Convergence: Justice League International #2

This is really more of a comment on all the Convergence books, although I will be talking about this one in particular.

I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly what the status quo is supposed to be for all these characters going forward. Are all the interesting versions of the DCU's cast going to stick around or are they just shuffling off into obscurity again, leaving the limelight to the collar-wearing new 52? Please don't tell me that I'm supposed to be reading the core Convergence book to understand what is going on in the bigger storyline. From what I understand, that is all about the Earth 2 series that I never read, so that ain't happening.

As for this issue; what a refreshing change. Ron Marz knows these characters. Blue Beetle and Kingdom Come Wonder Woman try to talk their way out of trouble at the start of the issue. The way heroes should. Then when things finally do break down, the KC heroes make sure not to be jerks about the whole thing. The battle of Metropolis' champions plays out sort of like a scrimmage. No one needs to get hurt.

But the reader doesn't even get to see that, because we are lucky enough to follow Blue Beetle's point of view as he teams up with the Kingdom Come version of himself. It sounds more confusing than it is, thanks to Marz's playful script and laid back attitude towards Telos' threat level.

And while Marz clearly didn't have permission to use Booster Gold, rest assured, he knows what fans of the JLI want to see.

Mike Manley's art is a bit retro, and I mean that as a good thing. His JLI look absolutely perfect. I wish I could have had a few more panels with his version of Martian Manhunter. Ice's costume seems like a neat update too. The Kingdom Come characters are a bit more hit or miss. KC Blue Beetle looks just fine, but KC Wonder Woman looks like normal Diana with a sword. I would have preferred to see the armored version we get on that spectacular cover.

This is another GOOD book where the better versions of the characters are left intact. So at least I have a little hope. Surely DC wouldn't just tease the old fans with this type of content for two months then just dump it, would they?

Convergence: Shazam #1

Aargh! It kills me that DC is putting out these books! It proves that they COULD put out a good Shazam comic if they actually wanted to. Jeff Parker, a long-time fave of mine, clearly gets the character. Billy Batson is optimistic and naïve, but still heroic. His family has his back. And best of all, the heroes want to do the right thing! What more could you want from a Captain Marvel book?

This is one of the stronger Convergence books because it barely acknowledges its part in the overall crossover. Three-quarters of this comic features a great showdown between the Marvel family and some of their greatest foes. It isn’t until the last few pages that we have to suffer through the redundant Convergence exposition.

Things get repetitive when we have to sit through Tellos’ exposition once again. As in most of these Convergence titles, the worst part of the story is the actual Convergence storyline. The battles between the different domed cities holds absolutely no interest for me. There aren’t enough pages to do justice to the antagonists, and in almost every case we have to just blindly accept that the heroes involved would give up and fight for Tellos’ amusement. I’m not buying it. Worst of all, I’m tired of reading the same dialogue over and over again!

It is crime that we are going to have to see Evan “Doc” Shaner spending time on the Red Rain vampire characters rather than Captain Marvel characters. Heck, I’d almost rather just get more sketchbook pages where we can see the brilliant ways Shaner would handle more characters if he got the chance. His clean style is retro and modern at the same time. Shazam looks perfect! Mary Marvel looks heroic and wholesome, like a kid-sister hero should. The villains, while threatening, are rocking a fantastic retro vibe that just makes them stand out.

How the heck did DC put out another EXCELLENT Shazam comic so soon after Multiversity. And what does it say about DC that the “real” version in the new 52 is so much less compelling? 

Convergence: Suicide Squad #1

Can you imagine if we had gotten this comic as an actual series? Super-crime specialist Frank Tieri writing some of the biggest villains in the DCU? Tom Mandrake indulging in his moody and striking super-hero art? Agh, it makes me sad for what might have been.

Tieri spends a long time setting things up. Too long, if I’m being honest, especially when the art leaves it unclear exactly who we’re seeing in some of the opening scenes. (I’m assuming Deadshot, but I’m not exactly sure.)

