Saturday, August 15, 2009

No revenants, no super folks, just your everyday heroes

To the last of this week’s reviews. Spoilers head for Booster Gold #23, Green Arrow/Black Canary #23, Red Robin #3. Here’s a hint: Only one of these books was worth reading.
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Booster Gold #23
The only good thing about this was the cover. As of the next time I visit the comic shop this titled will be dropped. Next.

Green Arrow/Black Canary #23
The first of the proper split issues – last month’s issue had GA as the back up. Or maybe they’ll be switching it around every so often?

Like The Adventure Comics stories it seems like the main and second feature will overlap. This makes sense for GA/BC as they are married so you would expect their stories to crossover. We start with GA bitching about Dinah asked him to stop being Green Arrow, thereby spectacularly missing the point of her complaint. She was asking him to stop being so violent, not stop being a hero. He has been very violent over the last few years: instead of pinning some criminal to the ground through their clothes he’ll put an arrow through their arm. That’s not heroic. As much as I love Ollie that’s definitely verging on the side of vengeance, not Justice. At the end of the story Dinah comes to the rescue and knocks out the villain with a boot to the head. Very very cool. Ollie and Dinah act like a team and Dinah leaves with Cupid, taking her to safety.

As for Dinah’s story, we see her by herself beating herself up for the Discord incident. It makes sense that she’s by herself because her and Ollie have just had a pretty big fight. It also make sense that she’s rebuking herself for the Discord incident – it reminded me of when she was getting all guilty about Sin during her solo mini series. As much as I didn’t like her decision there we are seeing continuity in her characterisation.

Anyway, Wildcat turns up and tells Dinah to quit feeling bad. She then gets a call from Ollie where all is awkward due to their fight and she goes to meet him where we cut to 20 minutes later and it seems like Ollie has been blown up. The last 2 panels are of both Cupid and Dinah going Babe? As they seen the exploded building, followed by some not very impressed looks at each other. So this is how we get to Cupid and Dinah being on the run and working together. It makes sense. I wonder if all those nay sayers who were bitching about the solicit a few months back will be retracting their statements?

I must say I do like Cupid. I also liked the panel arrangement for Ollie’s story and the art for Dinah’s. The inker on Ollie’s story had gone a bit over the top I think – too much black, not enough texture.
Overall, this issue gets a big thumbs up.

Red Robin #3
Ahh Timmy. You are an angry little thing aren’t you? Like Booster Gold, this book had a great cover but the issue itself didn’t do a lot for me. Cassie turns up and Tim shuts her out. Last issue he shut out the Spoiler. Next issue I’ll betcha anything he shuts out Connor. What’ll happen when Bart turns up? Couldn't they have done all this in one issue?

I’m a bit confused as to why Tim in civilian clothes and Tim in the Red Robin suit have such different builds. Maybe the suit has 5 extra layers added?

I do appreciate the English girl using British slang, and getting it right. She sounds like me and my mates. Tim doesn’t seem to like her cursing, which is odd cos so far she’s just said knob. Don’t you American guys call it swearing over there?

The art is enjoyable – Cassie looks very fresh faced and cute, as does Tim. I’m betting this penciller would do a cute Kara.

Overall, this issue wasn’t too great. But it remains on my pull list because I liked the first two issues and I’m willing to give Tim quite a long chance.

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