Review: Supergirl #35

Supergirl #35 came out last week and was another issue putting Supergirl in the middle of the Event Leviathan and Year of the Villain storylines. It is wonderful to see Supergirl enmeshed in the major crossovers of the DCU. In fact, Supergirl gets to face off against Leviathan himself. And during that encounter, a possible clue is revealed.

Now that the Rogol Zaar/Mistress of the Ax story is over and Kara is back on Earth, writer Marc Andreyko gives us a Supergirl who is more classic in tone. This is a Supergirl who seems ready to fight injustice but also has a strong sense of compassion. It is a bit interesting to see her simply shed all the anger and angst we saw for a year ... but frankly I am glad it is gone. And it is nice to see elements of what came before, specifically her relationship with the Danvers, brought back to the book.

Artist Eduardo Pansica continues to shine as the book's artist. There always seems to be one impressive splash of Supergirl flying in each issue. This issue includes a brawl with Leviathan and Pansica is able to bring some fire to the proceedings with page layout and rapid fire panels.

This was a good issue. On to the particulars!

Review: Event Leviathan #5

 Event Leviathan #5 came out this week and as usual, I absolutely loved it. I thought for sure this issue would end with the big reveal of who Leviathan is. Instead we someone being heavily implied as being Leviathan. But until I see an actual answer, I am holding out hope on my Leviathan Theory.

This issue rolled along as most of this mini-series has, a thorough review of clues and suspicions punctuated by some brief moments of action. This issue had a lot of facts drop and a lot of guesses eliminated with very little fanfare. It makes me wonder if this story could have supported 9 issues or 12 instead of the quick 6 it is being told in. We have lots of suspects crossed of the list here. We get lots of clues here, mostly in dialogue patterns and speeches. But best of all, this is clearly a Superman story as Lois and Clark are the core around which everything revolves.

And since we didn't get a reveal, you are going to get another clue review as well as a dandy of a new back-up theory, supplied by a blog friend who will get full credit when that post happens.

Brian Michael Bendis continues to have snappy dialogue with flourishes like Zatanna saying she is a fan of Lois and Constantine being called Sting. The whole thing crackles.

And Alex Maleev continues to stun with his art, stylish, moody, and brimming with emotion.

On to the issue.

Event Leviathan: This Time I'm _____

Now I have had a Leviathan Theory and I have been talking about it since the middle of May. In short, Leviathan and his cohorts are the Charlton Heroes and Leviathan himself is Ted Kord. And I am sticking to that guess. In fact, I have been so certain, I have claimed the phrase 'This time, I'm right' to discuss the book.

Along the way, I have also looked at other leading candidates for who could be under the mask. And I have posted those back-up theories here, reviewing all the clues I found and how they supported or disproved people.

And I have to say, I have so much fun just throwing myself into the assignment. I hope you guys have enjoyed it too.

But keep reading, because there will be a sad statement at the end of this post.

Leviathan Theory: Lois Lane #4 Clues

Tomorrow Event Leviathan #5 will hit the stands and the mystery will be solved. My assumption is the last page of the issue will be the big reveal.


Now I have had a Leviathan Theory and I have been talking about it since the middle of May. In short, Leviathan and his cohorts are the Charlton Heroes and Leviathan himself is Ted Kord. And I am sticking to that guess.

And since May I have been writing posts about clues wherever I see them. And last week's Lois Lane #4 had a couple of doozies.

Now as I have said for a while, I am stuck on my Charlton guess so I look at clues through that lens first.

First ...
But not only.

And so I am going to tell you what I saw in the issue but with it bolstering a couple of different theories.

The bottom line is this time, I think I'm right.

On to the clues.

Review: Lois Lane #4

Lois Lane #4 came out last week and continued to impress me as a reader. Writer Greg Rucka and artist Mike Perkins continue to give me just the sort of Lois book I am looking for. And that's saying something.

I think the thing that impressed me the most about this issue is that it is a purely character driven issue, showcasing Lois' relationship to Jon, Renee's relationship to Vic, and even Lois' relationship to Renee. None of the plots that we have seen Lois investigating are moved forward much here. Washington's kickback deals to detention centers? Russian journalist being killed? Lois' informant shot in what may have been an attempt on her life? Barely mentioned.

While I love character issues, I usually want some plot line advancement. And yet, this issue that didn't bother me at all. I wonder if that is because I have been so thirsty for a Lois book and Lois moments that this was just the sort of drink to slake.

And I haven't mentioned the elephant in the room ... er ... issue. There is a whopper of a Leviathan clue in here. Remember, this is the review column. Leviathan clues get there own post, most likely tomorrow.

Mike Perkins art is his usual solid stuff. There are a lot of scenes of people eating in diners which doesn't allow him to stretch his muscles too much. But the Leviathan scene is appropriately moody.

On to the book.

Review: Legion of Super-Heroes Millennium #2

Legion of Super-Heroes Millennium #2 came out this week and was another walk down the new DC timeline, establishing a new order of events which culminates with a new age of heroes, the gleaming 'world' of the Legion.

The Legion being prominent in the title and the cover is a bit of a lure as the team is barely seen in the book. But this is definitely their introduction into the DCU proper. And, since they are the future of the DCU, we need to get there. And now we know that Kamandi predates OMAC who predates the Legion. For a DC continuity nut, I actually like having a little order among the chaos.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis tells the story through the eyes of the newly immortal Rose and Thorn. But one thing that is clear is that Bendis has done his homework. The different future times are all ripped from the DCU but sound and look right. And, much like last issue when he honored Supergirl by making her president, he gives Kara a nice moment here as well, albeit in memory.

And the art work on the book is stunning. It is a true murderers' row: Nicola Scott, Jim Cheung, Jeff Dekal, and Ryan Sook. Each 'chapter' is brilliant. And each has an art style which perfectly fits the tone of that period.

I have to say this was built for a long time DC reader, filled with memories and nostalgia. Toss in the introduction of the Legion and I was grinning.

On to the book!

Work Woes

Life comes at you fast sometimes.

I am currently taking part in a teaching conference.

And then early next week I am away at another work conference.

So posts might be delayed/haphazard for the next week.

I'll try to get reviews up on time.

But the show premiere post will probably be delayed.

Bear with me!