Review: DC Comics Bombshells #6

DC Comics Bombshells #6 came out last week and was another fabulous issue in what has been a fantastic run. I have said all along that this Elseworlds look has been surprisingly engaging and interesting. In this issue, writer Marguerite Bennett continues to give us a nice mix of action, humor, historical significance, and randy fun.

But for me, the best part of this issue is that it feels like the characters are finally starting to move in a way that will bring them all together soon. While I like hopping from one character's story to another (the diverse locales and characters are a strength of the book), I am eagerly awaiting the 'Justice League' moment when they are united against a common foe.

The art in this issue really sparkles. Ming Doyle continues to give us a noirish look at Batwoman's adventures in Germany. That style complements the story very well. The rest of the issue is drawn by Maria Laura Sanopo and Sandy Jarrell. They both bring a very clean style to the page. All of the characters are just beautiful. The style is so lovely that I wouldn't mind seeing either doing all the pages of an issue!

The book opens with several gorgeous pages of Mera stopping some Nazi U-boats which are manned by the Tenebrau inky zombies we have seen cropping up in the last few issues.

Mera is one of my favorite characters in the book. She is fun and fresh and just seems to love life. While just as driven as the other Bombshells, Mera also seems to enjoy what she does. It doesn't hurt that she sings to gain access to her powers.

Here, called Aquawoman (love it!), she boards an American destroyer, bringing cheer and hope to the crew. They all love her but more importantly respect her. They don't hit on her, despite her summery outfit, instead showing her pictures of the significant others they have left behind.

Again, Jarrell really shines here. This page is just eye-melting gorgeous. There is something akin to Darwyn Cooke in that first panel.

The R&R on the cruiser is interrupted by the arrival of Stargirl and Supergirl whose path for defecting takes them right over the fleet. Mera skirmishes with the two Russians and briefly gains the upper hand. But before Mera can further pound on Kara, Stargirl steps in the middle. She won't let anyone hurt her sister.

Despite that breezy exterior, we know that Mera is hiding something from her past. In silhouette, we see someone about to get run through with a spear. My guess is that Bennett is going to bring in Siren, Mera's sister, and have her be killed. Who could be the killer? Arthur? Orm?

But adding this deeper background to the 'fun one' ramps up my interest in the character. Is she ignoring that event? Is the fun personality a facade?

Meanwhile, in Germany, Kate has decided to don the Batwoman outfit and go out adventuring. I thought this was supposed to be an undercover mission? It seems odd that she would want to do anything out in the open which might jeopardize the bigger strategy.

While in the Batwoman gear, she disables some tanks. She then runs into some resistance fighters who play in a band including the Huntress. This Helena plays the cello, shoots a crossbow, and is a German opposed to Nazi rule. Kate loves her spirit and decides to take her on as an ally/sidekick only if Huntress will be trained. I like the addition of Huntress but I would have liked it more if she was an Italian opposed to Mussolini, leaning on her traditional origin.

It might be an overread, but the panel focusing on Kate's shoes as she talks about the Holocaust was quietly powerful. The image of piles of shoes is so evocative of this tragedy that showing us Kate's shoes and knowing she is Jewish, all while she talks about the horror in Germany at the time was a gut punch.

But after that heaviness, Bennett gives us a little laugh.

Selina and Lex arrive in their motor car to whisk both Kate and Huntress away.

As a joke, Kate asks if it is a rescue or an invite for a menage a trois. The panels of Lex and Selina considering it are perfect. Kate may have been going for a laugh but they're into it! In particular, Lex's look in the second panel is perfect.

Like I said above, there is some bawdy fun in this book.

And then we get game changer. Lex has some Kryptonite. He wants this to be a human war.

I still don't know if I can count Lex amongst the good guys.

The rest of the issue is Bennett and Jarrell moving the pieces on the chess board, bringing everybody together a bit closer.

On the cruiser, Supergirl and Stargirl join the Bombshells and agree to work for Amanda Waller to defend their country. They won't don the stars and stripes though. They are loyal to Russia. They will change their colors though, aligning themselves more with the Allies.

I love that smiling Supergirl.

Meanwhile, Diana and Steve Trevor have been arrested for mutiny after they ignored General Lane's orders to kill the prisoners of war.

Deciding she can no longer follow Lane, Diana uses her powers to break out. Diana is something of a wild card now. She'll need to link up with the Bombshells soon.

