Reviews for books shipping Jan. 11, 2017, including:
• ALL STAR BATMAN #6
• DETECTIVE #948
• HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #12
• HOUSE OF PENANCE TPB
• JAMES BOND: FELIX LEITER #1
• JUGHEAD #12
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: VIXEN REBIRTH #1
• JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD #4
• PROMETHEUS: LIFE AND DEATH VOL 1
• RED SONJA VOL 4 #1
• REGGIE AND ME #2
• ROAD TO RIVERDALE TPB
• THE SHADOW GLASS TPB
• SUICIDE SQUAD #9
• WONDER WOMAN #14
Some 
involved. You are warned!
ALL STAR BATMAN #6
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by JOCK
Variant cover by JOCK
Variant cover by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
40 pg • FC • $4.99 U.S. • RATED T
This issue will ship with three covers.
“Cold to the Core”! Batman travels to Alaska to confront Mr. Freeze as he attempts to extract the world’s oldest ice core and bring humanity to a new Ice Age! Powerhouse artist Jock joins Scott Snyder to bring you another of the Dark Knight’s rogues like you’ve never seen him before.
Thought I'd say something about this book, as it's the beginning of a new story. It's not as good as I'd hoped, but it's better than a lot of Bat-stories.
Snyder's up to form, so I can't complain. The man's a born horror writer. This is a Batman story, and he fights one of his recurring foes, but like the Captain America stories of the 1940s it's really a horror story in Spandex drag and the creators know it. The dialogue occasionally chills, the rhythms rising and falling like a heartbeat. Snyder's just plain good.
We also get some new Bat-toys, which is always fun. I love Batman in his "most prepared man in the world" mode, and he pulls out some choice tricks here as he battles Mr. Freeze in Alaska. It reminds me a bit of 30 Days of Night, and when you meet Freeze's henchmen, you'll see why.
I guess my enthusiasm is tempered by the art. I'm just not as big a fan of Jock's work as apparently I'm supposed to be. I find it too scritchy-scratchy, his faces ugly and occasionally his storytelling difficult to follow. It does the job, but it simply isn't my cup of tea.
At first I thought this was a done-in-one, but a re-read of the next issue blurb has me thinking it continues. I'll stick with it, Jock or no. Snyder's just that good.
DETECTIVE COMICS #948
Written by JAMES TYNION IV and MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art and cover by BEN OLIVER
Variant cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
“BATWOMAN BEGINS” parts one and two! This special two-part interlude spotlights team leader Batwoman! In the wake of the “Night of the Monster Men,” A.R.G.U.S. has built a secret research city around the corpse of the megamonster that collapsed in Gotham Harbor…creating Gotham City’s newest and most dangerous neighborhood, Monstertown!
In issue #948, Batman and Batwoman need to get in there to find out who’s been weaponizing monster blood—but who will they have to fight through to do it?
Since we've already seen Batwoman's origin in her own book years ago, this "Batwoman Begins" bit is just filling in some of the details.
That's the first part of this book, where we see how Batman becomes aware of Batwoman, and I'm pleased with how it plays out. Often an older character is dumbed down to make the new kid look better, but that's not the case here. Thumbs up.
The second part takes place currently, and involves more shenanigans with The Colony. I think they're a good addition to the Bat-mythos, but I fear they could be over-used. I think they're on the cusp of that now, so I hope this particular confrontation doesn't drag out many more issues.
Both stories are competently done, and I really appreciate how this title allows Batman to be a team player, while at the same time recognizing the past where he wasn't and the difficulties he has expressing emotions. That's ditching all that Bat-psycho stuff we had to put up with for years, without de-legitimatizing those stories. They happened, but we're moving on.
As usual, it's the art that really anchors this title. Oliver can handle both atmosphere and action, both gritty street stuff and slick, hi-tech Bat-toys. I could read this version of Detective indefinitely.
HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #12
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art and cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
Variant cover by KEVIN NOWLAN
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
“BOTTLED LIGHT” part five! Trapped and collected by Larfleeze, the Green Lantern Corps’ only hope is Hal Jordan and White Lantern Kyle Rayner—but can these two heroes save their friends before they all become playthings to the Avatar of Avarice?
