Albert Avilla Reviews: Justice League #14

Justice League # 14
DC Comics

Reviewed by Albert Avilla

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Tony S. Daniel
Inks: Matt Banning & Sandu Florea

The Secret of the Cheetah Chapter Two (Spoilers!)
Action from stem to stern: they earned my money. Mr. Johns gave me two good stories for the price of one; a good deal considering my finances.

Super Cheetah and Cheetah are wrecking things until the San, Hara, blows her horn. Cyborg keeps the sonics going while the San cure him. Wonder Woman, Flash, and Aquaman go after the Cheetah. Cheetah is a bad chick. It takes a good plan by the three of them to take her out. She's fast enough to slice up the Flash. Then we get back to the girl-on-girl action. During the fight, we get the origin of the Cheetah. Wonder Woman dumps the kitty in the drink where Aquaman and a school of piranha take her out. Once again solid teamwork saves the day. Then, we find out that it was a part of some mysterious character's plan to get Cheetah locked up in Belle Reve.

Now to some boy-on-girl action; no sir, this story is not just about the violent action. Superman takes Wonder Woman on a date to Smallville. The story ends with another kiss between two of the most powerful heroes. Wonder Woman even does the little one foot in the air thing. Why is Batman watching? I'm glad we can see where his hands are. We not only get the good old violence, but we also get a dose of the soap opera. Give Daniel his props; The splash page with Aquaman and Cheetah is beautiful.

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Gary Frank

Shazam Chapter 7
What! Fourteen more pages for the price of admission. Yes, I counted. This basically develops Black Adam's character. I guess, Mr. Johns didn't want to leave us in the dark about how big of an obnoxious jerk Black Adam is. Shazam is still on his adolescent joyride. Black Adam finds his first ally, the sin Sloth. This backup story is on par with the main story.

I rate Justice League # 14 Buy Your Own Copy. #2 (of 5) on the Al-O-Meter Ranking.

Albert Avilla Reviews: Justice League #13

Justice League #13
DC Comics

Reviewed by Albert Avilla

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Tony S. Daniel
Inks: Richard Friend and Batt

The Secret of the Cheetah (Spoilers!)

Johns is getting me interested in the League. Superman and Wonder Woman continue the Kiss. Where is this going? Do we want Superman running around all frustrated? We don't linger long on the love story. The next scene is a throw down between Wonder Woman and the Cheetah. Awesome splash page gets the action started. After a few good rounds, Cheetah knocks Wonder Woman the f.... out. Batman and Aquaman question Trevor about Cheetah to give us a little background information.

Back at the satellite, Superman gets some time alone with Wonder Woman. Yeah! he wants some of that Amazon loving. Who's going to be the artist for that Scene? Cyborg admits to not having a life. He needs to go out and find his own archenemy or two. All the other superheroes don't have enough time in the day to put all the criminals in jail and he's sitting around moping. The team tracks Cheetah to the Congo where she proceeds to throw down on the whole team. She bites Superman in the process, and we end up with Cheetah Superman.

We get a Justice League of America and the Superman crossover H"El on Earth preview. Man, I need a better job. I can't afford all of these books.

Mr. Johns is earning his spot on the flagship of DC Comics. Action, mystery, exotic locales, and sexual tension: what more can you ask for in a story? Not a dull moment and hot chicks kicking that ass.

If Jim Lee is not the artist anymore, then, Tony Daniel is the next best thing. The fight in Central Park and the waterfall in the Congo were worth the price of admission. The cover had me before I saw a page. Tony Daniel is a premier artist.

I rate Justice League # 13 Buy Your Own Copy.  #2 (of 5) Al-O-Meter Ranking

I Reads You Review: BATMAN AND ROBIN: Batman Reborn – The Deluxe Edition

BATMAN AND ROBIN: BATMAN REBORN – THE DELUXE EDITION
DC COMICS

WRITER: Grant Morrison
PENCILS: Frank Quitely, Philip Tan
INKS: Frank Quitely, Jonathan Glapion
COLORS: Alex Sinclair, Pete Pantazis
LETTERS: Patrick Brosseau
EXTRA ART: Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Philip Tan, J.G. Jones, Andy Kubert with Chris Chuckry, Tony S. Daniel with Ian Hannin
COVER: Frank Quitely and Alex Sinclair
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2566-7; hardcover
168pp, Color, $24.99 U.S., $29.99 CAN

I see the last 26 years of DC Comics as an onslaught of events, launches, re-launches, etc., especially the last 10 years. It seems as if the powers at DC and also the writers, artists, and editors who are looked upon with favor have been restarting, destroying, making-over, re-imagining, revamping, re-jiggering and remaking every corner of the DC Universe, every character in the DC catalog, and every page of comics ever published by DC Comics.

