May Solicits

The May solicits for DC Comics have been released here and there are some pretty interesting things coming out that month. Some surprises for sure. This is the opening month of the 'second wave', the new titles after the cancellations of Hawk and Dove, etc.

I couldn't help but alos notice that DC has opted to get away from paragraphs describing the issue, instead opting for bullet points. Maybe that is a sign of our '140 character maximum' attention span these days.

SUPERGIRL #9

Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON

Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR

• SUPERGIRL aids the new SILVER BANSHEE against her father, the deadly BLACK BANSHEE!

• Supergirl finds out about her weakness to magic – the hard way!

The idea of the Banshee having a super-powered father is somewhat new. I think it reflects the de-aging of the new Banshee nicely. It also might provide some more grist for the mill as Siobhan and Kara become friends. Both will obviously have father issues. Glad Supergirl looks like she is protecting the Banshee here.

And glad to see Mahmud Asrar back on art duty.

ACTION COMICS #9

Written by GRANT MORRISON

Backup story written by SHOLLY FISCH

Art and cover by GENE HA

Backup story art by CULLY HAMNER

Variant cover by RAGS MORALES

• Featuring characters from parallel Earths, including PRESIDENT SUPERMAN!

• Introducing new villain SUPERDOOM!

• Guest artist GENE HA joins GRANT MORRISON for this tale of not one, not two, but THREE Earths!

• And in the backup story, President Superman must stop a nuclear attack – but he can’t leave the White House!

I am of two minds about this issue. We have seen this version of Superman in the Final Crisis:Superman Beyond mini-series, a mini-series I loved. Second, I have been waiting patiently for the Multiversity mini-series by Morrison and this looks like a hint of that. So that is the upside here.

But .... but ... we still don't know the DCnU Superman very well. And frankly, I want to learn more about that character before I learn anything about alternate universe versions of him. So I just don't know if I am ready for this story now. Let's lay the foundation for the new Superman first.

SUPERMAN #9

Written by KEITH GIFFEN and DAN JURGENS

Art by DAN JURGENS and JESUS MERINO

Cover by IVAN REIS and OCLAIR ALBERT

• SUPERMAN faces new supervillainess MASOCHIST!

• How can Superman fight an opponent he can’t touch?

• LOIS LANE faces a turning point in her career as a journalist.

The Masochist?

I am more interested in seeing what decision Lois has to make. Whatever it is, I hope it isn't a step backwards. I hope the decision isn't for her to give up her position running the newsroom to go back to being a reporter.

SUPERBOY #9

Written by SCOTT LOBDELL

Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN

Cover by IAN CHURCHILL

• “THE CULLING” continues here from this month’s TEEN TITANS ANNUAL #1 and leading into LEGION LOST #9!

• SUPERBOY vs. ROSE WILSON – round two!

• The shocking debut of the all-new WARBLADE!

This is in the midst of this Titans/SB/Legion Lost crossover leading into the Ravagers series. But nothing about this issue's description intrigues me. Another round with Rose?

Hopefully, it moves Superboy's story forward. I'll be bummed when Caitlin and Rose move on from this title into their own. They were part of the charm of this book.

WORLDS’ FINEST #1

Written by PAUL LEVITZ

Art by GEORGE PEREZ, SCOTT KOBLISH and KEVIN MAGUIRE

Cover by GEORGE PEREZ

1:25 Variant cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE

• New ongoing series featuring POWER GIRL and HUNTRESS of Earth 2!

• PAUL LEVITZ teams with amazing artists GEORGE PEREZ and KEVIN MAGUIRE.

• Discover why these two heroes are stranded on our Earth – and what it means for the heroes of the DC Universe.

The latest book to be reviewed on this site, World's Finest boasts a solid creative team with two of my favorite artists. It also stars two characters that I have followed forever. So, it should be a good book.

