Black Canary and Zatanna: Bloodspell HC

Let’s start off with the one negative for this book; it is too expensive for such little content. I got this from the library, but man, if I had paid $23 bucks for this, I’d have been TICKED. This can’t be much longer than a normal comic issue, with the page count padded by including the script and a ton of sketches. I love seeing sketches, but man, that’s a lot to pay for the privilege.

I get the feeling that Paul Dini really put this thing together to give Joe Quinones a chance to show off. The story is very slight. Canary and Zatanna team up to take down an evil thug who had some sorcerous powers. There are some twists and turns, but that’s not where the book shines. The main plot is strictly by-the-numbers as an excuse to put the ladies in some daring situations and show off a sensible amount of skin.

Quinones isn’t exactly a good-girl artist, it seems. He’s certainly good at drawing all the ladies involved in this story. The constant references to Power Girl made me wish for a chance to see his take on the character. Rather, Quinones seems to boast a cartoon-y version of the characters that makes them seem like everyone is having a good time. Green Arrow, the JLA, the Female Furies, they all show up and have a few pages to show off before Dini’s script whips the leads off to another interesting locale and costume change.

So this is slight, no doubt. But I still loved it because this comic featured the versions of the characters I know and love. This was the real JLA. This was the real Green Arrow. Best of all, this was the real Black Canary; the confident stalwart of the JLA. Zatanna hasn’t suffered quite as much in the new 52, but at least she’s in her correct costume here!

I can’t be the only person who relished this chance to see the REAL versions of these heroes in a GOOD, lightweight, enjoyable story! 

Arrow Season 2

Minor Spoilers ahead!

I made it! It was dang close, but I actually finished Season 2 before Season 3 started! Yes!

A lot of folks I know love Arrow, and every single one of them said the same thing when I finished watching Season 1: “Just wait. Season 2 is better.” I must have smart friends, because they were absolutely right.

I really enjoyed Season 1 of Arrow, but there were still a few things that bothered me. The casual way the vigilante took lives. The lack of a mask on most of the characters made the show seem afraid of its comic-book roots. The deliberate “Dark Knighting” of most powers to make them fit in to the real world rather than a fantastic one. And a big one: I can’t stand that they call him “the vigilante” or the “the hood.” I can happily tell you that each and every one of these concerns is directly addressed in Season 2.

One absolutely huge factor in my increased enjoyment in S2 is the introduction of (Black) Canary. Katie Cassidy improves a LOT in Season 2, I found myself much more invested in the Laurel Lance’s journey as a character as she dealt with the adversity in her life. But the introduction of Sara Lance, Laurel’s sister, really gives the show some momentum. Caity Lotz is small, but still sells all of her stunts and fighting extremely well. I guess she’s a former stuntwoman, which would explain why they actually show her doing the salmon ladder that so dominates most viewers’ thoughts while they watch this show. Canary’s costume looks almost exactly like the one from the comics, with only the fishnet lacking. My biggest concern for Season 3 is that I get more of Lotz as the Canary; I find her chemistry with most of the other principal characters to be very moving and her action scenes are thrilling.  

I can’t overstate how well Stephen Amell has improved between seasons. He is actually acting now, not reciting lines. Amell is so comfortable in the role; he is eminently believable as both Oliver Queen and as a costumed hero. He switches voices constantly, even using one voice while dressed like another. I love that he refers to himself in the third person. Amell doesn’t get most of the funny lines, but his tough guy talk and the physicality he brings to the role is tremendous. He moves his arms when he talks, even! I think Amell’s greatest acting is actually during the flashbacks on the island, where he has to be even more gradual and nuanced as he shows the maturation and toughening up of Ollie Queen into the hard man we met in the pilot.

Team Arrow? What can I say, but I love them. I’ve stated how much I love Canary, and believe it or not, I actually found Roy Harper tolerable by the end of the season. Harper has a bit of a “skill” jump towards the finale, but I’ll just assume he leveled up and put all his points in archery. Emily Bett Rickards’ Felicity is still the nerd boy’s dream, and her awkward attraction to Oliver gets some great development. Her jealously over Canary’s scars is certainly a character trait I didn’t expect. And that scene in the finale? An emotional killer, man. I think I actually voiced an “oh man” as I watched the scene play out! (Although I think it is essential to keep the will they/won’t they alive for as long as possible.)

