Comic Book Review: Action Comics #889

Book Information

Written by Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann

Penciled by Pere Perez

Colored by Javier Mena

Inked by Bit

Lettered by Rob Leigh

Cover by Alex Garner

My All-Inspiring Opinion

Action Comics is predominantly a Superman book but has never been limited by that fact.  Many other DC characters have taking a starring role in the title if Superman was busy doing something else, but we always knew he would return next month.  I do believe this has been the longest stretch of time where Action Comics has gone without the Man of Steel.  And while the majority of Superman fans find the last year of Action Comics to be boring and stupid, I’ve rather enjoyed the reintroduction of Flamebird and Nightwing.

When it comes to dual writer team-ups, I’m never sure who the creative genius is and who is the right-hand man.  I want to say Greg Rucka is at the forefront of this project but Trautmann has done some spectacular solo work in the past.  The only conclusion I can come to is that both men are equally involved in the writing of this story.  The awesome finality of Nightwing joining in the battle was interesting as Chris seemed to become a whole new person while keeping some of those character traits we’ve become accustom too.  And having the JSA apart of this concluding chapter was a nice touch as well.

Since most of the mystery behind Flamebird and Nightwing was wrapped up in #888, there wasn’t much left to do except finish off the Rao clone and put an end to Jax-Ur’s reign of terror.  But I felt this arc ended rather timidly.  Yes, Rao fell to the ground, yes there was a fiery arena of chaos all around, and yes the entire issue was filled with non-stop action that would have completely obliterated the whole world in real life, but at the snap of a finger, Rao was finish along with Jax-Ur.  Maybe I was just expecting so much of a big booming ending that my mind just decided this wasn’t epic enough to satisfy me.  It just felt way to sudden and abrupt, especially with how much Rucka and Trautmann had built up the story from beginning to end. 

Did Pere Perez give up?  The art in this issue does NOT match up with the previous issues.  Last issue was filled with incredibly detailed and paint-like images that put Perez in the running for the top ten best artists of 2010.  Now he gives us visuals that are less artistic and dull.  It’s as if #888 was too much of a workout for him.  I would compare the art in this issue to that of a driver setting his car on cruise control, shutting his eyes, hitting the gas and hope that everything works out.  I really am disappointed with the quality of work by Perez in this comic.  On a lighter, more positive note however, Alex Garner produced the BEST cover of 2010 thus far.  I find myself picking this issue up over and over again just to gaze on the gorgeous artwork.

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion

For the most part, this is an entertaining read despite the less than satisfactory conclusion.  I’m debating on whether or not this entire run of Action Comics should be considered for best story arc of 2010.  Only time will tell.

Ratings

Writing: 7.5

Themes: 6

Art: 3

Overall: 5.50 

Comic Book Review: Action Comics #888

Book Information

Written by Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann

Art by Pere Perez

Plot

With Nightwing trapped yet again in the Phantom Zone by the deceptive Jax-Ur, and Flamebird’s emotions at their breaking point, the clone of Rao walks closer and closer to achieving ultimate power.  Flamebird must do all she can to distract Jax-Ur while the JSA fight off the oncoming nuclear onslaught of the Pakistan and Indian military.

Also, Can Nightwing come to terms with who he really is and once and for all defeat Vohc-The-Breaker?

My Thoughts

Action Comics, in these last few months, has mustered itself up as being the mythological archetype for the modern comic book era.  The story surrounding Nightwing and Flamebird has developed so much in such a short amount of time that I wonder if this story was planned out years ago, waiting for the right moment to rise up.  While the comic itself isn’t the best I’ve read, it takes quite a few strides in further developing the story of the two Kryptonian legends.

Writing

The story in and of itself has its good points and low points.  The book’s setting goes from being on Earth, to the Phantom Zone.  While on Earth, Flamebird partakes in a knuckle bearing knock down with Jax-Ur…or Vohc-The-Breaker, I’m never quite sure what to call him.  While she does this, the two Eastern military forces armed themselves to take out the super-sized cloned God of a former planet Krypton, which was apparently his plan all along.  This plot development, while still used well, isn’t necessarily the strongest literary approach.  Personally I find it hard to swallow and a bit contrived (Boy, I love that word don’t I?!?) that Rao, in that short amount of time figure out that the missiles, after crashing onto the very spot he stands, would allow him enough power to grow an exponential amount.  It works for the story, but in and of itself is a bit unrealistic.

