[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Marco Santucci
Colors: Ivan Plascencia
Letters: Rob Leigh

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

The Harlequin’s Son leads off Justice Society of America #7 as he describes himself as a monster which leads to the team tracking down a real monster…Solomon Grundy!

Positives

Certainly, one of the intriguing things about the Justice Society of America and The New Golden Age is the new characters.  Justice Society of America #7 finally gives the reader something more on The Harlequin’s Son.  With Alan Scott’s history suffering a severe retcon in Alan Scott: The Green Lantern, his erstwhile wife, Molly Mayne- The Golden Age Harlequin– gets a parallel treatment with the introduction of a son, Michael Mayne.  With the changes wrought on Alan Scott’s past, it’s unclear of how much of his history from the Bronze Age up until The New 52 in 2011, especially his history with Molly, is still in play.  However, this issue begins exploring where The Harlequin’s Son is right now.

Having Helena go after Solomon Grundy as an ally (she’s already done it in the future) plays on a couple of details from past comics.  The Huntress faced off against Solomon Grundy in a solo story from Wonder Woman #273, and in the ’80’s in Infinity, Inc., Alan Scott’s daughter, Jade was close with Grundy.  In Justice Society of America #7, Helena calls Grundy her friend.  While things don’t go as planned, the fact that the Solomon Grundy nursery rhyme is used to add some understanding is not only fun, but cleaver.  Taken these elements with Grundy and the Harlequin’s son, it makes one wonder if Obsidian and Jade, Alan’s children with Rose Canton (Golden Age Thorn) are being replaced by Michael Mayne and Helena Wayne in some sense.  Or perhaps, it is not Helena who is replacing Jade, but rather, Ruby Sokov.  We haven’t seen much of Ruby Sokov, yet, but, not only is Ruby a precious stone that is also a color like Jade, what we do know about Ruby describes her power functioning like Jade’s as well as turning her skin red.

Positives Cont’d

Power Girl and Mister Terrific seek out Cameron Mahkent, the Icicle in an attempt to recruit him for the team Helena wants to put together.  Power Girl is suffering mightily in her own current ongoing series. and seeing her portrayed accurately here is great, and it gives me hope that some writers actually do care about the characters they are writing.  Johns also includes an appearance of Jean Loring.  I’ve wanted to see her redeemed, and while it doesn’t look promising right now, there’s always a chance.  Jean plays a role in Yolanda Montez’s storyline as she begins to feel Eclipso taking over.

Marco Santucci turns in another great job on the art in Justice Society of America #7 in making everyone look distinct and carry the action.  Santucci conveys a myriad of emotions as he is able to reveal what’s going on behind the characters’ faces.  Sometimes he is describing a thought or simply keeping them in character.  The meeting with Mahkent demonstrates this in a particularly deep fashion.   Johns’ script is fairly sparse so Santucci handles most of the storytelling.  Johns does end the issue with a surprise as he picks up another plot thread with the appearance of some heroes from the future.

Negatives

If it turns out that Jade and Obsidian have been eliminated from continuity, it will be sad.  It’s a guess at this point, but a guess that feels right.  It would always help if this book were a monthly, I just need more of these characters!

Verdict

Justice Society of America continues to be a fun read for fans of these characters.  Johns likes to include as much history as possible and reference bits that expand the overall scope of the story.  There’s been a lot of world building since issue #1 and Justice Society of America #7 continues to add to it.  It’s clear with this issue that the history of the DC Universe and the Justice Society has changed and readers can’t always count on what has happened before still being included.  It’s nice that Johns tries to remind readers of what is still canon.

The post Review: Justice Society of America #7 appeared first on DC Comics News.

The most notable of these castings has to be Guy Gardner, who will be played by longtime friend of Gunn, and pop culture icon, Nathan Fillion. This isn’t the first time Fillion has played a Green Lantern as he has voice Hal Jordan in numerous animated features.

Joining Fillion in the DCU’s take on the Man of Steel is Isabela Merced and Edi Gathegi as Hawkgirl and Mister Terrific, respectively. Merced is best known for her roles in Sicario: Day of the Soldado and as the titular character in the live-action Dora the Explorer movie, while Gathegi previously played Laurent in the Twilight films and Darwin in X-Men: First Class.

While not thought of as one of the most popular Green Lanterns, Guy Gardner definitely has a strong following, and can serve as a great way to introduce the Green Lantern Corps to a wider audience and bring it into a more favorable light, especially after the critically panned 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds.

There is also a Green Lantern TV series slated for the DCU that will focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, so it’s likely that Fillion will reprise his role as Guy Gardner in that, with his role in Superman: Legacy possibly serving as a launching point for the series.

There have been many rumors of a possible film or series based on the superteam The Terrifics, and with the inclusion of that team’s leader, Mister Terrific, this may actually become a reality.

And Hawkgirl gained major popularity during the early 2000’s with the Justice League animated series, and bringing her into this universe may open several possible storyline doors going forward.

Gunn also recently revealed that David Corenswet would be taking on the role of Superman/Clark Kent, while Rachel Brosnahan would be Lois Lane, so the cast is really shaping up to be something special.

