Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #50

Batman/Superman World's Finest #50 came out this week, an oversized special celebration. Since this title hit the stands, it has been one best books on the racks month in, month out. Writer Mark Waid has been here throughout. As I have said time and time again, Waid has a perfect understanding of these characters and is able to walk the tightrope between classic and modern.

Waid crafts two stories for this issue. The first is a pretty fun team-up of our title characters. One of the things that people have asked in the past is how Superman and Batman could be friends when they methods are so different. In the first issue, Waid plays up the differences to a hundred, a level that has been in continuity in the past but no longer. It is fun to see Waid have them arguing with each other. 

But it is the second story that is the big win here. We go to the back-up World's Finest teams, Supergirl/Batgirl and Jimmy Olsen/Robin pairs in an old-fashioned contest to see which team is better. Waid has made the Kara/Dick relationship crackle in this else-when book. We have seen Jimmy team up with Babs here as well. So fun seeing them mix and match here, first racing each other then teaming up. This is a super-fun story.

Throw in some deep DC cuts in both and you have a win.

The first story is drawn by the masterful Dan Mora who gets to stretch his Ditko muscles in a crazy dream world. Whether it is insane action or crazy page layouts, Mora understood the mission. Regular title artist Adrian Gutierrez draws the second story and shines with his usual sound effect flourishes. Yes, I like his Supergirl, always a bonus.

On to the fun!

Review: Superman #18

Superman #18 came out this week, another Absolute Power tie-in and a decent issue from the creative team of writer Joshua Williamson and artist Jamal Campbell.

I very much enjoyed the last issue as it had enough solid character moments from all the title's players. I am not reading Absolute Power, so that issue was in the story but also was a showing for the supporting cast. 

This issue, Williamson again has some solid character moments but not as many and not as memorable as last issue. Also, the actual story that is in this issue felt like an unnecessary detour. Did anything really happen here? Do we get a good Lois/Superman moment? We also get a Zatanna moment that didn't ring true. And the introduction of a character that seems like an afterthought or the genesis of a toy. 

Campbell continues to shine with an elaborate art style. He shines a bit on the pages where Superman and Zatanna are traveling magical pathways. And his super-hero action in the Hall of Heroes was also eye-catching.

But I feel like this was a pause in things more than an addition. I wonder if this needed to happen to keep the title in synch with Absolute Power. After all, Doomsday is back next month.

On to the book.

Review: Superman #17

Superman #17 came out this week, a tie-in to Absolute Power and the continuation of Superman and Zatanna's search for the Map of Mordru.

I am not getting the Absolute Power main series so much of what has led to this point is a bit lost to me. I have learned through panels in this book, podcasts, and other reviews that the Fortress is destroyed, Kandor is destroyed, and Jon is brainwashed and working for Waller. 

As for this issue, it is a Superman on the run, looking for anything to save his son and his world. Writer Joshua Williamson puts Superman through some paces here. He is powerless and walking through the chaotic magical world. It makes him a little bit of a fish out of water. But what I really love is that Superman remains proactive and heroic. He even puts a bit of an edge on our hero, perhaps showing how worried he is. This isn't our cool, collected, 'lead by example' Superman. He yells and hits and insults. Hey, his son is in danger. Anyone would be twitchy.

Jamal Campbell continues to give us polished art. It is incredibly rendered, giving it an almost CGI feel. The energy is there for sure. And between city scenes, forest scenes, and bar scenes, Campbell shows he has solid chops for all sorts of environs.

Add to this an cliffhanger involving a villain I haven't really thought about in over 25 years and you get an entertaining issue. On to some particulars.

Review: Superman #16

Superman #16 came out this week, an Absolute Power tie-in and the first issue post-'House of Brainiac'. It re-unites writer Joshua Williamson with the original artist on the title Jamal Campbell. Not surprising, it is a fun read with beautiful art.

I am not collecting Absolute Power. The concept of Amanda Waller somehow depowering all the heroes and taking control of the planet was completely uninteresting to me. It seems these days I collect every other 'DC Event'. Lazarus Planet yes. Beast World no. Absolute Power no. All In ... probably.

