Review: Action Comics #1003

 Action Comics #1003 came out this week and continued to be a tremendous read, my favorite of the Bendis Superman titles. Bristling with Metropolis activity and heavy on character interaction, it is this book which makes me think Bendis has a great handle on Superman and his supporting cast.

As is usual for this book, the Daily Planet pit and the staff play a big role in this issue. From Perry to Robinson Goode to Jimmy to Clark to the revelation that Lois is back, all the Planet scenes just sizzle. And knowing that Robinson Goode is a plant just revs up the suspense.

Not that the plot doesn't progress. The Red Cloud mystery continues with one suspect now eliminated. The Invisible Mafia mystery continues to swirl. And even the unknown origin of Goode gets a couple of hints added to the mix.

But the biggest joy was the interaction with guest star Batman. Two simple words made me smile!

The art on the book is done by one of my personal favorites, Yanick Paquette. One thing I love about Paquette's work is that the page layout and panels are a big a part of the story-telling as his expressive and detailed art. His pages in Wonder Woman Earth One sing in this manner. And here, we get that same strength. Just incredible.

All in all, this was a wonderful issue to start this somewhat troubling week of comic reading. On to the book.

Mister Miracle #11

It's been a week since Mister Miracle #11 hit the stands and so my hope is I am near the spoiler event horizon.

I have been a fan of this series since the beginning. King and Gerads have really done this spectacular job of making this a truly complete story of the duo of Mister Miracle and Big Barda. We open with some drama and sadness as Scott seems to have tried to kill himself. We then have Scott enter into a new war with Apokolips as a general, ascend to the title of Highfather, all while navigating married life, family politics, and being a new dad.

Throughout the series, panels have been warped as if the original shifted in the copy machine or the signal was breaking up on an old antenna television. And while at times this has been a very sad book, there was somehow this undercurrent of hope. Even when covered in the blood of his enemies after days of nonstop combat, the love and respect Scott and Barda have for each other was a foundation for something better.

The plot twists and the opening suicide and the warped panels (the biggest 'interference' happening in panels discussing death and pain) all made folks wonder just what was this story.

Was it 'real'?
Was it purgatory?
Was it a near death experience?

I myself kept saying I thought it was something like 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge', a potential future that Miracle was running through his mind in a second before he was in danger of dying.

But then the end of Mister Miracle #11 happened. Spoilers ahead.

December 2018 Solicits

December's solicits have come out and it will be a brief month with few books. DC is taking the last week of December off for new books. The holidays will keep the racks bare. That week's books will be out in January, a 5 Wednesday month to begin with.

Here is a link to Newsarama's coverage:
https://www.newsarama.com/41866-dc-comics-december-2018-solicitations.html

And here are the books which grabbed me!

SUPERGIRL #25
written by MARC ANDREYKO
art by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO, JILL THOMPSON, BRAD WALKER and ANDREW HENNESSY
cover by DOUG MAHNKE and JAIME MENDOZA
variant cover by AMANDA CONNER
It’s a super-sized issue of SUPERGIRL!

Supergirl and Krypto go back to the “scene of the crime”—the ruins of Krypton! With Z’ndr hitchhiking, Supergirl is not only there to find clues on who the killers of Krypton are, but to pay her respects to her dead family and friends for the first time since she left the planet. But a mysterious caretaker whose duty is to protect Krypton’s remnants at all costs attacks and won’t let Kara through! As if that weren’t enough, the Kryptonian powerhouse and her super-powered pooch are stricken with radiation poisoning from the dead planet and must also fight their inner demons!
This anniversary issue also includes two backup stories! First, witness the thoughts and fears of Krypto as he is affected by the radiation poisoning from the wreckage of Krypton. Then, learn more about our new hitchhiker, Z’ndr Khol, as he scavenges a booby-trapped ruin in a remote corner of the galaxy in an off-the- wall space adventure!

A double sized issue only 5 issues into the new run? And is the double size because of the 'anniversary' number of 25?

Either way, Kara heading to the site of Krypton smacks a bit of Silver Age. I am hoping Doug Mahnke's cover showing her cachectic because of Kryptonite poisoning.

Who is Z'ndr (Xander?)? And who is the guardian at the site?

A Krypto a solo story will always be appreciated. And I can't wait to see Brad Walker and Emanuela Lupacchino drawing Supergirl again.

Sales Review: August 2018

Last month we got a new direction and a soft reboot of the Supergirl title. While the numbering remained the same, we waited three months for the Bendis-izing of the super-titles to gel. Now we are back, bold and new. And since the revamp, I have been waiting for the sales numbers for August to drop.

