Superman Unchained #9 Review

With several publishing delays, drastic character changes (Lex Luthor being a member of the Justice League), and the Superman ongoing series getting a new superstar creative team in the form of Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr, it was obvious that Superman Unchained wasn’t long for this world, even though it has been the quintessential telling of the Man of Steel’s exploits in the New 52. Continue reading “Superman Unchained #9 Review” →

Superman Unchained #8 Review

Scott Snyder has done a fantastic job of giving Superman some opposition in Wraith that has taken him to his physical and mental limits.

Their give and take with one another over the course of events in Unchained has shown Wraith big brothering Superman, to a degree. You knew that their ideologies were going to create a rift in their “relationship” and that they would eventually come to blows. Continue reading “Superman Unchained #8 Review” →

Superman Dishes Out Some Injustice

Gods Among Us Year 2 chronicles Superman’s tyrannical reign while the remaining forces of good plot from the shadows to overthrow the once christened Earth’s greatest hero. Year one highlighted the Man of Steel’s thirst for power as personal tragedy pushed him to the breaking point. Now that he’s obtained power through his own brand of law and order, we get to see how he keeps it all intact.

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Batwoman #24 Review

Batwoman #24 serves as the series’ swan song for W. Haden Blackman and J.H. Williams III. Despite all of the great stories that has come out of these remarkable pages, it is fitting that the duo gives us the one thing they’ve been teasing for twenty four issues: The showdown between Batwoman and Batman.

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Flash #23 Review

One of the trademarks of this series is the pacing of the story. So much happens in what appears to be so little time, that when you reach the end, you find yourself saying, “That was fast”.

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Flash and Green Lantern’s First Meeting

“When Barry Met Hal” provides an inside look at their friendship over the years.

What begins in the past culminates in the present as the residual effects of a previous crime rears its ugly head. Of course, the residual is Green Lantern’s fault, and while on the surface, there are deadly consequences but it’s really just Hal being Hal.

Brian Buccellato writes this in a way where the reader lives vicariously through Flash because we’ve all had that really good friend that has gotten us into a sticky situation.

You want to choke them out and swear you will never speak to them again, but in the end, you have their back, and the friendship becomes stronger as a result.

Batman and Superman’s legendary friendship is one of the things that make them a popular duo. Flash and Green Lantern’s bromance should be on the same pedestal because certain variables make it more relatable.

Nicole Duback penned a nice back story highlighting how even a hero can’t save everyone all of the time, but you can help push things in the right direction. This was the right story to tell for this second annual because Hal is away on Oa running the Lantern Corps, and Flash is doing his thing on Earth with the Justice League. It may be a while before their shenanigans can entertain us again.

Grade A-

Man of Steel Review

It is hard for me not to be romantic when talking about Superman. He was the first comic book I ever read, the first action figure I ever owned, and often times, I’ve felt like a strange visitor from another planet. Superman inspires me like no other because he is the ultimate clutch player that comes through when things are at their worst. Needless to say, I had been eagerly anticipating the release of Man of Steel for over a year now, and I finally got to see it on opening night; and it is an epic film that captures who Superman needed to be in 2013.

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Superman Unchained #1 Review

Let me get this out of the way right now. Superman is my all-time favorite superhero. That being said, Action Comics has been either hit or miss, while the self-titled series has been completely uninspired since the inception of the New 52. Superman Unchained changes all of that.

I was curious about how Scott Snyder would approach things since his amazing knack for storytelling has been predominate with street-level characters.

Rest assured, Snyder, manages to put a fresh coat of paint on this 75-year-old classic. For starters, he actually made the book about Superman instead of focusing on the complexities of everything around him, such as his personal and professional life.

Those elements come into play when Lois informs Clark of an error in his news article, which prompts him to put on the cape and investigate the matter. Other characters from Superman folklore also make an appearance, and they were used for the purpose that they were intended.

Jimmy Olsen augments Clark Kent’s humanity as he receives a helping hand, including an attempt to be covered for, to avoid the wrath of his boss. The alien-hating General Sam Lane is not central to the story, but he brings about what could be Superman’s biggest threat.

Jim Lee’s legendary splash pages encompass your imagination as the action unfolds in front of your eyes. I mean it. It literally unfolds in the form of a beautiful gatefold poster with so much action that it couldn’t fit on one page.

While due to some dull moments, it is not a grand slam by any means, the newly heralded dream team Scott Snyder and Jim Lee have set the standard for what a Superman comic book should be in 2013.

Grade: B+

Justice League of America #3 Review

JLA improves upon the mistakes of the canceled Justice League International series by making the little things matter. For example, The U.N. commissioned the JLI with the intent of having a culturally diverse squad with no hidden identities.

A.R.G.U.S. runs this particular show, and Amanda Waller and Steve Trevor calls the shots. Geoff John covers a lot of ground with this issue that serves as the tip of the iceberg.

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Action Comics #19 Review

Now, this is what I’m talking about!

Smashing giant robots and some great interactions between Lois and Clark make this the Superman book we should have gotten when the New 52 began. The ongoing Superman series is a cluster&%#$@, Grant Morrison’s run on Action Comics had its hits and misses, and he borders on being an arrogant frat boy in Justice League.

The brass at DC Comics can’t agree on the Man of Steel’s character portrayal. This is evident by this being the first and only issue written Andy Diggle since he left the company due to “professional differences.” Furthermore, Tony S. Daniel will finish scripting the arc using Diggle’s plot and will leave the series after.

That is a real shame because this is the first time Superman has felt like Superman. This story takes place one year before the New 52 began, and Lex Luthor is up to his alien-hating ways. His portrayal thus far has been disappointing, but Diggle changes that.

Luthor hatches a plot that will tear Superman apart from the inside out. We’ve seen this kind of thing happen to Superman in the past. However, he has had Batman and others to help him. He doesn’t have that this time, so he is alone.

Tony S. Daniel is always money in the art department; this issue is no exception. His depiction of Lois is spectacular and the perfect complement to Diggle’s interpretation of the character. Of course, his work shined most during the battle scene where Superman unloads on some bad guys after being blasted out of the sky and charges at them after saying, “ Didn’t throw the first punch. I’ll throw the last.”

There was no Sholly Fisch backup story, which was usually the best part of the book. Honestly, as much as it might be missed, it was not required, as everything is straightforward. While I worry about future installments due to the creative shakeup, this issue is something Superman fans can be proud of.

Grade: A-