wonder Woman, Etta and Steve is all too brief and you wonder what they might say if given more time. We end this issue with a set up for a classic confrontation between Wonder Woman and Power Girl which should be fun. The next issue rounds out this tale and sees an end, for now, of art from Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan.

Victorian UnDead is shaping up to be a very entertaining Sherlock Holmes tale that just happens to involve zombies. Since Holmes is pretty much up for any challenge, supernatural or otherwise, and we are dealing with a rather other-worldly Victorian London, it only seems natural that it should have zombies. Indeed, maybe the fact everything seems to fit in so well with an air of authenticity is the fact Ian Edginton is writing it. He's quite the Holmes expert having written numerous Holmes adaptations for Self Made Hero as well as notable steampunk works like Scarlet Traces.

So, rest assured, this is a terrific story that's a treat for zombie lovers and bookworms alike. Issue Three finds you with Watson, Holmes and his brother, Mycroft having a breakfast meeting in the wee hours of the morning at the Diogenes Club, as close to the inner workings of the seat of power as one could hope to get. In matters of the undead, Her Majesty is not amused. Holmes and Watson had been warned not to meddle but now they've gotten themselves, as usual, a bit too deep into the matter. Mycroft brings them, and new readers, up to speed on the possible cause of the outbreak of undead involving life from meteor showers making its way into the food chain.

We cut to the one person most suspected of being involved in the matter if he were still alive but, in this case, being alive is relative: Professor Moriarty! All the details of his involvement are not quite clear but you'll have a good time seeing them unfold. This whole thing is a pleasure to behold. Davide Fabbri (Dark Horse's Star Wars - Jedi Council) has a wonderful feel for detail that serves to evoke a wonderfully creepy Victorian vibe. He has a very good take on zombies that keep them distinctive. And he has a great way of balancing tradition with his own sense of flair. His Holmes and Watson are unmistakable while having their own style.

 ENLARGE

Like a lot of comic book fans, I first took note of Mark Texeira when we worked on the revamped Ghost Rider title for Marvel Comics in the early 1990s.  Texeira’s bold, heavy style seemed a perfect match for this new and more terrifying version of Ghost Rider.  Since then, “Tex” has cemented his place among the best artists in comics, leaving an indelible impression on every title he has worked on.

Vanguard’s collection traces Texeira’s roots from growing up in New York and attending the prestigious Art & Design High School in Manhattan, to his career as one of the premiere comic book artists and illustrators of the last twenty years.  Throughout the book, Texeira comments on his life and career, giving readers an insight into how he has developed as an artist, and his incredible work ethic.  Mark also discusses growing up in a tough Bronx neighborhood where gangs were prevalent and butting heads with his father who didn’t think that an artists was a suitable profession.  

While Ghost Rider may have catapulted him to stardom, fame didn’t come overnight.  Texeira was assisting Rich Buckler on Spider-Man Vs. Superman in the late 1970s and got his break with Marvel doing an adaptation of “Buckaroo Banzai” in the mid-1980s.  But it’s all about the art isn’t it and Vanguard has included an incredible collection of Texeira’s work.  Interior pages, covers, sketches, full color oil paintings, and private commissions...many of them never published previously.  In particular there are wonderful oil paintings of Thor, Vampirella, and the Black Cat; incredible watercolor illustrations of Batman and Wonder Woman; and Texeira’s take on Frank Frazetta’s “Death Dealer”.  It’s simply a superb collection of one of the best, and one of my favorite artists.   

PELLET REVIEWS!

Batman & Robin #7 (DC Entertainment; review by George Marston): As far as I'm concerned, Bruce Wayne can stay dead.  Grant Morrison has injected Batman with a new life since slipping Dick Grayson into his mentor's vacant tights, and though there have certainly been stumbles in the seven issues of this, the new flagship of the Batman line, fine characterization and a strong dynamic for the title duo elevate this book beyond the sum of its parts.  Batman & Robin #7 was absolutely my favorite issue of the series so far, finally moving forward with Dick Grayson's arc as a character and bringing a strong sense of excitement for the rest of the story at hand.  Cameron Stewart is the best artist the series has had so far, and though there are some choppy transitions between scenes, his overall storytelling ability complimented the sometimes inscrutable Grant Morrison nicely.  I truly enjoyed Dick's Ozymandias like moment in front of the Lazarus pit, and the suspense of learning just who was actually buried in that unmarked grave has me on the edge of my seat for the next issue.

Secret Warriors #12 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by David Pepose): Interesting read, even if it would absolutely -- absolutely -- lose any new reader right out of the gate. Again, the Secret Warriors themselves take a bit of a backseat, with Jonathan Hickman focusing on the cabal behind HYDRA. It's to his credit, as I'm really starting to warm up to this cracked-mirror image of organized spycraft -- I think a lot of that has is because Stefano Caselli opens a six-pack of artistic whup-ass on just about every page of this book. Great motion, great emotion -- Gorgon looks hard-core, Nick Fury looks charismatic as all get out, and Yo-Yo and Stonewall are cute as can be. With Hickman's writing giving nice bursts of genius, and Caselli looking great as ever, this is a fun book for those in the know.

Ultimate Enemy #1 (Marvel Comics; Review By Jeff Marsick): It’s not good, but it’s not bad.  It’s your typical Bendis-writes-a-first-issue-keeping-it-in-first-gear-for-two-and-twenty-pages.  Roxxon Corporation has gone and played God again, this time their baby blob has outgrown its petrie dish ahead and gone and demolished their building.  Citywide collateral damage and panic ensue while someone wicked comes calling on Reed Richards and Nick Fury and Ben Grimm bares his heart to Sue, leaving her a scab of elbow to remember him by (um...ew).  Which of the terrors is the “Ultimate Enemy” at this point is unknown, and you’re either really curious or a Bendis completist in order to come back for a second serving of this relatively bland but rehashed plot.  The best part is actually an accidental coincidence:  Sue Storm arrives in the Baxter lab and as the elevator opens, she gasps “No way...”  Turning the page brings the centerfold teaser ad for Spider-Man in 2010, as if even she’s had a vision and can’t believe what Petey’s got in store for him.  It’s too bad it was just an interruption; for a second there this issue actually had a pulse.

Joe the Barbarian #1 (DC Comics; Review By Jeff Marsick): This issue came out last week and I was so giggity about playoff football that I forgot to write it up.  It’s worth picking up, and not only because the cover clocks in at a buck.  Joe Manson’s the resident oddball kid whose soldier dad is passed and whose mother’s on the verge of losing their house.  Joe loses himself in his cartoon drawings and finds escape in the immense expanse of his home’s immense attic.  Joe forgets to take his insulin, then wakes from a sleep confronted by his now-sentient footlocker of toys and action figures, replete with familiar faces of 80s icons.  The awesomeness of The Stuff of Legend takes a lot of wind from this book’s sails, but I’m a sucker for toys-come-to-life stories, and since this feels more like Morrison of We3 and not Morrison of Final Crisis, I’ll probably be onboard for all eight issues.  Sean Murphy’s artwork is pretty good, offbeat enough to match the mood of the main character, even if Sean lacks some consistency.  From the outside, Joe’s house is a two-story Cape, but when he gets inside, the interior floorplan is massive, on a McMansion-scale with an attic a thousand square feet by itself.  Even exterior shots looking in through windows aren’t uniform with prior panels.  Still, it’s small blip on an otherwise intriguing premise.