Superboy #226
“The Dazzling Debut of Dawnstar!” & “Five Against One”
Writer: Paul Levitz
Pencils: James Sherman & Mike Nasser (Michael Netzer)
Inks: Jack Abel
Colors: Liz Berube
Letters: Bill Morse
Cover artist: Mike Grell
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover price: 30 cents

My local comics retailer is blowing out its back issues and sets for half off this week, so I couldn’t resist stopping by to peruse the long boxes. I found a complete set of Peter David’s Atlantis Chronicles (which should make for an interesting read in the lead-up to the new Aquaman movie) and the first 20 or so issues of Power Pack. I also happened upon a bundle of four Legion of Super-Heroes comics from the 1970s, and among them was this gem: the first appearance of Dawnstar. I’d never read it before, so I was keen to delve into the character’s origin. To my surprise, though, writer Paul Levitz really doesn’t offer much in the way of background for her in her introduction, but more disconcerting is how he chooses to depict the better-known heroes’ reactions to her. Given the clunky nature of the plot and characterization in this main story, I’m honestly surprised Dawnstar turned to have any kind of staying power in the DC Universe.

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Superman #1
“The Unity Saga”
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Ivan Reis
Inks: Joe Prado
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Josh Reed
Cover artists: Reis & Prado (regular)/Adam Hughes and David Mack (variants)
Editor: Michael Cotton
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99 US

I was discussing Bendis’s weekly Man of Steel with the manager of my local comic shop, and we both agreed liked a lot of what the writer was bringing to Superman. However, he pointed out that Bendis had removed the hero’s family — his wife and son — from the equation, and he felt that was a step back, that it removed an interesting dynamic that had been added to the character in recent years. I had to agree that I liked the notion of Clark as a father, but I was waiting to see what Bendis had in store with the plotline. After reading this new issue of the renumbered Superman title, I’m confident the writer knows exactly what he’s doing when it comes to the protagonist’s characterization. The challenge of Superman is making him relatable, given the seemingly limitless nature of his power. Bendis has a great handle on Clark Kent, though, but I have to admit the focus on the man is so strong, I’m not nearly as interested in those elements that dwell on the “super.”

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Batman #50
“The Wedding of Batman & Catwoman”
Writer: Tim King
Artists: Mikel Janin, with Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez; Becky Cloonan; Jason Fabok; Lee Bermejo; Neal Adams; Tony S. Daniel; Amanda Conner; Rafael Albuquerque; Andy Kubert; Tim Sale; Paul Pope; Mitch Gerads; Clay Mann; Ty Templeton; Joelle Jones; David Finch; jim Lee & Scott Williams; Greg Capullo; and Lee Weeks
Colors: June Chung, with Trish Mulvihill; Brad Anderson; Alex Sinclair; Hi-Fi; Tomeu Morey; Paul Mounts; Jose Villarrubia; Jordie Bellaire; and FCO Plascencia
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Cover artists: Mikel Janin (regular)/Jim Lee & Scott Williams, and Arthur Adams
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99 US

As I read the narration for this milestone issue — presented in the voices of Batman and Catwoman, by way of letters to one another on their wedding day — one thought kept running through my mind.

“It’s like poetry.”

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Hawkman #1
“Awakening, Part One: What’s Past Is Prologue”
Writer: Robert Venditti
Pencils: Bryan Hitch
Inks: Andrew Currie & Bryan Hitch
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Richard Starkings & Comicraft
Cover artists: Hitch (regular)/Stjepan Sejic (variant)
Editor: Marie Javins
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99 US

I honestly had no idea what I expect from this latest effort to relaunch DC’s Winged Warrior and to connect with an audience. I’ve enjoyed past takes on the character – notably Geoff Johns’s tenure on the character from the early 2000s – but ultimately, his history in the wake of DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths has been a convoluted mess. The attempt to merge the Golden Age Hawkman with the Silver Age counterpart just never worked properly, and the problem wasn’t just continuity, but clarity in storytelling. Writer Robert Venditti has promised this new vision of Hawkman will be simpler and more accessible, but the script for this first issue doesn’t necessarily bear that out. Nevertheless, I am intrigued. It appears that instead of trying to ignore the many conflicting and diverse takes on Hawkman, the writer will embrace that oddity. My hope is that he’ll arrive at something more focused and new. Meanwhile, the real reason I picked up this comic book didn’t disappoint, and that’s the richly detailed and realistic artwork of Bryan Hitch.

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Justice League #1
“The Totality, Part 1”
Writer: Scott Snyder
Pencils: Jim Cheung
Inks: Mark Morales
Colors: Tomeu Morey
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Cover artists: Cheung (regular)/Jim Lee & Scott Williams (variant)
Editor: Rebecca Taylor
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99 US

I’ve been a fan of Scott Snyder’s writing, and no one can resist the attractive linework of artist Jim Cheung, so picking up this new relaunch of DC’s premier super-hero team was a no-brainer. And there’s a lot to like here. Snyder embraces a return to traditions, to moments of lightness and fun, and to a team of dark reflections of the titular heroes. He also offers some strong interplay among the Leaguers and some poignant characterization for a figure that’s been sadly overlooked in DC’s comics for years. But despite those strengths, Justice League #1 is something of an awkward read. Snyder has offered a quick succession of cosmic Justice League stories in the past year, and it’s starting to look as though cosmic fare such as this might not be in his wheelhouse.

