Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #49

Batman/Superman World's Finest #49 came out last week, the finale of a quick two-parter sending our heroes to Earth-3. The first part really threw out a lot of ideas that I thought could be mined. But this one came and went quickly setting up next issue's anniversary fiftieth issue.

Mark Waid is joined by writer Mark Russell on this story. I wonder why that happened. Waid has been writing a lot of titles and took over Flash during DCKO. So perhaps he needed a little script help? The other thought I had was that this was some sort of backdoor pilot for Russell. I can imagine a Earth-3 mini-series by him with villains as heroes and heroes as villains. Regardless, this is a bit of a sprint to the finish which sort of left me feeling a little bit empty after the full joy of part one.

Marcus To is on art and gets to play in the sandbox, bringing in a bunch of characters from the DCU into the story including a team of 'heroes', classic DC villains flipped on Earth 3. I had to grab this variant by Nathan Szerdy with Kara and Dick out for burgers and perhaps dishing a bit about the other date we see in the shadows.

I loved the last issue as we got to see the other 'syndicates' on Earth-3. So I hope that Waid (and/or Russell) gets to explore this world again some time.

On to the book.

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #48

Batman/Superman World's Finest #48 came out last week, the first part of a new arc focusing on Earth-3. There is a lot to love about this issue as the story unfolds. First, this book has done such a great job of riffing off the idea of World's Finest duos, so why not an World's Un-Finest? Focusing on Owlman/Ultraman makes perfect sense in this book. 

I have commented on how Mark Waid seems to be able to take classic DC ideas and freshening them up. Here, he moves beyond the classic Earth-3 idea that the Crime Syndicate rules the whole world and instead expands it wonderfully. The unholy Trinity is one syndicate. But other hero groups form other syndicates running their turfs. It opens up the world for way more stories, showing us evil versions of other heroic teams. This issue gives us a little bit of a quick tour of a few of these groups.

But in what I love as a meta take, Waid is looking back at this book and having teams that aided our World's Finest now fighting this World's Un-Finest. This has to be intentional. And as a fan of the book I love it.

Marcus To is on art for this arc and he brings an inkier, more shadowy style than I am used to seeing for him. This makes sense for an evil world. In places, and perhaps appropriately, it reminded me of Richard Case's work on Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol. 

I have read many Earth-3 stories. This one felt completely fresh. Kudos to the creative team! On to the book.

Review: Adventures Of Superman #6

Adventures of Superman #6 came out last week and was another great issue in this 'out of continuity' series. The format forces a 'one and done' style of stories which is refreshing in this 'stretch an idea out for trade' style of the current market. The creative teams are fantastic and this issue continues that trend with writer J.T.  Krul and artist Marcus To.

But for me, the main draw to this book has been the more classic take on Superman that has dominated this series. This is a red trunked Superman espousing the more classic ethics and outlook of the Man of Steel. I haven't read any story in this series and felt the dim pessimism of The New 52. With no 'rules', I think these stories give us a look into the writer's mind ... who their ultimate Superman is.

And I think this story is no different. J.T. Krul gives us an early Superman story, before he has revealed himself to the world. He isn't sure who he is or what he should do. He is shown a couple of different paths he can follow. And then he decides for himself what type of man he is going to be. It is a classic take ... and wonderful.

The art is by Marcus To, someone whose art I have loved on Red Robin and the Huntress mini-series. His style suits this story perfectly. I wonder why he doesn't have a monthly gig somewhere.

As I said, this is an early Superman adventure. The public hasn't seen him even if he is active in a 'guardian angel' sort of way. The issue opens with him repelling an intergalactic warship from entering Earth's atmosphere.

He heads to the Fortress where he has a talk with Jor-El. This is a sort of Russell Crowe Jor-El I assume, a computer program imbued with Jor-El's thought patterns and able to respond to Superman's questions.

And this Jor-El is a bit haughty. He doesn't think Kal should stay on Earth. Earth isn't his home. The people of Earth aren't his people. Jor-El sent him to Earth to make Kal strong and leave Earth.

