Bullet Review: Stormwatch #30

Stormwatch #30 came out last week, the final issue of a series which I don't usually buy. I will admit that I did buy Stormwatch #1 when the New 52 began but dropped it when it didn't grab me. Since then, I have followed the trials and tribulations of the title on the usual sites. Like many of the New 52, the initial pitch had no lasting power, a reboot was done which also struggled and so the plug was pulled.

So why grab this book, let alone review it?

Well, Sterling Gates is a writer who has never let me down and so I thought I would buy this. It didn't hurt to hear from reviewers who I trust (like Martin Gray) sing it's praises. So I grabbed it

I am so glad I did. From the outside looking in and with very little proof, I have always felt that Stormwatch was going to be something of a grim version of the JLA, dark and nasty. This issue was anything but ... an optimistic, almost Silver Age romp with a spunky young protagonist who steals the show. Jenny Quantum is simply wonderful here.

Gates does a great job here with this stand alone issue. He effectively introduced me to all the characters and let me know their power set in an organic way. There is a nice chemistry and zip to the dialogue amongst these teammates who know each other well. And, again, Jenny Q is such a positive and upbeat hero that she outshines them all. This was a pleasant ray of sunshine in the otherwise drab DCU.

Add to that the remarkably vibrant art by Jeremy Roberts and this issue is near perfect. Roberts should be on a monthly. Looking at this I want him on Worlds' Finest as soon as possible. I would love to see him on the Legion if that book was still around.

While the book opens with Midnighter and Apollo fighting aliens and beheading Queens, the bulk of the book is told from Jenny Q's perspective. Being a 14 year old super-hero isn't easy. Not when things like a teenage date are so nerve-wracking!

Gates' does a great job of showing how emotions can run from high to low in a millisecond in this age, with Jenny alternating between life being awesome, not awesome, and awesome again at breakneck speed.

As others have said, Jenny invokes the feelings of a young Donna Troy ... and that is definitely a good thing!

Despite being on a 'date' with the cutest boy in school, and running the gamut of awesome to not awesome as he doesn't seem to share her affections, duty calls. Jenny has to abandon the date to spring into action when a City is running amok.

If I had to pick one page that would symbolize why this issue succeeds, I would choose this page. There is a certain Silver Age wackiness about this, a Mxyzptlk-ian level of lunacy and peril, that makes it a complete win. And yet, this isn't laughed at like back then. There is serious dialogue and definite danger here. It is a mix of Silver age sensibilities and Modern gravitas that works.

I miss the days when there were comics where a young hero who wants to do good because it is the right thing to do would go out and fight animated buildings. It is escapism at its finest with a sense of right, wrong, and responsibility. This is what comics can be!

How do you beat a city? You call in all team members.

So The Engineer hunts down The Projectionist who is soaking in a tub sipping wine.

Okay, I only included this panel because the name is Anj is used, even if it is for the buxom Engineer.

It turns out that an enemy device is controlling Stormwatch member Jack Hawksmoor into making the city go crazy.

What I love is how Jenny defeats the device is with the 'most dangerous thing a fourteen-year-ol girl has in her arsenal' ... EMOTIONAL BLACKMAIL.

Yes Quantum has immense powers, but she talks Hawksmoor out of his stupor. I thought it was a great moment. While it might not work in an older character like Supergirl, this works for a 14 year old. So fun!

And when Hawksmoor let's up, she uses her beams to destroy the device.

And then the wrap-up.

Jenny knows she can't necessarily be a normal 14 year old with normal 14 year old worries. She can't worry about cute boys like Toby. But her exuberance is infectious. Life is awesome again. She kisses Toby but then leaves him to live his life.

But the best gag is Midnighter telling him to stay in school! Hysterical.

And is there any better way to end a series than a classic team shot, vowing to never stop fighting?

And it is made even better by having Jenny front and center, the leader (?!) of this team.

I doubt the whole book had this sort of atmosphere. I certainly would have heard of it I'm sure. So this was an unexpected treat of entertainment. And most of all it was fun! I can't say that about many comics any more. It is rare for an comic to make me smile.

So continued kudos to Sterling Gates. And a welcome to Jeremy Roberts whose art here was streamlined bliss.

Overall grade: A

Psi Sighting #4: Wait ... What??