I am interested to see how the concept of multiple Earths plays out in the DCnU. Shouldn't the reboot have made it easier for new readers to get on board? And isn't this 'trapped on our Earth' similar to the 'trapped in our time' story in Legion Lost?  And does this even have the possibility of equaling Palmiotti/Conner's Power Girl or Gail Simone's take on Helena (albeit Bertinelli)??

I am hopeful.

SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 #1

Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER

Art by PERE PEREZ

Cover by GARY FRANK

• The SMALLVILLE story continues in this new ongoing series!

• Based on the hit CW show!

• Find out what happened after CLARK KENT puts on the costume.

Now this was something of a surprise and I guess I will have to give it a try.

While I was never a huge fan of the glum, sulking, hiding Kal-El on Smallville, I am a huge fan of Bryan Q. Miller and Pere Perez, the last team on the Steph Brown Batgirl. And Smallville, for the most part, treated Supergirl pretty well ... until they inevitably had to have her fail so Clark could save the day. I hope Kara and the Legion make a trip back in time at some point in the book.

This would be an iffy purchase if not for Miller and Perez being on the book. Those guys rocked on Batgirl.

So should be a fun month!

Review: Supergirl #6

Supergirl #6 came out this week and was a big turning point in the life of this new incarnation of Supergirl. I suppose each issue so far has had its life changing moments for this Kara, but this issue had that point, the point where she decides to defend Earth and become a hero and for me that makes it the most crucial issue in the arc so far. She was a fork in the road, so to speak, and she chose a direction.

As we have read in lots of interviews with writers Michael Green and Mike Johnson, the whole Supergirl origin isn't going to be a simple history told in a couple of pages. It is going to be a mystery a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. We are going to learn some things, but that new knowledge is only going to lead to new mysteries. So despite learning more about Supergirl's past and her family here, there are clues that make me puzzle all the more. And that's a good thing I suppose.

And the art remains at its usual fantastic level. I have said here before, 'big moments need big art' and Asrar does it in a couple of key places. That said, there were a few too many splash and double splash pages here for moments which might not merit such a spread. Still, Asrar continues to knock it out of the park.

The book starts with Kara remembering her time on Argo, preparing for her final trials. Here she is sparring with some combat bot, trying to knock it down but failing. And not only failing, but being chided for her poor technique. At first I thought this trial (and Kara's earlier conversation about Zor-El and battlebots) made me think that this was something of a military culture preparing warriors. But the robot says that many think the physical trials are a vestige of a time past. So it is interesting. Maybe it's like the Presidential Physical Fitness Award we all needed to pass in elementary school?

I was delighted when Zor-El stops the fight sequence so Kara can study like the scientist she is. Kara Zor-El has always been a scientist, even being part of that guild in Gates' run, so I am glad that Green and Johnson are continuing that part of her persona. But the bigger mystery is that Zor is stopping it, despite the robot saying Alura wants Kara to continue to train. In the glimpses of Zor and from Kara's thoughts, I suspected he was the one pushing the combat stuff on her. Maybe it's Alura?

That said, it might be his science which created the World Killers?

While Kara is pinned to the wall in Argo, Reign arrives on Earth, at the feet of the Statue of Liberty. We even briefly meet a young girl from Ireland who has to be the new Silver Banshee.

So this is one of those moments that I don't think is 'big' enough to warrant a splash. we have met Reign before. So this didn't add much.

Great picture. Yes.
Nice composition, people worried and little behind her, yes.

But not big enough.

Under the blue sun, Kara has become sufficiently weakened to the point she can't pull Reign's sword out on her own.

However, she sees a vision of Zor-El and Lara who talk of their love for their daughter and how she needs to fight. I think it is interesting that in the top panel, Kara only has one hand on the hilt, Zor the other. But in the bottom, it is Supergirl with both hands on the handle.

Is this a fevered hallucination?
Is this her parents communicating with her from the Survival Zone?
Some weird new power?

I'd prefer the middle choice, even if I have to wait years for it to play out.

And here is another great clue that this is more than some hallucination.

