Review: DC Bombshells #12

DC Comics Bombshells #12 came out last week and was a tremendous end to an incredibly entertaining first year. I will admit to being surprised at how fantastic this book has been. This a WWII book written with the social conscience of present day starring pin-up model versions of the women of the DCU. Kudos to the creative team for putting those concepts together into a brilliant story.

The plot has been moving forward quickly bringing us to this moment. The Bombshells are finally unified, defending London, and fighting an undead army of Tenebrau and underwater monsters. I have been clamoring for the time when the separate character threads would finally merge into one. And so we get this action-packed, war comic. But war is hell. And always has casualties. There is loss here; loss that feels natural and necessary. And heartbreaking.

Writer Marguerite Bennett has really shined on this book. Each character has a unique personality. There are varied and engaging storylines. And there is real emotion here.

The art on this book is done by Bombshell veterans Laura Braga and Mirka Andolfo. And both bring their A game here, giving us the energy of battle and the depth of emotion. I will admit, I shuddered at one page in this book because the art and words meshed so beautifully. On to the book!

Review: DC Bombshells #9

DC Comics Bombshells #9 came out this week and, as usual, the book just sizzles. I have said over and over that I had low expectations for this book, based on cheesecake statues. I didn't even really like the Supergirl design. But I decided to pick the book up for the Supergirl and I am so glad I did. This book is so much fun and so entertaining.

Writer Marguerite Bennett has been weaving this story set in World War II, placing the heroes in key fronts of the war efforts, and slowly drawing them together. She also has kept this group diverse, having the heroes represent Britain, America, Russia, and more otherworldly places like Atlantis and Paradise Island.

But the style and the plots have thrilled me making this one of the books I look forward to every single month, certain it will be high quality.

This issue focuses on two of the plots running through the book. One is Wonder Woman who is fighting the Tenebrau army and the Baroness in the battlefields of Greece. The other is Supergirl, Stargirl, and Mera all fighting in the waters outside of London. Both progress the overall plot of a mystical dark army entering the fray. But each also has powerful character moments as well. The issue is therefore a rich experience.

The art on the book has been just spectacular, another reason why this book is great. Mirka Andolfo draws the Supergirl/Mera portions of the book and brings a nice, fresh style. She is solid in both the battle sequences and the quieter civilian moments. And Laura Braga continues to bring a gritty feel to the Wonder Woman pages.

On to the issue:

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

Review: DC Bombshells #5

DC Comics Bombshells #5 came out last week and continued to impress. Writer Marguerite Bennett has the difficult task of reinventing the characters we as readers no so well, putting them into the WWII world while maintaining some sense of familiarity. Perhaps what impresses me the most with Bennett's efforts, especially in this issue, is how she is now reaching beyond the main characters and introducing other characters from the DCU.

I also am impressed that we really are running really disparate plotlines right now. These are the origins of these characters. And while some are now interacting with others, we are far away from a 'team book'. Characters are in different countries, serving different regimes. You get the sense that the circle is closing. But scope of this book is pretty impressive.

The art on the book also continues to shine. Here, Ming Doyle supplies the pages for the Batwoman/Catwoman/Joker's Daughter pages. This chapter is steeped in dark magic which suits Doyle's style nicely. The Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy pages are a bit sillier and much more suited for the cheesecake, somewhat cartoony style of Mirka Andolfo. And Bilquis Evely continues to bring a sort of scratchy realism to the Supergirl/Stargirl pages. This book just looks good.

The book starts with Batwoman's secret mission, deep into Germany, where she is to meet with the Contessa diGati, better known to us as Catwoman. After seeing Kate supremely confident in the early chapters, I like that Bennett humanizes her by making her sound a bit more cautious. This isn't the mean streets of the city. She isn't wielding a baseball bat. She is trussed up in a ball gown, heading to a Nazi soiree, trying to work with Selina.

As I said earlier, Bennett is reaching out a bit into the DCU. Here we see that Kate is picked up by Lex Luthor, an American industrialist who just might be working with the Germans. Still, Luthor is an American. Selina is in Germany, throwing parties for the Reich, and known to work with the black market. Lex tells Batwoman not to trust Selina.

