Justice League Dark v3: The Death of Magic TPB

Somehow, Ray Fawkes and Jeff Lemire have turned Justice League Dark into one of the most entertaining books in the New 52. A bunch of the credit goes to the character shuffling that has put the lineup into a pretty good situation. As of trade #3, the team consists of awful team leader John Constantine, Madame Xanadu, Zatana, Deadman, Black Orchid, and Frankenstein.

Frankenstein is definitely my favorite of the bunch. His stoic attitude and head-on approach makes him a great contrast in a book focusing on unclearly powered magic characters. What exactly does Constantine do? What are the limits of Zatana’s spells? I couldn’t tell you. But I can tell you that when a demon or monster shows up, Frankenstein will say something cool and chop its head off! That’s my kind of hero.

The first half of the collection has the team joining Tim Hunter in traveling to an odd world where magic is outlawed and science rules all. The villains aren’t very memorable on their own, but the well-realized nature of the world makes the story more interesting than it has a right to be. I found myself invested in the team as they were captured and experimented on by the science-dominated antagonists. I don’t know Tim Hunter from Adam, so that helps too. I have few if any pre-conceived notions about these characters from the old DCU continuity.

The second story focuses on the theft of the House of Mystery, Constantine’s home and the HQ for the Justice League Dark. We get some new 52 carnage as the world of magic goes insane, but I’m getting better as breezing over that stuff. The best part of this story, once again, is Frankenstein. He seems to really enjoy his work smashing monsters. The Flash guest-stars in this arc too, and he does fit in remarkably well. Barry gets a few caption boxes, and his sense of belonging with the JLD is a pretty great idea. I also like the weighty sense of responsibility that Madame Xanadu has to carry through her entire existence. Being an immortal really does seem pretty tough!

Mikel Janin and Graham Nolan continue to deliver a consistent look for the JLD. Flash’s bright colors and sleek look fits right in to the established tone of the book. Black Orchid and Amethyst are both nice additions (although Amethyst disappears pretty quickly); they both have “generic super-hero” looks about them. Really, with Frankenstein, Amethyst, and Orchid, this almost feels like the much-missed Shadowpact title I liked so much. 

Superheroes fighting magic. This GOOD comic keeps the concept humming.

The Sixth Gun: Winter Wolves TPB

Man, how weird is it that Cullen Bunn is saving his best stuff for his independent title? Admittedly, I’m pretty far behind at this point; I haven’t read any Larfleeze, Deadpool, or Magneto. But I was disappointed in Fearless Defenders after really enjoying Sixth Gun and Captain America team-up, so seeing a return to form in this collection is a welcome sight.

This is a bit of a filler chapter, as the core cast is trapped worlds apart and they must reunite before moving on to the next chapter.

Drake Sinclair and Becky Montcrief find themselves in a pretty frightening world of winter where they are tormented by wolves and a wendigo spirit. Bunn plays the scene in a pretty neat way; after a bit of interaction, it is hard to see the Wendigo as the villain. He certainly seems to be more straightforward and trustworthy than Sinclair!

The supporting character all team up to face down the religious order of battle priests that showed up in the last collection. It is hard not to cheer for these guys. Gord Cantrell has a huge heart and is a wonderful point of view character; Asher Cobb is a smart zombie/giant, and Kirby Hale is the rascal with a heart. C’mon, who isn’t rooting for this guy’s redemption arc?

These are good archetypes that round out the party nicely. (And I still say there is hope for the now clay-golem Billjohn. He’s still sticking around!)

The book ends with Becky utilizing the power of her gun in a pretty awesome way. The scene really pops because of Brian Hurtt’s artwork. Everyone is so certain of a certain outcome, that when Becky escalates the scene, the reader is shocked just like the characters. It’s a well-done moment that really amps up Becky’s abilities and hopefully steers her into a leadership role. She’s no damsel in distress, but I look forward to her not being led from plot point to plot point by Sinclair.

This is a GOOD adventure comic, with no real superheroes to be found. Instead, you’ve got horror and western tropes mixing into a nice spiritual successor to Joe Landsdale and Tim Truman’s Jonah Hex series.

Superman: Fury at World's End HC

Well, I’d heard that things turned around when Kenneth Rocafort came on the main Superman title, and I’m definitely seeing a change. Instead of the directionless wandering I’ve seen in every new 52 Superman trade so far, there is an actual story here. I still find the name “H’el” laughably obvious, but I suppose not every comic can be subtle.

Scott Lobdell seems to be channeling the real Superman here, too. Clark stands up for journalistic integrity, pines for Lois Lane (even while he’s with Wonder Woman) and even delivers a good old-fashioned team up! When the Justice League shows up, they aren’t an angry bunch of jerks; they feel like a supportive group of friends giving their buddy a hand. 

Don’t get me wrong, this still isn’t “my” DCU, but I would have been a lot easier on the New 52 if Superman had had this feel back in the beginning.

Now, one problem is DC’s totally perplexing trade program. I would have thought this would have a complete story, but instead it seems I read every other part in the “H’el on Earth” crossover. How funny is it that cutting out half the story makes it better? The breakneck pacing kept things interesting; I think having to force myself to read the opposite chapters might have really dragged this book down!