Speaking of unrealistic plots, how was that second trip to the Phantom Zone for our little Nightwing?  It was one of the most interesting and creatively done sequences I’ve ever seen in comics.  What I couldn’t tell was if Chris was actually talking with himself, or if the Nightwing and Chris somehow became two completely separate entities entirely.  The verbal exchange between the two was spot on perfect, allowing Chris time to realize who he really was deep down inside.

Rating: 7

Themes

The thematic scale is off the charts for me with this issue.  I’m not entirely sure where to start.  The moment Chris throws away the only piece of glass showing him the outside world as if all hope is lost, The amount of triumph that fills the pages as Wonder Woman flies in and breaks open Rao’s eye, this issue is almost too jammed packed to list everything that was good in one review.  But the theme that Greg Rucka wanted in the forefront of our minds was everything surrounding Nightwing and the Phantom Zone.

I think this was a much needed turn of events in the Nightwing and Flamebird mythos.  I wasn’t even sure if Chris was THE Nightwing or not, but the last page obliterated any doubts I might have had. 

Rating: 10

Art

Perez really outdid himself here.  The toggle from the scenes on Earth and the Phantom Zone were incredibly well contrasted, one portraying Perez’s typical style we see from week to week, the other presenting a much more painted look.  I sometimes forget the array of emotional impacts that using many shades of only one or two colors that can be presented in a piece of art.  The image of the Nightwing presenting itself to Chris was horrifically gorgeous.  The use of the dark, misty light creates such a deep emotional impact that both mystifies and horrifies. 

The cover could very well be one of the best covers of the year.  The feeling of heat radiates all throughout it as the three heroes displayed honestly look as if they can’t push through the flames shooting at them.  And this cover also achieves some incredible artistry by only using many shades of one color.

Rating: 10

Overall

While not the greatest piece of work on the literary side, overall this book achieved some masterful work within the genre.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming April 28, 2010

ACTION COMICS ships twice in April! In issue #889, with the fate of both New Krypton and Earth weighing on their young shoulders, are Nightwing and Flamebird prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice? And in the co-feature, Captain Atom has managed to find a way back to Mirabai's world, intent on confronting the woman who made him a tool of destruction — but what stunning revelation awaits him there?

Comic Book Review: Action Comics #887

Book Information

Written by Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann

Art by Pere Perez

Plot

Nightwing and Flamebird take on one of the most powerful foes they have ever faced, the Kryptonian god Rao!  As last month’s issue took a religious and historical trip to help us prepare for the events happening in this story, we now have to watch Flamebird relive the past of loosing her loved one, Nightwing, at the hands of Jax-Ur.  Flamebird now faces the same set of decisions she was faced with centuries ago, and this time she may not have a choice.

My Thoughts

I broke my #1 rule again and read some reviews of this issue before writing my own.  I wanted to get a good idea of the general consensus of this particular comic to make sure I wasn’t regurgitating reviewer opinions.  Surprisingly enough, I found that most reviewer’s opinions of #887 were less than satisfactory.  I will not be sharing these sentiments as I found this installment of Action Comics to be quite entertaining.

I guess it’s the interest in the mythological side of comics that did it for me.  Before Nightwing and Flamebird came into the picture, Superman was always spouting Rao’s name like we do with God, as a term of surprise or awe.  But I’ve always had this desire to learn a little more about the religious history of Krypton.  So the last two issues have been like candy for me, as enjoyable as the best German chocolate bar.  However, I was confused about the god Rao as depicted in this book.  Jax-Ur claims that this is his concocted version of Rao and not the real one, yet the religious guild comes together and prepares for Rao’s return.  Is there something going on that Rucka and Trautmann are keeping secret, or was there a major oversight on their part with the writing and continuity? 