Superman: Legacy is scheduled for release on July 11, 2025.

Source: Vanity Fair

The post ‘Superman: Legacy’ Casts Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, & Mister Terrific appeared first on DC Comics News.

“I’m getting barraged with bullshit DC rumors this morning. I’ll just reiterate the general rule not to believe anything unless it comes from me or Peter. But, unless it’s especially egregious, I’m going to slow down on calling shit out. (Sorry, I know, it’s one of my favorite traditions). There are three reasons for this: 1) Some people are making up lies to get attention from me or to get clicks & I don’t want to encourage that. 2) I’ve read a hundred rumors this morning. ONE of them is half-true. So I don’t want to be used as a way for people to throw nonsense at the wall until something sticks. 3) I’m storyboarding Superman Legacy and don’t have time! Have a great day!“

Recently, a bunch of casting rumors for Superman: Legacy came out, but rumors are all that they were as Gunn hasn’t started any major casting for the upcoming film centered on the Man of Steel. These rumors included David Corenswet as a possible front runner for the role of Clark Kent/Superman, Nicholas Hoult as a front runner for Superman’s arch nemesis Lex Luthor, and Rachel Brosnahan, Samara Weaving, Emma Mackey, and Phoebe Dynevor as front runners for Lois Lane. But that’s not all. It was recently rumored that Superman: Legacy would include a myriad of DC heroes, potentially including Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific. This rumor took form after Gunn repeatedly teased Mr. Terrific and his superhero team, The Terrifics, on social media, leading many to speculate that the character may appear. But no confirmation has occurred.

Stay tuned to DC Comics News for all the Superman: Legacy and other DC Studios news as it comes out.

The post James Gunn Addresses Recent DC Rumors appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artists: Mike Hawthorne, Adriano Di Benedetto, Miguel Mendonca

Colours: Tomeu Morey, Roman Stevens

Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Batman #133: Everyone goes insane eventually. And then they belong to the terrifying Red Mask! But Gotham City has a new savior. He strikes from the shadows, exhumes the dead, and is known only as…the Batman. And in our backup story, Tim Drake’s search for Batman continues as he and Superman, Jon Kent, team up to stop the terror of the Toyman!

Positives

There is much that I enjoyed in Chip Zdarsky’s Batman #133, but my absolute favourite part is Bruce’s interaction with the Alfred Pennyworth of this parallel Earth. With Alfred having died in the main DCU, we only get to occasionally Bruce interact with him in flashbacks, hallucinations, or dreams. But this time, Bruce is interacting with a real live Alfred. It may not be the Alfred we know, but he appears to be the same character at heart.

Bruce tells this world’s Alfred,

…I’m from another universe. And the Alfred Pennyworth of my universe… was a kind man who stood up to evil. I’m here to do just that… I’ll do everything in my power to make things right… because an Alfred Pennyworth raised me.”

Something that is sometimes overlooked by many Batman writers is that Alfred was just as much of a father figure to Bruce as Thomas Wayne – if not more. It’s great to see that Zdarsky understands this crucial piece of the Batman mythos. And I like that Bruce gets the chance to express his love and appreciation to Alfred for this upbringing, even if it’s not his Alfred.

Another interesting facet of this story is seeing Bruce re-establishing himself as Batman, but without the benefit of Wayne Industries’ resources. It was somewhat teased that we would see Bruce operate without these resources in the wake of The Joker War. However, his career as Batman seems to have gone mostly unaffected, other than a change of residence.

But now we see that Bruce has had to cobble together a somewhat makeshift costume and weapons. Hawthorne and Di Benedetto have done a great job designing a lower tech Batsuit – possible too good. It looks good enough that it must have been somewhat expensive for Bruce to make. Not millions, but it must have cost at least several hundred at least. How did Bruce manage to accomplish this?

Positives Cont.

Bruce does make an interesting discovery. As far as this world is concerned, their Bruce Wayne was killed years ago. But Bruce discovers that the Bruce Wayne that died is from yet another parallel Earth. This raises some important questions. What universe is this Bruce Wayne from? And what happened to this world’s Bruce? Is he still on this Earth or on another, or is he also dead? Zdarsky has given Bruce quite the intriguing and off-beat mystery to solve.

Bruce’s encounters with the Riddler and Judge Dent show that Batman doesn’t need his fancy gadgets to be Batman. They’re tools that he makes uses of, but Bruce is every bit the badass as ever, even without them. And this world’s villains don’t stand a chance against him.

Batman #133’s backup story continues Tim Drake’s quest to find and bring Bruce back to the main DCU Earth. To this end, he has tracked down Toyman, who created the weapon that sent Bruce to another universe.

Toyman has fled to yet another universe, and Tim aims to bring him back to help figure out where in the Multiverse, Bruce was sent. Importantly, Tim also makes a point of bringing all the victims Toyman abducted to this parallel Earth. Tim’s ultimate aim is to get Bruce back, but helping others takes priority. Just as Bruce learned this from Alfred, Tim learned it from Bruce.

