Review Round-Up: Rotworld nears its end and Action Comics twists reality

By Alex Headley

The covers to Swamp Thing and Animal Man 16. Property of DC Comics.

Animal Man 16/Swamp Thing 16
Animal Man continues to be a great book and while the Rotworld event has focused more on action and gore than character development I still love the series. The book still feels like a big team up crossover event, and in a way it is, with characters from Justice League Dark( also written by Lemire) playing a prominent role. Sadly, this gives less screen time to Buddy Baker and his family, although Maxine Baker does grab the spotlight near the end of the issue. The bulk of this issue is spent in combat or with exposition from the new Green Lantern, Mephdyll. The fight with Blackbriar Thorn was fun and *MILD SPOILER* zombie flash is the best idea and was a great moment. The new GL’s presence helps explain why the more cosmic characters aren’t present here. It’s nice that the DCU is still so connected in a big event but it I think it hurts the pacing a little here. This story is about magic and horror and the sci-fi angle feels like just a little too much. Still, the cliffhanger for this issue was cool and I’m very much looking forward to the last entry in the Rotworld saga.

For the longest time, Animal Man was close to my favorite book in the New 52. Swamp Thing has taken that crown recently, I think Animal Man has suffered just a bit from the extended crossover while Snyder has thrived throughout it. I think the art is a factor in that as well. Swamp Thing has had the steady hand of Yanick Paquette for the entire run but Animal Man has seen several artists come and go. And none of them have quite lived up to Travel Foreman in the early issues. Still, this is a great series that you should be reading.
Swamp Thing is more personal story than Animal Man at the moment. While there is indeed a larger cast(Babs!) thanks to the crossover, Alec’s love of Abby and her role as the former Avatar of the Rot really ups the drama here and makes the flashbacks to a time before Rotworld all the more interesting. The flashbacks have been better in Swamp Thing from the beginning New Gotham, set in a shielded Arkham guarded by former super villains, is great here as is the Batman Family involvement. Of course Bruce had a plan in place for an event like this. And that plan just had to involve a giant bat-bot. This issue really gets into Holland’s head with some great narrative.

Snyder has a real handle on the character, which makes his imminent departure from the series all the sadder. That’s right, Snyder leaves after Rotworld wraps up and so is Yanick Paquette. This is a big loss, Snyder has created a new mythology for not only Swamp Thing but the DCU as a whole and Paquette has given the book a unique and compelling style. His layouts are just gorgeous and I don’t envy anyone that has to follow him on art duties. DC announced today that Charles Soule will be taking over with issue 19 and plans to bring Alec Holland into the DCU at large a little more. I’m not familar at all with Soule’s work, a creator owned series published by Image called 27, but ill be picking up issue 19 to see whats going on and judge from there whether to keep it on my pull.

Dimension 5 Doomsday returns. Property of DC Comics.

Action Comics 16
I owe you guys an apology. A month ago I claimed that Action Comics 16 would be Morrison’s last issue. In reality he has one more issue remaining and that’s a good thing because while 16 delivers some great moments its kind of a jumbled mess too. Morrison likes playing with time and while its been out to good use before, here it just doesn’t quite work. Mainly because in order for dire situations and whacky dimension jumping to work there has to be some heart, some motivation and some personality involved. None of that stuff really comes across properly here. This is a shame, especially for Mxyzptlk, because things were set up so nicely in 15. The stakes felt higher than a physical threat to Superman. The 5th dimension threatened everything about the character-his past, future and present and most importantly, his family. In 16 there are references to Doomsday and the die that Superman died. Did that still happen in the New 52 or did Mxyzptlk somehow merge the timelines again for a moment? The bits with the Legion of Superheroes were he most interesting part of the book, to the point where I would love to read a Morrison penned take on the team. But their presence, so far, had little to no impact on the story here. And even if they do play a large role in the last chapter of Morrison’s series, too much time was spent on them here to the detriment to the core cast. I suspect it may read a little better in sequence when I can catch all the clues in one read instead of waiting months between installments.

When Morrison’s run ends I’ll definitely go back and reread it. As far as what comes next, you should really read this interview with Andy Diggle over at Newsarama. I was skeptical of the change, specifically because Diggle is known for dark and gritty stuff, but this really won me over.
 

