Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 11/11

Airboy #4
Story: James Robinson
Art: Greg Hinkle

Airboy has been a comic that I've been unsure how to classify and write about. After a well received first issue and a problematic second, the third issue was almost ignored critically, and this conclusion arrives a couple months late. It's part war hero comic, part introspective look at a writer's life, part deconstruction. It's not unique in its conceit of "creator meets the character he's working on" but is told from the point of view of the creator more than the character. After three issues of acting like a selfish ass, James Robinson, writer and one of the principal protagonists, and his artist Greg Hinkle, dragged along on this insane, possibly drug induced ride, are now in the comics of the character Airboy, and have been sent (well, forced) on a mission behind Nazi lines to blow up a bridge. It's good to see that Robinson, even in this life or death situation, still paints himself as a near-complete jerk. He and Hinkle start off commenting on how cool the SS uniforms they're wearing look (they were designed by Hugo Boss, after all), and we flashback to him doing coke with one of Airboy's colleagues before setting out. There, Robinson comments on how much he feels like his career is lost, and calls out the projects he did in Hollywood that were disasters (in all fairness, I really like Comic Book Villains, the movie he wrote and directed. I own a copy, and it introduced me to the excellent actor Donal Logue). Hinkle does a great job drawing the wreck of the city and the Nazi war-robots as well as Airboy's plane, showing off skills beyond much of what he's had to do throughout the series. The end of the surreal aspect of the comic has Robinson make a good choice, a hero's choice, but when he arrives home, he's still stuck in the same cycle of drugs, self-pity, and self-loathing that he was in on page one of issue one. It's Hinkle in the end who calls Robinson out on his b.s. in a way that gets him to listen. What's great is he doesn't come down on him about all the stuff that happened in what seems more likely a drug induced haze, but all the things that Robinson can change, and gives him a glimmer of hope that people still respect his work (I know I do). The end is a hopeful one, one where the protagonist makes the choice to break the cycle. If you know anything about addiction and self-loathing, you know that might not be a permanent change, as it's a daily battle, but the final images, of Airboy comics in color in a haze of discarded cocaine symbolizes to me Robinson coming out of the haze he was in. I've stuck with James Robinson's work through what he clearly considers a doldrums of his creative output, and I'll continue to stick with him, and I hope that the strength of Airboy is a sign of great things to come.

Batman #46
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, & FCO Plascenia

Things feel like they're coming to a head in Scott Snyder's current arc of Batman. We're getting Batman meeting the villain, Mr. Bloom, Duke Thomas out and learning secrets, and Bruce Wayne engaged to Julie Madison. That's a lot of big changes, and I'm going to touch on each plot separately. The opening fight scene does a lot to make it clear that Jim Gordon is growing into his role as Batman. His plan to take down Mr. Bloom, while not successful, is clever and well in line with what you'd expect from Batman. And the rapport he's building with Julia Pennyworth is not only great character development for both of them, but it's smart; the original Batman never worked alone, and Gordon is really learning to work with his team. And again, I come to more and more like Geri Powers as she stands up to Bloom; I still don't trust any Powers very far, so I'm not sure of Snyder is setting the reader up to like her before a face/heel turn or if he's just slowly building her to be a good character against expectations of everyone who knows the Batman Beyond continuity. Whichever he's doing, it's working. Following the battle, there's a scene with a hall of Batman armors like something out of Tony Stark's dreams. Even after everything that went on in the previous issue between them, Jim is able to present Geri with a plan and goes after Bloom alone; so Jim hasn't completely lost his lone wolf mentality, but he has a plan and Julia in his ear. But it's not going to be that easy.

While Jim is dealing with Bloom's frontal assault, Duke Thomas continues to search for answers about Bloom, now sneaking into the Iceberg Lounge to find information that Penguin might have. Snyder continues to do great things to build Duke up as a competent, clever crimefighter. His entry into Penguin's office, and his knowledge of Penguin's methods, show he's clearly done his homework. And his surprise about the identity of Bloom makes me think he's a character we know already, and not just some new villain, but Duke doesn't make it out easy, as Penguin and a group of Gotham's more unusual mob bosses catch him, and he has to use some quick thinking and tech to escape. But the escape doesn't look clean, and we'll see what becomes of him next issue.

And Bruce. Oh, Bruce. He's so damn happy. It's absolutely killing me. The scenes with him and Julie, and the scene with him and Liv, a little girl at the Fox Center where he works, are painfully sweet. The coloring on those pages is even warmer than the rest of the issue, keeping things in a happier place. And the happier he gets, the harder the fall is going to be,

Thematically, Snyder is calling more clearly on the idea of symbols and how much the symbol of the Bat means to Gotham, and whether the idea of what Jim, Geri, and Powers Inc have done destroys that symbol, as Bloom believes, or has reclaimed it for the people. as Geri does. And as readers, knowing Bruce will be back, we're left to wonder what it will mean when he returns.

Descender #7
Story: Jeff Lemire
Art: Dustin Nguyen

Descender returns for its second arc with a first issue that takes everything from arc one and adds all sorts of twists and turns. Android TIM-21 has just encountered his twin TIM-22 and a group of robots who have come to save him on the planet Gnish. The robots are interested in TIM, and only TIM, but the robot insists on bringing his organic companions, UGC agent Telsa and his maker DR. Quon, along so they can help him find his human "brother" Andy. I'm curious to see if these robots are remnants of the robots destroyed after the Harvester onslaught, the attack of giant robots on the inhabited worlds, or if they have a deeper connection to the Harvesters. One way or the other, they have no love for organic beings, as they kill the ruler of Gnish with no compunction and for the reason of sewing chaos; it's benign looking TIM-22 who does the deed at the order of his "father," the robot Psius. The introduction of a robot world, or at least a resistance, is an interesting deepening of the mythology established before, adding another aspect and faction to the universe. The robots agree to take Telsa and Quon to get TIM to come with them, which is interesting; if they have a TIM of their own, why so desperately search for this one, unless their reasons aren't the same as everyone else's, the connection of TIM to the harvesters, or unless their TIM is not the same as TIM-21. But taking those three does, to use D&D parlance, split the party, leaving Bandit, the robot dog, Driller, the drilling droid, and Telsa's associate Tullis behind. And all of that only takes up half the issue. The other half follows a robot bounty hunter coldly going about his business. He destroys nonthreatening robots that were helping a colony survive without any compunction, and is clearly set up as a major threat. And when he goes back to the guy who provides his bounties and finds out about TIM, he tears off after him. And when he arrives at the mining colony where TIM was and finds a survivor of the crew who tried to destroy TIM, he reveals his identity. It's a major twist, one I don't want to give away, but it sets the trajectory for TIM's journey down a much darker path. And all of this plot with Dustin Nguyen's art, which continues to be the best of his already string career, lush, gorgeously colored, and beautifully designed. Descender is a story about what it means to be alive and "human," and the new path TIM is on will test his robot spirit and see how much "humanity" he has.

