Batwoman v3: World's Finest TPB

I’m going to give you the short version. TLDR.

I’m being silly. I actually did read this trade, and there is some good stuff in here. But oh my gosh, there are SO MANY WORDS ON THE PAGES. Reading this book became work. I simply couldn’t read the overlapping internal monologues of Batwoman, Wonder Woman, Firehawk, Abbott, Medusa, Agent Chase, Director Bones… and my god, the list goes on and on. Seriously, do we really need deep motivations and thoughts from all these people? I couldn’t take it. By about two thirds of the way through I had to start skimming the caption boxes. I’m not sure if J.H. Williams or W. Haden Blackman is responsible for all this introspective prose, but somebody wants to write a book! The caption boxes often tell a different story than the art!

And I get it. J.H. Williams is an artistic genius. But sometimes his odd panel layouts don’t help. With no panel descriptions and double splash pages filled with different colored caption boxes, I had no idea what to read next. I think I’m a pretty experienced comic reader, yet I found myself totally lost more than once.

The core concept is a strong one. A mythological baddie has kidnapped children, so Batwoman seeks out Wonder Woman for some help. Since the villain fits into her wheelhouse, Diana agrees to lend a hand. Great idea. And the parts of the story with Batwoman trying to fit into Wondy’s world are really exciting. (Especially the tremendous sequence in the Amazonian prison.) In fact, the prison sequence is Williams’ best use of layouts and artistic design in the entire book. It is a fantastic scene.

But man, this story is surprisingly complicated. This is a book definitely written for the hardcore fans of Batwoman. I think I’ve read all her trades so far, but they haven’t made such an impression that I can remember all the details of what’s happening in this comic. Recurring villains don’t have quite the impact they should. Werewolves switching sides and becoming noble don’t have the drama that they should. Simply because I can’t remember who all these people are and what they did in comics that I read three years ago.

Because it is required, I’ll poke some holes in the new 52 timeline. Wasn’t AcroBat inspired by Batman? How can that be when he has an adult daughter but Batman has only been active 5 years? Who are Director Bones’ parents? I assume he was never on Infinity Inc., right? Somehow 52 still counted for this title? But not for other titles in the new 52? Blargh.

I guess I can give this an AVERAGE, but man, it almost falls off the cliff. There are too many neat ideas and wonderful scenes to hate this comic, but I can promise I’ll never read it again. 

Happy TPB

So Grant Morrison really wanted to try to write a Garth Ennis story, huh? He even went so far as to get frequent Ennis collaborator Darick Robertson to give him a hand. The result? A violent, profanity-filled one-off story that would be in the lower tier of Ennis’ work. This book is a good reminder that people should stick to what they do best.

Nick Sax is such a dislikable character, I almost feel like Morrison is trying too hard. Heck, he’s described as a “c-word” on the opening page. The story is so predictable that anyone who has read a book before knows how Sax’s character arc is going to go. There isn’t really anything original enough about his descent into the gutter and eventual redemption to make it memorable.

I suppose the titular “Happy,” the unicorn/Pegasus horse that inspires Sax’s journey is a bit memorable. He’s a floating cartoon that only Sax can see, one that can help him cheat at cards and punch thugs’ teeth out. That contrast should maybe go a bit longer than it does. Maybe it is because I already knew the concept behind the series before starting it, but I never found the cartoon/violence mix to be that striking or amusing.

Morrison usually really shows off with his insane villains. But Mr. Blue isn’t memorable, and pervert Santa is too much of a cliché at this point to be impressive. It is another swing and a miss.

Robertson’s art is gritty and realistic, with cartoonish ultra-violence. He excels at it, of course, but again, there is something missing. The sheer joy of The Boys is missing. It seems like Robertson is going through the motions too.

If you want a POOR take on better comics, you can check this out. But I’d rather read Garth Ennis’ filthy book and Morrison’s mad and wild ideas in separate titles. 

Moon Knight #1-6: From the Dead

I hope Warren Ellis got paid by the page and not by the word. Because he sure let Declan Shalvey do the heavy lifting in the first six issues of this relaunch. That isn’t to say that the stories are weak. In each and every case, there is a fun or exciting core concept that launches the issue. But the dialogue is continually sparse and there is little to no narration. This book is all about setting up an odd conflict, then seeing Shalvey put Moon Knight through his paces.

There isn’t really much of a reference that this is a Marvel comic, either. Black Spectre gets mentioned in one of the issues. A mutated SHIELD agent is an antagonist in another. And I think there are some references to the Avengers, but for the most part, this could be any character in any universe. That isn’t a bad thing. It just shows how easily Moon Knight could stand on his own. Frankly, reading these issues made me think that Marvel might want to get Moon Knight on the big screen. They might be able to do Batman better than Warner Bros!

Shalvey does great things in every issue. He experiments with page layouts, with backgrounds, and panels to create unique, exciting art on every page. His redesign of Moon Knight as a suit-wearing, limo riding professional is fantastic. He also makes sure to use occasional bits of history too, like the odd, bird-skull incarnation of Konshu that haunts Marc Spector throughout the series.