 

Fantastic Four 3

The cover to Fantastic Four 3. Property of Marvel Comics.

Fantastic Four #3 finally kicks the series into gear as the family embarks on their fist adventure of the new year. And of course things go wrong rather quickly and they do so in a very entertaining way. Fraction has a good handle on the team’s various personalities, especially Reed and uses that to continue to channel his trademark wit and humor. The threat his appropriately far out sci-fi and par for the course in a Fraction comic. The man is full of big ideas and this book seems like his oppurtunity to cut loose a bit over an extended period. I really hope that F4 keeps this one and done style for awhile as the family travels and encounters crazy stuff throughout space and time. Throw in some family drama as Reed’s secret comes to light and the kids develop a bit more and I think the future is very bright for this series. Speaking of the kids, Franklin and Val steal the show a bit in this issue as Reed leaves some big decisions up to them. Val attempting to find a peaceful solution is a great touch and Franklin’s quick decision making sets the two apart in a meaningful way. The Thing gets a great moment here too, but plot-wise I’m a little confused as to why he stayed on the ship in the first place. He didn’t seem to be doing anything and also seemed genuinely upset about the situation. It made Reed come off as a bit a jerk too.

Mark Bagley is growing on me as an artist, I’ve never been the biggest fan because he tends to be a little loose and his early Ultimate Spider-Man work was a little manga-esque for my taste. But the action here is a lot of fun and the quieter scenes with the kids and Reed were especially good. I think he’s a great fit for the kind of stuff that’s gonna be on display here.

Review Round-Up: Avengers World begins, Rotworld continues, Action Comics and Demon Knights race towards the end

By Alex Headley

This was a pretty great week in comics for me. Avengers 1 may prove to be the best Marvel NOW! book in the bunch. Action Comics is always a treat and Rotworld kicks into high gear in Animal Man and Swamp Thing 15. I also picked up issue 14 of Demon Knights, I missed it last week somehow but I’ve liked the series since it launched. Read any of these books? Let me know what you thought in the comments.

A variant cover for Avengers #1. My favorite of the bunch to be honest. Property of Marvel Comics.

Avengers #1
Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opena’s opening issue waste no time at all jumping right into the thick of things. Their first arc, Avengers World, is huge in scope. But five words really sum it up nicely. “We have to get bigger.” That’s really what Marvel NOW! seems to be about and Avengers has just proven to be the flagship title to hammer that home. As the issue opens, we are reunited with Marvel’s six iconic Avengers; Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow. This is the big six from Marvel’a wildly successful film and it does indeed seem small compared to the threat we see in these pages and the things the Avengers have found themselves up against in the past. So, as Stark says in the opening pages, the solution is simple. Expansion. By the end of the issue 12 heroes have answered Cap’s summons and Hickman promises that the cast could expand up to 24 characters. This seems like a great way to introduce new readers to the Marvel U at large. You could almost pick this issue up having seen nothing but the movie and a basic understanding of the comics shared history and be ready to go. It does a great job of taking a group of iconic characters and throwing them off in the deep end. It’s a great way to approach a first issue, especially a team title filled with big time characters. Hickman doesn’t waste any time telling us who these guys are but seems confident that the iconic cast is part of pop culture and let’s them speak for themselves. And he nails it.
Such  a big cast seems like a lot to juggle but Hickman’s hallmark is big, grand storytelling and that is definitely what is being set up here. Hickman’s  is definitely a planner and I’m sure he has a timeline set up to best utilize such a big cast. There seems to always be a big thesis to hammer home in his work; a theme that everything works toward and I suspect the big theme here will deal with the big questions. Origins of the universe, the nature of humanity. These new godlike characters really reinforce that idea. I’m very much interested in learning more about Ex Nihilo and the other characters in this sort of pantheon of beings. If nothing else they are all visually striking and have interesting powers. This really hits home thanks to Opena’s beautiful work on the book. I first got a look at Opena during his Uncanny X-Force run and was absolutely blown away. His style has a gravity to it that really works on this book. Avengers 1 is the real flagship title of Marvel NOW! and it’s a classic in the making. My only complaint is the double shipping of the book. Twice monthly at 3.99 is a little painful. Still for such a quality title it’s not a problem. What really worries me is what Marvel has to do to keep it on time. Artist changes are coming as early as issue 5 and as we’ve seen with the New 52, quality can suffer when art duties are passed between too many hands. Still future concerns don’t detract from an awesome first issue of Hickman’s run.