This issue actually is just what a tie-in/crossover should be. It is clearly an issue of Superman, telling its own story. But it is clearly taking place in the Absolute Power big story. As such, Williamson gives me enough info to get me up to speed as a non-reader of the event. Even more impressive, he hints at something that happened in Absolute Power that made me want check out that book. As I said ... impressive. If only there was one of those little editor boxes that might have led me to which of the books I should look. Without that info, the yearning dissipated.

The plot is simple. The heroes are in disarray and trying to get coordinated. Superman is in critical condition. Zatanna has an idea that can help everyone. Meanwhile, the Metropolis gang try to stay alive. It all works well. But there are smaller moments from the supporting characters that really are the high points here, showing how Williamson is working with a full cast and keeping me interested in all of them.

As for Campbell, his art is as polished as ever. I love his take on Zatanna. We get a Smallville flashback that is wonderful. He even makes amnestic Lex seem fresh, like a new character ... which in some ways he is.

Solid issue. Solid crossover. No complaints. On to the particulars.

DC Superhero Girls: Adventures In Bunnysitting

The first stand alone episode of the new Lauren Faust led DC Superhero Girls aired last week and it was a complete hoot as well as a good look at the personalities of Zatanna and Supergirl. You just knew I was going to love it.

#AdventuresInBunnysitting is a sort of 'Trouble With Tribbles' take on magical rabbits. And while the silliness that ensues from the premise of magical fertile bunnies is brilliant, it is the character stuff that really hooked me.

One thing we knew was this Supergirl was a rebel with a gruff exterior, the 'punch first' muscle of the team, with a chip on her shoulder about Superman. It didn't initially sound like a take I would like. But after the shorts and the hour long premiere, I was sold. This is a magnified take on some aspects of Kara's classic character, attuned for these Looney Tunes shorts. And this episode also showed that there is a different Supergirl simmering under the hard exterior.

Add to that the usual flourishes tossed in for adults and you have a big big win. Please seek this episode out, especially if you are a Supergirl or a Zatanna fan.

On to the show.

Review: DC Bombshells #14

I was worried that DC Bombshells might be one of the casualties of #Rebirth. Luckily, the ax didn't drop and we have been able to get even more excellent stories from Marguerite Bennett, Laura Braga, and Mirka Andolfo.

Two issues ago we had the major battle at the front, the main Bombshells defending London from the Tenebrau army. Last issue (which I didn't review) was a look back at Lois Lane and the Batgirls as they thwart a rather Trump-ian Harvey Dent running for office.

DC Bombshells #14 came out and caught us up on a number of the plotlines which are happening away from the front. While I want to know how Kara is recovering from the death of her sister and what is happening with the new League, I loved this issue for showing us the other characters we have come to know and show us what has been happening with them.

In particular, Marguerite Bennett really tugged on the old heart strings with this book. There were many touching moments in this book, some which made me sad and others which were joyous. I have said it before. I didn't expect such depth of character from a title based on cheesecake statues.

And I have probably gushed enough about artists Laura Braga and Mirka Andolfo in prior reviews. Both are able to produce excellent action sequences but also ratchet it down to these quiet emotional moments which are powerful.

We even get a new Bombshell in this issue. So it had something for everyone.

On to the book!

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 Comics Bombshells #2

The print version of DC Comics Bombshells #2 came out this week and continued to be an interesting look at the female DC heroes placed in the time of World War II. As I said in my review of the last issue, this is a title built on a merchandise line based on 1940's pin-ups. It could have been pure cheesecake. Instead, writer Marguerite Bennett continues to unveil the backgrounds and motivations of these characters in a serious manner. Yes, their outfits and the occasional panel are like Vargas pin-ups. But overall, these are serious proceedings. Good story trumps a lot and Bennett gives us something smart and entertaining.