Star Wars: Chewbacca #3
Story: Gerry Duggan
Art: Phil Noto

Sometimes a fun comic comes along, and you just miss out on reviewing it. That has happened, and I intend to remedy that right now. Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto's Chewbacca mini-series has been excellent all the way through, and it's been getting better with each issue. Having crashed on the planet Andelm IV, Chewie has spent the past couple issues working to liberate slaves from a gangster with the help of Zarro, a young escaped slave herself. Now trapped in the mines with Zarro and her father, Chewie has to avoid killer beetles and other hazards to get out with the slaves. Duggan does a great job of letting other characters speak with Chewie without giving him speech bubbles; everything out of Chewie is a Wookiee roar. With that being the case, Noto's work on Chewie is even more important, letting the Wookiee's body language and facial expressions do most of the communicating. The sequence where Chewie has to climb through a narrow passage, digging at it to make it wider, so he can drop a rope down to the trapped miners, is one of the most visually striking scenes I've come across in a comic lately. Outside the mine, the designs of the various aliens  and character are equally engaging, from the gangster Jaum, who exists in a suit with a clear helmet to allow him to breathe to his right hand Shistavenan (the werewolf people), to Sevox, and old man whose body rejects cybernetic implants so he's designed a way to see through the eyes of his droid. Great concepts from Duggan and excellent execution from Noto. I like that the stakes of the mini-series are so comparatively little, not the fate of the Rebellion but just a small group of people, but it still feels so big because Zarro, her father, and the others are interesting characters and the reader cares, and that, as a former slave, Chewie is invested; he could have left any number of times, but he stays because it's the right thing to do. Chewbacca is one of the most noble characters in Star Wars and this mini-series spotlights all of his best qualities.


Dan Grote goes back to WW2 to spend some time with Cap, Bucky, and the Howling Commandos in Captain America:White...

Captain America: White #4

Story by Jeph Loeb

Art by Tim Sale

“You know better than anybody that underneath this uniform, I’m just a man who can make mistakes.”

World War II Captain America stories are a dime a dozen, it’s true, but there’s something about a young, fallible Cap, less the symbol of freedom and liberty all other heroes measure up to and more a hero in the mighty Marvel manner, that makes this one seem fresh.

The Steve Rogers of Captain America: White makes mistakes, is filled with doubt, a master combatant but not a seasoned veteran, still a skinny kid from Brooklyn in his own mind. Put simply, he’s not Marvel’s answer to Superman. He’s also preoccupied with Bucky, the young ward he trained and brought to war with him, and wracked with guilt every time his sidekick ends up in harm’s way.

This particular mission finds Cap, Bucky and the Howling Commandos deep in Nazi-occupied France, where top SS-ers the Red Skull and Baron Wolfgang von Strucker are currently overseeing things. Aiding the Howlers is a group of French freedom fighters, led by a woman named Marilyne who will have none of Cap’s white-hat, Americo-centric patriarchy. “It is the French who will free France!” she tells him at one point.

It is also the French who will betray France, as one among their number, a purple-clad, pointy-mustached man named Olivier Batroc – an ancestor of everyone’s favorite Leaper – sets them up to be captured by Strucker while the Skull plots mayhem elsewhere.

Cap’s sexual inexperience remains a theme, as a request to Marilyne to fix the straps on his shield is played for its innuendo, while Bucky and Reb Ralston, the youngest Howler, peep the action through a keyhole. When Cap realizes he’s being watched, he gets spooked and throws his shield through the door, giving Bucky a black eye. Cap apologizes, using the line at the top of this review, but the damage, both physical and emotional, is done. Bucky believes Cap has lost faith in him, and so he goes off to fight the Skull on his own, instead getting captured and strapped to all manner of explosives.

Now, the reader knows Bucky survives this one. This isn’t Baron Zemo’s rocket that turns Steve into a Capsicle and Bucky into a Soviet-sponsored killing machine with a cybernetic arm. But for Cap, at this point in his nascent superheroing career, this is his worst nightmare given form, the idea that the only person with whom he shares any sort of bond could die.

Yes, White is a pure nostalgia trip: a Silver Age-style story set in the Golden Age by a creative team best known for its ’90s work. But if you’re a fan of old Marvel, of Steve Rogers as Cap and pre-Winter Soldier Bucky and a Nick Fury that was essentially a John Wayne-meets-Patton homage, it’s a trip worth taking.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 8/5

Detective Comics #43
Story: Brian Buccellato
Art: Fernando Blanco 

I'm going to miss Brian Buccellato's run on Detective Comics when it wraps next month. It's been a nice mix of crime and super heroics, definitely the best use of crime comics plot points in a DC Comic since the reboot. This issue opens right on the heels of last issue, with Bullock and the Batman support team of GCPD officers rushing to help Batman, whose armor has been incapacitated by the assassins called La Morte. We've been seeing in Batman as well as here that Jim Gordon doesn't need the armor to be Batman, but the splash page of this issue, of a beaten but unbowed Gordon standing over two of the three La Morte hitmen is a great moment for him. But it also points out that Gordon isn't Bruce Wayne: three talented assassins is what Bruce would have called a warm up, and one of these guys got away, along with the power core to the Bat armor. The remainder of the issue follows three separate plot threads. One is Gordon, who feels like he's failed letting La Morte steal the core. Buccellato strikes a good balance between keeping Gordon from seeming self-pitying, but also making it clear how serious he takes this and how this failure has effected him. The remaining member of La Morte, meanwhile, goes and presents the power core to the person who hired him to steal it: The Joker's Daughter. Frankly, this is the first time I had any misgivings about this story. I haven't been a fan of this new Joker's Daughter since her introduction; she struck me as one of those instances where a character was introduced with some head and suddenly she was everywhere without enough time being spent on her personality. But her with a cult of Joker smiling underdwellers, and the final page revealing what she needs the power core? I'm willing to suspend my suspicion of the character because that's some very cool stuff. We also see La Morte has a second contract in Gotham, one with Stafano Falcone, but the who on that one remains to be seen next issue, and I'd place money it ties into the third plot of the issue. Bullock finds out pretty early in the issue that his partner (and lover) Nancy Yip is dirty, and Bullock tries to figure out what she's into. Buccellato writes the best Bullock since his heyday in the Moench/Grant/Dixon '90s run, and I like him as this gruff but good cop. It's sad to see him confront Yip, to deal with Montoya and Internal Affairs, and then to talk about what needs to be done with Batman. We come back around to the scene that was in the preview for this run that came out after Convergence, and I know there's more to it, since we know no one involved is a cold blooded killer. Next issue is going to have to wrap up a lot, including an assassination at a circus, the fate of Yip, and a giant Joker robot. That's a tall order, but I think Bucellato and Blanco can pull it off.

Nailbiter #15
Story: Joshua Williamson
Art: Mike Henderson & Adam Guzowski

Wow. That's how you end an arc, my friends. With last issue ending with our core cast of protagonists facing down the seemingly unstoppable Bucakroo Butcher, and the Butcher having stabbed Alice viciously, I though we'd get a chase story through the tunnels. And we do, but there's so much more in the issue. The final flashback to a young Sheriff Crane sets up this issue's big reveal, and I'll get to that later, but I have to stress how much these flashbacks in this arc have helped not only flesh out Crane's character, but have actually built some real sympathy for our titular serial killer, Edward Charles Warren. That is only enhanced when Warren lures the Butcher away and gives Crane and Agent Finch the directions out of the tunnels to save Alice. He also gives Finch and Crane additional clues to the mystery of Buckaroo, but that will have to be dealt with when the series returns, as Warren is overtaken by the Butcher and his (her?) master, who I've taken to calling The Doctor, and the threat against his loved ones that the Doctor levels at the defeated Warren is made all the more horrifying by one of the big reveals at the end of the issue (SPOILER WARNING): Alice is Warren and Crane's daughter. Since we're entering a skip month before the next arc begins in October I might have to go back and reread the series to date, because that's a major blow. I don't remember Alice mentioning she's adopted, but there's no reason she should have, and I don't feel this was a cheat in the least. As a matter of fact, with a distinct possibility of there being something genetic in what creates Buckaroo's serial killers, it makes Alice's own fears she's turning into one all the more chilling. I love Mike Henderson's design for The Butcher, and I can't stress enough how much his art helps make this book; the atmosphere in the tunnels, all the work he's done to make the characters distinct and emotive. You'd think this would be enough for one issue, but we also get further evidence of what the Doctor's ministrations did to FBI Agent Baker, and last two page spread that is a shocking twist that left me wanting to grab the next issue right there and then. I can now safely say that Nailbiter is my favorite horror comic on the market, and if you are even the least bit a fan of good horror fiction, do yourself a favor and get caught up before the next arc starts.