The excellent Fiona Staples variant cover to Action #15. Property of DC Comics

Action Comics 15
Grant Morrison’s big imagination is on full display here as he explores the nature of the 5th dimension and classic Superman villain Mr. Mxylpyx ( I found lots of different spellings for that, odd considering the name’s importance). The structure of the issue can be quite jarring, especially coming right out of last month’s issue, but that happens with Morrison on occasion. Still, the conflict is interesting and looks like it will be the uniting concept for some of the ongoing plot points in the run so far. It’s nice to see an underused villain and concept make an appearance in the New 52, especially since its been teased from the beginning and sci-fi is typically the best way to go with Superman stories. It’s easier to challenge an all powerful character when you mess with his perception of reality and time. I still think this arc would be better served with a little more room to breathe. Big things happen here, reverberating all the way back to before Clark was Superman and even before the end of Krypton. The backup feature by Sholly Fisch  adds a great deal to the story here and is almost necessary to fully understand and appreciate the main story. It’s a charming tale with a bit of a Bill Willingham’s Fables feel to it. I love that series so any touch of it is great. The art in this issue isn’t the best for the series. Mostly because of the back and forth between the two artists on duty here. Rags Morales has been great throughout this run and the second artist, Mark Probst, does a great job on his pages but the transitions just don’t work for me here.

Morrison’s run end next month. I’ll be sad to see it go but Andy Diggle and Tony Daniel will be taking over, giving Supes a new suit and looking at Krypton a little more closely. I loved Andy Diggle’s run on Daredevil and his Thunderbolts series was pretty much universally liked.

Animal Man 15
I picked on Rotworld a bit last month,  stating that the two titles were a little too symmetrical. Well, the books definitely have differences this week. Swamp Thing feels dark, moody and desperate. But Animal Man 15 is a book in which Frankenstein stabs brains and shoots Gorillas. Also, Beast Boy wears a beret. It’s great.
DC’s Frankenstein is a great character and I am happy to see Lemire using him so much after his series was cancelled ( the character has seemingly joined the cast of Justice League Dark). Animal Man has become a kind of team up book and that really helps it stand apart from Swamp Thing. Constantine, Steel, Black Orchid and Beast Boy all get moments to shine. Rotworld is really filling out too. The notion that small bands of survivors are put there in a Mad Max kind of world is fun. New Gorilla City, New Gotham, The Patchwork Army. These are things that make it feel like a living, breathing place and not just an event or temporary change (this is something I thought Flashpoint did very well too and was the key to that event’s success). There is a lot to explore. As such, the flashbacks are a little jarring. They take the reader out of the world that most of the issue spends so much time building that it doesn’t quite work. The story itself is solid and emotional but maybe it could have been paced differently. Despite that minor complaint, Animal Man 15 does a lot of thing right.The series is still a must read and I don’t see that changing while Lemire is on the book.

The cover to Swamp Thing 15. My favorite cover of the week as well. Property of DC Comics

Swamp Thing 15
As I said in the entry above, Swamp Thing has a dark and depressing tone. This is appropriate since everyone in the DCU is an undead rotting nightmare. Swampy has met fewer friendliesn on his journey than Buddy Baker has in Animal Man and things don’t get much better when he arrive in Gotham. Snyder is the architect of the Batman Family right now and its nice to see his two worlds colliding a bit here. The twists and turn in this issue are great, both in the main story and in the flashbacks to Abby Arcane’s fight before the world got all rotty. The flashbacks are so strong in this issue because in a way, the Arcane family is the true star of this book. It’s been that way since #1.  The art continues to be great, it’s bathed in shadow and despair, even Swampy looks darker. He isn’t quite his usual green self. A nice choice by the colorist to depict his waning power. Yanick Paquette is a favorite of mine and while this issue isn’t his best, his two page splash in the middle of the issue is just fantastic.

