Welcome back for another edition of The Spinner Rack. It’s a light week for books this week, but the books to cover are far from lightweight.
First off, we have Batman and Robin #11. This is probably blasphemy in most comic geek circles, but I don’t get it. I know Grant Morrison is writing a book called Batman and Robin, but that’s not who these characters are. Yes, I know it’s not the real Batman and Robin since it is Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne, but it still does not feel right. The supporting characters that Morrison has created over the last few months are part-50s camp, part-Vertigo, and quite frankly I want Vertigo to be Vertigo and Batman to be Batman.
Let’s see – we have Bruce Wayne dead but not dead, instead fighting his way through time, while the current Batman is running through caves looking for a Bat-demon that a satanic early ancestor of Bruce Wayne had summoned. Above ground, Damian is fighting away an absurd group of nonsensical villains, and despite his needing help, Dick does not rush to him, leaving him to be overwhelmed the thugs. Does any of this fit the character of Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, or of a Batman story in general?
Of course, Grant Morrison could care less about what has come before. He has even admitted as such, as he screwed up Damian’s origin because he never bothered to read the source material – Son of the Demon. Rather than fix his error in-story, he instead backpedaled, making up a convoluted means for his error not being an error, giving Damian a rather ludicrous origin.
I will stick with this series through Bruce Wayne’s return, but I truly am not sure how much more beyond that I can take.
Fortunately, Red Robin #11 came out this week, with guest-stars Batman and Robin, so I did actually did get to read about this duo this week. Unlike Morrison, Chris Yost understands how these characters are supposed to act. We are still in the crossover here with Batgirl, as Ra’s Al Ghul and his League of Assassins are targeting just about every Bat-character. Marcus To is growing into a very respectable artist, and I loved the splash page with Batman and Robin leaping down to where Red Robin stood. I am looking forward to seeing how they wrap this storyline up.
Unlike Bill Willingham on the flagship title, Matthew Sturges’ take on the Justice Society always feels right, and I continue to be impressed by his work on JSA ALL-Stars. The story of Atom Smasher and Stargirl in the Subtle Realms was excellent character play, while the action scenes in the “real” world played out perfectly as well. The backup feature, with Liberty Belle and Hourman, is a perfect compliment, and that story, with the duo teaming with Icicle and Tigress, has been quite enjoyable. This is a fun series in the classic superhero sense.
Avengers: the Origin kicks off this month from Joe Casey and Phil Noto, with yet another retelling of the origin of the team. This time around, though, it’s email, not a ham radio message, that Loki hijacked. There was a lot of buildup in this first issue, but really not much else, so it is really hard to get a feel on whether I will like this mini or not. The characters all seem like they should, albeit a little more modernized, in the scenes they get, but they are all so brief that there’s nothing really one can take away from them. There’s potential, but this could also be a bust.
|
While it might have appeared that I am against all superhero comics with an odd bent from my Batman and Robin review, that’s far from the case, as S.H.I.E.L.D. was most definitely an odd debut. It was also quite a brilliant one. Without trying to give any of the surprises away, and there are plenty, this book features absolutely no recognizable Marvel superheroes, yet it dramatically, fundamentally alter everything one thought they once knew about the Marvel Universe. No, that is not hyperbole.
What is also not hyperbole is that Jonathan Hickman is right now the best writer writing superhero comics; Secret Warriors, Fantastic Four, and now this – three amazing titles.
The Flash: Secret Files – Origins 2010 does not add much to the saga of the Flash, but it did two very important things for me. The main story in the feature reminded me of how much I loved Scott Kolins’ work on the Flash, and DC needs to put him on a regular monthly again with Geoff Johns. The splash pages meanwhile remind me of why I am such a huge Francis Manapul fan, and why I cannot wait to see The Flash #1 to see his pencils on a full issue. I might not be a fan of Barry Allen, but Manapul will bring me along, and hopefully Johns hooks me with the story.
In Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #2, we have more fun with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, Mon-El, and the resident of Argo trying to fend off Brainiac and Lex Luthor. So far, they are not doing a good job of it. Sterling Gates and James Robinson do a nice job here with the action, but the end has me wondering if the whole resolution to 10,000 Kryptonians running around the universe is going to be trying to literally put the genie back in the bottle. It would be a copout, but I will take anything at this point, as Supergirl alone cheapens the uniqueness of Superman, and 10,000 of him makes the whole concept of “Last Son of Krypton” completely nonexistent.
Over in Superman: Secret Origin #5, we have the continued rollback of everything that once embodied the post-Crisis Superman. I understand that Geoff Johns really did work with Christopher Reeve in Superman II, but the drawing of Clark Kent to look exactly like the movie rendition is getting old. The rest of the artwork by Gary Frank is extremely well done, but the Reeve look is seriously getting on my nerves – the movie was over 20 years ago, let it go…
As for the story itself, much of this issue ties into current storylines, as it ties Luthor and General Sam Lane into the building of a military “safeguard” against Kryptonians. The origin of Metallo is also dealt with here, and his origin is significantly closer to the one from Smallville than the post-Crisis one. Overall, this issue, and the series in general, feel aimed towards making those watching the movie or television show feel at home with the Superman titles, continuity be damned.
In Wolverine: Weapon X #12, Jason Aaron and Ron Garney bring us the second part of their Deathlok saga, teaming Wolverine up with the current Captain America. Aaron does an excellent job with the characterizations of both characters, and the story, while dealing with yet another alternate timeline, is one that has me wondering what will come next and looking forward very much to find out. This is the best arc to date in this series, and both creators are doing a brilliant job. If not for S.H.I.E.L.D., this would have easily been my favorite read of the week.
Lastly, in Uncanny X-Men #523 by Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson, we have the second part of “Second Coming” as Nate and Hope continue on the run. We’re still very much in the “slow build” part of the crossover, so not much happens here, other than getting all the major players into one place. I am interesting in seeing how the story plays out, but it’s not doing a great job of drawing me in so far.