Keeping with the page-drafted narrative from last month, this issue presents Lois Lane writing a news article exposing her father, General Lane, and telling the story of Nightwing and Flamebird and their mythological importance.  While I did like the approach, it didn’t come off as well as I’m sure Rucka had intended.  I’m typically a fan of this type of narrative story telling, but this approach was a little less than satisfactory.  The writing was well done, but missing that needed edge.

One question that does ponder my mind is why these Kryptonian deities have now all of the sudden come out in the open.  Just as Nightwing and Flamebird have arisen, so has Jax-Ur, which I find very convenient. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but does make me wonder why all of the gods of Krypton are now on Earth at the same time.  And does Zod know his sleeper agent is the Builder?

The artwork certainly stays firm as the months progress, with the action scenes and exploding moments with the risen god Rao being the highlights of the book.  I’m very impressed by the incredible use of the light and shading aspects.  It’s just the right amount of flavor, not overdone or over inked.  The religious guild has always impressed me as their faceless glowing heads are blindingly gorgeous.  Overall, the art is great and worth the cover price.

One aspect that really outshines the rest of the story is how Flamebird relives her dreaded past of loosing Nightwing yet again and in almost the same way.  Nightwing is trapped in the Phantom Zone again, Jax-Ur gives Flamebird an ultimatum, Flamebird is torn apart by this, etc. etc.  It was a nice addition to the book and leaves a lot of potential next month for Flamebird in how she decides to counter Jax-Ur’s actions.

Overall

A fun issue.  If you enjoy mythological stories being applied to today’s world, this is definitely a book for you.  It has its flaws, but they are necessarily distracting flaws.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming April 14, 2010

ACTION COMICS ships twice in April! With Nightwing nowhere in sight, ACTION #888 finds Flamebird face-to-face with the rampaging Rao! But can she defeat him by herself? Luckily, it looks like she won't have to! Enter: Wonder Woman and the Justice Society of America! And in the co-feature, Captain Atom discovers that to complete his journey, he must first travel through the lost world of Skartaris!

Comic Book Review: Superman World Of New Krypton #12 (of 12)

Book Information

Written by James Robinson & Greg Rucka

Art by Pete Woods & Ron Randall.

Plot

The perpetrator of the series of murders has been revealed!  Superman is now faced with the terrible truth that one of its own council members has been plotting against New Krypton and Earth since Kandor was freed of Brainiac’s bottled prison.  Superman now faces death as the culprit does all he can to keep his dealings a secret!

My Thoughts

Twelve issues have past.  Twelve installments of a mystery have been put to paper.  As I finished this twelfth and final issue of this mini, I sit back and ask myself…”What The Fuck?!?!”  Let’s keep in mind that within this miniseries were three OTHER miniseries that had little or nothing to do with the overall scheme of the World of New Krypton.  What was the point of this series?  How does it push the regular Superman title forward and connect with the happenings going on Earth currently?  I find myself at a loss in many different aspects.

First, can anyone explain Zod’s strange behavior?  He kept jumping back and forth from acting mysteriously like the villain, to portraying the stature of a truly reformed man.  Yet we know from past issue of Action comics that while everything was happening on New Krypton, he had sleeper agents on Earth doing his biding.  Yet Zod remains unmoved by the turns of events and by the revelation of his laboratory experiments which have seemed to hurt the labor guild.  Maybe I’m over analyzing the situation, but the behavior patterns he displayed and the end result of this series do not match up.

Adam Strange seems to have disappeared just a quickly as he appeared, and with no real sense of accomplishment.  Yeah, he helped Superman solve a few mysteries, but what else did he accomplish that couldn’t have been done without his involvement?  Was Adam Strange brought in to this story just for the sake of doing so?  DC is having a huge “silver age” movement and resurrecting long lost heroes, but Adam Strange’s resurrection seems to be out of place, contrived, and unneeded.  It was cool to have him there, but why? 

