Boston Comic Con Recap #2: Chris Burnham Commission

Boston Comic Con is slowly receding in the rear view mirror but I will be beating the drum for three more weeks, sharing commissions and stories from the con. Expect 'commission Monday' through the first weeks of September.

As I mentioned in the last post about the con, I felt pretty lucky to get commissions from the creators I was aiming for.

Here is the commission from Chris Burnham, a really beautiful full color action shot.

I loved Burnham's style on Batman Inc. as it reminds me of Frank Quitely while maintaining its own original feel. Everything about this commission works, from the confident expression on the face to the effortless feel to her hoisting this meteor, to the shadings of the colors to add depth, the that one wisp of hair blowing in front of the left arm while the rest flies behind. I even like the crumbs of the meteor falling away, adding some gravity and direction to the piece. Just lovely.

As a bonus, I scanned my Marcio Takara commission to Takara who then colored it and posted it on Twitter. Just beauutiful! Takara is going to NYCC and has opened up his commission list. Anyone going there should head to his table!

As for the con, I mentioned that it has grown over the years that I have been going. And nothing shows that more than coverage from Bleeding Cool. The place was mobbed and lines were long so I am not surprised ... but sort of disappointed ... to hear the rumor that it might have to move to the Boston Convention Center next year. I really loved the Seaport location. Of course bigger and busier usually means better future cons. Would love to see the con grow big enough to get more creators ... more writers ... and maybe a Marvel or DC booth next year.

Boston Comic Con Review #1: Overview And Marcio Takara Commission

Welcome to the first of several recaps of the 2014 Boston Comic Con.

I continue to be amazed at how massive this convention has become. I have been going to them since the first.  What once was held in the basement of a tiny old insurance office building, then went to a hotel, then to the Hynes Convention center, to now the Boston Seaport ... it has grown and grown and grown.

As I have said before, this is the best local place for this con. It is right off the highway. There is plentiful and cheap parking. There are tons of restaurants. It is right on the water. It just works for the city.

This was the first three day con and I was lucky enough to be able to head to all three days for some portion. I was very happy to be there as the doors opened on Friday as traffic for those first couple of hours was relatively light and it allowed me to get most of my signatures out of the way and set up my commissions.

It was great to meet Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner. They are such great people and gave each fan a couple of minutes to meet and chat. Alas, Conner wasn't sketching so the Grail eluded me again. I recently read how someone flipped a free sketch by her into hundreds on EBay. As always, I can't comment on that person's situation. But it irks me that as a result, I can never get a piece I would cherish as part of a collection.

Then it was on to meeting all the other folks I wanted to meet. It was cool to shake hands with Mark Waid, talk to Atomic Robo creators Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener, and rub elbows with others.

I considered myself even luckier that I went on Friday when I entered on Saturday. It was the busiest and most congested I have seen any con. It was both great to see the show that packed but also daunting and a bit claustrophobic.

And there were unreal cosplayers there. It is clear that Harley Quinn is ruling the day as there were many cosplayers in every possible variant of her costume. But my favorite was someone playing 'No Face' from Spirited Away, trying to hand out gold-foiled Rolos. Just perfect!

Saturday was also a pretty special day because it was the first convention I brought one of the supergirls to. My youngest really wanted to go to the con and held up pretty well, sticking it out for about 7 hours (albeit with a snack break and a lunch break). It was great to walk to floor with her, show her the commissions I bought, and introduce her to some creators.

We also went to the My Little Pony panel where Sara Richards, Katie Cook, and Andy Price answered questions from the moderator and crowd. My supergirl knows all those folks' names because she reads the comics so she was pumped to be there and even asked a question. I was pretty proud!

She liked it enough to ask when the next con I am going to is being held. Maybe I am doing something right.

As for commissions, I knew who my big targets were and I was lucky enough to get all the folks I was aiming for (outside of Conner) - Marcio Takara, Chris Burnham, Cat Staggs, and Daniel Govar.   So this year I net 4 sketches. But they are all of high quality.

