Comic Book Review: Action Comics Annual #13

Literary & Artistic Credits

Writer: Paul Cornell

Penciller: Paul Cornell & Ed Benes

Colorist: Val Staples & Jason Wright

Letterer: John J. Hill

Cover Art: Ethan Van Sciver & Hi-Fi

Editor: Matt Idelson

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

Just like last year, Action Comics delivers one of the years best comic book stories.  However, #13 doesn’t divulge into the alien mythological world of Krypton, but dives deep into another part of Lex Luthor’s youth, even further explaining on the attributes of the Lex we know today.

This issue splits into two stories, both separate from each other while still connecting in similar ways.  Lex has always been a very independent person on the search for power beyond any man’s dreams, but there has always been a lingering need deep within him for a father figure.  Obviously Lex’s idea of fatherhood is quite construed seeing as how he murdered his own father, but this doesn’t mean he doesn’t long for it.  Paul Cornell’s Luthor story gives light to the scared young lad who later becomes one of DC’s most interesting villains.

The first story shows Lex in Metropolis, out on his own and looking for work.  He gets in with the wrong crowd who just so happens to have a major connection with Darkseid and the fiery world of Apokolips.  And here we are! In the midst of Luthor’s unknown reason for mistrusting aliens!  It all started with Darkseid!  But even then, Lex never showed an ounce of fear and even attempted to take over Apokolips by defeating Darkseid.  No such dice of course, but just like the relationship between him and Batman, Darkseid sees promise within the young Lex’s intentions, even if he’s unwilling to admit it.

The second provides a much older Lex, one still retaining his hair.  It’s interesting to see Luthor’s developmental stages in life.  Birthright showed us a Lex who was simply pissed off at the world due to it’s inadequacy in comparison with himself.  Action #13 presents a Lex who was still very much an angry young man, but sought to better his understanding of power and how mankind achieves it. Ra’s Al Ghul, of course, was far ahead of Lex intelligently and kept Luthor from taking what was his, but the conclusion of the story caught me off guard.

In a weird way, each male (Is Darkseid considered male on his planet?) That Lex runs into shows a certain amount of care for him.  Even Perry White, who was more about standing for truth, Justice and the American way rather than being the hardcore news editor we know today.  Luthor both accepts and rejects their fatherly advice and teachings; accepting them as good ideas, rejecting them in the sense that he now claims all his success to be of his own doing.  It’s interesting to see how his relationships develop with each character and how he interacts with them as well.

Marco Rudy and Ed Benes, two very accomplished artists, one a little more well known than the other, both having completely different styles.  What would my initial reaction to this be?  I think you know.  But this issue was not daunting for me since both stories were separate, and the different styles complimented their specific story.  I’ll always love Ed Benes, but Rudy definitely deserves two major thumbs up with his with his style similarly representing J.H. Williams III and his work on Promethea; overlapping panels, layouts that represent the characters feelings, it’s all quite unorthodox and a fresh take on the art in Action Comics.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

Action Comics has certainly become one of DC’s hot titles.  Its ability to exchange mainline characters is something the other titles are unable to do, which makes it standout very well.  But now, with Luthor having taking control of the said title, part of me wishes he would remain as Actions Comics’ protagonist for the next few years.  Unlikely that will happen, so I will enjoy this time learning more about Lex and his maniacal ways.  Now will you excuse me?  I need to go read this issue again…

Rating: 10 out of 10

+ 3 Incentive Points

Writing: 10

Art: 10

Themes: 10

Comic Book Review: Birds of Prey #4

Literary & Artistic Credits

Writer: Gail Simone

Penciller: Ed Benes, Adriana Melo

Inker: Ed Benes, J.P. Mayer

Colorist: Nei Ruffino

Letterer: Swands

Cover Art: Alina Urusov

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

I feel like some great revelation was given away in this issue, somehow letting us know who the White Canary is.  Do you feel the same way?  Black Canary was so sure she knew the identity of her white counterpart, and the conversation they had during their dual made me believe I should have known it as well.  It all connects to the flash back introduction of course, the baby whose father wanted her thrown into a river grew up to be the judo chopping assassin.  I’ve gone through Birds of Prey #4 seven times but for the life of me, I still can’t figure out who the White Canary is!  Did I miss it somehow or am I still sane?

The hectic nature of the story certainly comes off effectively.  Gail Simone presents three different plotlines, all of which are completely separate from each other but put all of the birds in life threatening situations.  Simone’s ability to keep readers at the edge of the seats is masterful. 