Out of the 2008-09 conflagration that was “Batman: R.I.P.,” Final Crisis, and “Battle for the Cowl,” came a new Batman comic book series, Batman and Robin. Bruce Wayne was no longer Batman. Bruce was dead/missing/lost in time and the Bat-mantle was picked up by the original Robin, Richard “Dick” Grayson, and the new Robin (#4) was Damian Wayne, Batman and Talia al Ghul’s lovechild.

The new Batman and Robin debuted in Batman and Robin #1 (cover date August 2009). The series was created by Grant Morrison and the first three issues were drawn by Morrison’s All-Star Superman collaborator, Frank Quitely. Like All-Star Superman and the other Morrison/Quitely joint, New X-Men, Batman and Robin was snazzy and jazzy compared to the dark-dark that has mostly been Batman since Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. The Richard Grayson Batman is light-hearted and more conscious about violence and the Damian Wayne Robin is more like the scowling, Dirty Harry Batman.

The first six issues of Batman and Robin (which was re-launched during DC Comics’ “The New 52), are collected in the 2010 hardcover, Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn – The Deluxe Edition. The book collects two storylines: “Batman Reborn” (#1-3) and “Revenge of the Red Hood” (#4-6); the latter is penciled by Philip Tan. The book also includes a 16-page section in the back of the book, entitled “Batman Redrawn” which includes art, character and costume designs, and some text about the creation, graphics, and design of the new series.

Originally, I only read the first issue of the series. I thought it was excellent, and it reminded me of the start-off-with-a-bang that was Morrison and Quitely’s New X-Men #114 (cover date July 2001). Rereading Batman and Robin #1 for the first time in over two years, I have to admit that I didn’t find it as sparkly as I did the first time. That surprises me because every time I reread New X-Men #114, which I do every few years, I love it as much as I did the first time. And boy, did I love it.

In “Batman Reborn,” the new Dynamic Duo takes on Professor Pyg, a villain with a predilection for changing people’s faces. He is the boss of an extreme circus based in Europe, but he is also a creator of and dealer in designer drugs. “Revenge of the Red Hood” pits Batman and Robin against rivals who want to replace them, Red Hood and Scarlet. The twist is that Red Hood was Robin #2, the tragic Jason Todd. Todd, who claims to want to really cleanup Gotham City, actually brings more trouble to the city with his antics.

Although it ultimately goes out with a whimper, the “Batman Reborn” storyline is imaginative. It’s not Morrison’s best work (The Invisibles), but it is some of the most colorful and inventive Batman comics, probably since the Batman comic books of the 1950s and 1960s. Quitely’s intricate line work in All-Star Superman needed color to give it texture and form. In “Batman Reborn,” ragged brushwork pushes Alex Sinclair’s colors aside, so that the color is just that – color. Quitely’s artwork would look lovely reprinted as a black and white comic book. The clotted blacks and scratchy lines give Batman and his Gotham City milieu a screwy, but unique neo-Noir touch.

“Revenge of the Red Hood” is hodge-podge of character conflicts that don’t interest me enough to analyze them. The art by the usually good Philip Tan is ugly. With that in mind, overall, I think of this collection, Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn – The Deluxe Edition, as being another DC Comics event that does not live up to the hype or to some readers’ expectations (like mine). This isn’t essential Batman or essential Grant Morrison, but Batman and Morrison fans will want to sample it.

B

The New 52 Review: DETECTIVE COMICS #2

DETECTIVE COMICS #2
DC COMICS

WRITER: Tony Salvador Daniel
PENCILS: Tony Salvador Daniel
INKS: Ryan Winn and Sandu Florea
COLORIST: Tomeu Morey
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher
COVER: Tony Salvador Daniel, Ryan Winn, and Tomeu Morey
32pp, Color, $2.99

The first issue of Detective Comics debuted with a March 1937 cover date, and two years later, the 27th issue (cover date May 1939) featured the debut of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Detective Comics would become the “DC” in DC Comics. In fact, DC Comics recently re-launched their superhero comic book line, “The New 52,” and that included a start-over for Detective Comics.