Powerless on Argo which is falling into the blue sun, Kara is given a boost of apparent yellow sun energy by Alura, enough power to make her way off the planet. Hallucinations don't do that. That said, neither do wraiths from the Survival zone. As I said, more mysteries here. I just hope that 'speaking to the dead' isn't one of Supergirl's new powers.

I will say it was great to see Alura again, one of the better (if maddening) characters from the last series.

In a great 2 page spread (of which I am only showing a tiny bit), Supergirl flies into space and watches Argo disintegrate in the blue sun. It is here we get that first step towards heroism as she realizes that this isn't some dream or test. She has no home now. The only place left to go is Earth.

See this is a big moment that deserves big art. This is the end of that life for Supergirl. And Asrar does a great job showing us that despair. Fantastic.

After several pages of seeing Reign beat up on the army (including another splash page of Reign), Supergirl shows up to try to level the playing field.

I said this issue was filled with big moments and I think this is the biggest, even bigger than the destruction of Argo. Supergirl has returned to Earth intent on defending it and its people from Reign. You know what that is called ... being a hero.

Big moments warrant big art. Perfect. I didn't mind this splash.

 I think this Supergirl is a southpaw too. She always seems to be leading with her left.

And then Supergirl vocalizes her intentions. She isn't here to rule Earth. She is here to remove Reign from it.

Nice defiant pose here from Kara. And, as usual, Asrar does a good job of having the action bleed over the constraints of the panels for emphasis.

Wanting some alone time with Supergirl, Reign drops a force field over New York City similar to the one that protected Argo. The history of Krypton and the World Killers and Zor-El and everything is so foggy right now that I don't know who to like or not like. I guess, like with the Byrne reboot, more and more about the culture will be revealed until I have a grasp of it. I still feel like not everything is above board with Zor-El.

Despite having sensed all the super-heroes on the planet (including Superman), Reign states that Supergirl is the only one powerful enough to stop the world killer. It re-opens a can of worms that Jeph Loeb introduced in his earliest issues of the last Supergirl book. Remember when Loeb implied that Supergirl was stronger and faster than Superman? For me, I think Superman needs to be the yardstick of the DC universe ... most heroic, most noble, most powerful. So I hope this turns out to be that Supergirl has something which uniquely suits her fighting these beings.

The issue ends with the reveal that there are four World Killers in all. And they all want a piece of Supergirl.

This is another 2 page spread and I think a one page splash would have sufficed. Great art? Yes. But while a lot happened in this issue (and I loved what happened) I think all these splashes took up space that could have meant 3-4 more pages of story. And I am greedy right now. I want more of this story.

Can this arc be wrapped up in the 22 pages we have next month? I think the answer is yes. Sure, we don't know all the details behind everything ... but I think that is by intention, not poor story-telling. The pieces have been set up for a climactic battle and decent denouement, hopefully with some reveals.

Things I expect to see next month: an assist from the Silver Banshee.
Things I hope to see next month, Kal and Kara meeting and talking again after Supergirl saves the day.

I think the creative team here is firing on all cylinders. Overall, I can't help but be happy with this book so far.

Overall grade: B+/B

Poll Results: World's Finest

Well, the votes are in and it looks like the next book that I will be reviewing on the site will be the new World's Finest, written by Paul Levitz with art by George Perez and Kevin Maguire. I'd like to thank everybody who took the time to vote! As always, it is the community of Supergirl fans that keep me energized to run this blog!

As for the poll, it was something of a landslide.

World's Finest took 44% of the vote, well ahead of second place Justice League's 20%.

As a Power Girl fan and a Huntress fan, I will be happy to post my thoughts here. And I love George Perez's  art and Kevin Maguire's art. I am glad that they are alternating arcs as it gives both of them some leeway to get the issues done. I am a long time Paul Levitz fan but I have felt his stuff is a bit hit-or-miss these days. I have enjoyed his Huntress mini-series a lot, which bodes well for this book. But his work on Legion and Legion:Secret Origin hasn't been as good.

But that isn't what worries me the most. As I said before, I tried to keep this site Power Girl free. I truly think of her and Supergirl as two different characters.

