Green Lantern #23.3
When I saw the Black Hand issue in my pull, I tried really hard to put it back. Chip, my official comic book barista if you will, convinced me to pick it up. The review? Well, it wasn't awful.
Written by Charles Soule and drawn by Alberto Ponticelli, we get an update on where Black Hand is in the New 52. He's been reborn from a Black Ring and spends the issue showing off his powers and telling us what his plan is. I guess he can make zombies now as well as kill living things with a touch. Part of me is all, "ew that's really creepy and awesome," and the other part is all, "sigh... I'm over zombies." But if you're going to have a character named Black Hand that controls death, what else is he gonna do?
The art works well for this book. Its very dark, shadowy and scribbly and it really plays up the dismal setting and theme of death. Ponticelli probably shouldn't draw a Superman book. Aside from that its pretty much a throwaway issue. You can learn his powers and modus operandi in a couple panels of any book he appears in. But I'm the sucker that bought it so, there you go.
The Flash 23.3
For once, some meaningful shit actually happens in a Villains Month title. Mostly these are meaningless stories that don't have bearing on the bigger stories that these books have interrupted. But writer Brian Buccellato and artist Patrick Zircher bring a little depth to the Flash mythos.
Besides learning the backstory of the Rogues, Buccellato makes some seemingly lasting changes to the Rogues lineup. Some key story beats happen this issue that are fairly important if you've been following the Flash. Credit to Buccellato for not writing a throwaway issue.
Zircher's art is, like most of the villains books - passable. I keep expecting one of these books to blow me away, but I think I ought to give that up. I can't wait for October.
Panel of the Week:
Alberto Ponticelli's Black Hand because, well, none of the panels this week were particularly breathtaking or interesting.
-Gint
No comments:
Post a Comment