Review: Superman #37

Superman #37 came out this week and was another very entertaining chapter in this redemption arc for Superboy Prime, subbing in for the departed Superman. 

I have said that it is a minor miracle that writer Joshua Williamson has made me actually like this take on Prime. Prime is a comic nerd who recognizes his worst deeds are several reboots ago and is trying to do good. But all those old deeds are still known so Prime is basically under the microscope with everyone waiting for him to mess up. I actually felt for Prime here as he is really feeling that pressure of everyone side eyeing him all while hs is trying to be a hero.

It helps that Prime is a great POV charactier because he talks non-stop about comic history and lore. He is 'one of us' but in the DCU. This issue is full of references and fourth-wall busting insanity. It is a great tool for Williamson to use. But it is a tightrope. You can't overuse. This was the first issue where I felt we got close to that 'too many'. Close ... but did not cross.

There is also a mystery brewing. And I think I might have solved it.

Dan Mora is typically fantastic on art here. With all the trips and adventures and references, Mora is in the deep end of the DCU pool. But he never disappoints. 

On to the book.

Review: Superman Unlimited #12

Im trying to play catch up on reviews so a rare Thursday review of last week's Superman Unlimited #12.

I have been a bit up and down on this title with the underlying concept of 'lots of Kryptonite' one that I am struggling with. And I do feel that almost everything that is happening regarding that concept will be swept under the rug or forgotten in a year's time. 

But the current main plot of a time demon going after Jon, Jon plucking his younger self out of the volcano, and old Jon donning the 'Tomorrow Man' costume and going undercover is intriguing and making this book a bit more interesting to read. As someone who loved the young Jon/Damian dynamic, who has thought 'aged up Jon' has sort of lost his way in the DCU, and has been wondering if DC would recognize the mistake of aging up Jon and would find a way to put the genie back in the bottle, I am reading this closely and hope. This certainly could be the path to bring back young Jon.  Fingers crossed. Writer Dan Slott actually does a great job here showing how this is impacting old Jon, young Jon, but most importantly Lois. Heck, he even shows how it would impact Damian!

Adding to the mix of this is new fave Lucas Meyer who brings a wonderfully clean and vibrant feel to the art on the book. I love his work on the Lois scene here showing emotion both in expression and body language. Hope he stays on the book for a while. 

Am I hoping young Jon stays around for good? Yes I am. 

On to the book.

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #50

Batman/Superman World's Finest #50 came out this week, an oversized special celebration. Since this title hit the stands, it has been one best books on the racks month in, month out. Writer Mark Waid has been here throughout. As I have said time and time again, Waid has a perfect understanding of these characters and is able to walk the tightrope between classic and modern.

Waid crafts two stories for this issue. The first is a pretty fun team-up of our title characters. One of the things that people have asked in the past is how Superman and Batman could be friends when they methods are so different. In the first issue, Waid plays up the differences to a hundred, a level that has been in continuity in the past but no longer. It is fun to see Waid have them arguing with each other. 

But it is the second story that is the big win here. We go to the back-up World's Finest teams, Supergirl/Batgirl and Jimmy Olsen/Robin pairs in an old-fashioned contest to see which team is better. Waid has made the Kara/Dick relationship crackle in this else-when book. We have seen Jimmy team up with Babs here as well. So fun seeing them mix and match here, first racing each other then teaming up. This is a super-fun story.

Throw in some deep DC cuts in both and you have a win.

The first story is drawn by the masterful Dan Mora who gets to stretch his Ditko muscles in a crazy dream world. Whether it is insane action or crazy page layouts, Mora understood the mission. Regular title artist Adrian Gutierrez draws the second story and shines with his usual sound effect flourishes. Yes, I like his Supergirl, always a bonus.

On to the fun!

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #44

Batman/Superman World's Finest #44 came out this week and was a rollicking good time, bringing together the oddball team of Robin and Supergirl again. I have been waiting to read a story with these two on an adventure since the first time Mark Waid teamed them up in World's Finest #12.

One thing I have liked about this title as a whole is that Waid gives himself a 'done in one' issue between big arcs, a sort of breathing space. He has taken advantage of these side adventures to explore our characters a little deeper and have a little fun. And trust me, this issue is a lot of fun.