I’m not going to spoil the fantastic developments with David Ramsey’s Diggle and his ex-wife Lyla (played by one of my favorites from The Unit; Audrey Marie Anderson). I’ll just say that people who enjoy teams with questionable morals and short life expectancies? You might want to check this out. Ramsey continues to share the best lines with Paul Blackthorne’s Officer Lance, and they trade off having the best lines in each episode.

Now for my favorite thing in the season. The villains. Deathstroke the Terminator/Slade Wilson is wonderful when brought to life by a scenery-chewing Manu Bennett. This guy LOVES being a villain, and it shows. He is awful, cruel, and dangerous. His meticulous plan is actually worse than the undertaking in Season 1. I hate to say that the reason for his revenge quest is a bit weak, but Bennett actually makes it not matter; that’s how super-charged his performance is. Bennett actually wears his Deathstroke gear, too!

I’m avoiding some huge spoilers involving other characters, but suffice to say I found myself genuinely moved by some of the plot choices and developments for Ollie Queen. This is a show that is reveling in its comic book roots. The guest-stars are allowed to stretch their wings and swing for the fences as both heroes and villains. The rapidly expanding DCU-TV is a delight for comic fans and I recommend it highly for anyone who likes action, buddy shows, or teen dramas. This GOOD show scratches all three boxes.

SPOILERS for those who still need to be sold on watching:

Some of the DCU developments: The Count, Bronze Tiger, Ra’s Al Ghul, Nissa Al Ghul, ARGUS, Amanda Waller, Shrapnel, Harley Quinn, Professor Ivo, Amazo, KGBeast, Clock King, the Flash, and the hinted-above SUICIDE SQUAD! And more! 

Birds of Prey v3: A Clash of Daggers TPB

Gail Simone and Duane Swiercynski use the third storyline as a way to swap the BoP roster around a bit. The book launched with Black Canary, Poison Ivy, Starling, Katana, and Batgirl. I’m not sure what happened with all those folks in the previous stories, as I only made it 2 or 3 issues in before I couldn’t read any more of the first trade. (Swiercynski has things moving along a little better here; while I never loved any particular issue, the story was fine.)

Back to the line-up! The first new member of the team is the mysterious “good” Talon introduced in Gail Simone’s Batgirl series. She’s fine, but it is pretty hard to get too attached to a totally mute character in a full facemask. I know people loved Cassandra Cain back in the day too, but I never really found a way to get interested in her either. (And it isn’t that they are women, I’m not a huge Snake Eyes fan either!) Later in the trade, we meet Condor, who is an affable doofus who seems to be a pretty decent guy. With his bird theme, simplistic view on crime and total lack of self-awareness, Condor is a pretty amusing addition to the team.

The storyline centers on Katana’s attempts to regain her sword from a mysterious clan of ninjas who are fond of daggers. None of the villains make for a very compelling central antagonist, which does weaken the conflict. Plus, the dagger clan totally resembles the Hand from Marvel comics, so I had to remind myself which universe I was reading about.  

So average villains plus a non-compelling storyline doesn’t leave the book too stacked with potential. That said, Swiercynski’s use of a few characters does make the book enjoyable to read. I really like Starling (I think she’s new to the new 52?), Black Canary’s power fluctuations are interesting, and it is amusing seeing Talon constantly wanting to kill her own teammates.

Admira Wijayadi, Daniel Sampere, Juan Jose Ryp, Vicente Cifuentes, and Romano Molenaar provide the art for these issues, leading me to believe there were some mad scrambles to meet deadlines. Only Ryp’s art really jumped out at me, with the intricate level of detail and gore that I’ve seen in his Avatar work. I actually think Ryp could be a pretty solid artist on a mainstream super hero book; the battle scenes were choreographed differently than I’m used to seeing.