With her reintroduction in Forever Evil: AR.G.U.S. , I have been reviewing the past appearances of old Supergirl rogue Psi. So far I have looked at her Who's Who page, her initial adventure in Daring New Adventures of Supergirl, and her death in the Doom Patrol/Suicide Squad Special.  You can read those peeks into the past here:  http://comicboxcommentary.blogspot.com/search/label/Psi

 I know you all thought it was over.

But I can't keep going back to Psi.

Despite being dead, she returned just a couple of years ago in the Blackest Night crossover event. In a story called Danse Macabre mixing the old Suicide Squad book and the 'Suicide Squad-like' Secret Six, writers Gail Simone and John Ostrander bring back some notable villains and characters who died as a member of the Squad.

I have to say I liked how DC resurrected some old titles for one last hurrah in Blackest Night. Suicide Squad was one of a handful that got dusted off for one last hurrah. And I love this painted cover by Daniel LuVisi.

And it is an interesting book pitting the Squad against the Six in a prison brawl. Who wouldn't want to see a fight between Catman and Bronze Tiger? Or a duel (albeit shortlived) between assassins Deadshot and Jasemin, neither of whom never miss? Add to that great art by Jim Calafiore and this was a fun issue for both Squad and Six fans.

But this is a 'Psi sighting' post. So where is she?

At the end of the book, the risen Black Lantern Fiddler, who spent times on both teams decides to make his own team of Zombies.

And so he resurrects those who died either at the hands of the Squad or as a member of the Squad.

Simone and Ostrander make the readers do a bit of research, giving only the secret identity of those rising. So I need to dig a little to see that his team includes Squad enemies Manticore, Ravan, and Shrike. It also includes prior Squad members Punch, Mindboggler, and someone who took up the mantle of the Atom.

Oh yeah ... and in the background is Gayle Marsh of Earth. You know her better as Psi!

So looks like I have one more twirl around the dance floor at my look at this character. At some point soon I will review Danse Macabre!

Supergirl Kotobukiya Statue

The latest addition to the Supergirl Shrine was the recently released Supergirl Kotobukiya statue.

I have to say, I really like this statue for many reasons.

I thinks this is about as good a representation of the New 52 uniform that I have seen. No odd corners on the lower hem. And I love the metallic sheen of the paint. Really slick.

The confident facial expression, the Mahmud Asrar inspired hair style, the heroic pose - hand on hip, other hand clenched in a fist - it all works.

I also like that the base is a metal square and a magnet is embedded in the boot. It means I can feel comfortable the statue is secure. But it also means I can move her around on the square as I figure out how to place the base on the shelf.

Here is the statue from the side.

And from the back.

As always, I appreciate the dedication to details like the costume piping and the folds in the cape.

Very nice.

I know my camera is limited so here is a clearer picture of the statue from an ad.

It might be time for me to post an updated collection photo set.

Review: Action Comics #30

Action Comics #30 came out this week and was both and end to the Ghost Soldier storyline and a prelude to the Doomed crossover. As such, it was the first time in Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder's run that has felt rushed. So far the pacing of their issues has been perfect. Here I feel like maybe this story could or should have been spread out over 2 issues. I wonder if the timing of Doomed and the need to get that arc finished before Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr come on board made Pak and company push things through.

One of the things that Pak has been able to do in his issues is not only pace the story but put in the right mix of both big action moments and smaller character moments. And we see them here ... just staccato style ... with almost no buildup or time for the reader to ruminate.

The art is tag-teamed by main artist Aaron Kuder as well as Jed Dougherty and Karl Kerschl. It is unclear how the pages breakdown. Looking at the layouts, my guess is Kuder broke down the whole issue, inked some of his own pages, and then had Dougherty and Kerschl pitch in to finish. Based on prior works, my guess is that Kerschl's pages have the fine-lined ink appearance that felt just a bit like Chris Sprouse. That would mean that Dougherty's pages have a more pencil-y Ordway look to them. The flow of the book is fine because it feels like a Kuder production throughout.

I guess I should say that I very much liked this issue. The quality is still there. This team has resurrected this book. But this Ghost Soldier and Harrow story ended so quickly I hope they return sooner rather than later.

The book opens with Doomsday once again escaping from the Phantom Zone, appearing in the Arctic Circle. But there is a lot to mull over in this brief scene.

For one, there are these yellow electronic radio balloons that make it sound like 'The Tower' is responsible for somehow springing Doomsday from his ethereal prison. This shadow organization must really hate Superman if they are willing to loose a force of destruction like Doomsday onto our world. So that is one mystery.

