HUGE week rolling out nine books. But your faithful comic reader is here to review them for you.
Ninth Place:
Superman #11
This book is boring. Its just your basic Superman story... until the end when he fights an uninspired version of the Predator. I want to like Superman. I really do. Scott Lobdell takes over the book with issue #13. But all I expect Lobdell to bring to the table are more corny villain names.
If DC wants to have a successful Action Comics and Superman, they need to do one of two things: either get top notch talent on the books, or find the next up and comer that's really able to see things in a different way.
Pérez, Giffen, Jurgens and now Lobdell have all done/will do a satisfactory job. But satisfactory isn't good enough anymore.
Eighth Place:
The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Men #11
This is a wordy issue. And Joe Harris' first go without Ethan Van Sciver. Its really wordy. So wordy, that I think this is the crux of the storyline where a lot of shit gets explained but I didn't really understand it because I wanted to quit paying attention.
The spirit of Professor Stein shows up to tell Jason that he and Ronnie need to unite to really create the Firestorm he wanted. Jason rushes (no pun intended) off to find him but he's already been co-opted by Pozhar to create Scorn, I assume a giant evil version of Fury.
An expertly drawn issue by Yildiray Cinar, but oddly, a boring one.
Seventh Place:
Teen Titans #11
Could be I'm just used to them by now, but I was pretty impressed with Brett Booth's pencils this issue. He draws a nice issue and Scott Lobdell writes a nice story. He's really throwing a twist to where Cassie's armor comes from. Physically it apparently comes from under her skin. But not in the non-painful way Tony Stark's nano-armor does. Hers bursts through, causing blood and everything. Its kind of gross and cool at the same time.
Nice little setup toward the secrets surrounding Wonder Girl in the New 52, complete with another poorly-named Scott Lobdell villain: Loose Cannon. Laaaaaame.
Sixth Place:
Green Lantern: New Guardians #11
Tony Bedard set a few plots in motion when this book started and now we're seeing how each of them comes together. Sayd, Larfleeze's Guardian is the one who stole the rings in issue #1. Larfleeze is still the target for Invictus and his Solar System Ship. And caught in the middle are the New Guardians trying to stop it all.
Its a quick read each month that's so smooth in its simplicity. Its a straight forward cosmic story. Tony Bedard hits all the right notes working with an ensemble cast.
Its full steam ahead and this book doesn't need to change a thing.
Fifth Place:
Justice League Dark #11
Years ago I read Neil Gaiman's The Books of Magic. I'm glad I did because this new story by Jeff Lemire makes a lot more sense. The story also stands on its own of course, but knowing some extra details doesn't hurt. I wasn't crazy about The Books of Magic, but its nice to see Lemire make it officially part of DC canon.
The team fights it out against Felix Faust at A.R.G.U.S. as each of them are trying to find the map to said books of magic. Constantine gets betrayed at the end and things are looking pretty bleak.
Lemire and artist Mikel Janin offer up a great look at a different kind of corner of the DCU.
Fourth Place:
I, Vampire #11
This is a brilliant book. Great issue, great story and great characterization by Josh Fialkov. His John Troughton is pitch perfect every issue. So much so that I want an I, Vampire movie just to see a live action John Troughton. But I'm sure the movies would probably ruin him.
The war in the desert between the vampires, Van Helsings and subsequent Van Helsing mummies rages on. And that might sound ridiculous, but Fialkov and artist Andrea Sorrentino really make it work.
The tone of this book really has an Indiana Jones type quality to it. Some high stakes, some action, some comedy. I can't get enough.
Third Place:
The Flash #11
Marcus To is on pencils once again and its a great choice to fill in for Frances Manapul. Still, I'm looking forward to Manapul's return, I believe in the #0 issue.
Barry Allen faked his own death and has to assume another identity. So he gets hired on as Al the new bartender at the Rogues favorite bar. The coolest part of this issue is seeing Barry use his intellect to get things done while essentially not having a life anymore.
Manapul and writing partner Brian Buccellato make me appreciate bringing back Barry Allen more each issue.
Second Place:
Aquaman #11
This is a great story. The only thing making me roll my eyes is Arthur's constant refusal to have help from The Others, his superpowered friends from his pre-Justice League days. You'd think if you're going after Black Manta, no matter how sure of yourself you are, you'd want some help. Aquaman doesn't.
Ivan Reis draws the hell out of this book once again. The Geoff Johns/Reis combo really make Aquaman and Black Manta credible characters. Even Aquaman seems to have a no-holds-barred attitude toward taking down the bad guys.
Johns may have had a misfire trying to reboot Barry Allen, but he's found Green Lantern: Rebirth-style success with Aquaman.
First Place:
Green Lantern #11
Black Hand is back. And he seems to be back the way I wanted him to be: as the avatar of death. Or at least in control of a black ring that enables him to murder and then raise the dead. Black Hand is fucked up. And he's awesome.
Hal and Sinestro leave Nok to find Black Hand and through the Book of the Black, get transported to Earth, appearing in Black Hand's dining room. They also see a bit of a prophecy involving the new black Green Lantern they keep promoting for this Third Army stuff. Now, I know Earthlings write these comics, so naturally everything is going to stem from Earth. But do we really need ANOTHER Earth Green Lantern? Maybe they'll depower him or kill him quick.
Green Lantern is the winner this week simultaneously tying up old plot threads and expanding on them at the same time.
Panel of the Week:
In the context of the story, this middle panel of Barry cracked my shit up.
-Gint
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