As someone who has been watching sales numbers of Supergirl books closely, I had been pretty impressed with what was happening in the latter stages of the Orlando/Houser/Rocha run book. Sales, most likely boosted by Artgerm variants, were up. Supergirl was nosing around the 31K mark. And the stories themselves were really starting to click. It was as if the creative team had found their groove, concentrating on some of the plots and letting others fade. Suffice it to say, I was very happy with the book's directions and sales were more than healthy.

So how did Supergirl #21 fare? Well, you can look at the top 500 books ordered for the month of August here on ICv2: https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/41375/top-500-comics-august-2018

So after a couple of years living as Kara Danvers, daughter of Eliza and Jeremiah, DEO agent, CatCo intern, and student at National Tech, Supergirl decided she needed to investigate Rogol Zaar's claim that he blew up Krypton.

Basically, the baby of the Orlando Rebirth book was thrown out with the bath water. Healthy sales or no, Kara was going in a new direction, one leading her away from Earth.

So did it bring in new readers?

Back Issue Box: Infinite Crisis Secret Files And Origins

One of my greatest joys in comics is scouring the bargain bins for hidden gems. Dollar boxes are abundant here and whenever I thumb through, I feel like some old miner, panning for gold and hoping to strike it rich.

Now usually I am looking for things from the 70s and 80s in those bins but more recently, I have discovered a new passion. I like finding books from the 90s and 00s which maybe I should have bought but didn't. And any over-sized or Prestige format book found there is most likely going to get bought.

In particular, I have found a new love for the DC Secret Files and Origins series. These books usually have a couple of stories. They exist to fill in readers to a current character's history and ongoing stories. And they always have some version of 'Who's Who' style pages. It has reached a point that, if in the $1 box, even for characters or arcs I don't like, I'll probably get the Secret Files and Origins.

Which brings me to Infinite Crisis Secret Files and Origins 2006. To be frank, I don't really remember this Crisis too well. I remember Alexander Luthor and Superboy Prime escaping paradise and doling out 'reality punches' to shake up the universe. I think Luthor even makes 'tuning forks' like the Monitor. And, of course, Superman from Earth-2, the first hero and the ultimate hero in Crisis on Infinite Earths, was made a patsy.

I also remember a hodge-podge of artists filling in pages in the latter issues.

But the ending? I don't recall.

So this falls into one of those 'don't like the arc but maybe I'll like this Secret Files' sort of issue. And, as usual, I did. A few key moments will be shared!

Review: Justice League #8

I have been pretty pleased with the recent Justice League comic, written by Scott Snyder with art from Jorge Jimenez and Jim Cheung. It is an often confusing, universe shaking, wildly imaginative story that often leaves me perplexed and breathless.

What has been interesting is the plan to intermittently have an issue be dubbed Legion of Doom, written by James Tynion IV, and focusing on a villain. It is a chance to take a breath, slow down, and see life from the other side of the fence.

Justice League #8 is mostly about Lex Luthor, the leader of the villains and the one most in the spotlight for the earlier arcs and his conversation with The Batman Who Laughs. We get some of the League. We get some of the other LOD. But mostly it is these two talking in half-truths, each trying to be the smartest guy in the room. Thankfully, there is some plot progression at the end.

This was my least favorite issue of the run. It is probably because I didn't read Metal and have no idea who this Batman Who Laughs is. Tynion does a good job of painting the picture that he is exceedingly powerful and dangerous. But he is basically an unknown to me. So his talk with Luthor didn't carry the punch I think it would for others more informed.

That said, Mikel Janin is on art and is wonderful. His art is slick and gratifying. Everything kind of has a sheen to it, detailed and expressive. This title is one of the prettiest on the stands.

And, as I said, more clues get added to the mix.

On to the book.

Justice League Action Happy Meal Toy

My youngest Supergirl is 14 but still heads to McDonald's now and then, usually to hang out with friends. And it seems the only things on the menu that she herself will eat are fries and McFlurries.

That said, her friends still occasionally enjoy McNuggets or other treats there.

Where is this all going Anj?

Well, my daughter came home and said that she had gone to McDonald's with her friends. Her friends got Happy Meals complete with Justice League Action toys! And when the friends were going to throw out the toys, my daughter said, without shame, 'I bet my Dad would love this.' And she brought it home for me!

I must be doing something right!

As for McDonald's, if you head to their Happy Meal website now, you'll be greeted by the Justice League Action opening page. There is Supergirl, right up there with the Trinity! Amazing.

That could have been Flash or Green Lantern. It could have been Stargirl or a villain.

But they chose Supergirl.

I am still floored by things like this. She is that much in the public consciousness.

On to the actual toy!