 

Demon Knights 14
Demon Knights has been a great series that really gives the New 52 its flagship “alternative genre” title. It’s full of almost exclusively obscure characters, some of which are completely new like Horsewoman and Al Jabr. Paul Cornell has created an eclectic cast and story to accompany them. The latest arc puts the cast in Hell while searching for Avalon. Cornell has crafted a team book that focuses on filling out an oft unexplored portion of the DCU but one that is more important than ever. Demon Knights ties in with Stormwatch and Justice League Dark in a big way, and the title is seemingly the beginnings of the superhero concept and the birthplace of magic in a way. Magic, as I’ve said before, has become the driving force in the DCU much like super science is in the Marvel Universe. Demon Knights gives us a glimpse into that and defines some truly fun characters in over the top sword and sorcery situations. If you have ever liked the fantasy genre I highly suggest you pick up this series. At least give Cornell’s run a look as it has been non stop fun month in and month out.
A big change up in the story is coming soon when Cornell moves off the book and 14 really kicks the story into high gear in preparation of the change up. The three forces that are aligned for battle should lend the next issue some great action sequences.

Review Round-Up

By Alex Headley

The Review Round-Up will be a regular installment here at Comic Critique. Phil and I will be taking a look at our pull lists each week and reviewing the new issues of our favorite books. If you enjoy our thoughts, leave suggestions on future books for us to review.

It was a pretty good week in comics for me. I’m sad to see Defenders end and I wish the Earth 2 books were better but overall it was a good week thanks to Action Comics, RotWorld and Green Lantern.

A variant cover to Action Comics 14.
Property of DC Comics.

Action Comics #14

This is Grant Morrison at his best, taking a whacky concept and running with it. In some regards this issue feels like an episode of Dr. Who and that alone is an immense compliment. Superman is very likable here but still has some of his New 52 attitude on display. When Morrison writes him, I think this new Superman is very interesting. Kal-El is smart, strong and just as virtuous as he should be. Morrison understands the character better than anyone in comics right now. Rags Morales return to the series is a treat as well. His loose style really works here and I’ve liked his take on Supes from issue 1. Superman looks far more caring and compassionate here than in Justice League or this week’s Green Lantern.

His race to Mars to fight off the Metaleks is a fun one and his interaction with the space crew is genuinely interesting despite how short-lived it is. The real problem with this issue is how much is crammed into it. We have the Metaleks, The Multitude (which is supposedly a big, damn deal that has been set up for awhile) and then more 5^th dimension shenanigans. That doesn’t even include the back up story. I think this is largely due to Morrison finishing his run on Action with issue 16. It seems like this story could really have benefited from being a three parter instead of just two issues. Maybe next issue will clear things up enough to make this gripe go away but as it stands on its own it hurts what is otherwise an excellent Superman adventure. The back up story featuring real life astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson is touching but the exposition is a little much. The science is interesting to be sure but having an intern explain it all was a little tedious. The opening scene with the Justice League was hilarious though.

Green Lantern #14

The cover to Green Lantern 14.
Property of DC Comics.

Rise of the Third Army continues! This is the only GL book I’m picking up at the moment and I still love it. Geoff Johns has done a stellar job making Green Lantern a must read title both before the New 52 and after. Simon Baz is shaping up to be a very interesting character, his interaction with the Justice League in this issue is great, all the characters seem to act in the appropriate way and Baz’s fear and awe at their appearance is believable. His use of the ring is interesting and helps establish just why he was chosen in the first place. I think running away as fast as he did may not have been the wisest decision but it’s believable. He has trust issues for good reason and nothing seems like it was done purely for the sake of the plot; we’ll see how his quest to clear his name and protect innocents from a potential terrorist works out when the Guardians and their Third Army gets involved. Speaking of which, Johns moves the plot forward in the smallest way possible this issue. Nobody is really aware of the threat yet and the foreshadowing regarding the first lantern is a little heavy handed. Still, I want to know more about the character. More interesting to me though is Black Hand and the secret Guardians in the prison. Seeing how that plays out is going to be a fun ride. Ivan Reiss continues to be an excellent choice for the book, his light constructs have depth and personality and the Justice League looks good, if maybe a little too square-jawed. His best pages are the ones dealing with Hal and Sinestro though; his shadows and lighting are very interesting. On a story note, we all knew that those two weren’t permanently dead and I’m sure they will play a key role in the event but surprisingly I find myself less interested in their plight than in the other mysteries and plots at play here. That’s saying something, as Sinestro is my favorite Green Lantern and his role in the series has just been a treat.