And of course, the ending of this mini series has to reveal the murdering bastard correct?  I’m sure we all came to the conclusion that the culprit would be a complete surprise, someone we weren’t expecting right?  Well, that can definitely be said for this issue.  I was so surprised by the out come because I couldn’t remember seeing this man more than two or three times in this whole series!  In fact, with all of the events and how they unfolded, and how characters developed in this story, it doesn’t make sense.  This council member has very little dialogue and doesn’t make appearances in most of the series.  In addition, his motivation for committing these crimes is very confusing and causes me to scratch my head in concern for my own deductive reasoning skills.  “Did I miss something?” I asked myself.  The reason why this review is so late is because I went back through all twelve issues to see where I may have dosed off and missed some important plot twist which would have helped explain this ending to me.  Not surprisingly, I finished skimming all of the comics with no avail.  Robinson did not do this series justice.  DC would have been better off hiring Greg Rucka to write the entire run.  At least DC was intelligent enough to enlist the talents of Rucka before the end to help this series make some semblance of a conclusion, even though there was none.

Overall

Horrible!  I want my $36 and twelve months back that I wasted on this series.  I might even dump this series in the trash it was so bad!  (And that’s saying a lot for me.)  Honestly, if you are waiting for the trade to come out, don’t waste your money.  At least you were saved the pain and torment of paying $3 a month that I wasn’t.

Rating: 0 out of 10 stars

Comic Book Review: Blackest Night Wonder Woman #3 (of 3)

Book Information

Written by Greg Rucka

Art by Nicola Scott

Plot

Partnered with Carol Ferris, Wonder Woman starts the charge on the massive Black Lantern attack as a newly inducted Star Sapphire.  The emotion of love has always been Diana’s strong point, but it has never been manifested to this degree.  Wonder Woman is now faced with the Black Lanterns who want nothing more than to rip out her heart and consume the light within, and attempt to calm down the wife of the risen zombie Lantern, Mera.  Will Diana succeed, or will she die at the hands of her friend?

My Thoughts

I was actually quite shocked when I discovered Wonder Woman was chosen to be a Star Sapphire, I didn’t see the connection as well as DC did I suppose.  But after this issue, I think I get it.  Wonder Woman has always shown the greatest amount of love towards people more than most of her comrades do.  This aspect of Wonder Woman was brought to light best by Gail Simone when she took over her monthly title, and Greg Rucka is doing an excellent job at continuing that Simone trademark.

The explanations that are given in this book as to why Wonder Woman and Carol Ferris were chosen as Star Sapphires helped clear up some confusion with me.  Those explanations (coming from the dialog between Carol and Dianan) imply that a ring, from any corps, chooses someone not for how much love they have, will they portray, or how much hope they have necessarily; it chooses someone based on how much of that specific emotion an individual has the potential in showing, but also based on how much the individual needs the ring to amplify that aspect of their lives.  Carol Ferris, who’s felt an enormous hole inside her since Hal Jordan never reciprocated her feelings, was brought into the corps for her love and for the lack of love by another human being.  It is a creative and interesting take on the “choosing” of someone when inducted into a specific corps.

Now, readers who don’t actually know the history between Wonder Woman and Mera, or Mera’s questionable past may feel a little lost when the confrontation between these two comes to a close.  But don’t allow that to throw you off this book, I think the entire Blackest Night series has been smart in bringing back the dead and all it’s baggage without being too confusing.  Let’s be honest, how many people who are reading Blackest Night currently starting reading comics only one or two years ago right?  Johns, and the rest of the writers included in this Charlton Heston type of “end of the world” story have done a superb job at bringing the past back to light and allowing it to dictate the direction of the stories.  When you read it, all you need to know is that Mera did something questionable, and take it for what it is and move on to next months issue of Blackest Night.

Nicola Scott is incredible, there is no stiffness in her characters and the color schemes are outstanding.  Granted, this is not one of her better works of art, but that does not mean this isn’t outstanding.  The violet dominance on every page is a lot more striking and powerful than one would expect.  Of course, who could complain about that cover art by the great Greg Horn?  I’m surprised that cover isn’t the variant one, but of course the variant covers are usually a disappointment for me.

