Alright, time for the third and final installment of my review of the DC reboot. Today we'll be looking at a range of other comics released this past month, some new and some old. So without further ado, let's see what we've got.
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Wonder Woman
One thing I've liked about Wonder Woman was the integration of Greek mythology. She is an Amazon, after all, so it's no surprise when she encounters Ares, Hermes, or even Zeus. Knowing a little about Greek myths can usually add another layer of enjoyment to these comics, such as when Apollo picks some young ladies to be his new oracles.
Now, Wonder Woman herself doesn't appear until about half way through the first chapter. Up until then we see Apollo, some lady in a peacock dress killing a horse, and someone who looks like a cross between a WW1 soldier and the Na'vi from Avatar (Hermes) warning this girl in her underwear (named Zola) about assassins. It isn't until two centaur burst into her house and a magical key teleports her away that we finally see Wonder Woman, and it dawns on my as I type this how very strange comics can be sometimes.
Wonder Woman is naked in bed when we first see her, as fanservice seems to be amped up for many of the new comics (but more on that later). It's not a sexual kind of nudity, though, just something that happens to be necessary before she puts on her armor and goes to kick some centaur ass. And when it comes to fighting, Wonder Woman is no slouch. She blocks arrows with her wristbands (she's used to it, having blocked plenty of bullets with them), literally disarms her enemies, and puts her golden lasso to good use. Action-wise, the scene is swift but sweet.
Story-wise, though, there's not much to say yet. I will say that the ending comes as no surprise to those familiar with their Greek myths, and there's a nice amount of foreshadowing provided by the oracles, but nothing particularly impressive. Perhaps it'll get better as it goes along, but I'm not sure if I'm going to stick around to find out.
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Aquaman
Can we stop with the jokes about Aquaman's powers being lame now? Superfriends was ages ago, and Aquaman has earned his badass cred repeatedly by now. This is a man who can take on Cthulhu-level abominations and win, a man who essentially controls 70% of the Earth's surface. Aquaman is a badass.
Yet it seems the citizens in Aquaman's comic book don't think the same way. Bank robbers in an armored car think they can run him down (they're wrong), policemen think he's useless without fish (they're wrong) and express shame at being upstaged by him, and some guy interviewing him thinks he's a laughing stock (boy is he ever wrong). Aquaman shows them just how awesome he can be, while also providing time to look into his own life, such as the lessons his father taught him, and his relationship with his wife, Mera.
There's also an amusing scene where Aquaman walks into a seafood restaurant, orders fish and chips, and explains to the shocked diners how commanding sea life does not equal talking to fish.
Geoff Johns does an outstanding job writing this comic. He works in the common misunderstandings about Aquaman and disproves them quickly, while keeping the story at a fine pace, beginning and ending with a threat slowly building. All the characters had clear voices and personalities, even the waitress at the restaurant, but especially Aquaman.
I wasn't sure if I'd bother following this series when I first heard about it, but issue 1 may have changed my mind. I'm becoming a fan of Aquaman now, and I can't wait to see the sea king cut loose.
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The Flash
I like the Flash. I really do, he's an amusing character with a lot of potential in his powers. Just with super-speed alone he's managed to travel through time, learn anything at super speeds, build houses, disassemble vehicles, and run around the world to punch someone clear into the atmosphere. Yet in spite of that, this comic just seems to be missing something.
We have the basics. The Flash being fast and awesome, while his secret identity, Barry Allen, investigates crime scenes. In this case, the dead criminal they find is an old friend of his. There's also this technology called a "genome re-coder," which will certainly be important later on. A few nice twists are thrown our way, which I won't spoil, and the story is solid.
Yet despite that, I can't seem to really enjoy this comic. It's not bad, it just lacks that certain extra punch to stand out above the other new releases. People who are big fans of the Flash will read and enjoy it, but it fails to draw new readers in.
Also, there's the fact that Barry and Iris are no longer married. Given that Flash is the one who corrected the destroyed timestream in Flashpoint, you'd think he'd be kicking himself for screwing that up, or maybe that's his punishment for forgetting to fix Clark and Lois. This begs the question of the fate of the rest of the Flash family, though; is the Kid Flash we saw in Teen Titans Wally West, or Bart Allen, Barry's grandson from the future? Given what happened in "Kid Flash Lost," though, my bet is on Wally. For now.
