Review: Superman/Wonder Woman #11

Superman:Doomed ....

Will it never end!

I must admit that my interest in this mega-arc has waned dramatically over the last couple of weeks. As the plots spin out of control, as the infection waxed ... waned ... waxed ... and then was cured because Baka believed in Superman (an overly easy answer to such a key plot point), I have just grown fatigued with reading this story. There is too much happening, too many plots and subplots, and too many feints by the creators. I don't know what is important. And I can't believe that the Doomsday virus was cured by good feelings.

This week Superman/Wonder Woman #11 came out, one of the final chapters of the arc, and writer Charles Soule basically continues the cycle I have described above. Last week's cliffhanger turns out to be a fakeout (like the Cyborg Superman cliffhanger was something of a fakeout, like the incurable Doomsday virus has been something of a fakeout). There is some action sequences that seem like filler. And yet another new plot element is added. Does DC think this bloated storyline is going to be easily wrapped up in this month's Superman:Doomed #2?

Tony Daniel is sadly not doing art on this book, most likely because he is hard at work on the new Deathstroke comic. So newcomer Thony Silva does interior. Silva's art is stylized. His characters look gangly and angular. And Superman oddly never has pupils. I think I would rather see this style on something like Deathstroke and bring Tony Daniel back.

The last issue of Doomed ended with another cliffhanger ... Non and Mongul leaving the Phantom Zone! Yet another new element added to this incredibly overly complicated mega-arc!

But I should have remembered some of the other cliffhangers in this arc, threats or events which quickly downshifted or disappeared. Here Non and Mongul see that Earth is being overrun by Brainiac. And despite their combined might, neither of them wants to face that threat. They actually retreat back to the Phantom Zone! So much for that cliffhanger.

I suppose I should be happy that they weren't added given my concern that there are too many moving parts here.

I did like how Mongul tries to explain to Non that he isn't scared of Brainiac as he is retreating.

And Lana continues to become smarter and smarter. Somehow she is able to figure out that Brainiac is draining neurological energy from the populace of Earth. But it is a progression from higher thinking to the most primitive neurologic impulses until everyone is dead.

Now how an electrical engineer can figure out an alien genius' neurologic draining mechanisms I don't know.

Look ... I love this Lana. But let's not make her too unbelievable. I would have had less of a complaint if Shay Veritas said this line.

Superman realizes that he needs to head to the Fortress and reorganize the few troops he has left. So Steel, Lana, J'onn, and Superman all head to the north pole to try to figure out a plan.

In one of the nicer moments, Cyborg stays behind to hold off the tough Brainiac drones so the others can leave. It is a nice page and a nice moment ... albeit brief. Very quickly, Brainiac adapts his mechanism to drain Vic's half robot brain as well.

If you count it up, only 7 free minds remain on the planet - Superman, J'onn, Steel, Lana, and these three: Bruce, Diana, and Lois.

Batman realizes that it simply isn't enough to defeat Brainiac. They need help.

So I don't know why Lois is green here when she had her normal coloring last issue.

It would have been nice to see some of the other telepaths on the planet to see how they fared. The fact that J'onn and Lois can shield people makes me wonder why others couldn't do the same.

But if it is true that only 7 are free and they need more firepower there are only a couple of places they can turn.

Superman turns to the mentally caged Doomsday. Why not let the monster take control again? After all, despite issue after issue of hearing how the virus was spreading, how this was an infection, all it took was the Ghost Soldier to tell Superman that people believed in him for the Man of Steel to cure himself.

I am so confused about this infection. Is it an infection? Like a disease? A mental problem? How can good feelings cure it? How can Superman willingly suffer the relapse? This whole ending of the Doomsday virus threat weakens the foundation of the entire conflict of this arc.

I also don't know why Silas never drew Superman with pupils.

And Wonder Woman goes searching for more firepower by heading into the Phantom Zone. Looks like she will try to lure Mongul and Non out to help fight for the cause. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.

And it looks like Wonder Woman is willing to use Warworld as a bargain chip to get Mongul into the fold. Boy, I know that Warworld is a Death Star analogue. But this sure does look like a certain 'fully operational battle station'.

Well, another chapter down. The plot moved forward a bit. And we are set up for the final part (outside of the Supergirl crossover issue). Superman:Doomed #2 will be out soon and this arc will be over. And I will be thankful. I am hoping this will erase the last bits of Lobdell plot threads from the super-titles. I am hoping that Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder can get back to the sort of stories they were doing before this arc. And I hope I never have to think about what this Doomsday infection was all about. Because my head hurts from trying to figure it out.