But can you trust Lex?

Kate is brought to a soiree thrown by Selina. It is a high brow bash with high ranking German officials. Given the relationship with Amanda Waller, the assumption is Selina is on the right side of the war here. Going this undercover must be difficult.

But Selina has always been morally ambiguous making Luthor's warning apt.

I do love that Selina warns Kat about Luthor. Lex is trying to keep America out of the war and his rivals seem prone to dying.

Who can Kate trust here?

As if that wasn't unsettling enough, Kate is then brought to a makeshift altar in the place where Joker's Daughter sings a spell, resurrecting a fallen German soldier into something demonic. It is clear that she has been tainted somehow, her arm now inky and deformed.

It is interesting how singing is such a big part of this book. Mera sings her water control. Joker's Daughter sings her possession spells.

It is clear we aren't in Gotham anymore. This is insanity.

Now the one character I am having to wrap my head around a bit is the Harley one. There is a fair amount of gravitas to this book given the backdrop of the war. There is humor here, but subtle and well timed.

Harley almost feels like the comic relief of this book. She is a sort of wild lunatic here, again singing her way through adventures.

Here, she rides a bomb like Dr. Strangelove into a greenhouse. Somehow she survives and meets the owner of the place, Poison Ivy. Harley is immediately smitten with Ivy. Ivy works for Selina as a smuggler. But she has also used her feminine wiles and some special perfumes to lure the German occupant troops and presumably castrate them.

Harley tries to convince Ivy to join her. She wants the two to head into Berlin and fight more Nazis. The decision is sort of forced when German soldiers invade Ivy's house. Harley and Ivy fight back, blow up the house and head on their way to the front.

Again, this is the cheesecake-iest of the storylines. We see a lot of Harley here. I'm not against it necessarily. The wackiness of the story works well with her appearance. It just feels a little out of place next to the other characters' arcs.

We then cut back to the Supergirl/Stargirl storyline.

These two have realized they are being used by an unscrupulous administration. They decide to turn their back on the communist government and head off to rescue their parents.

I really love the characterization here as the two, who had been good soldiers for the cause have had to deal with this revelation. I also love how Kara, who had previously sounded bold and invulnerable, realizes her actions have led to the pain of others. It is a humbling experience. And it is one she wants to rectify.

General Arkayn has invaded the village and is holding Kara's parents at gunpoint. Even Supergirl isn't fast enough to save everyone. Kara has a choice, surrender and be experimented on or be responsible for a massacre.

Just when all seems lost ...

A giant Swamp Thing comes tearing through the house, battering the soldiers and allowing Kara to grab her parents.

Now this came out of nowhere. While I knew General Arkayn was a name drop for Anton Arcane, a known Swamp Thing villain, I didn't expect we'd see the big green guy. Whenever I am surprised in a comic I am happy.

Kortni had prayed to the forest spirits her mother used to. This mix of science and superstition in this family is fascinating.

But before everyone can be whisked to safety, the girls' father is captured again. He tells Supergirl to fly on without him.  Remember, in this continuity, he invented the cosmic rod. I have to imagine we will see something more out of him before this is all over.

I really love this particular arc. Yes, I am partial to Supergirl. But there are serious character beats here as these two have to deal with loyalty, distrust, science, and mysticism.

So overall, this book continues to keep me engaged and entertained. And I can't really ask for more. It is a delight to read and the individual art styles are well-suited for the particular runs. I keep hoping we will eventually see all these heroes together in one League-like team.

Overall grade: A

Review: DC Comics Bombshells #4

DC Bombshells #4, the print version of the digital first book, came out this week and I find this book wonderfully compelling and entertaining. Writer Marguerite Bennett continues to bring a depth to the character and a great historical feel to this book. And maybe that is why I am so amazed. This is a book based on the Varga Girl style merchandise. I think this book would be very different if done by Zenescope studio. Instead we get this wonderful exploration of these heroic women in this time.

