ADVENTURES OF SUPERGIRL (TPB)
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by STERLING GATES
Art by BENGAL, EMANUELA LUPACCHINO, EMMA VIECELI and others
Cover by CAT STAGGS
144 pg • FC • $16.99 U.S.
In this collection of the six-issue digital-first miniseries based on the hit CBS TV show, Kara Zor-El’s fledgling efforts are targeted at criminals who escaped when Fort Rozz crashed, but she keeps hearing rumors of a shadowy mastermind sending the escapees after her! Supergirl is learning a lot about her super-abilities, her strengths as a friend and as a sister, her love of being human and alien at the same time. And she’ll need to pull it all together to defeat her most dangerous foe to date!
The new Rebirth Supergirl title has made a number of moves to bring the character more in line with the TV show, but this series is based on the TV show itself.
I'm not sure it's going to make any converts -- TV shows have their own tropes, rhythms and elements (like actors) that make them exciting in their own medium, that don't necessarily translate to other media, like comic books. For example, some of the dullest comics ever produces have been Star Trek books. As much as I like the Supergirl show -- and I do -- I found my interest waning about halfway through this collection.
But I'm old and cranky. It's a professional book with decent art (although little effort is made to use the faces of the actors). If you like the Supergirl show, you might very well enjoy this book. And if you have daughters or nieces, they will probably absorb it instantly, by osmosis.
AQUAMAN #7
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by DAN ABNETT
Art by SCOT EATON and WAYNE FAUCHER
Cover by BRAD WALKER and ANDREW HENNESSEY
Variant cover by JOSHUA MIDDLETON
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“Who framed Aquaman?”
The investigation into the Atlantean attack on American forces kicks off a mystery as the criminal collective N.E.M.O. unleashes a new and terrible weapon that threatens the existence of Atlantis itself.
In newspapers, we'd call this issue a "process story." Not a lot happens, there's no climax -- but the various plot strings progress incrementally. Those plot strings all link to N.E.M.O.'s plan to bring Atlantis and the surface to war, and the Sea King's efforts to stop it. Perhaps the book is taking a breath after last issue's confrontation with Superman, which was probably enough action for two issues!
What this reader took away, though, was a lot of characterization, as Abnett continues to populate the supporting cast. That's a needful project, and Abnett is doing it well. Some of these characters are going to be with us for a while, as they are rapidly becoming interesting.
BATMAN #7
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by STEVE ORLANDO and TOM KING
Art by RILEY ROSSMO
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Variant cover by TIM SALE
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“NIGHT OF THE MONSTER MEN” part 1!
The first crossover of the “Rebirth” era is here! As a huge storm approaches, Batman, Batwoman and Nightwing try and prepare Gotham City for the worst, but nothing can prepare them for enormous tall monsters rampaging through the streets! Batman will need all of his allies to unite in order to stop these mad science monsters from tearing their city apart!
As I expected, this is a reprise of the original 1939 Hugo Strange story. What I didn't expect was how well it would be done.
There is genuine suspense here, as Batman and his extended family are gradually introduced to the "Monster Men," a problem that rapidly spirals out of control as they desperately attempt to both contain and investigate the phenomenon.
Tom King has humanized Batman more than he has been in decades, and it's a welcome relief from the psycho-Batman everyone wrote for decades. He's still a bit too brusque with his allies for my taste, but I'm really enjoying this more human, and humane, Batman.
CYBORG #1
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by JOHN SEMPER JR.
Art and cover by WILL CONRAD
Variant cover by ERIC CANETE
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“THE IMITATION OF LIFE” part one!
Cyborg is thrown into conflict with every robotic threat to the DC Universe as a brand new era begins for Victor Stone, courtesy of writer John Semper Jr. (Spider-Man: The Animated Series) and artist Will Conrad (Angel & Faith)!
Someone more insightful than me on the Internet pointed out that this is Victor Stone's "Anatomy Lesson" story. That tale, by Alan Moore, famously turned the Swamp Thing saga on its ear without changing a word of what went before -- one heckuva trick. In "Anatomy Lesson," Swamp Thing learned he wasn't a man turned into a plant, but a plant that thought it was formerly a man. Ouch.
In "Imitation of Life," the question is being raised as to whether Cyborg is a man turned partly into a machine, or a machine that thinks it's part human. OK, so it's kinda been done before, but frankly, anything DC can do to make Cyborg interesting gets a thumbs up from me.
GREEN ARROW #7
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by STEPHEN BYRNE
Cover by W. SCOTT FORBES
Variant cover by NEAL ADAMS
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“THE KILLING TIME”!
In a tale from happier but no less dangerous times, Green Arrow labors to train a new apprentice who’s every bit as deadly as his fiercest villains: a teenage girl. But before Emiko and Ollie can embrace as brother and sister, they have to save Seattle from a foe that can see the future of anyone he chooses -- anyone, that is, except for Emiko Queen …
Shifting allegiances are always interesting, but not when they're without consequence. So far that's the case here. But the story isn't over, so I'll reserve judgment.
