Bullet Review: Dark Crisis #1

I was recently called a Boomer on Twitter which I think makes me sound extremely old. I don't think I count as a boomer by strict definition. But maybe I count as a comic book boomer? I have been reading comics for more than 40 years and that puts a lot of miles behind me. 

It also means I have read a lot of DC company crossovers. A LOT OF THEM. And while some have stuck most of the more recent ones have sort of come and gone and not really stuck in my memory. Heck, I completely skipped Metal.

So when Dark Crisis was announced, I sort of stifled an eye roll. It feels like DC has rewritten their universe on a bi-annual schedule. How often can we reset a timeline before it just melts like butter left on the counter?

That said, I have been pretty impressed with writer Joshua Williamson's writing throughout the DCU. And the approach to this Dark Crisis seems to be tugging at some threads that make this comic boomer happy. It leans heavily into Crisis on Infinite Earths, with Pariah and the idea of a multiverse dying a large part. The main baddie seems to be the 'absence of light', the Dark Thumb from Alan Moore's Swamp Thing #50, a comic which I bought off the rack and wrote a high school religion class paper on. So heavy nostalgia there. And most importantly, Williamson is really leaning into the entire DC history, showcasing images and homages from the entire DC run. He acknowledges the 'big bads' from other Crises but says they were nudged by this ultimate darkness. And there is a feeling of freshness to the proceedings because he eliminated the Justice League out the gate meaning legacy heroes, a staple of DC, have to pick up the ball. I even like how he is making Hal Jordan seem to be a big player. Jordan has been on both sides of light and darkness in prior crossovers.

Daniel Sampere's art is fantastic all around. I love how he grabs those homage pieces by the throat, giving us polished looks at history. I love his crowd scenes and his fight scenes. And there is enough gravitas in some of the bigger moments to make me happy.

This review will look mostly at things from a Supergirl angle with some overall plot points. Overall, this issue seems almost like a prologue to the main story. Perhaps that's why this is a 7 issue mini, not the traditional 6?

On to the book.

Belated Anniversary - Comic Box Commentary Is 14 Years Old

I will be brief in saying that 2022 hasn't been an easy year for me. To give a little perspective, 2021 was a walk in the park.

So I am not surprised that some things on the periphery of my mind were lost in my mental attic.

One thing that I missed? This blog's anniversary! My 14th year of blogging about Supergirl, the Legion, and the super-family was way back on April 29th. I just realized it last week. 

Never too late to celebrate an accomplishment.

This last year was sort of a standard year for the site.  I loved being here and interacting with you all. And I reviewed comics and shows. And there were a few side adventures that kept things interesting.

So what happened in the last year of this site?

Review: Dark Knights Of Steel #7

Dark Knights of Steel #7 came out this week. We are heading into the back half of this story and we are still getting new plot threads and new ideas being introduced. I find the whole book very entertaining so bring it on. For all I know, sales are good enough to warrant a sequel. We already have learned of a one-shot 'Tales from ...' issue coming out later this year.

Writer Tom Taylor continues to ramp up the heat in this medieval take on the DCU with the world seemingly careening towards a world war. But there is a mystery here. One I think I have cracked. But that plot is only nudged forward in this issue which instead concentrates on introducing us to the Titans of this world and their interaction with Ra's/Etrigan. I suppose they could have a big part to play in the main plot. But I do wonder if this was a backdoor pilot for Dark Knights II. As always, Taylor's medieval concepts for the characters work very well, including a nice take on the Kents.

Yasmine Putri isn't on art. Instead Nathan Gooden steps in. I don't think I have seen Gooden's work before. His art is vaguely Putri-esque so it flows well with the book so far. And as this is almost a stand-alone side mission, I think it works well. And Dan Mora's cover certainly grabs the eye.

Another winning issue of this maxi-series. I think this time I'm right. On to the specifics.

Black Orchid Review: Adventure Comics #430

Over the last couple of months, I have been taking a look at the pre-Crisis stories of Black Orchid through the lens of a fan theory at the time that she was Supergirl. It has been an interesting and highly entertaining exercise for me. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

Today I conclude my look at her initial three issue trial run in Adventure comics by reviewing Adventure Comics #430. A big thankful shout out to my friend Ryan Daly  who sent me this issue recently. I was missing this issue and was going to have to go hunting. And then, one day, it magically appeared in my mailbox.

I have to admit that while I love the character and love art in these stories, I can see why this trilogy didn't cement her status as a star. The main thing that differentiates her is that she is a complete cipher. So in these stories, she is more of a catalyst than a protagonist. Each issue the reader does have to try and deduce which character is the Orchid in disguise. But outside that, there isn't much to her.