Overall grade: C

November Solicits Part 1:Another New Supergirl Creative Direction

The November solicits for DC Comics came out earlier this week and had major implications for the Supergirl book.  Because in November, Supergirl has new writers ... again.

In fact, that news is so big that I am splitting the solicits post into two. There will be this one covering just the Supergirl solicit and one later this week covering the other books. To look at all the solicits, here is a link to Newsarama's coverage: http://www.newsarama.com/21907-dc-comics-full-november-2014-solicitations.html

So here is the solicit for November's Supergirl #36 including the news of a new writing team.

SUPERGIRL #36
Written by MIKE JOHNSON and KATE PERKINS
Art and cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO

The new writing team of Mike Johnson and Kate Perkins enroll Supergirl in the Crucible Academy! Against her own will, Kara has been selected to join the mysterious academy, which promises to train her and other beings of cosmic importance to serve the forces of good in the universe. But who’s pulling the strings behind the academy? And what are Kara’s chances of survival if she decides to drop out? Guest-starring Superboy!

Where to begin.


Let's start with the new team:


Kate Perkins is a name I don't know from comics and has no list of prior works on comicbookdb.com. There is a very brief blurb about her on CBR which describes her as a New York playwright breaking into comics. I am glad that DC is bringing a woman onto the book. And on her website, she does have an interesting CV. While these works can't be read or viewed directly from there, the blurbs about them sound interesting.


Mike Johnson should be a familiar name to everyone as he returns to this book after a being away for a  year and a half. I really felt like Johnson was turning the corner with the character, making her more heroic and more likable on his own before that vision was completely derailed by Scott Lobdell and H'el On Earth. I have to say I'm happy to see him back.


I wonder if Perkins is the main driver on this team with Johnson bringing some experience in comic writing to keep things moving along.


Now on to the solicit itself:

Kara is now joining a cosmic super-school called Crucible Academy. Certainly, putting Kara in a school solves one major problem the book has suffered from - lack of a supporting cast. I am sure we are going to meet friends, enemies, frenemies, and all sorts of professors. And the concept of a school training heroes is an interesting one. 


Now I have hoped beyond hope that the New 52 Supergirl would one day embrace Earth and become a hero on the planet. I somehow don't think that a cosmic super-school will be located on Earth-0 which means Supergirl is going to be off-planet again. While making Supergirl a more intergalactic hero is a fresh take on the character ... even expanding her horizons, I still prefer the idea of Kara as a young hero, growing into the role on Earth. I don't know if we will ever get there.

Still, it is completely different. I will go in open-minded and optimistic.

Lastly, I just have to wonder if this completely new direction is somehow coming off the overwhelmingly positive buzz on the new 'Batgirl of Burnside' direction over on that book. I can imagine the conversation sounded something like this:

DC editor 1: Wow, everyone is talking about Batgirl and Gotham Academy. How can we cash in even more on this topic immediately making it less fresh and unique?


DC Editor 2: Well, Supergirl is a young female protagonist. Why don't we send her to school?


DC Editor 1: I know! Let's make it a school .... wait for it .... IN SPPPAAACCEEE!


DC Editor 2: And if it doesn't work, we can always make her angry, angsty, pissed off, and disaffected again!


Maybe I am wrong. But it seems weird to suddenly take on yet another completely different take on the title, another creative direction, just as the last one was finally moving forward. And it seems so spur of the moment, like when Charles Soule said 'let's make her a Red Lantern' at a meeting and it suddenly changed everything Tony Bedard was hoping to do initially.

Which leads me to my next topic.

The Big Picture and Tony Bedard:

I literally just did a post where Newsarama interviewed Tony Bedard who talked about his long term plans about Supergirl. So this seems to imply that he didn't know that things were changing so soon. Why would he talk about the future after Futures' End issue when he is off the book after that crossover?? I can't help but be reminded of Sterling Gates' piece in Superman #700 where he laid out his plans for the next year (!!) only to have Nick Spencer take over the book shortly thereafter.

Much like Mike Johnson in his first go around, Bedard finally seemed to be bringing the ship around, set on the direction he wanted the book to go, only to have the book taken away from him. The whole Red Daughter story arc seems less important now. Part of that storyline was to rid Supergirl of this unnecessary rage DC saddled her with, to have her finally look at Earth as home, to finally have her patch up her relationship with Superman. It was supposed to be the beginning of a new life. We even had subplots bubbling - Veritas, Siobhan and her roommate, and Blaze.