This isn't the Marlon Brando 'you can inspire them' speech. This is straight up 'you were meant for bigger things'. And it isn't what I am used to hearing from Jor-El. Interesting.

It is enough to make Superman question himself. Can he save mankind from themselves? He only wants to help.

And then we hear the crux of the story. Pa Kent told him that doing the right thing isn't always easy. So we get to hear the difference in the two fathers in his life.

I thought this panel was wonderful showing the two worlds Superman lives in at this point, the clean white pure Fortress (read Kryptonian) world, and the dingy brown troubled world of Earth. But Superman's pose shows he wants to look over us and help. Great stuff.

Then Kal hears from another 'ghost' from Krypton ... General Zod. Zod talks about his imprisonment in the Phantom Zone at the hands of Jor-El. Here Zod sounds almost like a freedom fighter. He thought the Science Council had a strangle hold on Krypton and he wanted to free everyone. Of course, villains think they are the good guys so who knows the truth.

But what Zod does do is again show Jor-El in the same haughty light. He acted as judge,jury, and executioner in the Zod case.

It has been a long time since I felt sympathetic for Zod. But Krul pulls it off, making me rethink Zod's crimes and realizing that an eternity in the Zone is cruel and unusual.

Moreover, Zod asks Kal a question. Why didn't Jor-El warn everyone that the planet was doomed ... even if the Science Council shot him down?

It turns out Jor-El kept the information hidden from the populace so that he could work on saving Kal. If he told everyone, there would be panic. Jor-El might be arrested. He needed to save Kal.

On paper it sounds good, a loving father saving his son. But the bigger picture is that he could have used his information to save more people. His pride, his dogged need to save his son and not others' sons and daughters, made him turn his back on his own people.

In older stories, it made it sound like Jor-El already had the rocket and didn't have much time to do a lot. But this view is new and interesting.

Now the warship from the opening scene was a vanguard for Mongul. And Mongul decides that squaring off against Superman could be fun. He shows up and starts tearing through the military, forcing Superman to reveal himself for the first time.

Imagine the shock to General Lane to have suddenly two immensely powerful aliens brawling on his turf. I love the wry ending line in this panel.

Mongul assumes that Superman rules Earth with his power. During the brawl, Superman realizes he can't defeat Mongul on his own so he allows himself  and Mongul to be struck with a nuclear missile. It wipes the two of them out sending them plummeting to Earth unconscious.

I have said I am sick of the military and Superman fighting. Krul at least has Superman leave rather than engage with the troops.

But it is such a great classic Superman moment. He states he doesn't want to fight the army. But he won't let them kill Mongul either. He gets labeled a Boy Scout by Lane. But it doesn't matter. Superman won't change his morals. He won't take part in this so simply grabs Mongul and leaves.

And then we begin to see just how little of Jor-El there is in this Superman.

He disparages Mongul's life mission of conquering everything. You can't conquer everything.

Superman isn't that big a fool. And that sounds like a rebuke of this Jor-El's mission for him.

And then, again moving farther away from Jor-El (much to Zod's surprise), Superman doesn't condemn Mongul to the Phantom Zone. He doesn't 'kill' him. Instead he calls on Green Lantern (who he hasn't officially met yet) to pick up Mongul and imprison him.

What do you call him? A friend.

Now that is a very classic take on Superman. He is a friend. He is here to help.

And then, my absolute favorite panels from the book.

Superman doesn't need to leave Earth to find out who he is.

He is someone who knows right from wrong and he can help ...right here on Earth. He knows who he is ... he's Clark Kent!

I love the coy pride in Pa's response.

It isn't that hard to realize is that this is who Superman is. Who Superman should be.

That would have been a fine ending to this story, but Krul and To give us a little dessert. They show us Clark heading to the Planet as a new reporter and meeting Lois Lane.

If there is ever a Lois Lane book or special, I want Marcus To to draw it.

