Review: Adventures of the Super Sons #12

Adventures of Super Sons #12 came out last week, the end of the maxi-series and the end of the sons as we have known them.

This is the end ...

Or is it?

Writer Peter Tomasi has been sending the boys through a warped tour of DC's Silver and Bronze ages in this book as Jon and Damien fight Rex Luthor and his Gang. And now that Jon is 17ish and presumably about to join the Legion of Super-Heroes, we won't be getting more tween adventures of this next gen World's Finest. And that makes me more than a little sad. The boys have brought a lot of joy into comics and heaven knows I need as much fun as possible.

Artist Carlo Barbieri has also brought a sort of whiz-bang quasi-anime feel to the book which has really given it a ton of energy.

But anytime a book or concept like this ends, I have to wonder why. Certainly there were more stories to tell. And while I know I only need go back to the longbox to reread these stories, I'll always wonder what might have been.

Still, there is a little bit of light peeking through the darkness of this ending. Maybe there is more?

Review: Lois Lane #1

Lois Lane #1 came out last week and was a great opening issue to this maxi-series, giving us a sort of quick cross-section of what the investigative reporter's life must me like on a day to day basis. I was very entertained by the issue and was instantly wanting to read more. That is always a good sign for a first issue.

Writer Greg Rucka is known for his adept handling of female characters and this issue puts that on display. We get a very three-dimensional look at Lois, making her feel like a real person living her unreal life. From a very topical expose of the President, to her beginning an investigation on the apparent suicide of a Russian colleague, to the complicated private life of being Clark Kent's wife and Superman's paramour, we get just about everything. And Lois responds to all those chunks of her life impressively. She is determined, quick-witted, intelligent, angry, blase. But mostly she's unfazed. She has been around the block a couple of times. This read like the way I want Lois to read.

And Mike Perkins on art gives a very real portrayal of all this. I think Perkins' style works best in the dark, seedy corners of investigative journalism. But even the bright shiny press conferences and sun-dappled romantic scenes really crackle here. The work really shines.

Paul Mounts contributions as colorist can't be dismissed either as the scope of the book goes light to dark, dingy to spotless and his colors capture it all.

If the whole series is going to be like this first issue, I'll be thrilled. We need a Lois book on the racks. And this is a great one. On to the story ...

Leviathan Theory - Entomology

By now everyone who comes here is probably aware of my main Leviathan Theory , the idea that Ted Kord is leading the 'Charlton Heroes' in a way to wrest control of the world and bring order.

From Captain Atom as the 'Enforcer' to Nightshade as a lieutenant to all the Watchmen references, I am pretty confidant of this pick.

As a result I am looking for any clue, even the vaguest whiff of a clue to help bolster this idea.

So from cover layouts to power visualizations to Leviathan's handcuffs, I have been doing my best to force the clues to fit my paradigm.

So what about Leviathan himself?

Well, I mentioned how the mask as we had seen it was familiar to Carapax, an armor linked to Blue Beetle.

At the end of Action Comics #1012, we get an up close look at Leviathan's mask. This is one intricate and detailed rendering by new Action artist Szymon Kudranski. And I thought it was our best look yet.

And there was something about it ...

Happy Fourth Of July

Happy Fourth of July to everyone who celebrates!

I'll be enjoying a couple of days off on this end!

Have fun everyone!

Leviathan (Back Up) Theory: Hawk & Dove?

I continue my look into my Leviathan Theory and back up theories I have been coming up with as different elements of the Leviathan mystery bubble to the surface.

As always, I contend that Leviathan is Ted Kord, with help from his Charlton friends.

One of the things that strikes me about this particular mystery is that I have been struck by clues that I think are meta-textual. Much of my theory about Blue Beetle is based on visuals and verbiage which remind me of Watchmen. These aren't clues that the characters could be aware of.

 I have also been struck by the use of 'we' in Leviathan's speech.'We are Leviathan.' That could be Leviathan talking about the organization as a whole. But it could be that Leviathan is a two person team. After all, we have seen this person and we have seen the Enforcer.

I also keep thinking about prior DC mysteries as a template for this mystery. Certainly writer Brian Michael Bendis is a huge comic book fan and historian. I can't help but think that he leans into history sometimes.

And one of the biggest DC past mysteries was Armageddon 2001. As many know, initially Monarch was supposed to be revealed as Captain Atom. But, at the last minute, because of leaked information, the book was changed and Monarch was revealed to be Hawk of Hawk and Dove.

Armageddon 2001 is looked at with a bit  of a side eye by fans. The Hawk reveal seems ludicrous. DC is often teased about Armageddon 2001 rather than praised.

So what if Bendis has decided to create a mystery similar to Armageddon 2001 but also to try and redeem that book? What if he wanted the ending of that book make more sense?

What if 'we' literally means two people?

What if the 'we' of Leviathan is actually the pair of Hawk and Dove.

Okay, on to the deep dive of this back-up theory.

Con Prep: Boston Fan Expo

We are approaching Con Season which means that time is growing short for me to get my preparation done including thoughts about commissions, signatures, and possible gifts for friends.

That means preparing for Fan Expo Boston right after Terrificon. Here is a link to the con:
 https://www.fanexpoboston.com/en/home.html

Now unlike Terrificon, this is more of a Pop Culture convention with a corner for comics creators. Born from the ashes of the dearly departed Boston Comic Con, Fan Expo is about a true cross-section of popular culture. As a result, there isn't as much heavy lifting from a comic point of view.

That said, I am very much looking forward to this convention because it is also a cross-section of the comic community on-line I am part of. Rob, Shag,and Ryan from the Fire and Water Podcast Network will be there. Diabolu Frank from the Rolled Spine Network. Darrin and Ruth Sutherland from the R and D Network, Derek Crabbe, Keith G. Baker, and who knows how many more folks I hang out with in social media will be there. Hoping we head out to Karaoke!

Anyways, that means if any of you are going, we should try to meet and greet!

But onto the preparation and guests.

Review: Action Comics #1012

Action Comics #1012 came out this week and continued the tremendous momentum that Brian Michael Bendis has been bringing to the title in recent months. Yes, Event Leviathan is a huge story involving the Superman family and the DCU as a whole. But Bendis shows that life goes on for most people. So this issue shows that even with Leviathan is looming over everything like a shroud, crime and day jobs are still happening. These sort of issues enrich a universe, making it feel more realistic and three dimensional.

This issue also brings in an updated Rose and Thorn, a character who occasionally crossed my path in the Bronze Age, but not enough to have me feel attached or very knowledgeable about her. This hew version seems a bit more addled than the original, and more violent than I recall. Her pending story is very interesting.

But the real revelation in this issue is the new artist Szymon Kudranski. Kudranski has a great sense of  'cinematography', taking advantage of the medium by overlaying pictures, bringing in fascinating panel borders, and switching from the bright lights of the Fortress to the blood soaked bars of Metropolis. In particular the Thorn scenes have a bit of Michael Lark sensibility, reminiscent of Daredevil.

On to the book.