Review: Batwoman/Supergirl 100 Page Giant - 'Exit Interview'

The Batwoman Supergirl World's Finest 100-Page Giant came out this week and was something of a delight for me. I'll be reviewing the new Supergirl material here at the site including the team-up story tomorrow. But I think this book is a winner overall all and well worth the $4.99 cover price. Heck, the beautiful Joelle Jones cover alone might be worth it.

But the real treat for me was the new Supergirl solo story titled 'Exit Interview' by writer Andrea Shea and artist Mike Norton.

I very much like the early stories in the Supergirl title when Rebirth happened. There was a re-inventing of her character by Steve Orlando to make Kara a hero, a defender of Earth again. The 'Help, Hope, and Compassion for All' mantra was there.

But one thing that I struggled with was how the title tried to be everything we know about the comic Kara as well as throw in some of the things we know about the TV Supergirl. So she was an intern at CatCo and a DEO agent but also a high school student and a new hero. That was a lot.

This story seems to end one of those threads while starting a new one.

And while I don't know much of Shea's works, I think she captures Kara's voice nicely here. There are echoes of Silver Age Supergirl in some of the dialogue but in a good way.

Mike Norton delivers as he usually does. There are great emotional moments here as well as some action shots. All are done solidly, especially the expressive work.

On to this delightful story!

Review: Supergirl Annual #1

Supergirl Annual #1 came out this week, a middle chapter in the current Fatal Five storyline and boy, was this one busy. Writer Steve Orlando keeps things moving forward at a near incalculable speed, switching scenes, having characters move in and out, and revealing plot points in a machine-gun style. This was one of those issues that while I was reading I needed to flip back a couple of times to make sure I knew where the action was taking place. It also was one of those issues that I read twice in the same day to make sure I understood it all.

In some ways, that rat-a-tat style works well for a summertime annual. Like an action movie, the pacing was so brisk that it felt like a roller coaster ride. In some ways, it didn't work for me as the information flowing was happening so fast that I needed to pause and absorb it (or reread it), breaking that momentum.

Perhaps I am being too grumpy. There is a lot happening here. But I shouldn't complain when most of the time I am complaining that nothing happens in comics.

The art here is done by Steve Pugh. Pugh's art has certainly changed over time. His work on the Vertigo Animal Man back in the early 90s is the style that I have imprinted on. This seems a bit more straightforward than that thick-lined style.

Buckle up your seatbelts. We are moving on to the story.

Supergirl Episode 221: Resist

Supergirl episode 221, titled 'Resist' aired this week, the penultimate episode of the season. Given we have reached the boiling point on all plots, 'Resist' moves along at a very brisk pace, bringing together a number of subplots and characters that have been in the background of late. This episode really has a great combination of action sequences, suspense, and character progression. And it also has the return of Cat Grant, a return that made me remember just how important she was to this show last season on CBS.

In fact, the return of Cat was the high point of one of the most important efforts of the show. All the characters with agency in this episode are women. James, Winn, and Mon-El are really along for the ride and less important to plot progression. Supergirl, Alex, Maggie, President Marsdin, Rhea, Lillian Luthor, and Lena Luthor carry this story. And perhaps best of all, outside of one snarky Cat speech, it wasn't shoved down the audience's throats by corny dialogue. There was no 'why can't I? Because I'm a girl' cringe worthy lines here. Instead it just played out on screen. I was thankful for that.

I'll add here that the acting in this episode was stellar as well. As usual, Teri Hatcher just fills the screen with her diabolical Rhea, switching from loving queen to enraged sociopath in the blink of an eye. I already mentioned Calista Flockhart's performance as powerful. But there were small, subtle, powerful moments from Melissa Benoist, Katie McGrath, and Chyler Leigh that made this whole thing sizzle.

And we get a great cliffhanger to lead us into the finale.

There were some notes here that hearkened back to last season's ending, maybe a bit too close. But otherwise, this episode was fantastic. It even came with a great cliffhanger.

On to the show!

Review: Supergirl #5

Supergirl #5 came out this week and was something of a statement issue for this new direction. Writer Steve Orlando fills this issue with scenes showing Kara's strength, resolve, and her sentiment towards her new world. If you want a primer on who this Supergirl is, you might start here.

One of my minor complaints about this Rebirth book has been the theme of Supergirl needing to recognize Earth as her home and say goodbye to Krypton once and for all. While that is clearly an important aspect of the character's life, it had been told already ... and recently.