And Harley and Ivy are racing through France towards Germany, killing any Nazi they have the luck of running across (or over).

Everyone seems to be on the move towards the front. It can only be a matter of time before they all get together.

The last part of the book focuses on Zatanna. I get a complete kick out of Rabbit John Constantine. (Who rolls those tiny cigarettes for him?).

John tries to inspire Zatanna to break away from the Joker's Daughter. Zatanna has been blackmailed and forced to work for the Nazis because she fears for her life and her family's. But John tells her that her magic dwarfs what the Joker's Daughter can do.

Zatanna is the only character who seems to be in the same place at the end of this issue. But that is okay. We get a lot of backstory and character moments for her here.

All these pages are by Maria Laura Sanapo and Marc Deering and everyone is just fresh, strong, and beautiful. The art sings here, working with the words.

So I continue to love this book. It is a guilty pleasure, an Elseworlds based on statues of scantily clad characters. But Bennett brings so much more to the table. This is a nice romp.

Overall grade: A

Even More More Convergence

DC just announced week 4 of the Convergence event meaning we know everything coming out that month. We know the titles. And, as usual, some of the titles announced are intriguing to a veteran reader like me. This week is all pre-Crisis universes. The titles were announced over the web but Newsarama has all the solicits here: http://www.newsarama.com/22861-dc-s-convergence-week-four-pre-crisis-multiverse-is-back-baby.html

For the first time, there is no book starring Supergirl. But as I said, there are a couple that look like fun.

ACTION COMICS
Writer: Justin Gray
Artists: Claude St-Aubin and Sean Parsons
Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski
Superman teams up with Power Girl, but can they stop a nuclear strike from Lex Luthor and Stalin of Red Son Moscow?

Nothing like some old-fashioned Earth-2 fun between Kal-L and Kara Zor-L. I especially like the original scoop neck shirt on Power Girl. And seeing the Daily Star building always brings a smile.

I like Justin Gray's work and Claude St. Aubin was strong on R.E.B.E.L.S. so this one sounds good all around.

SHAZAM
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Evan “Doc” Shaner
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
It’s Shazam versus Steampunk, as the world of Gotham By Gaslight takes on the Captain Marvel family and friends.

This book, featuring the Marvel Family, is the Convergence book I am most excited about. Parker, Shaner, and Bellaire are killing it on Flash Gordon right now so I can't wait to see their take on these characters. And seeing an old-school Marvel Family is great. I am a big fan of Captain Marvel Jr!

DETECTIVE COMICS
Writer: Len Wein
Artists: Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz
Colorist: Felix Serrano
Helena Wayne and Dick Grayson fight side by side in memory of Bruce Wayne as they decide who will become the next Batman. 

Lastly, while I am not a huge Bat-family reader, I am a Huntress fan. So seeing this Helena Wayne is fantastic. And Len Wein is writing! Perfect. But as a fan of the O'Neil Question book, I think the Cowan/Sienkiewicz art team is going to shine!

Review: Worlds' Finest #25

Worlds' Finest #25 came out last week and was the last issue with the 'old' theme of Huntress and Power Girl stranded on Prime Earth. We know that the weekly Worlds' End book is coming up, redefining Earth 2, is right around the corner. And I am pretty sure that I don't think I will be following along. I might wait and see.

And so in some ways, this is a sort of eulogy for this book. This might be the last time I do an in-depth review for the title. And in some ways this is a 'perfect' issue to close on as it sort of embodies much of the problems I have had with Paul Levitz' run. From the semi-caricature personalities of the characters, to the 'treading water' overall feel of lack of progression on the book, to the deus ex machina sudden leaps in progression that the book takes, this has been an uneven book. At least in this issue, the two characters are together! All to often, Levitz split them up.

The sad thing is I was so excited for this book when it was announced! Huntress and Power Girl, two of my favorites, starring in their own book! With art by George Perez and Kevin Maguire! With a E2 history as Robin and Supergirl!! It seemed perfect.

One thing I will say about this issue is that the art by Tyler Kirkham is lusciously beautiful. There is a faint whiff of fan service. But overall, this is light years better than the uneven efforts of RB Silva over the last year.

And please don't dwell on the cover as nothing even remotely close to this happens in the book.

So farwell to this book and farewell to Prime Earth ...

