Andy Schmidt On Ultragirl

In my review of Crime Syndicate #5 earlier this week, I wondered if Supergirl appearing to be a hero on the backwards morality driven Earth 3 was some sort of commentary by DC Comics on how they think of Kara.

I freely admit that I sometimes overthink things regarding Supergirl given my passionate fandom. 

I also know that I am probably still reeling from a Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #1 issue which did not work for me at all. 

I posted the review and sent out the tweet link, including writer Andy Schmidt on the tweet. And amazingly, I got a response about my concerns.

The Passing Of Robson Rocha

DC Comics artist Robson Rocha passed away earlier this week from complications from COVID-19. 

This news was staggering especially when learning that Robson was only 41 years of age, I feel like I was lucky enough to discover his art early and therefore could follow him to the books he was on.

But he will always be most fondly remembered by me as being the artist on the back end of the Supergirl Rebirth book. In those books you could really see his art blossom. 

He had that uncanny knack to be able to bring energy and movement to action sequences, tremendous expressive work to the characters, some gravitas to the quieter moments in Kara's life, and still show Supergirl's joy.

No cover better captures all that than the cover for Supergirl #20.

Bullet Review: Crime Syndicate #5

Crime Syndicate #5 came out last week continuing a fun and entertaining look at the new Earth 3. Writer Andy Schmidt and artist Kieron McKeown continue to weave a story where the heroes and villains we are accustomed to have switched roles.

As I have said before, what I like about this book is that there is sly humor woven into the story of evil triumphant. Yes the Justice League analogs are murdering scum. But the book isn't an incessant trip deeper into darkness. I don't think I have seen one person have their hands cut off. Not one blood soaked brawl. Instead we have silly editorial notes and a ragtag group of heroes trying to save the day.

Not to say this is a happy book. We do get a barn full of dead people. It just doesn't feel like it is titillated by the evil. The tone is just right.

And I shouldn't bury the lede. Kara is in this book too. But more on that in the main review.

The art is done by McKeown who brings a crisp feeling to the action. The figures are lovely and the action dynamic.

On to the book.

Review: Justice League #64

 

Justice League #64 came out last week and was another great character issue in this new run by Brian Michael Bendis.

 "Character issue" doesn't describe it fully. There is a new plot nudged forward. We do get the new United Order, a sort of Guardians of the Galaxy of the just started United Planets. And that is an interesting team to break down.

We get the return of the Synmar Utopica, one of the more puzzling villains introduced in Bendis' run. I don't think I ever quite understood its motives. 

We get the ripples of Checkmate into the League and specifically with Ollie.

But as usual, it is the quieter moments between the action where Bendis really shines. I like his Black Adam. I like the simmer of Naomi's powers and family (although I hope it comes to a boil soon). It is the on-again Ollie/Dinah romance and how cute they are as they flirt and fight. 

Steve Pugh is on art and gives a fine-lined, angular feel to the proceedings. This is a bit different from the smooth, organic offerings we have seen her by David Marquez. But the art does work. In particular, some of the panel layouts are slick. We do get several splashes as well.

On to the book.

Terrificon Prep

I cannot tell you how giddy I am to be posting a convention prep post. And for my favorite comic convention no less!

That's right! At the end of this month I'll be heading to Terrificon!!

As usual, show runner Mitch Hallock has put together a fantastic roster of guests. You can check out the entire show's slate of guests and panels here:https://www.terrificon.com/home.html

As I have said in the past, Mohegan Sun is a great venue for the con. The Expo Center is huge and spacious. The casino has every possible level of food options within from the finest dining to the quickest of food courts. It is easy to find and there is free parking. It is a dream.

But the pull is always the guests. And there are plenty of mega-stars I can't wait to meet. I have started the process of pulling books for signatures, figuring out which books I should get signed for friends, and contemplating commissions. I was truly hoping that the site would garner me a press pass but alas no such luck.