I suppose DC might say that not enough people were reading the last title to have it be in the collective memory. After all, one point of Rebirth was to bring in new readers. But for someone invested in the character, some of the ideas bandied about here - Kara missing Krypton, unsure how much she likes Earth, even a little annoyed by the low-tech here - has been well trod material.

Still, I should be lighting a candle here. Based on the things Kara does and says here, it looks like this plot isn't going to linger. We know how Kara feels about Earth now and she sounds pretty resolute in her acceptance and love of the planet. I am thrilled.

Brian Ching brings a real energy to the proceedings too. I have to say I am slowly warming to his style. Some things still irk me a little. But overall, this issue really buzzed art-wise. There was a real dynamic feel that flowed. And there can be no denying that Natalie Dormer is his model for Supergirl. Look at every panel and see if you don't see Dormer there. Uncanny.

On to the book.

Review: Supergirl #4

Supergirl #4 came out this week and was a very good issue, pushing the story along nicely and throwing in a lot of emotional beats. It is these character moments that make this such an enjoyable read, possibly the best issue of the title so far.

The underlying premise is that there is a war going on for dominance over Supergirl's spirit. Is she still beholden to Kryptonian culture so much that she would sacrifice Earth to regain it? Or has she put the scars and sadness of Krypton's death behind her and embraced her new home. It is unfortunate that we are mining this theme again. It has been played out in New Krypton, the beginning arcs of the New 52, and the ending arc of the New 52. But since #Rebirth might be the first Supergirl comic someone has read, I suppose it makes for a good opening arc, differentiating Kara's origins from Superman. She would miss Krypton; she actually lived there.

Writer Steve Orlando even has a nifty way of playing this theme out, having Kara's parents in conflict, a way of making the Earth/Krypton emotional fight also a very physical one. We saw the sets of parents interact in the Silver Age but I don't think that has been used recently, bring a fresh feel to the overall plot.

If there is one thing that detracted from this issue, it would be the art ... in places. Brian Ching has a distinct style and some panels of his expressive work are really wonderful. But there is also an unfinished feel to his work in places, particularly in his leaving of faces, noses, and mouths occasionally. Also, it was in this issue that I finally noticed that Eliza is missing a hand, something I may have noticed before if my eyes didn't gloss over things as Ching's artistic shorthand. This isn't a blanket complaint; most of the issue is beautiful.

On to the book!

Review: Supergirl RB #1

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Supergirl #1, the solo title for the character in the post-Rebirth continuity came out this week and I'll say up front I was very impressed.

It has been over two years since the last solo Supergirl title in that time the Girl of Steel's prominence as a character has skyrocketed. With a popular television show, a presence in DC Superhero Girls, and a re-emergence in the late days of the New 52, it seems like Supergirl is suddenly everywhere. There are podcasts, figurines, cartoon shorts, and apparel in mainstream stores. It is amazing. In fact, it makes me wonder what took DC so long to get a book back on the shelves.

What is more amazing is, at least locally, the Supergirl book has been a focus of announcements for comic stores. I am on a number of email distribution lists for local stores and many had some version of ' 9/7:Supergirl #1 released!' as the title line. And DC also seems to recognize the potential in this book giving us two covers (which may be the norm these days) and a blank sketch variant.

But all of this would be sound and fury signifying nothing if the story isn't good. Thankfully, writer Steve Orlando delivered a very engaging first issue, setting the stage for this new time in Supergirl's life. The emphasis here is that she is a stranger in a strange land. But that also means there is a nice layer of contrast with her cousin Superman who seems to fit right in. There is some angst here, but it isn't bitter or angry unlike the early issues of the last couple of incarnations. Orlando also seemed to pluck pieces of Supergirl incarnations which have worked in the past and distilled them into this new book. This is a rebirth!

The art is by Brian Ching who brings an angular stylized feel to the book. It has an energy too it which makes me feel like the characters in motion, especially when anatomy seems to be distorted a little. Kara looks like Natalie Dormer in a number of panels.

And the covers are great. Ching's looks like a movie poster of old, highlighting the main points while Bengal's variant shows a smiling Kara ready to hug the world.

On to the story.

Calista Flockhart Will Return As Cat Grant

I have been covering a lot of Supergirl show news here on the site but The CW keeps giving it to us! Much like last year before the first season, it seems that the show runners are continuing to feed the fire, getting the fans stoked. Whether it be leaked Superman pics or rumors that Mon-El is in the pod, there has been a ton of things to comment on.