This is just a wonderful story reaffirming the idea that Superman is more Clark than Kal. That he is someone who wants to help as many people as possible. That is the inspiring Superman I want to read.

So why can't the DC powers-that-be read this series and realize that it is this sort of Superman that most creators (and I think fans) want.

This series and Smallville are the best Superman books out there right now. Both out of continuity.

Overall grade: A

Review: Superboy #23

As much as I talked last week about trying to look at the positive of comics, some issues just send me reeling back to pessimism or ennui.

Superboy #23 seemed like an unnecessary issue, trying to stretch an idea to fill 20 pages, and feeling pretty repetitive as it did so.And unlike Worlds' Finest last issue, there aren't many character flourishes to keep me interested. And while Marcus To's pages in the issues are great, the rest of the issue seems muddy. Writer Justin Jordan's initial issues were very good, grabbing me with a new concept, injecting humor, and bringing a lighter feel to the book. This issue and the last have dimmed the optimism I felt then. And Jordan is already gone after next issue.

The problem is simple. Superboy has been in a school where it is obvious that students are seeing things and going crazy. Then ... shockingly ... Superboy begins to see things and go crazy. I would hope that he would realize he is being manipulated immediately. But after a couple of pages, he should realize it. Instead we have a whole issue of people bashing things nonsensically. The whole 'none of this is real' could have been ... should have been ... handled more quickly. I guessed it at the end of last issue. Superboy should be able to do it reasonably quickly too.

In fact, the realization that this is all an illusion is given to us on the first page! "Doctor Psycho" arrives to try to set Superboy's mind right.

But despite his friend saying that he isn't seeing things clearly, despite seeing a number of other teens reacting to things that aren't there as if they weren't seeing things right, Superboy ignores his friend and lashes out with his TK.

He terrorizes the school, sending kids running for their lives.

After a couple of pages of senseless property damage, it all fades away.

Eliza, the girl who befriended Conner last issue, tells him he shouldn't be there. She says it in such an odd way that I have to think she is somehow in on what is happening.

And then (hurray for me), the girl highlighted in one of last issue's panels, the girl I thought was probably behind it all, turns out to be the psionic making people go crazy. As I said then, if you are belittled or shy or bullied, you might think all of high school was filled with monsters.

Now here is where I rolled my eyes a bit.

Superboy has smashed his way through a school, endangering the students, and then he learns that it was all in his mind. Good.

He tries to follow the unnamed girl responsible only to run into ... another Superboy.

Now maybe, just maybe, he would think that this is also an illusion. Right? Right??

Okay, there is some literary utility to having someone literally fight themselves. But there isn't even any good dialogue between the real Superboy and the illusion. Wouldn't it have been cooler if the 'Superboy' hallucination talked about all the things Conner fears he would become. It would make it meatier.

Instead we get more pages of property damage. Until, finally, thankfully, Conner realizes he is hitting air ... and almost hitting people.

I don't know. Am I expecting too much?

Luckily Superboy strikes on an idea. Maybe he can 'see' reality through the camera setting of Eliza's smart phone. Okay, nice panel construction on the top. Although why he would think this would work, who knows.

I also like how the girl doing all this (called Shift here) is saying 'no one sees me'. It works on two levels. She is invisible literally. And she can't be seen in the hallways of her school. No one notices her. At least her the implied pain of her isolation makes me sympathize with her, understand why she sees people as monsters.

My guess is she might not even know she is doing this to the others.

Too bad it took 19 of 20 pages to get there.

At least we get a fascinating cliffhanger. We get the introduction of the New 52 Psycho Pirate. Boy, there are a lot of psionics out there.

Now why he is holing up and doing this in a high school I can't imagine. I suppose we'll hear something about how emotional kids are and potent they are for feeding him.

The new Medusa Mask at least helps me figure out why it is called a medusa mask. And I wonder if he has a connection with this Shift girl.

Of course, I know the old Psycho Pirate best from Crisis on Infinite Earths. So we'll have to see what this new one is like. (The old Medusa Mask doesn't seem Medusa-ish at all).