Negatives

I am a bit confused about one thing in the backup story. Tim wears an outfit designed for multiversal travel. It’s quite a striking design from Miguel Mendonca, but it looks nothing like a Robin costume in either design or colours. But Toyman recognizes him immediately on sight as being a Robin. I don’t see how he possibly could have done so.

The only hint of his Robin costume is his mask, which is barely visible under the shaded glass of the helmet’s faceplate. It’s conceivable, if unlikely, that a Batman villain might be familiar enough with Robin to recognize him. But Toyman is a Superman villain. If the story called for Toyman to recognize Tim as a Robin, then the uniform should have somehow marked him as Robin, like the R-symbol or the distinctive red/green/yellow colour scheme.

However, this is a minor issue, and doesn’t really detract from the story. So, I can easily overlook it.

Verdict

Zdarsky’s “The Bat-Man of Gotham City” is proving to be a very thought-provoking storyline. It’s an intriguing examination of how Bruce would fare in a very different version of Gotham. But, Zdarsky shows us that Bruce is up to the challenge. Because being Batman is Bruce’s destiny, regardless of which version of Gotham City he may find himself in.

The post Review: Batman #133 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artists: Mike Hawthorne, Adriano Di Benedetto, Miguel Mendonca

Colours: Tomeu Morey, Roman Stevens

Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Batman #132: The mean streets of Gotham City have gotten meaner as the likes of Harvey Dent and Killer Croc roam free, brutalizing the population. Where is Batman and why hasn’t he responded to the cries of a city in peril?! Can Bruce Wayne find the answers before the mysterious Red Mask captures him? And in the backup story, Tim Drake’s hunt for Batman continues. Will Metropolis’s newest Superman, Jon Kent, be able to help the Boy Wonder with this Multiversal mystery, or will they both run afoul of an overpowered Toyman?!

Positives

The conclusion of the Chip Zdarsky’s Failsafe storyline made it appear that Failsafe had killed The Batman. However, Bruce finds himself on another Earth in the Multiverse. Over two issues, we have seen Bruce discovering more about this strange new world. And a fascinating world it is indeed.

Most notably, it seems that this world’s Bruce Wayne is either dead, having had little impact on this world’s Gotham City. There is not Wayne Enterprises. And most striking, this world has never had a Batman.

But most fascinating is the alternate versions of familiar characters. Some of them seem to be mashups of two Earth-0 characters. Judge Dent is a combination of Two-Face, the Joker. And Red Mask appears to be a mix of Red Hood and Black Mask. I suspect that this is not Jason Todd, but this world’s Joker, who was the original Red Hood in the main DCU. Bruce recognizes the man who would be the Joker on his home Earth. And it seems quite possible that this could be Red Mask out of costume.

Also Bruce encounters this world’s Selina Kyle. It’s not revealed if she’s Catwoman on this Earth, but she is just as formidable. I don’t know if Zdarsky consciously intended it, but I find this story reflects Bruce’s first encounter with Selina in Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One. In both cases, Bruce is in disguise, but not in his Batman identity. And in both cases, he finds himself woefully unprepared for the encounter.

Positives Cont.

I also find it noteworthy that this world’s Alfred Pennyworth is still alive and in a relationship with Leslie Thompkins. This is a pairing we have seen before in the DCeased universe. If Alfred is ever brought back from the dead in the DCU, it might be interesting to for this relationship to be explored in the main DCU world.

And there is a moment of mutual recognition between Bruce and Alfred that promises an emotional encounter between them in a later chapter of the story. At least I hope so, as I would be quite disappointed in Zdarsky if this brief encounter doesn’t have a payoff later in the story.

Also, Bruce is helped out by a young girl who calls herself Jewel, but her actual name is Julia. Could she be this world’s version of Alfred’s daughter Julia Pennyworth? Or is it just a coincidence? It could add an interesting wrinkle to the story, but it wouldn’t be detrimental to the story if she isn’t Alfred’s daughter.

But I think the most intriguing and unexpected character Bruce encounters is James Gordon. He appears as a skeleton complete with trench coat, mustache, and signature pipe. And Bruce is the only one who can see or hear him. Is this Commissioner Gordon a recurring hallucination? Or is this world’s James Gordon a supernatural entity that Bruce can see for some unknown reason? I hope Zdarsky reveals what’s going on with this bizarre version of Gordon before wrapping up this storyline.

Positives Cont.

Also, I wonder why Bruce hasn’t encountered any of this world’s versions of the Bat-Family beyond Alfred. With no Batman on this world, it makes sense that they wouldn’t adopt Bat-themed superhero identities. But at least some of them should exist in this Gotham City in their civilian identities. But Bruce so far hasn’t encountered Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Tim Drake, or any of the others. So where are they?

I really like how Zdarsky shows that Bruce is compelled to help the people of this version of Gotham City. He can’t ignore the plight of this world’s Gothamites, so he prioritizes them over his quest to return to his own world. As Bruce narrates:

Every Gotham is my Gotham. I want to go home, but… they need help out of this. To strike fear into the the people who need it”.