GREEN LANTERNS #7
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by SAM HUMPHRIES
Art by JACK HERBERT
Cover by ROBSON ROCHA
Variant cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“THE GUN”!
How can Jessica Cruz trust Simon Baz, when he doesn’t even trust the Green Lantern ring they both wear? The partners finally discuss the gun Simon carries and why!
Once again, the solicitations are a month ahead on this title. The gun thing happens next issue; this issue is the "Family Dinner" story promised last issue.
And it was everything I was dreading. Yep, Simon and Jessica have completely buried the hatchet -- without even a lingering doubt -- and they're well on their way to being a couple. I guess it's not a cliche if you haven't read it before, but I have, multiple times, and saw this coming six issues ago.
Ah well. The art's really nice.
HARLEY QUINN #4
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by AMANDA CONNER and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art by JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER
Cover by AMANDA CONNER
Variant cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T+
“108 MILLION WAYS TO DIE!” Even though she hates to leave Coney Island as it rebuilds after the zombie apocalypse, Harley must set out on a journey that will take her around the world -- and into the clutches of a bizarre robotic enemy! Too bad her Mecha-Harley suit didn’t fit in the overhead bin …
This book just isn't for me -- the humor is just too adolescent and '70s MAD for me. I picture someone around 14 getting a giggle, and maybe that's the intended audience.
NIGHTWING #5
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by STEVE ORLANDO and TIM SEELEY
Art by ROGE ANTONIO
Cover by YANICK PAQUATTE
Variant cover by IVAN REIS
32 pg• FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“Night of the Monster Men” part 2!
The Monster Men are stomping their way through Gotham City. How can the Bat-team face the monsters and the storm of the century? And when Nightwing goes behind the scenes to discover where the monsters came from, what lurks in the shadows may be worse than the monsters themselves!
Next week: Part Three – DETECTIVE COMICS #941. Parts Four through Six of "NIGHT OF THE MONSTER MEN" concludes the storyline in the pages of BATMAN #8, NIGHTWING #6 and DETECTIVE COMICS #942, coming in October.
Part 2 of Monster Men. See Batman above.
RAVEN #1 (of 6)
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by MARV WOLFMAN
Art and cover by ALISSON BORGES
32 pg • 1 of 6 • FC • $2.99 US • RATED T
“The White Carnival” part 1!
In a tale set between TEEN TITANS #24 and TEEN TITANS: REBIRTH #1, Raven takes a break from the team and moves to San Francisco to stay with her estranged aunt and face her most perilous challenge yet: high school! As Raven discovers more about her human side, one of her classmates goes missing under mysterious circumstances, and she must face an evil like none she’s known before!
Given that this story is being inserted between two existing issues means nothing lasting is going to happen. So the focus will be on characterization for Raven, as she lives with a "normal" family for a while. (Although dollars to doughnuts they're not as normal as they appear.) The first issue shows some real growth in Wolfman's dialogue, which disallows that saw about old dogs and new tricks. I'm looking forward to issue #2, which I didn't expect.
SUPERMAN #7
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by PETER J. TOMASI and PATRICK GLEASON
Art by JORGE JIMENEZ
Cover by PATRICK GLEASON
Variant cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
32 pg • FC • $2.99 • U.S. • RATED T
“SON OF SUPERMAN” part 7!
In this epilogue issue, Superman considers the toll his battles with the Eradicator and Doomsday have taken on his family and the need for a normal life. But can the Man of Steel ever take a day off?
Both Super-books, like both Bat-books, are rearranging decades-old tunes into new songs that feel simultaneously fresh and familiar. I'm enjoying the "Super Family," and the inherent tensions of trying to live a quiet, rural life with all those super-powers, super-responsibilities and super-adventures getting in the way. This issue brings the "Smiths" into contact with more Smallvillians at the county fair -- yep, the county fair -- so the supporting cast is growing as well. A nice, standalone story.
TRINITY #1
Publisher: DC COMICS
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Variant cover by TBD
32 pg • FC • $2.99 U.S. • RATED T
“BETTER TOGETHER” part 1!
Together again for the first time! Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. The core of the World's Greatest Heroes … but with a new Man of Steel, the bonds these three share will be tested and redefined by super-star writer/artist Francis Manapul. In this premiere issue, see the trio travel from Metropolis to Gotham City and beyond to learn what forces launched their heroic careers. But how will this journey of discovery lead them to a new threat?
This sounded like a great idea -- Marvel did something similar, and sucessfully, with Iron Man, Thor and Captain America after Civil War the first -- but the execution was lacking in this first issue. Specifically, the dialogue seemed off for both Superman and Wonder Woman (who tended to give speeches and drop exposition instead of, you know, talking), whereas Batman was just a taciturn jerk. Maybe this is just the starting point, though, and I'll begin to like these characters as they learn to like each other (which seems a given). In this issue, though, they're not very likable.
Replies
If you'll pardon a quibble, the monsters story was Strange's second appearance, from Batman #1. It's a pre-Robin story they delayed running.