Justice Society of America #52

It was about 26 issues ago that Geoff Johns ended his run as a writer for the Justice Society of America, and even though some talented writers have taken a shot at it, no one has been able to restore the team to its former heights.

It's a shame, because it's a book with limitless potential - and it's notably not on the list of the 52 "new" titles kicking off the upcoming DC reboot.

So is the team being sent back to Earth-2? Is it returning a little further down the line? Or is it being canceled?

A new approach is definitely needed. Writer Marc Guggenheim has two stories running through this issue, and neither one is particularly compelling. One concerns a mysterious gigantic door hidden below the city where the Flash (Jay Garrick) has become Mayor. (Honest!) The other story focuses on Mr. Terrific, who tries to solve the mystery behind his recent loss of intelligence.

Both stories are mostly annoying and neither one delivers a straight answer, although I'll give some credit to the story about the door for bringing in some beloved guest stars (although I thought one of the guests was dead).

The art by Tom Derenick is quite good and establishes the mood very well - but it can't overcome a lackluster story.

This is a team with an army of great heroes from the past and present to choose from - unlimited potential - but for two years now, the stories have been uninspired. The upcoming reboot offers a good chance to make a fresh start. Hopefully, DC will make the most of it.

Grade: C

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Uncanny X-Men #539

Back in the 1970s Marvel tried to combat the "Dreaded Deadline Doom" by having generic, "evergreen" one-issue stories prepared and kept on file so they could drop them into the schedule if a creative team missed a deadline.

Those issues always stood out, of course, especially when they popped up in the middle of a continued story.

I say all that because this issue of Uncanny X-Men feels for all the world like a generic story that was pulled out of the file to fill a space in the schedule.

That may be unfair - perhaps this one-issue story has been on the schedule all along - but it doesn't do much to advance any ongoing storylines. It's just a "done in one" story that brings together Hope and Wolverine.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad issue (there were plenty of those on exhibit in those fill-in stories in the '70s) - but it's not up to the standards of the most recent story.

Writer Kieron Gillen gives us a generic story about Hope being kidnapped and Wolverine coming to her rescue. There are some silly bits about why Wolverine is doing this alone, there are some decent action sequences - but about all the story accomplishes is to show us that Hope is tough as nails.

The art by Ibraim Roberson is solid, with some striking panels on display, but the coloring gives it all a washed-out look that seems to work against the grim nature of the story.

I'm not sure if the fill-in stories went away or if Marvel just got better at disguising them - and again, I'm not sure if this story falls into that category - but this issue definitely has that "you could skip this issue and not miss much" feel to it.

Grade: C+

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Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #1 (of 3)

There is perhaps some irony in the fact that the same month that a Green Lantern movie premieres to largely lackluster reviews (I still haven't seen it - hope to catch it this week), we have a Green Lantern-connected Flashpoint mini-series that is also weak.

That's because it covers almost exactly the same ground as the recent GL Secret Origins series.

We meet Hal Jordan, who idolizes his dad (who is a pilot) and loves flying but is brash and irresponsible. The only thing that's different in this Flashpoint version of reality is that instead of being a test pilot for Ferris Industries, he's a fighter pilot for the military - which has hired Ferris to protect the west coast.

It's that characterization of Hal as a bit thick - a student who doesn't study - that really doesn't work for me. Pilots can be a bit eccentric, but they also have to be sharp - great students who know their math and know the complicated machines they fly inside and out.

So we have a story by Adam Schlagman which basically repeats GL's origin, throws in a completely improbable action sequence, and then gives us a twist ending that doesn't have much of a twist to it.

The art is by Ben Oliver, and he delivers a solid, painted look to the art - but the panel layouts on some pages are confusing and it's not always clear what exactly is happening. But the visuals on the villain are very impressive.

So of the Flashpoint tie-ins I've read so far, this one's the weakest. The film has to be better than this.

Grade: C

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X-Men: Prelude to Schism #4 (of 4)

I picked this comic up on a whim, mostly because I've been enjoying the latest story in Uncanny X-Men (the Breakworld follow-up), and the upcoming Schism story sounds like it has potential.