The issue opens up with a relatively 'slash fiction' scene. That, in and of itself, is interesting. Imagine if DC had these two become a couple! But it occasionally goes over the top in its feel. And part of that is this rather odd characterization of Power Girl has having an overwhelmingly voracious sexual appetite. I know ... there is nothing wrong with that. But remember she was going to get busy in the Hadron collider after meeting the guy a few minute prior as the heroes were investigating a way home. I don't know if her sensual needs should trump all priorities.

Knowing they are leaving Prime Earth forever, Karen has spent the night partying. She comes in so barely dressed that Helena says it is the 'flight of shame' and that Karen is dressed like 'the entertainment' (I assume she means a stripper). Power Girl dressed like a stripper and doing the flight of shame? Really?

Again, this one personality trait has overwhelmed the character at points making her feel one-dimensional.

Am I over-thinking this? Can I have her be independent and in control of her body and free-spirited without overdoing it?

Meanwhile Helena has decided that she would have extra helpings of the sweets this Earth has to offer. We see her very sensually eating a cupcake with so much tongue I thought she was going to lick her eyebrows clean.

And some of that slashiness comes in here as we see Helena watching Karen move in and out of the shower and then pins Karen's towel to the wall.

Remember way back when Helena survived radiation exposure and I wondered if Levitz was subtly showing that she had manifested powers. I am still wondering that here as she flicks the fork and embeds it in the wall, cracking it.

If Helena was having extra helpings of sweets, Karen's extra helpings were the men she was 'close to'. She wants to send them each a letter.

Look at that pile of letters!

How many is that?

I just don't know. Seems insane.

Once showered and dressed, the heroes walk around Boston, taking it in one last time before they head home. There are a couple of things that I think are worth noting here.

One, how insane is it that Earth Prime is the 'safer world' in the DCU when it feels so unrelentingly dark. That makes me depressed. Not that Earth Prime can't be safer than Earth 2 overall. But that this world, as bleak and grim as it is, is considered safer.

Second, Helena worries that she simply isn't tough enough to survive Earth 2. Is this foreshadowing for some tragic ending in the crisis of Worlds' End?

Desaad is still stuck on Prime Earth and he knows that the heroes are close to crossing over and so he decides to break into Karen's facility to try to hijack a way home too.

He seems drawn to Dr. Spears, who he ran into last month as well.

Helena and Karen's walk brings them to the lab just in time to hear the yells of Spears and the workers.

I include this page only to showcase how wonderful Kirkham's art is. That is a powerful Power Girl smashing through the wall. Just beautiful.

And then this silly moment ... almost out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Power Girl punches Desaad so hard that he gets stuck in the ceiling.

Too silly?

The book ends with the heroes flying through the portal, getting back to Earth 2, only to discover Boston in flames and ruin. I don't read Earth 2 so I don't know if this makes sense. Can I also say that this final trip back to Earth 2 felt a little anticlimactic? We have heard how they struggled over 5 years to try to find any tech that might help. And then suddenly, basically not from their own endeavors but by copying a villain, they suddenly put it all together in 2 issues.

Maybe I have been too hard on this book, on Levitz and his characterization, on the lack of progression on the book, on the rough art that has been on the pages for a while. Maybe it is because I love the characters so much I wanted so much more.

But I don't think I will miss this book once it isn't on my pull list.

And I never thought I would say that about a Power Girl or a Huntress book.

Overall grade: B (raised a full grade because of the wonderful art)

Review: Batman/Superman #12

Batman/Superman #12 came out last week, a sort of coda to the First Contact storyline that ran through this book and Worlds' Finest a couple of months ago. Writer Greg Pak continues to delve deeper into the crossover with Earth 2 that happened in this book's first arc. The differences between the younger, brasher Earth 1 heroes and the veteran, seasoned Earth 2 versions is great grist for the storytelling mill so I am glad to see Pak going back and exploring these things.

This time we see the Earth 1 heroes brought back to the pre-Darkseid invasion of Earth 2 and given a sort of Monkey's Paw wish. Will Superman and Batman do something rash, on a personal level, and regret the outcome? Or will they act more like their older versions?

The cover might be by Jae Lee but the internal art is by Ken Lashley and Tom Raney. The art is fine. But Lee's book is a big reason why I like this book. With the incredible delays that subsequent issues are suffering, I wonder if Lee can keep up.