And now, if this Crucible Academy is in space, none of that seems to matter. Once again she isn't looking at Earth as home. She isn't having a family relationship with Kal. She isn't being a hero on Earth. So Bedard's future stories of a well-adjusted Supergirl being a young hero in Metropolis are now in the 'what might have been' files.

From afar, this completely new direction makes the book look like it is once again on shaky ground despite sales being remarkably stable. Let's look at the 36 issues of this book and the writers: Green/Johnson then Mike Johnson then Frank Hannah then Mike Johnson then Scott Lobdell then Tony Bedard and now Perkins/Johnson. 6 different writers and writing teams in 36 issues! Compare that to the stability of Wonder Woman, Batgirl, the Green Lantern books, Justice League, and Aquaman. There have been one or two writers and directions on those books. DC has let those creators tell their stories. DC seems to know what to do with those characters. And yet, they seem to flail with Kara.

What I want on this book is some stability ... some consistency. I want Supergirl to be likable, heroic, and optimistic. I want her character to be at the center of things, not some crossover which takes the emphasis off her. I want a rogues gallery, a supporting cast, and character growth. And we haven't had that on this book. Unfortunately when there was consistency, it was the angry bitter Kara. Now just as she seems likable and heroic ... finally ... we are going somewhere else. Now maybe ... hopefully ... Johnson and Perkins build on what Bedard did and don't take a step back.

But to put it simply, I just want a Supergirl book that truly is a book about Supergirl.

Now the Perkins/Johnson run may very well be fantastic. In fact, I hope it is going to be fantastic. And if they are reading this, understand this isn't a comment on their story or direction. This semi-rant is a comment on DC and their treatment of this character and this book.  

I am looking forward to reading this story. I am hoping Kara isn't the angsty  angry brat that has weighed her down these three years. 

See you all in November.

Review: Smallville Chaos #1

Smallville:Chaos #1 was released last week, the first part of the next arc of Season 11 and that much closer to the upcoming Crisis. And it is evident that the Crisis is probably right around the corner as we go to one of presumably Infinite Earths and see dead heroes and red skies. It amazes me how much I am geared up for the finale of this 'season', having enjoyed just about every step along the way.

But writer Bryan Q. Miller does more than just bring us to a new Earth so we can see some tragedy up close, he starts two other subplots as well, re-introducing us to a classic DC villain as well as progressing a lingering plot point from Smallville:Lantern. I will admit that I am impressed at how beefy Miller is making this Smallville universe, filled now with versions of many DC heroes and villains. And I am impressed with how he is able to make this feel like a team book, at times feel like a DC Universe book, but still keep Lois and Clark in the spotlight. No one feels cheated or overlooked here.

The art is split by Daniel HDR and Agustin Padilla and both do very well with the material here, especially the action sequences. They complement each other so that there isn't any sort of disconnection while I was reading.

We start out in Metropolis where Professor Bruce Gordon has been possessed by a black diamond "big enough to eclipse the sun". That's right, Miller is bringing Eclipso into the Smallville universe. And he is a good villain to have here as his powers certainly can be a threat for even Superman.

But I love how Superman implores him to take the fight outside the city. Superman's first thoughts are of the safety of the citizens. I feel like I should keep a file of these panels on hand and then email them to Snyder and Goyer.

The fight ends up being brief as Superman smashes the diamond underfoot, releasing Gordon from the spell.

Meanwhile Lois is at the supercollider being built by Michael Holt and Ted Kord. So Mr. Terrific and Blue Beetle are in the book as well.

But the collider wouldn't have been built without a last minute influx of cash by Lex Luthor.

Lois is such a powerful figure in this book. It makes me wish we had a Lois like this in the main DCU books. Maybe Johns' will bring her back.

Luthor isn't there simply for scientific advancement. He has Otis attach the monitor communicator Lex pilfered in Russia to the device. And just like that a dimensional rift is opened. That's right ... a gateway to another Earth!

Perhaps my favorite part about this is that Lois simply says typical as this disaster unfolds before her, as she is sucked into the portal. There is no screaming in fear. There is no 'help me Superman'. There is just a 'typical' which becomes a more frustrated and exasperated 'TYPICAL'!!

Love it.

Of course, even if she doesn't yell 'help me Superman', Clark is always tuned in to her. He flies to the rescue, grabbing her but unfortunately tumbling through the dimensional gate as well. And when the collider goes off line, the tunnel closes behind them.

