The final arc winding down Superwoman feels weak from a narrative perspective, but the book has a fun cast and nice art from Stephen Segovia, Art Thibert and Hi-Fi. I’m onboard with Lana Lang as a super powered protagonist, I think the concept has legs, this just wasn’t it.
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From what I understand, the Superwoman series quickly became a mess spinning out of Rebirth, but credit where credit is due on the latter issues making a go with Lana Lang as a lead. The Sami Basri art is clean and pleasant to look at with crisp colors from Hi-Fi.
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I was skeptical about ending this volume of Doom Patrol with a one-off swords and sorcery story, but the Reynolds family’s coda won me over. Getting to see these creatures from Nick Derington probably would have been enough for a thumbs up if I’m being honest.
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I’ve really been digging Gerard Way’s Doom Patrol, but, if I’m being honest, despite cool ideas I kinda grasped, issue No. 11 was the one that finally drowned me with weirdness. That said, the art is still top notch and what I could follow was still pretty fun.
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Gerard Way has me enjoying a Doom Patrol comic that maintains the weirdness without entirely abandoning at least a kind of mainstream super hero aesthetic. Nick Derington tells an exciting visual story I’m convinced could stand on its own if needed. I love this book!
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I’m not a Doom Patrol expert by any means, but I’ve consumed enough to be impressed by the way Gerard Way pulls in concepts from prior incarnations yet is not afraid to put new spins on them. This book is an explosion of Way’s creativity with Nick Derington keeping pace.
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No doubt that Gerard Way’s Doom Patrol is weird, but that’s the point of Doom Patrol, no? He’s nailing the requisite quirky humor but establishing credible character drama as well. Art is a huge strength on this book as well with Nick Derington crushing the storytelling.
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Boy, I could watch Michael and Laura Allred draw just about anything, but the quirky fun and big imagination of Gerard Way’s Doom Patrol is just a perfect fit. This issue is legitimately funny with an undercurrent of personal drama drawn from continuity.
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At the point I’m at in New Super-Man, it’s tough to conceive of a voice other than Gene Luen Yang’s to guide the character and his world, but Mariko Tamaki steps in perfectly for issue No. 19.
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New Super-Man No. 18 is in many ways the culmination of what the series has built to and a celebration of the arc Kenan has undergone. It’s very satisfying. Gene Luen Yang has been so great in his work on this series and I hope his additions to the DCU don’t go to waste.
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Kong Kenan and the Justice League of China are great on their own, but extra neat interacting with their traditional counterparts, which Gene Luen Yang has a ton of fun with in New Super-Man No. 17.
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As Gene Luen Yang is a certified genius, his writing is bound to sometimes be a bit cerebral for super hero comics and New Super-Man No. 16 is certainly one of those instances. I enjoyed the ride, which is a testament to Yang’s skill.
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Brent Peeples, the pencil artist on New Super-Man No. 15, is unfamiliar to me, but while his art is a bit rough around the edges, there’s no denying he has tremendous energy. Gene Luen Yang’s writing on this book is so much fun.
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Batgirl and the Birds of Prey No. 18 is a tightly executed and perfectly paced done in one from writers Julie and Shawna Benson. Marcio Takara is a personal favorite artist of mine and their heavy line work is nicely balanced by expert colors from Jordan Boyd.
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Patient Zero and the Daughters of Gotham made for interesting and nuanced antagonists in Birds of Prey. Julie & Shawna Benson had something to say with this arc and didn’t sacrifice story to do it. Roge Antonio had a big task with the expansive cast and handled it beautifully.
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Manslaughter feels like a cinematic mini event from the poise and storytelling discipline of Julie and Shawna Benson, but retaining the distinct charm of a comic book. Roge Antonio and Marcelo Maiolo seem even more comfortable on art with Batgirl and the Birds of Prey No. 16.
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Manslaughter works from the relatively simple and tried premise of sidelining all the male characters to team up DC’s most prominent women, but credit to Julie and Shawna Benson for an almost cinematic pace and feel. I really dug it!
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While Red Hood and the Outlaws is ultimately Jason Todd’s vehicle, there’s no question the games of inevitable tragedy Scott Lobdell is playing with Bizarro is the most compelling aspect of the book. Creeper’s guest spot is weird.
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I was surprised to see Scott Lobdell tugging at New 52 threads like Harvest and the Jason Todd-Roy Harper friendship in Red Hood and the Outlaws No. 17, but it works. Dexter Soy has grown leaps and bounds as an artist since I first encountered him at Marvel ages ago.
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I’m enjoying Red Hood and the Outlaws more than I expected to, but while Bizarro and Artemis are fun if one note, I’m shocked at how much Scott Lobdell has made me care about Jason Todd.
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Scott Lobdell writes the Outlaws as well as the Detective Comics cast as if they were the 90s X-Men, and I mean that with the deepest love, respect and admiration.
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In just four issues of the Superman title, Patrick Gleason and Peter Tomasi put together a suitably epic and widescreen Apokolips story that also serves the regular cast of the ongoing book. Doug Mahnke wraps things up for the art team and puts his own stamp on the finale.
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I was checked out of Superman during the era where Jon Kent was a kid, but reading this story from Patrick Gleason and Peter J. Tomasi helps me appreciate the charm of the character. The art on this issue captures the tone of the Fourth World. Kudos to Dinei Ribeiro’s colors.
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I’ve read a lot of Apokolips stories, plenty featuring Superman, but after some fun Lex Luthor stuff, Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason find a neat way in with reverence to the Kirby material through Lois Lane and the Female Furies.
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At this point it feels like we’re in a constant cycle of Superman and Lex Luthor being friends and allies more often than not, but, when it’s done well, it’s always fun. Likewise, I’ve been enjoying Doug Mahnke’s art since I was a kid, but he just keeps leveling up.
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I continue to be pleasantly astounded at what a fanboy for almost every era of comics Steve Orlando proves a fan of. The Ray also figures heavily into this issue and he’s a great character to showcase the art and colors of Stephen Byrne who really shines here.
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Justice League of America No. 20 wraps up a high quality old school kind of arc that took me back to the super hero teams of my youth punctuated by clean art from Hugo Petrus and Hi-Fi.
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Something I love about Steve Orlando’s Justice League of America is his simultaneous reverence towards standards like Black Canary while also having clear enthusiasm for newer concepts such as Prometheus.
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Even though Steve Orlando’s conceit of a documentary in Justice League of America No. 18 is a feint, it’s a nice framing sequence and he really gets these characters. I do wish the villain reveal hadn’t been spoiled on the cover because it’s a good one.
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I’m so used to Kelley Jones drawing Batman, but it turns out he’s the perfect Lobo artist. Steve Orlando has one of the best takes I’ve seen on the Main Man, plumbing some depth in a fun odd couple story also featuring Black Canary.
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