But even more intriguing is how, despite ripping polar bears apart for no clear reason, Doomsday seems to actively avoid intentionally killing some humans that happen to be doing research in the vicinity. There is clearly thought there. Why avoid killing the people??

In the end, those researchers drown as Doomsday breaks through the ice to escape in the water. But why head there?

There have been many versions of Doomsday over the years from the mindless killer to intelligent to somewhere in between. I am glad that this isn't simply some lumbering imbecile but something more.

But that is just the prologue. We have to catch up with Superman who is hoisting the unconscious Ghost Soldier and streaking to their headquarters.

One thing I have really loved about Kuder's work is his visually prepping my eyes to move from one panel to the other, his page layouts being exceedingly pleasing to the eyes.

Here we see Superman streaking to the other side of the world. And while the red/yellow/blue streak is a constant in the panels, it is the other elements that work so well. The pole of the beach umbrella mirrors the first streak but leads into the next just as the mountain in the second mirrors that angle and leads into the third. Just very visually appealing.

But looking at those streaks and seeing the sonic boom sound effects I couldn't help but think of Rainbow Dash's patented Sonic Rainboom.

I wonder if Pak or Kuder consider themselves Bronies?

Arriving at Tower Control in the Alps, Superman escapes the missile attack we saw on the cover and breaks into the stronghold. He freezes a bunch of other ghost soldiers, people apparently dead since Supes can't hear a heartbeat in them.

He does hear one pulse though, that of Harrow, the commander of the Tower.

She is in an interesting character, alive but spectral. And she opens up with a snide sort of jab at Superman, wondering why he was dismantling their base when he usually makes friends.

So now we know a bit more about the Tower. At least it isn't a part of the American military. It seems to exist on its own, a purely individual organization. Hurrah for that!

And Harrow has a modern outlook on Superman. She thinks he is small because he cannot make the 'tough decisions', and by that she means eliminating threats. He shouldn't try to redeem evil-doers when he could kill them. When fighting for humanity, sometimes your hands have to get dirty and Superman is 'weak' because he won't make that step.

Of course, for most Superman it is his inspiration, his willingness to take the high road that is the appeal. But in this current world of comics that seems antiquated. So we get evil Superman. Because it is easier to destroy. I think Pak understands Superman. I think he will keep him the inspiring figure.

Harrow thinks that Superman needs to be eliminated. And then she shows her true power ... raising the dead in ghostly form. She raises an army of soldiers to attack Superman. The ghosts don't seem to happy about it but it seems like they need to obey her.

We see that Pak isn't going to let Superman's resolve or ethics be effected by Harrow's words. He keeps discussing about the right way to help people and the pain she is causing the ghosts.

I like how her face gets a sort of Silver Banshee overlay when she uses her powers. She also doesn't seem to like using those powers all that much. Hmmm ... there is a bit more of Banshee here than I first noticed. The green energy flames work nice too. Nice design.

And the combatants gives Kuder and the others a chance to stretch their artistic legs as we see soldiers of all eras - centurions, infantry, even armored elephants. It is wild sequence.

Superman allows himself to be attacked by the ghost soldiers but then shows them he isn't there enemy ... Harrow is. She is the one who has ripped them from their graves and is forcing them to fight.

And they recognize that and stop fighting. They turn their weapons on her.

If  the purpose of this story is to remind the reader that Superman's way is the right way and Harrow's way isn't, this moment matters. Superman is able to turn these specters, show them who is the real enemy.

Small but inspiring.

This is no knock on Dougherty or Kerschl but I would have loved to see this whole issue done by Kuder.

If Superman isn't going change, neither is Harrow. Superman could have killed her, scattered her ghostly form to the wind. But he didn't ... instead he wants to team up, use their powers together to protect the world the right way.

Rather than being in awe of Superman or walking into the light with him, Harrow denigrates him for this. In her mind, his sparing her is just another example that he is weak and ineffectual. To her it is wrong to pull your punch.

I like this character and this group. I would love to learn about her backstory, what her motivations are, and how she got her powers. These guys represent a serious threat to Superman. And she is an interesting foil for him, a 'good guy' who crosses the line and questions his methods.

In the meantime, Doomsday has become some sort of giant sea urchin looking thing. Again, I think this is a different sort of Doomsday.

But in the end, I would have loved to see this chapter be two issues, seeing more of Harrow, having more dialogue between her and Superman, and having something of a longer fight between Superman and time's warriors. In this day of decompression, I rarely complain about a story moving too fast.