We get three stories within the book. Artist Bilquis Evely really shines in the Supergirl/Stargirl chapter, echoing Soviet propaganda posters while maintaining a sort of scratchy realism. Mirka Andolfo handles the Harley Quinn chapter and brings a sort of zany quasi-manga feel to that chapter, a style which nicely fits the tone. And Laura Braga continues to hit it out of the park with the Wonder Woman pages.

But beyond the character growth we got here, we also get interesting commentary on war. Where do you draw the line? How do you treat your enemy? How do you define yourself when war sometimes labels you?

It's just all so interesting. And when you grab a grizzled comic veteran like me, you know you have succeeded.

As I said, the Soviet machine has made 'Supergirl', the Woman of Steel and Stargirl, of the Cosmic Staff into propaganda devices. Almost every page is set up with action sequences which look like propaganda posters. The art is compelling with all the symbolism of the state - bayonets, airplanes, soldiers.

Now I still question why the government would sanction these particular outfits which seem incredibly unique and individual, not consistent with the idea of equal comrades for the state.

The Cosmic Rod is also a sudden inclusion here. We hadn't seen of it or heard of it prior to this. Was Kortni's father hiding this thing all this time?

I do like that the upbringing of Supergirl and Stargirl is an important part of who they are. We already know that their mother was a superstitious woman, steeped in legends. We also know that their father was a scientist who was thrown out of the Cosmonaut program for accusations of sedition. These two aren't exactly married to the concept of State, raised by these individual thinkers.

The two are tricked into almost demolishing a faux Nazi camp which turns out to be a Soviet prison. Now, it might seem a bit contrived that the military leaders would send their ultra secret weapons to kill helpless prisoners. Why open up the possibility that they would discover this atrocity? Even if this was a photo op, why do it?

Because, of course, they do discover this and they aren't going to take part in it.

In a nice panel, we see them turn their back on the motherland. They aren't going to be defined by these posters.

This panel is great as we see them step out of the imagery and walk away. Suddenly small and human, not these icons charging in larger than life, this panel visually tells you all you need to know.

This must be why the two defect to the USA.

We cut to England where Harleen Quinzel is an American physician practicing medicine in an asylum there. We hear a bit of her back story as well, hopefully one we will hear more of in the future. She wasn't accepted as a physician in America. We also hear that Harleen was involved with a crime boss back in the states as well. I guess we are talking about the Joker. Harleen seems to want to put that stuff behind her and so headed to London.

On Christmas Eve, Harleen is on rounds when she checks in on one of the inmates, Shondra Kinsolving. Shondra was colleague of Harleen's before she went mad from 'visions'. Shondra shares another dream she had, of a Joker-sounding man spreading a shadow, monsters, and fire across the land. That vision seems to trigger a psychotic break in Harleen.

Shondra is a sort of deep cut by Marguerite Bennett. Kinsolving was a little known character and was a physician, psychic, telekinetic in the Batman book back in the 80s.

Harleen's emotional break seems to physically manifest itself and she suddenly is in clown make-up.

An asylum janitor who seems to want to assault Harleen walks in during the transformation and ends up being thrashed. But I love how Harleen says she 'needs me', a sort of statement that she needs the Harley Quinn persona.

The janitor looks sort of like the Joker, perhaps another trigger for Harley?

I do wonder if there is some emotional or physical trauma between Harley and the Joker because Harley seems to want to save women from the clutches of men.

Dressed like a naughty Christmas elf, Harley skips into a dance hall and pulls all the women away from the soldiers there, calling the men boring, boorish, boars. And when one of the men gets upset, saying the girls belong to the men, Harley physically attacks him.

We all know that Harley is damaged in the main DCU, although she seems to be more in control of herself these days. So I wonder if we will see more.

All that said, she doesn't seem to mind using her feminine wiles to get what she wants from men.

Here, perpetual womanizer Hal (presumed Jordan) thinks he is luring Harley away for a tryst. And she coos and purrs into his ear making him think she is willing. But back in the hangar, she knocks him out and steals his plane. She then uses the plane to drop gifts on London.

We are just meeting this Harley. So I guess I need to get a better sense of her arc before deciding how much I like her.