Each storyline continually bounces back and forth never truly giving the readers time to comprehend the situation before the next panel.  This is a similar theme from last month, but Simone steps it up a notch this month.  With this fast paced toggling, the sense of urgency in the story is heightened and intensified.  In that sense, the story glows with literary certitude that Simone has a plan for the Bird’s that will blow us away.  Yet, despite the intense story telling, I can’t help but feel that this issue left me in an empty state.

Simone is my favorite writer in comics right now and could very well write a story that would equal the impact that Alan Moore’s Watchmen had on the comic book genre.  However, the end of issue #4 felt very unsatisfactory and empty, as if Simone was forced to keep the suspense going when it wasn’t merited.  The story led me to believe that some climactic and surprising truth would be revealed on the last page, but nothing of the sort happened.  Now you may be saying to yourself, “What?!?  Jimmy, c’mon!  White Canary just allied herself with Black Canary!  This is a twist a comic book lover dreams of right?”  But I would argue that White Canaries sudden change in tactic is very contrived, or at least feels that way.  I know Simone planed this from the start, but it could have been approached much more effectively. 

Again, artist toggling is not my favorite way of reading a comic.  Benes and Melo’s artistic styles are like night and day, so different that with each page turn you feel like they tore out one page from 22 different comic books and bound them together to form Birds of Prey #4.  Benes is an amazing artist, and Melo is above average.  If I were to read a comic where Melo did the art on every page, I would be just fine since, in and of itself, both artists are very capable and talented.  But with the terribly jaunting difference in styles, it’s hard to not feel like my eyeballs continually take a hard whack to the retinas tearing away at the cell structure.

But I must say, Ed Benes certainly knows how to make his characters look evil and possessed…

Now, to say the art was less than satisfactory should not speak towards the incredible detail of the cover.  Alina Urusov did unspeakably well and gave us a cover that pops out at us and spares no expense in detail.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

So White Canary has been discovered, even though we don’t really know who this is yet.  I wonder, once her identity and terrible tragedy is revealed, if White Canary will reform and be welcome as apart of the team.  What do you think?

Rating: 8.17 out of 10

Writing: 9

Art: 7

Themes: 8.5

Comic Book Review: Birds Of Prey #3

Book Information
Written by Gail Simone
Penciled by Ed Benes & Adriana Melo
Inked by Ed & Mariah Benes
Colors by Nei Ruffino
Letters by Swands
Cover by Cliff Chiang

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion
Chaotic is the best way to describe Birds of Prey #2, very Chaotic. The Birds seem to be all over the place, unsure and second guessing themselves, and being downright unorganized in their crime fighting techniques. It’s just as Black Canary says, have they forgotten how to do this? Honestly, you’d think Black Canary never actually led the Justice League for over two years. The team just wasn’t in top form and on the verge of getting themselves killed.

Ah, but there’s the rub; could it be that Simone is reformatting the BoP into something new, something fresh? Is this a precursor to a much stronger and vibrant team? As much of a cluster-fuck this issue seems to be, Simone sends out some pretty clear messages that make me believe the randomness of #3 is not so random after all, preparing the Birds for a bright new future.

This book isn’t without its structure though. It’s clear that Simone set the team in an unbeatable situation while Oracle is stuck back at base as her kidnappers, savant and creote snatch her from the wheelchair. Simone is doing a great job at making the story feel very chaotic and unorganized in preparation for the coming of a new Birds of Prey. It seems many of the DC heroes are going through some changes recently; Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Justice League, now the Birds of Prey. I couldn’t imagine a better person to give this team a new direction.

And of course we come to the art critique where Ed Benes will receive nothing but praise from me. You wouldn’t know why I like Ed Bene’s art so much, I can’t even figure it out; all of his males and females look the same, have the same facial structure and body type with very little versatility in everything he does. Yet every panel he draws pops out at me and screams perfection. I don’t think I can call him the best DC artist, but he is my favorite. Adriana Melo has a talent that should not be over looked however. As most of you know who follow my posts, I’m not particularly a fan of artist toggling, it irritates the hell out of me. However, the two different styles didn’t irk me as much. Initially I was ready to scream at DC again for putting me through another bit of artistic frustration, but I came to find myself relaxing almost the whole way through the second half without too much trouble.