Overall

A decent issue, a lot of fun and helps to explain a few things in the Lantern Corps mythos.  However, it’s not particularly a standout issue.  Greg Rucka did wonders with what he was given and I think it was a much needed addition to the Blackest night series.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars

Top Ten DC Comic Books Of 2009

10. Supergirl #43

Supergirl has always been a title I refused to pick up on purpose.  It wasn't until Sterling Gates came on board when I found Supergirl to have potential at being one of the better comic titles being sold on DC's repertoire.  This particular issue focuses on Kara with coming to terms with her mother whom has only been reacquainted with for a short time.  With the small mystery and new realizations that Kara discovers about herself and her mother, this issue took Supergirl to a whole new level.

9. Supergirl Annual #1

This issue takes two comics and staples them together to form a fantastic epic.  Two separate stories, yet they still act as one.  One story gives a fantastic commentary on the prejudice of people and shows how one person's good intentions can lead to another person's torment and despair.  The second story goes back in time to explain the origin of Superwoman, also know as Lucy Lane, sister to Lois Lane.  This issue was a emotionally packed story and very intelligently written with art that kept you turning the page wanting more.

8. Wonder Woman #38

While the common person would allow the fact that the world was coming to an end to tear away at our soul and weaken them, Wonder Woman stands firm and fights back.  Gail Simone shows over and over again that Wonder Woman is not your average comic book anymore.  This issue gives an image of wonder woman as the most powerful force on planet earth as she defies all odds and takes on the evil placed before her.

7. Action Comics Annual #12

The reason why I'm a nut case for DC Comics is due to their mythological approach to most storylines and origins.  This book puts in place the origin of the old/new mythological heroes of Krypton, Nightwing and Flamebird.  But what makes this book different from the rest is how the two origin stories start out as completely separate entities, but become one towards the end.  Greg Rucka shows that the religious significance of the two will have a huge impact on the DC Universe sooner or later.  Flamebird and Nightwing and slowly taking charge of Action Comics and I hope it stays that way.

6. Batman: Cacophony #3

When this min-series began, I was unimpressed.  The first two issues were slow and unengaging.  But this third and final issue was a nice surprise to an unsatisfying mini-series.  In the same degree that Alan Moore took the Joker with his story "The Killing Joke," Kevin Smith humanizes the Joker in a way no one has done before.  It's funny to think that a person can hate you, respect you, and sympathize with you all at the same time.  The Joker's apology to Batman was such a powerful piece of oratory that I almost put this book in the top five.  Kevin Smith, while not the best story arc writer, truly knows how to get at the heart of a character.

5. Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #1

I wasn't sure if any of the Blackest Night tie-ins were ever going to meet the standards that Geoff Johns has set.  The Superman and Batman tie-ins were pretty worthless and uninspiring.  But leave it to Greg Rucka to make anything worth reading.  Diana's approach in dealing with the risen Maxwell Lord was equally terrifying as it was amazing.  The torment Diana was obviously going through in having to face the man she brutally murdered was very interesting and emotional.  With her stoic and wooden body while fighting Lord and his army was a work of genius, this issue is definitely worthy of a placing in the top five for the year.

4. Batman #686

When I heard Neil Gaiman was enlisted to write two issue of Batman, my joy was indescribable.  I've never read anything by Neil Gaiman that I didn't absolutely love, and Gaiman certainly doesn't disappoint.  Inspired by Alan Moore's story arc "What Ever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow," Gaiman takes the title and replaces "Man of Tomorrow" with "Caped Crusader."  However, this is nothing like Moore's masterpiece.  Gaiman uses his master science fiction story telling approach and completely reconstructs the world Batman we thought we knew into something strange, yet satisfying.  And as Gaiman always does, he leaves us wanting more.

3. Secret Six #15

Having John Ostrander back writing for Deadshot was a smart move on DC's part.  Having been the mastermind behind the Suicide Squad for so long, it only made sense to give Simone a break and let someone as equally qualified to write a chilling psychological profile on one of DC's most notoriously lovable villains.  The conclusions the story comes to is this, he’s a lunatic who has a sense of humanity to him, but has no love for people in general, is conflicted with his traumatic family past, couldn't give a rats ass if he lives or dies, but hopes to God that he does die.  Confused?  Well when you read it like that, yeah.  But Ostrander makes this confusing story make so much sense (in a twisted way) that you put the book down, but pick it back up and read it again.