Meeting Huntress and Power Girl has jogged the memories of Superman and Batman enough that they remember their jaunt to Earth 2 and more importantly remember Kaiyo, the chaos-bringer. You may recall that at the end of that adventure, Kaiyo was 'impressed' with the darker and riskier behavior by the Earth 1 versions of Superman and Batman. If anyone would have a chance to ultimately defeat Darkseid, it would have to be heroes willing to cross a line.

That recollection brings Kaiyo to Earth 1 where she gives our heroes the opportunity to change history. She brings the Earth 2 at the time of the Darkseid invasion and says they each can intercede once. Where and when is their choice.

It is the age-old question, would you go back in time and change something/change someone never knowing if things could be worse as a result.

I have really loved Greg Pak on Action Comics as I think he has a fantastic grasp of Superman. His Clark really acts the way I want the character to act. And we see some of that here.

Look at the longing in his face in the second panel as he sees his parents alive. He aches as they have small talk. If there is one part of the Superman mythos that has been underplayed, underrepresented in the New 52 Superman, it has been the impact the Kents had on him.

Pak finally is showing us more and more of it. The attitude, the outlook ... it is classic. So I appreciated this scene.

Parademons swarm the farm and just as the E1 Superman is about to use his 'wish' to save them, the E2 Superman shows up and does it instead. That's right, the E2 Superman had deep love for his family and rushed to save them.

And then we see some of that Kent wisdom ... being given by Ma!

'Superman' is too big to be worrying about two old folks. Superman needs to save the world, not just his parents. It is a simple but hard lesson. The good of the many ...

But it also speaks about who Clark learned to be. Your own wants sometimes need to be suppressed so you can help others. The right decisions are sometimes the tough decisions. It isn't easy to do the right things sometimes.

This is modern comics. There needs to be a little pathos, a little darkness, a little fallibility in our heroes.

While Superman was saving his parents, Parademons invaded Metropolis. In that fight, Lois (while hoping Superman would show up) was killed.

I don't know if I want this layer of guilt to be slathered on the E2 Superman but there is no doubt it is powerful. It also shows how a simple decision can have drastic and far-reaching ramifications.

Will these scenes resonate with our E1 Superman. Will he wonder again if he was meant to be with Lois?

Meanwhile, and much more interestingly, Batman actually uses his 'wish' to save Alfred. Hmmm ... Batman making an emotional choice? That is fascinating!

It comes down to the final assault as we saw in Earth 2#1. The E1 Superman shadows the Earth 2 Batman knowing his viral download is what stops the Apokiliptian invasion. And Superman holds back from saving Diana ... from saving his doppelganger.

I would have liked a little more about his watching Diana die given the current Superman/Wonder Woman romance in the DCU. What is it like to see the woman you love die? But it is glossed over.

I suppose for someone like me ... who doesn't quite understand the romance to begin with ... it is a double edged sword. I am trying to understand their relationship and some emotion at seeing this Diana die might have helped cement it a little more. But since I don't agree with the romance, I am also glad to see it glossed over.

And then we see who Superman saves. Helena was about to die in a fiery crash when our Superman does what he knows Bruce would want him to do. He saves her, sending her through the boom tube to Earth 1.

I think this choice speaks volumes about who Superman is. This is great.

Despite Kaiyo's promises, despite their intercessions, the outcome in this world is exactly the same. And Batman thinks that is the best outcome. As a reader of many time travel stories, I agree.

This isn't what Kaiyo was hoping for.

So we get a 'clean slate' next month ... whatever that means.

What does it mean, in general, that Kaiyo ... a chaos demon ... thinks our heroes are poised to cross some sort of line? It sort of sums up my issues with the New 52.

Anyways, I like that Pak has them act like heroes, even being sentimental a bit. I thought this was a decent issue. I certainly liked the Superman scenes with the Kents and saving Helena. That is who I want my Superman to be. But it didn't seem to have the same weight as past issues, especially the Jae Lee ones.

Overall grade: B

Review: Worlds' Finest #24

Worlds' Finest #24 came out last week and I sighed and bought it.

In my mind, I will stop collecting this book as soon as the Worlds' End weekly comes out. I don't think I will need to read a crossover with Earth 2 and certainly not on a weekly basis.

