Green Lantern
One comic book essential to understanding the history of the universe created by DC Comics is Green Lantern.
In addition to the ongoing title, there are three recent series that will interest collectors. The first appeared in 1998 in three issues,
Green Lantern and Sentinel, and is becoming difficult to find. Prices are going up. Even if it were not scarce, the
Ron Marz script and
Paul Pellitier art would make this a desirable set.
The second set,
Green Lantern: the New Corps, appeared in 1999 in two issues at a cost of $4.95 each. They seem to be readily available.
Chuck Dixon's plot and Scott Eaton's art are commendable. The ending was a surprise, but a rereading of the set reveals that Dixon played fair with readers.
Some of the characters introduced in this story will probably reappear. Particularly appealing is a Russian cosmonaut lost in space since 1964. Her plight reminds me of Marvel's Captain America and even more of Ripley, the heroine of the
Alien films, who hibernated for decades at a time.
The third series, five issues of
Day of Judgment, is a major disappointment. It had the potential to be a major epic.
Geoff Johns' script is interesting, but the crude art dilutes its impact.
The basic concept was the rehabilitation of both Hal Jordon, the second of DC's Green Lanterns, and the Spectre. It is difficult to recognize this rendition of the Spectre as the same character handled so memorably by
Tom Mandrake and
John Ostrander.
The first two series get high A's for story and art.
Day of Judgment gets a B for the script and a D- for the art. Since this plot will probably affect many DC titles for some time to come, it will be worth keeping as a reference. If there is a new Spectre series looming, let us hope for drastic improvements.
Review by Dr. Jon Suter
The Black Pearl
You must crawl before you walk, and walk before you run.
The Black Pearl walks.
This new crime series is the first step for actor Mark "Star Wars" Hamill and his cousin as comic book writers. Their simple, stated premise is to pen a realistic superhero story.
Sorry, guys.
Their actual premise is that there are no heroes. Strippers and prostitutes are treated with the same 'respect' as are the police and
The Black Pearl, who is a meek little peeping Tom reluctantly caught up in a web of murder and crime.
His portrayed 'sin' that makes him real is that he has invaded the privacy of a stripper. His sin, never mentioned by these authors, is actually an all pervading lust.
I'm tired of anti-heroes and of worlds where no one is good, decent or moral. This world and this hero are no more real than Superman and the X-Men. This nihilism diminishes what is otherwise a well written, interesting and entertaining Black Pearl.
I'm also tired of 'extreme' art in which everyone is layered with too much muscle (men) or too much flesh (women), where story telling is secondary to silly poses, jumping, teeth gnashing and clenched fists. You won't find most of that here. Story and art are well wed, the art is a traditional mix of half-realism and half-abstraction, and the men look normal.
The naked truth, however is that there is a lot of unnecessary nudity and every woman looks like the centerfold from a 'men's' magazine.
So, should you buy the gem? If you're an adult, crawl to your comics shop.
Just dont expect a jewel.
Review by Michael Vance
Batman Elseworlds
I have always respected
Doug Moench as a writer. Two of his most recent efforts use the Batman characters in two very different "Elseworld" comic books.
The first is a two-issue series,
Batman: Book of the Dead. In this version of the Batman mythos, Bruce Wayne's parents were archaeologists murdered because of their knowledge of dangerous secrets from the earliest days of ancient Egypt. Those who enjoy movies such as
Raiders of the Lost Ark,
Stargate, or the remake of
The Mummy will relish this foray into pseudo-history.
The double plot involves not only Batman but a hitherto unknown bat-headed deity from Egyptian mythology. As a story, this is good work, but some plot lines are not developed fully.
Barry Kitson's art is appropriate for such a plot. What bothers me is the attempt to document the basic premises of the plot. Not even the inclusion of a bibliography can validate the credibility of Egyptian "gods" being space travelers in weird helmets. (This notion has been around for some time. Even mystery writers such as P.C. Doherty in his recent
Mask of Ra incorporate it into otherwise accurate stories.)
Give Moench and Kitson an A for story and art, if not for history.
Now that I have vented my spleen let me praise with far fewer reservations
Catwoman: Guardian of Gotham.
The title is self-explanatory: in this Elseworld, Catwoman and Batman have switched roles, but this Batman is far more murderous than the "real" Catwoman.
Jim Balent and
Kim DeMulder provide excellent art for Moench's script. I do have trouble taking the female villain Two Face's costume seriously. It just does not work.