So there is one thing about this opening preview picture worries me ...

It looks like Power Girl actually was Supergirl on Earth-2! And for some reason that doesn't sit right with me.

One of the things I liked about PG from the beginning is that she was her own person, she purposefully didn't wear the S-shield, she didn't have the weight of that shield on her. And she was able to be a different sort of character than I identify Supergirl as. Yes, she was Kara Zor-L, from Krypton, Superman's cousin. But she wasn't Supergirl.

So I think I am going to have to see how that all plays out. Will her origin be similar to the current Supergirl's, an origin we don't know yet? Why didn't she just come out as Supergirl, given that Supergirl just just arrived on our Earth?

I don't know much about Supreme (someone I have read this costume is a riff on). I will miss the old costume as it fit Power Girl's personality perfectly. But this past as Supergirl is just a tad off-putting (even if what I see of the costume looks great).

As always, I will go in with an open mind.

And thanks again for everybody who voted!

New Green And Johnson Interview

Over on Comic Book Resources, there is a new interview with Supergirl writers Michael Green or Mike Johnson. As always, the interview is well worth reading in its entirety. The link to the interview is here. As usual,here are some questions and answers that stuck out to me and I'll add some comments.

CBR News: You guys are finishing your first arc, you've just introduced Reign, and you're teasing the World Killers. Up to this point, Supergirl has been pretty reactive to the environment and the confusion she's been thrown into; do you see these next issues as a turning point for her becoming more proactive?

Mike Johnson: Yeah, I think you're exactly right in the sense that she's been reacting. As Michael said, we're playing it emotionally very truthfully. You would have these reactions first, and I think that really hit it's high point in issue #5 where Mahmud [Asrar] drew this amazing page and we just took the words off it because it you don't need words, where she lets out all her grief. I think once you look back on the series in its first year you'll see that scene and maybe even that image as a real turning point where she just lets it all out.

Michael Green: That was just our real turning point moment of recognition of who she is and it's time to grow up. We really liked this idea of her as a spitfire who makes a lot of mistakes in her initial reactions and is in a frightening environment and graced with a lot of new powers. A lot of time[s] her first reaction is physical! That won't always be the case; she's going to meet some people she doesn't punch on first sight!

Johnson: And there won't be as much crying! I think it's natural there would be a lot of crying given what she's been through -- I would still be crying, even now. 

I think one of the concerns that I and others have had has been just how quickly Supergirl has resorted to her fists to deal with confrontation. Yes, I have understood that she has been thrown into complete chaos, that she is completely lost. And so maybe that physical response might be understood. Still,  I think the worry was that this would be the default mode. So it is great to hear Green and Johnson answer straight on. She won't always punch first. And she won't always cry! That means we are going to get a more level-headed and thinking Supergirl.

And I concur that the silent scream splash page is an extremely effective piece of art by Mahmud Asrar.

CBR: You mentioned in "Supergirl" #8 fans are going to see a new Silver Banshee. How did you approach reinventing Silver Banshee for the New 52 and the new "Supergirl?"

Johnson: We knew that we wanted to give Kara a real supporting cast on Earth and now was the right time to do that, after she's sort of been through the gauntlet of discovering what's happened to her and dealing with it. We also knew we wanted to flesh out her rogues gallery in an interesting way, not just with new villains like Reign but taking a different look, kind of in the spirit of the New 52, and introducing Silver Banshee -- or Siobhan as we actually call her more often, because we meet her first in her human form -- that kind of killed two birds with one stone. It was a chance to reinvent a villain in a cool way while also fleshing out Kara's life and supporting cast on Earth.

Green: We spent a lot of time talking about, now that Kara's going to be learning about our world, whose lens do we want her to see the world through? What kind of people, both friends and enemies, are going to teach her about this place she landed on, what are these human beings like? Do I like them or not? Is this a place where I'm making the best of it, or can I actually find joy?