This issue includes three of the digital chapters so we have separate storylines of Wonder Woman and Mera, Supergirl and Stargirl, and Zatanna and the Joker's Daughter. Each chapter has a different artist. Laura Braga, Stephen Mooney, and Ted Naifeh each have a unique style bringing a sense of individual aesthetic. Mooney's in the roughest of the group, sort of a Matthew Dow Smith/Matt Wagner feel that I think works well for the harsh Soviet backdrop his chapter is set in.

I also like the cover with a 'Join the Waves' tagline while we see dolphins carry Diana and Mera. The Waves, of course, were the women divisions of the naval reserve in the 40's. Perfect use of the tagline there!

On Paradise Island, Diana is nursing Steve Trevor back to health. He is a bit addled from his battle experience but he is able to tell her all about the war. He discusses Germany's expansion and atrocities and the resulting conflict.

Realizing that eventually Germany could look to Paradise Island, Diana asks her mother to have the Amazons join the war.

I like how Diana describes the weapons of man. Honeycombs that fire wasps of metal (belt fed Gatling gun?), tortoises crushing forests (tanks?), and the Nazi swastika described as a nest of thorns. I liked how she related the weapons to forces of nature.

Unfortunately, Hippolyta doesn't think the Amazons should be involved. And given that it is Trevor's words that are swaying Diana, the queen tells the Amazons to kill Steve at dawn.

Diana can't abide by that. She plans to free Steve, take the Amazons magic weapons, and join the war. And to do all that, she needs help. She enlists Mera to help out.

Mera seems like she is looking for something worthwhile to do. She is not in line for the throne. She is not doing anything important. She will join in whatever adventure Diana wants to lead her into, especially if it promotes good.

That is a pretty deep backstory for Mera who, at times, has been written more one-dimensional.

I really loved this scene. Diana goes to steal the tiara, bracelets, and magic lasso to use against Germany.

Initially Hippolyta's sentries defend them. But then they realize that Diana's tenacity, belief in justice, and willingness to sacrifice herself are all admirable. They are the true Amazonian tenets. They let her take the weapons.

Mera, Diana, and Steve all speed away from Paradise Alley to enter the war.

But I don't think this is going to be an easy transition for either Diana or Mera.

Meanwhile in Russia, Kara has revealed her powers in order to rescue Kortni. Unfortunately, the Russian higher-ups are immediately suspicious. Is she a spy? Or an Uberfrau? (Nice reference to another variant of Supergirl.)

When Kortni is threatened, Kara allows herself to be taken.

This shows that Kara's heart is in the right place.

At a military headquarters, Kara tells her origin. Kortni was born on the night of a 'falling star'.

That falling star was Kara's starship. She was brought into Kortni's family. Raised as a daughter. Taught to love her land.

I love this take on the art. It looks like wood carvings. Or maybe a children's fairy tale book. Just beautiful.

At least her, the military higher-ups realize that Kara is a daughter of the state and loyal.

When asked to show her powers, Kara destroys the lights and makes a tapestry at high speed of her vision of her and Kortni. Supergirl and Stargirl. Working for the Soviets. It is a bit secular and sexy for a Soviet state. But that is her vision and given her powers it will probably happen. (Although we haven't heard about the cosmic rod yet. Is this already a thing?).

Would a daughter of the state, living in those dorms, wearing uniforms, dream of something so provocative?

I have to say I like it in red more than the blue.

Stargirl being Soviet right now, with that star, reminds me of Marvel's Red Guardian.

The last episode shows Zatanna being a singer/burlesque dancer in a German show house. Her boss is The Joker's Daughter, who is just scary.

But while dancing, Zatanna realizes that one of the customers is John Constantine, an English spy there undercover as a nazi.

The two get into an outright magic battle in the dance hall.

In the end, Zatanna wins, turning John into a rabbit.

And yet, you get the sense that Zatanna doesn't want to truly hurt John. She doesn't turn him over to the other Nazi officers. She doesn't snap his neck.

Maybe she wants him to be alive, to maybe help her at some point.

That thought gained some momentum when we learn that Zatanna is Jewish, saved from the ghettos because she is so talented.