So first to review is Marcio Takara's Supergirl. I have gushed about Takara's clean style and beautiful Supergirl's in the past. This commission is no exception. This is a powerful Kara in the classic Matrix-style costume I love so much. In particular, I love the face and hair in this commission. Just spectacular.

I just love Takara's work and was thrilled to hear he is heading to Captain Marvel. So he'll be drawing the other Danvers!

Outside of commissions and gifts, I didn't buy to much for myself. Mostly it is bronze age stuff from the $1 box (see above for some examples). Each of these have been a blast to read.

So another successful Boston Comic Con. Can't wait for next year. I am hoping we will get some more writers and maybe an actual Marvel or DC booth.

More commissions to come!

Boston Comic Con Quick Update

So I was at the Boston Comic Con yesterday and will be there today and tomorrow as well. So no major post today.

I will say that yesterday was a great day at the con, fun and productive.

First off, I love the convention site ... The Seaport in Boston. Right off the highway, cheap and plentiful parking, and multiple restaurants and pubs within walking distance, all right on the water.

I was able to meet the majority of creators I wanted to yesterday, having nice conversations with Amanda Conner, Marcio Takara, and Mark Waid in particular.

I was able to get the top three commissions I was hoping to get. So the sketch books landed in the hands of Chris Burnham, Cat Staggs, and Marcio Takara. Burnham finished early ... a remarkable piece ... so I was able to then hand the seltchbook over to Daniel Govar.

There is a chance I might be able to get a couple of more sketches today and tomorrow.

Unfortunately Amanda Conner was not sketching so the Grail escaped me once more.

Today I hope to actually shop a little bit for ... gasp ... comics. I spied plenty of $1 boxes to thumb through. I was able to score a great bargain. The hardcover Lois Lane 75 year celebration trade for a mere $5.

Review: Smallville: Lantern #4

Smallville has been knocking out of the park for so long now that I simply expect near perfection in this book.

Smallville:Lantern #4 came out last week and while still a very good book, it landed just below the bar that Bryan Q. Miller and his bevy off very talented artists have been bringing to me month after month. It can't be easy to live up to some insane level of awesomeness. I am sure that if I read the quality this issue brought in another title I'd be thrilled.

And it isn't as if this book doesn't have it's very good moments. It does ... a couple of really fantastic. But some of the resolutions of the big plots seem too fast and too easy. The good still outweighs the bad.

The art is done by Ig Guera and Marcio Takara. Their styles mesh nicely and big moments have big art. Despite the big action that is in the issue, my favorite art wise are the quiet epilogue pages which wrap things up.

I know this sounds like I was disappointed with this issue and I wasn't.

Last issue ended with Parallax sending hundreds of yellow rings to Earth to create a new Yellow Lantern Corps. We saw the rings find their way to Arkham Asylum and recruit the villains housed there.

I thought this moment was amusing. Steve Trevor notes that a bunch of rings went to Washington D.C. where they took over the Senate and the House.

What I like is that Miller doesn't choose political sides. He says both sides of the political aisle are fear mongers. Loved it.

The Watchtower tech folks discover that the Yellow Rings control their users and not the other way around. They also discover the frequency they operate on, meaning they will be able to jam the signal and cut off power.

Well, maybe not cut off power. But they say they can force the rings to power down and reboot.

I never thought about the ring like a little PC or device. I don't think them magical either. I know they are some type of machine. But rebooting a ring?

Okay, if I can accept the ring is powered by fear, I guess I can buy that they can be forced to shut down and restart.

Meanwhile, Superman is fighting the Parallax-possessed John Stewart and is holding his own.

Miller has shown that he has a great handle on Superman and here is more proof. Parallax keeps yelling at Superman to give in to fear and fall. Superman turns that notion on its head. He says he uses fear to keep him going. That fear can't be defeated but it can be utilized. And then he says that he wouldn't be who he was if he didn't conquer his fear, if he didn't turn away from his 'fate' even though it was frightening.