Still, overall, this was a lot of destruction without much plot. I should be happy about some nice Krypto moments in the book but I can't get away that Superboy wouldn't realize this was all an illusion for so long. And I am always hoping for more in my comics.

Overall grade: C-

2011 In Review: Part One - What Might Have Been

Let's face it, 2011 was a crazy year for comics in general and DC Comics in particular.With sales down and cries of gloom and doom for in the industry echoing, DC gambled, blowing up the DCU, relaunching the DCnU, and churning up the mainstream publicity machine. And so far that gamble has been a win.

With that much upheaval as well as with all the great stuff that happened this year, there was simply too many Supergirl moments to have only one 'year in review' post. So this year I'll have three.

Today I'll review what I call the 'what might have been' moments of 2011, things that were hinted at or discussed ... things that might have come to pass with Supergirl if things had happened differently.

We'll start off with the appearances of future Supergirls in variant costumes in comics. So techinically these 'did' happen. They are just things that some day might have been.

First off, JSA All-Stars #17 we saw an alternate timeline were a super-hero named Regal eliminated evil from the Earth and led a massive Justice Guild to patrol the planet. One of those guild members was this snazzily dressed Supergirl, complete in a one piece blue dress. I loved Freddie Williams' art on this book and thought this was slick.

At around the same time, in Red Robin #19, Tim Drake set up a virtual future Justice League to safeguard the Unternet, the criminal internet world. This was the current Titans and next generation heroes as the League and front and center is Supergirl, again wearing a more classic one piece all blue uniform. I don't think it is coincidence that Kara is in front. She would lead that team.

The variant costume, some version of an all blue dress has popped up now and then, usually as a colorist or artist error.

But the DCnU relaunch put an end to those storylines. And it also put an end to the future plans that some creators had for their books. These may have been throw away ideas but they might have been real arcs planned.

James Robinson had put together a very enjoyable run on Justice League of America with his unique team of legacy heroes and other versions of the Big 7. That run came to an end with the old DCU and in JLA #60 Robinson teased some of the future stories he might have had in mind for the team.

Robinson always had his League fighting the most monumental of threats and these glimpses of what he had planned next were of the same caliber. In this one, Supergirl saves the day, stopping The Construct from firing off all the Fortress' weapons leading to a robot Armageddon. While this page showcased Supergirl, the other teases (fighting Martians, fighting Dark Opal) were just as interesting.

While the relaunch affected Robinson's JLA, it basically erased Steph Brown's career as Batgirl. And that is a shame because Bryan Q. Miller's book was a pure joy, a book I looked forward to month in month out.

Much like Robinson, Miller gave us some glimpses of his future arc ideas in Batgirl #24, the last issue of that book. This one looked great, the young female heroes of the DCU cast as Disney-style Princesses in the Queen of Fables world. Check out Kara as Cinderella. How I wish this one actually happened.

I miss this book.

But the 'New 52' happened and with it all the changes to the DCU.

Other creators on-line had their own ideas about what should be in the DCnU. Mike Maihack designed this Supergirl/Batgirl cover for the 'DC Fifty-Too', a site devoted to 'might have been' books for the new DCU. Maihack's cover got such buzz that he has since written and drawn a couple of well-received web comics with Batgirl and Supergirl. This is a 'sort of might have been' book because future strips still might happen!

But what else might have been in 2011?

Well way back in Superman #700 (June 2010), Sterling Gates reviewed his 2011 plans for Supergirl on a preview page he got to write about the book. While we got to see some of those stories, we missed out on a lot. Gates planned on sending Linda Lang to college. There was going to be another showdown with Superwoman. And it sounds like there was going to be a massive brawl with all Supergirl's rogues. But more importantly, it sounds like Gates was going to give us a happy Supergirl, stronger for all the lessons she learned in New Krypton.

