Comics Reviews part 1: The March 2009 edition

Spoilers ahead for:
Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th grade # 4
Action Comics # 875
Superman: World of New Krypton #1
Superman/Batman #56
Booster Gold # 18
Terror Titans #6
Green Arrow/Black Canary #18
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #23
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Here we go, in no particular order…

Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th grade # 4
This issue was written by a cat lover J - Streaky arrives! A somewhat demonic Streaky, judging by the first shadowy glimpse we get. This incarnation reminds me of Power Girl’s cat from Justice League America and Justice League Europe. This is a good thing.
In this issue Kara shows her scientific prowess, we get to see more of Moon Supergirl, her best mate Lena finds out her secret then conveniently gets her mind wiped (how Smallville esque), but that’s OK because it turns out the cat did it, we get this universe’s version of Lex’s battle armour, and Streaky attacks Kara’s arch nemesis, on the face.
See? I told you it’s similar to Power Girl’s cat. Down to planning and manipulating events in a sly and unobtrusive manner. Kara is Streaky’s pet after all.

Great issue. Only 2 more to go though. :(

Action Comics # 875
We find out Nightwing and Flamebird’s identities! And it’s not Linda Danvers and Kon-El :(
But first, a ramble. I first came across Nightwing and Flamebird proper in the pages of Supergirl, when Kara and Power Girl were transported to Kandor after Infinite Crisis.

Say, what happened to that version of Kandor? Because the new enlarged Kandor bears no resemblance to that city. Honest question - does anyone have an answer?

Anyway, I loved those two as Kandor’s protectors and I loved their suits – I’ve even got the action figures and I think they’re beautiful, wonderful designs. These 2 new heroes have different designs, and to be honest, the suits do nothing for me. This issue reveals that the two heroes are Kryptonians, and they have to have the suits to disguise this fact, because of the embargo against Kryptonians. But still, these are not visually appealing costumes. They look like robots, or normal humans dressed up in fancy tech gear. Yes yes I know that is the point. I still don't like it.

Anyway, it turns out that Thara is Flamebird and Christopher Kent is Nightwing! Although I’m pleased that Thara is not Superwoman and so not evil, and that this means we are gonna get to see lots of her, I’m not so fussed about Christopher Kent. I think I was just really hoping to get Linda and Kon back. :(

Zod, Ursa and the big dumb lump are set up as direct enemies, which should be interesting. I particularly liked the panel demonstrating Zod’s dickishness – the one where he walks away from Ursa’s intimate moment. Her facial expression and her body language is portrayed brilliantly.

Alura shows a surprising amount of naivety and by extension, humanity, as regards her conversation with Zod about Thara. I’d like to see this mirrored in the other Super titles, please.

I’m not too convinced about the inside art in this – Thara looks like a teenager. The cover is beautiful though.

Chris Kent is experiencing inexplicable growth spurts - how convenient - he now looks about 17. I’m sure they’ll find some contrived way to stop his growing older and dying though.

This comic, especially Zod and Ursa’s behaviour, ties in well with…
Superman: World of New Krypton #1
Superman moves to New Krypton, finds out more about his home planet’s culture and gets conscripted into the military guild, where he is to work under Zod. Ooh-err. He does look rather fetching in that black and grey uniform though.

God Alura is arrogant. Knowing what she knows, knowing Kal and seeing his previous actions, she accepts his defection to New Krypton and his breaking of all earth ties rather too easily for my tastes.

I adored the panels showing the Kryptonians getting used to their powers – mostly their inability to fly. Tyr falling off the building was ve-ry funny.

All in all I’m now very much looking forward to this mini. Only one criticism of the book….

…These Flash Re-birth splash ads are really getting to me and ruining the momentum of the stories. Although it looks like they’ll work as I’m sure not to forget to order the books. *sigh*

Superman/Batman #56
Last super title of the week. It admits that Bruce’s megalomaniac tendencies were there all along, and that his desire to save the world was what he truly wanted. Hah, I feel vindicated. Of course, I don’t think Bruce’s obsessiveness is a surprise to anyone.

Creating illusions of Bruce’s dead parents is a mean, dirty, rotten trick. Had Bruce not already been driven half nuts by the amulet I doubt that the trick would have worked, and I doubt that Bruce would have reacted the way he did – which was to basically have a mini breakdown.

I don’t like Rags Morales art, he draws a lousy Zatanna.

Booster Gold # 18
Ack, this all got a bit emo. Michelle found out she was meant to have died and is now having a melt down. I can’t quite work out why – the timeline has obviously been changed so that in this reality, although a year ago she was dead, Rip Hunter plucked her out of the timestream and now she’s alive. This means that the reality in which she died is now an alternate reality. You’d think that with her dancing about the timestream with Booster, Rip and Skeets she’d have got the hang of this by now.
Michelle was fun and lovely and now she’s going to angst. I do not approve.

Terror Titans #6
I do not see the point of this mini, at all. It hasn’t helped any character development or greater plotline outside of the series and we haven’t learned anything new. The only thing to come out of it is that Clock King is (probably) dead. Miss Martian turned up in the middle, so I guess now we know why she left the Teen Titans, but she could easily have been elsewhere doing something useful.
Well we got to see lots of my beloved Rose I guess. Hey, she’s gonna have her own back up story in the pages of Teen Titans soon! Hurrah!

Green Arrow/Black Canary #18
A return to the days of the arrow signal! Dinah calls Ollie out on his methods, at last. Shooting arrows in every criminal’s leg or arm is an ethically dubious way to carry on. I would have liked to see how Ollie managed to pin Vertigo upside down, halfway up a wall, with arrows. Did he glue him up there first?

It was nice to see Ollie pointing out that he’s not Batman, the growing relationship with the cop, and Brick back in the picture. I can’t believe that Ollie just electrocuted Dinah. You don’t do that to your other half. Maybe it’s because I’ve just read a domestic violence themed comic, but that plot development makes me nervy.

Crazy lady is still crazy, and thanks to her Ollie appears to be ready to murder. Who thinks he’s gonna do it? I don‘t. Apart from the whole morals aspect of Ollie's character, Dinah will have his guts for garters if he does.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #23
In this issue, Buffy fights Pink. The depiction of Buffy on the cover is accurate, yet different. It looks like exactly like Buffy, had Sarah Michelle Gellar had a different life path. It’s got aspects of maturity, which Gellar is lacking, and that inner poise visible on the faces of women like Sarah Connor in the Sarah Connor Chronicles.

I do have a soft spot for Andrew so it was nice to see him being formally accepted as part of the family. I am somewhat ashamed to say I don’t get all the geek references. What do the following relate to:
Vanity Smurf
Dualla/Billy/Fat Lee
A story written on toilet paper from a prison cell (this seems really familiar but I just can’t quite place it)
Don Draper

??? Can anyone tell me?

Buffy should have taken lessons from Kara – don’t make promises to children you can’t keep. It will all end in tears.