One thing I thought held down the Smallville show was all this Jor-El talk of Clark's legacy, his role in the universe and how he is supposed to feel. So acknowledging it was a nice touch.

I like this Smallville Clark/Superman way more than the sulking, occasionally glum version on the show.

Now here is one of those things that bothered me slightly this issue.

We have seen Prometheus in prior issues being extremely powerful and savage. He has walked away from fights unscathed and seemed unstoppable.

Here, while trying to rob Fort Knox (!!), he is out-boxed by an armored Green Arrow. Yes, Ollie is in a weaponized suit. And yes, when he punches Prometheus, he is holding a gold ingot giving him some extra oomph. But after 3 issues of coming to think Prometheus is scary, we see him taken out by a straightforward three punch combo.

I don't know, I was expecting something more.

After Batman defeats a yellow lantern, the ring abandons its first host and comes to him.

Realizing that the Watchtower needs time to figure out a jamming signal and therefore needs to study a ring, Batman shows just how powerful his will is (as well as his ability to harvest great fear).

So he controls the ring! He has it go into a sort of sleep mode, or deep scan mode, rather than force him to put it on or seek out a new host if he rejected it. I thought this was great, really showcasing the power and control of Batman's psyche. Pretty slick.

And so a jamming signal is discovered and all the yellow lanterns are suddenly powerless while their rings power down and reboot.

So I said the ultimate resolution of the Prometheus subplot left me a bit wanting.

Unfortunately the Parallax plot resolution also sort of let me down. While the heroes on Earth skirmish with the Yellow Lanterns, the remaining Green Lantern Corps finally tracks down what Parallax is afraid of. Turns out Parallax is afraid of 'going home'. The Lanterns open up a rift to the emotional spectrum avatars. And Ion comes out, scoops up Parallax and (with a little shove from Superman) takes him back through the breach.

It makes sense. But again it seemed just a bit too easy and a bit too out of left field. Maybe a bit too fast. We didn't hear anything about this solution until it appears here. Again, maybe I was expecting too much?

One thing I did like was that the jamming signal works on the Green rings as well. We get to see the remaining corps in their civilian clothes.

And poor Aya. Without the ring power, she collapses into her components.

Still, thank you thank you thank you Bryan Miller for bringing Aya into a comic!

The threat is over. The Yellow Rings are depowered. And John Stewart takes Clark's ring and says he will find someone who actually lives in sector 2813 to wear. Nice and easy. All that's left is the wrap-up.

Look! Clark and Lois love each other and kiss!

Thank you Bryan Miller for giving me a Clark and Lois romance. And thanks for leaving Lois out of this wild action. She is a super human. But she isn't super-human.

And remember there is a crisis coming which means something nasty is going to happen. Miller has hinted that someone is going to die.

So little scenes like this, Chloe talking about how she and Ollie are 'doomed' because of their love of adventuring, seem heavy with foreshadowing. Is one of these two going to die?

We also see an angry Lex stewing in his office with a pile of the inert yellow rings. That guy is always scheming.

The Lantern story wraps up here. We learn about more heroes in this version of the DCU. And things are moving towards a Crisis. But I almost feel like this arc warranted a 5th issue. I would have liked to see the resolutions of the main plots explored just a bit more.

Still, Smallville remains one of my favorite and one of the best comics out there.

Overall grade: B+/B

Boston Comic Con Preparation and Commission Wish List

One month from now I will be heading to the Boston Comic Con !!

This is the event of the summer for me and, as usual, it is about a month prior that true con preparation starts.