But one thing that was hanging over the show was the fate of Calista Flockhart and Cat Grant. The creation of a 'new job' for Kara in the first season finale as well as the creation of Snapper Carr's role as a journalistic boss, it seemed like things were set up to simply have Cat be gone.

Earlier this week the news broke that Calista Flockhart was returning to the show in a limited capacity. Here is a link to Variety's coverage:http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/supergirl-season-2-calista-flockhart-recurring-guest-star-1201827963/

Hmmm ...recurring guest star?

Supergirl Episode 10: Childish Things

Supergirl Episode 10, titled 'Childish Things' aired this week and was the equivalent of a break issue in a comic run. Yes, the long-running plots of Hank being J'Onn and Maxwell Lord's villainy continued to move forward. But the bulk of this episode focused on Winn Schott and his father the Toyman. While this plot wasn't crucial for the overall arcs of the season, it did add some significant depth to Winn, the one character who still seemed a bit too two-dimensional for me. This was an episode where Justin Jordan got to shine. And his scenes with Melissa Benoist were wonderful.

Now to get this story out, Supergirl has to overcome some rather mundane threats from the Toyman. In fact, she should have easily handled these threats. But I need to look over these action scene quibbles because I felt the character bits of this episode were really strong.

I'll concentrate on the Winn/Kara plot and touch on the Hank/Alex/Max stuff here as well. There is a Lucy/James plot I'll touch on at the end.

The episode starts with the Toyman breaking out of jail, killing his security guards ruthlessly with a yo-yo armed with a circular saw blade. This was a pretty grim scene and nicely set up how crazy Toyman, played brilliantly by Henry Czerny, would be in the episode.

This horror scene was countered nicely with the publicized scene of Kara and J'onn flying. We learn that J'onn is reluctant to show who he is or openly use his powers. Earth won't accept him because he is a monster. Kara's response resonates far beyond commenting on J'onn and his powers. She talks about how after she  'came out' and 'embraced who she was meant to be' that she has never been happier. That can be an empowering statement about anyone who feels they are hiding a part of themselves out of fear.

The FBI and agent Cameron Chase come to CatCo to question Winn about his father. It is only then that the staff, including Kara, learn that Winn's father is the Toyman. (You would think that Cat would know given background checks. I mean, here he is Winn Schott Jr.!)

Winn lets it be known how much he hates his father. Winn loved his dad, a person similar in personality, until his life changed when his father murdered 6 people. Toyman wanted to kill his old boss Dunnholtz, who stole Schott's toy designs. (This mirrors the John Byrne origin.) Unfortunately, the Toyman bomb killed Dunnholz assistant and some co-workers. Jordan plays Winn's emotions well, showing the hate he has while trying to keep it controlled.

I have to say, I love the Toyman Easter Eggs, riffing on both the Super Friends version and the Superman:The Animated Series one.

 The Toyman doll leads Winn to a boardwalk arcade, complete with creepy dolls, robotic stuffed animals, and a feel of antiquated grime to feel creepy. Toyman is there and tells Winn that they share a genius which lesser people call madness. Brrrr ...

The FBI storms the arcade and open fires on Winn Sr. Unfortunately, this isn't the real Toyman but some simulacrum which triggers a counterattack of poison gas. This seemed like a pretty quick use of force.

Kara flies in as Supergirl and takes in all the gas with vacuum breath and disperses it in the sky. Hey, any time a new power is used, I'm happy.

This scene ends with Kara telling Winn how much she needs him in her life. She can see how Winn's past could make him feel isolated and alone (much as she sometimes feels), but they can help each other move beyond that.

 Meanwhile, Alex bullies Hank into using his Martian powers to infiltrate Lord Industries and Room 52. She'll keep the real Max Lord away by wining and dining him. I like that Lord has Alex in his speed dial as 'Mata Hari'. Alex admits that her organization has a partnership with Supergirl.

Lord is pure Lex here, talking about how Alex has accomplished all she has through hard work and grit, not because of alien physiology.

 Meanwhile, Hank has shapeshifted into Hank and walks through Lord's compound. He has some fun with an administrator, stating that his (that is Lord's) 'narcissism and unkempt facial hair' cut his date off with Alex early.

Inside room 52 Hank sees BizarroGirl, basically braindead and being infused with some chemical concoction.