But as a result, there is a sort of fatalism with this book. There has always been a sort of lack of energy with this book, with writer Paul Levitz struggling putting together any momentum or growth with the characters. And now that I am pretty sure I am dropping the book, there is even less energy in me to read the book. And those two things together make the faults of the book stand out even more.

One thing that Levitz has struggled with all along has been putting the two heroes together in an adventure. I am sure it isn't easy to write a story where a Kryptonian and a well-trained human can face one enemy. But ... people have written Batman and Superman stories for decades. In this issue, Levitz again keeps the two heroes apart ... in any way possible.

The art here is done by Scott McDaniel alone. McDaniel had been doing breakdowns for RB Silva the last several issues. Here he gets to do it all. And I have to say, McDaniel on his own is much better than Silva working with his setups.

But the real winner here is the cover by Barry Kitson. Trust me, this representation of Power Girl working in a Kirby-krackled reactor is way way more interesting than the actual story behind it. I love Kitson's style and wonder why he isn't on a monthly right now.

Last issue, Desaad plunged Boston into a blackout giving some low-level terrorists the opportunity to steal some radioactive material from MIT. After taking a hostage, one terrorist is able to escape the Huntress' wrath.

But, in a 1960's Spiderman move, Huntress throws a tracer on the car the terrorist has hijacked. This doesn't seem old school. This feels archaic.

And it felt sad that a thug with a gun and a hostage is able to outwit and escape The Huntress. Isn't she tougher than this? And remember, he is carrying a couple of jars of plutonium (or something like that)! Shouldn't she really be on the top of her game and simply take this guy out?

Huntress does have the good sense to call Power Girl to see if she can help. Remember, this guy is running around with the stuff to get a dirty bomb built. We should call in the big guns.

But, again, Levitz keeps the heroes apart. Because Power Girl would be able to too easily apprehend and stop this guy. So to keep her away, Levitz has her acting as a turbine to restart the Seabrook Nuclear plant which stopped working because of Desaad. If Boston is going to get power again, this needs to be restarted.

I don't know exactly how nuclear plants work but this also felt a bit off. Do we really need to crank something to get fission going?

And lastly, to have her singing a song about boys buying her drinks (to the tune of '100 bottles of beer on the wall') is groan-worthy. Doesn't Karen deserve better than this?

Undaunted by needing to work solo, Huntress tracks the terrorist. He drives into a tunnel, abandons the car, and heads to ground. He also dumps his hostage, Tanya Sharp the scientist from STARR Ware that I think is possessed by Desaad.

Sharp has been shot in the shoulder but continues to want to help. The Huntress wants Sharp to stay put and out of danger.

Now I don't know just how long this chase has happened. The beginning of the issue, with the terrorist on the bridge, is clearly nighttime. The blackout occurred in the night. Now Huntress comes out of the tunnel and it is clearly morning. And morning enough that the park she enters is pretty well populated by joggers. That also felt off.

And then, the Huntress is forced to use rocks she has picked up to use as weapons. She disarms the man by throwing a rock at his gun hand. While it is fine to hear that part of Huntress' training from the E2 Batman was to use anything on hand. But ... rocks? Are you telling me she doesn't have darts, shurikens, ANYTHING hidden in the pouches, gloves, and boots of her costume?

Meanwhile, Power Girl has restarted the turbine!

But we can't have her join the fight in the park because she would put an end to it. So now she has to slowly replace the control rods in another section of the reactor. So let's keep the pair of heroes apart even longer! This whole plot seemed a little forced as if it only seems to happen to keep Power Girl here.

To add to matters, the head scientist worries that Power Girl won't be gentle enough in her repair. And Power Girl worries she might not be truly invulnerable against this radiation.

Is this some way to depower her for the return to E2?

Finally, Huntress is able to get an upper hand on this bozo.

Of course, in the brawl, he lets the nuclear material slip out of his hand. And he had loosened the cap too!

I just don't know. This is a guy with no training at all! Just some creep. And he has kept Huntress at bay for an issue. And she is sloppy enough in her fight that she let's deadly radioactive material slip from his hand! And she is more intent on giving him a right cross to the jaw than to stop a deadly spill.

Shouldn't she have taken this guy out in one panel? Would Batman be stymied by this guy this long?

Thankfully, Sharp has followed along and was able to cap the jar after only a drop hit the ground.