After last issue, I was left wondering if Hal Jordan was even human any more -- and come to think of it, I've wondered that about Kyle Rayner as well. But both are treated here as just another pair of rings, although Kyle's is a bit more impressive. That's probably all to the good, since Super Lantern would be hard to write. And whatever after-effects "The Emerald Space" had on Hal can be pulled out later if need be.
Meanwhile, the issue is mostly the climax of the latest storyline, with Sinestro Corpsmen and Green Lanterns in battle with Larfleeze and his constructs. As with any story involving Larfleeze, it can easily bobble back and forth between humor and drama, and does. Brought to light by Van Scriver's sleek art, this is another entertaining issue of one DC's best titles.
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS
* Strange to see Brainiac in a Green Lantern book, much less in a subordinate position. Expect Brainiac to exact revenge on Larfleeze eventually, and I want to be there to see it.
* I know everyone's tired of the rainbow of Lanterns, but the Sinestro Corps was used to good effect here, and a new dynamic between yellow and green could do a lot to bury the endless Corps vs. Corps stories that have grown so tiresome.
* I dunno what plans there are for "The Emerald Space" and Hal's sojourn there, but I'm glad to see anything that elevates Hal above the other corpsmen. Not that it's because I'm such a big Hal fan -- although I am -- but because something has got to justify all those Geoff Johns references to him being "the greatest Green Lantern of them all." So far, I don't think he's even made up for the damage he did as Parallax, much less become "the greatest."
HOUSE OF PENANCE (TPB)
Peter J. Tomasi (W), Ian Bertram (A/Cover), and Dave Stewart (C)
FC • 176 pages • $19.99 • TP • 7″x 10″
A horrific take on the true story of the Winchester haunted house and one woman’s mission to wash away the blood curse of the Winchester rifle from claiming her own life and soul
This is a tale of guilt, ghosts and guns ... of how fortune brings misfortune as a grim and determined woman oversees the construction of a house twenty-four hours a day for twenty years, with the simple motto of keep busy building or get busy dying. Collects the six-issue miniseries
“Highly expressionistic and dripping with atmosphere, House of Penance will haunt you long after you close the issue.”—The Fandom Post
House of Penance is based on the real Sarah Winchester and her "Mystery House," so called because of its many oddities. There are stairs that lead nowhere, windows that look out into other rooms and various oddball motifs, such as spiders and the number 13.
Partly this was due to the house having no floor plan; construction was haphazard and unplanned. But it was also built oddly due to the direction of the owner, Mrs. Winchester, heir to the Winchester fortune after her husband (and daughter) died in the late 1880s. Sarah Winchester, suffering from an extended depression, believed the hostile ghosts of those killed with Winchesters haunted her, and she built the house specifically to confuse them. (For one thing, there was only one working toilet -- all the others were "decoys.") Some oddities, like extremely small risers on the stairs, were due to Mrs. Winchester's crippling arthritis.
The oddities of the house and Mrs. Winchester are hugely exaggerated in California folklore (and tourist brochures). But it is a colorful history, and writer Peter Tomasi bases his story on it.
Tomasi takes every eccentricity farther than any legend would suggest. He develops a large and varied cosmology for Mrs. Winchester's superstitions, including -- as some myths have it -- that the hammers never stopped hammering during her lifetime (to scare away the ghosts). To that end she employs lots of workmen, and in this story they are killers working off their bad karma -- hence, "house of penance."
One of those workers is a Mr. Peck, a killer sick of killing, who is our protagonist. Peck is haunted by the memories of those he murdered, and he and Mrs. Winchester strike up an unlikely friendship -- or what might even be a romance, were this any other story.
But it is not any other story. It's utterly unique, a moody, gothic story of this grim house and its inhabitants. Mrs. Winchester lives, talks and sleeps with the clothes of her dead husband and daughter. The men work feverishly, often driving themselves to acts of violence. Peck himself seems to have a death wish, requesting the worst assignment, that of working in the furnace room -- which he calls hell.
This is a haunting, disturbing story on that level alone. But the art -- and I assume this is at the direction of the writer -- shows us another level. Blood and red tentacles -- they look like intestines -- serve as metaphors for the story, intruding invisibly (to the characters) in response to actions and mood. When a character discusses or reflects on his sins, tentacles writhe on his shoulder or blood floods the room. They grow active during violence, quiescent when the hammers bang.