The last chapter in the arc is Wonder Woman. Recall she has brought a very psychologically scarred Steve Trevor back to the mainland. She also has joined the Allies, helping to fight the Nazis.

We finally get to see her in the true Bombshells outfit, the 'We Can Do It' version of the Wonder Woman costume. I love this design. I think it is great. And Wonder Woman likes it as well, especially the inclusion of the stars. She thinks this garb is that of the goddesses of America. But she points to the paintings adorning bombers and tanks.

As I said, Trevor is shell-shocked. He is an intelligence officer who has seen the atrocity of war and is having a hard time putting it behind him. I suppose keeping him in the ragged clothes he was wearing during the crash on Paradise Island as well as the unkempt hair and beard hammers home he is not back to normal. But please, if Diana has time to have a new costume made, he could take a shower and put on some khakis.

Still, he knows that the other soldiers think he is weak. They think he is faking illness so Diana will care for him. And they think he isn't a true soldier because he won't kill everyone who crosses him.

I have really loved Bennett's more classic take on Diana, an ambassador of peace who only resorts to violence when she must. Here she says that the decision to kill isn't easy, their lives will never be easy, but at some point they will be together in peace.

Finally, a glimpse of the Diana I want to read.

And the point gets hammered home when the Allies bring in Nazi prisoners of war. The American soldiers want to slaughter the captured foes. The Nazis have been staining the landscape with atrocities. Why should they be spared?

Diana feels that helpless prisoners are helpless. They shouldn't be killed. She steps in between.

And that could be labeled treason, punishable by death.

Perhaps the best way for me to sum up this issue and this title is that it is wildly entertaining. I just love it. And these versions of the characters are so engaging. They are treated with respect. They are fancifully dressed but that is just a superficial rendering of more three dimensional characters.

I hope this book is a success in all its formats. Because it is a ton of fun, written well and lushly drawn.

Overall grade: A

Bullet Review: DC Bombshells #1

DC Comics Bombshells #1, a digital first comic based on the popular merchandise line, came out in print this week and that meant that I finally got a chance to read this book that has been lauded on-line.

I was not disappointed! What a fun book!

The book is placed in the forties, during WW2, and looks at the adventures of the female super-heroes of the time. While the merchandise line seems to lean on a sort of Vargas pinup girl or air force bomber iconography, this is not a cheesecake book. The entire book revolves around these women as heroes, not eye candy. And with this period piece feel, and on the heels of the show Agent Carter, this was entertaining and engaging.

Writer Marguerite Bennett introduces us to Batwoman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Stargirl in this issue. And we see the struggles these characters are having in their personal and private lives, all while the omen of war looms over the world.

And artist Marguerite Sauvage really dives into the material. I felt like I was watching something on Turner Classic Movies. That is about the highest compliment I can give.

Kate Kane is Batwoman in this book, living with Maggie Sawyer, and somewhat unhappy in her life. We learn that Kate has always been a freedom fighter, acting as a soldier in the Spanish Revolution.

Now she is the vigilante Batwoman who also is a pro baseball player in the Woman's pro league (like in League of Their Own). But stopping petty crime and hitting home runs isn't enough. And that saddens Maggie who was hoping their love would be enough meaning.

Maybe things will be shaken up because Amanda Waller arrives to recruit Kate into the war.

This was my favorite chapter for a number of reasons. The first time we see Kate, she is apparently saving the Waynes from being murdered. Then we learn all the women ball players wear masks during games to keep their identity hidden from those who hate a women's league (thus explaining the look of the statue). And lastly, set in Gotham, this chapter gives Sauvage some latitude to show the style of the time.

The middle chapter retells the Wonder Woman origin. We see Steve Trevor crash onto Paradise Island. Injured and confused, Steve talks about the ongoing war, the battle against fascism, and what he is fighting for. This felt very familiar, really echoing the original origin.

While we don't get to see the 'We can do it' Bombshell Wonder Woman here, we do get Sauvage's take on the Amazons which was beautiful.