Another interesting about this team-up is the use of Superboy and Supergirl. The earlier issues of Superboy I read starred an unrecognizable jerk. I won’t even read Superboy’s title for free from the library it was so bad! The Superboy appearing here? He seems like a decent enough kid. Not as cool as any of the old Superboys, but frankly, I could handle this.

I like that Lobdell explains how H’el is manipulating Kara/Supergirl. She plays the patsy for most of the story. She seems like a petulant idiot, not really a likable character anchoring her own series. Thankfully there is a sequence that shows how much H’el is manipulating Kara using his mind powers, so we can give her a bit of a pass.

Rocafort’s art is not too bad. First of all, it doesn’t look like every single other New 52 title on the racks. That alone is an accomplishment these days! Every single character has a beautiful aspect to them; I don’t think Rocafort can help himself. But his Lex Luthor is fun, Lois Lane seems at least somewhat professional, and Superman looks much better in his jeans and t-shirt than that moronic armor.

Don’t misunderstand me, I would never recommend this FAIR book over any old-52 Superman titles. But I can at least tolerate the character in this one!

Justice League Beyond: In Gods We Trust TPB

Wow. The real Justice League was hiding here the whole time!

I know it isn’t the “real” pre-52 Justice League, but at this point, getting the further, continuing adventures of the Bruce Timm-style JLU is perfectly fine with me.

Jumping years into the future, the roster of the League has gone through some changes. Superman is still around, along with Martian Manhunter, Shazam, Mary Marvel, Starfire, Barda, and Mr. Miracle. The next generation is represented by a new GL, Steelhawk, a new Atom, a new Kid Flash, and Batman Beyond. The dynamic works surprisingly well. It doesn’t hurt that all those senior heroes act the way I’d hope and expect them to. It’s been a long time since I saw some of these characters.

This is a tremendously dense comic. I think it was released as digital chapters first, and man, people spending 99 cents for a few pages certainly got their money’s worth. This is a collection of origins, so there are a lot of backstories to get through, but Derek Fridolfs and JT Krul pack this thing with words. It’s been a long time since I read a book with so many caption boxes!

Other than the classic heroes and pleasing origin stories, the collection also has an entertaining story featuring the repercussion of Superman’s social engineering when he rescued an alien world years ago. The alien sides are visually exciting and have different enough outlooks and attitudes to make it fairly easy to root for one side over the other. Best of all, the entire Justice League gets to come riding in to help resolve the story. At this point, any Martian Manhunter is better than none!

Howard Porter handles a lot of the art in the Superman portion of the book, so that looks the most like “classic” super-hero comics to me. Dustin Nguyen handles a bunch of the origin stories, and his chapters look nice and “animated DCU” also. I’m not sure if I love the redesigns on Martian Manhunter and Superman, but Barda is still rocking her classic look, and the new characters’ costumes are all well done.

I never would have guessed it, but my favorite Justice League book in quite some time is actually based on a cartoon. This comic is GOOD. 

More please! 

Captain Midnight v1: On the Run TPB

I had high hopes for this one. And while there were some entertaining moments, I’m afraid that Joshua Williamson’s story just never really hooked me.

Captain Midnight is sort of a jerk. He’s not quite as obnoxious as Mark Millar’s Captain America in the Ultimates, but that is the closest comparison as far as comic characters go. Midnight is a genius inventor who doesn’t really like listening to other people or considering anything besides his own opinion. I believe the reader is supposed to side with him over the surrounding government yes-men who surround him, but unfortunately I found myself not really rooting for anyone.

The villain, Fury Shark, other than having a hilarious last name, doesn’t have a ton going for her either. She didn’t have any sort of plan for world domination that I could discern. She is clearly a ruthless business woman and former Nazi, but it didn’t seem she had any imminent plans other than going after Captain Midnight.

Basically, the entire trade consists of Captain Midnight’s return, then a lot of running around to track him down. He does have a brief combat with Fury Shark’s underlings, but again, at no time did I detect a real sense of danger, for Midnight, his supporting characters, or the world.

I understand this is part of Dark Horse’s new super-hero line “Project Black Sky.” There is a mention of this organization. A strange, flare-using sniper named Helios apparently works for them. Not much more to sink your teeth into than that.

The art, by Fernando Dagnino, Victor Ibanez, Pere Perez, and Roger Robinson is fairly consistent. It seems most of the artists are going for a Paul Pelletier-style on Fury Shark, but a bit more of a DC house style on everyone else. I always enjoy Robinson’s art, so his pages were once again the ones that caught my eye.

Overall, this is a very skippable book. With so many other good trades and comics on the shelves, I’m afraid I can’t recommend this EVIL book over most of them. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Movie Review

As parents know, it is impossible to pick your favorite kid. After sitting down and watching Guardians of the Galaxy in IMAX this weekend, I have that feeling again. I simply can’t choose a favorite Marvel movie. I adore the Avengers. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was one of the most dynamic action movies I’ve ever seen. Iron Man started this whole thing. And yet I think Guardians is right up there. The mix of action, humor, and mind-blowing special effects puts this in the discussion for best Marvel movie so far.