It builds on the characterization from the earlier stories. In those early arcs and that other solo issue, Kara is a more mature late teen dealing with the razzle-dazzle, overly eager, almost too self-assured Dick. You can feel her eye-rolling at his circus showmanship. But over the course of this story that softens as she gets to understand him more, appreciate him more. And both recognize their status as 'seconds' in their family. Whenever you put two people in a high pressure, high stress situation, emotions will run hot ... and we even get a little bit of that here.

The art here is done by Lucas Meyer who brings a significant polish to the proceedings. There is a little Lupacchino in there, a little Sook, a little Rags Morales. It is all beautiful.

This is a truly a laugh out loud issue. Everyone should be reading this title and, in particular, this issue.

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #43

Batman/Superman World's Finest #43 came out this week, the conclusion of the Bizarro storyline by Mark Waid, Adrian Gutierrez, and Sean Izaaske. This was a quick arc which embraced the Bizarro aspect of the world with backwards talk and ideas and insanity. But it also somehow veered from those humorous aspects to some serious pathos. Bizarros just want to live their lives.

Mark Waid does his usual writing dance of both revering DC's history while modernizing it. Square world? Backwards speak? A 'secret' Batcave with neon signs pointing it out? Pure Bizarro madness out of the Silver Age. But Bizarro's who are sad for becoming 'sane' because they miss their true lives? Robin learning lessons about personal freedoms? A Bizarro Krypo? Nice updates. Heck, Waid even made Bizarro talk, which often can be aggravating to me, have some internal sense. And giving us Robin as the audience's POV character worked well.

The art is a mix of usual artist Adrian Gutierrez and Sean Izaaske. Both bring the insanity and their styles are different but flow well together. They also embrace the insanity, bringing some wild images.

I don't know if this is one of the better arcs for this high-ranking title. But it was a fun diversion.

On to the details.

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest

Batman/Superman World's Finest #12 came out this week and was a truly wonderful 'one and done' tale of Robin and Supergirl's awful first (and only) date. 

Writer Mark Waid has such a deep understanding of the DCU as well as a clear interpretation of the classic histories of the characters that this issue just sings. This story takes place in some vague past, probably in some other timeline, with a younger Dick and Kara. I would say the two come off as Kara being slightly older than Dick, in my head they are 19 and 17 respectively, but who knows.

What does show is that these two are still new to dating, still learning who they themselves are, and trying to figure out their way in the world. 

Robin seems eager to impress Supergirl, something I can remember doing in earlier years when wooing someone. Or he is desperate for some validation, perhaps a comment of his relationship with Batman.

Kara is clearly trying to adopt the ways of Earth for this date. But she also is a little awkward, something which makes sense for her having only been on the planet for a short time. 

It all comes off great. It is a fun, wild story showing why these two (at least at this point) just don't mesh romantically. 

It is aided greatly by Emanuela Lupacchino's smooth art. Lupacchino has been a sort of designated pinch hitter for Supergirl since her stint as lead artist in the K. Perkins run at the pre-New 52 title. She brings great emotion and expression to the date itself, showing the characters cringing and getting frustrated. But the action sequences are also dynamic and splashy (pun intended as you will see).

And all this comes as a prequel from this page in  World's Finest #2 where we hear the ludicrous details of the date, all of which turn out to be on target.

One last thing I like about this book. I like this format that Mark Waid has done so far. A five issue story completes and you get a done-in-one palate cleanser before you go into the next arc. But these single issues add depth to the characters and build the universe. Keep this please, DC!

On to the book.

Review: World's Finest #2

World's Finest #2 came out this week and was another knockout winner of an issue. This issue, much like the last, feels like a love letter to the DCU. It is just about perfect.

I shouldn't be surprised that writer Mark Waid can capture, almost effortlessly, the voices of these characters. And by placing these stories somewhen in the past (and maybe even somewhere in the continuity of the DCU), he has a sort of carte blanche to go classic with these characters while still infusing some of their more current mores.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the issue is his wonderful characterization of Supergirl. I remember talking to Waid about Kara at a Boston Comic Con back in the day. I mentioned how his Supergirl in the Legion was so different from that time's 'current continuity' of Supergirl, the angst-riddled angry monster in the Loeb and then Kelly issues. It was clear in hearing him talk about picturing her smiling and flying that he and I shared an outlook. 