And Dan Grote visits World War II with a drugged out writer/artist team and Airboy...

Airboy #3

Story by James Robinson

Art by Greg Hinkle

When last we left this book, James and Greg, its creators and stars, had introduced Golden Age public-domain hero Airboy to their world, complete with alcohol, drugs and some light transphobia. Getting fed up with that quickly, Airboy – through means yet to be explained or explicitly illustrated – transports James and Greg to his world, where it’s still World War II, London has been bombed by the Nazis and steampunk battlesuits prowl the streets.

“Like something Mignola would draw,” James comments, referring to the creator of Hellboy.

How do the two creative types adjust to being thrust into the middle of a warzone? Well, after a plane buzzes them on a rooftop, James gets a massive erection, and Greg poops himself.

In need of a place to hide and clean Greg’s soiled trousers, Airboy takes them to his secret hangar and introduces them to his running crew. There’s Skywolf, who wears a wolf’s head atop his own; the Flying Dutchman, who is not Belgian; Iron Ace, who flies in full knight’s armor; Black Angel, who dresses in leather; and, finally, Valkyrie, Airboy’s lover, whom Greg almost immediately shags, condemning himself and James to greater self-induced punishment ahead (and giving readers another peak at his self-drawn endowment).

Hinkle’s layouts really shine in this issue, now that he gets to draw fighter planes and bombed-out landscapes. There’s a great splash page of the three leads climbing up the wreckage of a building, in which the reader is forced to follow the word balloons from the bottom left up, retraining the reader’s eyes and exploring metacommentary about the Assassin’s Creed games in the process. The color work is also phenomenal, as James and Greg remain painted in the muted blues of their world against the brighter – but still simple – pallet of Airboy’s.

What is actually happening – be it a dream sequence or drug-induced hallucination on the part of James, Greg or even Airboy – has yet to be delineated. That said, the morgue in Airboy’s hangar includes one particular body that deepens the mystery, though I’m not entirely convinced it’s a mystery the creators plan to – or even need to – explain.

Reviews of Comics for Wednesday 6/3

Airboy #1
Story: James Robinson
Art: Greg Hinkle

Meta-textual commentary has been a part of comics since Stan Lee wrote the Marvel Bullpen into Fantastic Four. Grant Morrison wrote himself into Animal Man, Warren Ellis popped up in Powers, and Brian Michael Bendis recently appeared in Nailbiter, to name a few. But James Robinson and Greg Hinkle's new series using the public domain flying ace Airboy, does something a little different, and absolutely fascinating: it pulls the hero into the real world, instead of inserting the creator into the comic book world. But we don't even get much of that this issue. No, this issue is the story of a writer in a tailspin. James Robinson has been offered the chance to write Airboy by Image Comics, and he's agreed to do it despite himself. He's unhappy with his work at DC (which he talks about frankly in the dialogue), and he's sick of being "the golden age guy" but he takes the offer, despite having no ideas. When he can't get anymore ideas, he gets his artist, Greg Hinkle, to fly to San Francisco, where Robinson lives, to try to get the juices flowing. What follows is not a night of comic creating, but one of alcohol, cocaine, and anonymous sex. It's only by issue's end that Airboy pops up, and only on the last page. Robinson doesn't pull any punches in how he portrays himself; he's a drunk, he's snorting cocaine at every chance, he's cheating on his wife, and he is wallowing in self-pity. From interviews, the general plot is semi-autobiographical, and it's interesting to see a writer most associated with superhero comics writing something so straightforwardly inner facing. I've been a fan of Robinson's since he wrote a couple phenomenal arcs of Batman: Legends the Dark Knight, and this is a very different Robinson. Greg Hinkle's art style is different and interesting (something talked about in the comic, actually), and works well with the material. The muted color palette also works with Robinson's mindset, and the flash of color when Airboy appears is an excellent visual trope.  Just to warn some of you more sensitive readers, there is some sexual material in the issue (although nothing hardcore), and some full frontal male nudity, but it's nothing worse than what you see on cable. This is a comic that takes the fourth wall and pretty much smashes it to pieces, so if that, along with stories about writing, creation, and self examination catch your interest, Airboy is something you want to check out.

Batman Beyond #1
Story: Dan Jurgens
Art: Bernard Chang

Since the reboot DC Comicsa post-Flashpoint, I've been hoping to see Tim Drake get his own series again. I started reading comic within a couple months of Tim's first appearance, and he has been my favorite Robin, and probably my favorite DC Conics's character aside from Batman himself. And while he's been in Teen Titans from the outset, I wanted a book that was all about Tim. And this past week, I got my monkey paw wish in the new Batman Beyond series spinning out of The New 52: Futures End, where a Tim Drake from five years in the future has been thrust thirty more years into the future. Yes, that's a pretty complicated, timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly set up, but you don't really need to know it. What you need to know is Tim is a stranger in a strange land, on an Earth where Gotham is the last bastion standing against the reign of Brother Eye, an evil cybernetic being. This first issue establishes the status quo that Tim walks into, a mixture of what we'd expect from the current continuity and the classic animated Batman Beyond timeline. We see Terry McGinnis's little brother, Matt, who thinks he should have been made Batman when his brother died (Terry died pulling a Kyle Reese, going back to stop Brother Eye, and died in the process), and a gang of Jokerz. We meet a new character, Nora Boxer, a former Global Peace Agency agent who is Matt's guardian. And we get to see what the world outside of Gotham is like, as Tim goes to free Maxine Gibson, Terry's best friend, from a Brother Eye prison camp and runs afoul of a superhero converted into a Brother Eye drone. Who that is, I want to leave as a surprise, as well as the last page reveal of the other hero who is imprisoned in the camp. It's a lot to take in for a first issue, especially if you didn't read Futures End, but the banter between Tim and ALFRED, the Bat suit A.I. is fun, the action scenes are beautifully drawn by Bernard Chang, and it's an interesting set-up. While this isn't the Batman Beyond of old, it's an interesting take on the world, and one that has potential to honor those old stories while beating it's own path.

Bizarro #1
Story: Heath Corson
Art: Gustavo Duarte

All ages comics have been severely lacking in DC Comics main line since the reboot. This first week of the new line sees the debut of not one but two series. And while Bat-Mite is a fun book, it was Bizarro that totally knocked my socks off. Writer Heath Corson has been the screenwriter of many of the recent DC direct-to-DVD movies, but this is his first comic, and it's a strong showing. There's no continuity knowledge needed, just a basic understanding that Bizarro is Superman's awkward opposite number and Jimmy Olsen is Superman's pal. The comic itself is the first leg of a road trip that Jimmy and Bizarro are on together. You don't need to know why, they just are, and craziness ensues. After smashing up his car, thanks to an attack by Bizarro's pet chupacbra, Colin, Jimmy and Bizarro wind up in a tiny town. There, to get his car fixed, Jimmy meets Regis "King Tut" Tuttle, the Pharaoh of Used Cars, and his lovely daughter, Regina. Of course, King Tut winds up being empowered by Ancient Egyptian gods (sort of, anyway), and uses his new powers to exert his will on the town, and so it's Bizarro to the rescue. Bizarro is the lovable oaf here, similar to how he was presented in Superman: The Animated Series, and his backwards talk and misunderstanding of the way people interact makes for much of the humor. Jimmy is presented as put upon and completely frustrated by how to deal with Bizarro's antics, and the fact that Colin seems to want to eat him. It's a classic odd couple dynamic, only with one of the two being a chalky clone of a superhero, and it's hilarious. I'm looking forward to seeing what other kinds of trouble Bizarro can get into.