This is a really interesting wrinkle to Zatanna's arc.

So overall, a lot of compelling stuff in book. We are basically moving towards them being an all-female All Star Squadron. I am all for it.

And luckily, the Supergirl stuff is solid. I like Kara's no nonsense attitude there.

Is it okay for me to admit I am surprised at how good this book is?

Overall grade: A

Yes, It's Possible

Sketch recently posted on Mahmud Asrar's blog:
http://mahmudasrar.com/post/25790268821/yes-its-possible-taken-with-instagram

Sometimes these sketches end up as panels in Supergirl.

So could this be Zatanna? Could she be saying it's possible to download English into Kara's brain?

Maybe? Please?

Poll: What New Title Should I Formally Review Here?

With the announcement that R.E.B.E.L.S. is going to end in May, I realized that there would be a hole in my monthly blog routine for a non-Super comic to review. R.E.B.E.L.S. was a guilty pleasure and while it didn't really fit into the theme of this place, I liked stretching my legs a bit into the rest of the DCU.

When the end of R.E.B.E.L.S. was announced, I posed the question of which book I should start reviewing here on a monthly basis and got some interesting suggestions, all of which were already on my pull list. But I thought it would be fun to run a quick poll to see which title should be added to Comic Box Commentary's monthly review. So here are the suggestions with some of my thoughts. I hope people will be interested enough to vote.

1) Batgirl - I was so taken in by Batgirl #8 and Batgirl #14 (both bought because of Supergirl appearances) that I quickly went out and scooped up all the back issues I could find and added the book to my subscription. It is a sneaky good book ... always loads of fun. Steph is a very likable character and she is working hard to be part of the Bat-family while being herself as well.

The one thing is I know nothing ... I mean nothing ... about her time as Robin, Spoiler, the events around her 'death', etc. So I won't have the historical background I do with Supergirl.

Still, I love the book.

2) Birds of Prey - Another fun book, albeit in a very different vein than Batgirl. Gail Simone has such a handle with these characters and writes them as three-dimensional fully formed people. I have always been a Huntress fan, but I became a Black Canary and Oracle fan because of Simone. I also like Hawk and Dove a lot (I would love a H&D solo series) and Lady Blackhawk is a hoot month in month out.

I collected Simone's original run of BoP and this new title, but little else of the book. I think I have a pretty good handle on these characters. It is a bit of a darker book than I am used to reviewing which might mix things up nicely.

3) Legion of Super-Heroes - Well, I have been reading Legion books for almost as long as I have been reading. Some of my earliest memories of comics are the Grell issues of Legion (I suppose that dates me somewhat). They are one of my favorite concepts in comics, although some reboots have been rougher than others. I know I am in the minority that liked the '5 years later' run. I didn't get any of the DnA books. I liked the Waid/Kitson books and not just because Supergirl was in it. So I have enough background with the book (especially here with Levitz picking up where he left off those many years ago), that I would feel fine reviewing the book.

I have talked about featuring Legion here in the past but never got around to doing it. Is now the right time?

4) Zatanna - You can't beat the current creative team of Dini and Igle. The issues I have read of the title have been solid. It would be a fresh book for me to review as I have a working knowledge of Zatanna but nothing in depth.

5) Sterling Gates' Top Secret project - When will it be announced? What will it be? One thing I do know, Gates has won me as a fan so I will be buying the title. But should it be reviewed here?

6) Other - Of course, these were the only suggestions I got. Maybe there is something I'm not even thinking about.If you vote other, let me know which title you are thinking of.

Anyways, I thought it might be fun to open the floor for a vote. Vote early ... vote often!

Happy Valentine's Day - Supergirl #7

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone out there! I hope romance is in the air for everyone.

Unfortunately for Supergirl, love has never come easy for her.Yes, she had relationships with Brainiac 5 and Dick Malverne but for the most part her romantic endeavors have ended up as failures. There are almost too many stories of failed romance to mention, especially early on in her history.