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The Man of Steel #1
“Man of Steel, Part 1”
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Ivan Reis & Jay Fabok
Inks: Joe Prado & Jay Fabok
Colors: Alex Sinclair
Letters: Cory Petit
Editor: Michael Cotton
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99 US

I recently reviewed Brian Michael Bendis’s final published work from Marvel, and it seemed only fitting to turn my attention to his DC debut. Though he had work published at DC in the last few weeks (in Action Comics #1000 and DC Nation #0), The Man of Steel #1 (evoking memories of John Byrne’s relaunch of the character with the same title more than three decades ago) is his first full issue at his new professional home. Some have described Superman, the original super-hero, as the least interesting super-hero — too powerful, too vanilla, what have you. One could argue that in the hands of the right writer, Superman is the most human of super-heroes, and Bendis is definitely equal to the task. The writer has always been talented when it comes to bringing fantastic characters down to earth, and he does so with the title character here, while at the same time, he explores the wonder of his seemingly limited powers — especially when it comes to his super-senses. The Man of Steel is exactly what I was hoping for from Bendis at DC, and I can’t wait for more.

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Action Comics #1000
Writers: Dan Jurgens, Peter J. Tomasi, Marv Wolfman, Geoff Johns and Richard Donner, Scott Snyder, Tom King, Louise Simonson, Paul Dini, Brad Meltzer & Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Dan Jurgens & Norm Rapmund; Patrick Gleason; Curt Swan, Butch Guice & Kurt Schaffenberger; Olivier Coipel; Rafael Albuquerque; Clay Mann; Jerry Ordway; Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez & Kevin Nowlan; John Cassaday; and Jim Lee & Scott Williams
Colors: Hi-Fi, Alejandro Sanchez, Dave McCaig, Jordie Bellaire, Trish Mulvihill, Laura Martin & Alex Sinclair
Letters: Rob Leigh, Tom Napolitano, Nick Napolitano, John Workman, Carlos M. Mangual, Josh Reed, Chris Eliopoulos & Cory Petit
Cover artists: Jim Lee & Scott Williams (regular)/Steve Rude, Michael Cho, Dave Gibbons, Michael Allred, Jim Steranko, Joshua Middleton, Dan Jurgens & Kevin Nowlan, and Lee Bermejo
Editor: Paul Kaminski & Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $7.99 US

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The Curse of Brimstone #1
“Inferno, Part 1”
Writer: Justin Jordan
Artist/Cover artist: Philip Tan
Colors: Rain Beredo
Letters: Wes Abbott
Editor: Jessica Chen
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99 US

With this new creation, writer Justin Jordan and artist Philip Tan delve into a socio-political reality of rural life in America and beyond, but surprisingly, this comic book, at least so far, isn’t all that political from a partisan perspective. This script is going to speak to a lot of people. While I live and work in an urban area, the Canadian province in which I live is suffering from population decline and a struggling economy. While I don’t find myself in dire straits like the characters in this story, it’s incredibly easy to connect with the despair tempered with hope for change. The socio-economic ideas Jordan explores here are important ones, and not something one typically finds in mainstream super-hero comics, so the first chapter of The Curse of Brimstone was a refreshing change of pace in that regard. What hampers it somewhere, though, is the over-declaration of the plight of the backdrop and insufficient information on the real premise that emerges at the end of the issue.

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Doomsday Clock #4
“Walk on Water”
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist/Cover artist: Gary Frank
Colors: Brad Anderson
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Brian Cunningham
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99 US

I’ve been a fan of Geoff Johns’s writing for some time, but this single issue may be the best thing he’s crafted in his career. Much to my surprise, this event book takes a bit of a hiatus to explore the background and psyche of the new Rorschach, and it’s a fascinating character study. Despite the controversy over mining Watchmen for new stories over the objections of Alan Moore and his fans, it really feels that Johns does right by the source material here. This is completely unlike anything Johns has written before. This issue feels more like an organic extension of Watchmen than the three preceding it. Even if one hasn’t read the first three chapters of Doomsday Clock, one could easily delve into this character-focused issue for a satisfying read in and of itself.

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Cosmic Odyssey #s 1-4
Writer: Jim Starlin
Pencils: Mike Mignola
Inks: Carlos Garzon
Colors: Steve Oliff
Letters: John Workman
Cover artist: Mignola
Editor:
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.50 US/$4.75 CAN per issue

When I saw this bundle of the original, “prestige-format” issues Cosmic Odyssey for sale for less than 10 bucks, I knew I had to grab it right away. That I didn’t own this 1988 series, even as a trade-paperback collection, was puzzling, as I’m a major Mignola fan (who isn’t?) and enjoy big universe-spanning, super-hero epics. While this is far from a masterpiece or an example of the best of these creators’ work, Cosmic Odyssey is a solid read, making room for some nice bits of characterization amid the accessible (if overly predictable and simplified) plot. One needn’t be familiar with all the minutiae of DC history to enjoy what is essentially a fairly traditional. Perhaps what’s best about this book is that it demonstrates that a major cosmic super-hero crisis needn’t cross over into all titles in a publisher’s line and can rather just unfold in a self-contained mini-series.