This is an AVERAGE comic. But the good news is, I was able to finish the entire collection this time! And, I’d even read the next one! That’s a big step up for this book; one that exemplifies my feelings about the new 52 in general. 

Black Widow: Deadly Origins HC

Paul Cornell has an interesting take on the Black Widow, taking her name literally. It seems that ol’ Natasha is infected with some form of virus that will cause everyone she has “been with” to go crazy. Even worse, they’ve spread that around to the folks that they have known well (this leads to an interesting fight when Mockingbird goes berserk and Natasha has to cure her).

I’m not sure about the villain that Cornell uses. I never really got a bad-guy vibe from this long-time supporting character, admittedly, I haven’t read that much with him in it. Maybe some old Champions and Daredevil issues at most. In any case, I loved his ridiculous look at the close of the comic, but it does seem to be a sad betrayal for a character who has already lost a lot.

Tom Raney handles the modern elements of the story, and he does it well. The Widow’s white snowsuit is awesome, and it was wonderful seeing her use it (and her charms) on some bored soldiers. John Paul Leon handles the flashbacks, which carry a sense of grandeur of their own. Wolverine’s appearance in those flashbacks makes sense and really shows how similar Wolvie is to the title character. Red Guardian’s appearances were surprisingly poignant too.

Cornell does a good job walking the fine line between emotionally torturing his character and making her enjoy the job too much.

Fair

Birds of Prey #79 & 80 (2005)

And with these two issues, I now have every issue of Gail Simone's Birds of Prey. I'm not sure why I ever dropped it, I think I must have been sore after Chuck Dixon left the book to go to Crossgen. In any case, I really dug the Birds on their cross-country tour of taking out vigilantes.

These two issues, the Birds are trying to reign in Thorn, the Metropolis vigilante suffering from split-personality disorder. I appreciate that Simone has the Birds and Thorn go up against the 100. The Metropolis villain group that is always tied to Thorn, so I liked seeing her get some sort of closure dealing with the villains. The Birds are never really in danger; these two issues are much more about the redemption of the Huntress as she joins the team. It is true, Oracle can be one manipulative lady. The entire trip around the country dealing with these vigilantes was a process to calm Huntress down and sell her on a kinder, gentler path. We know it worked, but it is interesting seeing it happen.

The best scene has to be when Black Canary shows a cop a name on her cell phone. Imagine trying to tough talk someone and they show you they have Superman on speed-dial!

Ed Benes draws everyone in these issues like a stripper. Including the male characters. Everyone is posing and standing around showing off their best assets, it's pretty funny. And Thorn's outfit is the worst. She looks like she's about to burst out of her costume in about four different places.

Good

Justice League: Rise & Fall Special #1

This really wasn't too bad. I've been pretty open about my mocking of the whole Cry for Justice debacle, but the arc spinning out of it has some potential. Green Arrow has been a hunter of men before, so I'm ok with this regression, especially if it is temporary.

It does weird me out a tad to see the Shade playing such a prominent role, but I guess this was James Robinson's baby, so it makes sense that one of his favorites would be the guy giving the Justice League the big reveal. J.T. Krul wrote this episode though, and I like how he avoided needless killing. Electrocutioner and Razer aren't the coolest villains in the DCU, but there's no need to go crazy and continue the killing. I also like that Green Arrow escaped by using Prometheus' interdimensional key. That crooked tower HQ could make a pretty good base of operations for a rogue hero.

I will also note that I really liked how Krul wrote Wally West and Dick Grayson. I don't want the DCU to forget about Wally.

The art is inconsistent, but that's not surprising considering there are three pencillers listed. Mike Mayhew draws pretty ladies, but the characters poses look a tad stiff. I do like his facial expressions though. Diogenes Neves' art was nice, but Fabrizio Fiorentino looked rushed. His stuff isn't usually this scratchy.

Fair

Black Lantern: Green Arrow #30

A friend of mine recommended I pick up this issue and I'm glad I did. I do like seeing the POV of the heroes possessed by the black lantern rings. (I do wish, of course, that we'd get a Martian Manhunter feature, but I'll probably be waiting a long time).