Detective Comics #2 (“Playtime’s Over”) opens with a meeting between Bruce Wayne and fellow CEO, Hugh Marder, before Bruce moves on to some playtime TV news vixen, Charlotte Rivers. Batman’s mind, however, is on the troubles at Arkham Asylum, particularly because someone released The Joker. Batman will get some answers but more questions when he runs into the Dollmaker and his motley gruesome crew.

After the talent and intensity writer/artist Tony Daniel showed in Detective Comics #1, I wondered if he could maintain that for a sustained period. There is only a slight letdown from #1 to #2, which is probably due to the fact that this issue’s hero/villain confrontation isn’t quite as powerful as the one between Batman and Joker in the first issue. Still, Detective Comics #2 is no slouch, as Daniel uses superhero conventions to write a story that is more of a dark crime thriller and horror story – think Chris Nolan’s Batman meets the Saw film franchise.

I still say that Daniel’s Detective Comics is the closest anyone has come to replicating the feel and tone of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and Batman: Year One. With a second issue down, Tony S. Daniel’s Detective Comics remains a winner.

A-

The New 52 Review: THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #1

"Can't keep a good birdman down"

THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Tony S. Daniel
ARTIST: Philip Tan
COLORS: Sunny Gho
LETTERS: Travis Lanham
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

Hawkman is a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville. He first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (cover date January 1940), published by All-American Publications, which would eventually merge with the company that would become DC Comics.

There have been several incarnations of the character, but the original Hawkman was the alter ego of Carter Hall. Each version of Hawkman wears artificial wings that are attached to a harness made from the special Nth metal that allows flight. With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” Carter Hall and Hawkman return in a new series.

The Savage Hawkman #1 (Hawkman Rising”) opens with noted cryptologist Carter Hall determined to get rid of his Hawkman identity – with fiery results. Meanwhile, his employer, Professor Ziegler, has made another stunning discovery beneath the waters off the Bermuda coast. The Professor and his team have found more than just another alien ship; they’ve also found Morphicius.

Writer Tony S. Daniel, who is doing wonders with the re-launched Detective Comics, gives Hawkman a clean start and perhaps, a clean break from the past. A new reader could figure out what’s going on and maybe even start to be interested in Hawkman. There should be more here, in terms of story; as usual, this is like a tease in the writing-for-the-trade method of comic book publishing. Still, what is here is intriguing.

Philip Tan’s art is nice, but the star here is the coloring by Sunny Gho. Gho’s work is like a color version of ink wash. This reminds me of some of the comic art that appeared in Warren Publishing’s horror comics. The Savage Hawkman, at least at this point, has the look of a horror comic book and having a unique look is what a Hawkman comic book needs.

B

September 28th
AQUAMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/aquaman-1.html
BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/batman-dark-knight-1.html
BLACKHAWKS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/blackhawks-1.html
FLASH #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/flash-1.html
GREEN LANTERN NEW GUARDIANS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-lantern-new-guardians-1.html
I VAMPIRE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/i-vampire-1.html
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/justice-league-dark-1.html
SUPERMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/superman-1.html
TEEN TITANS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/teen-titans-1.html
VOODOO #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/voodoo-1.html

The New 52 Review: DEMON KNIGHTS #1

DEMON KNIGHTS #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Paul Cornell
PENCILS: Diogenes Neves
INKS: Oclair Albert
COLORS: Marcelo Maiolo
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher
COVER: Tony Daniel with Tomeu Morey
32pp, Color, $2.99

The Demon is a DC Comics character created by Jack Kirby, which first saw publication in The Demon #1 (cover date August 1972). This demon from Hell is bound to a human named Jason Blood, and despite his origins, the Demon usually sides with the good guys. With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” the Demon stars in a new series, the Dark Ages-set Demon Knights, which is essentially a team book.

As Demon Knights #1 (“Seven Against the Dark”) opens, it is the last night of Camelot. It is also a night of destiny, as Merlin binds Jason of Norwich to the demon Etrigan. Four centuries later – the Dark Ages, the Questing Queen and her horde of beasts march north, heading towards Alba Sarum. First, they must pass through the village of Little Spring. Meanwhile, Jason and Madame Xanadu are in Little Spring just trying to enjoy a pint – peacefully, but they have a date with destiny and are also joined by new companions.

I’ve wondered when I would find a Paul Cornell-written comic book that I would like, having hated his Captain Britain series, and after the re-launched Stormwatch, I thought that it would never happen. But I love me some Demon Knights. It is a slick, rowdy action fantasy dressed up like a pitch for a Hollywood blockbuster, but it is a highly enjoyable read. The art by Diogenes Neves, Oclair Albert (inks), and Marcelo Maiolo (colors) is pretty and best of all, looks just right for the concept and also the tone this series is trying to set.