Unfortunately, a security guard comes in, questions Hank/Lord about 'Codename Phoenix' forcing J'onn to mindwipe the guard. He robs the guard of years of memory. Later, Hank is curt with Alex, saying she made him do something he vowed he would never do again. I am calling it now, he mindwiped the real Hank who is still alive in South America.

 Winn figures out his father is probably holed up in his old factory. Supergirl heads over and confronts the Toyman. Somehow she is trapped in thermite quicksand hidden in a giant building block. She is being sucked down to her death. Meanwhile, as another distraction, the Toyman has put a child in a steamer trunk headed towards an industrial shredder.

This seems like a simple trap for Supergirl to have avoided let alone escape. Using her super-breath for the second time this episode, she freezes the sand and shatters it.

 The 'child' in the trunk is a Supergirl doll. In fact, Toyman used creepy Supergirl toys in this scene twice. I said it before, Czerny's understated acting, playing this as if he is perfectly normal to feel the way he does, is chilling.

 Back at Kara's apartment, Winn talks about how he worries that he will snap one day like his father. He was so like his dad that he thinks his genes are time bombs.

I like Kara's response, saying that Winn's dad killing those people is similar to her losing all of Krypton. Both of their lives ended that day. But rather than giving in to rage and hate, they both strive to give back.

Kara didn't let Krypton's destruction make her wallow in hate and rage. DO YOU HEAR THAT JEPH LOEB, JOE KELLY, and SCOTT LOBDELL???!!!!

Unfortunately, Winn thinks is the right moment to lean in and try to kiss Kara, a kiss she recoils from.

#PoorWinn

 Embarassed, sad, or both, Winn leaves only to be kidnapped by his father. Toyman Sr.has come up with a truly insane plan. He knows that Dunnholtz will be at a Toy Convention. Toyman has planted 10 bombs around the convention floor. Unless Winn goes and kills Dunnholtz, Toyman will detonate the bombs killing hundreds. It is up to Winn. That is madness!

Perhaps more chilling is that Toyman says that this murder by Winn will bring them closer together. In fact, throughout the episode Toyman talks about how Winn is 'the best thing he ever made'. Could Winn be a robot???

Winn refuses to kill Dunnholtz. Toyman activates the bombs, a move which would kill Winn as well. But Supergirl girl arrives. She activates the sprinklers in the convention center and uses her super-breath (again) to freeze an ice wall between the crowd and the bombs. That's using her brains!

Just like that the Toyman is captured.

 But the relationship between Winn and Kara is damaged.

He finally confesses his love for her (how could she not know??). And he can't be with her when it hurts him to bottle up his feelings. It was his father bottling up his feelings that turned him into the Toyman.

Is it a little immature of Winn? Yeah. But this is the first time he is dealing with this stuff openly. I suspect he'll come back a wiser and more mature friend after.

The episode really sticks the landing though.

Alex and Kara share TV night where they talk about how the Danvers sisters should 'come with a warning'. Kara has hurt Winn and she can't live with herself. Alex pressured Hank into doing something terrible. At least they have each other.

They also have Maxwell Lord who planted a camera on Alex's purse. Now Max knows Supergirl is Alex sister. Brilliant turn.

Also, Cat and Lucy continue to be catty about Lois. Cat says Lucy is too smart to pine away for James without an identity. Lucy is hired as Cat's lawyer. And James initially seems cool to the whole thing but it has nothing to do with not wanting Lucy around and everything about him wanting to be Mr. Action and not an art director behind a desk.

There are a lot of nice little moments in this episode. But this is really Jeremy Jordan's show. His scenes with Henry Czerny are tense and gut-wrenching. His scenes with Melissa Benoist are compelling and tear-inducing. I don't have words to convey how I thought those scenes shined. They were the highlight, surpassing super-breath and creepy dolls.

I don't think this was any where near the best episode of this series. But it made Winn something more and did keep things moving forward. Plus, Toyman Easter Eggs!! And two new Anj theories. The real Hank is mindwiped and alive in South America. And Winn could be an automaton.

New Supergirl Trailer

Last night was the beginning of the new CBS season with the airing of several premieres including Big Bang Theory and Scorpion. But for me, the big CBS news was the release during Scorpion of a new 'sizzler' reel for Supergirl! And boy, was I floored. Here is the link, you may as well bookmark it as you are going to be watching it a ton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQASIzTNHHw

But there is a lot to review about this preview. And here are a 'few' of my thoughts. We start of with Melissa Benoist in costume, walking to the screen and looking up hopefully.

