The Reading Order
February 24, 2010
FANTASTIC 4 # 576
BLACKEST NIGHT: JSA # 3
BLACKEST NIGHT # 7
NEW AVENGERS # 62
BATMAN AND ROBIN # 9
AVENGERS INITIATIVE # 33
February 25, 2010
THOR # 607
AMAZING SPIDERMAN # 622
FLASH REBIRTH # 6
February 26, 2010
THE WEB #6
“To be read later”
IRREEDEMABLE # 11
DARK TOWER: BATTLE OF JERICHO HILL # 4
ENDERS GAME: MAZER IN PRISON SPECIAL
MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ # 4
SUPERMAN # 697
THE GOOD
BLACKEST NIGHT: JSA # 3 (w: Tony Bedard & James Robinson/a: Eddy Barrows, Marcos Marz & Eduardo Pansica). Following last week’s disappointing (Robinson effort) JLA, it looked like a tall order for BN: JSA #3 to step-up and deliver a win. “I am the ultimate American Success story: an immigrant who came here for a better life than the one I left behind.” – Superman. With that opening line, Bedard and Robinson deliver a knock-out win for the hard to swallow Blackest Night saga. BN: JSA #3 capitalizes on the rich history of the Justice Societies and actually makes some headway against the ridiculous zombie hordes. The characterizations of Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Mr. Terrific, Jessie Quick, Power Girl and their zombie antagonists round out three stories with great depth. And did I mention the story actually affects Blackest Night? Nicely done. Grade: A (story: A/art: A)
THE WEB #6 (w: Matthew Sturges/a: Roger Robinson) It is no longer fair to say the Web is a “good Red Circle” (DC’s label for the former-Archie titles). The Web is just a good comic. Sturges picked up after Robinson and the title hasn’t missed a beat. The Web is a flawed version of Batman/Iron Man, with a little Booster Gold mixed in. It might be easy to forget that and just tell a “costumed guy” story, or get caught up in his network of “Web Hosts”, but to the creators credit, the Web’s alter ego is an ever present part of this story which adds a requisite element of humanity to the character as he grows on the reader. “Stunned” (Web #6) introduces two new antagonist elements and is full of the inner monologue and snappy dialogue that has made the Web an entertaining read. Grade: A (story: A/art: A)
AVENGERS INITIATIVE # 33 (w: Christos Gage/ a: Jorge Molina) is a home run on all accounts. Avengers Initiative is chock full of characters who have no business being interesting, but are. From Taskmaster’s point-of-view of the Siege of Asgard to the Constrictor/Diamondback subplot and there’s even room for a character that is on the verge of finding redemption (Penance). The Night Thrasher/Hood framing sequence is the least compelling of the myriad of entangled plots, but is not a bad story on its own. As a Siege tie-in, Initiative #33 does a great job telling what’s going on in the Siege mini-series and keeping a handful of its own subplots in the air. Grade: A (story: A/art: A)
AMAZING SPIDERMAN # 622 (w: Fred Van Lente/a: Joe Quinones) is the comic you want to read if… you’re tired of what Twilight is passing off as vampires or if you want to read a good story with a guy named “Flash” in it this week. Amazing #622 wraps up the vial of Spidey-blood storyline. The Black Cat makes an (unclothed) cameo and Spidey takes on an old fr-enemy, Morbius the Living Vampire! Alright, it’s true Morbius is a stretch if you’re looking for honest vampires, but fear not there is more than one blood-sucker to be found in Van Lente’s addition to the inexplicable “Gauntlet”. The main story is kitschy and it really is a relief to see some homage paid to actual vampire legends, but the Flash Thompson back-up feature (w: Greg Weisman/a: Luke Ross) steals the show. Grade: A (stories: B+/art: A)
THOR #607 (w: Kieron Gillen/ a: Billy Tan) is a win, despite a distinct lack of the title character. A siege tie-in, Thor #607 approaches the Marvel Mega-event from the Asgardian point of view. Gillen delivers a well written account of Volstagg’s unfortunate trip to Chicago, the events directly leading up to Siege (like the night before for the Asgardians) and sets the stage for the Thor vs. Clor battle we’ve all been clamoring for. Grade: B+ (story: B+/art: B)