And what greater Marvel tradition than having two heroes duke it out, as Schism will apparently do with Cyclops and Wolverine?

I didn't even notice until I got home that this was the final part of a four-issue mini-series. Oh well, I thought, the handy first-page synopsis will explain what's going on.

Wrong.

Here's what I got from this issue: some kind of terrible, armageddon-style menace is closing in on the X-Men and their island home of Utopia. I have no idea what kind of menace it is, or why the heroes spend the entire issue standing around talking abut it, or when Wolverine suddenly became a fan of the power of positive thinking.

You really get the sense that Marvel is just cashing in on the upcoming "event," because nothing happens here. A lot of talking, a few flashbacks that explain nothing - it's all just running in place.

Even the art by Clay Mann, Jay Leisten and Seth Mann seems lackluster. It's not bad - the main problem is the story by Paul Jenkins, which gives the artists little to work with other than talking heads.

The result of all this is that I now feel uncertain about Schism - if this is what it's all about, it might not be worth the effort.

Grade: C

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Flashpoint: Project Superman #1 (of 3)

One of the burning questions that has arisen out of the ashes of Flashpoint has been - where is the Man of Steel?

The answer is presumably going to arrive in the pages of Project Superman - but we just get a few hints in this issue.

That's because the issue actually takes us 30 years into the past, where the U.S. military (apparently) is trying to create its own Superman - and achieves some success.

But the story shows us the downside of having those powers, and the kind of effect they can have even on a good man.

What is unexplained is how any of this is related to the Flashpoint event, and how the Reverse Flash might have been able to cause these events - especially the cosmic catastrophe that closes this first chapter.

It's a solid enough comic, though until those final pages it feels distant from the rest of the Flashpoint series. Writers Scott Snyder and Lowell Francis have two more issues to bring it all together.

The art by Gene Ha is quite good, with quite a few stunning images. He comes up with some original ways to visualize certain super-powers.

It's a well-crafted issue, but I seem to be feeling a bit of "alternate reality overload" with the Flashpoint spinoff books. If the goal of the extended event is to be depressing, then so far, it's succeeding.

Grade: B+

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Ultimate X #5

I should say right up front that I really enjoyed the first story arc in Ultimate X (though I'm not sure if this is the final issue or if it's the last issue for creators Jeph Loeb and Art Adams or if they just tacked a "thanks" on the last page for the fun of it).

That said, it's a series that has tried our patience. It took just over 16 months to turn out five issues - but with artist Art Adams, you don't expect blazing speed - just incredible art.

He's provided that in spades - I mean, just look at that cover! The interiors are just as dynamic, loaded with life and energy and action galore.

Approaching this series I was most concerned about the writing of Loeb, who's been very erratic of late - but I think this was one of his better efforts. He's put together a series loaded with interesting characters, a different premise and quite a few surprising turns.

For those who came in late, Ultimate X tells the story of Jean Grey's attempts to rescue errant mutants and protect them from the government's attempts to track them down - and from evil mutants, as well.

This story is a bit of redemption for Loeb after the revolting Ultimatum series, about which the less said the better. This series (and Ultimate Spider-Man) have thrived despite that mini-series, not because of it.

So will this series continue or will it roll over into Ultimate X-Men? There are a number of potential stories set up here, so hopefully it will continue somewhere.

And as always, I'll keep watching for whatever project Adams tackles next. He's an artist worth waiting for!

Grade: A-

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Today's Comics

A bit of a thin week this time around. Here's what I picked up:

- FF #5 - This continues to build nicely, as the War of Four Cities takes some interesting turns.

- Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #1 (of 3) - What if Hal didn't become Green Lantern?

- Flashpoint: Project Superman #1 (of 3) - So where is the Man o' Steel during Flashpoint?

- Justice Society of America #52 - Hey, a guest appearance by the Challengers of the Unknown! Cool.

- Ultimate X #5 - How long has it been since the last issue?

- Uncanny X-Men #539 - Why does Wolverine always team up with the newest X-girls?

- X-Men - Prelude to Schism #4 (of 4) - Bought on a whim.