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Static Shock
My first encounter with Static Shock was through his cartoon on WB many years ago. When I learned that he later joined the Teen Titans, I gave it a look to see how it was. His run with them ended when he was de-powered, but it looks like he's got it back by the start of his solo run.
Here we see Static in the middle of action, now working in New York instead of Dakota. His control of electricity has improved from flying manhole covers and shooting electric blasts - now he's manipulating magnetic forces, forming plasma cables, and generally making the best of his electric abilities. The ways they manage to put his powers to use are impressive and clever, as it's clear the writers did their research and came up with a variety of uses for electricity.
We see the group who will be Static's enemies this time around, an organization of brightly-colored metahumans with flying motorbikes. Some are smart and some are strong, but all should make for interesting foes.
The colors are vibrant, with the blue and yellow of Static's uniform and electricity as well as the multitude of colors his enemies wear. The artist occasionally seems to have trouble drawing eyes, but it's pretty clean apart from that. The story does a good job showcasing Static's "wake up, go to school, save the day, go to my part-time job, save the day again" lifestyle and his family, and keeps things interesting while moving at a nice pace. I'd recommend Static Shock to anyone willing to take a chance.
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Swamp Thing
Ah yes, Swamp Thing. Brightest Day disappointed me when nearly the entire story lead up to simply bringing him into the DC universe, but now I'm starting to see why.
Alec Holland, the Swamp Thing, doesn't want to be Swamp Thing. He wasn't before, mind you; Swamp Thing just thought it was him, but now he truly is, and wants nothing to do with the Green, or the Parliament of Trees, or any of that nonsense. When natural disasters strike, even Superman tries to call him in, but our hero is quite reluctant.
Yet in his reluctance, so much is said. We see what he has to struggle with, having been brought back to life and given the memories that weren't his but thought they were. He talks a lot about plants, yes, but it's all quite interesting, and written well enough to keep us interested. The various disasters happening between events certainly keeps things interesting as well, and it ends with quite the interesting scene.
There's a lot of history behind Swamp Thing, but you can jump into this with minimal research. I'm sure knowing the full history would help, but they spell out the important stuff in such a way that it doesn't seem forced. Scott Snyder does a fine job with the writing, and Yanick Paquette's art suits the tone of the comic perfectly. Definitely worth a look.
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Animal Man
Animal Man/Buddy Baker was another hero I really got to know by reading 52. I've been trying to go back and read his previous runs, but I've had little luck in finding them. But with a new Animal Man comic coming out, I was eager to give it a look.
Sadly, this comic is not for me. It's darker than I'd prefer, with Animal Man bleeding from his eyes and nightmarish scenes even when he's not in the middle of a nightmare. And worst of all, we learn that the family's dogs, T.C. and Skipper, have already passed away. Now that's just sad.
Still, I will give it credit where credit is due. The characters are strong and consistent, and I still like Buddy, even if I don't like this story, and it's still a well-crafted one. The artwork is rather pastel-like and pale, giving it an odd sort of appearance, although it shifts during the nightmare sequence to some impressive designs.
I wish I could give Animal Man a recommendation. I really do, I was looking forward to this. If you want to try it anyways, then by all means, go ahead, it might work better for you than it did for me. I'm not going to say it's a bad comic, but it's just not for me.
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Green Arrow
This is certainly a different Oliver Queen than we're used to seeing. He no longer has the Robin Hood-styled beard, and I doubt he was ever mayor of Star City at his age. In fact, everything about him is more like his Smallville incarnation. He's younger, very technologically-inclined, and has the same rich playboy persona as fellow money-powered heroes, but with a more active hand in Queen Industries.
This does cause a lot of questions about continuity. When did he train any of his sidekicks? What about his marriage to Black Canary? I'd like to brush it off with this taking place in the past, but given the level of technology in this comic and the fact that the antagonists post their crimes on YouTube, that's not likely to be the case.