Things get repetitive when we have to sit through Tellos’ exposition once again. As in most of these Convergence titles, the worst part of the story is the actual Convergence storyline. The battles between the different domed cities holds absolutely no interest for me. There aren’t enough pages to do justice to the antagonists, and in almost every case we have to just blindly accept that the heroes involved would give up and fight for Tellos’ amusement. I’m not buying it. Worst of all, I’m tired of reading the same dialogue over and over again!

But man, once that repetitive stuff is over, can you believe this team? The real Amanda Waller, big and bad and taking names! Deadshot! Black Manta! Bane! Cyborg Superman! Poison Ivy. AND DEATHSTROKE! My goodness! That lineup would be a license to print money, at least in my opinion. With a lineup this strong, I wish we had gotten more time with the characters rather than setting things up.

Tieri really lucks out with this antagonists too. The Kingdom Come Justice League is such a rich, valuable group; I wish the characters were getting their own spotlight. Heck, it is going to be difficult to not cheer for them in the upcoming showdown. Out of all the opponents in Convergence, the Kingdom Come characters are the ones I love seeing the most.

Mandrake has done so much DC work over my DC fan years that it is great seeing him drawing these characters again. And for me, these are “classic” designs. I know people don’t dig the 90’s these days, but man, I am thrilled to see these guys again. I hope we get more Kingdom Come characters next month too.

This was a GOOD issue, but after all that set up, I’m ready for some costumed mayhem! I’m hoping the next issue is even better. 

Convergence: Blue Beetle #1

I’m reading these things totally out of order now. I was going to try and review these by week, but all the Convergence books just ended up in a big pile, so now my reviews will be in whatever order I happen to read them in!

Blue Beetle is one of the more mundane entries in the Convergence mythos. Scott Lobdell’s plot checks the necessary boxes, and features the necessary characters, but at no point did I feel particularly connected to anyone in the book. Blue Beetle is one of my all-time favorites, but in this version of the character, he’s pretty dull. He could be any tech-based hero at all. Nothing he does really screams out “Blue Beetle.”

And it goes on from there. Nathaniel Adam/Captain Atom is a pretty generic government thug, only his few moments of introspection save him from actually being a bad guy. And the Question clearly has his more interesting tendencies, but we hear about them from other characters rather than from the Question himself. It’s an odd choice.

In the end, the plot is minimal too. The heroes want out, but can’t do it. And eventually the dome comes down. It goes on for more pages than in some of the other books, but there isn’t much more to it. I did enjoy the chance to see how desperate things could get for normal folks in a dome. The way people scavenged the fallen Madmen so quickly was a neat touch.

Things get repetitive when we have to sit through Tellos’ exposition once again. As in most of these Convergence titles, the worst part of the story is the actual Convergence storyline. The battles between the different domed cities holds absolutely no interest for me. There aren’t enough pages to do justice to the antagonists, and in almost every case we have to just blindly accept that the heroes involved would give up and fight for Tellos’ amusement. I’m not buying it. Worst of all, I’m tired of reading the same dialogue over and over again!

Yishan Li does a decent job with the art, but doesn’t bail out the sort of bland storytelling I described above. This may be a Charlton-centric version of these heroes, but I vastly prefer the ones with more personality and more visual identity that I got from the JLI era of DC comics.

This is an AVERAGE comic, and one of the few Convergence titles that I won’t be pining for come June. 

Convergence: Green Lantern / Parallax

Zero Hour vs. Crisis!

Well that Parallax retcon from Geoff Johns has really colored how Hal Jordan is viewed, huh? Tony Bedard’s story places the burden of Emerald Twilight clearly on the shoulders of Parallax rather than on Hal Jordan. When the dome went up around Metropolis, Hal Jordan regained control of his body and immediately regretted his actions. All that murder and mayhem from Twilight happened while Parallax was driving.