Next we learn that Fort Rozz, a space prison for the worst criminals has crash landed on Earth. The person walking away is Vartox (we know that from the prior footage released). So we have an explanation for the 'villain of the week' premise as well as why these disparate characters are all on Earth at the same time.

Of course, Fort Rozz in the comics was a Kryptonian military base that at one point was in the Phantom Zone. So I wonder if somehow Kara (whose rocket we know languished in the Phantom Zone in the show) coming to Earth dragged the prison to Earth.

And then we get the villains.

Check out the absolutely frightening Hellgrammite, who sports a rather Predator-y grin!

And then Reactron!

I mean .... how awesome is this shot. The nuclear powered villain! There is a great shot here of Supergirl holding back a beam with her hand that looks straight out of the comics!

I can't believe what I am seeing!

That is a live action Reactron!!!

Fantastic!!

But we also see Supergirl fighting a flying female.

We know that Livewire is going to be on the show. But this doesn't look like Livewire. No lightning effects. So who could this be? Black Flame??

Any thoughts??

We also see the whole gamut of Kryptonian powers.

We see heat vision. We see super breath. And here, I think we see super-hearing, Kara listening and tuning into something before streaking off to the rescue.

I also loved that we got to see a lot of the supporting cast. We see Cat Grant with Maxwell Lord. We see Adam Grant.

I loved this brief scene where we see Alex training Kara, tossing her around an octagon style fighting arena. This Kara has hidden her powers all this time. She has lived as a gopher for Cat. She shouldn't know how to fight. So I thought this made perfect sense. And I love it is Alex doing the training. It shows the sister relationship.

The preview ends with Jimmy and Win learning that both know Kara's secret.

I love the shock on both of their faces.

Throughout the preview, Benoist just radiates. She smiles. She seems hopeful. She grits her teeth in determination. She tosses punches and kicks. Benoist *is* Supergirl in these shots.

We are a short 34 days away. I can't wait.

More Supergirl Show News: Calista Flockhart As Cat Grant

News about the Supergirl Show is being released pretty regularly now and I have to say, every single thing I have read and heard about this show so far has been nigh-perfect.

Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler, David Rapoport and all the folks setting up the cast and tone of the show are just knocking it out of the park. And as a lifelong Supergirl fan, I am thrilled with the news and love the more wide-reaching excitement I am sensing around the character.

And now the latest news ... another great casting decision ...

Calista Flockhart will be playing Cat Grant. I first saw this on Deadline and here is the link:
http://deadline.com/2015/02/calista-flockhart-cast-supergirl-pilot-cat-grant-1201379787/

Here is the description of Cat from the original publicity releases:
Cat is described as a woman in her 40s and the founder of media conglomerate called CatCo. The casting information says the producers are open to any ethnicities for the part, which is described as "J.Lo by way of Anna Wintour." Kara Danvers, Supergirl's civilian identity, will be Cat's personal assistant when she's not saving lives.

Flockhart just seems like a big win.

I am interested in seeing just how the show's Cat relates to Supergirl.

Will she be a supporter? Helping to promote Supergirl?

Will she attack Supergirl in the media the way the Cat in the last incarnation of Supergirl did? Slinging the mud on her in social media?

Or will this be a self-serving Cat, promoting or attacking depending on the public sentiment?

This is one more excellent announcement about this show!

Now we need the casting of Alex, Wynn, and Hank. And we need to see the costume!

Kudos to all involved with the show. This Supergirl fan is happy!

Review: Superman Wonder Woman #4

Superman/Wonder Woman #4 came out last week and as usual, I have some problems with this issue.

It does what it should, moving the two major plotlines in this comic forward. And it does it in an interesting way, splitting the issue into two separate stories with two different artists. In that manner, I think the book works. I was glad to really concentrate on the two plots individually rather than have to transition from one to the other every couple of pages (not that that would be easy as one is Superman in the Arctic and the other is Clark in Metropolis).

But while that format works, there are pieces of these plots that still don't work for me and progression of the plot won't help that. Boiled down to its core, I still don't quite get why these two would be together outside of an immediate physical attraction. Every interaction seems to just hammer home why the don't work together. Writer Charles Soule seems to want to show how different the two are as a source of interesting stories and plot development. But instead, it just makes me think that these two would be happier of they broke up.

The art on the book continues to be excellent. While there are a fair number of 'romance novel' shots of Superman and Diana embracing, Tony Daniel and Paolo Siqueira really shine here. Daniel handles the Superman/Zod portions in the Fortress. Siqueira sparkles on the Cat Grant celebration party in Metropolis.