Now I must voice my frustration with one of the character choices, the Penguin. To be honest, I hate the Penguin; I think he’s a bad character who comes off more annoying than anything else. Even during that incredibly sexy scene where the Birds are seducing the bird brain in his dreams, I found him irritating. I want the Penguin to be banished from the DC Universe into the Marvel world, he can annoy readers there all he wants. He’s almost as bad as Lobo. Ok, I’m done, I’ve vented.

My Awesomely Climactic Conclusion
Now, all that remains is the identity of white-dressed assassin. Black Canary seems to know who it is, but I can’t figure it out for the life of me. Who do you think it is?

Ratings
Writing: 10
Themes: 10
Art: 9.5
Overall: 9.83 out of 10

Comic Book Review: Birds of Prey #1

Book Information

Written by Gail Simone

Penciled by Ed Benes

Colored by Nei Ruffino

Lettered by Swands

Cover by Ed Benes & Nei Ruffino

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

After a one year Hiatus, the Birds of Prey have returned with the famed writer and artist team up of Gail Simone and Ed Benes who arguably are the two best in the business.  The revitalized title begins with a character developing opener where Black Canary saves a little girl from a butchering maniac on top of a glacier.  I have a feeling Black Canary is going to be a featured character in this book while the others provide a lot of backup support.  The story progresses as Barbara Gordon discovers something that could be a proverbial threat to each of the Birds, which in turn brings the band back together with the addition of two new characters, Hawk and Dove.

While this issue is fantastic and with very few flaws, its greatest triumph is the mere fact that Simone and Benes are back to claim all of its glory.  It’s amazing what having a popular writer and artist can do for the excitement and anticipation of a book.  DC has been marketing this book as a return of the two geniuses behind the Birds of Prey more than giving excitement to the book itself.  DC’s respect for their free-lance employees is fully merited and justified as this team-up presents an amazing comic work of art.

Gail Simone definitely has her trademark style; the poetic inner monologue she gives the protagonist and ability to give each individual character an important and defining voice within the story has no equal.  Lady Blackhawk is wonderfully distinctive with her slightly unintelligible New York dialect which contrasts Dove’s innocent and elegant manner.  The emotional impact put on the feathery reunion was quite effective with Huntress’ teary moment of nostalgia.  Clearly, Simone wants to make this title more than simply bringing the band back together and create a much more human reasoning for the reuniting.

I wasn’t sure what I thought of having both Hawk and Dove join the team at first, only because I didn’t want this to turn into an overpopulated nest of a title.  (One of the problem with the Justice Society of course.)  But when I learned that Misfit and Manhunter would not be returning, I became ok with it.  And after reading this first issue, I think this could very well be an intelligent decision on DC’s part.  I never knew Hawk was such a bad-ass!

My only criticism of Ed Benes would be the similar facial structures he puts on all his characters.  I swear, if you were to put both Lady Blackhawk and Black Canary in the same costume, you wouldn’t be to tell the difference.  Other than that, the attractive nature in this issue is nothing less than superior.  On top of a Gotham City building is the best portrayal of a classic team reunited as the original three meet once again as teammates.  I bow my head to you Mr. Benes, (I couldn’t resist) you certainly know how to bring the readers back to what once was.

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion

In no way is this the best issue of the month, but it certainly is ONE of the best.  I am sad to see Simone leaving Wonder Woman, but she has adopted an equally creative and innovative title.

Ratings

Writing: 10

Themes: 9

Art: 9

Overall:9.33

Comic News: Birds of Prey and Brightest Day...no rhyme intended

I'm so happy to see that the new secret members that were cleverly hidden in shadow of the Birds of Prey was revealed at long last!  What's most interesting is the fact that it seems as if the Birds of Prey will induct a male into their ranks...go figure!  Gail Simone, as I'm sure everyone reading has figured out, is at the helm of this highly  anticipated title.  Her departure from Wonder Woman was a low blow to myself and many other Simone fans, but this new writing project she is taking on is a more than acceptable replacement for her.  The icing on the cake is that Ed Benes will be joining her as the artist!  My favorite comic writer and my favorite comic artist on the same book, it's almost like I've died and gone to Colorado...oh wait....

With this new revelation of Hawk and Dove joining the feathered females, I've also come to realize that Brightest Day will be playing into the first issue of Bird of Prey.  In addition, Johns revealed that the reasons for the rebirth of the dead heroes will become known in Brightest Day.  I had originally given Blackest Night #8 a rating of 7.5 merely based on the fact that so many question were left unresolved; that Brightest Day is simply a change in the title "Blackest Night" and the story won't be completed for a while yet.  But it is comforting to know that Johns has had a plan for this entire event from the beginning.