Despite this long term plan and the printing of this page, Gates was taken off the book a short while later. I would have loved to see these stories as it would have really been the next phase in Supergirl's heroic journey. This is no knock to either James Peaty or Kelly Sue DeConnick, both of whom wrote arcs I thoroughly enjoyed. But it seems like Gates had a long term plan until he was presumably bumped for Nick Spencer, who lasted 15 pages. Ahh ... what might have been!

And, as if being denied those Gates' stories was tough, in 2011 we also saw some glimpses of what might have been if DC had given the green light for a Cosmic Adventures in the Ninth Grade. Landry Walker had a lot planned for their Kara and had some concept pictures to share. A team up with Batman?? The Locker of Solitude??

The first Cosmic book was near perfect. These glimpses of a potential Ninth Grade book only make me want to see a sequel even more! While this is a 'might have been', it really should be a 'make it happen'!

And so those are the 'what might have been' moments on 2011, a crazy year in comics as it was reflected by Supergirl.

Tomorrow, the honorable mentions for the Top Supergirl Moments of 2011.

Bullet Review: Red Robin #19

In 2009, my friends and I decided to start a 'comic book cultural exchange program'. One of us would pick a title that we felt the other two wouldn't typically collect and the three of us would buy the book and discuss it each month. The plan has been to have a set time period of 6 months at which point the book would be re-evaluated. If it was found lacking, the next person would pick a new title for the others to try.

It has been successful so far because the four of us are somewhat different in our comic foci. One collects mostly Marvel and loves the X-Men. Another is a DC fan but focuses mostly on Batman and Green Lantern. The third was a purely Marvel guy in his youth but has become more well-rounded. And I am clearly a DC guy with a super-family passion. Those different backgrounds mean that there is always a book that could be nominated for the program.

The first book in the program was nominated by the Marvel fan. He has a side passion for Spiderwoman. The three of us collected the Bendis/Maleev comic for the 7 months that it was produced. When it was cancelled (put on hiatus?), it was time for a new title.
This is a long way to explain why I have been collecting Red Robin for the last several  months. Red Robin was the title picked by the Batman fan. I will admit that I would never have picked up this title if it weren't for the 'cultural exchange program'.

Written by Fabien Nicieza and drawn by Marcus To, the book really does a nice job of showing just what a hero Tim Drake has become. Unlike many 'teen hero' books where the main theme is 'becoming a hero', it is clear that Drake is already there despite his youth. He comes across as a polished, complete, and capable hero ... not someone still learning the ropes. He reads so much like Dick Grayson when he was leading the Marv Wolfman/George Perez Teen Titans ... you could sense that he had climbed to the next level.

One thing that I think is a nice wrinkle is that Drake is coming to grips with the fact that he is his own man now. He is deciding on what he wants to do next, making goals to accomplish, and being satisfied with the identity he has made for himself.

This last issue had Red Robin entering a virtual world in the criminal 'UnterNet', a land where thoughts can become reality, a odd sort of mental safe haven for villains to enter. The place is a chaotic and dystopic mess, a place without heroes. Tim realizes he needs to change that.

And now you know why I am reviewing this issue.

Since this is a malleable world, Tim creates a group of heroes to make the UnterNet a safer place, foiling villains' desires. He creates a sort of future JLA, made up of more mature looking younger heroes. And right there in the middle is Supergirl (Superwoman?) wearing what appears to be a modified original Silver Age costume. Surrounding her are older versions of Conner, Cassie, Bart, etc.

But it's Supergirl front and center. Does that mean anything in terms of how Tim sees her?

It is such a beautiful rendition of her by Marcus To.

In the end, Tim realizes he needs to leave the world and return to reality. His friend Anarky, who is near catatonic in real life, decides to stay within this computer realm to keep it tidier.

This was a different sort of issue for this title which typically is more about street-level crimes rather than flights of fancy. Overall this is a nice title, always entertaining, as we watch Red Robin embrace his role within the DCU. Even if Red Robin gets voted out from the 'cultural exchange program', I'll still be buying.

Overall grade (issue): B/B+
Overall grade (title): B+/B