FanBoyWonder's Shotgun Review En Route To San Diego
FanBoyWonder’s day job is sending us to sunny and warm San Diego for a couple days this week starting Sunday but just before we jump on the airplane, here we are banging out our review of books for the week of January 31 from the shotgun formation.
JSA Classified #22
The Upshot from DC Comics: Part 3 of the epic tale that started in December's HAWKGIRL #59! Struggling to defeat the powerful person behind the Rann-Thanagar prison break brings Hawkman and Hawkgirl back together after more than a year apart…and forces them into a situation that could turn the tide in the epic war!
We had missed the last issue which was part 1 of this 4 part saga and we had stopped collecting Hawkgirl so we have very little to say about this story except that it seems obvious that the powers that be at DC had absolutely no plan as to where Hawkman would be or what he would be doing just before he “disappeared” pre-One Year Later.
Walt Simonson’s art was up to his classic standards but his dialogue was clunky and the story strikes us as pretty silly. Hawkman in space is a slip back to the Silver Age—square peg in the round hole.
JSA writer Geoff Johns went to great lengths during Hawkman’s reintroduction to establish the winged wonder under the Golden Age template with aspects of the Silver Age sprinkled in—the reincarnated warrior given the power of flight by the alien anti-gravity metal.
The tragic flaw—Hawkman remembers all of his past lives while his love Hawkgirl remembers none of them. Johns left the book and the character before he could fully flesh out the great concept he established and none who have followed him have been able to take the ball to say nothing of being able to run with it.
With Hawkman back in the JSA now under Geoff Johns, we hope he can undo some of the damage that’s been done to this great character.
52 Week 39
The Upshot from DC Comics: The New Year begins with the deadliest day Metropolis has ever seen — and by the end of the month a villain will stand revealed, a hero will fall in the outer reaches of the galaxy…and the reveal of Supernova will deepen his mysteries even further. Plus The Origin of Mr. Terrific by Waid and Dave Johnson.
Ok DC, please, pretty please, STOP giving away the plot climax on the cover and let the readers actually read what’s going to happen.
So Lex Luthor’s everyman program, which he was developing in order to give himself Superman-like powers actually does work. Natasha, Steel’s niece has finally paid the price for her prideful arrogance.
We figured she was going to get caught snooping on Luthor but the way she was captured actually was clever.
Meanwhile, we are perplexed by the Black Adam scene. Wasn’t Isis critically wounded during the Suicide Squad ambush a few weeks back? Whatever the case, it appears that dark clouds are forming over Adam’s paradise.
Teen Titans #43
The Upshot from DC Comics: Part 1 of the eagerly anticipated "Titans East" story! Led by Deathstroke, a Teen Titans team consisting of Batgirl, Risk, Match, Alter Boy, Enigma, Sun Girl and Inertia is out to chew gum and kick butt…and guess what? They're all out of gum!
As we noted, we had actually dropped this title as we were frustrated with Geoff Johns’ creative rut with this title that started about Infinite Crisis and only got worse post One Year Later.
We never thought he had a firm grasp on the Titans, even as we respected his obvious reverence for the Titans tradition and history but as he had been taking on the writing of more and more comic titles, the result had been diminishing quality—a particularly with this book..
Johns apparently agreed because he just recently announced he is leaving Teen Titans. Ironically, it was that news that prompted us to pick up the book again to see Johns last story arc. So far so good.
Artist Tony Daniel has announced he will also be leaving the book. It’s too bad because even as we’ve had issue with Johns’ writing, Daniel has produced quality art on a consistent basis. But a new writer and new artist team has the chance to breathe new life into this book.
JSA Classified #22
The Upshot from DC Comics: Part 3 of the epic tale that started in December's HAWKGIRL #59! Struggling to defeat the powerful person behind the Rann-Thanagar prison break brings Hawkman and Hawkgirl back together after more than a year apart…and forces them into a situation that could turn the tide in the epic war!
We had missed the last issue which was part 1 of this 4 part saga and we had stopped collecting Hawkgirl so we have very little to say about this story except that it seems obvious that the powers that be at DC had absolutely no plan as to where Hawkman would be or what he would be doing just before he “disappeared” pre-One Year Later.
Walt Simonson’s art was up to his classic standards but his dialogue was clunky and the story strikes us as pretty silly. Hawkman in space is a slip back to the Silver Age—square peg in the round hole.
JSA writer Geoff Johns went to great lengths during Hawkman’s reintroduction to establish the winged wonder under the Golden Age template with aspects of the Silver Age sprinkled in—the reincarnated warrior given the power of flight by the alien anti-gravity metal.
The tragic flaw—Hawkman remembers all of his past lives while his love Hawkgirl remembers none of them. Johns left the book and the character before he could fully flesh out the great concept he established and none who have followed him have been able to take the ball to say nothing of being able to run with it.
With Hawkman back in the JSA now under Geoff Johns, we hope he can undo some of the damage that’s been done to this great character.
52 Week 39
The Upshot from DC Comics: The New Year begins with the deadliest day Metropolis has ever seen — and by the end of the month a villain will stand revealed, a hero will fall in the outer reaches of the galaxy…and the reveal of Supernova will deepen his mysteries even further. Plus The Origin of Mr. Terrific by Waid and Dave Johnson.
Ok DC, please, pretty please, STOP giving away the plot climax on the cover and let the readers actually read what’s going to happen.
So Lex Luthor’s everyman program, which he was developing in order to give himself Superman-like powers actually does work. Natasha, Steel’s niece has finally paid the price for her prideful arrogance.
We figured she was going to get caught snooping on Luthor but the way she was captured actually was clever.
Meanwhile, we are perplexed by the Black Adam scene. Wasn’t Isis critically wounded during the Suicide Squad ambush a few weeks back? Whatever the case, it appears that dark clouds are forming over Adam’s paradise.
Teen Titans #43
The Upshot from DC Comics: Part 1 of the eagerly anticipated "Titans East" story! Led by Deathstroke, a Teen Titans team consisting of Batgirl, Risk, Match, Alter Boy, Enigma, Sun Girl and Inertia is out to chew gum and kick butt…and guess what? They're all out of gum!
As we noted, we had actually dropped this title as we were frustrated with Geoff Johns’ creative rut with this title that started about Infinite Crisis and only got worse post One Year Later.
We never thought he had a firm grasp on the Titans, even as we respected his obvious reverence for the Titans tradition and history but as he had been taking on the writing of more and more comic titles, the result had been diminishing quality—a particularly with this book..
Johns apparently agreed because he just recently announced he is leaving Teen Titans. Ironically, it was that news that prompted us to pick up the book again to see Johns last story arc. So far so good.
Artist Tony Daniel has announced he will also be leaving the book. It’s too bad because even as we’ve had issue with Johns’ writing, Daniel has produced quality art on a consistent basis. But a new writer and new artist team has the chance to breathe new life into this book.
posted by FanBoyWonder at 8:05 PM
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