Now, with the return of these heroes, springs some new and revived titles.  Obviously Birds of Prey will be at the head of this "soon to come" titles, and The Flash (Barry) takes new strides with Geoff Johns managing the literary side of things.  The Justice League: International will also be returning to stores in April in a mini series called "Generation Lost," where Fire, Ice, Booster Gold and Captain Atom go on the hunt for Maxwell Lord. I'm wondering how long it will take before Aquaman gets his own title back as well as Firestorm.  And what of Deadman?  Why has he been given a chance at life once again?  Another mini series in the works possibly?  Only time will tell what DC is going to do.  One thing we can count on is Brightest Day is the ultimate remapping for the DC Universe that anyone could ask for.

Comic Book Review: Power Girl #9 (Hottest Issue Ever!)

Book Information

Written by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Art by Amanda Conner

Plot

Power Girl finds herself in the middle of the worst day ever!  Apart from not getting a date and being the sex symbol of the year, she has to deal with Ultra-Humanite’s girlfriend, Satanna!  As she unleashes the entire zoo on Power Girl, Satanna takes extra measures to make sure Power Girl falls to her death.

My Thoughts

So this review will be unlike my others.  Within this review I will be delving into certain things that no guy will ever deny to be (for lack of a better term...and for the mere sake of saying it) awesome SHIT!  I don’t care who you are, there is nothing about this issue that will not excite you and make you smile.  As a rule, any comic that contains predictable storylines I typically rank lower because I hold original plotlines to the highest degree…I’m a snob like that!  But Power Girl, as predictable as it usually is, I can never ever rank very low.  I’m am so happy with how Grey and Palmiotti write this title that I constantly find myself rereading issues of Power Girl more often than any other comics I buy on a monthly basis!  I will most definitely be coming back to this issue on a regular basis.

It’s amazing how many horrible events can be written into a day in the life of a superhero.  Power Girl is either upset, depressed or pissed off at something through this whole book.  And what’s worse, nothing goes her way!  Her company seems to be having financial troubles, guys are pinching her ass on the train, people want to take nudie picture of her, zoo animals want to kill her, this is just a terrible day.  Palmiotti and Grey did a superb job at building the stress level in PG’s life so well that I felt stressed out for her! 

The best part of all the chaos, as a way of amplifying her frustration, Grey and Palmiotti bring in the entire zoo!  What better way of showing how chaotic her life is than by using a bunch of circus animals in armored suits trying to kill the well endowed superwoman?   But the mean spirited writers don’t stop there!  They have to have their final blow as Satanna whacks at PG again and again with a large hammer that seems to pound away not just at the surface, but deep down at the core of a living being.  If I was Power Girl, I would have just killed myself and be done with life!  This issue almost makes me think Palmiotti and Grey want to see how much they can torture and belittle Power Girl and get away with it.

What I enjoy the most about how the writing duo has molded Kara is her kick-ass attitude.  She’s a lot like Supergirl in how she always has something to complain about, but yet she doesn’t dwell on those frustrations and knows how to work through them in a mature manner.  It makes for a very pleasant read.

Now I know this part of the comic sticks out like a sore thumb, but I can’t write this review and NOT talk about it.  Having Power Girl run out into the stair way completely nude is a dream come true for me, as I’m sure it is for every other guy on the planet.  I’ve criticized this title for the slight overuse of Power Girl’s sexuality as a comedic gimmick, mainly focusing on her boobs, but this scene I can’t complain about.  Amanda Conner is fantastic at making PG as sexy as possible and pushing the limit, without going to far.  There’s nothing lewd or crude about the whole scene.  It’s very sexy and funny at the same time.  The scene is so great, I went as far as to scan those pages and crop them for your viewing pleasure…

Speaking of the art, how awesome is Amanda Conner?  Apart from creating incredibly beautiful women, she’s got such a handle at amazing artistic panels of color and explosive action.  The cartoonish feel to the book shouldn’t overshadow the maturity and wonderfully crafted scenes that she delivers month after month.  She might be one of the better artists at giving her characters meaningful facial expressions.  She isn’t like Ed Benes, who typically gives his characters very melancholy faces, even in the heat of battle.  No she uses the full emotional spectrum of the mobility of the human face.