That isn't taking away from this issue. It is another very good look at Superman from a great new team.

Let's hope that Doomed doesn't derail the momentum here. And I hope it doesn't push Lana out of the spotlight moving forward.

Overall grade: B+

Cover Changes For Justice League United

I have enjoyed much of Jeff Lemire's work at DC and was very excited to hear about him doing Justice League United with a roster of many of my favorite DC characters. I am still reeling from Lemire's  'bull-headed loner' Supergirl comment  but holding out hope.

One of the things I like about the book is Lemire's introduction of a native Canadian superhero named Equinox, one of the Cree. He speaks about her here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/equinox-new-cree-teen-superhero-joins-dc-comics-lineup-1.2588623

All sounds great. I mean it.

But the above cover is the one that was first solicited for the book. There's Kara front and center, in the classic S-shield costume. It was this cover that made me think the Red Daughter story arc was going to be limited.

In the article, we see the newly solicited cover.

Suddenly Equinox is front and center in Kara's spot. She even is striking the same pose that Supergirl did in the original.

I suppose it makes sense to showcase Equinox. She is the new character and a nice example of diversity.

Unfortunately the side effect is that Supergirl is pushed so far into the background she seems like an afterthought. A chimp has more prominent cover space.

I wonder if that is a sort of way to show she is going to be part of the team but not in the first story arc. Like she is part of the team but in the distance, in the future. At least she is still in the S-shield.

But jeez ... Supergirl is a teeny tiny element here.

There is no explanation for this image in the article but my guess is it is a variant cover or maybe a future cover. There is Supergirl in the red panel ... hinting at her current Red Lantern life? The colors might be random ... why would J'Onn be yellow and Stargirl green?

Still, I wish Supergirl could have had a more prominent space on the cover.

Review: Superman #29

Superman #29 came out last week and featured Superman fighting against and then with Starfire.

We all know that come June, Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr. will be taking over the book. That means we only have a couple more months of writer Scott Lobdell on the book. And it also means Lobdell only has a couple of months to tie up several of the plot lines that he has had churning along in the book.

It also means that I only have a couple of more issues to read Lobdell's take on Superman which has never read quite right.

Ed Benes provides the art here and it is clear that he was having a good time drawing Starfire. She certainly is drawn in a very provocative manner throughout.

And is there any cover that describes the New 52 DC Universe more that this one? Starfire, one of the company's hero, is attacking Superman, endangering a young boy, at a State Fair! A State Fair! If it wasn't depressing it would be ridiculous in its cliches.

You might recall that last issue Superman was going to interview the criminals Lois helped bring in when Starfire blasted the police station wall. She was going to kill the criminals regardless of what Superman had to say.

But right from this first page I am confronted with the odd voice of Superman in Lobdell books. "As much as he tries to fit in on this world ..."?? "He's always going to be a strange visitor."??

It is as if Lobdell wants to move Superman away from humanity, have him forget the Smallville origins, make him alien.

I get that he is from Kryptonian. But he was raised in Kansas. By the Kents. It is that upbringing that defines him. Not standing in the sun.

Superman is able to immobilize Kory briefly so he can interrogate the criminal. But the crook mutates in front of him, becoming this monstrous thing. Before Superman can ask him any questions, Starfire returns and incinerates the guy with a starbolt.

The criminals are acting as hosts for alien life forms which are mutating them. In theory, the 'man' is dead, his body just a vessel for the Daemon being. Kory says since the man was dead, she didn't have to worry about killing 'him'.

Of course it means she killed 'it', a sentient albeit evil Daemonite.

At least Lobdell has Superman chastise her for killing anything.

I have to say, if you like nonstop cheesecake, Benes has to be a favorite. We certainly get enough of a view of her chest and behind throughou.

The 'guns' the beings were toting were inoculators. The man injected himself with a Daemonite, willingly becoming its vessel. I wonder if these people know they are basically killing themselves?

So let's also take a look at the New 52 universe. In this universe, Starfire ... a hero supposedly ... blasts through a police station wall. She kills someone in front of Superman. He doesn't chastise her in any meaningful way. The Metropolis police waste no time in emptying their revolvers at the two heroes.

When Starfire learns there are more of these guns on the streets, she leaves to mete out some fatal justice.

Last issue, Cat Grant decided to reject Morgan Edge's offer to buy ClarkCatropolis.com.