While I loved the Batwoman chapter most, the Supergirl/Stargirl chapter is the one which fascinated me the most. Here we see Kara and Kortni living in a dorm, training to be 'Night Witches', the famous women flyers in the Soviet Air Force.

I have to say that I was hoping for a more classic riff on Superman/Supergirl in this book. Wouldn't it have been novel to have Kara simply step into the classic Siegel/Shuster Superman origin. I can picture the famous panels of standing by gravestones and telling a doc to try to vaccinate her again but with Kara in there instead.

So this Soviet take sort of took me by surprise. I wasn't happy ... initially.

They are step-sisters trying to join the war not because they necessarily buy into the Communist Party but more to fight the Nazis.

And you immediately get a sense of the characters. The golden haired Kortni is a rule follower. She is always on time. And she follows the rules, says the right thing. And she wags her finger at Kara when her sister steps out of line.

Meanwhile Kara, the dirtier blonde, flouts the rules a bit. She wakes late. She talks against the party. And when a Russian soldier tries to get handsy with the sister, she throws him into a wall with a flick of the finger.

It is clear the two love each other as family. And we learn that Papa was a scientist (maybe that will explain how Kortni gets a star rod?) while Mama taught them to be good.

But Papa also told them to be careful ... which means Kara hasn't shown her powers.

That changes when Kortni and Kara take planes up on practice runs, trying to prove they should be part of the Night Witches. Unfortunately, Kortni's engine explodes. With no other choice, Kara has to reveal herself. She abandons her plane, flying and saving her sister. And then Kara grabs the two planes and lowes herself to the ground.

Kara is the hero we want her to be.

Now you would think that the Soviets would be thrilled to have such a powerful woman on their side. But instead, the nearby troops call Kara a traitor and open fire on her.

I do have to say, my one quibble about this chapter is that at times I had to look closely at the panel to figure out who was talking. There is a subtle hair color difference, a hair style difference. We see that Kortni has star earrings. But I found myself looking at the panel first to simply identify who was who first, then reading the dialogue. That took me out of the story just a bit.

But otherwise, I thought this was also a fun chapter bringing in the history of the Night Witches and showcasing the military uniforms of the time.

Sadly, I think the Supergirl bombshell design is one of my least favorite of the run. That said, this rule-breaking Kara probably would wear a bustier.

Anyways, this book was a ton of fun. Count me on board!

Overall grade: A

The New Justice League United

DC has quasi-rebooted the DCnU after Convergence, bringing in new books, new perspectives, and apparently opening up all Earths and continuities to creators. And I have to give them some proper respect, DC gave free 8 page previews for many of the new books and new directions, sticking them at the back of the Convergence mini-series but making them available for free on line.

One I wanted to look at closely was Justice League United. For those who haven't looked, here is a link to the preview: http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/dc-sneak-peek-justice-league-united-dc-comics-2015

Now I was interested because I liked Jeff Lemire's run on the book. And Jeff Parker, another writer whose work I love, was taking over so I wanted to see what Parker had in mind. But more importantly, or most importantly, I wanted to see if Supergirl was going to be part of the book. She was a big part of the initial stories. She seems to have been swept aside post-Convergence.

What was going to happen?

Well Parker does a great job showing what he has in mind for the book. The core team of Animal Man, Equinox, Adam and Alana, and Stargirl is intact. They are tasked with taking care of continuity anomalies which have sprung from Convergence. And, knowing the individual nature of each adventure, they'll put together a unique team suited for the threat. Everyone is a possible JL member if their powers match up. It is like the biggest team-up book ever.

And Parker does a great job of showing us how crazy this could be, giving us glimpses of unfortunately forgotten heroes like Firestorm and the Doom Patrol, as well as Swamp Thing, Deadman, and other interesting choices.

Perhaps the best scope shot is the ending splash. I mean, I want to read some Hawk and Dove. And the Marvel Family. And Blue Devil. Etc.

But still, look in that massive Who's Who sort of page. Who isn't there? Supergirl.

And that's a shame because Kara was a great part of JLU.

She was often a big part of the cover treatment, especially the variant covers!

