My early prediction for 3-16-11 is split: 2 good books, 2 bad books. Off to the BAD!
In fourth place:
DCU Legacies #10
This wasn't so bad. For real.
There was some serious struggle to get through this series at times. Well, most of the time. But the final chapter was interesting the whole time.
While I really had a hard time getting emotionally invested in Paul Lincoln and his family, this issue pulled me in. While it could have been Peggy Lincoln succumbing to cancer, I think they were just better written this time around. More real dialogue, less Leave It to Beaver.
I also liked how they tied Paul Lincoln into a major DC storyline of the past. It was a somewhat realistic story to be tied in to.
Jesus Saiz art doesn't hurt either. This guy is solid and draws a comic book like its supposed to be drawn. Note to DC: get Saiz on a good monthly title! Superman would benefit greatly from his talent.
Besides the dud of a Blue Beetle story to wrap up the series, Legacies finished on a high note. I wish the whole series could have been as interesting as this issue was.
Surprisingly in third place:
Red Robin #21
Fabian Nicieza has been hooking up Red Robin. But this particular storyline about the the Ünternet if fucking confusing. Not so much from the readers' standpoint. If you've been reading Red Robin up until this point, for the most part, you know what's what. But there's a lot going into what makes the Ünternet tick. So much so that it seems to take about four pages an issue to explain what Tim Drake is doing.
Aside from rehashing how you got here, this is just a silly issue. The antagonists and their reason for being seem to come unhitched from any foundation of science the DCU might have. It really doesn't feel like its part of this Red Robin arc at all.
The Red Robin team has been doing a great job thus far, so I'll let this issue slide. Lets just pretend it didn't happen and get back on the horse next month, huh?
In second place:
Superman #709
For starters, Eddie Barrows' art WASN'T terrible. It was actually pretty solid. Barrows has had some real whack panels thoughout this run, but this was his most consistent performance. Perhaps he's finding a groove? Or maybe he was just feeling it the day he drew this one.
As for the story, the majority of the issue is Clark and Barry Allen talking in a diner in Colorado. But it works. It sounds like a conversation Superman and the Flash would have.
Along with this weeks' Legacies, I was really surprised I liked the issue as much as I did. While this issue doesn't have a lot of fierce competition in this arc, this may be the best issue of the Grounded storyline.
And in first place:
Brightest Day #22
As far as being a good story? Right on. Johns and Tomasi have been hitting all the right notes. They've taking us through some truly touching, emotional times with Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond. This issue is another good example of that and its what makes the issue work. Because the art doesn't.
I'm going to assume its Scott Clark on pencils because it certainly isn't Ivan Reis. The artwork kept pulling me out of the story again and again due to poorly rendered backgrounds and a half-assed Dustin Nguyen feel. I really dug Nguyen's art when he was on Detective Comics and Clark's just feels like its trying to be that good, and not really getting there.
What we've learned this week is that two books that I thought would have been bad (Legacies and Superman) weren't, and two books I thought would be good (Red Robin and Brightest Day) were just mediocre.
One of the many reasons I love comics. You never really know what you're gonna get.
-Gint
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