Here we have Waid doing it again. This Kara is there for her cousin, eager to help, capable and intelligent. Once more so different from the 'current continuity' Kara, the emotionally-devastated, angry monster of Tom King.

Seriously, and probably no surprise, the Supergirl stuff was my favorite part of the issue. But trust me, the rest of the issue is tremendous as you'll see. And it is clear that Waid is going to use our World's Finest duo as a straw to stir around the drink of the whole DCU.

Add to it the unbelievable beauty of Dan Mora's art and you have a winner. Last issue I said I wanted Mora on a Doom Patrol book after seeing his take on the classic team. After this issue, I want to see him on a monthly Supergirl book. His art sings, from the medical drama of the first scene to the brutal flashbacks of Devil Nehza origin, it all just leaps off the page.

Buy this book. 

On to the specifics.

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #1

Batman/Superman World's Finest #1 came out this week, an action packed, nigh perfect comic book which hearkened back to thrilling adventure comics of old. I unabashedly loved this comic. This was like mac and cheese, a comfort food of a comic that made me feel happy. 

The book opens with the pages previewed in Detective Comics #1050 but continues full throttle with an over-sized, no ad book. So I didn't mind paying for those pages again. I wasn't cheated. But I won't review those pages here again. 

Writer Mark Waid does a great job here, flashing back to an early meeting of Batman and Superman as a way to show how they became best friends. And that history does resonate in the latter half of the story so didn't feel gratuitous. But the big win here is the characterization of a young Dick Grayson as Robin. I get the sense that Robin is going to be the straw that stirs the drink. He will be our POV character, the comic relief quipper, and the contrast hero against the megastars of Superman and Batman. I trust Waid to handle the DCU well and he does. He writes the DC that I want to read. It takes place some time in the past and has a classic flavor.

Dan Mora is on art and he just shines here. Mora has a lot to show us here as Waid does a deep dive into the DC Universe already. Poison Ivy. Metallo. The Penguin. The Weaponeers of Qward. The Doom Patrol. The work is crisp and engaging. I hope he stays on this book for a long time. But if he doesn't, please give him a classic Doom Patrol book to pencil. I love his take on the team, one of my favorite properties. 

And I was lucky enough to grab the last copy at my LCS that has the cover by Artgerm which reminded me of one of his early covers on Batgirl #14 . So happy to see Kara and Steph together. Make the poster and t-shirt now DC!

I am going to gush.

On to the book.

Review: Challenge Of The Super-Sons #3

Challenge of the Super Sons #3, the print version of the digital first comic, came out this week and continued to be a glorious romp of a story. As always, the juice of the story is the interaction between the young Bat and Super, who are very different and also close friends.

Writer Peter Tomasi has had a good handle on these characters for some time now so I am no longer surprised when I grin while reading. He gives Jon an earnest 'aw shucks', 'we need to be the best we can be' enthusiasm to his heroics. Contrast that to Damian's hard-nosed, occasional 'ends justify the means' approach and you have fertile character soil to be mined.

What I like about this book right now is that the characters are involved in two mingled storylines, one in medieval times and one in the present. Of course, to them it is one timeline but for me the varying locales keeps the book fresh.

Art on this books is done by Jorge Corona and Max Raynor. Both have a style which is befitting the action of the title. I feel like Corona is a mix of Jorge Jimenez and Ken Rocafort. And that stylized approach is perfect for the shenanigans of the action. Raynor is a extremely polished visual storyteller and his work with the other JLA members in the book is stunning.

On to the book.

Review: Adventures Of Super Sons #3

Adventures in Super Sons #3 came out this week and was another look at some DC Silver Age tropes in a carnival mirror. Peter Tomasi is really taking advantage of this last trip on the ferris wheel of fun. This current mini-arc of the sons fighting the super-villain fanboys of the planet Cygnus has been a blast, seeing the younger version of the World's Finest team trying to outwit an adolescent take on the Injustice League.