Are the blood and guts a metaphor? Or are they the sins of the men coming home to roost? Or maybe they're the manifestation of Mrs. Winchester's ghosts. She does seem to see them, or at least react to them.
Either way, I found House of Penance an affecting work, one that stuck with me long after I finished reading.
JAMES BOND FELIX LEITER #1 (OF 6)
Publisher: DYNAMITE
Writer: James Robinson
Art: Aaron Campbell
Cover A: Mike Perkins
32 pages Teen + $3.99
From superstar creative team James Robinson (Starman, Red Sonja) and Aaron Campbell (The Shadow, Uncanny) comes the Bond spin-off highlighting 007's American counterpart!
Felix Leiter finds himself in Japan, tracking down a beautiful Russian spy from his past. But when the mission takes a turn for the worse, he will discover that there are more deadly schemes afoot in Tokyo and beyond!
If you've enjoyed Dynamite's take on James Bond, you'll like this.
Like the Bond books, it's gritty and largely sticks to the real world. Felix has some high-tech prostheses that I think are a bit too sci-fi for this milieu, but I suppose they're necessary to make him a viable character after losing, essentially, an arm and a leg.
Mr. Google informs me that's due to a shark attack, but I don't know where and when it happened. In one of the Roger Moore movies, maybe? I didn't watch all of those. Since it seems to be canon, I'm guessing it happened in the Ian Fleming books, too.
Anyway, Leiter has sunk so low that he's the moral equivalent of the down-and-out detective so popular in crime noir books. It's sad to see, but it looks like his native pluck will keep him alive despite his self-pity, lousy attitude and adverse circumstances.
The grittiness is reflected in the art as well. But the storytelling is smooth, the faces consistent and the noir rendering held to a minimum. I'm good.
Well, except for those damn prostheses. I'll just have to get used to those.
JUGHEAD #12
Script: Ryan North
Art: Derek Charm, Jack Morelli
Cover: Derek Charm
Variant Covers: Erin Hunting, Tula Lotay
32-page • full color comic • $3.99 U.S.
It's JUGHEAD versus ALL OF RIVERDALE in a race to the finish! A "video game go-kart race to the finish," that is. BUT IT'S STILL EXCITING. When Reggie convinces everyone to bet that the winner will be King For A Day and everyone has to do what he says, what could possibly go wrong? Well, "Reggie then winning that bet and being in charge of everyone" springs immediately to mind. SPOILER ALERT: THAT IS TOTALLY A THING THAT HAPPENS! This start of a new arc features the following: Pals! Conflict! And making mistakes on the internet which no one NEVER EVER FORGETS!!
This book's humor comes largely from attitude, which is as eccentric and charming as a book named Jughead ought to be. I even enjoyed the asides in tiny type at the bottom of a number of pages, which is a trick that can quickly wear out its welcome. Not here, though, where it remains as ingratiating as the lead character.
The story is silly, but again, the humor doesn't come from situations but from attitude. The dialogue is fast and weightless, the characters etched in quick strokes. It's fun.
I can't say as much for the art. Maybe it's because the other four "new" Riverdale books have A-list artists, but this one -- which should be my favorite -- is at the bottom of my Archie preferences. That's still higher than 95 percent of the market, but still.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: VIXEN REBIRTH #1
Written by STEVE ORLANDO and JODY HOUSER
Art by JAMAL CAMPBELL
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO Variant cover by TBA
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
SPINNING OUT OF THE PAGES OF JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD! She’s one of the country’s most successful businesswomen, an iconic fashion pioneer, a crusader for social justice and an incredibly powerful member of the Justice League of America. But Mari McCabe’s life wasn’t always this way. Follow her path to becoming the heroic Vixen in this crucial special!
One shot • 32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
This book is little more than a refresher for who and what Vixen is. As such, it serves its purpose: It wraps a story around a "who's who in the DC Universe" entry that now, four days after reading it, I don't recall at all.
If you know who Vixen is, you don't need this. If you do need a Vixen primer before she appears in Justice League of America #1 in a month or two, here it is.
JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #4 (OF 6)
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by FERNANDO PASARIN
Variant covers by TBA
Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for details.
[REDACTED BY ORDER OF TASK FORCE X DIRECTOR AMANDA WALLER] and [REDACTED] crew of unstoppable [REDACTED] besiege Belle Reve to take possession of the lost [REDACTED], and only the unbelievable team-up of the Justice League and the Suicide Squad can prevent [REDACTED] from taking revenge on Amanda Waller!
On sale JANUARY 11 • 40 pg, FC, 4 of 6, $3.99 US • RATED T
Fourth issue, fourth surprise plot turn. What appeared to be a marketing exercise is turning into quite a story.
Can I now name Max Lord's team members without a Spoiler warning? They are Dr. Polaris, Emerald Empress, Johnny Sorrow, Lobo and Rustam. If you're wondering what Rustam is doing in this high-powered company -- he's an ordinary guy with a magic sword, barely a match for Katana -- it's because he was the team leader for these guys when they were the first Suicide Squad.
Didn't know about them? That's because this is a retcon. Evidently, in the post-Flashpoint DCU there was a short-lived Suicide Squad under Amanda Waller that pre-dated the one John Ostrander wrote about. And this is it.
Now Max Lord controls them (with his "power of suggestion" power), and he's using them to achieve a goal of his own. What is it? That's the surprise turn, and it's a big one.
Justice League vs. Suicide Squad. Who would have guessed it would turn out to be good?
PROMETHEUS: LIFE AND DEATH VOL 1 (TPB)
Dan Abnett (W), Andrea Mutti (A), Rain Beredo (C), and David Palumbo (Cover)
FC • 96 pages • $14.99 • TPB • 7″x 10″
Colonial Marines commandeer an alien spacecraft. But instead of returning to Earth, they end up on LV-223 (from the Prometheus film)!
This is the second chapter in the Life and Death story cycle — the follow-up to 2015’s epic Fire and Stone crossover event. Before this tale is complete, the story lines of Predator, Prometheus, Aliens, and Aliens vs. Predator will all converge! Collects issues #1–4.
“Artist Andrea Mutti is clearly influenced by H. R. Giger’s artwork in the original Alien films. Each page manages to balance an action packed story, and superb artwork.”—Graphic Policy
I really should have reviewed "Life and Death" earlier -- one TPB has already come out -- but I won't let tardiness prevent me from recommending a story I am quite enjoying.
"Life and Death" actually occurs across, I think, four titles. Each title tells the story of a group of folks who will eventually play into the larger story (if they haven't already). I guess it's as good an approach as any, especially since it allows for multiple first issues, and multiple creative teams. I've gotten confused occasionally following the individual titles, so I recommend just getting the trades.
This particular series, the second in "Life and Death," follows a group of Colonial Marines trying to escape from LV-223 (site of the movie Prometheus), joined by the survivors of the first miniseries (including a Predator). This is complicated by both Xenomorphs and Engineers, not to mention the pressure from the Corporation to bring in an Engineer ship and/or alien life form, with the humans considered expendable. It's a frenetic survival story which is genuinely suspenseful since any character can die at any time. Nobody has Plot Armor!
The art is sort of '80s First Comics, if that makes any sense -- sorta rough and not ready for prime time, but enthusiastic and fast-moving. The storytelling is all there, so a little polish and this artist could move up fast.
RED SONJA VOL. 4 #1
writer: Amy Chu
artist: Carlos Gomez
covers: Nick Bradshaw (a), J. Scott Campbell (b), Brandon Peterson (c), Giuseppe Camuncoli (d), Cosplay variant (e) subscription cover: Mel Rubi (f) incentive cover: Nick Bradshaw (B/W art), Giuseppe Camuncoli (B/W art), Mel Rubi (B/W art), Brandon Peterson (B/W art), J. Scott Campbell (“virgin” art), Ken Haeser (Blank “Authentix”)
Fans & retailers, order the cover of your choice!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99 • Teen+
A new chapter for the Queen of the Hyrkanian Age. Our favorite warrior has faced the toughest of demons, foes and strange magic, but nothing has prepared this 6 ft. tall barbarian for … the modern world. Emerging from a subway construction site in New York City, confronted by cops and guns, Sonja fights for her survival in a new and hostile world. Is she here by accident or by design? Who brought her here, and why? By the creative team of Amy Chu (Poison Ivy, KISS) and Carlos Gomez (Dresden Files).