Kyle Rayner only had the ring working for a short time before the dome came down. And Hal Jordan has been sitting in a jail since then, asking that he be made to pay for his crimes. I’m sort of torn on this one, because unlike in the JLI crossover where I’m seeing the best incarnation of those characters, I actually like the pre-52 Kyle and Hal. Their experiences shaped them into better people, and in Kyle’s case, his comic book experiences made him into one of my favorite DC characters. This book ALMOST gives me back the real Kyle Rayner, he’s just a tad off. But at least he’s a Green Lantern instead of a weirdo White Lantern.

As someone who came into the DCU after Crisis, I have absolutely no idea who the folks in Electropolis are. I guess the gal who shows up in Metropolis can manipulate the Green like Swamp Thing, but other than that, she’s a total blank for me. That’s OK, though, because it sure seems like the true antagonist in this story is going to be the newly ascendant Parallax. I think Kyle will have to rein him in as he did in the 90’s, which is fine with me. After all, I’m the 40-year-old man who has a Daryl Banks poster of Kyle fighting Parallax over my bar.

Ron Wagner’s art has always been strong, but he can sometimes get a bit sketchy for my taste. But thanks to the strong inks of Bill Reinhold, this book looks really good. Kyle is back in his 90’s era look, complete with excellent crab mask. And man, Parallax did have a nice costume, didn’t he? I sort of wish these characters were facing down more Kingdom Come characters, I think Wagner and Reinhold could do a bang-up job with Magog.

I’m pretty much over the Tellos-mandated battles at this point. As a narrative device, it is rather lazy. However, Convergence, for me, has nothing to do with the battles; it is all about getting a few more pages featuring characters I used to love.

As a comic, this is GOOD thanks to the characterization and art. The plot is POOR but I’m learning to look past that and enjoy the good parts. 

Convergence: Justice League International #1

Zero Hour vs. Kingdom Come!

You know the core plot of Convergence, Tellos’ ridiculous contest of champions, is starting to grate on me when it brings down a book like this. Let me put this out there, I LOVE the JLI. The International lineup is what brought me into the DCU as a reader. Invasion was my doorway. For me, Blue Beetle, Martian Manhunter, Fire & Ice, and Booster Gold are the pillars of the DCU. So seeing them back, even for just a few pages. Heaven.

Things have changed after a year in dome for Metropolis. Blue Beetle has taken over leadership of the JLI, which now consists of Martian Manhunter, Fire, Ice, Captain Atom, and Red Tornado. Everyone but Tornado has lost their powers, leaving Beetle as the experienced hand to lead the group through their exile. In addition to his professional success, Beetle got the girl too, as it turns out that Fire is now his girlfriend too. I’m not sold on Martian Manhunter’s unease at the JLI’s methods; I like to think of him as a bit more supportive than we see here. I also couldn’t help but notice that Captain Atom pretty much does nothing. I can’t remember a single line of meaningful dialogue, and without his distinctive metal look, he’s pretty forgettable.

Can you imagine how this would work if Ron Marz could just write this book with its own story? The opening sequence where the team takes on Metallo was the sort of generic superhero mayhem that I love. Most characters got a line or two of dialogue and a great action moment or two. That’s followed up by some interesting interaction as we see how the team is making things work in the dome.

Like the other Convergence titles, things go off the rails when Tellos shows up. Not only do the Kingdom Come characters appear as simple villains, but the conflict also derails the established interactions and enjoyable status quo for the JLI. Of the two, I’m more upset seeing the fantastic Kingdom Come incarnations of these characters reduced to generic antagonists. Wonder Woman and the rest of her league deserve better. I’m still rooting for the JLI, but it should be tougher to make the choice. Marz just doesn’t have the space to make the conflict more nuanced.

Mike Manley’s art is a fantastic throwback to my beloved 90’s JLI. Blue Beetle looks wonderful, Fire and Ice look like ‘80s holdovers, just like they are supposed to. Best of all, Martian Manhunter looks imposing, wise, and powerful.