Putting all that aside, however, we have a very sound comic. We see Green Arrow fighting crime and working as Oliver Queen, we've got a decent cast of supporting characters, and a nicely-paced story. His enemies aren't the biggest or most threatening villains, but it's a good start for a younger Green Arrow, and an interesting take on what motivates crime as well as the glamorization of the criminal lifestyle.
I'm not sure what to think of this Green Arrow yet, I'll have to wait and see how it ties into his continuity. Until then, I'll be wary, but open.
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Resurrection Man
I've never read Resurrection Man until now, but I was interested in him. I'd heard about how he was once killed repeatedly by the Joker until he resurrected with the powers Joker needed him for, and I thought the idea of constantly dying and reviving with new powers was interesting. When he made a cameo in Brightest Day, I had an amusing conversation with my friend, who was more familiar with him. "Resurrection Man? I thought he died in Infinite Crisis." "Apparently he got better. Go figure."
So here we see Resurrection Man, coming back from the dead yet again. He does that a lot. It seems to be a side-effect of his powers, along with this mysterious compulsion that directs him with each revival. He's not the only one being directed, though, as apparently his soul is "overdue," and his constant resurrections have made it a valuable commodity in the afterlife. Both angels and demons are seeking it, it seems, but he doesn't want to give it up any time soon.
This is a clever take on the idea of Resurrection Man, and a look at what it means to constantly revive. The deaths that come with it means that he brings death wherever he goes, often times taking innocent lives with him. It's a dark comic, in a very good way, but I have to admit to taking a bit of enjoyment in seeing all the ways he'll die and all the new powers he'll come back with.
I'm not sure how long Resurrection Man will run for, but I'm definitely interested in this story. I recommend it.
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Blue Beetle
Jaime Reyes, the third Blue Beetle. There's a lot of backstory behind the Beetle, but you don't need it to enjoy this comic. It opens right in the middle of the action, where we see what a Scarab at full power can do. Entire civilizations are wrecked by a single Scarab-controlled being, as he joins this alien army called The Reach. Once a Green Lantern shoots down a Scarab in our space sector, though, that's the last we see of it for quite a while.
Now we get to know Jaime, the protagonist. He's not a hero yet, though, just a regular kid from El Paso. It shows us his friends, his school bullies, his family, and gives each of them a distinct voice and personality. Yet there's no lack of superhuman action, either, as we see metahumans hunting down the Scarab itself. Jaime doesn't just find it in the middle of the road this time, he gets his beetle right in the middle of the action. We have yet to see what it can do, but it ends with a great transformation and full page shot of the new Blue Beetle armor.
However, it is rather similar to the previous Blue Beetle comic, especially with La Dama as what seems to be the primary antagonist this early on, as well as The Reach and their conflict with the Green Lantern Corps. It's not entirely the same, though, and there are enough differences to make it enjoyable even if you've read the first one. This is another comic I give a high recommendation to.
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Red Hood and the Outlaws
Okay, I haven't read this one, save for the few pages everyone's read. So I'll keep my complaints short. My problem isn't that Starfire is sexualized, it's that she's now nothing but a sexual character. What purpose does she serve other than to strike provocative poses, screw her male companions, and give the male readers something to fap to? What happened to her personality, her character, all that wonderful development she's had over the years? She was in touch with her emotions, but a powerful, inspiring character who valued friendship above all else. (And I'm not just talking about the Teen Titans cartoon version.)
Instead we have her claiming to not know who Dick Grayson is, or even any of her Titan comrades from the past. It completely erases all of her development and destroys her as a character. It strips away everything that made her a great character, and instead left what the writer assumes to be a male fantasy.
Now, there have already been attempts to cover up for that, after the huge fan outcry. "Oh, she was just lying about not knowing anyone. Jason was wrong when he said she forgets people." Too little, too late, I'm afraid. It'll take a lot more work than that to correct this mistake. Besides, what reason would there be for that? They might fix this later on, or at least try to, but they're not doing a very good job so far. That's all I really have to say about this comic, since I can't review what I haven't read.
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And there you have it, my review of the DC reboot. There are a lot of comics I haven't read, so those you'll just have to find yourself. For what I did read, though, I hope you've enjoyed my reviews. Until next time!
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