Swamp Thing 14.
Property of DC Comics

Animal Man #14 & Swamp Thing #14

These two books really need to read together. Both have been excellent since the beginning but now they are overlapping just a bit too much. The stories are just too similar. Buddy Baker sets out across RotWorld to put an end to Rot once and for all. And so does Swamp Thing. Holland takes along a band of misfits to help him fight as he travels. So does Animal Man. Both books even have flashbacks to what has happened to the title characters loved ones while they were gone. The stories are a good use of the classic Hero’s Journey tale in which the hero must make his way across the land to face impossible odds and comes to learn more about himself in the end, nothing wrong with that formula. The concept for the event is thrilling and getting to see big time heroes reduced to shambling zombies is gross, terrifying and fun. The art in both issues is fantastic. I prefer Yanick Paquette’s work in Swamp Thing because of his use of lighting and dynamic panels to tell the story in a very visual way but Animal Man does a great job of evoking the body horror of John Carpenter’s The Thing. Both books are favorites of mine, I love the magical side of the DCU, I won’t stop reading the books but right now is not the best either have been so far. The conflict between the Red, the Rot and the Green is a great way to unite some of the DCU’s more fantastical elements and put everything in context for years to come. It’s one of the major successes of the New 52 so far and I’m very excited to see how things play out in RotWorld.

Worlds’ Finest #6

This is a book that I desperately want to be good. The premise is fun, the characters should be interesting. But aside from the excellent issue 0, nothing seems to be clicking. The battle with the giant radioactive man went on way too long and now that it’s over the plot is just kind of sitting still. This issue was promising, interaction between Huntress and Damian should have been great, instead it just fall flat. The dialogue just seems lazy, with numerous hints about each character’s parentage. The “something seems so familiar about [character] is way overplayed. Damian is written as way more of a dick than he should be. Don’t get me wrong, the character is a jerk. But, he’s supposed to be a lovable jerk and that doesn’t come across here. Power Girl falls flat as well. Despite boasting a far more modest costume in the new series, this version of Karen Starr seems far more exploitative than the old one with the boob window. Her clothes are ripped, burned or torn off in every single issue! Sometimes more than once. In this issue a near encounter with Supergirl is particularly frustrating. Just as I want to see Damian and Huntress interact because of their shared parentage, I want to see Karen meeting the other Kryptonians on this Earth.  A meeting is teased here, but nothing comes of it. Not even some interesting thoughts from the main character. I’ll probably see this story arc to its end and then drop the title to make room for some more Marvel stuff or to try the new Green Arrow creative team. Jeff Lemire is taking over soon and I’m a big fan of his work.

The Cover to Earth 2 #6.
Property of DC Comics

Earth 2 #6

Like World’s Finest, I really want to like Earth 2. The concept is interesting, the new takes on lore is great and the costumes and use of old characters in a new setting is definitely fun. But James Robinson’s dialogue can make it tough to get through. He bounces back and forth from deliberate, almost flowery language to lots of unnecessary “yeahs” and almost stream of thought narrative that serves little purpose. The art isn’t doing it any favors either. The action is unclear at points and the lighting never quite works the right way. Alan Scott is at once a noble and heroic figure fighting for the Earth and a selfish, egotistical prick. It just doesn’t work yet. Which is a shame as I want to like the characters; Flash is the only one that comes across as authentic. Hawkgirl and Pratt are just a little too mysterious. I’ll keep reading for a couple more issue and see where things go. I enjoy alternate reality tales and seeing new takes on old characters but Earth 2 has regressed instead of progressing despite moving along at a fairly fast pace. It’s not a bad book per se, but it’s so close to being a good one that the flaws just really stand out.

Defenders # 12

To read my thoughts on this series check out my post from earlier in the week. Issue 12 is good, but certainly not the best issue in the series. One reason is the lack of Terry Dodson. The back up artist, Pierfederici, does a decent job of mimicking Dodsen but in some instances there are some jarring differences. My real gripe, and I touched on this a bit in my last post, is just how little time the cast gets to say farewell. While I enjoyed Dr. Strange’s journey throughout the series, I feel like the rest really get shafted a bit here, especially Red She-Hulk and Iron Fist. I think a double sized issue would have fixed this problem.

Do you read any of these titles? Share your pull lists and reviews below in the comments section.