Still, that air of mystery certainly adds to the theory. Since we still don't know much about this Orchid, she still could be Supergirl!

On to the book!

Supergirl In Dark Crisis Justice League

There was a time when I used to head to Bleeding Cool almost daily for comic gossip and previews. I'll admit that I head there less and less. But I was sent there last week for an interesting news about Supergirl in Dark Crisis.

Not to bury the lede, she has replaced Mary Marvel as a member of the new Justice League. Here is the link:https://bleedingcool.com/comics/new-justice-league-pictures-whos-in-whos-out-dark-crisis-spoiler/

Bleeding Cool even had some pics to share of a splash page introducing the team and Kara now penciled in where Mary Marvel was originally.

I won't guess exactly why it happens.

Although I think the original schedule for the Campbell/Shaner Mary Marvel mini-series was supposed to be done by this time until it was pushed back to better align with the release of the second Shazam movie. My understanding is that in that mini-series, Mary picks up the full mantle of Shazam/Captain Marvel.  

Perhaps with Mary's main story still yet to be told, DC decided a pinch hitter was needed.

And if you need a character to simply slip into Mary's role without undoing a script, Supergirl fits the bill. After all, she seemed to be modeled off Mary to begin with back in the day.

As a Supergirl fan, I thought for sure the melancholy drama of Supergirl:Woman of Tomorrow was a death sentence. Hard to tell meaningful super-hero stories when your main character is as damaged as she was there. So this seems like an emergency reprieve, a phone call from the Governor stopping the character execution that Tom King (in my opinion) committed.

Plus, Supergirl has always been a strong member of the League when she has been part of it, either in a guest spot or as the muscle (like in James Robinson's run.) 

So I feel sorry for Mary's fans. But I am glad Supergirl will have some role in this company event. Of course, you say 'Supergirl' and 'Crisis' in the same sentence and it does conjure up some bad memories.

Review: Action Comics 2022 Annual

Action Comics 2022 Annual came out this week and was a very good, very entertaining issue which just bolsters the Warworld Saga by instructing the reader about Superman and Mongul. This is Mongul's secret origin as the cover states but it also a contrast tale. Superman isn't Mongul and Mongul isn't Superman. And a lot of that difference is based on the values they were raised with. 

Writers Si Spurrier and Phillip Kennedy Johnson throw us a little bit of a curveball here. We get flashback stories of Superman and Mongul's younger years. So much of Superman's values are given to us in the form of 'Pa Kent Wisdom'. We know about Mongul's lineage is based on sons killing fathers and taking up the mantle of Mongul. Now in this issue we get what might be the biggest dose of Ma Kent Wisdom I have ever seen. We see how Mongul's mother raised him to never love and always think of himself. So both parents have impacted their sons' lives. That is pretty brilliant.

The art is a wonderful mix. Dale Eaglesham brings his thicker line and grittiness to the Mongul pages. Meanwhile Ian Churchill brings his finer line to the Smallville pages. The bright Kansas pages differ from the red-soaked Warworld pages. Both styles are different enough to contrast but somehow similar enough to keep the book's flow intact. Even the cover, a rougher looking picture by Francesco Francavilla adds to the feel. Here Mongul is separating Superman from his family (albeit it the Kryptonian parents) perhaps to show how important family is.

If you're looking for a story to inform you of who these opponents are but more importantly why they are who they are, this is a great story. 

On to the particulars.

Supergirl Strong Berry

It is a well known and rather obvious fact that I am a huge Supergirl fan. 

What might not be as well known is that I am a huge Cap'n Crunch fan. I love Crunch in all it's formulation but Crunch Berries are my favorite. Seriously, tweet search @dranj70 and Crunch and you'll see my history.

So imagine my surprise when blog friend Greg Araujo showed me that in his region of the US there were boxes of 'Strong Berry', a Supergirl Crunch Berries!

Frankly, I was stunned. It felt almost cosmically karmic. These are two of my favorite things and now they existed together. Imagine if two things you absolutely loved, that resided in two different spheres of your life, were suddenly smushed together. It would be like me finding Talking Heads Peanut Butter on the shelves! Or Phillip K. Dick Tater Tots.

As if telling me about the cereal wasn't enough, Greg was extremely generous and sent me a box! Amazing!

Look, way back in 2008 one of the reasons I started this blog was because I felt the character of Supergirl was underappreciated and relatively unknown. Now in 2022, she is on her own cereal box. We have come a long way!

Thanks again Greg!

Supergirl Crunch Berries! 

Insanity!