So Bruce resolves to become the Batman this world needs so that he can strike fear into the hearts of this Gotham’s criminals. How he will do so without Bruce’s wealth, access to technology, or any superhero allies should prove fascinating. Can Bruce succeed as Batman with his training being his only advantage? Of course he can, he’s the Batman. But it will be fascinating to see how he manages to do so.

In he backup story, Tim Drake continues his quest to find out what actually happened to Bruce. With the help of Superman Jon Kent and Mister Terrific, he determines that Bruce is lost somewhere on a parallel Earth. So, he sets off to follow Bruce into the Multiverse. But will he end up on the same Earth as Bruce?

The world he ends up on doesn’t seem to be the one Bruce is on, but perhaps it’s the same world, just not that Earth’s Gotham City.  But before he can investigate to find out if he’s on the right Earth, he has to contend with the original Toyman. I expect that Tim will be up to dealing with this classic Superman villain. But it will provide an exciting battle. And it will likely take a lighter tone than to balance out the more dramatic and intense events in the main story.

Negatives

I can’t really find any fault with either story. Zdarsky has set up an intriguing story for both Batman and Robin. He clearly knows what he’s doing. And the art in both stories is fantastic. I can’t even find any minor faults to quibble over. Hopefully, the remainder of the storyline will continue to be just as excellent. And the art in both stories is similarly excellent.

Verdict

Batman #132 continues the compelling “The Bat-Man of Gotham” storyline. Zdarsky has set up an intriguing story that is unlike the usual Batman story. If Zdarsky keeps up the same level of quality that he has achieved in the first two chapters, this story will likely be remembered as a classic Batman story.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

The post Review: Batman #132 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Tom King

Artists: Mitch Gerads, Evan “Doc” Shaner

Colours: Mitch Gerads, Evan “Doc” Shaner

Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Thanks to Penguin/Random House for providing a review copy.

Summary:

Strange Adventures – Collected Edition: Adam Strange is the hero of Rann, a man famous throughout the galaxy for his bravery and honor. After leading his adopted home to victory in a great planetary war, Adam and his wife Alanna retire to Earth, where they are greeted by cheers, awards, and parades. But not all is as happy and nice as it seems, as the decisions Adam made during battles on Rann come back to haunt his family and threaten the entire DC Universe. Now his fate rests in the hands of one of his fellow heroes, Mr. Terrific, who must choose between saving Adam or the world. Collects Strange Adventures #1-12.

Positives

Strange Adventures collects all twelve issues of Tom King’s DC Black Label maxiseries. Even though the cover is designed to look like a well-read, beaten-up book, it is a rather handsome hardcover volume that will look great in any graphic novel collection.

Tom King is becoming a master of the maxiseries format. Some, like Mister Miracle and Omega Men, have been hailed as contemporary classics. But others like Heroes in Crisis are more polarizing. Although the ending is likely to put Strange Adventures in the latter category, I feel that overall this is a fantastic story.

Tom King seems to love detective stories, especially detective stories with an odd twist. Strange Adventures, like Rorschach, Heroes In Crisis, and The Human Target, is another of King’s offbeat mysteries. In this story, the detective is Michael Holt, a.k.a. Mister Terrific. And the prime suspect is the titular hero, Adam Strange.

Adam finds himself accused of murder and turns to the world’s greatest detective Batman for help clearing his name. Interestingly, Batman decides that Mister Terrific is better suited to tackle the mystery. But as Michael investigates, he finds that Adam might actually be guilty of that murder, and possibly even worse.

Positives Cont.

The art on this series is fantastic. Mitch Gerads and Evan “Doc” Shaner do a brilliant job of illustrating King’s story. They manage to beautifully capture the Silver Age story of the flashback sequences set on the planet Rann as well as the more nuanced atmosphere of the present era.

There is one small detail about the book’s presentation that I absolutely loved but might go unnoticed by some readers. If you look under the book’s dust jacket, you will see that the underlying cover is made to look exactly like the autobiography Adam is promoting in the story (also called Strange Adventures). It even includes a review quote by the Daily Planet’s Lois Lane on the back cover.

If you don’t want the ending spoiled, you should stop reading this review now and come back after you’ve read the story for yourself. But, I can’t adequately review this without touching on this. It turns out that Adam not only committed the murder but also sold out Earth to alien invaders to save Rann and his daughter from the aliens.

I have mixed feelings about this ending. It is certainly a bold, unexpected conclusion to the mystery, and it provides a powerful conclusion. On the other hand, it seems like King has tarnished a beloved Silver Age icon. However, this is a Black Label book, and therefore might not be canon. I can accept this as a non-canon Elseworlds story, but I don’t think it should be incorporated into the DCU’s canonical history.

Negatives

This brings me to an issue I have with the Black Label line in general. While some stories are clearly outside of the DCU canon, others might be, and for those latter stories, DC doesn’t give any clear signals as to whether the story is canon or not. There is nothing in the story that explicitly marks it as being an Elseworlds story. Batman, Mister Terrific, and other characters are in line with their current canon versions. The only thing that is off is that the Adam in this story is fully capable of treason and murder.