And that's it!

The Classics - 80-Page Giant #9

Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesterday, when comic shops were just a dream, back issues were almost impossible to find, and reprints of old issues were rare indeed.

For those of us who grew up in rural settings, our only real source for reprints were comics like this one: DC's 80 Page Giants. This one is dated April 1965 and includes five tales starring The Flash (Barry Allen), including the story that continued to affect the DC Universe for decades to come.

That story, of course, is "Flash of Two Worlds," wherein the Silver Age Flash accidentally crosses over the dimensional barrier to Earth-2 and meets the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick.

If this had been a Marvel Comics, the two would have fought it out due to a misunderstanding - but since this was a DC Comic, they had a calm discussion, recounted their origins and secret identities, became immediate friends and teamed up to take on a trio of Jay's old foes who had just embarked on a crime wave.

It was an elegant solution to the question: "Whatever happened to the heroes from the Golden Age?" It was a solution DC (and writer Gardener Fox especially) would build on in the years ahead.

I didn't see that comic when it was first released, but thanks to this reprint, I was able to catch up on that adventure and four others, including early appearances by The Pied Piper, Dr. Alchemy, Gorilla Grodd and Captain Boomerang.

Today we're spoiled by an overwhelming number of reprints (this is a great thing, of course). You can pick up that original "Flash" story in a black-and-white Showcase reprint, in the full-color Archives edition, and one day soon it'll probably be available in Omnibus and/or digital form, too.

Heck, if you have a few hundred bucks to spare, you can buy a copy of the original at a comics shop, a convention or on eBay! (All concepts that would have shattered my 9-year-old mind in 1965.)

But in my early days in comics, the only lifeline to the past was the reprint comics, and we had to depend on the good taste of the editor to load them with the classic and historic tales we wanted to read - like this one!

Grade: A

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Dark Horse Presents #2

I should start by saying that I'm really enjoying the new Dark Horse Presents (and I enjoyed the original version, too), but I do feel a bit conflicted.

On one hand, it's a book that's loaded with great artistic talent - Neal Adams, Howard Chaykin, Paul Chadwick, Richard Corben, Michael Gilbert - the comic includes veterans and some talented up-and-comers. There's some strong writing here, although the length of the stories limits that element. The production values are top-notch, and you get a lot of comic for your money.

On the down side, it takes a lot of money to buy this comic, even though your eight bucks buys a lot more than any three regular-sized comics combined. There's some variation in quality, of course - some stories are strong (Concrete, Number 13, The Treasure), some are silly (The Wraith, Mr. Monster, Snow Angel) and some are almost impenetrable (Blood, Rotten Apple, Finder) - but they're all enjoyable.

I do think the eight-page limit on each story makes it difficult to get a story rolling - it really seems to be holding back Adams' Blood and Chaykin's Marked Man, for example. Only Chadwick's Concrete seems the thrive at that limit. It would be nice to see occasional stories that are longer (or shorter, for that matter).

Still, overall it's an outstanding package, and if you can deal with the price tag, it's a rewarding purchase.

Grade: A-

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John Byrne's Next Men #7

This is a tough one to review (he said, after staring at the computer screen for the longest time).

Part of that is because this issue of Next Men (more or less) wraps up the opening story arc, and it's difficult to talk about without giving too much away.

The story by John Byrne has the members of the team trapped (and in peril) in different moments in history, while a group of futuristic scientists try to effect a rescue.

It's an involved story which makes great use of time travel and some of its more complicated angles, but it's not always easy to follow what's going on here, and it brings up a character who - quite frankly - I don't remember (though no doubt it'll be made clearer next issue).

As always, the art (also by Byrne) is outstanding, and the story features lots of twists and turns.

It would be difficult to start this series with this issue, but for those who've been following along, it's another strong chapter in a series - collect 'em all!

Grade: A-

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Secret Avengers #14

Even though the character has been around for what, almost 40 years, the Valkyrie is still mostly a figure of mystery.

She appeared as a member of the original Defenders team, but when that series was canceled she was relegated to guest appearances - and only a few of those.