Nailbiter #13
Story: Joshua Williamson
Art: Mike Henderson

A little over a year into Nailbiter, this issue begins to give us details on the backstory of two of our leads, titular serial killer Edward Charles Warren and his ex-girlfriend, Sheriff Shannon Crane. A series of flashbacks show Warren as an odd, sort of creepy kid, not the bold and strutting killer he is today, and Sheriff Crane has softer edges then she does in the present; I somehow think being known as the ex of one of Buckaroo's serial killers has hardened her considerably. Still the chemistry between the two of them is great, and despite knowing their fates, I found myself sort of rooting for them. But in the present, there isn't any romance bubbling between the two. Instead, Crane, Warren, and our other lead Nicholas Finch, have to make it past a group of robe wearing townsfolk led by Reverend Fairgold, who are swearing to follow Warren around to make sure he never kills again. It's one of those darkly funny scenes this book does really well, as Warren confronts the mob, and we see exactly how ready they are to stand up against the Nailbiter. Once that's done, we reenter the tunnels beneath Buckaroo, where Warren has promised to show the origins of the Buckaroo Butchers. This is where the book shifts from darkly funny to just plain creepy, which is another thing this comic does well. Darkness, weird statuary and wall paintings, it all helps further the atmosphere of darkness that permeates Buckaroo. I don't think anyone is surprised that Warren slips away, and the issue ends with him confronting the reverend again, this time in the hospital room of Agent Carroll, the man who brought Finch to Buckaroo and set off the chain of events we're witnessing. Like any good horror story, the last page knocks your socks off with how disturbing it is, and I don't want to say any more to possibly spoil the surprise. Nailbiter continues to be one of the best mixes of horror, character, and comedy produced right now, and inheritor of the legacies of Hannibal Lecter books and Tales from the Crypt. Each issue brings us deeper into the mystery of Buckaroo, and every step only makes me more nervous for the characters. I just do my best not to start biting my nails...

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #6
Story: Ryan North
Art: Erica Henderson

While most of the Marvel Universe is being swept up in Secret Wars, the hilarious all-ages Unbeatable Squirrel Girl starts it's second arc with the introduction of not one, but two new heroes, as well as a new villain, and a new... something. The charm of Squirrel Girl's comic is just how real the characters are written. Despite being so cheery and chipper, Squirrel Girl feels real, as does her roommate, Nancy. And as they spend time outside the bank that Squirrel Girl needs to guard, we meet Hippo the Hippo. He's a Hippo who has been mutated into a man-hippo, sort of like High Evolutionary's Knights, only without the motivation, armor, or highfalutin speech patterns. When SG starts fighting him, she is quickly aided by two new heroes, Chipmunk Hunk and Koi Boi. After some brief fisticuffs, SG is able to stop the fight be once again reasoning with the bad guy. I love that, over the course of six issues, nearly every major confrontation in this series has been solved by words, not by violence. It's both charming and sets a good precedent; Hippo isn't a bad man-hippo, he's just not sure what to do now that he's self-aware.  With the battle done, Nancy quickly calls out one of the great tropes of superhero comics, immediately identifying both the new heroes as fellow students Tomas Lara-Perez and Ken Shiga, since all they're doing is wearing domino masks. After a becoming friends montage (something the little caption narrator guy at the bottom of the pages really likes, and I do too), SG takes Nancy to the zoo to see if she can talk to any animal, since it seems everyone else can. There, though, the encounter Girl Squirrel, a superpowered squirrel. But all is not what it seems, and the final scenes, which pretty much scare the narrator of the comic away, shows that the relationship between Squirrel Girl and Girl Squirrel is not going to be the sunny one that would seem logical. The stakes are high in those final pages, the highest in the title so far. Sure, Galactus might have eaten Earth, but this is a more serious threat. Some people might think serious threats aren't something for an all ages comic, but I think we underestimate kids if we don't let them think about things. So if you're a Marvel person trying to avoid Secret Wars, now's the time to try out The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl; it's a classic Marvel comic with character and heart.

The Matt Signal Advent Calendar 2014 Day 16: Starman #34

Starman #34, September 1997

When you grow up reading superhero comics, you come to expect certain things. Bright costumes, big action scenes, and the illusion of change, to name a few. What you don't expect is film criticism in the mind of a supervillain.

 By the time Starman #34 had come out, I had read plenty about the comic in (lord I feel ashamed saying this) Wizard. It was supposed to be this hip, new, different superhero comic. I had read one issue, a crossover with the Underworld Unleashed event, and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't anything special. But issue thirty-three guest starred Batman, and so I picked it up, and that seemed more in line with what I read. Batman was guesting is thirty-four as well, so I picked it up, and this blew me away.

Jack Knight (the current Starman), Batman, Sentinel (the then-current superhero alias of original Green Lantern Alan Scott), and the Floronic Man (Jason Woodrue, a villain with plant powers), eat psychedelic tubers to enter the mind of plant monster-man Solomon Grundy, who had reformed and was a friend of Jack, to try to help him recover from a coma. OK, trippy tubers was something new to me to begin with. But as they journey, they start discussing heroism, and favorite heroes, and it turns into a discussion of favorite Woody Allen movies.

That scene had me rolling on the floor laughing, as Batman is a total downer, acting like this whole thing is business as usual, while Jack talks about Broadway Danny Rose, Sentinel remembers Everybody Says I Love You, and Woodrue waxes about the comedy of Interiors (if you've ever seen it, you'll know why that's funny). This opened my eyes to the fact that you could break the formula of super-heroes and come up with something new and different, and was a segue into thinking about trying out other kinds of comics. Starman proved a good gateway into Vertigo, which I was finally old enough to read, indies, and other different comics, which I'll always be grateful for. Oh, by the way, in the next issue, Batman does tell Jack what his favorite Woody Allen movie is. Not surprisingly, it's Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 10/29

Archer & Armstrong #25
Story: Fred Van Lente & others
Art: Clayton Henry & others

Credit where credit is due, Valiant does up a heck of an anniversary issue. The (for now, anyway) final issue of Archer & Armstrong is chock full of different stories that sum up the relationship between our two leads perfectly. The lead story, "Back to the Beginning," reunites the series original creative team of Fred Van Lente and Clayton Henry, to tell a story that ties up many of the series loose ends, including the identity of Archer's parents, Archer's relationship to The Sect, and the origin of the Archer cult from earlier in the series. More important is the scene where Archer asks Armstrong to show him more of the world, and Armstrong sets him straight about exactly what that will mean. It's a thesis on judgement and what it means to really live, from someone who has lived longer than pretty much anybody, and if we never hear another word from these character by Van Lente, it is a perfect send off. The second long form story in the issue, "Immortal Combat,"by John Layman and Ramon Villalobos, is much lighter. An immortal returns to fight Armstrong, and thanks to Armstrong's... pickled brain, he has little recollection of someone who has spent hundreds of years planning his demise. This story is just pure fun, which has been something that this book does and gets right every time. Also included is a short that leads into the upcoming one shot that features A&A enemies the 1%, and three time hopping stories that show Armstrong at different points in his immortal life. This is exactly what I feel an anniversary issue should be, one that celebrates all the aspects of a title, and gives long time readers a reward for picking it up. Van Lente and Henry will soon be starting a new Valiant series about Armstrong's time travelling brother, Ivar, Timewalker, so they'll be hanging around the Valiant Universe some more, but I'm glad they got the band back together to tell one more story from what has been my favorite Valiant series from the new line.