I think DC needs to be upfront about whether any Black Label series should be considered canon or not. If I knew for sure that Strange Adventures was apocryphal, then I could enjoy it without worries that it’s compromising Adam Strange. But as it stands, we will have to wait for a main DCU title to either confirm or contradict the events of this maxiseries.

Verdict

Strange Adventures is an exciting and powerful story. Despite my misgivings about the way it ends, I quite enjoyed the story. If you can enjoy the story on its own terms without worrying about whether it counts as official DCU history, then you will likely enjoy it too. And if you don’t like it, then consider the hidden message in the final panel: “If you didn’t like this, blame Mitch”.

The post Review: Strange Adventures – Collected Edition appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Jeremy Adams

Artists: Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan

Colours: Jeromy Cox

Letters: Steve Wands

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

The Flash #775: Hunt for the glaive! When a mysterious glaive crash-lands in the middle of Central City, the Flash must race against time to stop its ill effects, all while keeping an army of super-villains from obtaining this unknown and sinister cosmic prize.

Positives

In issue #772, we saw an interlude about a mysterious glaive headed through the multiverse, and the last issue ended with it landing in Central City. So, it’s no surprise that The Flash #775 opens with the Flash, as well as Mister Terrific and Superman, investing the object. But what is rather surprising is Superman’s frustration at not being able to lift it. He uncharacteristically snaps at Wally. Even the affable Mister Terrific is short with Wally.

Wally quickly finds this is a pattern and deduces that the glaive is having a negative effect on Central City’s citizens. What is worst, is it attracts a number of the DCU’s villains, each one looking to claim the glaive’s evil power for themself. While readers have been wondering what villains Wally would be facing, Jeremy Adams has pulled a bit of a surprise by bringing in a whole bunch of them at once.

What is interesting is that Pied Piper is shown among the villains attracted by the glaive’s pull. Did the glaive’s negative effect on the populace cause Hartley Rathaway to temporarily revert to his villainous ways? I hope that Adams isn’t planning on undoing his reformation. However, I would love to see him play a larger role in the series, whether as Wally’s friend or as his foe.

I like that Wally applies his knowledge and experience, making use of his co-workers’ tech to block the effect of the glaive, even if it only worked temporarily. It further justifies Michael Holt’s faith that Wally is qualified for the job he gave him.

Positives Cont.

However, Michael drops a few tidbits of information that he probably wouldn’t have if he was in his right mind. He tells Wally that he’s “too powerful a being to exist. Maybe more powerful than Superman”. He continues, “You defy physics. The power inside of you is incalculable. Infinite”. He then states that he’s calculated a 65% chance that Wally will destroy the world at some point. Is this the reason that Michael has taken an interest in Wally? Is he looking to minimize that chance? Or looking for ways to stop Wally if it becomes necessary?

The glaive is ultimately claimed by Starbreaker. Starbreaker is an extremely powerful villain, but he’s very much with Bronze Age sensibilities as if he stepped right out of a 1970s comic. It’s difficult to see him as much of a threat for Wally, but the glaive makes things much worse. Because the glaive contains the essence of Eclipso, which possesses Starbreaker, making him much more powerful – and much more evil. This does not bode well for the future.

However, Starbreaker departs, leaving the glaive inert. Which Wally decides to take as a win. But he is immediately pulled into another adventure – literally. Doctor Fate pulls Wally through a portal, declaring “Flash, the fate of the universe rests in your hands!”. The idea of a Flash/Doctor Fate team-up is exciting on its own, but the next issue blurb promises “the craziest, most meta, and wild issue of The Flash ever published”. Now I’m really intrigued.

Fernando Pasarin and Matt Ryan have done a great job illustrating this issue. Drawing Wally taking on a multitude of villains at once must have been a challenge, but they pulled it off amazingly.

Negatives

I have nothing to complain about. Jeremy Adams has been doing a great job since taking over the title and The Flash #775 is no exception.

Verdict

The Flash #775 is another stellar issue from Jeremy Adams, Fernando Pasarin, and Matt Ryan. Adams has been doing an absolutely fantastic job on this title. The Flash has been my favorite comic since the start of the Rebirth era. And thanks to Adams, it remains so in the Infinite Frontier era.

The post Review: The Flash #775 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review DEFINITELY contains spoilers]

Writer: Tom King
Art: Mitch Gerads and Evan “Doc” Shaner
Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

The final fates of Aleea and Adam Strange are revealed as Alanna and Mister Terrific gain an audience with the Pyykts.

Positives

Like the rest of this series, the art by Mitch Gerads and Evan “Doc” Shaner is top-notch.  They’ve split the art chores with Gerads handling the gritty realism of the present and Shaner depicting the hopeful past- even if the art of the past is stuff we saw in issue #1.  You’ve seen the previous 11 issues, so you know how good these two are.  Gerads adds the detail that gives that realistic shape to his scenes, while Shaner channels just enough of the Silver Age vibe that you ask yourself- “is this too perfect to be real?”  Both of these artists do their jobs perfectly in telling the story and making the reader believe.