One of the interesting things about this year's con is that I anticipate it will be a bit more relaxed for me from a commission standpoint.  Here is the list of guests I already have a commission from: Tim Sale, Dan Jurgens, Pat Broderick, Dave Johnson, Khoi Pham, Jerry Ordway, Mike McKone, Matthew Clark, Jim Calafiore, and Joe Rubinstein.

That doesn't mean I don't have a few hopes and dreams out there.

At the top of the commission wish list is Lee Weeks. 

I have been a longtime fan of Weeks work. But I loved his Convergence: Superman and Superman Lois and Clark mini-series which introduced us to Jon Kent.

He will be the first table I go to in hopes of snagging a sketch. Fingers crossed.

(As a side note, I hope to get some of those issues signed by him and Dan Jurgens who is also attending.)

Review: Batman/Superman #19

Last week we learned in DC's September solicits that the Batman/Superman title was ending. I was surprised and a bit dismayed by the news. Since taking over the title, writer Gene Luen Yang has made this title one of the most fun and entertaining book on the shelves. It has been fun to see our heroes sort of romp through adventures as pals.

Batman/Superman #19 came out last week, the next chapter in the Auteur.Io storyline looking at different 'universes' as written by the insane movie mogul. This book hasn't really starred out main heroes. Instead we have followed a Superman from a Golden Age movie serial and a more Silver Age Batman complete with boy wonder. In this chapter, Yang decides to delve deeper into the filmography of Auteur.Io and the DC Universe. And so we have Alanna Strange and El Diablo in the mix as well.

I also see that Yang is talking about some creative loss here. Auteur.Io is trying to create the perfect world. But it seems impossible in the current world where everyone has an opinion on how everything could be better. No longer can people just enjoy a story, foibles and all. Instead they have to comment. Heck, I do that almost every day here. But you can't please everyone and as a result, the stories become muddled messes. And great stories might be scuttled because some audience might find it horrible or offensive. I find the theme fascinating.

Alas, Ivan Reis has the month off here. Instead we have a smorgasbord of artists. It is quite a row of talent. Emanuela Lupacchino, Darick Robertson, and Steve Lieber are all top notch talents on their own. So to see them bring their styles to the various landscapes here is an added bonus.

On to the book.

Review: Checkmate #1

I had a Leviathan Theory and I was sticking to it. In Event Leviathan, I thought for sure that the villain behind the mask was going to be Ted Kord. 

Turned out I was wrong. Leviathan was Mark Shaw. And that led me down the rabbit hole. Who was Shaw exactly? And how and more importantly why did he become Leviathan? I scoured his comic history.

And so we are here, with Checkmate #1, the sequel to Event Leviathan. I have been waiting for this. For one, I find Leviathan an interesting sort of villain. In some ways, he's like Robin Hood, hoping to help out the little guy by opening up the world to honesty. Plus, I have to say that after reading all the history of Shaw, I can see why he has become Leviathan. He was used, abused, brainwashed, and manipulated by espionage agencies in the DCU. Why wouldn't he want revenge?

So maybe I am going to be somewhat of an biased reviewer. 

But I thought this first issue was fantastic. 

Writer Brian Michael Bendis sets the table nicely in this opening chapter. First off, we get some far flashbacks showing how Shaw got into the original Leviathan organization. I need to see some of this backstory. I need to see how Shaw took over that place from the inside out.

Then we see a more recent flashbacks of Talia Al Ghul trying to wrest things back.

Of course, we then get to the present day when the new Checkmate is just starting to get organized in hopes of stopping Leviathan from whatever he has planned next. It was good to see this team together again. Plus, the Checkmate leader Mr. King is somewhat of a mystery himself. Who is this guy?

We even get a reminder that we don't know what Sam Lane meant when he told Lois to find the Snowman Ticket at the end of Event Leviathan.

But best of all is a deep cut DC character who shows us just how Leviathan might convince people to join him. 

I would, of course, be remiss if I didn't mention Alex Maleev's moody art. From the opening flashback to the ending cliffhanger, everything is laid out wonderfully and gripping. 

On to the book!