In a rather creepy way, we see Edge, in his car, approach Grant as she walks home. When she tells him she isn't selling, he gives her this veiled threat.

Now after Jimmy warned her about Edge trying to hide something, and after this sidewalk approach, you think Cat might be a little more aware that this is a threat. But instead she seems to take it at face value. This is a brief scene, so maybe we will see her be more astute the next time.

Sure enough, all the criminals Lois brought in have mutated into monsters and are tearing apart the jailhouse. Starfire is quite verbose in her hatred swearing to turn all the monsters into smoldering ash!

Superman does arrive to try to stop her, reminding her that there are alternative to killing. He freezes the monsters in their place.

Another look at the sorry state of the New 52? Starfire calls Superman a childish prig. So much for him being the inspirational figure for the world.

The Daemonite-possessed inmates are brought to STAR Labs where the scientists there basically say there is no cure. The scientist actually belittles Superman a bit saying he can't 'super-believe' a cure into being. That's right ... a STAR Lab employee making fun of Superman's ethics and hope. Classy.

Luckily Superman is able to detect energy off the inoculating guns which leads him to the Daemonite headquarters.

On the outskirts of town in an abandoned building, Starfire and Superman run into this kid. Does anyone think he isn't a Daemonite? Look at how Benes' draws him.

While Superman talks to him as if he were human, Kory reminds him that Daemonites can remain dormant. This kid 'could' be a Daemonite. Duh ...

Then, after revealing he is Daemonite, the kid self-immolates, vaporizing himself. Ummm ... okay. If he was going to kill himself, why reveal himself. He was, in theory, safe and undetectable in the human form.

Starfire tells Superman that the Daemonites are putting the world on notice.

But what is this pose by Benes supposed to be telling me. Is she smacking her forehead like 'Hello M'Ghann?' Is she squinting at the nighttime sky, hoping to see a Daemonite ship in orbit? I don't get it. Maybe it is just supposed to be eye candy.

After the end of that story, we peek in on Lois who continues to manifest Brainiac power.

I have talked about the sorry state of the New 52 a lot. Has anyone suffered like Lois? Here, she uses her powers to tampers with her boyfriend's mind. Does that sound like something Lois, a pursuer of truth, would do? Maybe the Brainiac piece is making her borderline evil? I actually have to hope Lois is evil to explain this because I don't want my Lois to do this.

Plus, talk about convenient ... the Parasite drained Lois of just enough energy to remove her memory of Clark being Superman ... but not enough to drain her completely. Guess I have to roll with it.

And what is stopping Lois from using her powers to rediscover Superman's secret identity. She has to be powerful enough if she is freezing a platoon of criminals last issue and wiping minds in this one.

If there is one bright thing about this issue it is the reintroduction of Blackfire in the DC universe. She is working for Helspont and the Daemonites. But her dialogue makes it seems as if she is doing so begrudgingly, somehow protecting Tamaran by serving the Daemonite cause.

I do like the goth sort of look for her, especially the Alice Cooper eyes. I am not surprised about the skimpiness of the top. But the hair, eyes, and spiked cape all work.

But this issue is ultimately forgettable for many reasons. I don't think the Daemonites story will be concluded in the next couple of months. So maybe this was a way to put this arc on the backburner for a different time.

Overall grade: C-

Nightshade Comic Box Commentary

I just can't take it any more.

Between Red Lanterns and an aloof Superman and Lois being kicked to the curb, I just can't do it anymore. And hearing that one of DC's best writers thinks Supergirl is a bull-headed loner, the opposite of bright and optimistic, has made me throw my hands up. I give up. I can't cover Supergirl anymore.

I need to cover a character I can stand behind, a character I love and deserves to be in the spotlight.

And so ... welcome to Nightshade Comic Box Commentary!

I hope to cover all things Eve Eden on this site, her Suicide Squad days, her Shadowpact adventures, and even her old Charlton days. And what better inaugural post than her origin. Secret Origins #28 came out in mid-1988. Nightshade's story was written by Robert Greenberger and drawn by a newcomer (at the time) Rob Liefeld. You can tell this is a young Liefeld ... there are feet all over this story!

So let's learn about my new blog focus!

"A Princess Story" has a lot of territory to cover as Nightshade's origin starts when she is a toddler. We have to get through her entire life to understand what her motivations are, what her true mission in.

At this point, Eve Eden (Nightshade) is already an agent for the Suicide Squad. The story opens with her restless in bed, nervous about the next day's mission. At long last, her life's purpose will be dealt with.