Overall

I don’t know what to do with myself.  As I know for a fact this issue won’t make its way into my top ten list for 2010, this issue has definitely made an impression on me artistically and on the literary side.  Gail Simone, you better have delivered some good stuff in Wonder Woman (which should be coming in the mail very soon!) in order to top this issue!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming March 24, 2010

Power Girl squares off against Satanna and her Animal Army just as Terra enters the fray! This should be a good thing, but somehow it looks like Power Girl's got a new enemy!

Comic News: Birds of Prey Relaunches with Simone and Benes at the Helm...

Gail Simone and Ed Benes will be returning to the famed "Birds of Prey" title with an all new relaunching.  Simone redefined what it means to be a female in comics and still keeps that thread going.  No writer in history has ever brought women in comics to life as much as Simone has, and now she's going in full force with the return of the ground breaking title.

I had never read the previous run of Birds of Prey but I heard rave reviews about it.  I'm happy to see it's coming back so I can get a taste of what Simone brought to the table a few years back.  However, it sounds like Simone is going to take an all new approach with the woman super team,

"Even if you've read every previous BoP issue multiple times, I think you're going to really feel the ground shift a little with this. It's going to be a blast," Simone tells Comics Alliance. "It's Black Canary putting her boot in bad guys' faces and the Huntress taking no *&^% from anyone and Oracle being smarter than anyone else in Gotham. That's what I loved about the book in the first place.  It's classic Birds of Prey but maybe just a little tougher and a little naughtier. I've been given some really surprising approvals and I think long-time readers and newbies will find it quite unlike any other comic on the stands. I've always said the secret of the book is that it's a female buddy cop story, basically, and that is a surprisingly rare thing in all media."

The relaunching will come to comic book stores this Spring with the returning cast, and possibly some new additions.  Whatever happens, I know that with Simone and Benes running the show, this will a quality run.  I'm not sure I can wait until Spring!

Comic Book Review: Green Lantern #49

Book Information

Written by Geoff Johns

Art by Ed Benes

Plot

John Stewart takes a trip down memory lane, in the worst way possible.  Can John Stewart endure the emotional torment of seeing the ones he loved back from the grave?  As a former American soldier, Stewart must call upon his life experiences to defeat the oncoming horde of Black Lanterns and show that his serious and stoic manner is not such a bad thing after all, especially when it comes to fighting an entire planet of Zombie Lanterns!

My Thoughts

The re-examination of a character is always an exciting thing.  Green Lantern fans have always listed John Stewart as the most underused Green Lantern in DC’s history.  When taking time to deviate from the regular story to take a deeper look into a character’s personality, the writer must take care in making the story connect with readers in a very emotional way, and this book does just that.

What makes John Stewart so different from the rest of the Corps is his strike force mindset.  While the rest of the corps always rely on the ‘logical’ thing, Stewart calls upon his life experiences and memories of war to battle the hundreds of risen Lanterns out to do him harm.  It was very nice to finally flesh John Stewart out and allow readers to become more familiar with him.  The lesson we learn from this issue…Don’t antagonize a war veteran!  Otherwise, you are in for a major fight!

As much as I like Doug Mahnke and his art in Green Lantern, I almost had an orgasm when I discovered Ed Benes would be doing the artwork for this month’s issue of Green Lantern.  No artist comes close to the talent level of Ed Benes in my humble opinion.  The two paged spread of Stewart using his ring to create his army construct was a detailed stroke of genius.  The battles scenes were also an amazing piece of work in which Bene’s colorists should be given a raise.

Now as much as this issue rocks my face off, I find it strange that this story is found in the regular Green Lantern title.  This feels more like a Blackest Night tie-in and should have been kept separate from main GL titles.  But who knows, maybe Geoff Johns didn’t have enough time on his watch to write a tie-in for Blackest Night, and this might have been something johns had his heart set on writing.  In any case, it is a good issue.

Overall

In and of itself, you couldn’t ask for a better issue.  I found the supplemental story at the end a little strange and corny, but this issue is definitely a must have.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming January 27^th, 2010

BLACKEST NIGHT spreads with an oversized anniversary issue! Surrounded by friends and enemies, Hal Jordan goes into battle with a being he will never defeat – the Black Lantern Spectre! Can Saint Walker, Sinestro and the others put a stop to this bizarre Spectre rebirth? 

Plus, Atrocitus reveals a tie to a power that may make him the most unbeatable of all the Lanterns!