Flash and Burn: Geoff Johns Off ‘The Flash’

I think most of assumed Flash was either going to be getting a new title or a refreshening once Flashpoint ended, but it appears that we may be in for something more drastic.  DC’s blog The Source announced that Johns is off of writing the Flash altogether.

Surprised? I am.

Bringing Barry Allen back to the DCU was a big deal. Bringing him back to prominence was the challenge. Johns told a few good stories but his characterization of Barry might have been too true to the character. His Barry was dry and lacking the charisma of his Modern-Age predecessor Wally West. Earlier this week I suggested that Barry was brought back as result of our nostalgic desires to have deceased DC heroes restored to the rightful place in the comic book universe.

The Flash Stops His Run

Per DC Comics its Flash title will end with issue 12.

DC has not given much details as to why...but if you look at the numbers it has nothing to do with sales.

More likely it has to do with the FLASHPOINT event...which we will then see something new for world's fastest man.

Stay tuned for more information as it comes through.

DC Teases its 2011 Summer Event: 'Flashpoint'

DC promised on their blog on Friday that they would begin feeding us news every Friday on this summer’s Flashpoint event (promo teaser above). The prelude to the big crossover begins this February in the pages of The Flash by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapaul. Andy Kubert joins Johns for the actual mini, as seen in some of the promo pages after the jump.

Cape Town Capsule Reviews, 12/29/10 Releases

By Don M. Ventura

Captain America #613

Marvel Comics

««««

Ed Brubaker does what he does best with his characters and puts Captain America over a barrel in Captain America #613. Bucky goes to trial in this issue and Sin, the Red Skull’s daughter, has gone to great lengths to make certain he stays in prison.

Steve Rogers plays a perfect game of hardball with Dr. Faustus to ensure the doctor provides adequate testimony that Bucky was not in control of his faculties while working as the Winter Soldier. Brubaker knows how to build drama and does so as Sin’s plotting begins to reveal itself during the course of the trial.

Butch Guice’s artwork is excellent, fitting the tone of the book nicely. My only problem is that the inking duties during the courtroom scene almost make Guice’s art look like it’s been drawn by two separate artists. Bettie Breitweiser’s colors are as brilliant as always.

27 #2

Image Comics

««

Unfortunately 27 #2 has slipped further from what I was expecting from this title. So much so that I went back to read the original solicitation.

“Hendrix, Cobain, Joplin, Morrison. All belong to the '27 Club,' which admits only the most brilliant musicians and artists…and kills them dead in their 27th year. Will Garland is a famous rock guitarist, secretly unable to play for months due to a neurological disorder afflicting his left hand. He’s also 27! With mad scientists, long dead rock legends and cosmic entities in his way, can he make it to 28?”

I was hoping for more about a musician and less about the supernatural stuff, which has not captured my interest me here. However, there’s a scene in a bar where Will and his manager discuss his playing abilities when a fan comes up and asks if Will if he’d be willing to jam with him. Will screws with the guy and agrees. This was a funny scene and seemed to be the only genuine part of the issue; other than this I haven’t gotten enough of a read on Will’s character.

Renzo Podesta’s art is fantastic and meshes well with the subject matter and the type of story Soule is telling. Podesta has an incredibly indie-look and W. Scott Forbes cover for this issue is really stunning.

Flash #8

DC Comics

«««½

Flash #7 was Geoff Johns’ retelling of Captain Boomerang’s back story and it was good. In Flash #8 the writer goes to town to make sure readers—who may not have been convinced after reading Flash: Rebirth—understand that Professor Zoom is one seriously twisted villain.

We begin with Eobard Thawne as a child in a dystopian culture that is managed by time, rather than the other way around. Thawne, a disappointment to his parents and brother, spends his precious time trying to unlock the mysteries of the Speed Force. And he does.

Soon Thawne wields the power of his past freely and without caution, tinkering with the lives around him in awful ways if he isn’t treated right. Thankfully for us, nobody treats him right and we see what lengths Thawne will go to for retribution. Johns is a master of creating formidable villains. He turned Sinestro into one of the more forceful villains in the DCU, and now it seems to be Professor Zoom’s turn.

Former Flash artist Scott Kolins rejoins Johns for this issue as he did last month and the art on the whole is fine, but there are a couple of awkward panels; at points Hawne’s face seemed a bit inconsistent.

Superman/Batman #79

DC Comics

«««

I didn’t read any of the “DC One Million” stories, but I was interested in picking up Chris Roberson’s take on Superman and Batman. Superma/Batman #79 was a cool fast-paced issue featuring the time traveling villain Epoch as he goes back through time to claim his rightful place (all the best villains have a clear vision of their rightful place) as leader of a past society. Epoch lands in the past and comes face to face with Superman and Batman… and Robin. Specifically the Bronze-Age versions of the characters, so yes, Robin is wearing his little green tights.