And she grew over even the short time on the book.

She was far from the 'bull-headed, stubborn', dark hero Lemire initially described her as. She might be all business. But she knew enough to save Hawkman rather than chase Lobo. And she also became the muscle of the group, a powerful ally to the team, smiling as she jumped into action with her teammates.

And it isn't as if she didn't have her own little subplots going on.

Lemire set up a backstory with Brainiac 5 in the New 52 Universe. Will we ever see that play out?

And we see that she has become friends with Stargirl and Equinox.

But for some reason, DC has decided to pull the plug completely on this version of Supergirl, just as she was getting interesting and heroic. This seems to be a sort of recurring theme with DC, getting Supergirl to where she needs to be character-wise and then rebooting again.

Will Parker explain her absence? Have Equinox and Stargirl mention their missing friend? Or is Supergirl untouchable?

I will read the Parker book because it sounds like the sort of book I am looking for in the DCU.

But I'll miss Supergirl being there.

Review: Justice League United #4

I have been continually impressed with Jeff Lemire and Mike McKone's Justice League United comic, the perfect mix of action and characterization, a blend of modern comic story-telling with Silver Age historical nods. I will admit that I was drawn to the title because of Supergirl, having been vexed by the other League books since the New 52. But I am glad I am here. This book is wonderful.

Justice League United #4, the conclusion of the first arc, came out this week and continued that trend. This felt more like an epilogue to the first story as the heavy action all played out last issue. But that meant that Lemire was able to take the time to look at each character, adding in nice moments of character growth, and having the team remain together after the crisis at hand. And, as I have said in prior reviews, Mike McKone is able to add flourishes to his art that deepen those moments.

And, to add to the mix, we finally get to see a little bit of Equinox in action.

While the League is on Rann dealing with Ultra, the Multi-Alien, Byth, and the Rann/Thanagar relations, Alanna is on Earth, having been zeta-beamed to the Rannian base on Earth.

We learn a number of things here as she finds Miya's friend Heather and springs into action. Some things I like. Others, I am neutral about.

On the positive side, it looks like Alanna is going to be an active member of the team rather than hanging out on the sidelines. Like Adam, she has donned an  Rannian rocket suit and wields a 'ray gun'. I like this idea of her being just as much an adventurer as Adam.

On the neutral side, we learn that she is Alanna Strange, having married him in a quiet ceremony. Given the teacher/student relationship between her and Adam, the two have kept things hidden. I don't know. I suppose love is love. But I did have to suppress a bit of a cringe.

On the negative side, it is strongly implied that Alanna is from Earth. I always liked her as a Rannian citizen, making her relationship with Adam a sort of star-crossed love affair.

Still, a flying Alanna is great!

The big part of this book is seeing the Leaguers respond to the aftermath of this adventure.

Now Rann and Thanagar have historically never gotten along and this whole Ultra/Byth mess just adds gas to that combustible relationship. Thanagar blames Rann for the death of Hawkman and the creation of Ultra. Sardath blames Thanagar for the disaster as it was Byth, a Thanagarian, was the force behind the corruption of Rann's noble aims. I don't think these two planets will ever be true allies.

What I did like was how quickly J'onn stands up for Ultra. He won't let him be killed or captured. He will defend him. In fact, we learn that only J'onn's telepathy that is keeping Ultra in check. He has to defend him, from himself.

I also like how Ultra is aging quickly and taking on his more classic Silver Age appearance.

Green Arrow and Animal Man have been teasing and jabbing each other throughout this struggle. Here, sitting by while J'onn, Sardath, and the Thanagarians hash things out, there is a moment of introspection and sympathy.

Ollie admits he is a loner, not well suited for teamwork. He offers condolences for the loss of Cliff. It is a peek behind the brash, sarcastic Ollie. It also plants the seeds of how these two become great friends (as seen in Futures' End).

I especially love Buddy's response ... to hug it out. It breathes a little levity into what could have been a maudlin or suffocating moment. Great characterization by both.

When the book was first publicized, Lemire described Supergirl as an angry, bull-headed loner. He described Stargirl as the youthful face of DC's optimism. He said the two would have a hard time being friends.