I love the fact that both writers are talking about creating both a rogue's gallery and a supporting cast for the book. One thing that early issues of the last Supergirl run suffered from was a lack of both. This understanding that a supporting cast and a rogue's gallery was one of the first things that Sterling Gates talked about in his early interviews when he took over the book. It is basic comic storytelling. You need compelling villains and you need good supporting characters.

In this instance, the supporting cast will be extremely important because that is how Kara will learn about our world. Having Siobhan be a member of both is reminiscent of Lena in Cosmic Adventures.

CBR: It's interesting you say Banshee is similar to Kara, as Reign also seems to have parts in common with Supergirl, almost the person Kara could become if she was angrier and less compassionate. Will all the World Killers reflect different aspects of Kara?

Green: In a way we wanted her to meet a version of herself that was so corrupted that she could look at that and say, "Do I want to go that far?" She has every reason to be very, very angry and to take it out on the world if not the known universe. We want her to confront that, so she ended up making a choice to be the better version of herself, which is a much more difficult thing to do.

Johnson: And the best rogues galleries come out of your main character; they come out of the hero, they're a reflection in some way. The other thing Reign and the World Killers mean to us is they're elements of a much larger mystery that we're playing out over the course of our first year, into the second. Which is, exactly what the circumstances were to Kara arriving on Earth. As we saw in issue #5, it was her father's plan to put her in a pod. It was not necessarily her father's plan to send that pod away from Argo City, not to mention the fact that we saw her father was shot -- I don't know if I should say dead or killed. We just know that he was shot.

I called Reign a dark reflection of Supergirl. So I'm glad I hit the nail on the head. And it is clear that Green and Johnson are steering her away from that path. Again, not to beat a dead horse, but I don't think Loeb or Kelly did that. They had her veer more towards that unbridled anger. And that's not Supergirl. So once again, I liked this response.

As for the Krypton mystery, I think I have guessed wrong enough to just let it play out.

CBR: Is this mystery of how Kara got here and her father tied in at all to the "Superman"/"Superboy"/"Supergirl" crossover this summer?

Green: She's going to come out of that with a better sense of her current family.

Johnson: Her relationships will be changed by this crossover, though the crossover itself is not connected to the mystery we're talking about in "Supergirl."

Green: As far as the over arcing mystery in the "Supergirl" book, we have a lot going on. We see it as an ambitious four-year plan, hoping we get to stay on the book for the whole four years to tell it. We're not going to draw it out; we have enough meat to keep it interesting that long.

Okay, so I hope there is some sense of a Superman family after that arc.

But that isn't what grabbed me.

A four year plan!

Wow!

That sort of commitment to the character is refreshing. I think Gates would have loved to stay on the book for four years. The Earth Angel arc by PAD took 50 issues to tell. And that was a big story that kept rolling and becoming bigger and bigger.

I am glad that Green and Johnson are thinking that far ahead.

CBR: Anything you can hint at for what's coming up with Kara with the World Killers and beyond?

Johnson: It's been encouraging to see people embrace a new conception of the character and even old time fans of Supergirl who feel we are staying true to the core of who she is.

Green: It's very easy and fun to be cynical online but people have a lot of warmth and nostalgia for Supergirl. "You're playing with our girl," is the attitude a lot of them take and I feel like we got their trust and we're hoping to honor it.

Johnson: And we take it seriously, very much so.

Hey, that's also great news! It means they care about the character and her fans. I think there is some understanding of what is the core of this character.

I have said it in my monthly reviews. This book has been a very different read than the book pumped up by the early press releases. This hasn't been a disaffected, 'Hell on wheels', 'don't piss her off' Supergirl.  And, so far, I have been very happy with the book.

So more good news from the creators! Again, read the whole interview for even more goodies and hints about the future.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

On this day for romance, I thought I would share this page of 'Supergirl's Boyfriends' from Superman Family #177. Now certainly there have been a lot more men vying for Supergirl's heart throughout her history. Even in this issue, an alien named Ranar feels that Supergirl has been destined to be his mate.

Still, these guys have seemed to stand the test of time.