I think I’ll try Demon Knights again. Fun comic books are sometimes hard to find.

A-

September 14th
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batman-and-robin-1.html
BATWOMAN #1 2.99
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batwoman-1.html
FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/frankenstein-agent-of-shade-1.html
GREEN LANTERN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/green-lantern-1.html
LEGION LOST #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/legion-lost-1.html
RED LANTERNS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-lanterns-1.html
SUPERBOY #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/superboy-1.html

The New 52 Review: DETECTIVE COMICS #1

DETECTIVE COMICS #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Tony Salvador Daniel
PENCILS: Tony Salvador Daniel
INKS: Ryan Winn
COLORIST: Tomeu Morey
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher
COVER: Tony Salvador Daniel
32pp, Color, $2.99

Detective Comics #1 debuted with a March 1937 cover date, and the series is best known for Detective Comics #27 (May 1939), which featured the debut of Batman (then billed as “The Bat-Man”). DC Comics is currently re-launching their superhero comic book line, so we have a brand new Detective Comics #1.

I’ll go back into the past again – the recent past. American comic book writer and artist Tony Daniel entered mainstream comic book publishing in the mid-1990s drawing X-Force for Marvel Comics. He eventually became one of the many young creators who jumped to Image Comics in the mid to late 90s to produce their own creator-owned comic book series. I read Daniel’s The Tenth for a few years, but I eventually quit the title. Daniel obviously had the talent to create comic books, but The Tenth often showed the signs of being produced by a young, relatively inexperienced, and creatively immature writer/artist – both in terms of storytelling and art.

Daniel’s career moved forward when he began drawing the Geoff Johns-written Teen Titans, but Daniel’s professional status surged when he became the artist on Grant Morrison’s Batman. He drew the highly-popular Batman R.I.P. storyline and wrote and drew Batman: Battle for the Cowl, the primary miniseries that dealt with the aftermath of Batman R.I.P.

Now, Tony Daniel is the writer and pencil artist on the new Detective Comics #1. I can honestly say that I have not felt this excited and thrilled after reading a Batman comic book since I read Book One of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns all those years ago.

Grant Morrison’s Batman has nothing on Daniel’s Detective Comics #1

The plot is straightforward. Batman is hunting The Joker, one of the most violent and brutal interpretations of the character, one who has over 100 murders to his credit over a six year period. However, someone other than the Batman seems to be hunting the Joker, and despite Commissioner Gordon best efforts, Mayor Hady is encouraging the Gotham City Police Department to kill Batman.

Daniel does not copy The Dark Night Returns, but like Frank Miller’s seminal Batman graphic novel, Detective Comics #1 is a lean and clean interpretation of Batman and his world. Daniel composes a story that moves briskly, with sequences of violence that are both blunt and smooth, and all the action set pieces are composed with polish that belies the experience of this creator. As for the art, pieces of it resemble The Dark Night Returns – some compositions, quite a bit of the page design, and some stylistic flourishes. But I must emphasize that this is Daniel’s own thing – his Batman comic book.

Of course, this is just the first issue. Can Daniel maintain this high level for a sustained run on the series? If he can, this Detective Comics will leap over many Bat-comics and be the best ongoing Batman of the new century.

A+

August 31st

FLASHPOINT #5
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/flashpoint-5.html
JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/justice-league-1.html

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for March 16 2011

DC COMICS

JAN110298 ADVENTURE COMICS #524 $2.99

JAN110269 BATMAN #708 $2.99

JUN100299 BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE BATMAN BY TONY DANIEL $80.00

JAN110245 BRIGHTEST DAY #22 $2.99

JAN110318 DC COMICS PRESENTS BATMAN IRRESISTIBLE #1 $7.99

DEC100224 DC UNIVERSE LEGACIES #10 (OF 10) $3.99

JAN110254 DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS #4 $2.99

JAN110411 DEUS EX #2 (OF 6) (MR) $2.99

JAN110423 DMZ #63 (MR) $2.99

DEC100282 GEARS OF WAR #16 (MR) $2.99

DEC100283 GOD OF WAR TP (MR) $14.99

DEC100299 IZOMBIE TP VOL 01 DEAD TO THE WORLD (MR) $14.99

APR100304 JOKER 1/4 SCALE MUSEUM QUALITY STATUE $325.00

NOV100226 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA DARK THINGS HC $24.99