What makes this work so well is that J.T. Krul uses GA's possession as an excuse to have Ollie comment on the important people in his life. Krul is really impressing me on the books he has written lately because he really seems to have a nice handle on what makes these characters tick. There is a great sequence where Connor Hawke and Mia face down the possessed GA and I loved seeing how the two reacted. Mia is quicker to resort to using GA as a pincushion while Connor holds back a bit longer. He is a pacifist after all. I'm hoping Krul undoes the stupid Sivana-clone crap with Connor (Krul is taking over GA, right?) For those that don't know, Judd Winick wrote a story where Connor's DNA was spliced with Plastic Man's that somehow gave him a healing factor. It also made him forget how to use a bow and started him eating meat. So basically, it totally ruined the unique character Chuck Dixon created in Connor back in the 90's. Perhaps DC is about to retcon all these unnecessary changes.

Back to this issue. I also like how easy it is for the possessed GA to get under Black Canary's skin. Let's face it, GA has made some awful choices in his personal life, so many that I honestly find him a bit hard to cheer for most of the time. But Canary clearly sees the best in him so it is really rough watching GA punish her for that unwavering loyalty. It's a strong issue that I hope is a precursor of things to come.

Diogenes Neves has a pretty painted style that works pretty well with the action but tends to look better as static images rather than a story. There is some weird body posture at times too. He reminds me of Guillem March in a lot of ways, drawing pretty pictures and especially pretty ladies, but everything looks just a tad disconnected.

Good

A Peek at DC's March 2010 Solicits!

SPOILERS away!

Here we go again! There's a lot of interesting stuff from the big two this month. DC is up first, as always. I'm getting very worried about Green Arrow. It looks like he's getting some spotlight in the upcoming months, which is usually a bad sign for both the spotlighted character and his or her supporting cast. I'll go on record now that I'm worried Black Canary might not survive February.

With Blackest Night wrapping up in March, we don't know much about the "post-" status of the DCU, but it certainly seems very similar to what has been happening for the last few months. (That is, no announcement about my dream book: Peter Tomasi writing a Martian Manhunter ongoing.)

Here's a link to my full write up at ComicsPlusBlog.

Justice League: Cry for Justice #5

Note: While striking, the cover does not accurately represent this comic.
Wow. James Robinson sure is out for blood in this thing. I'm still amazed that the artist I loved back in the 90s is so quick to kill and maim these days. He had the proclivity to do this type of thing back in the Starman days, back when he killed his version of the Justice League Europe, but with his modern work the killing is a lot more constant. I'd say we're getting about a death an issue. The deaths aren't major or important characters, but Robinson is awfully quick to take these folks off the table. I wonder how he'd feel if someone had Hope O'Dare get atomized by Eclipso to show how important and kewl their new story was?

This issue has the many sub-teams of heroes finally meeting on the JLA satellite to discuss their efforts in finding Prometheus. Animal Man, Congorilla, Mikaal, and some Titans show up there, as do Hal, Ollie, Supergirl and Captain Marvel Jr. Black Canary and her loser league have been chilling out on the satellite all this time, waiting for the others to come home so they could yell at them. At least that's what it feels like. Black Canary wastes no time in dressing down Ollie with the others standing around... it's like watching Mom and Dad fight! It's a weird scene, and I can't help but worry that Robinson is leading up to killing off BC.

It's interesting, because Robinson clearly has researched these characters, he knows about the Justice League of Aliens, he knows about the Forgotten Heroes, so he knows his stuff. But it seems he prefers to kill off these hidden parts of the DCU rather than use them. This issue's death is Endless Winter, who I believe was introduced in a JSA Classified story. Her death is pretty boring though, just a small cranial explosion. The gore-winner for the issue is Arsenal/Red Arrow/Speedy stumbling around with his right arm ripped off. Hey kids, comics! It looks like CM JR is bad, or possessed, or something, since he's taken out Congorilla and Flash at the close of the issue. If that's right, that will be 3 characters mangled beyond re-use this issue, tying the record held in the premiere issue. Heck, at least Mikaal and Congorilla have decided to just arrest Prometheus, maybe some heroes will remember not to kill their opponents.