Brainiac 5 will always have a connection to Supergirl, most recently rekindled by Sterling Gates during the War of the Supermen and Supergirl Annual #2. I think there is a strong contingent of fans who would love to see these two together.

Dick Malverne was around through the Silver Age and into the Bronze. His story was wrapped up in the Tim Sale Solo issue. Peter David then brought back a new Dick Malverne in his run on Supergirl. His story ended tragically as well.

The romance of Biron/Comet in the Silver Age was a bit offbeat to say the least. Still, he did try his best to court her when in his human form. Comet was also brought back in Peter David's Supergirl, this time as a woman, Ande Jones.

I hope everyone out there can find such long lasting love on Valentine's Day!

These early issues of Superman Family (which took over the numbering of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen) were mostly reprinted material. But there was new stories done in a rotating manner. You could tell who had the new material by however was on top of the column of characters on the left (and whoever had the 'big' picture on the cover).

In the Supergirl issues, they always included some page like the boyfriend one, sort of reviewing Supergirl's history. Other pages include reviews of Lena Thorul's history and a list of Kara's rogues.

Review: Legion Lost #6

One of the many new 52 titles getting a creative team change is Legion Lost, with writer Fabien Nicieza moving on and Tom DeFalco coming on board.  It is a change I am a bit leery of. You see, this was a book I almost abandoned after the first issue. I didn't like the 'trapped in time' story and I didn't like the 'stop the virus' plot either. But Nicieza really did a great job with the characters here, giving each Legionnaire a turn at being narrator, allowing us to see their inner thoughts, and learn about them more. And that characterization really worked for me, surpassing the virus plot and making this the Legion book I was anticipating most each month. Of course, Pete Woods awesome art didn't hurt.

Legion Lost #6 came out last week and was a transition issue with both Nicieza and DeFalco splitting writing duties. And Supergirl pinch hitter extraordinaire Matt Camp helped out with Woods on art. As the original team is still here, it is hard to know if any major change in the books feel is going to happen. This issue was narrated by Tyroc and continued the strong character feel of the book. And the issue ends with what might considered a finale for the opening arc ... maybe.

We know this book isn't selling like gangbusters, so the question is does DC decide to shake up what is solid storytelling to try to attract readers. Or will they let word of mouth bring people here. (Of course, the upcoming crossover with Titans and Superboy might bring people here too).

Last issue ended with a cliffhanger, with the Martian Manhunter stopping Timber Wolf and Chameleon Girl from rejoining the rest of the team. In something of a twist, he doesn't take them back to Stormwatch HQ and insteads lets them get captured by the military squad following. And the J'Onn tags along, all stealthy (although allowing TW to still see him).

Of course, Timber Wolf knows the Manhunter, something which confuses J'Onn.

I don't know if I understand why J'Onn allowed Wolf to get captured by this group unless he was also scouting them out too.

Dawnstar is able to track them to the compound they are being held in Tyroc decides assault is the best option. And Gates is the perfect advance trooper, blipping in and out stealing the soldiers' weapons. It is hear I learn that Gates hates all authority and would relish this task.

I did not Legion during the time Gates was around. So I don't know if this is new for him or always there. Nice use of multiple panels spanning one continuous image, giving the reader the feeling that Gates is moving around in time and space.

And Tyroc shares his own feelings of inadequacy as team leader here. He talks about feeling nervous telling them what to do. But really, who else could be the leader of this team. Wolf and Wildfire are too hot-headed. Gates hates authority. Dawnstar is an introvert. Tellus is ... meek. It has to be Tyroc or Yera.

So he has to pull it together and take control.

Man, that Matt Camp can draw. What a great panel of two of my favorite Legionnaires.

Meanwhile, Timber Wolf begins being interrogated by the woman leader of this military operation. We have seen her since issue one. I am telling you, that scar on her face has to be courtesy of some alien or maybe Alastor himself.

I do like the code words they have given the Legionnaires. Lenny Kravitz for Tyroc ... perfect. Big yellow frog for Tellus? Even more perfect.