So, if the first issue is to be believed, Dynamite's fourth Red Sonja series will be set in the present day -- a fish-out-of-water story, with Sonja sporting the gills while she pursues her arch-enemy, Kulan Gath.
While we've seen this scenario before -- weirdly, in Marvel Team-Up -- that was a brief sojourn, and Sonja wasn't really transported in time. (She possessed Mary Jane Watson. What? No, I am NOT making this up.) This go-round promises to be a more extended visit.
And I confess I'm curious about a couple of things.
First, one of the cops in this story recognizes Sonja's language. That's a surprise, as the Hyborian Age has always been depicted as being so long ago in pre-history that virtually nothing has survived in the archaeological record or even legend, much less in language. I'm curious to see what modern language is similar enough to pre-historical Hyrkanian as to be recognizable.
Which leads to Curiosity the Second, which is where Chu's choice of language is going to place ancient Hyrkania. From Robert E. Howard's map, Hyrkania looks to be located somewhere on Eastern Europe's steppes -- modern-day (and similar-sounding) Ukraine, perhaps. Although history actually gives us a Hyrcania, which was once located southeast of the Caspian Sea, in what is now northwest Iran. That makes sense, too, if you accept that Lake Vilayet is an ancient precursor to the Caspian (and moved south over the millennia).
Once those itches are scratched, though, it remains to be seen if this will be a good story predicated on a gimmick, or if it's just a gimmick. So far, so good, though, with the painless introduction of a couple of supporting characters and decent artwork (see below).
(Incidentally, I really like the cosplay cover, and not for just the obvious reasons. The cosplayer really looks the part, with the vaguely Russian features I have always expected Sonja to have.)
REGGIE AND ME #2
Script: Tom DeFalco
Art: Sandy Jarrell, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Jack Morelli
Cover: Sandy Jarrell with Kelly Fitzpatrick
Variant Covers: David Mack, Chip Zdarsky
32-page • full color comic • $3.99 U.S.
There are a set of unspoken rules when it comes to dealing with Reggie Mantle. Rules that, when broken, can easily get you on his bad side. Unfortunately for most of the people Reggie encounters, they don’t know these rules. In fact, there’s only one person that does—and it isn’t a person at all, it’s Reggie’s devoted Dachshund, Vader. With half of Riverdale High School having committed the mortal sin of ditching a Mantle house party, Archie and Betty’s attempts at interfering in Reggie’s life, Midge actually pitying Reggie and a friendship request from someone very unexpected, Reggie and Vader are going to have to get a lot smarter about their schemes!
I really don't need an "origin" for Reggie -- the issue of Afterlife with Archie devoted to him was so well written that I don't need any more on that topic.
But that's part of this miniseries, and as you might guess, we're supposed to feel a little sorry for Reggie, who was a latchkey kid and wasn't hugged enough and so forth.
To which I say: Nuts. I was a latchkey kid, too, and my parents were divorced and and my mother worked. That's the story of a jillion kids, and most of us didn't turn out to be Reggie. My heart bleeds not.
And also, come on: It's fun to hate Reggie a little, isn't it? Riverdale would be too nice without him, a saccharine fairy tale of a place that wouldn't be much fun to read about. Every garden needs a serpent to make the story interesting.
But fortunately, that's only part of the story, told in flashback. In the present, Reggie is concocting some schemes that could be interesting. It's up to Tom DeFalco to be inventive here, and if he succeeds, it'll be a great read.
And does Reggie deserve anything less? He deserves the best! Just ask him, he'll tell you.
READ THE STORIES THAT INSPIRED THE NEW CW TV SERIES!
In the past two years, the little town of Riverdale has changed in a number of amazing ways. The entire Archie universe has been given a fresh coat of paint and it’s only getting bigger and better from here. Road to Riverdale presents to readers all of the first issues of each of our new series so far, including Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica, Josie and the Pussycats and Reggie & Me, timed to the release of the brand new CW series Riverdale. This graphic novel features riveting stories and dazzling artwork from superstar writers and artists like Mark Waid, Adam Hughes, Marguerite Bennett, Fiona Staples, Chip Zdarsky and much more. You won’t want to miss out on this one-of-a-kind collection that shines the spotlight on the New Riverdale, and serves as the ultimate guide for both new readers and long-time fans.