Most of the action focuses on Epoch and his ability to stay a step ahead of the World’s Finest. The story is simple and feels like a throwback to classic Bronze-Age stories where there was little fuzziness between good guys and bad.

The last panel is fantastic with a spunky young Dick Grayson exclaiming “…or my name isn’t Robin, the Teen Wonder!” Gold. Jesus Merino has drawn a sharp looking book. Both his One Million Superman and Batman characters look fantastic and the actions sequences are snappy. I like Fiona Staples artwork on the cover, but I find Superman to be posturing a bit too much to love this piece.

Teen Titans #90

DC Comics

«««½

J.T. Krul and Nicola Scott have brought Teen Titans back to the prominence they have deserved. This book was feeling aimless even before Geoff Johns departed the book shortly after the “One Year Later” event.

Teen Titans is fun, Krul gives time to all of the characters, Scott’s pencils are some of the finest the series has seen, and Damian Wayne (Robin) is a welcome addition to the team. In this issue, the Titans track down Barney Venton (perhaps not the most realistic name for a teenager in 2010), the newly-powered teen that defeated the team in the last issue. Aided by a pair of students with grudges and new powers, the Titans find themselves at a stalemate with Barney and co.

Krul seems to really have an affinity for Damian and Ravager, as he saves some of the best moments in the book for them. Krul writes them both as a couple of thrill-seeking heroes, motivated more by their love for a good fight than fighting for good. Scott has a clean and dynamic style that has a feel of George Perez’s own original vibrant New Teen Titans work.

Batman: the Dark Knight #1

DC Comics

««

Batman: the Dark Knight may be the book that needs to be cut from the just-large-enough line of Bat-books. There was nothing significantly wrong with David Finch’s story except that it didn’t feel as though we were being presented with anything we haven’t seen before. This is a challenge to be sure, but one that Grant Morrison has Scott Snyder have been able to achieve on their Batman books.

Finch’s artwork is certainly above average and the book’s prestige format is always welcome; the artist draws an excellent Batman, Batcave, and the gadgetry and vehicles all look sharp. Finch isn’t a bad storyteller either. His pacing is good (no scenes linger) and his dialogue is fine. Ultimately, the book just doesn’t feel necessary.

Cape Town Capsule Reviews, 12/8/10 Releases

By Don M. Ventura

Superboy #2

DC

This second issue of Superboy works much better than its first. While I enjoyed much of the art last month, I was not immediately sold on what I found to be a clunky introduction to the series.

Writer Jeff Lemire has warmed up to the storytelling as this first arc, and all its mysteries, begin to unfurl. Smallville has been ravaged by monstrous vines, the M.O. of Poison Ivy who appeared at the end of last month’s issue, and Superboy is searching for the source of the destruction. Ivy claims she has nothing to do with the overgrown weeds but Superboy isn’t immediately convinced.

Once the source is located, Ivy shows her true colors. Thankfully Superboy’s budding sidekick Simon Valentine is on hand to save the day in an amusingly inventive scene. I was immediately reminded of another brilliant scientist who came out of Smallville but fosters an aversion to characters with a big “S” on their chests. It will be interesting to see if a similar future is in line for Simon, a character with enormous aspirations.

Pier Gallo’s artwork is nice, but I continue to have issues with the faces of some of his characters. There can be a soullessness to their eyes. However, his Poison Ivy was quite lovely. Phil Noto has drawn a strikingly beautiful cover with Superboy ensnared in Ivy’s diabolical vines.

27 #1

Image

“Take care of that one,” said my comic book proprietor handing me the much sought after first issue of 27. The comic book has been sold out at the distribution level for weeks which caused a frenzy in the comic book community.

“Is it any good?” I asked.

“Does it matter?” he said with a laugh. He was joking of course. Thankfully it was a good book with a dark indie vibe in both the art and the story. Will Garland is on the brink of being a washed-up musician, a star with talent but no longer the physical ability to continue making music.

Will is a likeable character suffering from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy who has traveled the world searching for a way to play music again without being in debilitating pain. Will finally finds a doctor who is more Frankenfurter than Oz. The doctor (and his cats) promises to give Will his ability to play again and transforms the 27-year old musician into something more than he was at the beginning of the story.

Writer Charles Soule has written something of a psychotic ghost story with the background of contemporary rock music. The story was not at all what I expected based on the solicits, but I enjoyed how the book unfolded nonetheless. Renzo Podesta’s artwork was apt for a book like this and fit the thick newsprint paper used on this title.

Bring the Thunder #1

Dynamite

I’ll say right up front that war stories, or scenarios, tend to not immediately enthrall me. Not that Bring the Thunder is bad, it’s simply not the type of title that I normally seek out.

Jai Nitz, who plots this book with cover artist Alex Ross, has written an interesting script featuring some refreshing dialogue that lifts it from being a forgettable origin story. The newly powered hero of Bring the Thunder reminisces over his two favorite rock albums after likening the sound of the blows he and his antagonist are laying upon one another to a symphony.

The fight ends with the hero on the ground, then begins a flashback to show how he came to gain his as of yet defined powers. Wayne Russell is a Para Rescue soldier in Afghanistan who comes across what looks to be an alien weapon while in battle. After seemingly blowing up, he finds himself transported to his home in Chicago a year after disappearing.

The set up for Bring the Thunder has been handled interestingly enough. I’d like to see Wayne explore his life back home and dealing with the consequences of having disappeared for a year. I think the star here is Nitz and his inventive scripting; Russell’s narration was incredibly human and kept me more involved in the story than I would have expected.

DC Universe Holiday Special (One-Shot)

DC

A few months ago we got a nice fat Halloween Special from DC, and now we have nice fat Holiday Special just in time to spread a little super-powered cheer. These books can be a mixed bag sometimes, but there’s nothing really awful inside.

The best of the lot, surprisingly, is an Anthro story called “Sometimes the Bear…” in which Anthro must hunt for food with his father to provide for his hungry family. It’s the Solstice and Anthro promises to bring back food and perhaps a gift for his younger brother.  The script by Joey Cavaleri and art by Carlo Soriano is positively top-notch and never veers towards schmaltz considering it’s a holiday tale after all.

There is drippy sentimentality to be had in a Superman tale called “Hero of Heroes” that lays it on a bit thick. Similarly there’s a Spectre story called “The Gift” that isn’t as maudlin, but following the Superman story, I was hoping for something less steeped in reality.

A closing story featuring the Legion of Super Heroes in a story titled “Holiday” by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning was more along what I enjoy in a comic book like this. Factions of the Legion are soaring through Metropolis chasing a series of false alarms when they would rather be enjoying some respite from their day jobs to do a little holidaying. Chris Batista and Rick Perrota handle the art and make a strong argument that they should be drawing a regular Legion title.

The Flash #7

DC

Seeing Scott Kolins working with Geoff Johns always feels right. The two broke out with their original work on the Wally West Flash book in 2000 and turned that book into a must-read for fans of the Scarlet Speedster.

Flash #7 serves as an origin story for Captain Boomerang before jumping back into the book’s second arc. Johns presents most of the story in flashbacks as we see how Digger Barnes’ fondness for boomerangs grew and his eventual move from the Australian Outback to America.

Desiring to be an idol for the children of Central City, he had no chance of holding a stick to the city’s speedy protector. So he threw boomerangs at him to the admiration of the Flash’s Rogues.

Johns writes another strong expository story and ends by introducing the next Flash tale; Digger proves again that his judgment has just never been so hot. Kolins artwork is enjoyable, but his style is noticeably different than when he and Johns originally worked together. Series colorist Brian Buccellato keeps the look of The Flash consistent and sharp as with the issues that have preceded it.

Knight and Squire #3 (of 6)

DC

Knight and Squire Editor Janelle Siegel must say to writer Paul Cornell, “Paul, just do whatever you want.”

The first issue was an odd mix, but I have grown to enjoy the whimsy and humor of this mini-series. Each issue brings dialogue that is increasingly easier to follow—the first issue came with a glossary on the last page. Really. The third issue opens with the not-initially sinister plan to resurrect King Richard III.

Knight surmises that Richard III may not be the villain Shakespeare made the royal out to be. In true Shakespearean fashion all of Richard’s plotting is done by way of monologue and within earshot of whoever is near. Cornell’s plot grows wackier as Richard raises other former kings, initiating a coup in England. Of course Knight and Squire are on hand to thwart the former royals’ plans using social media such as Twitter and YouTube to bring them down.

If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you might not want to pick up Knight and Squire. However, I’ve found this to be one of the more charming books being published today.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger #7

Marvel

Thor finally gets what’s coming to him in this issue. Jane Foster’s pants. I couldn’t resist. There’s a funny scene the day after when Thor notices a great deal of wreckage outside Jane’s home and she wonders “How could we not notice that?”

“Perhaps our attention was wrapped in other matters,” says Thor. Only a God could be so diplomatic post-coital. I’ve enjoyed this title for the last seven months and it’s been fun watching Thor and Jane’s relationship blossom since she found the amnesiac God of Thunder in the first issue. The citizens and authorities think the rampaging to be the handiwork of their resident Asgardian and turn on him.

Along with Ultimate Thor, Thor: The Mightyt Avenger has been a wonderful and pared down approach to the character who can sometimes be written a bit heavy handedly. Writer Roger Langridge never compromises who Thor is; Langridge has presented a Thor who is at times a victim of his own hubris but ultimately a likable guy. Chris Samnee’s artwork, of which I have become a fan, has been entirely pleasing from one issue to the next.

Halcyon #2

Image

Aha. This issue presents something that was not alluded to in Halcyon #1. In the inaugural issue of the series, readers were introduced to the members of Halcyon, a super team that was on the precipice of becoming obsolete.

Villainy appeared to be coming to an end and there didn’t seem to be much to do in the way of superheroics. Halcyon #2 begins with Transom racing to stop a tsunami—the only threats to the world anymore are natural disasters and manmade accidents. Otherwise Earth is fairing pretty nicely. And this is the mystery: there appears to be something unnatural about the new world order, but nobody understand what it’s cause is.

Marc Guggenheim and Tara Butters have written a solid follow-up that lets the reader into the predicament a little more and we begin to see how this world’s heroes are adjusting. The dialogue and pacing are strong and the story seems to have clearer direction in this issue. Ryan Bodenheim’s artwork is quite satisfying. There’s not a lot of background, but that’s acceptable because his character work is well detailed.

While I’m not getting blown away by Halcyon, I’m going to continue picking it up because the story is intriguing and the creators’ work is solid enough to keep my interested in what happens next.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #2

DC

Some might accuse this issue of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents as being a bit on the “talky” side, but since Nick Spencer is scripting, I say “talk away.”

The first issue of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents introduced readers to the new team’s handlers; the second issue introduces Henry Cosgei, an Olympic champion in running from Kenya. Most of Henry’s story is narrated. The reflections on his love for running, his achievements in the sport, his family life, and finally his downfall that are all explored. It appears that Henry has been framed in a plot to coerce him into joining the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents.

Now as the hero Lightning, Henry believes he has been given a chance at redemption. Like the first issue, Spencer delivers a fantastic script and proves again to be adept at characterization. By the end of the book the reader has a solid understanding of who Henry is.

CAFU’s has turned out more excellent pages on this book, but Chris Cross steals his… uh… thunder with two separate double pages spreads of Lightning running. These pictures are nothing less than astonishing.

I Am an Avenger #4 (of 5)

Marvel

I’ll always have a soft spot for a good Thing story, and Robert Aguirre-Sacasa has written a really special one in this Avengers anthology. ‘Ol Ben Grimm, sporting an enormous Hawaiian shirt, tells his fantastic family that he has decided to join the Avengers.

Sara Pichelli’s illustrations are lovely to say the least. Can I also say cute without sounding off-putting? Because Ben calling his family to dinner, Valeria looking doubtfully at her Unca, and the Thing riding away on a Fantasti-bike are all incredibly cute. Aguirre-Sacasa’s story is as heartwarming as it is funny as Ben affirms to Reed and company that the Avengers is a team but the Fantastic Four is his family.

The final story in the Sean McKeever’s three-part “Closure” storyline featuring Firestar and Justice is nicely illustrated by Mike Mayhew. There are also a couple of pleasant short stories by Colleen Coover (featuring Spider-Woman and Ms. Marvel) and Lucy Knisley (featuring Stature and Iron-Man) that might also feel at home in Marvel’s Strange Tales II mini-series.

Detective Comics Annual #12

DC

Detective Comics Annual #12 continues the revitalization of the Batman franchise established with Grant Morrison’s Batman Incorporated. Not that the Bat-books were bad, but there are stories to be mined from the idea initiated by Morrison.

David Hine has come up with an exciting story that has Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in Paris to establish a French Batman and solve a string of strange murders of political movers and shakers followed by the suicide of their killers. It doesn’t matter that there are two characters in Batman costumes because Hine writes Bruce and Dick’s dialogue well enough to distinguish the two.

The story opens with the Batmen following a Parisian masked character that they believe might be involved with the murders. There are a couple of amusing scenes with Bruce Wayne attempting to convince the head of Police Nationale to allow him to initiate a Batman program within the city of love to prevent additional murders.

Possibly even more enjoyable is the follow-up story by Kyle Higgins called “The Night Runner” which is something of an origin tale of the Parisian Muslim character that Bruce and Dick are chasing at the outset of the Hine story. The art by Trevor McCarthy with colors by Andre Szymanowicz is absolutely gorgeous.

Batgirl #16

DC

Oracle informs Stephanie Brown that the Batarang used to frame Batgirl for murder is irradiated, a clue that the police investigating the case have missed.

“Can your ‘magic clue machine’ trace it?” asks Stephanie. Sigh. It’s dialogue like this that brings me back month after month to this title. Writer Brian Q. Miller has fleshed out this wonderful new addition to the Bat-family nicely and has made this my favorite ongoing title.

Stephanie and Oracle are on the case to clear Batgirl’s name and bring the murderer of one of Stephanie’s classmates, Newton, to justice. Meanwhile Batgirl starts crushing on a Gotham Central Detective who is aware of her innocence and we introduced to a new villain and leader of the Reapers, the group that killed Newton for not joining their ranks.

Miller keeps the arcs short if they need be (this one was only two issues) and the laughs only where they are required. Dustin Nguyen has adapted well to the series as its regular artist; his panels are lively and he keeps Stephanie’s expressions wonderfully expressive.

Cape Town Capsule Reviews, 11/17/10 Releases

By Don M. Ventura

The Flash #6

DC

Logic has been asked to take a backseat in the final issue of the “Dastardly Death of the Rogues” storyline, the first arc of Geoff Johns’s re-introduction of the Silver Age Flash back into the DCU. This flaw is simply too large a leap to accept.

In this arc the Renegades, a team of Rogue doppelganger police from the future, have traveled through time to arrest the Flash for the future murder of the Mirror Monarch. The B-story involved Barry Allen re-opening of a cold case in which a young man is falsely imprisoned of murder. It turns out the Renegade Top is framing the Flash of Mirror Monarch’s murder so that he can prevent Barry from solving the cold case because the Top’s ancestor was the actual murderer. The Top knows that he will never be able to serve as a police office if an ancestor has a criminal record.

Wait. At no point in the story has Barry altered the past. This means the Top’s ancestor would have always had a criminal record and the Top would have never been able to be a cop in the first place. This took me out of a story that I had been enjoying up until this point.

Plotting aside, Francis Manapul has delivered another issue full of exquisite artwork. The chase scene between the Flash and the top is phenomenal. Manapul never wastes a panel on this book, and the coloring by Brian Buccellato is stunning. The chase scene in particular is phenomenal with all of the lights of the building illuminated in yellows and oranges.

I love Johns, but this ending threw me.

X-Men #5

Marvel

I’m still not sure how Victor Gischler has kept me interested in a storyline about vampires (something to which I admittedly have an aversion) but this book’s inaugural arc has been a fun ride while never becoming silly. Another feat considering the subject matter.

The newly vampired Wolverine and Xarus’s minions have begun their assault on Utopia and Cyclops has the troops ready. This is the action-packed story that this arc has been building up to and it is well paced and offers plenty of good scenes for the main characters.

With the vampires descending on Utopia, Cyclops has the impenetrable charactesr on the frontline and refers to them as “tough skins.”  In typical Emma Frost fashion, we are treated to “How can you possibly look at this glittering form of mine and lump something so glamorous into the category of tough skin?”  I appreciate Gishler’s infusion of humor where it is appropriate and fitting for the character and scene. X-Men is perhaps my favorite of the current long line of X-books.

Superior #2

Icon

While perhaps not “the most important comic book since 1938” as the cover promises, Superior is a fun and sometimes thoughtful book by Mark Millar and Leinil Yu. In the last issue, Simon Pooni was granted the powers of Superior (a movie super hero) and in this issue he seeks the help of his friend Chris to help him figure his powers out.

Millar is has mastered foul language to communicate awe and disbelief. This issue serves as an opportunity to establish Superior’s powers and allow Simon to begin mastering them. Some are easier than others. Superior sight and strength come fairly easy. Heat vision and flight will take some work.

As with the last issue, Millar proves that he can produce incredibly touching work that doesn’t become maudlin in the least. Scenes of Simon in physical therapy are featured between the panels of Simon as Superior trying to pull multiple train cars.

Yu’s work is equally important to this book. His work has continued to grow stronger with each project. The scene with Simon grappling with flight is wonderful as he awkwardly attempt to control his new powers. I have been enjoying Sunny Gho’s colors on Power Girl and her work on Superior is equally as strong.  

Batman: The Return (One-Shot)

DC

Deciding between this book and Batman Incorporated as the best book of the week was difficult. Batman: The Return is another fine piece of work by Grant Morrison who has firmly established an ability to find the distinct voices of the peripheral characters in the Batman universe.

The book opens with beautiful prose by Morrison involving the voyage of the frightening and bloodied bat that inspires Bruce Wayne to don a cape and mask as Gotham City’s protector. If you love Batman, try to avoid goose bumps while reading this opening passage.

The story serves as Batman’s assertion as the general of the Bat-family of characters (specifically Dick Grayson Batman, Robin, Red Robin, Batgirl and Oracle) as he doles out their specific tasks going forward. This book presents an exciting new status quo for these characters as Batman declares “From today on, Batman will be everywhere it’s dark, no place to hide.

While I have not always been an enormous fan of David Finch’s art (I’ve found that the eyes of his characters have been particularly soulless) but this book’s script plays to the artist’s strengths. The guy draws a hell of a batcave.

Supergirl #58

DC

Sterling Gates is closing up shop on Supergirl with this final two-part arc before Nick Spencer takes over the title in January.  The story focuses on Cat Grant who Gates introduced into the book as a foil for Girl of Steel, criticizing her and trying to break her down at every turn.

Three children in Metropolis have gone missing and the modus operandi appears to be that of Winslow Schott, the original Toyman and murderer of Cat’s son. Gates takes his time on this issue presenting some strong character work between Cat and Kara. The writer seems to want to bring some closure to Cat’s arc on this series by the end of his run.

Jamal Igle’s artwork is as strong as always.  His Toyman is creepy and unbalanced and all the toys have a properly haunting quality. The story concludes with the appearance of a character that hasn’t been in the book for sometime, an indication of more resolution to Gates’s run.

Osborn #1 (of 5)

Marvel

I wonder if it might still be a little too soon to return to Norman Osborn stories? Gone since being taken down in Siege about six months ago I opened this book and realized enough time has not passed for me to become nostalgic.

The story involves Frontline Norah Winters who has been assigned to write an expose on Norman Osborn. Norah admits that she feels partially responsible for him getting away (literally) with murder by not exposing him when she had the opportunity. We then get into some business about the legality of Norman’s incarceration and ultimately his move to a special containment center for super villains.

While I never felt invested in the story, Kelly Sue Deconnick moved the story along fine and absolutely has an ear for dialogue—a scene between Norah and Peter Parker was a good example of this as a brash Norah reveals touches of humanity. Also, while I didn’t dislike Emma Rios’s artwork on the book, I did not like her rendition of Peter who seemed a tad too young for the character.

Osborn ends interestingly enough to warrant picking up the second issue of this mini, but I’m not yet committed to the entire run.

Spider-Girl #1

Marvel

I walked away from this book much in the way I did Superboy a few weeks ago. While it wasn’t bad, it doesn’t seem to have enough heart to it.

Writing strong teenage characters can be difficult, and while Paul Tobin is in the right direction, there is something that rings a bit strained in his attempts here. Spider-Girl is part of the “Big Time” relaunching of Spider-Man related titles and it is a pretty average opening. I thought the use of Twitter for Spider-Girl to communicate to her fans was an interesting concept, but it wasn’t well executed.

Spider-Girl is off preventing small crimes from occurring while the Fantastic Four deal with a major baddie off screen (who appears in the final panel). The book’s light approach to Spider-Girl’s crime fighting efforts works tonally, but it doesn’t succeed in a way that Batgirl (by Bryan Q. Miller) does—a title with a similar protagonist.

Clayton Henry’s artwork is quite nice however. Henry’s characters are expressive and he draws strong action sequences.

Crisis of Multiple Characters

There’s been a proliferation of multiplicity taking place in comics over the last year and it does not seem to have affected comic sales or turned fans off. We’ve seen an army of Flash characters, a gaggle of Hulks, two Captain Americas (sort of), and a whole mess of Avengers.

But it seems as though the true test will be if two Batmans can coexist. Let’s take a look at this multitude of multiple characters:

Flash
You would be hard pressed to find a point in comic history where there were more Flash-family characters in continuity than there are now. We have three Flashes: the original, Jay Garrick; the first modern-day Flash, Barry Allen; and Barry’s protégé, Wally West. Add to the mix Kid Flash, Impulse, Jesse Quick, and Max Mercury and you are a few people short of a small town.

These characters are currently used throughout the DCU but not yet in their own book. To fully understand the history of the Flash characters is to understand the myriad of time travel stories (a crutch of a comic book plot device if ever there was one) that have made up their existence.

Hulk
How many Hulks are there? Well the title of the original Hulk’s current book is The Incredible Hulks. The book features the green Hulk (I’ll get to that shortly), She-Hulk, Red She-Hulk, Savage She-Hulk, and the three non-Hulk monikered characters A-Bomb, Korg, and Skaar. I don’t believe there is a character in comics whose status quo has changed as drastically or as frequently as Bruce Banner’s. He has gone from out-of-control misunderstood monster to in-control misunderstood genius innumerable times. He’s currently in control of the monster and traveling alongside a cadre of Hulks.

Then there’s the Red Hulk who has been terrorizing Banner and the rest of the Marvel Universe over the past two years. Recently revealed to be Banner’s former nemesis, General “Thunderbolt” Ross, Red Hulk is currently fighting on the side of the good guys in the pages of Hulk.

Captain America
While there is currently only one guy running around calling himself Captain America, it is difficult to not refer to Steve Rogers as Cap. After all he’s worn the red, white, and blue outfit since the character’s creation in the early 40’s. Steve was murdered a few years ago and has only recently reemerged; Cap’s former sidekick “Bucky” Barnes took over the patriotic mantle.

Now that Steve has returned, and often inhabits the same space as “Bucky”, it’s difficult not to refer to them as Captain Steve and “Bucky” Cap. As long as Steve Rogers is in the comic books, and he’s appearing all over the Marvel Universe these days, it’s going to be difficult not to see him as Captain America—mask or no mask.

The Avengers
For a team not founded by Charles Xavier, there are a hell of a lot of Avengers teams. Two teams reside in Manhattan and call themselves the Avengers (we call them The Avengers and The New Avengers). Then there is the Special Ops team called the Secret Avengers, a team of young heroes called the Young Avengers, and there’s a school for superhero education called Avengers Academy.

Someone must have done a whole heap of bad to warrant this much avenging.

Batman
Finally, the biggest name in comics is about to become a pair: Batman. This month Bruce Wayne makes his official return to the DCU in the final issue of Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne. Dick Grayson, his original ward, has taken on the role of the Dark Knight in the caped crusader’s absence.

Now that Bruce has returned you’d expect that Dick would go back to being Nightwing. Nope. They’ll both be Batman—and there may be additional Batmen. Dick is going to continue protecting Gotham City while Bruce takes his business internationally in Batman: Incorporated.

DC's Iconic Cover Treatments

Along with great new $2.99 cover prices for its ongoing titles, this January DC will be featuring very cool cover treatments for many of their books. Each will feature its title character in an iconic pose in front of the character’s equally iconic logo. (Above) clockwise from top left: Batman: Incorporated (by David Finch), Superman (by John Cassaday), The Flash (by Francis Manapul), and Green Lantern (by Doug Mahnke).

Additionally, January will bring a series of one-shots featuring familiar faces who will also receive similar cover treatments: (Below) clockwise below from top left: Shazam (by Cliff Chiang), Wonder Girl (by Nicola Scott and Doug Hazelwood), Steel (by Alex Garner), and Starman/Congorilla (by Gene Ha).

Wednesday's Finest, 9/22/10 Releases

By Don M. Ventura
Titles released on September 22nd.

Superman/Batman #76

DC

While running some errands this afternoon, I continued to reflect on a powerful image from Superman/Batman #76. Lois Lane has awakened to find her husband, still in costume, sitting at the edge of their bed. Slumped over, he grieves over the passing of his closest friend. He is engulfed by his iconic cape. A cape that, at this moment, is much larger than the man wearing it. This issue is the exploration of Superman as a man.

In the current run of Superman, J. Michael Straczynski has been attempting to write a tale in which Superman is more relatable. However, Judd Winick has been able to achieve something much more powerful in this one-shot by presenting a story that needed to be told: how did Superman react to the death of Batman? I can only surmise, because we know Bruce Wayne will eventually return to his cape and cowl, it was considered a story pointless to tell. Thankfully Winick was passionate to give us this.

The story opens with Dick Grayson and Tim Drake running things from the Batcave at the concluding events of Final Crisis. Superman and Wonder Woman arrive to inform Batman’s longtime protégé’s of the tragedy.

Winick and artist Marco Rudy take us inside Superman’s head and his heart in this emotionally gripping piece which is less a story than a series of substantive vignettes. Superman is reminded of the recent passing of his own father, he recalls his first meeting with Batman, and there is a moving scene where the man of steel is staring at the caped crusader’s hand while listening to the autopsy results. Winick, one of DC’s unsung storytellers in terms of producing well-paced super hero yarns, has struck a home run here. Page after page offer one moving scene after another as Superman ultimately comes to terms with the death of his friend.

Wonder Woman and Nightwing are used nicely here as well, as they are so integral to the two leads of this title. After a nasty run in with Dick, who recently donned the Batman costume, Superman has heart-to-heart with Wonder Woman on his fears of being immortal and what it ultimately means to their loved ones. She consoles him, takes his hand, and they have a quiet moment on a bridge overlooking Metropolis.

My only qualm was with some of the inconsistencies Rudy had in drawing Superman’s face—other than that, his layouts were dynamic. Page slowly through this issue and search for all of the nods to iconic batman images; one in particular: Superman holding Batman’s tattered costume while in the silhouette of Batman standing over his slain parents.

With all of the Batbooks and tie-ins that were released after the “death” of Batman in the pages of Final Crisis, it is shocking that it took so long for this story to be told. But truth be told, it was worth the wait.