But Wolf has little to say other than he can smell alien corpses in this place. This is as much a lab and morgue as it is a prison.

Once inside, Dawnstar and Gates are able to pinpoint just where their friends are. Wildfire wants to split up. Tyroc doesn't want to. But Ty concedes. He isn't quite ready to overrule Wildfire, especially when it comes to a battle.

But Tyroc knows there is risk too.

He and Wildfire go to rescue Yera and run into J'onn. J'onn isn't sure what is going on.

Of course Wildfire reacts like Wildfire. He blasts the Martian and engages in battle. But like Wolf, Tyroc immediately recognizes J'onn and commands Wildfire to stand down. And when Drake won't listen, Tyroc puts some teeth behind his order. It was definitely nice to see Tyroc finally act like a leader.

When cooler heads prevail, J'onn and the Legionnaires talk about their plight. J'onn finds a Durlan corpse which will supply Yera the needed biomass to purge her body of the Hypertaxis virus. And J'onn is able to get the temporal signature of the Legion, something he was looking for since intercepting Brin.

Timber Wolf and the others mop the floor with the soldiers and it looks like everyone is going to get out of this thing in one piece. But then J'onn drops a bomb on them. Time travel is one way.

I think the Legion all along have known this in their hearts. But having it said by someone else makes it sink in. This use of repeated panels to convey the passing of time is a well traveled technique in the decompressed writing style. For me, it is a Bendis technique. Sometimes he would have the same panel cover the whole page to really give the feeling of time passing.

I don't mind it as a story-telling method if used sparingly. The more it is used, the less story we get. Here it works nice, showing the shock on the Legion, paralyzed by the news.

As for Tellus, who was left guarding Alastor, he fails in his one job. He 'falls asleep' and when he awakens Alastor is gone and completely cloaked. You would think that J'onn would help stop Alastor when he learned of this threat. Who knows, maybe he did, taking Alastor away.

So does this mark the end of the Hypertaxis arc? Sort of. But my guess is ... and I hope ... that the Legion still tries to contain the plague. Or will the Legion's hope of getting home become the dominating thread?

Regardless, next issue is set in New York, as far away from the plague epicenter as you can get.

So overall, I thought this was a good issue, showcasing Tyroc's fears as well as bringing the team finally back together. And, the Woods/Camp art was top notch.

But the J'onn guest star seemed a bit superfluous and maybe a little forced. And I hope the Alastor/plague story isn't swept under the rug. I don't like it ... but I want resolution.

Overall grade: B

Superman Family Adventures

We got our first look at the upcoming Superman Family Adventures book yesterday on the DC Source blog. Here is the link to the announcement:
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2012/02/10/exclusive-first-look-at-the-cover-for-superman-family-adventures-1/

Included in that post are quotes from the Tiny Titans creative team putting the book together, Art Baltazar and Franco. Here were some phrases that caught me.

First from Baltazar: ACTION! ADVENTURE! HUMOR! BIG GORILLAS! GIANT ROBOTS! LOIS! JIMMY! PERRY! and…SUPER PETS!!!! Whaaaa? Yep, that’s a true story right there! SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES is gonna rock! Aw yeah Krypton!

And then from Franco: The book is going to be filled with amazing adventures, stories and humor featuring the entire cast of the Superman family – Lois, Jimmy, Supergirl, Superboy and even a few surprises you haven’t seen in a while like Fuzzy The Krypto Mouse.

I was a big fan of Tiny Titans so I can't wait to see what they have in store for the Superman family. And these two certainly sound excited about this book. It sounds like a more typical comic book with the heroes fighting villains rather than going to kindergarten with them.

And I have to say I like the look of what I see with the Super family sporting sleeker versions of the DCnU costumes. Look at how good Supergirl looks sporting the new high collar cape but with a red skirt rather than the red crotch guard. And a headband! Superman looks good with solid blue tights without the armor accents.

Looks like me and the supergirls at home are going to have a new title to share together. And that is always a good thing. Can't wait!