This is a GOOD comic. I’ve got to think that if these characters could benefit from a marketing push like the one that the New 52 got that people would be invested in these characters more than the generic versions in DC’s monthly output. In any case, I’ll take this while I can get it! 

Convergence: Justice League #1

DCU vs. Flashpoint!

I can sum up my interest in the older versions of DC’s heroes in one simple sentence. I’m paying $3.99 an issue for the chance to see these characters. And that is without digital codes. After all, those codes are how I justify the ridiculous $3.99 price point on Marvel’s books.

So after being so pleasantly surprised by the first couple Convergence books, I’ve decided that I’m all in. I might as well give DC some of my money when they put out a product close to what I actually want.

I was never a huge fan of James Robinson’s pre-Flashpoint run with the JLA, but I still bought it. What I enjoyed about this collection of heroes is that while most of them were serving on the League, some other characters have been shuffled about to make the story work more smoothly. Congorilla is namedropped, but not actually in the book. And Mera wasn’t in the league, but she’s practically become a member during the year the team has been trapped under the dome. So the lineup ends up as Zatanna, Supergirl, Jade, Jesse Quick, Vixen, and Mera. I’ve got to admit, that is a pretty great lineup with a fantastic spread of powers. I wouldn’t mind seeing these characters do more together, especially seeing how well they get along after their year in captivity.

A lot of the issue doesn’t involve super heroics, instead focusing on the relationships and interactions of the heroes. The moment Telos shows up to make his repetitive announcement sort of derails the book, to be honest.

I know nothing of the Flashpoint Aquaman, but he sure seems like a full-on villain. He’s not supposed to be nuanced, is he? I mean, he kidnaps Mera, tells her she’s his, and he seems to have no remorse over attacking Gotham. I don’t like that Mera is this submissive after Aquaman grabs her, but she still has time in the next issue to make up for it.

Vicente Cifuentes does a nice job with the artwork. The ladies look good in their costumes, FP Aquaman looks dangerous. There are an awful lot of belly shirts and skimpy outfits on the protagonists, but maybe that is accurate and I’m just old fashioned. Heck, judging by Arrow and the Flash on CW, I guess even scientists go to work in belly shirts!

This is a Fair to GOOD comic. Admittedly, seeing the real versions of these characters really softens my attitude towards the core plot, which is rapidly getting old. 

Convergence: Speed Force #1

So I have a big question concerning this issue (and Convergence in general). Is it my problem, or DC’s problem, that I vastly prefer the Convergence-era characters to the ones available monthly? I don’t think I’m alone in this. I mean, I’m naturally drawn to reviewers whose opinions are similar to my own, but it sure seems to me that people really like seeing the “real” versions of these characters, not the watered-down new 52 folks.

Anyways, on to the actual issue. Tony Bedard has been an inconsistent creator for me. Some of his work has been absolutely brilliant, combining the best aspects of continuity and characterization into a great new creation. But some of his work (mostly new 52 GL stuff) has seemed a lot less inspired. Fortunately, Speed Force has the good Bedard working on it.

Wally West, along with his kids Jai and Iris, have been trapped in Gotham for a year. Hidden away on an alien world under a dome, Wally is having a hard time adjusting. He spends each day trying to figure out how to break free. He’s justifiably concerned that a year apart from his wife Linda will have her pretty worried. I thought it was interesting that Wally’s identity seems to be public knowledge in Gotham these days. (Although maybe that was the status quo in the old days too, I can’t remember.) Either way, I find myself pretty bummed at the idea that the old DCU is truly destroyed and this Gotham City is the last surviving remnant of that world.

My favorite thing about this book is Wally West’s attitude about the “contest” between the surviving cities. When Tellos flashes an image of the Flashpoint Hawks demolishing the Justice Riders, Wally’s first instinct is to race out to try to help them. He doesn’t even think twice. How wonderful is it to see that kind of concern for strangers in a hero again? Then, to make matters even better, we get Fastback the turtle from Captain Carrot’s Zoo Crew.

