Over the last two weeks I have read X-Men 10, Forever Evil 5, Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion 5, Green Lantern/Red Lantern 28 and World's Finest Annual 1.
Spoilers after the break.
X-Men 10
I couldn't recall the details of this without flicking back through it. When I did flick back through it I was reminded that it was a pretty solid action comic. This won't change the world, but it's good entertainment. I would like to see more of Jubilee's vampirism (I've barely seen any evidence of it) and I'd like Rachel to lose the red stripes on her face. I find them distracting and poorly designed. This issue is the start of a new arc named Ghosts. I'm not particularly intrigued by it, but I'm not turned off by it. I'm happy to sit back and let it come to me.
Forever Evil 5
This is another good fun comic event. This issue sees Sinestro fighting the cowardly Power Ring and the Crime Syndicate's lackey's fighting Luthor's team. It definitely reads like Luthor's team and not Batman's team. The bond between Batman and Catwoman is nice to see. Power Ring gets killed by Sinestro and his ring flies off in search of the next wearer. I am very intrigued to see who it picks. The issue ends with the Crime Syndicate standing on a cliff looking across the sea, stating that 'The creature that destroyed our world has found us'. The sky is burned with a miles long streak of red energy - it looks a bit like a horizontal lightning strike, or electricity charge. To me, this looks most similar to the red skies that heralded the Crisis in pre 52 continuity. I don't know if that is what they are going for here, but I want to find out. There are 2 more issues to go, let's hope that the mini series finishes on a high note.
Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion 5
This was a weaker issue. There's not much to highlight - the only things that stand out are Atomica shrinking inside a cop then growing to normal size, exploding him from the throat; and Trickster declaring Weather Wizard's blizzard/hurricane mix a blizzacane. 1 more issues of this to go. It's not as good as Final Crisis: Rogues Revenge but is probably a keeper. Judging the series as a whole the really good issues seem to alternate with average ones, so I expect issue 6 (the final one) to be ace.
Green Lantern/Red Lantern 28
The long awaited Supergirl-turns-into-a-Red-Lantern issue!
I wrote up my initial reaction to this news back in November, see here. I wasn't best pleased. Reading the issue, it's better than I expected. It seems that Kara may not have chosen the ring, but she was completely taken over by it and in it's thrall, at least until Guy dipped her into a red lake which apparently has the power to calm Red Lanterns down.
When she comes out of the lake she is confused and doesn't what is happening to her. None of the Lanterns (red or green) recognised her as Supergirl so in this new young universe none of them can have met her before. In contrast to the post crisis/pre 52 Supergirl, Hal isn't trying to hit on her this time, which made me smile.
Shortly after this story was announced I have thought that perhaps they would use this arc as a way to get Kara to face her anger and deal with it. Given what we've seen of her so far I now wonder if that is the direction they are going to go. Or maybe not. I had assumed that all red Lanterns were permanently angry - blinded by rage - but Guy's demeanour and attitude (and his corps) shows this is not the case.
It was good to see the Green, Red and Blue Lanterns again. I haven't kept up with them since Blackest Night ended so this was a welcome look into their world. I will buy the Red Lantern issues for as long as I can - and maybe the Greens as well, dependent on if Kara is in them - and I hope to enjoy this arc. I did really like this issue.
World's Finest Annual 1
I picked this up for the cover:
The bright colours and great costumes sucked me in. The issue itself was great. Helena Wayne as Robin is great fun to read and miles away from the Helena Bertinelli I am more familiar with. She even humanises Batman. I do like plucky teenage girl characters and this Helena is a great example. The visuals are the real draw though - the costumes and the action poses are really well designed and really well put together.
Kara Zor-L (is she still Zor-L here?) also has a great costume - I really like the S shield and the gloves. This is the first time I have read the Kara Zor-L version where she reads like Kara Zor-El, the pre 52 version at least. Kara goes dancing, wants to practice her flirting, meets a guy then can't save him. Her bedroom has teddy bar and a fluffy pink heart shaped cushion. She really reminds me of the Ian Churchill and Ale Garza pre 52 issues, but less snotty. Kara and Helena team up and go hunting Fury, an Amazonian alike who turns out to be Earth 2 Wonder Woman's daughter. Again, they both get beautiful costume designs. Bruce and Kal are the downers in this issue - they really do act like jerks, spying on their daughter/cousin, keeping Kara hidden as a secret weapon and planning 'what to do with them'. Ugh.
I really liked this issue and I am very pleased I bought it.
Spoilers after the break.