For me, Alanna Strange has always been a good character.  With Strange Adventures #12, Alanna comes full circle as all her questions are answered.  One could argue that in the Silver Age she was little more than a distraction to Adam as he solved all of Rann’s problems.  While I don’t think that’s necessarily true, Strange Adventures #12 gives Alanna her own agency in the story and she is no longer beholden to Adam to save the day.

Negatives

To say that the conclusion of this story is disappointing is an understatement.  It’s been telegraphed since issue #1 that Adam was indeed the perpetrator of crimes.  Are they the war crimes he’s been accused of?  I’d say so, we’ve seen that unfold over the entirety of the series.  Did he trade Earth to the Pykkts in exchange for the life of his daughter?  Yes, that was revealed over the past couple of issues.  Strange Adventures #12 answers any lingering questions about Adam Strange and the strength of his character with his failure and ignominious death at the hands of his own wife.  King breaks Adam completely as we see that his death in issue #11 was real and he’s just as messed up as Alanna accused him of being.

It’s hard to say exactly what the point of King’s story is.  Is he trying to say that despite what he did, Adam is still a hero?  Is he saying there are no heroes?  And certainly there are no perfect ones!  With such a sad and depressing ending it begs the question, “Why would a fan of Adam Strange read this series?”  There’s no doubt the journey has been amazing, well crafted, and beautifully illustrated.  However, the conclusion is hollow and empty.  There is no hope, there is no silver lining, it’s just the mess of life.  And, in the end, both Adam and Alanna have become unlikable.   Perhaps, it’s the muddle of real life that King is trying to bring to the story.  Unfortunately, we’ve seen this before in his Heroes in Crisis which has an equally empty and soulless ending.  The journey with Strange Adventures has been excellent, however, whereas the journey in Heroes in Crisis was abysmal.

Negatives Cont’d

Still, with the conclusion, King has left a lot on the table.  There were so many elements along the way that appeared to be a hint that things weren’t exactly what they seemed to be.  At various times I was convinced either Alanna or Adam was not the genuine article and had been replaced.  This story screamed for a twist ending that would reveal a heroic ending for Adam and Alanna.   Or at least one of the two, instead Alanna accidentally kills her husband, and Adam is revealed to have sold out everyone on Earth for the life of his daughter.  We’d probably all consider doing that for our children, but to have Adam do it seems misplaced in the context of Adam’s character’s history.  The story motif in Adam’s Silver Age tales was that he always found a way to win no matter how hopeless the situation.  In having Adam fail and have to trade his home planet, King is following the more recent trope of deconstructing the super-hero.  Perhaps, it’s a bit of a metatextual message that the world isn’t as simple as it was in Silver Age comics.  While that’s true, the real reason people liked Adam Strange was because of the love story with Alanna.  THAT was the draw, that relationship.  Like Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars and Dejah Thoris, it’s the relationships between the characters.  King manages to destroy that as well, with a revisionist view of their relationship that wipes any semblance of Silver Age sheen away.

We’ve seen this deconstruction succeed wonderfully in other comic books.  Unfortunately, it’s not new and at this point it’s tired.  There’s nothing creative about destroying characters.  It’s been done before and it’s been done better.  And, there’s a specific reason that it doesn’t work for Adam and Alanna.  With these two we have established DC Universe characters, they are the draw for this comic.  If you are reading Strange Adventures, it’s probably because you like the characters.  You can’t destroy the lives and souls of the characters people want to read about.  You can, but it’s not going to be effective, because the loss of the character(s) outweighs any deeper philosophical message.  It’s the same thing that happened with Wally West in Heroes in Crisis.  No one cared about the message King was trying to communicate in Heroes in Crisis because it came at the expense of a fan-favorite character.  Adam is nowhere near as popular as Wally, but it’s the same thing at work.  

More Negatives (Sorry)

The reason Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons were able to deconstruct the super-hero genre so thoroughly and mercilessly in Watchmen was because they were using characters that were unique to that story, there were no built-in fans.  There was no shared universe in which they had previously existed.  It was all new and it gave them the freedom to do whatever they wanted and tell the story they wanted to tell.  Sure along the way you get to like Nite-Owl and Laurie, and maybe even Rorschach at times.  But, as disappointing as it is when Dr. Manhattan kills him at the end, it’s not the emptiness one feels when taking all the hero out of Adam and Alanna.  Could you write a Superman story and make him the Ozymandias?  At least in Watchmen, it’s clear who the heroes are even with their faults.  In Strange Adventures, there are no heroes, only victims with no better moral compasses to steer themselves.  

Alanna’s soliloquy on life is a depressing examination.  Does she feel this way?  Is one’s life all lies?  I would disagree.  For Alanna, in this story, perhaps it is?  For Tom King, perhaps it is.  King has used his previous life to inform his writing and it often feels like he’s using it as self-therapy.  Unfortunately, grafting these ideas onto Alanna and Adam grossly misrepresents these characters.  It’s fine to write about what’s troubling you, but it has to fit the characters.  This revisionist view of Adam and Alanna does not adequately represent them.  It’s painful to think that someone views their life as a list of lies they tell themselves, but it doesn’t mean this characterization fits Adam and Alanna.  It’s a hopeless view of life- it’s the exact opposite of the accepted versions of these characters.  King knows his DC characters.  Why do Adam and Alanna get this treatment?  Where is the Tom King that wrote the brilliant and iconic Superman: Up in the Sky?  