But, as it is Valentine's Day, I figured I would show one of them. And so, as a sort of anti-Valentine, I present Supergirl #7 from 1973, 'The Sinister Snowman'.

Now you might think from the Bob Oksner cover that Supergirl and Zatanna are vying for the affection of a Yeti. Luckily, that isn't the case. Instead, writer Bob Kanigher and artist Art Saaf give us a crazy story with the two heroes falling head-over-heels in love at first sight and the leading man acting like a cad. 

The book opens with a peace rally at Vandyre University where organizers are asking the students to donate to a prisoner of war fund.

I always find scenes like this historically fascinating. It is clear that the creators are talking about the Vietnam War. How interesting to see some political commentary in comics in this time period.

Linda 'Supergirl' Danvers doesn't get one of the bracelets bearing the name of one of the missing soldiers. She already is wearing a bracelet with the name Tony Martyn, a young man in the Peace Corps lost in the Himalayas for months.

Earlier in the year, Tony was rescued by Supergirl when his car careened off a mountainside road. When Supergirl sees the Tony she becomes immediately smitten. While the two never went out, Tony wrote to Supergirl (c/o Vandyre University) almost every day. His letters never seemed to let on whether he shared the same feelings that Supergirl had.

Unfortunately, Tony went missing soon after his Peace Corps assignment in the Himalayan mountains.

At the same time, Zatanna is also reminiscing about Tony who she met when he volunteered in one of her shows. She also was fall for Tony after just one look.

Unlike Supergirl, Tony has a bit more of a relationship with Zatanna. She describes her time with him as an 'enchanting romance'. But then Tony needs to go away to Himalayas leaving Zatanna heart-broken.

With Tony suddenly in the mind of both heroes, Supergirl and Zatanna each decide to fly to the distant mountains to try to find their missing man. They don't know that both love Tony. They don't know they both are going to rescue him. Uh oh ...

Supergirl arrives first and saves a small village from being flattened by a huge boulder tumbling down the mountain.

Grateful, the villagers tell Supergirl how they are forced to serve a demon named Orgox, a demon that lives higher on the mountain. Tony tried to help the villagers and set out to prove that the villagers are being duped and that Orgox isn't really a demon.

Supergirl also thinks that Orgox probably isn't really a demon. But more importantly, Supergirl knows that when she finds Orgox she'll probably also find Tony.

Pretty quickly, Supergirl discovers that Orgox may actually have some power. As Supergirl cruises around the mountain she is attacked by two Neanderthals. But these cavemen possess tremendous strength, grappling with Supergirl and forcing her deep into caves of the Himalayas. Showing some savvy use of her powers, Supergirl freezes the cavemen, stopping them in their tracks. With the caveman paralyzed, Supergirl can continue her search for Tony.

By this time, Zatanna has also arrived and run into some magical opponents as well. She is briefly captured by a giant ice eagle before using her sorcery to escape. The escape has worn her out though and she is about to succumb to the cold conditions of the mountain when Supergirl comes upon her and revives her.

At that point, the two heroes realize they are chasing the same man. At first they act catty to each other, but then realize they need to team up to save Tony from whatever has him.

After some searching, Orgox approaches with Tony. Just before Zatanna lashes out against Orgox, Supergirl stops her. Kara realizes that Tony's heart rate is too slow for someone running away from danger. Orgox has used illusions to make himself look like Tony and Tony to look like him. With the spell broken, Orgox stands before the two women.

Realizing he probably can't beat the combined might of Supergirl and Zatanna, Orgox decides his only chance at survival is to bring the entire mountain down around them. Zatanna's uses her magic to protect Supergirl, Tony, and herself. Orgox perishes under the weight of the rubble, in essence killing himself. Zatanna realizes that Orgox was indeed one of the 'old ones' who still walked the Earth.

Now why a powerful sorcerer/demon like Orgox would want to live on a high cold mountain getting offerings from poor villagers, I don't know. And speaking of those villagers ... did they also die when the mountain fell down?

So with Tony saved, who will he choose to share his love with: Zatanna or Supergirl?