The book opens with our title characters still reeling a bit that the news of their romance has hit the airwaves.

And then we have this dialogue exchange that once again makes me think that these two just aren't fit for each other.

Diana asks Superman why he continues to be 'Clark'. Why not get rid of that identity and be just Superman and use his powers all the time, something that brings him joy.

Uhh ... Clark IS Clark. Superman is the mask. I can't imagine Diana not understanding that! And I am surprised that Clark doesn't look at her incredulously. How could someone who says they love him ask him that? Plus, isn't she just now enjoying the whole Diana Prince thing, as laid out by Geoff Johns.

But I didn't exactly like Clark's response either. He remains Clark because it is 'hard' and that reminds him of the lives of regular people. But I'd rather him say 'I choose to be Clark because I am Clark.'

The rest of the Tony Daniel portion of the book takes place in the Fortress. I talked last month about how Zod's murderous rampage when he came to Earth went uninvestigated and how I thought that didn't make much sense.

Here, Superman talks to Zod about Doomsday. Zod states that he volunteered to go into the Zone to fight Doomsday eternally. Now, you might think that Superman would actually try to look into the databases in the Fortress to do some research on who Zod is before believing this lie.

Or ... maybe he should ask his cousin who was alive back on Krypton to see if she knows anything about Zod. Remember, she was tormented by him in her youth as seen in the Doomsday book in Villains Month. But having Superman talk to Supergirl seems to be forbidden in the New 52.

But moreover, it just shows badly on Superman. He is too busy smooching Diana to figure out who this Kryptonian is?

Instead Superman is surprised when Zod is very interested in the Phantom Zone projector (as seen in panels above) and states outright that Superman should fear him.

Zod understands the Kryptonian technology better than Kal and is able to use a phrase to open all the cages in the menagerie (including his own) and fly to the projector.

Beautiful art here as the two fight amid the crazy zoo. Daniel really draws a great Superman.

Diana does the voice over here, talking about how they are truly mythological beings which usually means a tragic ending. Then she says that she and Superman will split for some time fighting their personal enemies. I guess that means Superman will face off against the Phantom Zone villains while she will fight more classic enemies from her rogues' gallery.

It turns out that Zod is heading to the projector to free Faora. He asks if Superman wouldn't do the same thing if Diana were on the other side.

I suppose this Zod/Faora relationship could be a nice reflection of the Clark/Diana relationship. Maybe we will compare and contrast these two couples to see the depth of love and loyalty, the problems of a power couple, etc.

So I am willing to give this a bit more time to see how it plays out. Will Zod immediately go 'despot'? (Hard not to when you tell Kal he should be feared.)

And the fact that the projector lens is cracked isn't lost on me. A detail like that has to have a reason for being there. My guess ... the machine breaks at the end of this arc, sealing the Zone off 'forever'.

Nice cliffhanger. The problem is getting to this point required me to swallow some odd characterization.

The second half of the issue takes place in Metropolis at a party that Cat Grant is throwing over the success of ClarkCatropolis now that they broke the Superman/Wonder Woman romance. My guess is it takes place between the apartment discussion between Clark and Diana and his heading to the Fortress.

It is an inclusive look at the response to the relationship as we hear what the party-goers think. And we also get a bigger scope as we get a two page spread of the heroes kissing while surrounding them are people -both known and unknown - responding to the news. I did like the construction of the page with Superman and Diana in bright color surround by the muted green of the 'Matrix', people seeing the news on-line.

And Steve Trevor's is the most cutting. He 'knows' Diana is going to dump Superman.

I will say if there is a Cat Grant comic one day, I want Siqueira to draw it. He seems to have a handle on both her and her mannerisms, whether it is being the center of attention (as here when she is simply eye candy while the conversation happens below) or lounging on the couch as the party wraps up.

Her boyfriend is some dunce. He is working on some sort of Absorbascon like device where all knowledge can be downloaded into someone's mind, a way to give humanity their 'edge' back over super-humans. Sounds like a super-villain waiting to emerge. New Brainwave? Seems odd that this party takes place in Aaron's lab though. One 'rum and coke' spilled onto the control panel and the Absorbascon could be broken.

I do like that Clark states that being 'super' doesn't automatically mean someone wants to rule. My guess is Zod is going to challenge that notion.

And what about the rest of the world.

Well the continuity nut in me is trying to figure out when this story takes place.