I have begun pulling books for signatures for the guests there, organizing them in interoffice envelopes for easy retrieval. I try to limit sigs to 6-8 per creator. There is nothing worse than being behind someone who brings 30 issues for signature. If I have more I will leave the line after 8 and return later with the rest. And while I succumb to pressure and bring first issues, and creator's first issues on a title, I will often bring my favorite issue of a creator to sign. I find that handing an issue they haven't signed a million times can spur a conversation. (For example, I remember handing Frank Quitely All-Star Superman #10, saying it was my favorite issue of the run. Turns out it was his too and this led to a nice chat.)

Anyways, the other half of con preparation is planning a commission strategy. Who do I want to get sketches from? Are they sketching? How much do they charge? Who is so popular I need to run to their table first? Who can I get in touch with pre-con to try to reserve a spot on the list? There is some prep work here.

For commissions, I have three sketch books I use, so I try to think of the top three with a secondary list if I don't get on the top three's list or if the initial commissions are done quickly enough for me to get more. I like to support the artists as much as possible.

Using sketch books limits how many commissions I can get in some ways but I love the portability of my collection. It also shows artists that I am not going to just flip my commission on EBay.

Here are the top artists I am hoping to get commissions from at the con, although one is a pipe dream.

Chris Burnham - I loved his work on Batman Incorporated. His treatment of Talia al Ghul was so spectacular that he vaults to the top of the list. His work on Batman Incorporated might make him a tough grab so I am hoping to get to him early.

Marcio Takara - I have seen enough of Takara's Supergirl commissions on-line (like the above pic) to know he draws exactly the sort of Supergirl I love. Add to that his recent energetic work on recent issues of Smallville, I am hoping to get on his list.

Clay Mann was a late addition to the convention roster. Mann is known mostly for work on X-Men books. I have always liked his style. A good friend of mine got an Elektra commission from him a couple of years ago which is breathtaking. So maybe I can nab a Supergirl from him.

Cat Staggs does the covers for Smallville and designed this interesting Supergirl costume. The commissions I have seen from her are unbelievable. I am hoping that Staggs will be sketching in Boston.

And now the pipe dream ...

Amanda Conner is one of my favorite artists in the business. I absolutely loved her Power Girl, Silk Spectre, and her Wednesday Comics Supergirl. I know she rarely does commissions these days but a Conner Supergirl is a like a grail piece for me. I can only hope that an earnest plea will be heard.

So those are the top artists on my wish list. There are plenty of other artists I would be thrilled to get sketches from so you never know. But wish me luck with these creators!

Review: Smallville Lantern #3

For some reason Smallville tends to be the last comic of the prior week that I review. I figured it was time to buck the trend.

Smallville Lantern #3 came out this week and was another fun and entertaining issue. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised anymore. Writer Bryan Q. Miller put together a stellar run on Batgirl with Steph. And so far his Smallville universe continues to grow, adding more of the DCU, and speeding to a Crisis.

This issue seemed to concentrate more on the Green Lantern side of the story with Superman taking something of a back seat. It's okay because this is a middle chapter. The plot needs to progress and we need to learn more about the yellow lanterns and set up a climax.

What surprises me the most is how Miller is able to weave in a number of smaller subplots into the issue while moving the main plot along. We see Oliver and Chloe continue to search for Prometheus. We check in on the Titans, and the JSA, and Batman and Nightwing. Even the sub-subplot of Steph's Barb's love life is touched upon. Great stuff.

I am a huge fan of Marcio Takara's art and he shines here. From quiet scenes of two people talking to intergalactic battles, he brings a great style. And the cover by Cat Staggs showing Batman surrounded by rings is great.

Last issue Parallax, angry at a perceived break of a truce, sent yellow rings to Earth. The rings will sow fear which would feed the monster.

While most of the rings head to Gotham, one heads to the Titans headquarters.

I thought this was a fantastic scene. One of the rings approaches M'Gann and seems to consider her as a Yellow Lantern. But after scanning, it moves on. I like the dynamic feel to Takara's art here. You almost see her twisting as she eyes the ring.