Mauro Cascioli draws pretty people. He certainly uses every opportunity to draw Starfire, Donna Troy, or Supergirl showing off their goods. His guys are built too, but I can't help but think he digs drawing these ladies more. There are some very odd storytelling choices in this. Endless Winter's capture is oddly presented, and what is up with that insert shot of Guardian when Ollie makes his speech about avenging Red Arrow? This book is still a mess. I'm reading it more to keep up with the destruction of the DCU more than any desire to see what the characters are actually doing.

Average

Blackest Night #5

Ok, we've got some plot movement! Blackest Night is clearly a GL story; I opened up this issue and was immediately confused on how the rainbow corps got together. So I closed the book and moved GL 48 to the top of my stack and everything became clear. This issue picks up with Barry Allen taking on Nekron, Scar, and the Black Hand. There are some great moments as Barry is in rough shape, outnumbered and outmatched, but Wally West arrives and lends a hand immediately. I dug Barry's acceptance of Wally as an equivalent Flash too, I'm starting to believe "my" Flash won't be totally sidelined after Blackest Night. Green Arrow, Black Canary, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Teen Titans arrive shortly after Wally does in a nice splash page. Along with Fire and Ice. Hoo boy, I don't like Fire or Ice's odds of making it out of this alive; they have fodder written on their foreheads.

Back in NYC, the JSA is still facing down Jean Loring and the slew of dead villains from the last few issues. There's an odd scene where Jean grabs the Atom and Mera and shrinks them all down into Atom Smasher's Black Lantern ring. I have no idea where this is going. I'm curious if this subplot will end up being important...

The Rainbow Corps arrives with some witty banter between Hal and Barry, as expected. There are numerous bits of dialogue and plot that pick up directly from GL #48; it would be impossible to read these separately. Black Hand gets nasty when he resurrects a Black Lantern Batman, although Bruce Wayne's name is in quotes, so I don't think it is the real guy. However, BH uses the emotional tie the heroes feel for Bruce to send black rings out to a ton of the heroes resurrected in recent years. Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Ice, Impulse, and more are immediately turned, with rings flying after Hal and Barry too. Things could get mighty ugly very quickly, there aren't going to be any headliners left to lead the good guys! After a slower previous issue, things were flying along again here. Johns knows what he's doing.

Ivan Reis draws great gristle. These zombies look horrific. His post-transformation Scar is spooky too, she goes from creepy to full on scary very quickly, wrapping her tongue around Wally's throat. Gross!

Good

One final thought: Where's my Martian Manhunter?????

DC's November 2009 Solicits!

My thoughts on some of the solicits are available here.

Green Arrow/Black Canary #22

Wow. That is some stilted dialogue. I just don't understand how Andrew Kriesberg has destroyed Black Canary and Green Arrow's heroic nature so quickly. Green Arrow is now teaming up with the vicious villain Cupid, and when the two of them confront a murderer, he just might have allowed her to kill him. Black Canary is directly responsible for creating her new villain, Discord, with her careless actions a few issues ago when she deafened a talented musician. Neither of the title characters seem like people I want to follow here. They seem like they have become about as effective as Red Arrow, which is a damning statement for me.

The flashbacks to Dinah's childhood are... suprising. Not that Dinah and Wildcat teamed up, but that she and Wildcat talked with the flowery, philosophical language that they did. It's really awkward stuff, and it actually made me laugh when Black Canary actually said "Because I know now that will be my life. Maybe I've always known. It will be brutal. And terrifying." It goes on like that. That is just... wow.

Mike Norton's clean pencils tell the story clearly, like they always do. Discord's design is nowhere near as inspired as Cupid's, but they can't all be winners.

Poor

Secret Society of Super-Villains #1-8 (1976)

I think I may have short-changed 70s DC books. I always thought Bill Mantlo and his cohorts made Marvel the place to be in the 70s, but after reading the first few issues of this series, I think I need to check out more of the work of Gerry Conway, Bob Rozakis, and company at the distinguished competition. There were many pleasant surprises as I work my way through this series. First of all, Captain Comet is a really neat character, I love how he becomes a hated foe of the Society for no real reason, he just dedicates his time on Earth to stopping them. I like this guy a lot more than the smug hero for hire that DC is currently publishing. This guy feels more like the hero I remember from LEGION and REBELS from the 90s...