Finally, it doesn’t make sense that Alanna and Mister Terrific could end up saving Aleea so easily.  Surely, Adam Strange with all his experience and victories in the past could have come up with something.  In terms of the depiction of the Pykkts that we’ve been given, I’m not sure the ending we have even makes sense in the context of the story.  This furthers the notion that this was never intended to be a story about Adam Strange, but therapeutic writing for King at the expense of the characters.

Verdict

If you are a fan of Adam Strange I cannot recommend reading Strange Adventures #12.  Everything you’ve feared since issue #1 is basically true.  There is no hero.  There is no satisfying resolution.  Everything just falls apart.  It’s better just to think of it unfinished.  This isn’t to say that the first 11 issues aren’t some great comics!  If you aren’t a fan of Adam Strange and you are just here for the hype, then there’s nothing really new in this issue.  You’ve seen this ending before, and you guessed it since issue #1.   It’s a reminder that in real life things just happen and there are no happy endings and there aren’t heroes, there are just people that do things.  There’s no substance to the nihilism in this story   And, if that’s the message, it’s not a message that helps you get out of bed the next morning.

The post Review: Strange Adventures #12 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Jeremy Adams

Artist: Will Conrad

Colours: Alex Sinclair

Letters: Steve Wands

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

The Flash #772: Leaving past mistakes behind and racing into the future, Wally West returns as Central City’s Scarlet Speedster! Now reunited with his wife, Linda, and their two children, the former Kid Flash begins a new chapter in his life. But Wally quickly remembers that saving lives and fighting super-villains may make him a hero, but they don’t pay the bills. Luckily, an old friend may have just the right job for this blue-collar champion.

Positives

Jeremy Adams’ first story arc did a masterful job of dealing with the Wally’s recent tragedies and restoring his drive to be the hero he was before Flashpoint. But now in The Flash #772, Adams is establishing the status quo for Wally West.

The opening scene is exactly what I wanted most to see in a Wally-led Flash series. Wally is at home with Linda, Jai, and Irey. I hope that Adams begins with this scene is indicative that Wally’s family life will be a central part of the title.

This heartwarming scene leads into the main focus of the issue. What is Wally going to earn money to help support his family? And can he find a job that will allow him to respond to emergencies that need the Flash’s attention?

His first thought is to fall back on his previous career as a car mechanic. Adams clearly knows his Flash history. I collected the whole run of Wally’s original series and had forgotten that he had worked as a mechanic. It did strike me as somewhat ironic that Wally’ would have a job fixing cars, when he has absolutely no need to use a car himself.

Positives Cont.

However, Mister Terrific comes to the rescue, with an amazing job offer for Wally. He offers Wally a position at Terrifitech, on a team investigating “Multiversal Studies”. Not being a scientist himself, Wally doubts his suitability for the job. But considering  his powers and experience with both time and dimensional travel, Wally seems uniquely qualified.

And Mister Terrific appears to have a lot of faith in Wally. He tells him that he’s “A mechanic. A hero. A father. You’re more than a person who can move at the speed of sound. You’re a problem solver. You have mechanical expertise. You’ve travelled through time. A lot. And I trust you”. And the job is as ideal for Wally as Wally is for the job. The job comes with a generous salary, free food, and importantly, the freedom to come and go when the Flash is needed.

With Mister Terrific as Wally’s boss, it’s likely that he will have a continuing presence in the title, which is welcome. And hopefully, it means that the Terrifics will make a guest appearance at some point.

The art is also great. The Flash is a title that requires an artist with skill in conveying the character’s kinetic energy, and Will Conrad does so beautifully. And his costumes are absolutely fantastic. He has perfectly captured the classic look of both the Flash’s and Heatwave’s costumes.

Negatives

I have absolutely no problems with The Flash #772 at all. It was everything I wanted to see in the first issue of Wally’s return as the Earth’s main Flash.

Verdict

If you’re not already reading this series, The Flash #772 is an ideal starting point for new readers. It provides an amazingly good start for Wally as he resumes his heroic career. DC is finally treating Wally West with the respect the character deserves.

The post Review: The Flash #772 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Jeremy Adams

Artists: Fernando Pasarin, Brandon Peterson

Colours: Hi-Fi, Michael Atiyeh

Letters: Steve Wands

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

The Flash 2021 Annual #1: The lightning-fast and action-packed “Surge” story line races to its conclusion as Wally West returns to the present day with a new perspective on the past and a reinvigorated desire to take back the mantle of the Flash. With one last hurdle to leap, Wally puts the past behind him, but he’ll need to propel himself further and faster than ever before to do it.