This time around is a hysterical look at the Superman Red/Superman Blue. The Jons don't like each other and seem more interested in fighting each other than the villains. It is a rare day when Damian is the voice of reason!

The art team of Carlo Barberi and Art Thibert continue to bring a sort of giddy energy to the book, bordering on cartoony but staying within the confines of more modern sensibilities. The images really jump off the page.

Add in a cliffhanger showing that our tour through the Silver Age isn't over and you have a confection worth reading. I love this book. And I will be said when this team goes away in the aftermath of the Bendis re-imagining.

On to the book.

Review: Super Sons #14

 Super Sons #14 came out this week and very nicely ended the Mother's Day story in which Talia Al Ghul tries to lure Damian back to the dark side. I was very impressed with this arc as it both answered the much asked question 'Where is Talia in all this?' as well as pushing forward the characterization of both of the titular sons. As I have said in the past, the friction and differences between Jon and Damian is such fertile ground for story-telling. Writer Peter Tomasi definitely knows how to mine it!

The thing that I have liked about this is how both Jon and Damian are being influenced and inspired by the other. They come in as Batman and Superman writ small. But I wonder if this friendship and this mingling of ideas during adolescence is what is missing from the Bruce/Clark friendship. They met later on in life and in heroing career. It is, as they say, harder to teach an old dog new tricks. But here when we see Damian's rough edges being sanded down by Jon's optimism, or Jon bending the rules when necessary when nudged by Damian ... well it all works.

Carlo Barberi and Art Thibert really bring a dynamic and definitely youthful feel to the book, with zany expressions and great, sorta anime, qualities. So that jibes well too.

In the end, it just reminds me how sad it is that this book is ending.

Review: Superman #38

Superman #38, the fourth part of the Super Sons of Tomorrow story line, came out last week and was fast moving, if somewhat inscrutable, chapter in this arc. This might be a Superman book but he is barely in the issue. Instead, this is a chapter in a multi-title arc. This will read normally inside a trade, less so for the fan who wants to read just the adventures of the Man of Steel.

Writers Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason have a great feel for Jon and Damian and much of this chapter revolves around those two characters. This would be a great issue of Super Sons. But there is a lot of this plot that I either simply have to accept. So much of this could be chalked up to 'because comic books'. And some of it is clear that reasons to get characters all in the same place at the same time means some weird events and motivations need to happen. And, of course, it all stems from the plot of a future Tim Drake wanting to rewrite history, a story which besmirches his character. 

The artist on the book is Sergio Davila who has a style akin to Jorge Jimenez. Despite running through several books, the stories look similar enough to make me feel it will be a smooth read in the trade.

On to the book.

Review: Super Sons #10

Super Sons #10 came out last week and this book continues to be a hoot. Jon and Damian are clearly learning to be heroes, clearly come from different backgrounds, and are clearly being influenced by each other. Better yet, I can't help but think that their friendship is strengthening the Clark and Bruce one. This makes me happy.

This was something of a rest issue, setting up some new plotlines and new places for the boys and the book. Much like I feel that Supergirl underwent a new focus recently, I think this book is also heading off into a bold new-ish direction. We have established the boys friendship and their partnering. Now was the time to take this to the next level. No more ad hoc adventures. Let's make this a standing relationship.

Writer Peter Tomasi does his usual job of showcasing Jon and Damian's different outlooks on life. It is that friction that brings the juice to the proceedings. However, it is the times we see a little of the other in a character that shows growth. When Damian sounds a little like Jon it makes me happy.

The art on this issue is done by recent pinch hitter extraordinaire Jose Luis. And as this is mostly a non-adventure book, Luis does a great job of keeping my engaged with the story. Much of that has to do with the characters' body language.

On to the book.

Review: Injustice #13

I am not collecting the Injustice 2 comic on a regular basis but I wonder if ultimately I will regret it. I wonder if at some point in the future I'll be trawling $1 boxes at conventions to fill in issues. Because what I have read has been excellent. I just don't know if I want to dedicate three dollars a month on a comic built on the foundation of a fascist Superman. My guess is any time Supergirl is mentioned prominently in the solicit or a major part of the cover, I'll be intrigued enough to grab the book.