Lex is imprisoned and scarred. That means we are pre-Forever Evil.

And Lex isn't happy about this relationship either. I guess if he hates a super-being over him, a super-couple is twice as scary.

Meanwhile, as in last issue, Diana is confused about her relationship and goes to her friend Hessia to talk things out. At least Diana has someone to talk to. In this book she feels alone, concentrating only on her mission. This Diana feels so different from the Azzarello one who is surrounded by her own version of Modern Family.

And you would think if every time she is with Clark she is so confused she needs to talk about her relationship with a friend, she might wonder if this romance will work.

I suppose having two women talking in the comic and talking about a relationship fails some sort of test. At least Soule gives us this moment where Diana inspires some girls who are studying self-defense under Hessia's tutelage.

With the girls out of the dojo, the two Amazons have a workout to relieve some stress, fighting robots. I don't know where this takes place. Is it in Hessia's gym?

Happily, Hessia reminds Diana that there is more to her life than simply this relationship. She isn't defined by Superman. Whew ... thank goodness someone tells Diana that. I don't know if this Wonder Woman reads like the Wonder Woman I know.

And Dian decides that maybe she should ... I don't know ... try to figure out a way to save the Amazons instead of making out all the time. I'm not saying that you can't have a relationship and do all this personal stuff (research Zod, save Amazons). In fact being in a stable relationship should help them with these personal quests. It just seems this book makes the two heroes seem infatuated with each other, interested in only the physical components of a relationship, and ignoring everything else. I guess when smitten that stuff can happen.

Lastly, the big mystery remains. Who sent Cat those pictures?

This is a beautiful book to look at with really fantastic art by Daniel and Siqueira.

But the relationship this book is built on still reads all wrong, like two people who don't understand each other at all, who are on opposite ends of the spectrum on some basic ideology, and who just seem uncomfortable with each other when they aren't embracing.

I do think the Zod/Faora relationship at least allows some sort of foil to be set up, some sort of mirror for the main characters to look at and wonder. In some ways, while malevolent, I bet Zod and Faora have truer feeling for each other.

Overall grade: B (raised a bit by the art)

Review: Superman/Wonder Woman #3

From the beginning, I have felt that the Superman/Wonder Woman romance was wrong for both characters. I didn't think it suited either of them or was consistent with more classic interpretations of either Clark or Diana. I wasn't 100% closed to the idea but I knew it would take something spectacular, something new, to make me think this was right for either of them.

With that in mind and knowing that the first arc was going to redefine the Phantom Zone villains, I decided to add Superman/Wonder Woman to my pull list. I would give the book a shot to see if writer Charles Soule could sway me. Besides, I knew already that I enjoyed Tony Daniel's art. At the very least, it would be a beautiful book to look at.

Superman/Wonder Woman #3 came out this week and like the first two issues, the characterization of the characters seems just a bit off. They don't seem comfortable with each other. This relationship feels somewhat forced. And the characterization of the two doesn't jibe with me. Now don't get me wrong, there are a couple of nice moments in the book. And the art is stunning. But this Diana is a far cry from the God of War in her solo title. And this Superman seems to eager to distance himself from humanity. And then they seem to pick the oddest time to get amorous and frisky. Maybe this is the early stage of any relationship, where passion seems stronger than love?

Anyways, unless things change, I don't know if there is going to be a second arc in my collection.

The book opens with Cat Grant finally opening up the flash drive that was sent to ClarkCatropolis. On the stuck are pictures of Superman and Wonder Woman kissing.

This is exactly the sort of publicity that the small start up blog needs. So it will be interesting to see how Clark (who wants the relationship to remain a secret) responds. Will he try to bury the story, make it a non-story, or spin it in a way he wants?

This is one of those times that having a dual identity is troublesome.

Let's start the guesses on who sent the drive. Who would be able to even get those pics? Luthor? It would give him pleasure to put Clark against Superman in a news war. That's all about I got.

One of my complaints about this book is the sort of uneven characterization Soule puts into the book. I also question how healthy this relationship is.

First the good part. Overpowered by the Apollo sunburst, Superman can barely control himself. He huddles down on the moon trying to burn off some of his energy. He talks to Batman during the process. One thing I liked about this was Batman's assessment of Superman here. Okay, calling him a dumb farmboy might be over the top. But the idea that it is the 'man' and not the 'Super' that defines Superman is how I think of the character. He is considers himself someone who can help more than the average person can. I like that.