Marvel Comics 75th Anniversary Special
Story: Various
Art: Various

And here's another anniversary issue. I have to give Marvel credit, while I'm a DC guy, Marvel has done more with this 75th Anniversary one shot than DC has done with most of its big 75th anniversaries. A series of short stories, taking place throughout Marvel history, all the pieces have some feeling of history. The Spider-Man and Wolverine stories are fine and interesting, but it's the other three that really grabbed me. The opening story is a meditation on when the world changed, when the Fantastic Four got their powers and created the new heroic age. Narrated by Ben Urich, this story, written by James Robinson and drawn by Chris Samnee, is just so beautifully drawn, showing where many of the great heroes were when the FF took their space ride. Bruce Timm then adapts the Captain America prose story from Captain America Comics #3 that was the first Marvel work by The Man himself, Stan Lee. Any new work from Bruce Timm is worth celebrating, and this classic Stan Lee story is a fun throwback that's 40s setting works really well with Timm's style. Finally, Alias creative team Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos tell a story of Jessica Jones helping a little old lady find the fireman who saved her the day the original Human Torch debuted. It's a sweet little story, and feels like it's setting up a new Jessica Jones series, which makes sense with her Netflix TV series on the horizon. Along with all of this, we have a series of pin-ups with concepts by Bendis and art by various A-List artists, my favorites being a 90s X-Men one, featuring such luminaries as Marrow, Stacy X, and Adam X the X-Treme, with art by Joe Quinones, and a Groot Attorney-At-Law with art by Francesco Francavilla. The whole issue is a fun tribute to Marvel's past, with some great creators doing some top notch work. I know issues like this often seem a shameless cash grab, but this one is well worth your time.

Rasputin #1
Story: Alex Grecian
Art: Riley Rossmo

One of my favorite Image series of all time is Proof, the story of a Sasquatch who knew Thomas Jefferson and now works with a government organization investigating cryptids, things like Sasquatch and chupacabras. The creative team of Proof is back at Image this month, with the debut issue of Rasputin, a historical fiction based around Russia's mad monk, Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin. This opening issue is a solid done in one of sorts, starting as Rasputin sits down to dine at the dinner that, for anyone who knows his story. will end in his seeming murder, and flashes back to his youngest days. Rasputin is already being fleshed out as a full character, not the mad, licentious figure he is often portrayed as in fiction, but someone with a backstory. The issue specifically show the conditions Rasputin grew up in, with a father who had little trouble savagely beating his wife and son. By issue's end, we have seen that this is a world where the supernatural will play heavily, and one where violence is going to be as central, and not in a graphic way, but in the sense that life started with pain, and will probably not get any easier. As good as Alex Grecian's story is, and it is very good, Riley Rossmo's art adds something to it that makes is all the better. In pure text, a first person narrator is only as trustworthy as your impression of him or her, and if you know anything about Rasputin, he isn't someone you should trust. However, the graphic element of art in flashback adds a dimension. You see Rasputin use his power to heal (or resurrect?) his mother after a beating, and you see the expression on his face. You see him make the cold hard choice after his father is attacked by a bear. Rossmo is one of my favorite artists in comics, his work on series life Proof, Cowboy/Ninja/Viking, and Bedlam showing the breadth of his talent, drawing character moments with the same strength he draws monsters. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Image is producing the widest variety of interesting new comics on the racks right now, and a supernatural historical fiction is a great addition to that. If you like history, magic, and bears, you should check out Rasputin. Oh, and Riley Rossmo, in case you read this, I read you bit in the backmatter, and yes, there is still an audience waiting for more Proof. Give it to us and I'll preach it to the mountains.

Saga #24
Story: Brian K. Vaughan
Art: Fiona Staples

Ah, the pre-hiatus issue of Saga. The last issue of an arc on Saga usually steps away from the family who are our main protagonists and instead spends some time with one of the other characters, be it The Will, Prince Robot IV, or Gwendolyn. This time, the issue's driving force is The Brand, freelancer (bounty hunter) and the sister of bounty hunter The Will, who is looking for the person responsible for her brother being in a coma, and her partner, Pretty Boy, who's a big dog. The Brand crosses paths quickly with Gwendolyn and Sophie, as well as series favorite Lying Cat, who are seeking a cure for The Will. The first scene, where they retrieve the scroll with the cure's ingredients on it, has the best Lying Cat moment since the heartwarming scene between the cat and Sophie. Vaughan develops these characters further, giving us a bit more of The Brand, exploring Gwendolyn's roll, showing more than a force hunting Marko, but as the honorable warrior she is, and starting to see Sophie come more out of the shell she was forced into by her horrible past. Aside from the A-story, we also get a great flashback to The Will's time with his ex-lover, The Stalk, and see more of the complexity of their relationship, as we learn we will soon be visiting The Stalk's home planet. And that final page cliffhanger, the thing that Vaughan does better than anyone in comics, has me ready to tear my hair out in the best kind of frustration from the wait until early 2015 to see where it goes.

Southern Bastards #5
Story: Jason Aaron
Art: Jason Latour

No one is the villain of their own story. And even the villain usually has his reasons and his backstory. Sometimes, I feel this is unnecessary, like with The Joker or Hannibal Lecter, but in most cases, that backstory makes for a much better character. Jason Aaron proved to be a master of the well rounded villain with Lincoln Red Crow, Agent Nitz, and so many others in Scalped, and this issue of Southern Bastards begins an arc focusing on the background of series villain, Coach Boss. The story flashes back and forth, from the present, where Coach Boss is heading to the funeral of Earl Tubbs, the protagonist of the first arc and the man Coach Boss killed at the end of the previous issue, and a young Boss working to make the football team. The Boss of now is a cold, calculating bastard, the kind of guy who goes to that funeral knowing full well everyone knows he killed the man, and who by issue's end shows that he wants the town to remember that. The young Boss, while not a tough guy physically, still shows the will that will make him Coach Boss one day, although here he comes to a bad end by not knowing when it's best to let a bully mouth off. We get to see Craw County from Boss's point of view, an insider's view, versus the outsider that Tubbs was. I'm a northerner, and can count the number of football games I've watched on one hand, but it's a credit to Aaron's writing that I can see where the mania for the game in these southern town comes from. This arc will continue to fill out Boss's history, and while I don't think he's ever going to be a character we like, it's going to be an interesting journey to see if he's a character that I can understand.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 9/12