JAN110277 KNIGHT & SQUIRE #6 (OF 6) $2.99

JAN110432 NORTHLANDERS #38 (MR) $2.99

JAN110308 POWER GIRL #22 $2.99

JAN110309 REBELS #26 $2.99

JAN110282 RED ROBIN #21 $2.99

JAN110301 SPIRIT #12 $2.99

JAN110285 SUPERMAN #709 $2.99

DEC100253 SUPERMAN NEW KRYPTON TP VOL 03 $17.99

JAN110311 THUNDER AGENTS #5 $2.99

JAN110406 TINY TITANS #38 $2.99

JAN110436 UNWRITTEN #23 (MR) $2.99

JAN110259 XOMBI #1 $2.99

JAN110403 YOUNG JUSTICE #2 $2.99

Leroy Douresseaux on BATMAN: TIME AND THE BATMAN

BATMAN: TIME AND THE BATMAN

DC COMICS

WRITERS: Grant Morrison and Fabian Nicieza
ARTISTS: Tony S. Daniel, Cliff Richards, Andy Kubert, Frank Quitely, David Finch, Richard Friend, and Scott Kolins
COLORS: Ian Hannin, Alex Sinclair, Tony Aviña, Brand Anderson, and Peter Steigerwald
LETTERS: Jared K. Fletcher and Travis Lanham
COVER: David Finch and Scott Williams
EXTRAS ART: Mike Mignola, Kevin Nowlan, Dave Stewart, Shane Davis, Sandra Hope, Barbara Ciardo, Juan Doe, Dustin Nguyen, Guillem March, Tim Sale, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Philip Tan
ISBN: 978-1-4012-2989-4; hardcover
128pp, Color, $19.99 U.S., $22.99 CAN

DC Comics recently published a hardcover comic book collection entitled Batman: Time and the Batman. It collects Batman issues 700 to 703 with some extras, including variant covers and a peak inside the Batcave rendered with 3-D modeling.

There is also a gallery of Batman illustrations, a portfolio of sorts entitled “Creatures of the Night: A Batman Gallery.” I won’t say that this gallery is worth the cost of the book, but it is worth at least a quarter of this book’s cover price. There are two hot pieces from Dustin Nguyen and a striking piece by Guillem March, among others.

Batman: Time and the Batman is essentially a bridge story arc that connects Batman R.I.P., Final Crisis, and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne to one another. In the opening chapter, “Time and the Batman,” the three Batmen: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Damian Wayne fight the past, present, and future. Batman’s most dangerous adversary, the Joker, and a few others use the Maybe Machine, the invention of Professor Carter Nichols, to raise hell in Gotham City across decades.

Next, in a missing chapter of R.I.P., Batman faces Darkseid and trap that will have him doubting his own mind and perceptions and also lost in time. Finally, in “The Great Escape,” the new Batman and Robin face the Gateway Genius and Damian is confronted by how little he knows about his father. It is a sentimental and highly-enjoyable story from the underrated Fabian Nicieza and artist Cliff Richards.

I recently saw an article that began by describing Grant Morrison as a god to fans, and yes, I’m tired of hearing about fanboy gods. Still, there is reason to love some Grant Morrison because his current run on Batman has been so much fun to read. Let’s face it, pretty much every Batman comic book since Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns has lived in the shadow of (ominous music) The Dark Knight Returns.

To me, at least, Grant Morrison’s Batman is more Dennis O’Neil than it is Frank Miller, but what defines Morrison’s Batman is what defines most of his work, imagination. From page to page, the reader never really knows what to expect and from panel to panel the reader never knows what will come out of the characters’ mouths. After 70 years, Batman can be forgiven for suffering from sameness. In Morrison’s hands, Batman is fresh and bouncy. I swear that when I read this I sometimes think that the whole Batman universe is brand new.

Now, this doesn’t always work that way. “R.I.P. – The Missing Chapter” is a rambling mess; it’s the kind of nonsensical, tie-in comic that is the poster child for why crossover events have been done to death. On the other hand, “Time and the Batman,” the opening story, is sparkly and energetic. The story dances across the pages, as Morrison takes us from one Batman to the next (including Batman Beyond).

Most of this book is good, and although the “missing” chapter of R.I.P. is a true blue misfire, Batman: Time and the Batman is a Grant Morrison Batman book to have.

B+