In classic Supergirl-romance-style, the answer is neither. Tony can wait to get back to his 'new' fiance. How did he meet someone new up in these mountains? And didn't he have a romantic lunch with Zatanna the day before he left? Maybe the clue behind this whole thing is the spelling of fiance here, although I don't know if comics in the 1970s would be open to such an idea.

The bottom line is Supergirl is once again thwarted in her hopes for love.

This is a silly story without much long term impact on Supergirl's history so has a low importance for a Supergirl collection. I have always enjoyed Art Saaf's version of Supergirl; he draws a very nice Kara. I am not a fan of the slippers though. I like Supergirl in boots.

Anyways, Happy Valentine's Day!

Bullet Review: Zatanna #9

When the Zatanna comic was first solicited, I thought for sure it would be on my buy list. It sure had the talent to grab me.

The writer was Paul Dini, whose work I have always loved. His stuff on the animated Batman series and his work with Alex Ross (especially Superman:Peace on Earth) was great. And the artist was Stephane Roux. I really loved Roux' cover work on Birds of Prey.

With that confluence of talent, I was ready to embrace the title. I bought the first two issues and I while I thought they were fine, they didn't grab me. While Zatanna has the potential to be a very interesting character (I thought the Morrison/Sook Seven Soldiers:Zatanna mini-series was fantastic), she isn't someone that I necessarily would seek out. So despite the creative team, it was going to take something fantastic to grab me.

Unfortunately, the first two issues just didn't grab me enough. I hadn't purchased it since.

Still ... it seemed in some ways wrong that I wasn't collecting it. I wondered if I might be missing something because the talent was there. I debated picking it up again.

Then I heard Jamal Igle was going to take over the book soon and I figured that was enough to put the book back on the pull list. Zatanna #9 came out last week ... a sort of nexus of creators that I love. The cover is by Stephane Roux. I don't know about the top hat symbol or the 'missing shins' (Are her legs bent at the knee behind her? Or simply not included?) but overall it is a nice piece. Dini writes the main story with Cliff Chiang doing the art. (Why is Cliff Chiang not on a monthly title??) And Adam Beechen and Jamal Igle do the back up story.

Since it was Igle's art that spurred me to buy this issue, I'll bullet review that story.

It is a cute story about a young Zatanna, a junior sorceress dealing with getting braces.

The braces have just been put on so Zatanna isn't quite used to them. As a result, she can't speak coherently and is spewing drool when she does talk. It's hard to speak backwards magic when your mouth is betraying you.

While relaxing at the mall after her dentist appointment, Zatanna tries to foil a robbery.

I had to post some of my favorite panels of this story, just a reminder of what I'll be missing over on Supergirl.

I love this first panel as Zatanna enjoys her milkshake. You just get the sense that she is loving that drink, almost hugging it to her, smiling.

And a pretty amusing spit-take.

As I said, she can't speak clearly and is flinging drool all over like a rabid dog.

Igle does a good job of showing a variety of feelings on those people who Zatanna has drenched.

I also love this trip back in time to the 80s. The 'Blossom' hat, the Frankie Goes to Hollywood t-shirt. I know all I need to know about when this story is happening.

When Zatanna can't stop the thief physically, she figures out a way to use her magic, an old school 'speak-and-spell' like toy.

But the thing that works her is the devilish look on Zatanna when she knows she is about to win. As usual, Igle really is able to convey so much information with his character's facial expressions.

With the toy she is able to use her magic, creating a cage out of her braces. It is so ludicrous, it works. This is supposed to be a light-hearted tale.

It also gives a look into the mindset of the young hero. Basically powerless, she still tried to save people.

Sort of a silly story. Enjoyable and light ... like lemon meringue. And I read it to the supergirls at home and they loved it. Still, why not just say 'hteet nethgiarts'?

I will add that the main story by Dini/Chiang is very good with Zatanna dealing with a living ventriloquist's dummy, someone cursed to that existence by Zatara.

So I guess Zatanna is back on the buy list. Anyone been reading this title all along? Is it worth grabbing the issues I am missing?