Comics I Read: Catching Up #10

Action Comics 883: I liked the new Nightwing and Flamebird costumes, and the fact that some of the remaining Kryptonian sleepers have names familiar to Silver Age Superman fans. Also, this issue has a couple of the best Perry White scenes in years. (You heard me.)

Cable 19-20: I have to bow to Paul O'Brien's turn of phrase: “You’ll never guess, but in this issue, Bishop tries to kill Hope, and Cable tries to protect her, and in the end Bishop doesn’t manage to kill Hope, and they escape.  Just like in every other issue.”

Dark Wolverine 80: Again, from Paul O'Brien because I can’t say it any better: “There’s also a terribly vague ending sequence, which doesn’t work at all, mainly because I honestly can’t figure out what’s happening.  What the hell am I supposed to make of a splash page of a bullet lying in a bloodstained sink that hasn’t even appeared before in the scene?  If the idea is supposed to be that Emmy shot herself then they could hardly have done a worse job of making that clear.  If the idea is supposed to be anything else, then it didn’t even get within a mile of making the point.”

Dingo 1: Adapted from Michael Alan Nelson’s free online novel, which I was hooked on when it was serialized. It’s condensed for comic book space, of course, but it’s still a funny (but not light-hearted) tale of magic set in the present day.

Fall of the Hulks Alpha: I was a little wary of the idea of another Illuminati-style secret Marvel Universe group, but Jeff Parker’s story of the Leader, Doom, the Mad Thinker, Egghead, the Wizard and MODOK is well crafted and spans from the Hulk’s early history to the present day (where they create a character very involved in one of the current Hulk storylines.) Paul Pelletier, who is underrated but who I always like, does a great job at subtly changing his art style depending on the time period each chapter of the story is told in.

Justice League: Cry For Justice 4-5: Improving with every issue, but there are still some blatant mistakes – Firestorm hasn’t been a white guy for years, and Freddy shouldn’t be able to say “Shazam” without changing (though that may turn out to be a plot point) – and awkward moments. (Ollie to Supergirl: “Oh my God. You are so love-struck.” Supergirl: “You think? I can’t take my eyes off him.”) Still, I like Dinah getting a chance to confront Ollie and Hal, and I still love the origin features and Robinson’s essays.

Justice League of America 38-39: These issues are set after the end of “Cry for Justice” so some of the characters’ fates from there are given away here, but not anything big (except that the League does not seem to have reformed yet.) The idea of the Detroit League members coming back for “Blackest Night” is a good one, and there’s a surprise for Zatanna fans as well. The (original) Dr. Light return is teased on the cover to #39, but except for one page doesn’t happen until next issue. As we saw in “Trinity”, Mark Bagley’s art is perfect for this book.

Comments

  1. Justice League: Cry For Justice 4-5: Improving with every issue, but there are still some blatant mistakes [...] Freddy shouldn’t be able to say “Shazam” without changing (though that may turn out to be a plot point)

    Actually, he can. I believe that "Trials of Shazam" detailed that he could speak the name, but without the intent behind it, he wouldn't transform. New rules of magic, etc.

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  2. I remember reading the end of that series and thinking "they've changed his name, but he still can't say it out loud", but you're probably right -- I'll have to dig it up and reread it.

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