I wonder if every Superman writer tries to think of a scenario where he can have Superman say 'I've got you' and Lois retorts 'You've got me. Who's got you??'. I am almost positive Johns' had the exchange in Superman:Secret Origins.

It might be almost cliche to have it but I like it every single time.

Of course, this Lois is so used to being rescued, so used to Superman's powers, I don't particularly know why she would ask it. But I don't care.

Meanwhile, Chloe and Ollie are being wooed by Steve Trevor and Diana Prince of the DEO. Trevor is hoping that Ollie will join the DEO as a teacher, training the DEO soldiers. Nice little OMAC reference by Ollie.

The Chloe/Diana scenes are precious with Diana oohing and ahhing over Chloe's pregnant body.

But all of this makes me think that Ollie is going to be the tragic loss in the Crisis. This overwhelming sentiment of trying to keep him on the sidelines so he can be there for his family makes me think he ends up sacrificing himself for everyone.

And the Eclipso storyline isn't exactly over.

When you shatter one diamond that can possess one person, you just might make a lot of diamond shards which can also possess someone ... like this Metropolis detective.

An army of Eclipsos suddenly is forming in the city, all bent on destruction.

And with Superman somewhere else, it might be time for another Kryptonian to defend the city!

As for Superman and Lois, they are stuck on a world. A world with red skies. A world with a fleet of Monitor ships in the air. A place where the Superman variant Mr. Majestic is dead and hung on the Daily Star.

It is getting real.

Again, nice nod to DC history by including Majestic here. And nice nod to the original crisis. Those red skies don't lie.

So Eclipso in Metropolis.
Lois and Clark in another Metropolis.

And in Antarctica, Lex decides to take control of the collider and all it can do. And what better way to do that but with Team Luthor, a group of Lex soldiers armed with yellow lantern rings.

Hmmm ... how are they powered?

Now Lex has been manipulating things from behind the scenes all season. This is pretty much out there, a very public super-villain move. I don't know if there is coming back from this.

We must be very close to the finale.

But on Earth-? Superman and Lois run into the 'other' Lois. And she isn't too happy. The heroes seem to have let this Earth down. The Monitor ships are arranging themselves in the sky in a way where they will blow up the planet. All seems lost.

I thought this was a great scene. I love that Lois is still a hero on this Earth. It looks like she is leading the resistance or holding people together. But, despite that, you can see how she is broken a bit, saddened by the loss of her love and the impending destruction of her world. She isn't invulnerable ... and this humanizes all the Loises in this book. It also shows just how strong she is as a person that even in the face of death, she is a force of will.

So a tremendous opening chapter with three subplots brewing and a Crisis right around the corner.

As usual, I am impressed with this book.

Overall grade: A-

Tony Bedard Interview On Newsarama

I have talked a lot about the new direction for Supergirl and the good things that writer Tony Bedard has said about the character. Looks like it is time to say more.

Bedard continues a fine run of publicity interviews about the title over on Newsarama. Here is the link:
http://www.newsarama.com/21872-supergirl-gets-fresh-start-in-october-new-love-interest-but-no-red-ring.html

It is well worth reading the entire interview which also includes some sneak preview pages of the upcoming Supergirl #34. But, as usual some of the things said in the interview struck me and are worth a couple of lines of commentary.

Newsarama: Tony, since you've been writing this version of Supergirl, what's been the biggest challenge as you integrate her into the DCU after the New 52 relaunch???
Tony Bedard: Biggest challenge? Trying to get her some friends. Trying to get her a life. Trying to give her a reason to use her powers for good that goes beyond just being Superman's cousin.
When I picked up the reins on Supergirl, poor Kara had been through one disappointment after another. She lost her parents, her planet, and her only friend on Earth. She had been used and tricked by multiple people, including her first love. I wanted to give her a break!
But the thing I learned on the Green Lantern books is that if you're doing a top-tier character, you often have to play along with events in your sister-books, and that's certainly been true on Supergirl. So between a new Lobo, a stint in the Red Lantern Corps and Superman: Doomed, it's been a challenge to stay on target with what I want to do for her as a character.

Boy, that first sentence of his answer encapsulates much of what has plagued this book since the New 52. And it mirrors so much which troubled the early issues of the last incarnation. There hasn't been a purpose or a drive for this character. She has been reacting rather than acting, and often reacting in an unsympathetic way. So I am glad that Bedard sees it as a problem.

I also like a sentiment he hints on here but carries throughout the interview. The crossovers she has been part of (specifically H'El on Earth and Krypton Returns) both have derailed any momentum this book was gaining.