So was she exposed to this stuff when she put the lid on? I suppose seeing a 'normal' person acting the hero and being selfless is a nice lesson to put in the book. But if it needs to happen because Huntress wasn't paying attention ... that isn't good.

And just in time, Power Girl shows up and is able to fly the two where they need to go. Because Power Girl can't show up earlier without throwing a wrench into the story.

The time has come for a shake-up in this book. It just seems that Levitz is having a hard time with this cast and putting together a story for both Power Girl and Huntress. I find it surprising given he was able to juggle a huge cast with a wide array of powers for so long in the Legion.

McDaniel's art is a bit rough but not as distorted as the recent fare by Silva. I do know Tyler Kirkham is coming on the book soon. And judging by some previews he has put up on Twitter the book will look slick.

But I am counting down here ... unless something dramatically changes.

Overall grade: C+

Review: Worlds' Finest #23

Worlds' Finest #23 came out last week and, I have to admit, was a decent issue. I have been less than complimentary over the last year or so. My main complaint with the book has been the lack of progression in any sense. The characters of Huntress and Power Girl have been stagnant. There has been little to no growth in these characters as written by Paul Levitz. And there has been ample opportunity for growth. The First Contact storyline should have been a goldmine to really delve deep into Helena and Karen. But instead it simply ended.

The growing ennui I have with this title was increased when I heard about the weekly 'Earth 2 war' or whatever that book is. I'm not going to get that weekly as I have very little interest in the goings-on in the Earth 2 book. If these Power Girl and Huntress, two characters I have cared for, get enmeshed in that nonsense I might be out completely.

Ironically, I do think that this book is heading away from Earth 1 and finally back to Earth 2. And it is this presumed change in the book that made this one of the better issues for this title. Because, for once, it felt like the book was moving somewhere. This isn't a great issue by any means. But it is better. And that is a good thing.

The art here is split between usual artist RB Silva, whose work is slightly more refined than usual and Yildiray Cinar who continues to put out great work. And the cover by Barry Kitson is fantastic.

That progress, that momentum is evident immediately from the opening page. Here is Karen, at Starr Labs one remaining, using her super-strength in front of all of her workers. It is going to be hard to reverse course from this. In fact, Karen almost challenges the group. She needs there brains to create a portal to Earth 2, maybe recreate the one Gamorra made last month. If they want to sell the story to the media, they should go ahead.

I have to say that this was something of a shock to the system. I was actually excited, intrigued by this. I also like that after years of trying to get back home, Karen is going to take the bull by the horns. It fits her more impetuous personality. And given she now knows it can be done, I can understand her throwing caution a bit to the wind.

One thing that Levitz has done throughout is play up the sexy nature of Karen, having her costume get shredded repeatedly and letting her devour men at a rapid pace. It became almost a one trick pony, the dominating aspect of the character being her 'boy crazy'. As I have said, I don't mind Power Girl being something of a free spirit and in control of her sexuality. But I don't think it should be the only thing we see of her.

Nor do I think she would tolerate lecherous behavior such as we see here by her underling Gerhard.

She asks him to 'check her out', meaning how she has hooked up the components of her gateway device. Of course, 'check her out' can be construed differently, and RB Silva plays that up with Karen thrusting her chest out. And yes, Gerhard is practically drooling as stares at her miniskirt.

I don't know ... I just think Power Girl would call him out on it. For a character meant to be a liberated hero from her very first appearance, I can't believe she would let this happen.

In case you forgot ... which I had ... Desaad is actually a major villain in this book. He is trapped on Earth 1 too.

He somehow senses that Power Girl is setting something up in Boston and so decides to add some chaos to the mix. Nothing like a city-wide blackout to stir up trouble.

There isn't much explanation as to how he knows what she is doing but I guess I have to roll with it.

At least he times the blackout with Karen hitting the on switch making her think this is her doing. Realizing the city is tearing itself apart during the blackout, she dons her Power Girl togs and heads out to do some heroing! At least we have that!

As for Huntress, she is breaking into MIT to 'borrow' some download codes. I have to figure that 'borrowing' means stealing here.

I am so conflicted about this. If I complain about Superboy robbing banks, shouldn't I be as upset with Helena skimming millions of Bruce Wayne and grabbing technology from MIT? Where is the line between info-gathering and stealing drawn?

As luck would have it, she also happens to be at MIT when the blackout happens. And as she starts to leave, she finds evidence that maybe some more wrong doing is happening.