Script: Mark Waid, Chip Zdarsky, Adam Hughes, Marguerite Bennett & Cameron Deordio, Tom DeFalco
Art: Fiona Staples, Erica Henderson, Adam Hughes, Audrey Mok, Sandy Jarrell, Andre Szymanowicz, Jose Villarrubia, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Jack Morelli
Cover: Francesco Francavilla
$14.99/$16.99 CAN • 6 5/8 x 10 3/16” • TPB • 144 pp • Full Color
I have mixed feelings about this.
On the one hand, I love the new direction in the Archie titles. They are funny without trying too hard, full of the joy of youth and just eccentric enough to explain why we're following these teenagers instead of some other group a town over. I'm pleased to see this collection, to give the unconverted a chance to see what's happening in Riverdale without too large an expenditure of time or money.
On the other hand, this book has nothing to do with the TV show Riverdale, which is what the title and cover promise. That's bait and switch, which is seriously uncool. These books stand on their own anyway, and I expect the TV show to do the same, so why resort to this sort of chicanery? Shame on you, whoever thought up this dodgy idea.
Meanwhile, here's a taste of Archie, Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Josie & The Pusscats and Reggie and Me.
THE SHADOW GLASS (TPB)
Aly Fell (W/A/Cover)
FC, 200 pages, $19.99, TP, 7″x 10″
A young student to England’s greatest occultist learns her real father is in league with the devil. When Rose finds out that the man who raised her isn’t her father, she ignores his warnings about the terrible secrets of her own past and seeks answers from childhood teacher Dr. John Dee, the queen’s occult adviser. Collects The Shadow Glass #1–6
Shadow Glass is very good.
It has terrific art, and story-wise has a genuine historical setting with many real people and a plausible deniability (from a historical perspective) for the supernatural aspect. Our protagonist is an "unconventional" girl of 18 or 19 who rejects the passive role of women at the time, showing a lot of spunk, wearing a sword (and men's clothes) and frequently refusing to do as she's told, to the (frequently amusing) consternation of the men around her.
Shadow Glass features some genuine 17th century alchemists, but veers from history to fiction when they successfully summon a demon. That demon is hijacked by the impertinent youngster mentioned above, who is entirely fictional. But if you Google "John Dee" you will not be disappointed.
The art, as I said, is really good -- advertising-slick, conversant in the time period and easy on the eyes. Check out the preview below and see if you agree.
I do have two complaints.
One is that there isn't much of ending -- this is obviously an origin story, a set-up for an ongoing, which I wouldn't mind seeing.
The other is that midway through, the protagonist discovers that she is a lesbian. What th-? Is it remotely plausible that she wouldn't know? I fully confess that I have never been a lesbian, but wouldn't a girl on the cusp of adulthood have noticed by late teens what gender occupied her sexual fantasies? Especially since she dresses and acts like a man -- if nothing else, someone else would have suggested it.
Well, maybe I didn't interpret that scene correctly. Maybe she was freaked out by losing her virginity or the sorcery angle or the fact that it was in public. But if she was surprised, I'm guessing she was the only one -- not just in story, but among us readers as well. Is anyone else tired of the "surprise lesbian reveal"? At this point a female comics character coming out of the closet -- especially one who already dresses like a dude -- is about as surprising as a character coming back from the dead. Give it a rest, already.
SUICIDE SQUAD #9
Written by ROB WILLIAMS
Art and cover by RILEY ROSSMO
Variant covers by LEE BERMEJO
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
A “JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD” tie-in! Finally, discover the true history behind [REDACTED BY ORDER OF TASK FORCE X DIRECTOR AMANDA WALLER].
On sale JANUARY 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
As with the Justice League tie-in to Justice League vs. Suicide Squad, this tie-in provides background for JL vs. SS. In this case, we are presented with the first (and only) mission of the heretofore unknown first iteration of the Suicide Squad.