Given her actions in Smallville Effigy, it makes sense that she might be approached as a bringer of fear. And yet, it passing on her shows how much she has grown! Great little moment.

The bulk of Yellow Rings head to Arkham. That also makes sense.

For me, the Nightwing of Smallville  is the breakout character of the book. There is clearly a Steph-ness about her which is refreshing. Smart, strong, funny, emotional ... it's all there! Earlier in this scene, we see her take out a couple of punks clearly based on the Mutant gang of Miller's Dark Knight Returns.

Then with the rings screaming to Arkham, she has to break her date with the as yet unseen boyfriend ... named Richie. Hmm ... Richie, a gymnast, family owns a circus. When will we meet this Mr. Grayson?

As for Clark and Jon Stewart, they are still in deep space and clearly outmatched by Parallax. In order to give the Lanterns some time to retreat, Ganthet awakens from his slumber and tells Jon that the secret to defeat Parallax is to find out what Parallax fears.

The price for his telepathic information ... being ripped in half. Over the last 5 years I have seen more dismemberments and characters being torn in half than I have in the prior 3 plus decades. It has become routine and lost its emotional response.

And yet, this one shocked me a bit more just because these moments are few in Smallville. They still shock here and that's a good thing.

With rings all over Gotham, Jon facing off against Parallax, and Clark streaming back to Earth, Miller takes a step back giving me time to catch my breath. And in that space we catch up on the rest of the cast.

Chloe isn't too upset at Oliver despite his heading out on adventures. Mostly she is just thrilled he is alive.

What I love about this is how this has raised her ire. She wants Oliver to finish the job now and bring in Prometheus.

What I like about the art is Chloe existing outside the panel, bigger than life, determined expression. This is a big moment for her, to allow Oliver to head out and do his job, and it shows in the construction of the panel.

And we catch up with Lex who is still trying to learn about Green Lanterns by researching Alan Scott.

In the JSA headquarters, he tries to intimidate Ma Hunkel into giving out information. When she doesn't, he threatens her by saying he'll simply buy the building and force the JSA out.

Unbowed, Hunkel tells him how all bad guys think real estate is the answer to everything. I have to think it is a reference to Gene Hackman (and later Kevin Spacey) concentrating on a complex land deal as a way to grab worldly power.

As for the yellow rings, they find lots of easy recipients at Arkham.

But this small moment made me smile. Initially, Victor Fries is able to fight it off, love of his wife being the dominant emotion in him. But the power of the yellow ring seduces him.

I am a sucker for character moments. Much like M'Gann rejecting the ring and Babs calling Richie, this panel just adds depth to this book. Mr. Freeze is an afterthought in this book but he gets his moment to shine. I like a 3-dimensional comic world and this comic has that.

Like many of Batman's villains, Freeze dons the ring, creates a Yellow Lantern costume/armor and begins terrorizing the city.

Miller takes the opportunity of being in Arkham to add Harleen Quinzel to the Smallville universe.

Harley Quinn!

Surprisingly, Parallax begins to verbally attack Stewart, talking about corrupting Hal Jordan and defeating the Corps.  It is only a matter of time before Stewart gives in to fear.

Jon responds by showing how much he misses Hal by creating a massive Jordan construct and attacking. Much like Doomed is showing how much Superman means to the hero community, I thought this response showed how much Jon cares for and revered Jon.

But it isn't good enough ... Parallax continues to come on and attack both mind and body.

Despite the intergalactic catastrophe that is going on, the Prometheus problem is still out there. And it looks like he has something massive planned and will use the Ring attack as a cover/diversion.

And someone has to stop him. So why not Oliver in a quickly rigged set of armor.

Nifty design.

But Arrow against Prometheus? Seems like a mismatch.

Superman shakes off his green armor to better battle the Yellow Lantern Corps of Batman Rogues when things suddenly get worse.

Stewart has been worn down and dons the Yellow Ring as an agent of Parallax. And they're on Earth!

I don't know if quite understand why Stewart fell so quickly. But this certainly is a solid cliffhanger.

So let's start guessing. What is Parallax afraid of? Hal? Hope? Superman?

But will the combined might of Superman, Batman, and Nightwing last long enough to find out.

As much as this Lantern story is interesting, I have to say that I love the small character moments outside the arc even more. One thing I don't see too often these days is a solid, well developed, supporting cast. It makes a book so much more enjoyable. 

Add to those moments more DCU folks appearing (Freeze, Harley) and the solid Lantern main plot, and you have a great book.

Overall grade: A

Review: Smallville Lantern #2

Smallville:Lantern #2 came out last week and continued the inspired universe building that has been standing operating procedure for writer Bryan Q. Miller. Yes, we have greater understanding of the Green Lantern Corps and their history in this universe. And yes we have more integration between the Watchtower and the DEO as this world becomes more cohesive. And yes, we have a nice reimagination of Prometheus. And yes, the Crisis is looming larger.

But there is one small detail that Miller included that brought a very big smile to my face. More on that later.

One thing that is particularly impressive for me in this arc is the two concurrent storylines which also cement how vast this comic and its cast has become. With Clark in space ring-slinging, Ollie and the crew are investigating the Prometheus robbery. While Clark is clearly the center of this book at times this feels like a team book. And that is a compliment.

Cat Staggs provides her usual dramatic cover. And the internal art by Marcio Takara is slick. There is a rough quality here with some stylistic license with anatomy that lends itself to nicely to this arc. I think Takara's stuff is great.

Miller starts out the issue reminding us that there is a multiverse out there and a Crisis on the horizon. Despite his 'Calling all Lexes' multiversal beacon call, Lex hasn't gotten a response. Is this because all other universes (and therefore all other Lexes) are dead? Or is it because the Monitor comm-device isn't powered enough to reach out into the other dimensions.

As I said before, Miller is really bulking up the Smallville DCU. So to have Lex name-drop Kord and Holt is a nice touch. And referencing prior storylines adds a nice foundation.

But I can't help but think that the biggest battery of all for this comm-link will be a Green Lantern Battery. Too convenient a guess not to be true.

In the meantime, Clark is cramming with John Stewart on how to use the ring. It is a nice sequence where we see Clark effortlessly create constructs of the Kents and the farm when discussing how good a teacher Stewart is. It reminds Clark of Pa Kent, the ultimate teacher. It also shows just how 'strong' the Smallville Superman is both in body and mind.

But this question is interesting. Why make constructs rather than just blast? There is no answer ... or is there?

Now I have been trying to guess who will die in the upcoming Crisis. I wondered about Kara. Then I wondered about Steph Babs. I even wondered about Jay Garrick. "It isn't a Crisis unless a Flash dies" so they say. Maybe Jay's death brings back Impulse from the Speed Force.

But more and more I have been getting worried about either Ollie or Chloe. They have been swearing to stay away from adventuring. They want to keep the baby safe. It all sounds like protesting too much. I doubt Miller would kill off a pregnant Chloe. But after delivery?

Anyways, from the beginning I have loved the Tess character in this book. And she continues to please as she chastises the two for not keeping their own promise.

Despite that warning, Ollie decides to join the fray and help track down Prometheus. The DEO has obtained an image of Prometheus robbing their stronghold. And as much as they would like to help out, they have to maintain some distance from the Watchtower ... for everyone's sake.

I love this Special Agent Diana Prince. And as we keep adding to the hero gallery, I just know there is going to be a massive Crisis brawl with all the heroes chipping in.

Last issue ended with Manhunters in space heading to Earth.

In this issue they arrive. And they keep bleating about how two Lanterns together is a violation of a treaty.

Hmmm ....

We learn more later in this issue but I would have been chewing on this a bit if I was reading this week to week digitally. Interesting.

Rather than have the Manhunters rip through Earth, Stewart and Clark take the fight to the moon. Hmmm ... heroes not fighting in a major Metropolis, bringing down the city around them?? If only our movie heroes knew this.

But the Manhunters are powered by Yellow energy. In this world, that panics John.

Luckily, Clark has other powers at his beck and call.

I love that lower panel. Great stuff.

With the Manhunter invasion squelched, John calls out to other Lanterns for more information.

Kilowog, Saalak, and Soranik Natu. Great stuff ... universe building.

But Aya from the Green Lantern Animated Show!!!! Now that is brilliant! Thank you Bryan Q. Miller for bringing her back! Too bad we will never see the end of her story on the show. This is that small moment that made me grin like a goof.

Turns out that the yellow rings were created by the Guardians as an advance strike force, shock troopers powered by fear.

Now that is crazy! And fantastic. A nice new wrinkle to make this Green Lantern Corps a uniquely Smallville version.

And I love how exasperated Clark is to be dragged into this whole mess.

Remember when I talked about having those bad feeling about Ollie and Chloe?

Maybe it isn't in the Crisis that we see tragedy. This Prometheus is one scary villain, much more akin to the early version. And after some flash grenades and sonic attacks, he carves up Ollie.

Brutal.

And a fitting scary rogue for the other heroes to fight.

Unfortunately Clark isn't around to chip in.

With more information passed on, he and John go out into space to confront the Parallax fear demon, the power source of the yellow energy.

Now this GLC is really topsy-turvy in Smallville. The Guardians gave themselves to Parallax and are cocooned in its yellow energy. They did make a treaty with Parallax. He will be left alone, not hunted. No Lanterns will gather to fight him. And he will lay low in return. But 2 Lanterns awoke Parallax' own fear. And now that he is awake he wants more.

He scatters newly minted Yellow rings to create his own corps.

But the Guardians giving up? Having Oa levelled? That seems just weird. Hopefully we hear more of this backstory as the arc continues.

And more exasperated Clark is great.

So once again, Smallville remains a fantastic book. I love the dual storylines here. I love the expanding DCU here.

But Aya! That's just the cherry on the top.

Overall grade: A

Review: Smallville Lantern #1

Smallville Lantern #1 came out last week, the first part of the next 'episode' of Smallville Season 11. Writer Bryan Q. Miller has done a great job on this book, bringing in more and more DC Universe characters to this particular Earth, creating great characterization for the main characters of the book, moving a long standing Crisis arc along with each episode, but also presenting a good stand-alone story with each episode that can be enjoyed on its own. I have been happily stunned by the quality of this book.

And Smallville Lantern continues that trend. If we have Flashes, and Titans, and Martians, and the Trinity in this universe then we need Green Lanterns. So Miller introduces us to his version of Jon Stewart, his version of Oa, and more importantly his version of Tomar Re and his ring's mission. And Miller does all of this with the usual nods to longstanding DC continuity while bringing his own wrinkle to the works. Fantastic.

Cat Staggs, as usual, does a great job on the cover, bringing us a rather willful appearing Super-Lantern. But I have to praise inside artist Marcio Takara. I have been drooling over Takara's commissions on Twitter and loved his stuff on Blue Beetle. Here he brings the same stylized, slightly exaggerated, flowing work to the linework inside. It really is pleasing to the eye and moves the story along wonderfully.

Now I will admit that I don't have strong memories of the last seasons of Smallville so I sometimes need to rely on the help of others for the show continuity odds.

For example, we open up with  a replay of the ending of Smallville season 9 (I think) where Zod and all his cloned Kryptonians are transported away from Earth to Argo in sector 2813. We have seen the colony as it is in the future in the Argo arc in this book.

With life again being in sector 2813, a dormant Green Lantern ring goes searching for a suitable host. Since these beings are 'synthetic' (and anyone who can clarify why) the ring rejects them. But it does recognize them as Kryptonian and so goes to find another. That was then ... it will take some time for the ring to find someone who fits the bill.

