This week: The Owls attack the Birds of Prey, Batwoman avoids the Owls, and Conan is a multidimensional character?!
Batwoman #9 – Perhaps Trevor McCarthy
was a better choice to fill in JH Williams III than Amy Reeder. I
can't believe I just said that. The unfortunate circumstances behind
Reeder's departure from the series aside, it seems that McCarthy may
have been a better fit for the book. Emulating Williams' detailed
layouts, this issue is almost a completely different animal from any
of the art I have ever seen by McCarthy. The story is still a bit of a
mess. The narrative hops from one character to the next without
establishing much more the events on a timeline. There's a end of
issue “shocker” that most people will just yawn at. If Batwoman
has one thing going for it, it's the fact that the book isn't part of
the Night of Owls crossover.
Birds of Prey #9 – In which: The
ongoing plot is put on hold for a Night of Owls tie-in. As with most
of the other crossover issues, BoP #9 wasn't bad but it felt like a
speed bump in the series' progression. On the plus side, this is
Travel Foreman's first issue as series artists. I'll miss Jesus Siaz but
Foreman showed that he can handle a book that is more traditional
than Animal Man.
Conan The Barbarian #4 -The first part
of the second storyline in Brian Wood's Conan continues the level of
quality we've seen since issue one. James Harren's art is a nice
companion to Becky Cloonan's work in the first three issues. I'm not
terribly familiar with any Conan mythos that doesn’t involve
Schwarzenegger, but there's is more characterization in the pages of
this comic than I thought was possible with the Barbarian.
Danger Club #2 – Though not as sharp
as the first issue, Danger Club is still a book with an interesting
premise and solid execution. Issue two didn’t feel quite as
carefully crafted but there were still plenty of telling character
moments and over-the-top action. The art has a level of detail to it
that really fleshes out the world that the reader is exploring, and
the writing draws them into a topsy-turvy world of kid superheroics.
Daredevil #13 – While the OmegaDrive
may be a burden upon the shoulders of Matt Murdoch, I can't help but
feel like it has become a bit of a burden for the readership as well.
What started as a clever story by Mark Waid has slowly gone nowhere.
Don't get me wrong, the issues it has appeared in haven't been bad, it
just seemed like there was nothing to do with the Drive after its
initial appearance. After a three part crossover that failed to
develop the story at all, Daredevil sheds his burden in issue
thirteen with a little trickery. The book is still written by Waid,
so it's going to be good, but I want to see where the series goes now
that the Drive is out of the picture.
Justice League #9 – For nine months I
have tried to put into words my problems with Justice League. I'm
tired of trying. The book has been a baffling mess. On top of that,
the new villain that is developed in issue nine looks like a reject
from a comic published in 1992. How can a book with such talented
creators be so unbearably mediocre?
Manhattan Projects #3 – Jonathan
Hickman and Nick Pitarra's book is still one of the most anticipated
books I pick up every month, but issue three brings to light a
complaint I have about the series. While many things have happened,
they all seem to be occurring in the background. I can't place what
exactly takes the foreground in the book. If I had to guess, I would
say the book's setting and premise place a shadow over all of the
actual events that happen. In this issue, there's a pretty
interesting bit at the end that puts the entire project and the power
of those involved into an interesting perspective.
The Shade #8 – I've rather enjoyed
James Robinson's maxi-series starring immortal, former villain The
Shade. It's given him every possibility to explore the DC Universe
in his unique way. This month, Robinson was joined by Jill Thompson
for a story set in the Shades' past. It was a strong issue and
Thompson's art was very good, but I felt like it was a little slow at
points.
Thief of Thieves #4 – Nick Spencer
and Robert Kirkman treat us to more back-story in issue four. The
story of the main character's son's failures leads into a main plot
point. The script is tight and the art by Shawn Martinbrough looks
great.
Winter Soldier #5 – The first arc of
Ed Brubacker's Winter Soldier series comes to a close with all kinds
of superhero/espionage smashup going on. Doctor Doom, Bucky, and
Black Widow kick butt and save the day, while it's revealed that
another sleeper agent is on the loose. A strong end to a solid
story. I'm still not a huge Butch Guise fan, but his work fits the
tone of the book.
Wonder Woman #9 – There just aren't
enough words to describe how good Wonder Woman has been since the
relaunch. Brian Azzarello's strong characterization of Diana Prince
and his re-imagining of the Greek Pantheon have done wonders for the
character. This issue has a climactic scene that is so clever and
well thought-out that I am still in a state of shock about it. Once
again, Tony Akins fills in ably for Cliff Chiang.
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