Injustice 2 #13 came out last week and had what is the ultimate bait for me as a Supergirl fan. It showed Supergirl with a member of the Bat-family with the words World's Finest displayed. I love second generation World's Finest team-ups.

As in Injustice 2 #6, Supergirl really shines in this issue. It seems like writer Tom Taylor really has a solid hold of the Kara character. She has lived through tragedy. She wants to spare anyone and everyone from a similar fate. She is optimistic, faithful, and even a bit shy at times. But when she sees injustice, she becomes fierce. That need to protect others is primary. So, albeit in the two issues of this book I have read, Supergirl really comes of great. It could be enough to lure me into this title ... maybe.

And her team-up with Nightwing, here Damian Wayne, is also intriguing. Like many 'Robins', Damian acts like someone who has been in an abusive relationship. He is trying to do what is right but he is stuck in the orbit of two huge personalities - Superman and Batman. And I love that it is Supergirl that encourages to him to forge his own path. In fact, there is this great scene at the end between the two that is powerful.

Mike Miller does the art here and does a great job showing a Supergirl who hasn't quite embraced heroic poses and iconic stares. She very much is a young, inexperienced kid here, learning the ropes and seeming sort of ordinary in some places.

On to the book.

Review: Super-Sons #5

Super Sons #5 came out this week and was something of a coda for the first Kid Amazo arc as Jon and Damian deal with the punishments meted out by their caring parents. I found this to be a pretty wonderful story as the kids to terms with how similar and how different they are by looking at the relationship of their fathers. And thankfully, writer Peter Tomasi makes the Batman/Superman relationship a healthy one.

Another thing which remains prominent in this book is the humor Tomasi brings to the affairs. I have usually found Damian to be insufferable. I sometimes find Jon to be a bit too much of the classic 'good kid'. Tomasi can blur the edges of both characters, making them likeable, believable, and funny.

The art is by Allison Borges, a name I haven't heard of before. Borges brings a sort of cartoony feel to some of the sillier moments while grounding things a bit more once the adults show up. It works here nicely.

So while there isn't a bad guy and most of the action is the two sons trying to beat each other senseless, I loved this issue.

Review: Super-Sons #4

A bit of Supergirl-specific news came out this week, delaying things a bit. So I am catching up.

Super Sons #4 came out last week, the end of the first arc and potentially the end of the team. More than any prior chapter, this issue shows how difficult it would be for these two boys to be friends and to work together. It isn't easy for the more down-to-Earth Jon to deal with the narcissistic worldly assassin Damien. And this battle showcases that.

The villain of the piece, Kid Amazo, has the potential to be a legitimate threat. But in this story, he is relatively easily dispatched. Maybe too easily. And really, in the end, he isn't even defeated by Superboy and Robin. Really, I think Amazo was really just a catalyst to showcase the differences of the Sons.

As much fun as it is to see the sons bristle with each other, I am finding the interaction with the larger DCU even more engaging. So seeing Luthor, Lois, and Alfred in here was also a great.

Lastly, Jorge Jimenez's art is the perfect style for this book. Stylized, somewhat exaggerated, and in places cartoonish, it jibes wonderfully with the tone of the book.

On to the book!

Review: Super-Sons #3

Super Sons #3 came out last week and was another chapter in a fast-paced, fun title. Things really seem to be propelled forward in this story. Not much decompression here. And that frenetic, almost 'short attention span' feel to the stories seems appropriate for the protagonists. Everything happens fast in that time of life.

But this isn't just an action book. Most of the fun here is seeing Jon and Damien interacting. At times I have said that the 'always at odds' relationship that DC has forced on Superman and Batman is adolescent and sophomoric. This plays that up. These characters are adolescents! So seeing them be friends and that at each other's throats makes sense. It plays up how silly the Superman/Batman stuff is these days.

One of the problems with that contrast between the characters is that a writer could have them become more one-dimensional. So writer Peter Tomasi has to keep these interactions feeling fresh. I don't want Jon to always say 'this is crazy I'm calling Dad.' And I don't want Damien to always say 'no, I'm the best. I can handle this.' Part of the fun will be seeing how each influences the other.

The art by Jorge Jimenez is the perfect match for this title. Everything is a little warped and stylized. There is this slight craziness to it which works with the pace of these stories. I love it.