And she finds it. Three would-be terrorists trying to steal radioactive material from an experimental reactor to create dirty bombs.

But here is something interesting. Despite the blackness in the building, Helena is able to see clearly. And she thanks her mother for her 'cat's eyes'. Does this Huntress have some type of vision powers? Did the Earth 2 Catwoman have powers?

And earlier in this series we heard Helena thank her mother for her 'claws'. I those were modified gloves. But does Helena have retractable claws too?

Of course, this being the New 52, Power Girl gets immediately fired upon by the military who have been called in to stabilize the city. Sort of sad that heroes aren't recognized as heroes anymore. And Karen isn't helping matters by smashing army vehicle.

A couple of things to notice in this scene.

One, once again we get a shredded Power Girl uniform.

Two, I was glad to see Power Girl tell the Army to call Amanda Waller to vouch for her. Remember, Power Girl was recently in Suicide Squad working for Waller. So this nod to continuity was appreciated.

But the biggest thing to notice was that the soldier who blasted Power Girl with an RPG is named Krull. This can't be happenstance. Benjamin Krull is the name of Reactron! An army infantryman in a city with an experimental radioactive reactor named Krull?! We are going to see a new Reactron.

You heard it here first!

And in another interesting wrinkle, Desaad manifests himself on the streets of Boston and seems to possess Tanya Sharp, a scientist working for Power Girl.

Why she would hit the streets in the middle of a riot I can't fathom. But she at least has the courage to seemingly confront Desaad. But there seems to be something more here. I think he has somehow taken her.

Having an embedded Desaad in Starr Labs would be a nice subplot.

And things get interesting with the Huntress. She is able to take down 2 of the 3 terrorists. But the last one isn't going to go down easily. And in another bit of comic serendipity, Huntress forces him off the road right where Tanya is standing. (Why would she be out in a riot anyways?? Sorry.)

It sets up a semi-cliffhanger.

But the most interesting thing in this panel is the next issue blurb. 'Open Sesame'? Sounds like a door will be opened ... maybe back to Earth 2.

So this book seems to be moving towards some sort of major flux. With the sudden inclusion of 'Helena Bertinelli' in the Nightwing/Grayson book, that might be one Helena too many for this world. I have to think that the Worlds' Finest pair are heading back to Earth 2. I wonder if this shakeup will also include a new creative team.

Still, for the first time in a while, I felt like there was some momentum here. We are moving towards something. Now I felt this way at the beginning of First Contact ... so I guess we'll have to see how all this ends.

But as a Supergirl fan, the idea of a new Reactron may have pushed this book up half a grade.

Overall grade: B

Review: Batman/Superman #9

Last week, Batman/Superman #9 came out, finally giving fans the chance to read the misplaced chapter of First Contact. I have to say that I had very high hopes for this arc, hoping it would jostle Worlds' Finest out of the perpetual slumber it is in. This should have been something historic, with Huntress and Power Girl meeting the Earth 1 doppelgangers of their Earth 2 family. There should be new relationships and long-standing consequences.

Instead, in the finale, we got a lackluster ending with the two pairs of heroes seemingly going in opposite directions. In another DCU, the four would walk out with arms around each other, welcoming everyone into a hero community and confirming they are 'family'. But not in the New 52.

Knowing the ending, it was somewhat hard to get revved up for this chapter, put in my hands a month after the story ended. That said, this issue had 2 things going for it. One, Greg Pak seems to have a grasp of all four characters, at least based on the first part of this storyline. Second, Jae Lee's art is truly dreamy. He brings a sort of otherworldly feel to the story. I know there aren't many backgrounds. I don't care. The foreground is fantastic.

There are a couple of easy answers to some plot turns here. But overall, this was a fine chapter of the arc. If I had read this in the right order, I might have been truly excited for the finale. That may have left me even more disappointed.

Going back 2 months, to the end of Worlds' Finest #20, Superman -both overpowered by nanites and underpowered by a Kryptonite necklace - and Huntress are trying to infiltrate New Gamorra as tourists, trying to figure out what Kaizan has planned and why he is interfering with Kryptonian lives.

Realizing that he needs some extra help to overcome the nanites, Superman asks the Toyman to illegaly send into Gamorra some tech to help out. I worry that the Toyman might become a deus ex machina, able to come up with a tech solution for everything.

