Comic Book Review: Gotham City Sirens #15

Literary & Artistic Credits

Writer: Tony Bedard

Penciller: Andres Guinaldo

Inker: Lorenzo Ruggiero

Colorist: JD Smith

Letterer: Steve Wands

Cover Art: Guillem March

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

This is the type of storyline I like to see coming out of the Gotham City Sirens; it’s bold, fresh, and separate from all the other titles, meaning you don’t have to rely on plot from other comics in order to understand this one.  It’s such a shame to see such a good idea fall short of its intended customer satisfaction.  That’s not too say this issue isn’t fun to read, there are simply a few unexplained details and uncharacteristic events that go all through out #15.

Ivy has become an unknowing slave-agent to her new flora boyfriend from another world.  Harley and Catwoman make a daring attempt to save their friend, but Ivy’s powerful green thumb (Or in this case purple) is more than the Siren duo can handle.  It takes Harley crawling on her stomach towards Ivy, pleading for her to remember they are friends and that this plant-guy is merely using her to progress his own personal goal.  Ivy comes to her senses and tricks her seducer into kissing her, killing him off almost immediately.

My problem with this issue comes in many small increments.  Overall the issue is fun to read and very creative, but there are a few aspects from Ivy and Catwoman that seem very uncharacteristic.

Catwoman has given Batman a run for his money numerous times and has held her own against some of the most powerful creatures in the universe.  Yet when it comes to plant beings from another world, she becomes as delicate as a little kitten.  Yes, there is a moment where Selina is able to slip in a significant attack which throws Ivy off guard, but overall I felt Catwoman was way off her game.  Now this could be to give Harley and Ivy that meaningful exchange as a way of reminding us that the clown and the plant have been best friends for more than a decade, in which case it makes sense.  But I’d prefer to have a stronger Catwoman that has, from time and time again, shown she is just as resilient and intelligent as Batman.

Likewise, I find it interesting that one of most villainous and diabolical characters in the Batman world is so easily manipulated.  This is Ivy’s forte, the ability to manipulate men into doing what she wants them to do, yet she immediately falls for this homely alien plant-man at the drop of a hat.  I would have at least been happy if Ivy stayed a little more cautious about her new boyfriend’s intentions.  I was ecstatic to see Ivy finally figure it all out after Harley’s groveling and put an end to the manipulative alien.

One question is wandering through my head though, is this alien’s queen actually on her way to Earth or not.  It seemed to me that she was already summoned and her arrival was inevitable.  So are we going to see this come up again later on, or is Bedard hoping we forget about that little fact?

Artistically I was not impressed, but it is very hard to move on to anything else after Guillem March has set the bar so high.  It’s nice to see he’s still doing the covers, but the pages within do not speak to the high level of artistic maturity that the cover establishes.  I say this knowing that Guinaldo is talented and has a better eye for art than most artists in the field, but the problem comes mainly with how stiff the characters seem to be.  I felt coloring Ivy in a shade of purple to help establish this “change” of heart she had gone through was a strange and poor choice to make.  I understand why it was done, but there are better colorization choices that could have been made to show Ivy’s evil side.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

Gotham City Sirens has been a delight to read ever since #1.  #15 does not boast well for the future.  Ever since Dini left, the quality of storylines has gone down and isn’t getting better.  But keep in mind the Sirens are still fun too read, but don’t expect anything spectacular or thought provoking.  Only pick up this issue if you just want something extra to read.

Rating: 5.67 out of 10

Writing: 7

Art: 5

Themes: 5

Comic Book Review: Gotham City Sirens #13

Book Information
Written by Tony Bedard
Penciled by Peter Nguyen & Andres Guinaldo
Colored by Tony Avina
Inked by Jack Purcell & Raul Fernandez
Lettered by Steve Wands
Cover by Guillem March

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion
The strange and horrific two part horror story of Catwoman’s possessed sister is over, but Tony Bedard has left room for second coming. Last month gave us the introduction of Maggie Kyle who somehow came under the control of an angelic demon whose purpose is to exorcise Selina Kyle and remove the cat demon within her. #13 brings us the battle where Maggie goes up against her own sister and we learn how Maggie came to her insane religious state of mind.

For the most part, I enjoyed this issue, just like I enjoy most of Tony Bedard’s work. He seems to do well when hired for guest writing spots as well as writing exceptionally creepy tales. The back story of Maggie and how she became this insane, Nun-on-steroids was put together quite well and helped to explain this rather sudden change in Selina’s sister. However, I’m not entirely sure it makes sense in the end. One can assume that watching your husband be murdered in the most gruesome way could make you go completely insane, which is what I thought had happened and that Maggie was merely talking to herself and not some fallen angel. But the ending leads us to believe that Maggie was, in fact, possessed by some higher power compelling her to kill her sister. I would very much hope that Paul Dini follows up on this so we may discover the identity of this phantom demon. (Phantom demon…hmmm. Seems like an oxymoron.)

I was disappointed to not have Poison Ivy in the mix, but that isn’t the point of the story, Ivy’s just my favorite Siren is all. (Sniff sniff) But it was a lot of fun to see Harley smashing things with her hammer again! I feel like it’s been ages since she’s gone on a gavel swinging rampage.

