The New 52 Review: SUPERGIRL #1

SUPERGIRL #1
DC COMICS

WRITERS: Michael Green and Mike Johnson
PENCILS: Mahmud Asrar
INKS: Dan Green with Mahmud Asrar
COLORS: Dave McCaig
LETTERS: John J. Hill
COVER: Mahmud Asrar with Dave McCaig
32pp, Color, $2.99

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Supergirl is a female counterpart of Superman. The most familiar version of the character, Superman’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. She first appeared in Action Comics #252 (cover date May 1959), although there were two earlier versions of the character that appeared, first in 1949 and then in 1958.

In addition to appearing in various titles, Supergirl first had her own comic book series in the early 1970s and again in the early 1980s. With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” Supergirl has a new comic book series.

Supergirl #1 (“Last Daughter of Krypton”) finds Kara Zor-El in Siberia, Russia when she thinks she is still on Krypton, sleeping and experiencing a really strange dream. Suddenly, she’s fighting six massive suits of battle armor. She should have been killed early in the fight, but what are these amazing powers she suddenly has?

Like a 22-page battle manga, Supergirl throws a gigantic fight in readers’ faces. The art by Mahmud Asrar recalls the power and design of Jack Kirby. Asrar, who has drawn Star Wars comic books for Dark Horse Comics, however, already knows how to bring sci-fi tech and character drama together. He may be the one person in this creative team who really brings out the potential of the new Supergirl series.

A-

September 21st
BATMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batman-1.html
CATWOMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/catwoman-1.html
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-lantern-corps-1.html
NIGHTWING #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/nightwing-1.html
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-hood-and-outlaws-1.html
WONDER WOMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/wonder-woman-1.html

The New 52 Review: GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Peter J. Tomasi
PENCILS: Fernando Pasarin
INKS: Scott Hanna
COLORS: Gabe El Taeb
LETTERS: Pat Brosseau
COVER: Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy with Randy Mayor
32pp, Color, $2.99

The best known Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, first appeared in Showcase #22 (September-October 1959). Not only was Hal a Green Lantern (of Sector 2814), he was also a member of the Green Lantern Corps. Technically, the Corps first appeared in Showcase #22 when Hal met Abin Sur, his forerunner. However, Hal didn’t meet another Green Lantern until Green Lantern #6 (May-June 1961).

With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” the Green Lantern Corps gets its own comic book series (after decades of one-shots, miniseries, backups, and specials). The leads in this new series are Guy Gardner (Green Lantern of Sector 2814.2) and John Stewart (Green Lantern of Sector 2814.3).

Green Lantern Corps #1 (“Triumph of the Will”) opens with Green Lanterns being murdered in Space Sector 3599. Meanwhile, Guy and John are trying to lead meaningful lives as civilians on Earth.

Green Lantern Corps #1 looks like Green Lantern #1 because both series have artists doing the Brian Bolland-clone thing. In this case, Fernando Pasarin (pencils) and Scott Hanna (inks) have slightly more imaginative environments to draw and, in turn, win over Green Lantern’s penciller, Doug Mahnke. Writer Peter J. Tomasi does a good job setting up scenes involving murder and mystery, and the character drama he writes to depict John and Guy’s difficulties is good – poignant even in the case of Guy.

I’m not afraid to say that this Green Lantern title may be better than the main Green Lantern title.

B+

September 21st
BATMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batman-1.html
CATWOMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/catwoman-1.html
NIGHTWING #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/nightwing-1.html
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-hood-and-outlaws-1.html
WONDER WOMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/wonder-woman-1.html

Trina Robbins at Fantagraphics Bookstore October 8th

Underground Comix Legend Trina Robbins Presents The Brinkley Girls in Seattle

For over thirty years Nell Brinkley’s beautiful girls pirouetted, waltzed, vamped and shimmied their way through the pages of William Randolph Hearst’s newspapers, captivating the American public with their innocent sexuality. Accomplished cartoonist and women’s comix “herstorian” Trina Robbins examines the work of this unjustly forgotten artist in The Brinkley Girls, The Best of Nell Brinkley’s Cartoons 1913 – 1940. Robbins will present the work of this remarkable illustrator with an exhibition, slide talk and book signing at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on Saturday, October 8 from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.

A brash Nell Brinkley arrived in New York in 1907 at the tender age of 22. Within a year, her work began to appear newspapers illustrating her high society gossip column. Her cartoon serials popularized the bobbed hairstyle and flapper fashions of the era, while reflecting period art nouveau and deco aesthetics. Such was her influence that the Ziegfeld Follies costumed their dancers as “Brinkley Girls.” Pop music heralded her creations and a line of hair products carried her name. As the war years approached, her comic strip serials evolved from naive romantic themes like “Billy and Betty and Their Love Through the Ages” to presenting women in less traditional roles like “Heroines of Today.” Championing the cause of better pay and conditions for workingwomen, Brinkley became an early archetype of the contemporary American woman.