Now this arc involves Kid Amazo and I have to say I feel a little lost in what the villain's powers are. But I am just along for the ride here. It's like a roller coaster. Just grab on and try to take it all in.

Review: Superman #20

 Superman #20 came out this week, the first issue since the Superman Reborn storyline which fused the pre-Flashpoint Superman with the New 52 Superman. How delightful for me as a comic reviewer to say Clark or Lois or Superman and not have to explain exactly which one I am talking about! How exciting for a continuity that everything is now linear and we aren't talking about Convergence worlds, the 21st century equivalent of a Pocket Universe.

But while we are now dealing with one Lois and one Clark, we were dealing with two very different lives. Things aren't going to be entirely smooth. We as readers have to reconcile the differences and in our minds settle this whole thing into one history. And thankfully, writers Patrick Gleason and Peter Tomasi realize that the characters have to do that as well. This shouldn't be easy. They have to figure out who they are just as much as we have to. I think it would have been wrong to just move forward without some acknowledgment from Lois and Clark that their life is comprised of two lives shuffled together.

This also is the beginning of a storyline called Black Dawn which finally explores the nefarious Farmer Cobb and his haunting milk business. Add in Batman and Robin, and you have a very satisfying first issue of this new reality.

The Superman books are really clicking right now. I am very happy. On to the book!

Review: Superman #11

Superman #11 came out last week, the second part of the introduction of the Super-Sons duo and subsequent book. It is a rollicking time, pure simple good fun. And it sold me on the prospect of the concept that a Damien/Jon will be a book to pick up. Sometimes you need to smile and I think these two will get me to do just that.

For the last 30 years, DC has been struggling with how to make Superman and Batman be friends.  The Dark Knight Returns had a Superman was mockingly called (and still referred to as) a boy scout and a school boy. Batman became an overly prepared, paranoid, grim being. Right or wrong, it wouldn't be easy for people presented that way to be besties. So for years we have had a vestigial memory of the World's Finest pair creeping into comics with either Batman or Superman always saying 'Despite our differences ...'

What I wondered was if the youthful exuberance of Robin and Superboy make the scions be friends more easily? Or would the heightened experience of adolescence make their differences all that more difficult to overcome? Maybe that is the whole concept of the book. Can someone less entrenched in a way of life reach out to someone different and compromise?

This issue shows how it won't be too easy for Damien and Jon to just suddenly become quick friends. But the potential is there, perhaps nudged forward by proud fathers. And maybe, just maybe, that common ground of being dads will nudge the World's Finest closer. Maybe ...

Creative team of Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason seem to be having a fun time in this issue, putting the super-sons through their paces, plopping them in crazy situations and making them flail a bit to get to safety. Gleason's art is perfect for this style book whose premise lends itself to the wild pizzazz he brings.

On to the book!

Review: Superman #10

Superman #10 came out this week and continued the wonderful run that Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason are having on this book. If any character needed a #Rebirth, it was Superman who seemed to toil for the last decade or so, acting far from the Superman I grew up reading. Now, in this 'new' DCU, I have Superman books I can look forward to, Superman books I am loving. I haven't been able to say that for a while.

This issue reads more like a prologue to the upcoming Super Sons title. But that works for me just fine. For one, I am interested in that book. But more than that, this plays up the differences between the sons and the differences between the heroes. This isn't going to be an easy alliance between these young adventurers learning the ropes. And certainly, Superman and Batman are exactly the World's Finest these days. While this pre-Flashpoint Superman seems open to a more classic friendship, things are strained.

And so, in this issue, we see the senior heroes clench their fists and then calm down. And we see the younger heroes act calm and then clench their fists. We see Superman's optimism and wisdom play out in Jon. And we see Batman's preparedness and quasi-paranoia apparent in Damien. That's solid stuff.

Add to that a healthy dollop of humor and a hypnotic art style by Gleason, and I was sold on this issue. Solid stuff.

Back to the art, earlier in this title, I talked about how Gleason's current style felt a bit 'Rankin/Bass' to me. That it was a bit off, a sort of 'uncanny valley' feel. But over the issues, I have been more and more enamored of it. It is very engaging.

On to the book.