Now Supergirl has been a bit impetuous. But she hasn't been overly angry. And, during the crisis, she actually did what she should do (try to save people) rather than what she wanted to do (chase and pound Lobo). I have been happy with seeing Lemire's Supergirl as being someone who wants to be proactive.

Here however, we see a bit more of what Lemire talked about prior to the series. While Stargirl is all 'golly' about what has happened, Supergirl seems a bit more world-weary and mature. She storms off, basically telling Courtney to grow up. Seems a little harsh to me.

McKone adds to the moment, casting all of Kara's body into the shadow of her cape. It is a dark moment; she even looks dark.

And we continue our rounds, looking at the other Leaguers and learning more of their characters.

J'onn is beating himself up for configuring the team in a way that ended up with Hawkman killed. I like this introspective J'onn who constantly wants to improves his strategy.

But what I love is Adam's response. This guy is a anthropology professor. You think he would be completely floored by this whole escapade. But he seems at ease here. And he tries to help J'onn work through this. Who can truly know how things would turn out if the crew was sent out differently.

J'onn, it seems is going to be more than a defender of Ultra. He might end up as a father figure. We learn that only J'onn's telepathy that is keeping Ultra in check. He has to defend Ultra from himself.

So Ultra is going to be part of the crew. Fascinating.

But the Rann connection won't be over. Sardath, a sort of scientific father to Ultra, will also be a visitor. I am glad that Sardath will be connected to the team. I feel like there has to be a link to the Silver Age Adam Strange.

And my Ladyhawke guess about Adam and Alanna turns out to be right. The two can't be together right now. Adam is stranded on Rann.

Ahhh ... they are star-crossed lovers. And Adam being 'stuck' on Rann is a nice throwback to his classic incarnation.

One thing I was surprised at was the Hawkman remained 'dead' this whole issue. I suppose we will have some sort of resurrection next issue, some sort of 'I expended all the energy of the Nth metal to revive me; I am no longer merged with it'. This way we get back to a more classic Katar.

I was glad that Byth and Lobo simply didn't just disappear. While Lobo does leave to chase down the other Lobo's out there, Byth commandeers the Thanagarian ship bring Katar home. Byth wants the Nth metal himself.

Byth is too great a cosmic villain to waste. I want to see all those characters here - Kanjar Ro, Hyathis, Manhawks, etc.

On Earth, Miya finally says her magic word to become Equinox and lashes out at the Wendigo spirits that have been haunting the area. She does say that she is worried about what will happen if she activates her powers. I wonder if there is some sort of 'Spawn' or 'Doctor Strange' like aspect to her powers, tapping into to dark magic as well as light.

It was great to finally see her in action, even if she passes out right after this scene.

McKone shines here, making her costume and capes seem alive, making her seem as much like a winged faerie as a young sorceror.

For me though, this was the best moment.

After the Rannian heroes get Zeta'd back to Canada, they have to decide what to do next. Do they stay together as a team? Use the Rann base as their HQ? Didn't the Justice League of America just fail? But didn't they act like a unit in saving people?

Kara's response is wonderful. You can see how much she wants to belong to something, especially after her recent Red Lantern time. She asks how the team would be different from teams .... not that she will stay of course. I think she is protesting too much here. She wants to stay.

And J'onn puts it succinctly and perfectly. The team needs to be a symbol of heroism, selflessness, and sacrifice. Don't like it  ... there's the door. Great leadership and great sentiment.

Of course everyone decides to stay. And Courtney gives them the name Justice League United.

But before they can share a group hug, Alanna bursts in with the unconscious Miya. Nice cliffhanger.

Whew ...

For a comic that had only one action scene (Byth slaughtering Thanagarians), this was riveting. It was a way for Lemire to show us where he is going with these characters, what he thinks of them. And this origin, a group of heroes coming together to fight evil and then staying together, smacks of the most classic origins - JLA and Avengers included.

Add to that the smooth, slick, nuanced art from Mike McKone and you have a winner.

No complaints here.

Overall grade: A