But the bad part is that Soule thinks that Diana feels above everyone on the planet. She has 'no connection' to the world of everyday folks and that is problematic. Frankly, that just reads completely wrong to me. I wonder if Diana fans feel even more irritated by that than me.

Lastly, Superman tells Batman that he doesn't want Diana to know about his problem with the sun energy. Not exactly the openness I might want in a relationship. Isn't early to hide things from each other?

So the strong men talk about the ways of the world.

Diana gets to stroll around town talking about what gift she should get Clark for Christmas.

This also seemed off. I suppose if the prior scene was Clark and Bruce doing the same I might be able to deal with it more, contrasting the 'ordinariness' of it. But having Diana stress over buying her boyfriend a gift seems to denigrate her.

Now last issue ended with Zod breaking through onto Earth, in the desert.

Here is seems insane at first, screaming insensibly, trying to fly, and then cruelly stomping a passerby into a bloody pulp and smearing the man's blood on his face.

I talk about the over the top nature of comics these days and this is a good example. We know Zod is a bad guy. I don't know if this scene added anything to my understanding of his character. That is the definition of gratuitous.

The Justice League of America shows up to investigate the incursion onto our world. It was nice to see Vibe and Hawkman try their best against him. I also think that the 'breach' idea tied in nicely with Vibe's title.

And sorry to all the Martian Manhunter fans out there as he is used as a measuring stick character again. Zod is already powerful enough to lay J'Onn out.

Then Superman and Wonder Woman arrive together and Zod is trapped within the coils of the magic lasso.

But, in my mind, things start to unravel a bit. Zod suddenly starts to speak calmly and claims that he was confused by his surroundings.

Of course, the blood he smeared on his face isn't there any more. Because that might be tough to explain.

And what about the place of his actual incursion ... remember the spikes perforating and slaughtering the caravan? And how about that poor nomad stomped to death? Did the JLA track him from his entrance onto Earth or did they just stumble onto him?

The point is all the evidence of him being a brutally violent man is simply erased or ignored. If Superman saw the pulped man in the desert, he might have a different attitude towards Zod.

And then these panels, probably my least favorite ones in the issue. Just pages after Soule reminds us that Superman is more man than Super, Superman decides that he wants to distance himself from mankind. When the JLA asks to take Zod in, Superman says he remembers what 'the government does to his people', a reference to Action Comics #2, an event that happened 5 years ago in continuity. He is worried what Earth will do to Zod! Daniel cloaks him in shadows and silhouettes kicking up the darkness in Superman.

Is this really Superman? Is this the Superman DC wants? Someone who distrusts mankind to the point of flaring up with anger at other heroes? What happened to Batman's 'dumb farmboy'??? This whole thing is completely wrong.

So Wonder Woman's characterization is off. And now Superman's characterization is off.

Superman brings Zod to the Fortress and puts him in a zoo cage until things can get sorted out. Superman tells Wonder Woman that the cage cannot be broken out of, even by someone of Kal's power levels.

Let's say that Soule needed Zod in the Fortress as a plot point.Couldn't he have had Superman say in the last scene that he would take Zod because he had something strong enough to hold him as opposed to isolating himself from humanity?

And doesn't this seem like a recipe for disaster, taking someone to your top secret headquarters filled with your secrets?

And then the most awkward bizarre ending. Wonder Woman decides that now is the right time to give Clark his Christmas gift ... the gift of time, a time where they can just be with each other and not worry about the world. It leads to some in air passionate kisses.

But ... really? Is it the right time for 'time'? The script could have read like this.

Diana: Hey Clark, I know you just got into a heated argument with the Justice League, discovered there is a third survivor from your doomed world, and have imprisoned him in your sanctuary, but ... let's go french kiss!

Clark: Perfect timing!

I can't believe that she thinks it is the right time for this tryst. And I can't believe that he agrees with her!

What would the really life equivalent be?

Normal Diana: Hey Clark, I know your long lost thought dead relative just showed up and is staying in your house. And I know you just got into an argument with your friends. But let's go make out!

Normal Clark: Perfect timing!

It just felt like a forced element to show the two embracing again. Luckily we don't gaze on their snogging too long. The news of their relationship has broken and Clark hears the world debating it!

So there is a lot of stuff in this issue that I simply have a hard time with. The odd characterization of the main two characters is the biggest. But the lack of investigation on Zod's appearance on Earth also was glossed over.

I will again say, I am loving the art of Tony Daniel here. Beautiful.

Overall grade: C/C-