Avengers #5
Marvel

This book is beginning to give me a headache. Its story is going all over the place. What began as a story about the future children of the Avengers, has become an ultra-hyper time travel adventure featuring Kang, Ultron, Galactus, Apocalypse, Marvel Boy, Devil Dinosaur, and geriatric versions of the Hulk and Tony Stark. I believe I understand what Brian Michael Bendis is attempting: a bombastic action-adventure series with one WTF-cliffhanger after the next. But it is just too much because all of the dramatic choices are coming off as arbitrary.

While John Romita Jr.’s artwork was improved in this issue and last, it is still not working well with everything Bendis is throwing into the mix. If the next arc does not calm down by a few decibels, I won’t be giving any more issues of Avengers a warm home.

That said, the following Avengers titles I am currently reading are all solid; Children’s Crusade, The Secret Avengers (a strong Nick Fury-centric issue came out this week), and New Avengers (the better Bendis-scribed Avengers series).

Velocity #2
Top Cow

While I tend to pick up my books based on the writers and storyline, I have been completely captivated by Kenneth Rocafort’s artwork on Velocity. That is not to say that Ron Marz is playing the part of chopped liver on this mini, but Rocafort pages are one exquisite example of strong drawing after another. Even when the story slows down for a little exposition, Rocafort nails every panel. Rocafort’s work is made even more pleasing by Sunny Gho’s coloring; a spectacular water color effect has been employed, adding delicate texture to the artwork.

So there is a story. Velocity was caught by Dr. Erasmus Payne in the last issue and she and her teammates from Cyberforce have been injected with a deadly virus. Velocity has one hour to provide her comrades with an antidote before the virus does it’s dastardly business. Marz is a reliable writer (and the guy who turned Hal Jordan into a murderer) who knows how to tell a strong super hero tale with wit and solid action.

Now let’s get Rocafort on a team book!

Hulk #25
Marvel

There was nothing that interested me about a Red Hulk or the Jeph Loeb-penned story that has unfolded over the past two years. After reading the first issue of Jeff Parker and Gabriel Hardman’s run on the book, I see great potential for this character.

Thunderbolt Ross, who was unmasked (figuratively) as the Red Hulk a few months back, has been offered an opportunity to use his powers for good by Captain Steve Rogers. In this issue, Red Hulk takes him up on it and is thrust immediately into action against M.O.D.O.K. and the Leader’s genetic weapons of mass destruction. Iron Man is soon on the scene, unaware he and Red Hulk are on the same side. Naturally this leads to the time-honored tradition of the heroes beating one another to a pulp due to a case of mistaken intentions.

Parker’s spin on a good Red Hulk is believable considering what has occurred before this. I enjoyed the friction between Thunderbolt Ross and Bruce Banner; their distaste for one another is matched only by that of J. Jonah Jameson and Spider-Man. Hardman draws an awesome Red Hulk and the fight between he and Iron Man is some really quality stuff.

Flash #5

DC

When I first opened this issue I thought, “Man, Barry has been fighting these Renegade guys for too long.” However, the story has actually progressed nicely. By the final page it is clear that Geoff Johns is getting everything tied together in this penultimate issue of the “Death of the Rogues” storyline.

As usual, Francis Manapul proves he was born to draw splash pages. There’s a two-page doozy with the Rogue’s and Renegades squaring off in front of Mirror Master’s Silver-Agey mirror. Come on, “In case the Flash returns break glass”?

Johns is having fun introducing his Rogue’s to the returning Barry Allen; he continues to demonstrate his ability to create really bad bad guys. Johns sets up the finale of this inaugural arc with two fantastic cliff hangers. Barry is placed squarely in the wrong place at the wrong time if he is planning to save his beloved Iris. Though there was a lot of groaning upon Barry’s return, it is hard to dispute that The Flash is one of the best super hero books being published.

Skull Kickers #1
Image

There’s been a lot of early buzz on Jim Zubkavich’s Skull Kickers and the first issue by no means disappoints. After all, the opening page is of a dwarf fighting a potbellied werewolf. Dwarf: “Yeesh! Who ever heard of a fat werewolf?” The tone has been set.

Skull Kickers is the story of two medieval mercenaries, one a large contemporary-speaking man and the other a temperamental (underline temper and mental) dwarf, who travel around villages and kingdoms looking for monsters to battle. For a price. The two main characters remain nameless, but their personalities are clearly identified over the course of the story.

The art chores are split evenly between two artists, who have worked uniformly here: Chris Stevens and Edwin Huang. The artwork is cartoonish and gory, when the story calls for it (which is a fair amount).

Is this Image offering worth the buzz? It may be too early to say. I wasn’t as taken with this book as I have been with Chew or Morning Glories. That said, this is absolutely a fun first issue that grants all the dark laughs comic book readers embrace.