Unable to sleep and not wanting to do anything strenuous, tiring herself out for the mission, she gets up and walks the grounds of Belle Reve. There she runs into the campus priest Father Craemer, a confidante of hers as she is a practicing Catholic. As they stroll, Eve tells him her story.

Eve grew up in a quiet, almost idyllic, household. Her father was a budding politician. Her mother and brother Larry loved each other and lived a standard quiet suburban life.

Quiet until the day Eve's mother reveals her back story. Eve's mother was the Princess of a mystical fantasy world. Everything was wonderful there until a group of shadow demons called Incubus invaded. Fearing for her life, the King sent Eve's mother to Earth. Now she has received word the Incubus have been defeated. It is time to go home and reclaim her royal heritage. The mother uses her powers to form a shadow-bridge back to her home.

Eve's mother told her kids stories about this world as a sort of fairy tale each night. I thought that was a nice little touch to the story.

Of course, I do think it is weird that the mother is willing to simply drop her Earth life and take the kids back home. The dad is in the dark about this other life (pun intended). Was she going to tell him? Would he think that his family disappeared?

Unfortunately, the summoning turns out the be a trap. When the family arrives, incubus demons descend on the family. The mother uses her powers, changing into a shadow to fight the monsters. But she is out of practice. She suffers fatal injuries. Larry is kidnapped.

Only Eve escapes unscathed. Her mother's last words to her are to stay safe. And to come back one day to rescue Larry and free the land.

And so we begin something of a repetitive cycle in Eve's life.

Head back to shadow world - get scared and return to Earth - train more - fall in love - repeat.

We see Eve try returning as a school age girl (sporting a Superman t-shirt no less)!! But she isn't strong enough and is horrified by what she saw and so returns to Earth.

She trains, refining her powers, and returns to the Shadow World in her college years. But the Incubus are strong. They imprison her, stripping her of her powers to turn into a shadow. Luckily she can still form shadow bridges and again heads back to Earth.

At this time, she moves to Washington D.C. to be near her now-Senator father. She plays the part of a party-girl as a ruse to disguise her now new super-hero identity of Nightshade (sort of a reverse Bruce Wayne).

And she uses her time in D.C. to get even more training. She asks King Faraday to hire her as an agent.

This early hero career is pretty successful. In DC, she saves her own father, fights side by side with Faraday, and even stops a mid-level villain like the Black Spider. She is older, wiser, and stronger.

But remember the cycle.

Now established as Nightshade, Eve feels a tug from Larry once more. He needs her.

But she had failed twice before. This time she can't even bring herself to head back to the world. She is afraid. And now she hates herself.

I do like that last panel, Eve steeling herself to no avail.

She soon outgrows the training Faraday can give her. It is time to be promoted.

With this handshake, Amanda Waller seals the deal. Nightshade will be a member of the Suicide Squad. But Eve has a stipulation. She will only join the Squad if, when the time is right, the Squad will join her en masse to fight the Incubus.

Waller agrees ... but do we ever believe her??

But we are still in our spin cycle.

She falls in love with Tom 'Nemesis' Tresser. She develops feeling for Rick Flagg.

This emotional romantic tilt-a-whirl is the only part of Eve's origin that I don't really like.

Then she gets assigned to work closely with Captain Atom. Atom was a new hero and needed some immediate street credibility. Suddenly many of Nightshade's prior victories - over villains like the Spider and even Punch and Jewlee - are attributed to Atom.

But the two become a decent team (a nice nod to her Charlton days) fighting crime.

Unfortunately ... you guessed it ... Eve begins to fall in love with Atom!

But all of this seems to be psychological internal subterfuge. Father Craemer realizes that Nightshade is falling for strong men known for combat as a way to push her into her true mission - saving her brother and freeing the Shadow world.

The time is now ... in fact that day. Eve has the training. She has the back-up. She is more comfortable with her powers. Now is the time to fulfill her mother's last wish.

And this isn't a bunch of second-raters. She is going in with the true Squad. If I am going to be fighting demons, I think I would want a bunch of anti-heroes like this group beside me.

That story is told in the Nightshade Odyssey in the main Suicide Squad comic, something I will be covering soon! I really love this Nightshade. But I am even more thrilled to read her in Shadowpact where she is a bit edgier.

I, four one, hope that the audience I got with my Supergirl stuff still comes around here.