Batman #0
Story: Scott Snyder/ James Tynion IV
Art: Greg Capullo/ Andy Clarke

While last week's Detective Comics #0 told a tale of Bruce's travels before returning to Gotham, Batman #0 is set firmly in Gotham City, and set in the time between Bruce's return and when he takes up the mantle of the Bat. A tale of a younger, more inexperienced hero still trying to get his feet under him, we see a Bruce Wayne who is fallible, who makes a major mistake when getting involved in trying to stop the Red Hood Gang. Anyone who knows the least about Batman mythology knows the Red Hood was the Joker, so this serves not just as a tale of proto-Batman, but of proto-Joker as well. It's exciting to see the two great enemies confronting each other at these early stages. Now, it's never explicitly said that the leader of the Red Hood Gang is Joker, and Snyder could be tossing us a curve ball in the end, but so far it's looking that way. There are some changes to the established mythos here, with Bruce living in a building near Crime Alley, which I'm fine with. I feel this works for the character, and seems to be leading to a confrontation with Red Hood. There's also an excellent scene in the issue between Bruce and Jim Gordon. Scott Snyder writes the best Gordon on the shelves now, and one of the best of all time, so to see the young Gordon suspicious of Bruce, thinking he has ties to the vigilante who has been popping up in Crime Alley, cements the impression of Gordon's intellect and skill. The end of the main story leaves us with something of a cliffhanger that the teaser text says will be followed up on in 2013, and I assume will have some part in the "Death of the Family" event that will see the return of the Joker, starting next month. The back-up is a story about the partners of Batman, seeing where the first three Robins and Batgirl were when Gordon first lit the Bat Signal. It's interesting to see just how different each of their lives were, and the looks on each face as they first see it. I have to say I particularly loved the Time Drake pages, and would be first in line for a James Tynion written Red Robin mini or monthly.

Batman and Robin #0
Story: Peter J. Tomasi
Art: Pat Gleason


Batman and Robin #0 is a very enjoyable comic for many reasons. While we've gotten glimpses of Damian's training under his mother, Talia al Ghul, and the League of Assassins in other stories, this issue really cements the hard life he had growing up. All the training to make him like his father without telling him that his father is Batman, and the use of his father's identity as a carrot to get him to excel, remind the reader that as much as Talia might actually love him, she is the daughter of Ra's al Ghul, and the cycle of abuse that we saw started by Ra's in Batman Incorporated #2 came out in Talia's parenting in this issue. Tomasi and Gleason have done an excellent job further developing Damian over the course of this series; he's come a long way from the brat we first met, and see again in the latter pages if this issue. But the thing that really made this comic for me is possibly the cutest panel I've ever seen in any comic. Check this out and try not to smile.

Pretty great, huh?

Resurrection Man #0
Story: Andy Lanning & Dan Abnett
Art: Ramon Bachs & Jesus Saiz

Mitch Shelly, The Resurrection Man, confronts his ultimate nemesis in this, the final issue of his series, and that enemy is... Mitch Shelly? I've been a fan of Resurrection Man since his first ongoing back in the late 90s, and I was glad to see him back, and while I'm sad to see him go again, at least the series went out with a bang. This issue does a great job of using the Zero Month theme, the origin stories, and tying it into the ongoing continuity of the book, resolving who Mitch is, where he came from, and dealing with the plot of the forces of heaven and hell competing over his soul. Even though the early pages make it pretty clear where the story is going, it has a couple twists and turns that keep the book interesting. Andy Lanning and Dan Abnett, who created Mitch and wrote both of his ongoings, clearly have more stories to tell, and they left the series open for them or others to use Mitch in the future. Ramon Bachs comes in for most of this last issue, and while he has never drawn it before, his work fits nicely with the other artists who have worked on it. I'm hoping that the Justice League Dark or maybe Stormwatch could use a team member with such an odd and interesting power set, and Mitch gets one more chance at resurrection.

The Shade #12
Story: James Robinson
Art: Gene Ha

I've been reading, and thoroughly enjoying, each issue of James Robinson's return to one of my favorite comic book characters, the Shade, but this is the issue I've been waiting for. This is the issue of The Shade that finally sheds some light on his mysterious origin. Beautifully drawn by Gene Ha, the issue takes place in 1838, where the Shade is still Richard "Dickie" Swift, a well to do importer/exporter. We watch young Swift with his beautiful wife and children, with his friend Charles Dickens, and watch him make the acquaintance of Simon Culp, the dwarf who, if you've read Starman, know will bring about his transformation. As someone who loves to see literary references in his comics, I loved seeing Dickens as a character. But it's really Swift's journey, falling for Culp's game and finding himself at Culp's mercy, that is interesting. Robinson doesn't lay all his cards on the table, as there are still a few mysteries left behind for him to follow up on when and if he gets a chance to tell more tales of the Shade. As a long time fan of the character, I was deeply satisfied with this story, and if you happen to have just jumped on The Shade bandwagon with this series, or even issue, I think you would not feel lost or confused by this riveting issue.

Stumptown Vol.2 #1
Story: Greg Rucka
Art: Matthew Southworth

Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth's Stumptown returns with a second mini-series, and it's off to a great start. PI's aren't quite in fashion in current media, with most crime stories being more along the lines of police procedurals, so it's nice to see a classic PI story. Dex Parios, our protagonist, is in a little better shape financially and emotionally when we see her at the beginning of this story than the last, but as with all good PIs, trouble follows Dex. What seems like a fairly straightforward case, finding the missing guitar, the titular "Baby in the Velvet Case," quickly turns into something that looks to place Dex right back in over her head. Dex is one of Rucka's trademark heroines: tough, smart, and a little broken. Rucka's dialogue crackles as usual, giving us great views into his characters. There's a solid mystery here, and who stole the guitar seems to be far less important than why it was stolen and exactly what Mim Bracca, rockstar and character from another Rucka work, his novel A Fistful of Rain, is caught up in. Matthew Southworth's art is well suited for the gritty PI world of Dex's, but behind the grit is great clarity. His lines are as sharp as Rucka's dialogue, and the two compliment each other. This is a great jumping on point for people who didn't check out Stumptown the first time around, and if you dig it, it would be well worth checking out the first Stumptown collection.-

Recommended Reading for 6/15: Starman

Superhero stories (at least those published by DC and Marvel) are designed to be open ended. Sure an issue or an arc might end with Batman putting the Joker away, but you know Joker is going to break out of jail again. You know Kang the Conqueror will always find his way back from the future to menace the Avengers. You know Silver Age Lois Lane will always be trying to figure out who Superman really is. Beyond that, characters are mostly static; character growth can happen, but in very small increments. Batman is Batman is Batman, pretty much no matter when you read him, even if the trappings change.

So James Robinson's Starman is a wonderful aberration: a superhero comic published by DC Comics with a beginning, middle, and end. A superhero story where the protagonist is a completely different man at the end of the 80+ issue run than he was at the beginning. It's a well crafted story arc, where you clearly see everything that happens to him, and how they affect his life.

Starman follows Jack Knight, the son of the original Starman, Ted Knight, a golden age scientist/adventurer. Jack starts the series as the model for the reluctant hero. He would prefer to run his  nostalgia and collectibles shop than go out and fight villains. But when his brother, David, the current Starman, is assassinated (two pages into the first issue!), Jack is forced to take up the Cosmic Staff, the device his father invented that allowed him to fly and manipulate cosmic energy in various forms, to avenge his brother.

Jack does avenge David at the end of the first arc, but his story is far from over. Starman seems to work like a Vertigo series, in that it has a central theme that the writer wants to explore, only here the lens of the superhero story is used. Starman is a coming-of-age story, where the young man must take up his responsibility and come out an adult. It is also very much about family; the family we have, the family we make, and the relationships between fathers and sons, and brothers. At the start of the series, Jack is estranged from his father. By the end of the series, well, Jack has come to terms with the issues he had with his father and his brother, and is set to make a better life. And in the end, Jack drives off, leaving behind his time as a superhero, having passed on the Cosmic Rod to a worthy successor, to be with his own family. He makes the choice as an adult, with all the options before him, and chooses to be a husband and father. He gets the ending that most superheroes never do.

