Amazing Heroes #91 - Special Post-Crisis Issue Part 2 - Crisis #7 Review

About a month ago I stumbled across Amazing Heroes #91, a treasure trove of information about Crisis on Infinite Earths in retrospect. I already covered the look at Supergirl's death scene as being something most everyone - creators and reviewers alike - looked at as having been done well.

Now historically, Amazing Heroes wasn't exactly sympathetic to Supergirl's character so I was interested to look more at some of the Supergirl specific commentary in this book.

One thing that caught my eye was reviewer R. A. Jones look back at the series in total. Jones does a great job here looking at each issue individually and then summing up his thoughts about that particular section of the tale.

For the most part I can remember Jones reviews as being pretty fair and a bit more in-depth than many.

And as a fan of Crisis on Infinite Earths, I dove right in.

So what did he have to say about Crisis on Infinite Earths #7?

July 2019 DC Solicits

The July DC solicits came out last week and it looks like the super-titles are ramping up to close the current storylines in time for Event Leviathan to take over the scene. This has me pretty happy as, at the very least, it will close out the 'Queen of the Axe' Supergirl story we have been given. Here is a link to Newsarama's coverage of all the books:
https://www.newsarama.com/44744-dc-comics-july-2019-solicitations.html

And now onto the super-titles.

SUPERGIRL #32
written by MARC ANDREYKO
art by KEVIN MAGUIRE
and SEAN PARSONS
cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE
variant cover by KAARE ANDREWS

The conclusion to the SUPERMAN/SUPERGIRL team-up is here! As the House of El is united, Superman, Supergirl, Superboy and Jor-El struggle to defeat the seemingly unstoppable Rogol Zaar, who is now teamed up with General Zod, Jax-Ur and even Gandelo! New alliances are forged and betrayed, and Kara must fight battles on two fronts: alongside her cousins and inside herself, as she faces her own rage and the corrupting influence of Zaar’s axe! If she survives it all, who will be the Supergirl who emerges on the other side? Join us on the epic finale to Supergirl’s space-opera adventure!

Also, if Brainiac is in the Hall of Doom, why is Lex Luthor upgrading an old Brainiac drone body? And why is the drone calling itself the true Brainiac?

Supergirl is back on Earth fighting side by side with her family! Fantastic.
She 'faces her own rage and the corrupting influence of Zaar's axe'! Not so fantastic.

I just think Marc Andreyko has little understanding of the character and her recent history.

At least it didn't say 'final issue'.

Bullet Review: Batman #68

This will be a quick hit but it is hard not to cover a book with art by Amanda Conner which features, albeit briefly, Supergirl.

Batman #68 is an interesting issue showing the presumed bachelorette party for the Bruce/Selina wedding. It also again shows the interesting dynamic between Bruce and Clark as they have the most sedate bachelor party I have been privy to.

In the end, it looks like this all might in Batman's head as it ends with him hooked up to a mind machine of some sort. So did this happen? Is this what Bruce thinks would happen at a Selina/Lois party?

Anyways, much like the double date Batman/Superman issues by King were fantastic, this semi-sequel was just as fun. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments. And it ends with something of a pithy character comment about the World's Finest different views of life.

And, no surprise, the artwork by Conner is just incredible.

Review: Superman #10

Superman #10 has a cover depicting Superman fighting his father, proclaiming the Wrath of Jor-El. It is a bit of a feint. These two actually never stand in the same room with each other. And in some ways, Jor-El is shown in a more positive light than normal (for this book).

Still, this chapter of The Unity Saga, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Ivan Reis/Joe Prado (present day) and Brandon Peterson (flashback sequences) pushes the plot forward nicely. There are some very good moments in the book and one nice hint at future battles to come.

I don't think I will ever be happy with the aging of Jon. I don't like the idea that he spent years marooned on Earth 3, either trapped on a volcano or in hiding. I don't think we needed that to happen. But, at the very least, he didn't go grim, dark, or evil ... my biggest worry when I first heard this was occurring. I don't think he should have gone; I don't think he should have been allowed to go. I don't think Lois should have left him. But here we are.

Bendis as usual brings us some great character moments. I like how Jon is thinking of Damian almost immediately on his return to Earth. And the Clark/Lois/Superman relationship still hasn't been explained well enough for me to understand what the heck is going on. At the very least, we know they are still madly in love with each other.

As for the art, it continues to impress. Peterson brings a sort of organic feel to his stuff with round edges and minimal rendering. Reis and Prado continue to evoke a sort of Neal Adams grandeur to the proceedings.

Overall, this was a very good issue. On to the details.

Matrix Monday: Showcase '95 #12

For the past couple of months I have been devoting Mondays to the Matrix Supergirl, covering her introduction to the DCU by John Byrne, to her more solid re-introduction to the universe by Roger Stern and Jackson Guice, to her mini-series, and then to her solo stories thereafter.

Today I conclude this dedicated look with Showcase '95 #12. This story follows the Dichon story which was told in Showcase '95 #1 and 2 (reviewed here last month). The next solo story after this is in Showcase '96 #8, a prelude to the Peter David Supergirl book.

So this issue sort of is the capstone for the Matrix Supergirl. Sure, she continued to flit in and out of the Superman books. But for now, I think I will put the Matrix Monday idea on hiatus.

So let's see where 1995 left this Supergirl.

Before we jump in, figured I'd showcase (pun intended) that I have had the luck of getting this issue signed by Tom Grummett (cover artist) and Phil Jimenez who did the pencils on the Matrix story inside.

Review: Supergirl #29

Supergirl #29 came out this last week and seemed to push this opening arc by Marc Andreyko close to the finish line. And this makes me both happy and a bit miffed.

Happy because from the beginning this storyline of Kara demanding vengeance and heading into deep space away from an Earth she had just dedicated herself to made little sense. The beats of the story have made little sense. The side adventure/Omega Men pilot had little to do with her quest. And I just wanted Kara back on Earth as a hero. So this plot coming to a close is a good thing because maybe it leads to something more to my liking.

Irksome because to bring this to a close we need to plow through plot points with such velocity that it reads like a short cut to get us to the ending I want. Things magically happen here to move us to the finale in a way that I can't imagine Marc Andreyko anticipated. Also irksome because once again we are presented the angry, rage-fueled Kara that seems to come back every couple of years and met with disdain. I have said it here for almost 11 years. Dark Kara doesn't work.

Now the issue isn't complete disaster. Eddie Pansica's art is crisp and he brings a lot of big art to the big moments. There are a mix of downtime and high action sequences and he covers both settings very well. And colorist FCO Placencia brings the vibrant colors of paradise and the dismal colors of battle beautifully.

And the one thing that has always rung true in this arc is the inclusion of Krypto. Keep him in the book no matter where we go.

But onto the book.   

DC Superhero Girls #KaraCare

The new DC Superhero Girls series has really hit the ground running. Mixing in 'full' episodes over on Cartoon Network and shorts over on YouTube, Lauren Faust and crew have been giving us all the material we need to learn about the new takes on the characters and their environment.

A recent YouTube short is now available titled #KaraCare. Here is a link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBF2tO_aE7A&feature=youtu.be

Now I will admit, this is an interesting take on Supergirl. She is brash. She is rough around the edges. Here she is downright duplicitous as she takes advantage of a friend's kindness. This isn't the kind, dorky, awkward Shea Fontana Supergirl. But she is very likeable as a sort of 'bad girl' for this group, albeit one with a soft interior that occasionally gets shown.

I have been loving this series from the beginning and already know I need to cover the Cheetah main episode. So there will be more coverage soon!

On to this episode.