But I love how Superman notes that Pa Kent might not be too happy about this bending of the rules. I agree, Pa would raise an eyebrow.

In this instance, Huntress has to be the main physical presence as Superman is both weakened and out of control. I love how Superman is impressed, saying that she is clearly Batman's daughter. We know the respect he has for Batman ... so this is high praise.

But I love this panel, a nice example of Lee's art. There is a sort of jagged kinetic feel here, Helena's hair and wrap almost alive as she pinwheels through the troops. Her leg seems too long for her body ... but it looks right, bringing this fantastical feel to the proceedings. The tree in the background looks hellish, alien. And the tiny gun in midair in the corner as Helena breaks a wrist is perfect. Her hair appears like tentacles almost trying to grab the pistol. Just beautiful.

Meanwhile, Power Girl is battling Kaizen's artificial Kryptonian-gened soldiers.

Much like Huntress' sentiments in the last scene, here Batman doesn't want Power Girl fighting. He fears her powers might still lurch out of control. He also, to be frank, doesn't trust Karen even if her abilities are in control. But these aren't standard infantry. Despite them being super-powered, Batman wants to be the one to deal with them.

This is a classic Power Girl response and I loved it. She isn't going to back down and kowtow to Batman's wishes. She is going to bash some heads, grumbling about his attitude as she does it. I chuckled at the Yosemite Sam-like 'stupid macho rassin' frassin'

Part of Batman's mistrust is born from his vague recollections of his first trip to Earth 2 in the premiere arc of this title.

I look at the pre-Darkseid Earth 2 heroes as more classic, immutable heroes. What I saw of the Earth 2 Superman in flashbacks in early Earth 2, Worlds' Finest, and here in Batman/Superman makes me think that Kal is just a great beloved inspirational hero.

This Batman thinks the Earth 2 Superman is arrogant, insanely powerful, and dangerous. It shows the tenor of the Prime Earth universe (although Batman has been a paranoid control freak for a couple of decades now).

 Meanwhile, the Huntress brawl temporarily knocked the Kryptonite of Superman. Surging with power, it took some self-control for him to put the K-necklace back on.

There is a nice bluntness to Huntress' response that reminded me of classic Helena. "Suck it up." Heck, she doesn't have powers and she is clearly running the show here. Her lines also sounded very much like Batman which resonated as well.

Even Superman thinks she sounds like Batman. But, maybe with some disgust, she distances E1's Batman from her dad. Does she think there are more differences than similarities between the Bruces?

Her comments jog Superman's memories, bringing back some recollections of his time on Earth 2. Much like Batman, Superman's take on the Earth 2 hero is fascinating . He calls that Batman stranger and darker even though he seemed pretty classic to me.

Lee's art is wonderful here as well. Helena's slightly pursed lips show that hint of disgust/sourness. The Batman here seems demonic ... more Etrigan than Batman. And Superman being in the dark implies he is grasping a bit. He is 'in the dark' as it were. Great!

 And here is why I love Pak on Superman. Clark seems to know that the E2 heroes died. And he didn't save them. And it pains him.

Listen to this sentiment. 'Everyday, whatever happens ... it's my fault.' That is a heavy burden to carry. But it speaks about how high Superman holds himself. It shows why we should be inspired by him. Try to be like him. Help him.

I hope Pak gets to stay on this character as long as he wants.

 Toyman's package arrives by drone. And it is something of a easy answer. Somehow this prototype for a multi-environment theme park is able to block the frequency turning on the nanites. Now garbed in this robot-looking suit (complete with creepy blank facemask), Superman is in control and can join in the fray.  Too easy?

Two things I love her. Huntress in the background about to also jump on. But more importantly, Power Girl with a mandroid in a headlock, pounding away.

Between Karen's cape and Superman's extreme perspective (almost Kirbyish), Lee again lends some warped phantasmal feel here.

Kaizan opens up the gate to Earth 2 (we knew this ... from reading the finale last month). And, in another easy answer, the energy from Earth 2 burns out the nanites completely, putting the Supers in control and okay. Okay, this felt a little too easy.

And so we get caught up to date. We now know how we got to the finale last month.

But boy, this issue read much better than the finale. There are some very nice moments here. And the art, backgrounds be damned, is just wonderful.

Too bad the overall arc feels like such a letdown.

Overall grade: B+/B