Now she's back as a member of the Secret Avengers, and this issue focuses on her. We actually get some background flashes of her previous life in Asgard and how she earned her title.

Writer Nick Spencer makes an effort to parallel a story from the past with the present-day battle linked to the Fear Itself event, but the two stories of star-crossed lovers doesn't quite work - if they'd just had a few more pages to work with...

I like the art by Scott Eaton - he has a classic, illustrative style that captures the expressions and the heroic figures quite well.

It's good to see the Valkyrie getting some long-overdue attention, even if the story raises almost as many questions as it answers.

Grade: B

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Rocketeer Adventures #2

I'm really enjoying this series.

The Rocketeer is a terrific character who's been sitting on the shelf for far too long. It's tragic that creator Dave Stevens is no longer around to guide the character's path, but thankfully we have some all-star talent stepping in.

In this issue, we have a story by Mark Waid about the beginning of "super-heroes" and the Rocketeer's humorous attempt to join their ranks. Providing the art on this story is the terrific Chris Weston, whose lush, expressive style is a perfect match for the era.

Darwyn Cooke is one of the top creators in comics today, and he shows why in an seven-page tale that evokes the adventure movie serials (though I doubt the serials would have allowed Betty to show that much skin). Still, it's fast, funny and a blast from start to finish.

Following an incredible pin-up by Geoff Darrow, the issue wraps up with a short tale of high-flying combat as written by Lowell Francis and drawn by Gene Ha. It's a clever bit of work and has a guest appearance by a certain Man who looks like he's made out Of Bronze (wink, wink).

I hope at some point we'll see some of these talents tackling a feature-length story, but so far, this series has been a blast!

Grade: A-

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Flashpoint: Reverse Flash #1 (of 3)

Fandom's favorite topic is the upcoming DC Universe reboot, and we're all wondering how our favorite heroes will change after the end of Flashpoint.

It's just a guess, but I suspect one character who's going to end up changing a lot is the Reverse Flash.

That's because he's become ridiculously powerful and a ruthless killer. As he is now, he can travel through time, kill anyone at will, completely wipe an individual from existence and (apparently) completely change the course of history.

How can anyone fight that? It's the same problem with fighting the Flash or Superman - how can you go up against someone who can smack you around before you have the chance to blink?

This mini-series will (hopefully) tell us what the Reverse Flash / Eobard Thawne has done to alter reality. We see his obsession with Barry Allen and his repeated (failed) attempts to defeat his nemesis.

But when he decides to start altering past events, Thawne runs into some interesting challenges to overcome.

This is a grim story, as Thawne learns more about his power - and it looks bad for the good guys.

The story is written by Scott Kolins, and he does well here, laying out the horror of this high-speed monster running amok. The art is by Joel Gomez, and it's good work, although some of his figures are a bit on the stiff side. Still, some strong action sequences on display here.

So far, we haven't gleaned much more about the backstory of Flashpoint - but we seem to be getting there.

Grade: B

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Ultimate Spider-Man #160

As a matter of policy we try not to spoil the ending of stories, but it's going to be tough to avoid with this issue of Ultimate Spider-Man.

After all, the last six (or so) issues have been labeled "The Death of Spider-Man," and Marvel went to the national media yesterday talking about how Spider-Man gets killed in this issue.

So there's that.

It's been a slow build to this final issue, as Spidey was seriously wounded and then had to confront the Sinister Six, including the Green Goblin, Sandman, Kraven, Electro, the Vulture and Doctor Octopus.

Spread over several issues, it's been the fight of Peter Parker's life - and it's the fight that (apparently) ends his life. (Nah, I don't really believe it, either.)

Still, it's a brutal, emotional roller-coaster ride that keeps you on edge right up to the end. Any reader who's been following the story will definitely find those final pages heart-rending.

It's great work by writer Brian Bendis, who is thankfully reunited on this story with artist Mark Bagley, who manages to balance the raw emotional scenes with the hoo-hah, over-the-top action sequences.

It's tricky to kill a hero - his end must be honest, it must require a heroic effort (and a sacrifice) and allow him some meaningful final words. Check, check, check and check.