X-Men 10
I couldn't recall the details of this without flicking back through it. When I did flick back through it I was reminded that it was a pretty solid action comic. This won't change the world, but it's good entertainment. I would like to see more of Jubilee's vampirism (I've barely seen any evidence of it) and I'd like Rachel to lose the red stripes on her face. I find them distracting and poorly designed. This issue is the start of a new arc named Ghosts. I'm not particularly intrigued by it, but I'm not turned off by it. I'm happy to sit back and let it come to me.
Forever Evil 5
This is another good fun comic event. This issue sees Sinestro fighting the cowardly Power Ring and the Crime Syndicate's lackey's fighting Luthor's team. It definitely reads like Luthor's team and not Batman's team. The bond between Batman and Catwoman is nice to see. Power Ring gets killed by Sinestro and his ring flies off in search of the next wearer. I am very intrigued to see who it picks. The issue ends with the Crime Syndicate standing on a cliff looking across the sea, stating that 'The creature that destroyed our world has found us'. The sky is burned with a miles long streak of red energy - it looks a bit like a horizontal lightning strike, or electricity charge. To me, this looks most similar to the red skies that heralded the Crisis in pre 52 continuity. I don't know if that is what they are going for here, but I want to find out. There are 2 more issues to go, let's hope that the mini series finishes on a high note.
Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion 5
This was a weaker issue. There's not much to highlight - the only things that stand out are Atomica shrinking inside a cop then growing to normal size, exploding him from the throat; and Trickster declaring Weather Wizard's blizzard/hurricane mix a blizzacane. 1 more issues of this to go. It's not as good as Final Crisis: Rogues Revenge but is probably a keeper. Judging the series as a whole the really good issues seem to alternate with average ones, so I expect issue 6 (the final one) to be ace.
Green Lantern/Red Lantern 28
The long awaited Supergirl-turns-into-a-Red-Lantern issue!
I wrote up my initial reaction to this news back in November, see here. I wasn't best pleased. Reading the issue, it's better than I expected. It seems that Kara may not have chosen the ring, but she was completely taken over by it and in it's thrall, at least until Guy dipped her into a red lake which apparently has the power to calm Red Lanterns down.
When she comes out of the lake she is confused and doesn't what is happening to her. None of the Lanterns (red or green) recognised her as Supergirl so in this new young universe none of them can have met her before. In contrast to the post crisis/pre 52 Supergirl, Hal isn't trying to hit on her this time, which made me smile.
Shortly after this story was announced I have thought that perhaps they would use this arc as a way to get Kara to face her anger and deal with it. Given what we've seen of her so far I now wonder if that is the direction they are going to go. Or maybe not. I had assumed that all red Lanterns were permanently angry - blinded by rage - but Guy's demeanour and attitude (and his corps) shows this is not the case.
It was good to see the Green, Red and Blue Lanterns again. I haven't kept up with them since Blackest Night ended so this was a welcome look into their world. I will buy the Red Lantern issues for as long as I can - and maybe the Greens as well, dependent on if Kara is in them - and I hope to enjoy this arc. I did really like this issue.
World's Finest Annual 1
I picked this up for the cover:
The bright colours and great costumes sucked me in. The issue itself was great. Helena Wayne as Robin is great fun to read and miles away from the Helena Bertinelli I am more familiar with. She even humanises Batman. I do like plucky teenage girl characters and this Helena is a great example. The visuals are the real draw though - the costumes and the action poses are really well designed and really well put together.
Kara Zor-L (is she still Zor-L here?) also has a great costume - I really like the S shield and the gloves. This is the first time I have read the Kara Zor-L version where she reads like Kara Zor-El, the pre 52 version at least. Kara goes dancing, wants to practice her flirting, meets a guy then can't save him. Her bedroom has teddy bar and a fluffy pink heart shaped cushion. She really reminds me of the Ian Churchill and Ale Garza pre 52 issues, but less snotty. Kara and Helena team up and go hunting Fury, an Amazonian alike who turns out to be Earth 2 Wonder Woman's daughter. Again, they both get beautiful costume designs. Bruce and Kal are the downers in this issue - they really do act like jerks, spying on their daughter/cousin, keeping Kara hidden as a secret weapon and planning 'what to do with them'. Ugh.
I really liked this issue and I am very pleased I bought it.
It was rather amusing watching both Batman and Lex Luthor posturing...but I have to admit that I think the whole "Forever Evil" thing has been going on for WAAAY too long now.
ReplyDeleteI loved Green Lantern/Red Lantern...naturally. It will be interesting to see if Supergirl stays a Red, usually if the ring is removed, the wearer dies, but I don't really see that happening.
I believe Tony bedard (Supergirl writer) has said the RL arc will only last 3 issues in the SG book, so I imagine she will get the ring off (somehow). Possibly in the vicinity of a yellow sun so she is instantly healed?
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