Another minor problem is the seeming failure of Catwoman to guard "stately Kyle Manor" against intruders. The ease of entry enables the felonious Batman to discover her secret identity, an essential plot element, but out of character. I have not yet seen the final issue of
Catwoman, but I am eager for it. I suspect Moench has surprises in store.
Dr. Jon Suter
Big Blown Baby #'s 1-4
Published by Dark Horse. A nasty, puerile and perverse satire of comics artist Jack Kirby's work, this degrades it, isn't funny and fulfills its cover warning: "For Immature Adults Only!"
Review by Michael Vance
Browser and Sequoia
Published by SaberCat and marketed for youngsters. This pseudo-American Indian folktale about gentle sky spirits, cute animals and evil hunters portrays Creation as more important than Creator, and culture as more important than truth. The truth is out there, and this is not it.
Review by Michael Vance
Justice Society of America
After a fairly dull summer, things are looking up, at least for DC Comics.
The first issue of
JSA comes as no surprise to those who followed the two-issue revival of
All Star Comics earlier this year and the "Crisis Times 5" storyline in
JLA.
JSA and
JLA are, of course, shorthand for the Justice Society of America and the Justice League of America.
The first
JSA story is well written and well drawn. If
James Robinson and
David Goyer can maintain the intriguing scripts and Stephen Sandowski can maintain his initial art, the future looks bright. (There have been other bright starts in the JSA's history that have not held up.)
The new
JSA has some returning members from its earliest days: Wildcat, Green Lantern (now known as Sentinel), and Flash. Many of the new members are children of early members: Black Canary, Atom and Starman. There is a promise of a new Hawkwoman and a new Sandman.
The first issue begins with the funeral of the original Sandman and the death of the latest version of Doctor Fate. It ends with a mysterious summons to recreate the JSA in order to save the world. There are hints of other menaces to appear in later issues. All in all, this is an auspicious blend of old and new.
A very desirable reprint of the 14 "Cataclysm" stories from the various Batman titles has appeared. Although those stories are barely a year old, demand has been so high that back issues are very difficult to obtain. Reading the stories at one setting certainly increases their impact although there are small glitches in continuity. For $17.95, this is a bargain.
DC has had stories about similar catastrophes, but they rarely affect subsequent plotlines. The impact of the "Invasion" series soon faded. The destruction of Coast City in Green Lantern has surprisingly few ripples. That dilutes the impact of such stories, but "Cataclysm" may be more significant.
Review by Dr. Jon Suter
Guns of the Dragon
In late 1998, a curious four issue series from DC Comics slipped into comic book stores. At first, I was rather aghast at the concept behind
Guns of the Dragon, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The hero should have been dead before the time of the story.
I still remember the impact in 1965 of
DC's Showcase #'s57 and 58.
Joe Kubert's first "Enemy Ace" stories were unlike anything my generation had seen. The brooding hero, a German pilot of W.W.I, quickly became a legend but was never able to generate a long running series.
It was hinted many times that the Enemy Ace, Rittmeister von Hammer, would perish in the closing days of the Great War; therefore, it was a shock to see him on the cover of
Guns of the Dragon with Bat Lash (a disreputable, humorous character from DC's westerns), and a dinosaur.
I did buy all four issues, partially because of the artist. I have always respected artist
Tim Truman.
The story, set in 1927 Asia, is deeply influenced by
Terry and the Pirates, a classic comic strip of the 1930s, and
Steve Canyon. Some of the political intrigue also reminds me of Mr. Moto novels, but this story is far more fantastic. The flavor of pulp magazines in the 1930s is strong.
Remember that dinosaur? In the 1960s, long before Michael Crichton's
Jurassic Park, DC's
Star Spangled War Stories featured stories about Dinosaur Island. In
Guns, von Hammer, Bat Lash, and others agree to find the legendary isle.
The cast includes Vandal Savage, the immortal villain; Miss Fear (a rewrite of Caniff's Dragon Lady) and a Japanese werewolf. Even Mao Tse-tung and Chian Kai-shek figure briefly in the story.
The story holds together better than I expected, but purists will probably protest the use of Enemy Ace in such a context. Even if you don't care for or want this story, you should have some of Kubert's original version in your collection.
Review by Dr. Jon Suter
It's a male bonding thing. James Bond, to be exact.