Nrama: But I feel like she has evolved since you've taken over the book, especially in recent issues. I assume that was your goal… or did it come from the story as you wrote it???
Bedard: The goal was to preserve Kara's teen angst and her struggles on an alien world (Earth) while making her a little more likable, a little less of a whiny sad sack.
Along with that goal comes the need to give her a supporting cast, or at least a friend or two. And, as I said above, this can be tricky while accommodating storylines like the Red Lanterns crossover that I didn't see coming when I first got started on Supergirl.
But another thing I've learned over the years is that the unexpected is usually an opportunity, and that was exactly the case with Kara's time as a Red Lantern. It turned out that getting her on that team gave her an instant supporting cast that gladly accepted her and gave her the friendship she so desperately wanted.

I find this answer interesting. First off, raise your hand if you think Supergirl needs to be more likable and less like a whiny sad sack. (My hand is up.) At times it has been hard to read this character - mostly in the above mentioned crossovers.

But then Bedard comes right out and says he didn't know about the Red Lantern turn when he first accepted the Supergirl gig. It corroborates the 'Charles Soule blurted it out in the Superman summit' murmurs we read in other places.

But the truth is, the Red Lantern arc turned out to be much better than I anticipated. And it did show Kara all of the things she was missing in her life ... purpose, noble goals, friends. All things she should want to replicate in her own title. Talk about making lemonade from lemons!

Nrama: Thus the move away from the Red Lanterns?
Bedard: The main thing the red ring gave her was a chance to face her own anger over losing everything she knew when Krypton exploded and being betrayed and deceived by so many people since she arrived on Earth. All that stuff makes for great drama, but I really think Supergirl needs to be an aspirational character, a positive example.
The other thing the Red Lantern Corps gave her was a much-needed sense of acceptance and belonging. Kara really needed that. And I have to thank Charles Soule both for coming up with the idea of giving Kara the red ring and for making his Red Lanterns book such a fun and funny read. It gave me a chance to inject some humor into Kara's adventures, and there's no better way to build empathy for a character than to make the reader smile and laugh with them.

It amazed me when I was reading Red Daughter that since the New 52, Kara sounded the most like the true Kara while under that mask. She should be an aspirational and inspirational figure. She should be a positive example. She should do her best to embody the S-shield while still learning the ropes. And Red Lanterns gave us that - a caring friend to Bleez, a thinker, a protector, someone Guy said was better than the Reds.

Amazing.

Nrama: OK, so she's moving forward in a positive direction. Yet there have been some recent revelations about her past, particularly the motivations we've learned of the WorldKillers toward her. How does her history tie into her growth as a character — and also into what's coming up in Supergirl???
Bedard: Kara's history is hugely important to defining her character, especially for giving her a reason to use her powers for the good of others, rather than for her own personal gain. One thing I tried to do, especially in her origin story in Secret Origins #1, was to set up that in Kara's family on Krypton, the men may have been the thinkers, but the women were the doers. It wasn't enough to me that Kara just follow in her cousin Kal-El's footsteps when she got to Earth. I wanted her to have her own Kryptonian reason for wanting to do something positive and proactive with her life. That's what's expected of a daughter of the House of El. Heck, it's even kind of feminist, not just making her a subset of Superman.

I had a complicated relationship with Sterling Gates' Alura, ending up loving her more than I thought I would and frankly missing her.

So this turn of being a Daughter of the House of El, a 'doer', someone who will strive to honor the family crest is perfect in my mind.

Supergirl needs to be part of the Superman family. She needs to love and work with her cousin. They need to care for each other. But she needs her own purpose. This is a good one.

Nrama: Yeah, let's talk about Supergirl: Futures End #1. This involves Cyborg Superman?
Bedard: Yeah, we jump ahead five years to find Cyborg Superman has been joined by...Cyborg Supergirl!
Father and daughter are terrorizing the galaxy, and now they've set their sights on Earth.
But we'll also learn about a big romance that Supergirl had between now and five years from now, with the last person you might guess.

This is the one part of the interview that gave me pause. Isn't a Supergirl terrorizing a galaxy a step backwards from all this positive, inspiring stuff? That said, all of Future's End is depressing so this crossover will be among many.

Nrama: What's her role in the Doomed storyline???
Bedard: Supergirl and the Red Lanterns take on "Superdoom," who proves to be more than a match for all of them, but Superdoom manages to get control of himself enough to ask Kara to watch over Earth while he's in self-imposed exile. This will be a challenge for Supergirl, since the military set off a Kryptonite bomb to drive away Superdoom.
But it also shows that despite the distance between them, Superman recognizes Supergirl's potential and would turn to her in his darkest hour.