2. Wonder Woman #33

I wanted so badly to put this issue in the top #1 spot, that's how good this issue is.  Fighting against all odds, shunning your people, lashing out against those whom have given you their love all your life, and turning your back on your religious upbringing is all right here in this issue.  Nothing bad can be said about this final chapter in Simone's "Rise of an Olympian" story arc both in the writing and the art; this issue shows just how good comic books can be.  The story and art are so equally powerful that I can't see how anyone could disagree that Wonder Woman #33 does not rightfully deserve a second place finish in the best comics of 2009 contest.  Gail Simone, you are my hero.

1. Detective Comics #853

Well of course I'm going to give this issue the top spot, it was written by Neil Gaiman.  Call me biased but the only comic book writer who can come close to beating out Gaiman would be the esteemed Alan Moore.  No thanks to Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman justly explains the Dark Knight's death in his typical, outlandish way filled with science fiction, horror, love and humanity.  I would have never even considered using his mother as a guiding light for Bruce Wayne, but it's one of the more logical and creative ideas I've ever seen.  It's true for all of us right?  Our mothers are typically the ones the children go to when needing that nurturing and loving care we all crave many times in our lives.  This is not only something we, as readers can relate too very easily, but it helps to humanize a character that has been viewed as a God in the DC Universe.

But as Neil Gaiman always does, he puts an unsettling taste in my mouth, leaving me with the knowledge that Bruce Wayne will always be cursed with the Cape and Cowl.  The story showed the different flashback scenes as being different and unique from the other, like each one was a part of a different world and time.  Gaiman was trying to show that Bruce Wayne is reborn over and over again as Batman.  But this also means that Bruce constantly has to relive that horrifying day when his parents are shot in that alley way right in front of him.  This defies the typical comic book storyline where the hero saves the day and everyone is happy.  Bruce Wayne dies in this issue, but is he really dead?  No, he has to live with the fact that he will rise again to become Batman and all the pain and torment that comes with it.  

It was this fact of the story which gives me full confidence that I chose the right book as the best comic of 2009.

Comic Book Review: Actions Comics #885

Book Information

Written by Greg Rucka and Eric Trautmann

Art by Pere Perez

Plot

Earth and New Krypton’s relationship is dangled in front of us in an enormous spread of storylines and plot devices.  Nightwing and Flamebird go on the hunt for Zod’s sleeper agents, but run into trouble when the Science Police, accompanied by Mon-El, corner them.  Can the two so-called mythological heroes of New Krypton convince the Guardian and Mon-El about the oncoming danger that within Metropolis?  And will General Lane finally be put in his place by the one closest to him?

My Thoughts

Rucka, overall, has done a great job with Nightwing and Flamebird; things seem to actually be coming to a successful resolution and tie-in with the New Krypton story.  In this particular issue we are given a few minor plot deviations along with the main one which involves our two headline heroes searching for the sleeper agents of Zods.  How interesting to find out that at least two of those agents have been in our heroes sights the whole time.  I figured it out with Doctor Pillings; however officer Romundi was a complete twist for me.  I commend Rucka for providing a pleasant surprise as most of the plot twists and turns in this arc have been fairly predictable, but not annoyingly so.

I did find myself in a suspended state when Lois Lane decides to confront her father to show him the error of his ways.  It was very short and only consisted of five panels on one page, but it’s still a very powerful moment.  To address one’s parents in a moment of corrective teaching is not the easiest thing in the world to do for a son or daughter.  But, as we all know, Lois Lane is no push over, and neither is her father.  It was a short, yet powerfully moving.

A lesser aspect of the story was the sudden change in loyalty portrayed by the Guardian.  He goes from thinking Nightwing and Flamebird are untrustworthy enemies of Earth, (displayed in his response to Flamebird’s promise to not fight back, “Your word, whatever that’s worth) to trusting them 100% and fighting against General Lane and his band of soldiers.  I’m not sure I entirely buy into the sudden side change, but it was minor flaw that didn’t detract me from the story very much.

I did enjoy the fact that there were only two one paged ads in this book.  This installment is literally jam packed with dialogue and story; very unorthodox for your contemporary comic book these days, a nice little refreshing change.  Maybe this trend will catch on in DC Comics sooner rather than later.

The art has very little flaws.  Perez does an amazing job with the pencils, but his colorists could improve on the color scheme of the book.  Its light tinted tone leaves very little to look at and creates a boring and wooden feel in every page turn.

Overall

Not too shabby of an issue.  Overall, the plot is great; it really pushes the story forward which will help the issue with New Krypton.  However, the art and a few tiny story defects have some effect on the enjoyability of the issue in its entirety.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming February 10^th, 2010

Nightwing and Flamebird race the clock to capture Jax-Ur, the most dangerous of Zod's sleeper agents. 

And in the Captain Atom co-feature, our hero explores the horrors of his past with the help of Mon-El and Starfire!

Top Ten Comics For December, 2009

10. Justice League of America #40
James Robinson finally brings a quality Justice League book to JLA fans.  It's very moving and undeniably worthy of a top ten spot for December

9. Blackest Night: JSA #1
This book has a lot of fun moments in it as well as keeping it emotionally exciting

8. Supergirl #48
Supergirl whines a lot, yet the mystery set within this story is getting really good!

7. Secret Six #16
What can I say about Gail Simone except that she is the best writer with DC right now.  This issue rocks!

6. Power Girl #7
Exceptionally corny, yet quite original.  You'll laugh with every page turn.

5. Batman #694
Tony Daniels is truly keeping us on our toes with this edition of Batman.

4. Blackest Night #6
I definitely didn't see that one coming.  Nice job and shocking the crap out of us Mr. Geoff Johns.

3. Green Lantern #49
It was nice to see John Stewart get a whole book dedicated to him after so long.  This was a much needed issue.

2. Wonder Woman #39
While I was confused with a portion of the story, this issue really did bring down the house for me.  After reading it I said "yeah, this is definitely in my top 5 for December."

1. Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #1
Yes, Wonder Woman takes the top two spots, and reasonably so with Rucka and Simone writing at the helm.  This first issue of Wonder Woman's Blackest Night tie-in was truly incredible.  The emotions stemming through her could have brought down the mightiest mortal, but not her.  Wonder Woman also found a new way of killing the Black Lanterns, with her love.  It burned so bright that it singed the zombies to nothing but piles of ash.  Another clue that Wonder Woman has a big role to play in this series.

And one cannot complain about Nicola Scott's amazing artwork.  She is equaled with artists like Ed Benes and Jim Lee.  This was a perfect comic book.

Comic Book Review: Superman World Of New Krypton #11 (of 12)

Book Information

Written by James Robinson & Greg Rucka

Art by Pete Woods and Ron Randall

Plot

Superman and Adam Strange come closer to solving the mystery of the phantom sniper gunning after the council members of each respective guild.  But the closer they get, the more terrifying the results become.  As the space duo continually pushes through to solve this mystery, they are at the same time threatened by the very people whom Kal-El is trying to defend.

My Thoughts
Out of the eleven issues that have been published in this series, this has got to be the strongest one.  It kept my interest pumping through every page, mainly due to the confidently humorous man that is Adam Strange.  I really had my doubts about introducing galactic space ranger in this series, but Strange has shown a lot of promise.  His ability to subtlety make fun of the idiocy portrayed by the Kryptonians and the detective skills makes you chuckle underneath your breath.

I do get a little frustrated by how dumb these Kryptonians are.  It took an Earthling to show these aliens what it means to be a “super sleuth.”  The intelligence level is not represented well in the Kryptonian race and I blame Mr. James Robinson who has portrayed an entire world of living and thinking beings as no smarter than the humans we know here on Earth.  But of course, that may be the whole point that Robinson and Rucka are trying to make; to allow Superman and Strange to outshine every living being on New Krypton and become the real hero in the reader’s eyes.  Having Rucka on board has really helped Robinson’s below average story telling.  Rucka has always been a top notch writer and he was able to give the WONK series the boost it really needed that Robinson was unable to provide.

Woods and Randall do possess artistic talent, but once again they bring us the quality that is only equaled by a children’s picture book.  I feel as if I’m opening the pages of a baby book, the only difference is this issue is made of paper while a baby book made of cardboard.  The use of color is quite good, but the figures are too wooden and unproportional for me to enjoy the artistic value of the book.

Overall
This series, while fun to read, I fear will be a complete let down once the final issue comes out next month.  I really can’t comprehend why this was made into a separate series.  DC could have kept this whole arc in the actual Superman title and given Mon-El his own mini-series.  I have a feeling that once I read next months issue, I will be left unsatisfied and empty inside from reading this series.  This issue, in and of itself is great thanks to Rucka, but overall, the series I fear is going to be a complete let down.

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming February 3^rd, 2010

Now that the conspiracy involving New Krypton's council has been brought to light, can Superman keep his people from tearing each other apart? And what does a skull-shaped ship flying towards New Krypton mean?

Comic Book Review: Blackest Night Wonder Woman #2

Book Information

Written by Greg Rucka

Art by Nicola Scott

Cover by Ryan Sook

Plot

Wonder Woman fights with herself a she does battle with Mera.  Will Wonder Woman be able to break free of the black rings hold on her, or will she fall to the hands of a friend?

My Thoughts

After the first issue of Wonder Woman’s Blackest Night tie-in, I was really excited for this installment.  However, as good as I thought the issue was, I was a wee bit disappointed in its unnecessary storyline.

I opened up the first page to discover that this second issue doesn’t connect with the first.  This isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but it was quite a surprise to discover this.  The other tie-ins for Blackest Night have been series; where as Wonder Woman was more self-contained and segregated from each other.  I wasn’t sure why Rucka decided to do this, or why DC allowed this to happen.  Wonder Woman is such a power horse in the DCU and the potential that was this tie-in was wasted by constructing the three issue spread like this.

I did enjoy the triple dialoging that Rucka put into this story.  Observing Diana Struggle with herself was an interesting approach and a great emotional story telling tactic.  There she was, Wonder Woman fighting off Mera, but deep inside Diana was powerless to stop herself.  We’ve been given two major clues in this series to show that the risen lanterns, and the alive heroes who inherited black rings, aren’t actually themselves when becoming a Black Lantern.  The first was when Deadman’s body rose while his soul was still in tact, and now the second clue lies with Wonder Woman.  Something else is controlling the dead bodies of heroes, while their soul/consciousness remains the same.  Rucka is an incredible story teller, and this issue proves it.

Nicola Scott brings us another incredible display of artistic talent which is constantly portrayed in The Secret Six.  She’s completely on par with Aaron Lopresti and maintains a consistently fantastic array of clean lines and fully expressive faces.  Thank you Nicola for delivering such powerful artwork to DC comics.

I wasn’t sure if I understood the dream sequence Diana had.  What was the point of bringing Batman to her dreams in that manner?  I’m sure we all know that Batman has an even bigger part to play in this story, but it really didn’t make sense.  And having Aphrodite give Diana a Star Sapphire ring seemed rather strange as well.  Is Aphrodite a Guardian, or was it a way of making sense to Diana when she’s was struggling to be free of her Black Lantern state?  I don’t know, do you?  Please enlighten me.

Overall

It is wroth buying based on Rucka’s quality writing, with exception to a few little gripes about the story telling structure.  However, nothing new is pushed into the foreground which makes this issue easy to skip.  This issue would have been better served being published BEFORE Blackest Night #6.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

Next Issue Coming February 3^rd, 2010

Following closely to the events of BLACKEST NIGHT, this miniseries event concludes as the Amazonian Princess comes to terms with who she is and what her role is in the world. But will her acceptance make her more appetizing to the Black Lantern hordes – or could that emotion be their undoing?