NEW AVENGERS # 62 (w: Brian Michael Bendis/a: Stuart Immonen & Daniel Acuna) New Avengers continues on an upward trend. The Spider-people (man & woman) vs. Griffin & Mandrill story is still good, though if you didn’t see it start last issue it moves along without much connection to the main goings on. The Captain Americas and the Avengers vs. H.A.M.M.E.R. also goes fairly smoothly, if not too quickly. The Steve Rogers-Nick Fury reunion is terribly anti-climatic. Then as Bendis weaves this story into the Seige story arc you are left (again) wondering how the Captain America appearances (particularly in Invincible Iron Man) from last month (and before) fit into this timeline. All that being said New Avengers #62 was a decent bridge from the malaise of whatever the Avengers were doing to reuniting for Seige and the Heroic Age. Grade: B (story: B-/art: A)
THE BAD
THE FLASH: REBIRTH #6 (w: Geoff Johns/ a: Ethan Van Sciver). Turn open the cover and you realize why you never see tiny red text on yellow backgrounds. It is hard to read! Perhaps bad design is a metaphor for Flash: Rebirth. Turn the page, Wally: “Altering the past is supposed to be impossible.” Barry: “According to every rule we know, but he can do it.” Welcome to the DCU fellas. Overall, Flash: Rebirth (much like Marvel’s Captain America: Rebirth) is mostly pointless. A story looped sort of out of continuity (because it has taken so frickin’ long to tell), that we’ve already gotten used to Barry being back in Blackest Night. A hardcore DC fan, from back-in-the day (which for me is the early 70’s), Iris’ death and then later Barry’s were truly classic and (pardon the expression) heart-felt. For all these years, Barry was the one character that DC could leave dead and gone. He died a hero’s death, he left a rich supporting cast that not only could survive in the DCU without him, but could carry on the Flash Legacy. But now, everyone comes back. And there you have it. Flash: Rebirth, because the DCU needed one more Flash (three, now that Bart is back too, wasn’t enough apparently). The Flash is coming back, can’t fight it, but it would have been nice if the mini-series had more to contribute. On the other hand it looked nice. Thanks Van Sciver. Grade: D (story: F+/art: B)
BATMAN AND ROBIN # 9 (w: Grant Morrison/a: Cameron Stewart) is baffling. It is a good thing Damian is a fast healer, coming back from spinal regeneration (or whatever) from last issue and fighting the non-Black Lantern zombie Batman this issue. And it is great that there is a non-Black Lantern zombie running around and so awesome that of the two zombie Batmen that this is the one that helps Dick realize that Tim is (still inexplicably) right, that Bruce is still alive and trapped by the Red Skull in the past. Wait, not the Red Skull… uhm, oh yeah, by Grant Morrison and Darkseid in the past. Let’s not even address the Batwoman and the Pit storyline. On the bright side, the dialogue between the Knight and Batman is hilarious. The rest of this comic is truly forgettable (if you’re lucky). Grade: D- (story: F/art: B)
FANTASTIC 4 # 576 (w: Jonathan Hickman/ a: Dale Eaglesham) There has been a lot of hype around the Fantastic Four of late. Of course, most of it is Marvel advertising, but shiny is shiny, so it was time to give the new FF a look. One look is probably all you’ll need. Hickman does a good job of capturing the nature of the characters – in their actions and dialogue, but the overall plot isn’t very interesting and the cute little “Anti-Bendis” gimmick (11 pages without text) would work better if could actually tell what was going on. It is interesting that Sue Storm is once again in the middle of an Undersea/Land triangle of sorts, but not that interesting. Certainly the plot is not interesting enough to jam a telepathic sea-creature to the dome of one of the five smartest men on the planet (and keeper of many dangerous secrets) without some knowledge of the folk offering it. Then again, the FF #576 kind of (exactly) skips over the part where they figure out that’s what these are and jam them (somehow?) inside their helmets underwater. It doesn’t get any better after that. Grade: F
BLACKEST NIGHT #7 (w: Geoff Johns/ a: Ivan Reis) “Warning. Emotional Spectrum Detonation Imminent.” – a black ring. What does that mean?!?! And there you have it, Blackest Night in a nutshell. What’s it all for? Blackest Night is like a bad Elseworlds that has taken over the DCU. Another example of inanity, a legion of multicolored lanterns are blasted into the battle. United? No, of course not, fighting each other. But at least there’s a recorded message sent through their rings to set them straight. On the other hand, Sinestro continues to be the bright spot (pun intended) in Johns’ very dismal mega-event. Not even Reis’ above average artwork can save this title. Grade: F
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