But my dilemma isn’t limited to the film itself. Not only can I not figure out where this movie fits in the Marvel ranking, I also find myself unable to pick a favorite Guardian. James Gunn did such a masterful job divining the best parts of each character, I’m stunned. This movie absolutely packed with characters and locations, and yet it flows together. I’m a comic nerd, so it is no surprise that I was able to follow it, but my 9-year-old daughter was happily along for the ride too.

Chris Pratt has been an affable doofus on Parks and Rec for so long that seeing him anchor a huge movie like this is almost like seeing a friend make good. His Star Lord is heroic, doofy, and laugh-out loud funny. I didn’t think I’d care for his costume, but frankly, a mask would have been too constrictive. Besides, Gunn makes sure to put Pratt back in costume when it is time for a “splash page” worthy moment. Gunn knows his comics.

I had confidence in Vin Diesel as Groot. We’ve seen him make a lot out of a little with his vocal work in Iron Giant, so seeing him bellow out “I am Groot” is quite satisfying. The visual effects work is above reproach, at no moment did my eyes doubt anything about the huge anthropomorphic tree up on the screen.

The toughest thing for me to admit is that I was totally wrong about Bradley Cooper. I think I forgot he was an actor. I was terrified of a smooth-talking, frat boy Rocket Raccoon. But Cooper instead delivers a pitch-perfect performance as the wise-talking rodent. Rocket is basically the second Han Solo for this film (with Star Lord as the first). Rocket has some of my absolute favorite lines, and he’s my favorite character from the Guardians comic. I was afraid Gunn had made a mistake here, too. But no, Cooper is absolutely perfect.

Zoe Saldana has the unenviable task of being the straight woman in a pack of outlandish characters, and she anchors the film by taking everything seriously. Her back and forth rivalry (both physical and emotional) with Karen Gillen’s Nebula is the most personal connection between the antagonists and our heroes.

As a WWE fan, I had some sincere concerns about “Big Dave” Bautista’s abilities to act alongside these other professionals. Again, my fears were assuaged when Batista actually got on screen. He looks great, he fights great, and he has some of the best lines of the film. In fact, in the few days since I saw the movie, I think I’m quoting Drax the Destroyer the most! I was pulling for Bautista to not look bad, and instead he just about steals the show. Come back to wrestling, Bautista! I think you’ll get cheers now!

Lee Pace’s Ronan, Josh Brolin’s Thanos, Michael Rooker’s Yondu, and glorified cameos from Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro, and John C. Reily round out a stellar cast that makes this world feel full. Alien, human, or CGI, the characters make this movie move.

One of my favorite things about this film is that it isn’t an origin movie. These characters have exciting lives and stories that have been going on for years. Gunn trusts us enough to throw us in the race and expect us to keep up. This movie is EXCELLENT and recommended for absolutely everyone with a pulse!

Star Wars v2: From the Ruins of Alderaan TPB

Ah, the continuing adventures of a continuity that never existed in the main franchise and now won’t even count in comic books. It’s too bad; Brian Wood has done a pretty good job adding missing pieces and chapters to the Star Wars mythos. How much did any of us really know about Mon Mothma? She’s an actual character in this story.

This story picks up with the secret squadron of X-wing pilots we met in the last collection.  They are still searching for a new Rebel base, but it seems there are a lot more things going on too. Leia is visiting the remains of Alderaan, Han Solo and Chewie are trying to smuggle themselves of Coruscant (and away from Boba Fett and Bossk). Luke and Wedge are now spies, sneaking around on Imperial ships. There is a lot going on. I respect the work that Wood put in to give this story ties to other “Expanded Universe” storylines. Too bad it is all for naught. Wedge suggests making his stealth squad permanent, under the “Rogues” call sign. A great origin for the stars of a series of books. But those books have now been declared non-canon, so oh well!

It’s a great choice to feature Leia so heavily in this series. She’s always been short-changed in Expanded Universe material, so having her anchor the series the way she does really lends her a sense of deserved importance. I also like the way Wood maintains the romantic tension with Han and just the hints of more tension with Luke. (Hey, when this story takes place, we didn’t know they were brother and sister yet. Maybe George Lucas didn’t even know!)

Carlos D’Anda’s return halfway through this book couldn’t come soon enough. It isn’t that Ryan Kelly did a bad job, but D’Anda’s stuff is like Jim Lee-lite, so having anyone else try to step in and fill the shoes just doesn’t cut it. D’Anda just has the Star Wars universe down. His Boba Fett, Vader, and Bossk in particular look fantastic. Fortunately, both artists can handle drawing spaceships and most of the aliens pretty well, so the space battles are strong throughout.

This is a light, breezy read that makes for a GOOD trip down memory lane. I’m confident that Marvel will be very capable of expanding on the Star Wars universe themselves, but that is no reason to short change the solid stories Dark Horse has been putting out for years.