Review: DC Comics Bombshells #8

DC Comics Bombshells #8 came out last week and brought us back to the front of the war after last issue's look at problems on the American shore. Writer Marguerite Bennett continues to weave a great war time story, bringing in heroes from varying backgrounds and uniting them under the Allied cause. One of the things I love about this book is that these characters are recognizable, valid versions of these established characters, but are also fresh in this new environment and world.

This issue we get a deeper look at Supergirl and Stargirl, learning more about their origins and feelings. I will always be more particular about Supergirl so I have to say that I am pretty happy with how Kara is presented in this book. One thing I always say about Supergirl is that she is a pretty complicated character with layers of personality, an optimistic outlook mixed with a ferocity and loyalty. There can be some heaviness in her as well given her losses. Bennett seems to get that and that makes me very happy.

And the art Bomb-cadre continues to sparkle here. Laura Braga brings some nice horror to the Wonder Woman story. And Sandy Jarrell and Laura Sanapo have a wonderfully smooth polished style for the Supergirl/Mera/Stargirl section of the book. It has me hoping one or more of them will make it to the Northeast for a convention in the summer.

The first third of the book is Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor operating in the front in Greece.

I don't know if I totally like Steve Trevor being such a broken person in this book. He is both physically and psychologically destroyed and Diana really needs to watch over him closely. Here she wonders if on some other world their relationship is different, if they are closer and happier. Riffing on other continuities works for me all the time. And it is ironic that, at least in the current DCU, they aren't happier. Still, as she says, all things come back.

Also in this scene, we hear that Diana buried an entire village of innocents slaughtered by the Axis. She knows her role now as a symbol of victory so she did this quietly and unseen so that Americans wouldn't see her burying the dead. That is some heady stuff and it shows how Diana understands her role and her duty.

But this was the ka-pow moment. We see the threat of the undead Tenebrau growing, consuming the dead of Allies, Axis soldiers, and any of the dead. And leading this battalion is a name from Wonder Woman's classic past, Baroness Paula Von Gunther. Von Gunther was a major villain in the classic Golden Age Wonder Woman stories so seeing her reimagined here is superb.

Boom!

The rest of the book focuses on Mera, Supergirl, and Stargirl in London.

I would say that Mera is the sauciest of the Bombshells, singing siren songs and charming the men while flouncing around in her beach wear. She seems the happiest of the heroes maybe because it's better down where it's wetter? Under the sea?

Supergirl in this book has been about as far away from Mera's sunny disposition as possible. She has seemed stern and determined, loyal to her family and initially to Mother Russia. She hasn't been cold. She clearly loves her family dearly. But she doesn't suffer fools.

I like how Mera kisses her, comparing her to Diana. And Jarrell says so much with Kara's side-eye and stiff almost bristling body language.

But you sense that there is a sort of sadness in Kara as well. That opening panel, holding herself, in shadows, looking away. It screams sorrow.

She feels that she has let her family down by letting her adoptive father, Ipati Dugin, get kidnapped. (Making Kortni's father be a version of Stripesy is a brilliant stroke.)

But it is clear that Kara loves this man for accepting her and loving her.

We then learn that Dugin isn't Kortni's biological father. Stargirl's mother had a whirlwind romance with an English suitor in Russia and got pregnant. Her mother was cast out into a desolate village where she would have starved had it not been for the love of the animals and forest.

And Dugin, disgraced, found her and they fell in love. We learn that Ipati was able to build the cosmic rod, powered by the stars. But that second panel, with talks of lantern lights and moving planets makes me think that a Star Sapphire or Jade is going to show up soon.

Jarrell shines again here, setting up the pages like tapestries or wood carvings, adding a fairy tale feel to this magical story of nature providing.

Kortni's father is Sam Whitmore, aligning her with her main DC history. She is sent by her mother to engage her father.

Now I'm not always a fan of Kara crying at the drop of a hat but this panel also worked. It makes you understand that Kara really feels alone on this world. Despite being in this family, she has always felt apart. And now she thinks all the bad things that have happened to this family are because of her.

This sort of feeling of 'otherness' isn't always a prominent feature of Kara but it has had its moments in her history. Definitely this sort of sadness and loss is part of it. I thought this gave some depth to Kara, as if that gruff exterior is a sort of emotional armor.

And once more, Jarell's art conveys that so much. You almost feel her recoiling in sadness and sobbing.

Laura Sanapo finishes art in this issue.

Kortni, now Courtney, meets her father and is welcomed with open arms.

But you can see that he is a bit old-fashioned, thinking that girls shouldn't play with war machines. He wants to get her dolls and ponies.

I think we'll see Courtney squelch that pretty quickly. She isn't going to stop being Stargirl, helping the war effort, and putting her life on the line to be a hero.

To be honest, I was glad that this father acted this way. Let's face it, this attitude of a 'woman's place' was probably the norm for the time. I needed to see this voice here if only to be shot down by the more liberated heroes here.

Meanwhile, Mera is called to fight the now undead crew of the U-boats she sank last issue. These water-logged Tenebrau have littered the English seaside with mines. This is something not even Mera can handle alone. Using telepathy (?), she calls on Supergirl for help.

A skirmish unfolds until a Kraken/Elder God shows up to challenge our heroes. It was great to see these two unload, using their powers to blow up the mines and fight the zombies.

I thought this underwater action sequence was drawn brilliantly, and the colors here (J. Nanian and Kelly Fitzpatrick) are murky and dark when needed to convey the environment. Wonderful.

So another great issue in this series. I read comics to escape a bit and to be entertained. This book has continued to do both. Action, characterization, multiple locales, it has it all. This is wonderful, a 'top of the stack' book every time.

Overall grade: A

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