One thing I like are the small things that build up the depth of this book. Having a Kryptonian on Argo think the ring is Flamebird is just a nice little touch.

Things remain quite in Metropolis ... at least for now.

There is some playful banter between Ollie and Chloe. They are both out of the adventuring business now, instead vowing to be there for their impending bundle of joy.

It can't be a crisis without someone dying. At first I worried it was Kara. Then I thought Steph Barbara. Now, with scenes like this, it has to be one of these two. Maybe Ollie?

And Clark and Lois enjoy a quiet night at the movies. They also have some wonderful, playful conversation.

For folks like me, who think Clark and Lois should be together, scenes like these are perfect. I love how Lois says that even if there haven't been vows, the two are married.

I really love Lois in this book.

At last, the ring arrives and claims Clark.

I like how the armor has the S-shield, not the Lantern corps symbol. It shows just how strong Clark's will is. That his symbol is the primary one despite the ring's powers.

In fact, Clark seems to have an innate ability with the ring. He flies off and tries to take it off. And as he thinks of it, a variety of tools - crowbars, drills, etc - appear. Usually we hear how hard it is to will the ring to make anything. Here, subconsciously, Clark is able to make constructs.

He finally peels the ring off and flings it into deep space.

Meanwhile, the Lantern of Sector 2814, NYC police detective Jon Stewart, learns that someone on Earth is also wielding a ring. I like that it is Jon here. And I like that he is a little different, acting as a police officer.

But hearing that there were others ... fascinating.

Of course the ring doesn't accept rejection and returns and rebonds to Clark. Before he can remove it again, a tank battle erupts in Metropolis ... a bank robbery of all things.

Before he can even use his own powers, the ring must sense Clark's motives. Suddenly green energy missiles appear all around him. And when the tank fires, Clark must want the battle to end quickly. Because suddenly a huge construct Superman appears, smashing the tank to bits.

It is clear that Clark needs to learn to control the ring. I like the idea that he is naturally gifted with the ring as opposed to needing to work hard to activate it. Superman ... super-will ... right?

Stewart arrives and the two leave.

I have had many favorite moments in Smallville over the course of its comic run. This ranks up there. The bank robbery was a ruse so crooks working for Prometheus could steal something else. And this is one cruel Prometheus, gunning down people firing-squad style.

I am a huge Prometheus fan. The real Prometheus. The one who almost beat the JLA singlehandedly. Not the one beaten by Shiva or Batgirl or whoever.

I want a dangerous and deadly Prometheus, a true super-villain. I hope we get one here.

We next see Clark viewing Oa which is in a state of disrepair. Clark is getting a tutorial from Tomar Re, the GL who we know failed in saving Krypton. This is a message which gives Clark a thumbnail history of the core. The Manhunters, the possession of Hal by Parallax, the resulting war.

I love it all.

Is Jordan still around as Parallax? We hear from Stewart that Kyle took over after Hal. Then Jon got the ring. Does that mean Kyle is dead? And how did Alan Scott have his ring? All these ripples of DC lore here. I hope Miller explores it all.

And will Clark accept the role of GL of 2813?

I am interested in seeing how this history plays out in this universe. This is about as good a hook as any!

Except we get an even better one. Parallax obviously lives. Whether it is Jordan or just Parallax we don't know. But for whatever reason, it detects the 2 Lantern rings in sector 2813. And that enrages Parallax. He activates Manhunters and sends them to Earth.

Nice cliffhanger.

So overall, a great first chapter for this arc. We have the main plot of the Lantern ring. We have Parallax. We have Prometheus. And we have the usual characterization of the supporting cast.

If a first issue is supposed to intrigue the reader and grab them, this one did it!

And, as I said, Takara's work is just stylized enough to complement a more galactic/sci-fi natured story. I hope I run into Takara at a convention some time so I can grab a commission.

No complaints here.

Overall grade: A