The core villains are a lot of fun too, with Gorilla Grodd standing out as always. The Grodd vs. Kalibak fight was tremendous with a spectacular finish that doesn't really demean either character. I like the use of Sinestro and the Wizard as aloof villains with few attachments to Earth-1 too. I will admit I'm still confused by the apparent ease of travel between Earths, but I can't hold it against this series. I'm also thrilled that Darkseid and his 4th World cronies (and Funky Flashman!) are so important to this series, I never guessed that would be the case.

Another outstanding part of the series is the rotating cast of heroes that show up to assist Comet. Kid Flash is around for awhile and suffers from some hero-worship (that must have been his thing). The best is how the writers brought in Black Canary and Hawkgirl. Canary tags along with Comet because Green Arrow wants to watch a football game. Hawkgirl heads out on a mission while Hawkman is cooking a fancy alien dinner for their guest. That's just awesome!

Rich Buckler, Pablo Marcos, and Ernie Chan all have a great DC house style. Grodd isn't quite as horrific as I'm used to, but I love the Star Sapphire design. Can anyone recommend more 70s DC with this feel? I always figured pre-Crisis DC was over-the-top madness like Haunted Tank and inconsistent characterization, I want more like this!

Good

Green Arrow & Black Canary #19

This was another generic issue of GA & BC, but this one had some redeeming qualities. Green Arrow faces off against Cupid, the obsessed lady who has fallen in love with him. After she killed off some of his villains, she set up an opportunity for GA to kill Merlyn at the end of last issue. Thankfully, GA spots the set-up immediately and moves on to facing off against her. I was a bit surprised how quickly she took him out (with an explosion), but that seems to be a given in Andrew Kreisberg's run, the incompetence of his heroes. GA wakes up chained to some train tracks, where Cupid plans for the two to die together, "romantically." I liked having Black Canary show up for the save. When it becomes clear that she can't cut GA loose, she acts like she's willing to die with him, replacing Cupid in the romantic death scenario. It was a fun way to resolve the fight with Canary using her brain to take advantage of the crazy Cupid. I was disappointed in the bloody finale though, with Cupid slashing Merlyn's throat so she could get away. At least he lived, and while the issue ends stating that he will never speak again, hopefully that will be disregarded, just because it is unnecessary. I will note that it is interesting that GA and BC couldn't actually defeat Cupid, they had to outsmart her and then she escaped. Some failures humanize the heroes, but the pair is in danger of looking incompetent.

Mike Norton has a nice clean style. I like the design for Cupid, particularly the green veil she wears as GA's "bride."

Average

Green Arrow & Black Canary #18

I just don't really care for this take on Green Arrow. A mystery villainess is killing off a bunch of GA villains I've never seen before (and I've been reading since Dixon wrote back in the 90s). The problem for me is that the dead guys seem more interesting than most of the villains who have showed up in the actual comic over the past few years! I do like Merlyn, but he's really coming across like a patsy in this story, which I'm fine with as long as the cliffhanger from this issue doesn't come through. I have long stated I hate it when new character are allowed to kill older character just to get them established, and we've got a lot of that going on here (unless they are all new, and then I apologize for the comment). I do know Brick was the main foe for Winnick's run, so while I don't like him, I don't like him being killed off this easily either. I'm pretty sure Count Vertigo works for Checkmate, doesn't he? I didn't think he was out villain-ing it up.

I'm also getting very weird vibes from the relationship between GA and Black Canary. They both seem only barely capable of being super-heroes. They are getting beaten, tricked, and are constantly one step behind everyone else in the comic (villains, cops, etc.). This is a weird comic that actually makes both of its leads look bad in how they relate to each other. If Count Vertigo really didn't commit a crime, and Green Arrow tortured him for info like that? Green Arrow needs to go to jail. Andrew Kreisberg is not really making me like or care for these heroes at all.

Mike Norton's art is fine, but it is not enough to save this story.

Poor