I found Starman at an interesting point in my life: I was in my early 20s, maybe a little younger than Jack would have been during the run of the series, and was given the first trade by one of my coworkers at the comic shop. I read it, actually probably devoured it was more accurate, tracked down the other trades, then all the uncollected issues and was able to start reading it monthly as it reached its climax. But I think I found something of a kindred spirit in Jack Knight. I think anyone in their early 20s can feel sort of adrift, and anyone who has grown into their late 20s or early 30s can see a little of their own time growing up. When I read Starman a second time, I had a very different experience, shaking my head and thinking, "Was I like that too?" And the answer was probably yes.

Starman also set up the theme that was central to the DC Universe for the twenty years or so leading up to the New 52 reboot: legacy. Starman was firmly rooted in the Golden Age of comics. Not only was Ted Knight, the golden age Starman, a regular cast member, but his arch rival, the Mist appeared repeatedly, as did the golden age Flash nemesis, The Shade (much more on him later), and classic Green Lantern villain Solomon Grundy. The Justice Society appear in numerous flashbacks, and the golden age Sandman, Wesley Dodds, appeared in a memorable arc. And Jack's story is at least partially about taking up the mantle that his father left behind. Robinson, of course, went on to cowrite the opening arc of the revitalized Justice Society title, JSA, where Jack was a founding member, although he only appeared in the series briefly.

More than just legacy, Starman never shied away from touching on parts of DC Comics history. During Jack's sojourn in space, not only does he travel in time and meet Jor-El, father of Superman, got to hang out on the planet Rann with interplanetary superhero Adam Strange, and arrive on the blue planet from Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing, but he meets one of my favorite oddball sixties DC characters: Space Cabbie. You heard me right: Space Cabbie. Throughout the series, Starman featured a series of stories called, "Times Past". These were one shots issues that usually fit in between arcs and featured one of the previous Starmen, or some of the history of Opal City, the home of the Knight family and the setting for most of the series. Robinson and his co-creator of the series, artist Tony Harris, took Opal and between the stories of Times Past, Jack's own feelings, the reminiscence of the immortal Shade, and Harris's impeccable design sense, made Opal a major player in the story, a character in its own right. We see Opal from its early days under the guardianship of a classic DC Western hero, Scalphunter, through the present, with all the heroes who have wandered through it.

                                                                      Opal City


There were six other heroes before Jack Knight who called themselves Starman, and all of them factor into the series. Some, like Ted Knight and the alien Mikaal Tomas, became major parts of the book. Both Prince Gavyn, the alien ruler, and Will Payton, the cosmic powered hero of the 80s, have smaller but still integral roles in the story. Even the mysterious Starman of 1951 is important. That costume was created as an alternate identity for Batman in 1957, but Robinson jettisons that backstory to create something different and wonderful.

                                                                        Starmen


The supporting cast of Starman included more than just the previous heroes bearing that name. The principal cast also included the O'Dare family, five siblings (Clarence, Barry,Matt, Hope, and Mason) who were each members of the Opal City Police force, and each became friends with Jack and operated with (and in one case against) him. The psychic Charity provides Jack with guidance. Bobo Bennetti, a former gangster who has retired, meets Jack and begins aiding him in protecting Opal, all the time wearing his 50s clothes and talking like a member of the Rat Pack. Jack's girlfriend, Sadie, is very important to the grand scheme of things for more than just her relationship to Jack for reasons that I don't want to spoil here. Many other heroes also pop up for guest stints in the book, bust one of the most notable, and my favorite, is an extended stay in Opal by the Elongated Man, Ralph Dibny, and his wife Sue. This was my first real exposure to those characters, and I fell instantly in love with the Ductile Detective. Still want him to show up in the New 52.

                                                                       The O'Dares


But my favorite member of the Starman cast was The Shade. The Shade was villain of the Golden Age Flash, a man who had a cane that allowed him to channel shadow matter. Robinson took pretty much everything but the name and the power set, and chucked them. The new take on the Shade was that he was immortal given shadow powers during his life in Victorian England. He is amoral, following his whims on whether or not to do right or wrong at any particular moment. He is a connoisseur of fine absinthe and art, who loves nothing in the world more than Opal City, his home. He also fits into the theme of growth that Jack typifies, as you watch him change from a man with no connection to anyone at the beginning of the series into someone who now chooses to defend Opal and someone who has friends. And his costume, that of a Victorian gentleman all in black, is freakin' awesome. If I ever decided to do the cosplay thing at a convention (don't hold your breath), I would totally dress as The Shade.

                                                                 The Shade

As I said before, Jack owns a collectible and antique shop. The reverence for that past, and the love of collecting and collectibles fill Starman, and it warms the heart of this collector to see nostalgia and the urge to collect to be so positively portrayed. Pop culture as a motif pops up throughout the series, and often in strange ways. Scenes that should be ominous or surreal are balanced by people talking about movies and plays. While a Frankie Soul, a criminal with a vendetta against Mikaal, delivers a savage beating in him, he discusses different actors who have played Philip Marlowe. While a group of drug dealers cut their cocaine, they discuss the relative merits of Into the Woods  versus Sweeney Todd. And in my favorite, while wandering through the psychic landscape of the villain Solomon Grundy, Jack Knight, Alan Scott, and the Floronic Man discuss their favorite Woody Allen movies. Batman is there as well, and while not amused at the time, when they reenter the real world, he admits that Crimes and Misdemeanors is his favorite. What other comic can tell you what Batman's favorite Woody Allen movie is?

I've saved what might be my favorite recurring feature of Starman for last: Talking With David. Like I said, David Knight, Jack's estranged brother, was Starman before him, and was shot and killed after being a hero for a very short time. In the fifth issue, Jack meets David, as a ghost, and the two get into a fight. They come to a certain peace after that encounter, but David continues to pop up once a year to talk with Jack. The issues are all told in black and white, which is a stunning story telling choice, but always end with a full color splash page. These issues are some of my favorite, and tie most of the themes of Starman together.

Over the course of the run, Starman had two principal artists, Tony Harris and Peter Snejbjerg. They have very different styles, but both work very well for the series. Harris's work is hyper-detailed and beautifully designed. He created the stunning look of Opal City, and helped define Jack's reluctant attitude towards heroism with in Jack's non-costume: jeans, t-shirt, and a leather jacket. Snejbjerg draws wonderful characters, with very expressive faces, that allowed for so much of the emotional nuance that was present in the series. Each "Times Past" issue was drawn by a different artists, and the talent there was incredible. Teddy Kristiansen drew a tale of The Shade and Oscar Wilde in 1882, Matt Smith penciled a chilling tale of the aging JSA fighting the cult of the villain Ragdoll, Russ Heath recounts the final days of Scalphunter in Opal, and many more. An artistic highlight is also the four issue The Shade mini-series, featuring work from Gene Ha, JH Williams III, Bret Blevins, and Michael Zulli, taking place over the whole span of the Shades nearly two hundred years of life, giving some really amazing artistic opportunities.

While I tried to hit a lot of the high points of the series in this discussion, I know there's stuff I didn't really get to discuss at length. Jack's rogues gallery was awesome, with some tremendous new villains and reimaginings of old ones. The intricacy of the plot was also impressive, with little aspects introduced early in the series coming to major payoff at the end. The way some of the stories were told, like the "Sins of the Child" arc, where each issue take place during the same day from the perspective of a different character. The pages from "The Shade's Journal" telling another story of the Shade's past serialized over the course of the series in text pages. There's a reason why this is one of my all-time favorite completed series, and it comes with my highest possible recommendation.