Six issues in, and Moon Knight is indeed primed to be set free. Ellis created a formula for success with his done-in-one approach. I don’t think Brian Wood will be able to match Ellis’ flair for odd and interesting ideas, but it will be interesting to see.

I’ll be dropping the book, as the creative team is what made this first run so GOOD. But I’ll keep up with the new creative team on Marvel Unlimited.

Shazam HC

It is pretty much impossible for me to approach this title as if it is my first exposure to the Shazam character. I was a huge fan of Jerry Ordway’s Power of Shazam take back in the day, so Captain Marvel holds a place on my favorites list. Geoff Johns goes out of his way to modernize the concepts, and he does a decent job. It just doesn’t hold up against the Power of Shazam.

In the new 52, Billy Batson is a mean-spirited boy, who acts out to hide his pain and vulnerability. I really liked the updated take on Talky Tawny; the tiger’s zoo habitat is one of the last good memories that Billy has of his parents, so now he has personified the tiger into being his friend. Of course, when blessed with the power of Shazam… interesting things happen.

The wizard is recreated as an Australian Aborigine. The designs on all the figures of power are pretty impressive; I wish we could see more of those ancient wizards in action. The 7 deadly sins are all loose in the world too, and they do show up, causing chaos for a few pages. But they feel shoehorned into the story; there aren’t enough pages in this for them to get their due.

Johns doesn’t mess with Black Adam’s formula too much, which is a wise move. Still an arrogant jerk from ancient Egypt, Adam is a fantastic villain who ALMOST has a streak of nobility. Johns adds a pretty huge original sin into Adam’s origin, but even so, there are moments when it seems like you could almost reason with the guy. Fairness and justice are his motivation, after all.

Dr. Sivana starts off as a hale and hearty scientist in search of power, and ends up a weak genius with the ability to see magic. He never takes center stage, but clearly the seeds are planted for further stories. Seeing Sivana’s odd partner appear on the last page just bummed me out again, though. That character’s finest moment was in 52, and seeing his “first” appearance here just reminds me that the 52 series doesn’t count anymore.

Johns returns to a concept he used in Flashpoint, that Billy Batson has a large family of adopted brothers and sisters, all of whom can share the power of Shazam. Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Junior (now called Mary and King Shazam) are part of this group, but there are a few more kids getting power ups too. It is satisfying seeing the kids deal with school bullies and reunite with their adoptive parents (who are actually really good people, I’m happy to say).

Gary Frank’s art is great, as always. I don’t really care for the frayed hoods and cloaks that Shazam and Adam are sporting. It doesn’t seem necessary and blurs their classic look. But Mary Marvel, the other Marvel kids, Sivana, they all look great. I can also see some potential in the Shazam look with just a few tweaks. As always, Frank’s greatest strength is the facial expressions on his “actors.” There is never any doubt about the emotional state of any character.

In the end, this is a FAIR comic that doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor. That said, it lays a solid groundwork for Shazam in the new 52. Billy at the end of this story is easily a character I could find myself rooting for in future appearances. 

Uncanny Avengers #22

On first read, I really didn’t care for this comic. This has been many, many years coming. In some ways, Rick Remender planted the seeds for this story back in his Uncanny X-Force run years ago. After finishing the book for the first time, I was very disappointed that there was too much happening in one issue.

First, the introduction of Immortus’ Infinity Watch is so rushed that we barely get time to do more than see them. The characters are not well defined, and their impact on the overall story is quite limited due to their page count. I think I can recognize that they just add to the “feel” of the book through their appearance; this must be important if a whole other team shows up to help, right?

My second disappointment was the ease with which Sunfire and Havok took out the Apocalypse Twins. After reigning over the book as the top villains for over a year, they are dispatched in half a page because the story was coming to a close. It wasn’t very dramatic and even if Sunfire’s powers were amped up, it shouldn’t have been so easy to take out two supposed A-level villains.

I also feel that while Remender made every effort to get the reader to buy into the classic love affair between Havok and Wasp, I just never felt it. Their time together was in an alternate future that has since been erased. A future that some team members remember while others forget. It is too confusing to buy in to the emotions too strongly. I will say that Havok’s dialogue about his lost daughter Katie does ring true and does make the final battle with Kang seem a bit more personal. I’m still not sure how Havok punching Kang took out the A-level villain, but it did look cool and Kang had some fantastic smack talk.

I think Remender does a better job with the fallout of the long campaign than the execution. Multiple characters are left in an interesting place going forward.

SPOILERS AHOY!

The Sentry is resurrected and now thinks of himself as the guardian of humanity. You know he will pop up again, but will it be to help or cause trouble?

Rogue still has her energy absorption powers, I think, but more importantly, she seems to have bonded with Wonder Man. Only she can hear his voice, not a good thing for someone with her history with Ms. Marvel. I wonder if this is a way to re-set Rogue back to her best power set of strength, flight, and invulnerability.