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Green Lantern: Earth One Volume One original hardcover graphic novel
Writers: Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman
Artist/Cover artist: Hardman
Colors: Jordan Boyd
Letters: Simon Bowland
Editor: Kristy Quinn
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $24.99 US/$33.99 CAN

DC almost invariably grabs my attention with these Earth One graphic novels, with the promise of innovative reinterpretations of familiar characters and some strong talent. I was looking forward to this one, in part for Hardman’s art, but moreso for the fact that the creators here toss out Hal Jordan as a cocky test pilot and reinvent him as a disillusioned astronaut. There’s no denying that Hardman and Bechko have completely turned the Green Lantern Corps concept on its ear, transforming it into a story of corruption and war. But after reading the book, I felt like something was lost along the way. I’m fine with a new take on Green Lantern, but what’s missing here is the sense of wonder.

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It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since DC Comics undertook its ill-conceived Convergence event. While it did bridge the publisher’s ailing New 52 brand for its superhero line to the successful Rebirth reboot, Convergence and its “who’d win” approach to character conflict was handled inconsistently and illogically. That being said, the extensive array of two-part spinoff titles, focusing on different characters from different eras of DC’s history, offered some entertainment value. There were so many of them, though, demanding a hefty price ($3.99 US per issue), that there didn’t seem to be any point and trying to collect them all. I picked up a handful, mainly those featuring a few characters and the work of creators that interested me.

Like many comic shops, my local retailer had quite a few leftover Convergence comics lying around. Not long ago, they bundled a bunch of those two-part series together at discounted prices, and a subsequent blowout sale of those marked-down bundles offered me a chance to sample some more of these Convergence titles at pennies on the dollar. As was the case the first time around, I found a mixed bag. Some stories were compelling and novel, while others were scattered and confusing. Here my some thoughts on some of them…

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The Rann/Thanagar War #s 1-6
Writer: Dave Gibbons
Pencils: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado & Joe Bennett
Inks: Marc Campos, Joe Prado, Oclair Albert & Jack Jadson
Colors: John Kalisz, Richard Horie & Tanya Horie
Letters: Nick J. Napolitano
Cover artists: Reis & Campos
Editors: Peter Tomasi & Stephen Wacker
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.50 US/$3.50 CAN per issue

One of my favorite comics titles ever is Crisis on Infinite Earths, so when DC announced a sequel — Infinite Crisis — I was understandably interested. In the buildup to that event book, the published released several limited series in 2005 purporting to lead into it, and I read most of them, including Villains United, Day of Vengeance and The OMAC Project. However, for some reason, I didn’t delve into The Rann/Thanagar War, despite it being written by the highly respected Dave Gibbons. Well, my local comics retailer had a blowout sale of its comic bundles not too long ago, and I scooped up armfuls of discount comics. Among them was a complete of this limited series at a ridiculously low price. As such, I certainly can’t say I wasted my money on this series, but reading it was a waste of time. If the the overly verbose script and annoyingly complex plot weren’t frustrating enough, the complete lack of any real resolution to the plot after six issues is enough to leave the reader wondering what the point of the book was in the first place (other than a means to pluck a few extra bucks from the pockets of DC’s fanbase).

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The Terrifics #1
“Meet the Terrifics, Part 1 of 3”
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Pencils: Ivan Reis
Inks: Joe Prado
Colors: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Cover artists: Reis & Prado
Editor: Paul Kaminski
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99 US

While I’m somewhat leery of the various new DC launches in the wake of its Dark Nights: Metal event, this new series stood out from the pack from the first moment it was promoted. The title itself and the diverse quartet of characters offered a lot of promise, but most interesting is the fact that DC has essentially crafted its own Fantastic Four title while Marvel has let its flagship founding property languish for years. Writer Jeff Lemire has successfully brought together these unconnected characters in a plausible fashion, and he’s offered up a wonderfully traditional superhero adventure. While I think a lighter and simpler tone would have suited the visuals better, Ivan Reis delivers some exciting and expressive artwork that reinforces the wondrous and impossible circumstances in which these characters find themselves.

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Action Comics #996
“Booster Shot, Part IV”
Writer: Dan Jurgens
Artist: Will Conrad
Colors: Ivan Nunes
Letters: Rob Leigh
Cover artists: Dan Jurgens & Trevor Scott (regular)/Dustin Nguyen (variant)
Editor: Paul Kaminski
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $2.99 US

I started reading this series again for the “Oz Effect” story arc, which piqued my interest and impressed with its artwork. I continued to read because this followup arc, “Booster Shot,” offered the promise of a classic team-up tale, and new Booster Gold artwork from the character’s creator, Dan Jurgens. And at first, this title delivered. But four issues into this story, we’re on our third artist, and plot hasn’t really advanced in any appreciable way. It feels as though the approaching milestone for the series is dictating the pacing of the plot, rather than any focus on storytelling.

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