Simply an outstanding end to a terrific series.

Let's bow our heads and pay honor to the Ultimate Spider-Man - practically since it started a decade ago, it's consistently been the best Spider-Man comic. Let's hope that run doesn't end here with an untimely death.

That would be too cruel.

Grade: A

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Comics Day - Who Dies Next?

It's Wednesday, and you know what that means - another comic book character has died!

But first, the rundown - here's what I picked up today:

- Secret Avengers #14 - You don't want to go to war with the Valkyrie.

- Captain America #619 - The wrap-up to Bucky's visit to a gulag. (Not a pretty story.)

- Conan: The Road of Kings #6 - The valley of the worm.

- Dark Horse Presents #2 - Lots of A-list talent on this one.

- Flashpoint: Reverse Flash #1 (of 3) - Revealing how Flashpoint happened.

- Incredible Hulks #631 - Taking on some big monsters.

- Mystery Men #2 (of 5) - More pulp-style hijinks,

- Next Men #7 - Wrapping up the first story arc.

- Rocketeer Adventures #2 - Hey, it's another all-star lineup!

- Sigil #4 - Learning lessons.

- Silver Surfer #5 (of 5) - Suckin' face in space!

- The Mighty Thor #3 - Hey, it's the Silver Surfer again!

- Ultimate Spider-Man #160 - Death comes calling.

And that's it!

The Classics - Gen 13 #1

Some comics get off to a strong start and continue a long run after the original creative team moves on (Superman, Spider-Man). Others get off to a strong start and then fade fast when the creators leave - like Gen 13.

Riding the wave of success Image Comics was enjoying, Gen 13 first appeared in 1994. Written by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi, it told the story of five young people who mysteriously develop super-powers. They form a ragtag team and find themselves in all kinds of strange situations.

The most important thing for any Image Comic, of course, was the artwork, and here it's provided by J. Scott Campbell with inks by Alex Garner. Campbell's work was a bit rough around the edges, but his overly detailed, heavily rendered style was perfect for the company, and his female characters were very sexy.

And that was ultimately the selling point for the series. The comic's most dominate feature was the tendency of the towering and voluptuous Caitlin Fairchild to have her clothing torn to shreds, leaving just enough coverage to keep the censors at bay.

The team was an interesting mix of young heroes, including the spunky Roxy, flame-throwing Bobby, Rainmaker and Grunge (is it ever a good idea to name a character after a fad?).

But the art was really the only reason to buy it. I think I stayed with the comic for the first 25 issues and I couldn't tell you a single story point from that run. I just re-read the first issue and I'm not sure I could explain it, either.

The series stuck around for about 70 issues, it spawned spin-offs and one-shots, it was brought back a couple of times with no success - and right now (as far as I know) the team in back in limbo, waiting for its next shot.

Probably the biggest problem was the lack of structure - an ongoing series generally needs some kind of foundation to rest on. The Avengers and the Justice League gather at their headquarters, the FF are a family, Spider-Man has a career and supporting characters - but Gen 13 just bounced around with no home, no purpose - no real story to tell.

The team has a lot of potential, but to date it's mostly unrealized. A shame, really. There's surely a market for the kind of sexy, light-hearted stories this series aspired to - but there's precious little of it out there today.

Grade: B-

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Avengers Academy #15

And then things got serious.

Last issue the Avengers Academy team got beaten badly by the Sinister Six (which is as it should be - unlike the recent issue of Iron Man, where they were treated like buffoons, the Six are experienced and deadly foes - they should never be an easy win for the good guys).

This time around, the Academy is in much bigger trouble as they're called into duty as part of the Fear Itself event.

The story by Christos Gage does a good job of portraying the horrors of war. There's nothing glamorous or exciting about it - it's brutal, dirty, soul-crushing work.

The event is actually affecting both the students and the teachers. We see the challenges the students experience, and the bigger ones faced by the adult members when they confront one of the hammer-wielding monsters.

The art by Tom Raney is quite good, with some powerful action sequences and strong emotional moments.