Havok is sporting a melted face; at the least he’s going to need a new mask!

Sunfire died and returned in the same issue! Only now he’s a faceless mass of cosmic fire in human form, a true atomic knight. I hope that he gets back in his costume; I still say it is one of the best in all of comics.

The other Horsemen of Death, Daken and Grim Reaper, are returned to life too. Did Banshee make it? I can only hope. Remender put just about all the toys back where he found them at the close of this arc.

I haven’t mentioned the art yet, because while I may have had reservations about some of the story choices, the art is simply gorgeous. Daniel Acuna is one of my top favorites, and he lives up to that ranking in this issue. The battles are tremendous. The costumes and redesigns are top notch; classic and modern at the same time. Acuna actually makes the new Cap suit look good! And the emotion! The series of panels as Havok steels himself to take on Kang is a classic of comic-book acting. In this issue, Acuna proves he is a top talent.

So overall, this wasn’t quite worth the multiple year build up, but it still ranks as a GOOD comic. 

Multiversity #1

Man, I am totally a sucker for the oddness of Grant Morrison. I can be down on the New 52, unengaged with the DCU as a whole, and here I am, thrilled to see the next chapter from DC’s mad scientist.

It doesn’t hurt that this book barely counts as a new 52 (if it does at all). The Superman on the cover is President Superman from another Earth. He teams up with characters like Dino Cop (Savage Dragon?) Captain Carrot, and Aquawoman. These aren’t the New 52 versions of anyone; these are just kick-butt new heroes and analogues. Best of all, it is very easy to find yourself rooting for this random group of champions as they stand against the darkness.

Final Crisis’ Nix Uotan shows up too, as the Superjudge. He’s got a definite super-hero vibe going, and it is impossible not to root for the guy as he saves another hero from the series’ villains. The Thunderer is a great new addition too, and he actually has a much easier time of it than our poor Nix.

The villains. Oh my, the villains. They are absolutely horrific, these cosmic-level threats to the entire omniverse. The Gentry are absolutely wonderful. Their dismissive text-speak is threatening and unique from the very first quote. “We want yu. We want yu 2 give up yr dreams. We want yu 2 abandon all hope. We want 2 make yu like us.” That’s a horrifying villain!

The designs by Ivan Reis are a mix of Lovecraft and Tom Mandrake, absolutely perfect for comic book antagonists. These guys look Shuma Gorath and other Doctor Strange villains rebuilt to face down the Justice League. I can’t understate Reis’ design for the different heroes too. In addition to the mixed up cosmic team from the Hall of Heroes, he also gets to introduce the “Avengers” of Earth 8. Even casual readers can recognize the analogues immediately, and of course, the Hawkeye one captured my attention first.

So one issue in, we’ve seen a couple Earths. Earth 7 is the Thunderer’s Earth, and it has already fallen to the Gentry. It seems Thunderer might be the only survivor.

Earth 23, home of President Superman, our point of view character and protagonist. He’s a cool hero, taking absolutely everything in stride. Nothing surprises him in this whole issue.

Earth 8 is ALMOST the same as 7. Home to the Major Comics style heroes, who are remarkably similar to the Avengers. (Lord Havok as Dr. Doom is pretty dang awesome.)

But the BEST thing about this EXCELLENT comic? That the narration boxes are screaming warnings and threats at the reader. Morrison is crazy, but man, he makes fantastic comics. 

Batman: Zero Year

More like 10 years, amiright?

Oof. How long has this storyline been going on again? I finally got around to finishing off the conclusion to Zero Year, and to be honest, I’ve sort of forgotten that it is the flagship Batman comic. It isn’t that Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo are doing a bad job, but the title has been sitting off on its own, telling flashbacks. It has been off in the corner so long that I have had a hard time getting invested in what is going on!

My complaints about the book are pretty much in line with everyone else’s that I’ve seen online. I find it ludicrous that anyone would live in Gotham City after the Riddler flooded it and then turned it into a jungle hell. There is a page in this issue that states the city is totally back to normal in one month, which again, is insane. The local crews can’t re-blacktop a highway in a month. You expect me to believe that Gotham could be deforested and have its infrastructure back that fast? Assuming that Cataclysm, No Man’s Land, and all the other insane events still happened, Gotham has got to be the most dangerous place on Earth.

I also never really came around that this version of the Riddler was too much more dangerous or threatening that he is normally. I enjoyed the calcium-based villain, the dude with crazy bone spurs, but Riddler never seemed important enough to anchor the last 2 years of stories (or however long it has been).

And the pacing. Doesn’t it seem like James Gordon, Batman, Lucius Fox and those Navy SEALS have been traipsing around ruined Gotham for 6 months? Maybe it has been that long. It sure feels like it.

So Zero Year is done, and I’m thrilled. My subscription runs out in 2 issues, so Snyder has 2 issues to convince me to re-up for another year. With Peter Tomasi taking over Superman/Wonder Woman, it is going to take more than an AVERAGE, meandering Batman comic to get me to stick around.