Trina Robbins has long championed the work of women cartoonists. Her early underground work appeared in the groundbreaking Wimmen’s Comix anthology. In 1969 she co-created the character Vampirella for Forrest Ackerman and later collaborated with Colleen Doran on a provocative Wonder Woman series. She has written several volumes on the role of women in comix including From Girls to Grrrlz: A History of Women’s Comics from Teens to Zines. Robbins co-founded Friends of Lulu in 1994, a nonprofit organization promoting women’s readership of comics and increasing profile in the comix profession. In addition to her appearance at Fantagraphics Bookstore, Robbins will be a guest at Geek Girl Con held at the Seattle Center October 8 and 9.

The “Brinkley Girls” exhibition includes a dozen Brinkley comics pages, as well as Brinkley-illustrated sheet music, hair accessories, photographs, and related ephemera. Robbins will discuss Nell Brinkley’s fascinating career followed by an informal reception and book signing from 6:00 to 9:00 PM on Saturday, October 8 at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, 1201 S. Vale St., Seattle. Phone 206.658.0110.

This event coincides with the lively Georgetown Art Attack featuring visual and performing arts presentations throughout the historic neighborhood.

Readstober

Welcome to I Reads You, my blog about the things I read (mostly comic books, comics, and related books) and about the things I come across worth reading (mostly about comic books, politics, and entertainment). Sometimes I’ll comment on “real” books and the mass media.

I’m Leroy Douresseaux, and I have another blog: http://www.negromancer.com/. I also write for the Comic Book Bin (which has smart phones apps).

Internet issues have largely kept this blog silent since Wednesday.  Thanks for your patience.

All images and text appearing on this blog are copyright © and/or trademark their respective owners.

The New 52 Review: CATWOMAN #1

"Bringing sexy back to the DC Universe"

CATWOMAN #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Judd Winick
ARTIST: Guillem March
COLORS: Tomeu Morey
LETTERS: Sal Cipriano
32pp, Colors, $2.99

Catwoman is a DC Comics character associated with the Batman franchise. The best known Catwoman is Selina Kyle, who was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Kyle first appeared in Batman #1 (Spring 1940) as The Cat.

The character has been a super-villain, but she has also had a complex love-hate relationship with Batman that is sometimes romantic. Since her appearance in Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli’s Batman: Year One, Catwoman has been something of an anti-hero that skirts the fine line between daring good girl and criminal bad girl. Most of the time, she is a thief and cat burglar.

With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” Catwoman, who has had a few series of her own, gets a new one. As Catwoman #1 (“…and most of the costumes stay on…”) opens, Selina Kyle’s apartment is destroyed, leaving her homeless. Determined to discover who is after her, Selina takes a job in a bar that caters to Russian mobsters, where she gets information that puts her onto her next burglary. Plus, there is a visit from Batman.

I have finally found a Judd Winick-scripted comic book that I enjoyed – Catwoman #1, although this first issue is mainly set-up for a longer storyline. Still, there isn’t much that is imaginative here in terms of ideas: Russian mobsters and a torrid scene between the Bat and the Cat – nice but familiar.

What makes this series look unique is the art by Guillem March, which is covered in luscious colors by Tomeu Morey. By chance, I discovered March because he drew a pin-up that appeared in a hardcover collection I reviewed. I’ve been crazy about his work since then. I look forward to his run on Catwoman enough to take a chance that Winick will entertain me – even if he only rehashes other people’s crime fiction ideas and plots.

By the way, the controversial, tawdry stuff ain’t as scandalous as some are making it out to be. It’s fairly tame considering all the leather, rubber, and vinyl involved.

B+

September 21st
BATMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batman-1.html
NIGHTWING #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/nightwing-1.html
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-hood-and-outlaws-1.html
WONDER WOMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/wonder-woman-1.html

The New 52 Review: NIGHTWING #1

NIGHTWING #1
DC COMICS

WRITER: Kyle Higgins
PENCILS: Eddy Barrows
INKS: JP Mayer
COLORS: Rod Reis
LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S.

Dick Grayson, Batman’s original Robin, first appeared in Detective Comics #38 (April 1940). Grayson would eventually retire as Robin and take on his own superhero identity, Nightwing, a character that first appeared in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (July 1984). Grayson became the new Batman for a year (two years in publishing time), but as part of “The New 52,” DC Comics’ re-launch of its superhero comic book line, he is back as Nightwing.

Nightwing #1 (“Welcome to Gotham”) opens with Nightwing swinging over Gotham City. Dick Grayson has decided to live in the rougher section of town in order to be closer to the action, and he gets plenty of action. First, he visits Haly’s Circus, for whom his late parents were acrobats. Next, a vicious new villain is on the prowl to kill.

Nightwing #1 is a straightforward action and fight comic. The character stuff, such as the visit to Haly’s Circus, is empty and devoid of the emotions Kyle Higgins thought he was hitting, but the fights have, shall we say, kick. The art team of Eddy Barrows (pencils) and JP Mayer (inks) is good and features strong composition and solid drawing. I’ve never heard of Barrows, but I want to know more about him now.

I would describe Nightwing as currently being at the top of the middle of the pack, mainly because of the art.

B+

September 21st
BATMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/batman-1.html
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/red-hood-and-outlaws-1.html
WONDER WOMAN #1
http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/2011/09/wonder-woman-1.html

Hayate the Combat Butler: Quiz Show

I read Hayate the Combat Butler, Vol. 18

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.