So overall, another strong effort and a solid start to this series. I think I prefer this book when it has a lighter tone - but there's plenty of room for serious stories, too.

Grade: B+

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Gladstone's School for World Conquerors #2

The second issue of Gladstone's School for World Conquerors continues the lighthearted approach to super-villaining.

In this issue written by Mark Andrew Smith, the focus moves away (mostly) from the students in this most unusual school to some antics of heroes and villains outside Gladstone's walls.

While the students follow the action being televised live, we see a popular hero and villain mixing it up in the sky over Tokyo - but all is not as it seems.

The mystery at the heart of that battle also shows up at the door of the school as several villains square off in an inventive battle royal.

The tone is light and the story is fun, but this issue doesn't advance the story much further than last issue - so here's hoping for more next time around.

The art is a lot of fun, and Armand Villavert apparently has a good time designing scads of characters, monsters and big battles. My only suggestion would be for a little more variety in angles - almost everything is "seen" from an eye-level point of view.

But those are just quibbles. This comic is a fun, action-packed romp, and well worth checking out.

Grade: B+

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Alpha Flight #1 (of 8)

Alpha Flight is a team that was so messed up by stories that didn't work and assorted character demolitions that the only answer was to kill off the whole team (which took place shortly after House of M), and then bring them all back to life (which happened at the end of the Chaos War).

So the team is back in (more or less) its original version, with Guardian and Vindicator leading the team, Northstar and Aurora returned as bickering brother and sister, Sasquatch is back to his orange fur, Snowbird and Shaman are back to their mystic roots, and Marianna - well, she looks and acts completely different. We're not sure at this point what the deal is with Puck.

The beginning of this mini-series, as written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente, the team finds itself in the middle of the world-wide battle unfolding in Fear Itself, as Vancouver is attacked by a transformed Attuma and his hordes of barbarians.

The battle is fast and furious and gives each member a chance to show off his or her powers - it's a good introduction for those who aren't familiar with the team.

The story seems to struggle in places - there's a political backstory developing, there's a mysterious plot against the team and a shock ending that wasn't really set up at all - but the pleasure of seeing the team back in operation makes it difficult to get too upset about all that.

The art by Dale Eaglesham and Andrew Hennessy is quite good - definitely going after the feel (though not the style) of John Byrne's original run. In other words, lots of solid super-heroing going on here.

The problem with the series is the same as always: bringing so many disparate heroes together into a functioning team. So far, they're off to a reasonable start.

Grade: B+

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Kirby Genesis #1

I get it.

With Kirby Genesis, writer Kurt Busiek and artists Jack Herbert and Alex Ross are doing their best to capture Kirby's high-energy, concept-dense style while keeping the story fresh and modern.

It's a difficult stunt to achieve, and this first issue feels like a rocket sled bouncing around as it hurtles down the tracks - but to their credit, it stays on course.

One of the many things Jack Kirby was a genius at was packing a heck of a lot into every story. Ideas just seemed to fly fast and furious, and the same can be said about this issue.

The story begins with the introduction of a young woman named Bobbi and a young man named Kirby (which seems like a mistake - it's the equivalent of a character saying, "That looks like something you'd see in a comic book!" - it takes me out of the story every time I read his name. Maybe it's just me).

Through their eyes we see a mysterious cosmic event in the skies above St. Paul, Minnesota - and that seems to trigger a number of related (or unrelated) events - aliens arriving on Earth, secret cities being uncovered, super heroes appearing - it's almost too much to take in all at once.

Longtime Kirby fans will recognize some (though perhaps not all) of the characters introduced here - and only the sharp script keeps it all understandable.

I'm not sure how the artists are dividing the work (though some pages are obviously painted by Ross), but the final product is impressive. It's not a Kirby imitation, but in a more modern, realistic style it does seem to capture the power at the heart of Kirby's work.

Attempts over the years to adapt some of Kirby's more "out there" ideas have usually not worked for me - but so far, I'm enjoying this one, and I'm encouraged by the potential.

It's not Kirby - but so far, it's a good use of his creations. I'm in.

Grade: A-

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