With minor little distractions aside, what truly bugged me in this issue was the art. Last month was so amazing I had chills running up my spine. But when you have two separate pencilers and two separate inkers, you’re going to run into problems. Guillem March set such a high standard that it’s sometimes difficult to read this title without him heading the pencil work, but when you make both Harley and Catwoman looks as if they’ve come straight out of an anime cartoon, looking as if they are twelve year old girls stuck in women’s bodies, I can’t help but chuckle. Now I won’t deny that Maggie looked even creepier than in last month’s issue, so points awarded Nguyen and Guinaldo, or whoever took charge of the scary side, but the maturity in the artwork was almost non-existent. Towards the end of the book the artwork got better, but overall it is very unsatisfactory.

But the cover, drawn by the great Guillem March, is fantastically horrifying. I love how the symbology (Shout out to Boondocks Saints, woo hoo!!) of the entire scene represents the crazy state that Maggie is in; this conflict of sadness and obligation of killing Selina permeates all throughout Maggie’s face and extends into the desolate mountainous area behind her.

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion
Fun story with minimal confusing parts. Overall a very fun read and interesting story arc. I hope Tony Bedard is able to get his hands on more consistent work soon. But DC, please, find some better artists in the future.

Ratings
Writing: 8.5
Themes: 9
Art: 3
Overall: 6.83 out of 10

Comic Book Review: Gotham City Sirens #12

Book Information

Written by Tony Bedard

Penciled by Peter Nguyen

Colored by Tony Avina

Inked by Jack Purcell

Lettered by Steve Wands

Cover by Guillem March

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

It’s fun to see DC make a good author transition.  Tony Bedard, currently writing for Green Lantern Corps, gives shape to this latest issue of the Gotham City Sirens that is honorable and dignified in Paul Dini’s absence.  This new arc shows Catwoman breaking into a catholic church, searching for files on her missing, formerly nunerized sister Maggie.  We soon discover that Maggie has gone through some maddening spiritual reformation, causing her to believe that cats are demon’s which have taken over her sister’s body. (And I’m sure Tim Burton would second that motion right?)  The only way to save Selina, in Maggie’s mind, is to kill her.

I never picked up Catwoman’s Blackest Night tie-in, so I’m lost on as to what happen with Catwoman’s sister and why she was laying, bruised and beaten on the footsteps of a city house.  But I do know that WHAT I’ve read thus far is interesting and twisted, just the way I like.  It did go a little over the top, especially when Maggie takes the fire poker and bashes it over the exorcists cat, but I guess when it comes to religious fanatics, this is how they would react to demon’s and demon possession right?  But even more interesting, Catwoman now has a new enemy which is 1) her sister, and 2) who has a religious hatred for felines.  If DC decides to utilize Maggie in this capacity for future stories, this could become very interesting in the life of Catwoman.

Nguyen, whose artistic style doesn’t touch Guillem March’s, was able to deliver some pretty powerful images that blend into the story quite well.  The scenes at the exorcist’s house were demonic and terrifying and really made my blood curdle with anticipation.  And boy Maggie’s new “Demon-Nun” outfit was creepy, reminding me of the Phantasm’s outfit.

I was a little disappointed in the minimal usage of Harley, but that’s a minor concern that has very little bearing on the quality of the story.  I just find that Harley’s potential as a character has not been acted out like it should have been by now. 

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion

Bedard was a good choice to fill in as writer until Dini returns next month, as was Nguyen.  However, I’m sure fans are anxiously waiting the return of both Mr. Dini and Mr. March next month.

Ratings

Writing: 7

Themes: 9

Art: 8

Overall: 8 out of 10

Comic Book Review: Green Lantern Corps #48

Book Information

Written by Tony Bedard

Penciled by Ardian Syaf

Colored by Randy Mayor, Gabe Eltaeb, Carrie Strachan

Inked by Vicente Cifuentes

Lettered by Steve Wands

Cover by Rodolfo Migliari

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

With an entirely new creative team behind the Corps, opinions have been running amuck all throughout the internet and other social networking sites if the Tomasi and Gleeson replacements will live up to the standard set by the said writer and artist team.  I fell into this category numerous times as I constantly found myself worried if Bedard and Syaf could actually pull off an equally good continuation of the Corps post Blackest Night.  And without a shadow of a doubt, they do.

This book follows a typical pattern any comic book does when recovering from a major event.  However it works quite well with the Corps since this title, month after month, focuses on three to four plotlines that don’t always correlate with one another.  Bedard uses this unique aspect of the Green Lantern Corps as a way of easily transitioning into Brightest Day, except this time each plot seems to connect to the darker, more mysterious plot. 

While Kyle Rayner and John Stewart, along with the assistance of a few newbie Lanterns, attempt to rebuild the Oan City, (in a more traditional look) The Alpha Lanterns are seemingly taking many Lanterns one by one and turning them into Alpha Lanterns.  With this going on, I find it highly suspicious that Alpha Lantern Boodikka requests John Stewart’s assistance with some unknown event.  Also in the background, right at the beginning in fact, is the strange alliance that Guy Gardner and Ganthet seem to have with Atrocitus.  It was just enough of a teaser to keep us intrigued about the future, but did not linger and dull over the main plot.  Bedard is building his story up a tad slow, but it keeps the momentum going and never lags.

Artistically, I have very little complaints.  I did, however, find it a bit odd in the beginning when Atrocitus’ jaw seemed disconnected from his head due to the vast amounts of blood splattering from his mouth.  Other than that, Syaf delivers the quality work that I’m sure we’ve all come to expect from him. 

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion

Overall, this issue is fun and satisfying.  I’m not sure it’s AS good as the literary precedent Tomasi has set, but Bedard is definitely showing potential.

Ratings

Writing: 10

Themes: 9

Art: 8

Overall: 9 out of 10