Nrama: Is this the start of a new story arc?
Bedard: It's more of a character issue than a launch point for a story arc, but I think with all the big moments and crossovers and such, a character-centric issue is just the ticket right now.

I don't recall this particular exchange in the Superman:Doomed issue. But I love this panel from the upcoming Supergirl #34. To see Superman show his trust and love for his cousin is perfect. It saddens me that I would be thrilled if they were simply friendly to each other ... an upgrade from the prickly interactions so far.

But I want them to be family.

And a new Supergirl-centric arc without crossovers sounds just about perfect.

This all sounds great.

Nrama: Then to finish up, is there anything else you want to tell fans about Supergirl???
Bedard: I just want to thank everyone who has been so kind and supportive since I took on the book. Especially at conventions, I get to see how much Supergirl means to some people, the real heartfelt love they have for her. It's a wonderful reminder of how lucky I am to be working on this book and help set part of the history of this beloved character. I'm like a proud father working on this book, and I get to do so with such talented people, from Yildiray Cinar to Emanuella Lupacchino, to old, dear friends like Jeff Johnson and Karl Moline. I'm lucky to have this opportunity and I know it.

Nothing makes me happier than when I hear creators acknowledge the Supergirl fandom.

We are out there! Loud and proud! And loyal!

And I'll thank Bedard for doing his best to right the ship here!

Supergirl in Lego Batman 3

About a year ago, I showcased the inclusion of Supergirl in the Lego Batman 2 video game. It was great to see Supergirl in a more classic uniform as an unlockable character in a video game. Too much fun.

Well, the news has been released that she is also part of the Lego Batman 3 game. Here is the link to all the characters in the game:http://www.superherohype.com/news/312565-gamescom-new-images-characters-for-lego-batman-3-beyond-gotham-revealed#/slide/13

And, this being a newer game, we have a newer Supergirl, sporting her New 52 uniform.

Who knows the context of this screen shot in terms of game play but she looks pretty determined and fierce. That might be understandable given the plot.

From the above article:
In LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, the Caped Crusader joins forces with the super heroes of the DC Comics Universe and blasts off to outer space to stop the evil Brainiac from destroying Earth. Using the power of the Lantern Rings, Brainiac shrinks worlds to add to his twisted collection of miniature cities from across the universe. Now the greatest super heroes and the most cunning villains must unite and journey to different Lantern Worlds to collect the Lantern Rings and stop Brainiac before it’s too late.

Now this sounds like a great mash-up of some big DCU concepts - Brainiac, the Lanterns, and miniature cities!

I don't have time for story games like this so if anyone ends up playing it, let me know what it is like and how awesome Kara is!

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

Sales Review: July 2014

July sales have been posted and there is some good news to share! As always, ICv2 covers the market best. Here is the link to their top 300 comics:http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/29385.html

And overall this has been a week of great news. Starting with the Supergirl variant issue announcement and recapping the Boston Comic Con, I have been in a happy place. So will sales news continue that momentum?

Supergirl #33 was the final part of the exciting Red Daughter storyline. This is the arc which hopefully helps Kara turn the corner, head towards heroism and a healthier life, and end the black hole drag of angst which has plagued the book for most of its history since the New 52.

This arc was fantastic, especially the Red Lanterns issues. Tony Bedard and Emanuela Lupacchino are established on the book. And we see Kara shedding the ring. So far so good!

But would sales be effected?

The book slipped in terms of ranking down to #131, a product I think of one-shots, weeklies, and mini-series.

I say that because the book sold more this month than the last, up around 400 units. In this day and age of chronic sales erosion, this is amazing. Especially since it didn't come with some sort of massive reboot or creative team shake-up. Is this word of mouth?

Are the slightly increased sales from Red Lantern readers? Will new readers stick around?

I usually review the sales of a title I like which is lower than I like. But this time I thought I would do something different.

Batgirl #33 is sitting pretty at #79, selling just north of 37K, a number I wish Supergirl was selling at. I want us to remember this number. Because Batgirl #36 is one of those creative shake-ups. This is the soft reboot of the character, skewing to a younger Babs and looking way more kid friendly. The new creative team of Brenden Fletcher, Cam Stewart, and Babs Tarr have been receiving massive praise for the new feel and look of the book and it hasn't even been released!

What number will Batgirl #36 hit? I am guessing more than 100K.