I have ZERO idea who Fastback is. I can only recognize Captain Carrot from Multiversity. But FB’s attitude about Tellos’ contest mirrors Wally’s, and my own; of COURSE there is another way. What kind of hero would just go along with a battle to the death to amuse some weird cosmic voyeur? Man, that is what DC comics are all about, heroes thinking outside the box and doing the right thing. It has been too long!

So the plot is OK, the setting is a little watered down, but these are the versions of the characters I love. Wally’s kids complicate his story a bit, but we’ve seen Wally’s journey as a hero start with childhood and continue into fatherhood. For Wally, his maturation is integrally tied to his hero’s journey. Iris and Jai are fun complications without being stupid or a disadvantage, a nice change for most kid supporting characters.

And Tom Grummet’s artwork. I always like Grummet’s stuff, but seeing the clean lines of the real Flash costume again? Seeing the costume so bright and inspiring? Man, it really makes me miss DC comics. I’m impressed that Grummet even made Fastback fit into Wally’s more grounded-Gotham. It pains me to admit, even Flashpoint Wonder Woman looked pretty dang imposing and cool on that final page.

So this is a GOOD comic. But my goodness, does it drive home how alienated I am by the current DCU. I think that will probably be the subject of a bigger write up after I read some more of these Convergence throwbacks. 

Convergence: Nightwing and Oracle #1

I’ll be honest. I’m not sure if I loved this comic so much because it was super-awesome, or if I was just so happy to see these characters acting like themselves again. Because let’s face it, those are both pretty good reasons to enjoy this comic.

Gail Simone wrote a definitive (if not THE definitive) take on Oracle back in the old DCU, so it is not surprising that she gets right back on the horse in this issue. The green-tinged narration boxes sound like the strong hero that we read about for years back in Birds of Prey. And Nightwing sounds like himself. He’s cocky, confident, and really enjoying this whole super-hero thing. As he should be. Again, that’s the character I know! While only Barbara Gordon gets an inner monologue, Simone uses Nightwing’s interactions with Starfire and Oracle to show how his personality is still intact too.

This isn’t all about looking backwards, though. As someone who doesn’t read many DC books these days, I have no understanding of the greater Convergence storyline. But it doesn’t matter. Gotham City is trapped in a dome on an alien world, but they are not alone. There are other cities trapped there too. Some weird robots (Brainiacs, I think?) are forcing the champions of these cities to battle it out to see who survives. I certainly hope that doesn’t mean that these remnants of good comics have to die, though. Even the fairly generic Hawkman and Hawkwoman of Flashpoint seem interesting when Simone is writing their dialogue.

This book packs in the DC history too. In addition to the Flashpoint Hawks, Nightwing, Oracle, and Starfire, we get cameos from Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy. With a big conflict with the Hawks brewing, I’m very hopeful that Freeze, Ivy, and Starfire join up with Nightwing to fight for Gotham.

I also really enjoyed the way Simone addressed the dwindling resources of a “fishbowl” city. The split up families and broken lives would be a real factor too.

I’ve been a fan of Jan Duursema’s art for years, so it is no surprise that I really enjoyed the pencils on this book. Even the Flashpoint Hawks really drew me in (as a Hawkman fan, it wasn’t that tough). Nightwing’s suit looks updated, but retains the classic feel that is missing in the new 52 designs. Starfire and Oracle look fantastic, attractive without showing ridiculous skin. The backgrounds are well done too, establishing the dome as an ongoing, ominous threat.

I don’t mean to just praise this GOOD comic because it isn’t a new 52 book. And yet, there is no denying that the old continuity is still part of its charm. I’d like this comic in any DC continuity, but this is Simone writing the characters she was meant to write. Enjoy it while you can, folks!