Positives

To properly appreciate why The Flash 2021 Annual #1 is not only a great story, but is an important milestone in Flash history, we’re going to have to discuss another story: Tom King’s Heroes In Crisis. I have very mixed feelings about that series. It’s a powerful and moving story. I would go so far as to call it a masterpiece – except for what it did to some of DC’s most beloved characters like Roy Harper and Wally West – especially Wally.

DC had been treating Wally poorly since his reintroduction sparked the dawn of the Rebirth era. His wife didn’t remember him, his children apparently had never existed. But Heroes In Crisis made Wally the unintentional killer of several traumatized heroes, including one of his dearest friends. DC had put Wally forward as the symbol of hope in the Rebirth era, then turned around and shat all over that hope.

However, DC had another change of mind and tried to rehabilitate the character. Flash Forward started the process by restoring his family and giving him a new mission to fix the DCU. Dark Nights: Death Metal saw Wally reconciled with his friends and family. But the events of Heroes In Crisis still weighed heavily on his soul. And it still remained an injustice to the character that needed addressing.

Positives Cont.

Enter Jeremy Adams as the new writer on The Flash. Under Adams, The Flash was set to have Wally West return as the star of the title. Adams realized that if Wally was going to be able to return to his former greatness, that he and Wally would have to deal with Wally’s role in those events and the fallout. And Adams made the wise decision to tackle that head on. His first story has taken Wally on a trip through the timestream,  and eventually back to that fateful day.

The first and greatest thing is that the true nature of that incident. During the current storyline, Wally has been dealing with mystery surges in the Speed Force. Upon his arrival at Sanctuary, Wally is faced with the realization that the deaths in Heroes In Crisis were in fact caused by one of these surges. Wally has to take a moment to himself to process this. His mixed feelings of grief and relief radiates from the page as he feels this enormous weight being lifted from his shoulders.

This also resolves a plot hole in Heroes In Crisis that has bothered me since I first read it. That story purported that the Speed Force surge was caused by Wally having momentarily lost control over his Speed Force powers. But that’s never been how the Speed Force works. No speedster has ever had to keep the Speed Force in check, lest it lash out explosively. Adams has given a reason for the Speed Force to have done so in this case, and disabused Wally of the notion that he somehow caused it to happen.

Positives Cont.

Wally also discovers that one of the surge’s victims is not frozen. Roy Harper is outside of the Speed Force bubble, allowing the two friends to have a bittersweet reunion. Their interaction raises the possibility in the readers’ minds that perhaps Roy can be saved this time. It’s a tragic realization for the characters when this turns out to not be the case. This tragedy may be somewhat undercut for readers who may be aware of Roy’s resurrection in Infinite Crisis. However, the impact on the other characters is undiminished.

In The Flash 2021 Annual #1, it becomes clear why Adams has had Green Arrow hanging around with Barry and Mister Terrific in the present as they assist Wally. In the moments before Roy’s death, Roy is able to give a final message to his mentor. Roy states his love for Ollie and implores him, “So no blaming anyone okay? If I didn’t do what I could to save the day…what kind of sidekick would I be? I’ve only wanted to make you proud…”. With this, he absolves Wally and Ollie for any blame for his death. And then he bursts, the Speed Force bubble himself, deliberately choosing to face his fate to spare Wally from having to do so. This last message allows Oliver to let go of his anger at Wally and forgive him.

And Roy’s final utterance “Love you, Lian” tugs at the heartstrings. Roy refers to his daughter Lian, who was killed in Cry For Justice. This was another event series that treated Roy just as poorly as Heroes In Crisis had treated Wally. Hopefully, Joshua Williamson’s Infinite Crisis will make things right for Roy like Adams has done for Wally.

Positives Cont.

I also loved the story’s beginning scene with Wally delivers a confession to the fourth wall. This is in imitation of the confession scenes peppered through Heroes In Crisis. In my opinion, those scenes were some of the best parts of that King’s story. And it seems only fitting to echo this narrative device in this extension to King’s story.

When Wally returns to the present, Barry presents him with a ring that contains what looks to be Wally’s new costume. In my opinion, Wally’s costume has never looked better. It seems to be mostly a throwback to the classic Silver Age Flash costume. The extra detail lines added to Barry’s costume in the New 52 are gone, giving it a cleaner look. And the shiny metallic sheen is gone as well. That looked okay, but I prefer the classic red spandex to the chrome-plated version. But there are some nods to Wally’s pre-Flashpoint costume, like the white eye-slits in his mask. And the costume is just the beginning of the great art delivered by Fernando Pasarin and Brandon Peterson.

Negatives

None. Zilch. Zero. Nada. The Flash 2021 Annual #1 is pure perfection from cover to cover.

Verdict

Jeremy Adams has done something remarkable here. He has undone the injustice that Heroes In Crisis had done to Wally West. And he’s done it without just retconning King’s story out of continuity. He has not only redeemed Wally West, but he’s redeemed a problematic story. I fully intend to give Heroes In Crisis a re-read with this in mind, freed from the idea that it’s ruined the character. I am only able to give a maximum score of 5, but if I could, I would give The Flash 2021 Annual #1 at least an 8 out of 5 if I could.

The post Review: The Flash 2021 Annual #1 appeared first on DC Comics News.