DC recently finished reprinting all of Starman, along with The Shade mini, various one-shots, and the awesome two issue Batman/Hellboy/Starman mini with art by Mike Mignola, in a series of six omnibuses, the first of which was recently released in paperback. While Jack has retired and not really appeared since the series ended, the Shade continues to appear, currently headlining a twelve issue mini-series, issue nine of which was released on Wednesday.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 6/6

Before Watchen: Minutemen #1
Story & Art: Darwyn Cooke

So, here it is: the first issue of Before Watchmen. I went in with some trepidation, I admit. As much as I love Darwyn Cooke's work, and I LOVE Darwyn Cooke's work, this project has raised more dander than pretty much anything that I've seen among comic fans, and all the vitriol is a major reason why I wanted to create this snark free zone. And now having read the first issue, I have to say... I'm glad I did. There is something of a case of what I like to call "first-issue-itis" here. There's a lot of information, a lot of set-up, and not a ton happens to forward what I assume will be the plot of the rest of the mini. But it was done so darn well, and the art was so beautiful, that I barely noticed.  Basically, this issue felt like a really well done handbook, giving you profiles and background on who each of the Minutemen are. If you haven't read Watchmen in a few years, which I hadn't, it was a nice way to remind you who each of these characters are, especially since none of them are from the main cast of the original. Being that it's set in the 30s and 40s, it speaks to Cooke's artistic sensibilities. I'm sure Cooke can do stuff set in the present and the future, he was after all a designer on Batman Beyond, but between DC: The New Frontier and his Parker work, Cooke's style makes me think of a bygone era. I am looking forward to the rest of this series, and to the other Before Watchmen minis. I hope they can all live up to this opening.

Creator-Owned Heroes #1
Story: Steve Niles / Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art: Kevin Mellon / Phil Noto

The same week that Before Watchmen, which has caused one of the most polarizing debates one creators rights in comics history, came out, we also get the first issue of this, Creator-Owned Heroes, which is, like it says, a book that spotlights work that is, well, creator owned. I picked this up partially because I like to support creator owned books no matter what, partially because I found it appropriate to buy it because of when it was released, and partially because I happen to really like the work of Palmiotti & Gray. Toss in a story by Steve Niles, master of modern horror comics, and an interview with Neil Gaiman, and I was sold. The book lives up to the sum of its parts; a comics anthology that also features interviews and articles, all of which are interesting and fun. We get the first chapters of two serials, both of which have me curious.  American Muscle, the Niles story, with art by Kevin Mellon, is a group of people wandering a ruined and dystophic future story. Nothing new there, but Niles has always been good with character, which shines through, and there seems to be a twist coming in what caused this particular collapse of society that is hinted at here. Trigger Girl 6, by Palmiotti and Gray, is a spy/action/thriller. Again, this is just a short chapter, but it sets up an interesting premise, and makes me want to know the origin of the Trigger Girls. Phil Noto's art is dynamic and the aerial battle scene, that I don't want to talk about too much so as not to spoil it, it really a thing of beauty. Aside from the interview with Gaiman, there are also various articles about the origin of this project, an interview with cosplayers who have crafted a real world Trigger Girl costume, and some convention photos. This is a great package, where you get a lot of bang for your $3.99, and is well worth picking up.

Earth 2 #2
Story: James Robinson
Art: Nicola Scott

This issue marks the real beginning of the new Earth 2. Last issues was a solid comic, but it was really the last stand of the Trinity and didn't do a lot to introduce us to the main cast of the book. This issue, though, is a vast improvement. I really like the new Jay Garrick. I know a lot of people were making slacker speedster jokes after the last issue, but it looks like he's less a slacker and more just a twenty-something who isn't sure what he's going to do with his life. I do miss the old costumer with the Mercury helmet, but seeing this costume drawn by Nicola Scott on the internals made me like it a bit more. And the idea of a speedster who uses his speed in conjunction with parkour (the French art of roof running) is a very cool idea and a striking visual. Seeing Michael Holt, Mr. Terrific of Earth 1 arrive and be confronted by his Earth 2 counterpart was cool, and the seeming villainy of Terry Sloane, the original Mr. Terrific, leaves a lot of questions to be answered in a good way. No point in revealing everything right off the bat. And now for the elephant in the room: Alan Scott. This seems to be the week of books that raised a hoopla somewhere, even though most comic people really didn't react too much to the whole, "Alan Scott is gay," thing. Frankly, I really liked his portrayal. He and his significant other are together for most of their pages, and nowhere does anyone say any word meaning homosexual or acknowledge that they are anything other than a couple. The dialogue was natural, and I found the scenes between them charming. I hope Robinson can keep that up in future issues.

Swamp Thing #10
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: Francesco Francavilla

Swamp Thing has been a title with a slow build since it's return as part of the New 52. It took nearly six full issues before Swamp Thing showed his mossy hide. This isn't a complaint, as a lot happened in those six issues, but just a statement of fact. This issue, though, even with Swamp Thing back, is not even narrated by him. This issue is narrated by Swamp Thing's arch nemesis, Anton Arcane. There are some fairly major tweaks to Arcane's backstory here, but he's still pretty much the same creepy demon guy he was in his previous incarnations. The story begins with Arcane talking to an unseen person, and as the story continues, it winds up looping around to reveal who that is, in a great little storytelling twist. What makes this issue really pop is the artwork from Francesco Francavilla, an artists whose work on Black Panther and especially his run with Swamp Thing writer Scott Snyder on Detective Comics made him one of the breakout talents of 2011. His art has a wonderfully creepy feel in this issue, and the opening pages of Arcane talking sent a shiver up my spine. The fact that Francavilla colors his own work is impressive, and is clearly part of his overall style, which works to great affect throughout this issue. I hope that he does some more work on this title, or one maybe one of the Bat titles soon. As we get closer to the big Animal Man/Swamp Thing crossover, the stakes in both the books get higher, and this issue does a great job of ratcheting up the tension.

X-Factor #237
Story: Peter David
Art: Neil Edwards

X-Factor is one of the oddest super hero comics on the market, and possibly has been since it came back a few years back under Peter David's pen. It feels at times like the home for mutants and characters that no one else knows what to do with. It has an expansive cast, a continuing story that has last nearly one hundred issues, and that strange sense of humor that Peter David does so well. I've been with the book since the beginning of Peter David's first, early 90s, run on X-Factor, and so am very fond of a lot of these characters. This issue is one of those issues that Peter David is known for: a small character piece that tackles "issues" without turning into a very special episode of Blossom. Over the course of this series and her time away in X-Force, Wolfsbane has been put through the ringer in a way few comic book characters have; she has killed people, been brainwashed, killed and eaten her own father, impregnated by an Asgardian wolf god, given birth to his feral child, and then rejected it. And this issue she's forced to confront that. It's harrowing to read, seeing all that raw emotion dragged to the surface. The issue even plays a similar trick as the one in Swamp Thing, with a scene from the end of the story inserted at the beginning to really sock you in the gut and get you immediately into the story. Another plus for long time X-Factor readers is the return of Rev. John Maddox, the wayward Madrox dupe who has become a minister. Maddox has often been used by Peter David to discuss thorny issues, usually theological, but often personal and psychological, and is a favorite supporting character of mine. And not to have an issue go by that's all doom, gloom, and theology, David still gets to work in the funniest Thelma and Louise gag I've ever seen during the road trip to Rev. Maddox. All this happens, plus a set up for a future arc. More happens in one issue of X-Factor than most arcs of other comics, and I don't think I (or other fans) would have it any other way