Before I continue, I have to give credit here: There are only two tie-ins to Justice League vs. Suicide Squad, and both inform the main book without being absolutely necessary. That's the proper use of tie-ins, as opposed to Marvel's everybody-into-the-pool approach. (See: Civil War II.) So credit DC with putting fans ahead of profit.
Anyway, we see Amanda Waller recruit and assign a mission to Cyclotron, Dr. Polaris, Emerald Empress, Johnny Sorrow and Lobo, with Rustam the field leader. Obviously, since we ended up with a new Suicide Squad, things didn't go well for the old one. That's an understatement, but I won't spoil the fun. Go read it.
WONDER WOMAN #14
Written by GREG RUCKA
Art and cover by NICOLA SCOTT
Variant cover by JENNY FRISON
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“YEAR ONE” conclusion! With Steve Trevor by her side, Diana faces the God of War and embraces her destiny as Wonder Woman!
On sale JANUARY 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Lord, I'm going to miss Nicola Scott.
I'm sure Bilquis Evely, who takes her spot next month with "Godwatch Part One," will do a fine job. But Scott's Wonder Woman is in my top three, no question. Her Diana is beautiful without exaggeration, poised and graceful even in combat, genuinely pretty -- a prettiness accentuated by artlessness, her open-mouthed delight at the world, her lack of awareness of how attractive she is and its impact on others.
This issue Scott seems especially inspired, although that could just be me soaking in the last of her contributions on this title. But note the choreography of the battle with Ares -- she, like a gazelle; he, like a blunt force of nature. It's a beautiful battle, one that almost makes you forget the rage-filled violence Ares represents or the stakes of the combat. Oh, and thanks for bringing back the George Perez Ares armor, Ms. Scott -- it's his best look.
I have to give Greg Rucka some due, as well. It virtually pained me to see yet another origin for Wonder Woman, on top of the 3,000 we have already, with the movie just around the corner. Come on, folks -- Diana's got to be ready for her close-up!
But this issue didn't add many more tweaks to the basic origin story (I think it's still the Azzarello version, but maybe not), and what was added didn't hurt. For example, Diana isn't exiled from Themyscira or sacrificing her immortality to come to man's world -- this time, instead, she has surrendered the knowledge of how to find Themyscira. Like a bad dream, she literally can't remember how to go home. That's an interesting wrinkle, as it's more poignant than just a straightforward trade-off. Plus, it doesn't make anyone the bad guy for enforcing some sort of punishment (which is frequently Hippolyta's unfortunate role).
Moreover, Rucka goes for the peace-bringer of the character aspect before combat. Diana uses force as the last resort; her first impulse is to kneel before Ares in humble supplication. Nicely done, even if it doesn't work (which she -- and we -- know it won't). He also uses her most subtle and powerful super-power -- Truth -- as the hammer blow of victory. Powerful symbolism as well as a powerful climax. Again, nicely done.
My only question is the three gods that intervene on Diana's behalf. The owl symbolizes wise Pallas Athena, of course, and the stag represents Artemis/Diana, the huntress. But who was the Falcon? It must be another of Diana's patrons, and the likeliest candidate is Hera/Juno. I'll go with that until I hear different.
Replies
Felix's arm was bitten off in Live and Let Die, the second book.
In the movies, it happened in one of the Timothy Dalton ones.
Evidently I missed one of the Dalton movies as well as some of the Roger Moore ones. And I know I missed a couple of the Pierce Brosnan ones. How very un-fanboy of me.
No Marvel this week Cap? I didn't pick up anything from DC.
Marvel stopped sending me review copies of any kind eons ago. I may do the occasional trade if it arrives in time, but a review of a monthly Marvel is going to be a rare bird. If anyone wants to pick up the slack, feel free!
Cap, it looks like the art for Suicide Squad #9 was used in the review for JLA vs Suicide Squad #4.
I agree with your comments about JLA vs SS. Really enjoying it.
Jeff of Earth-J said:
Felix's arm was bitten off in Live and Let Die, the second book.
In the movies, it happened in one of the Timothy Dalton ones.
They used the same sick note from the bad guy in both: "He disagreed with something that ate him"
Fixed! Thanks!
Detective 445 said: