Name: JPRoscoe
Email:
Bio: Follow me on Twitter @JPRoscoe76! Loves all things pop-culture especially if it has a bit of a counter-culture twist. Plays video games (basically from the start when a neighbor brought home an Atari 2600), comic loving (for almost 30 years), and a true critic of movies. Enjoys the art house but also isn't afraid to let in one or two popular movies at the same time.
Posts by JPRoscoe:
Star Wars: Darth Vader 3: The Shu-Torun War
April 18th, 2018|
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Comic Info
Comic Name: Star Wars: Darth Vader
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Leinil Yu/Salvador Larroca
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2016
Star Wars: Darth Vader #16
Reprints Star Wars: Darth Vader Annual #1 and Star Wars: Darth Vader #16-19 (February 2016-July 2016). Queen Trios finds herself given the crown of her home of Shu-Torun by Darth Vader’s hand. When the ore barons of Shu-Torun stage a rebellion, Darth Vader is called in to crush it for the Emperor. Unfortunately for Vader, there is a traitor in his midst and Cylo’s twins are also eyeing Vader’s position. Plus, Darth Vader tries to silence Doctor Aphra before Inspector Thanoth finds his real plans.
Written by Kieron Gillen, Star Wars: Darth Vader Volume 3: The Shu-Torun War follows the crossover event series Star Wars: Vader Down (which actually followed Star Wars: Darth Vader Volume 2: Shadows and Secrets). The collection features art by Leinil Yu (Star Wars: Darth Vader Annual #1) and Salvador Larroca (Star Wars: Darth Vader #16-19). The issues were also collected in Star Wars: Darth Vader—Volume 2.
The reclamation of Star Wars by Marvel was a good thing in my opinion. It wasn’t that Marvel always does a great job managing their properties, but I felt that Dark Horse’s approach to Star Wars had really fallen into a boring slump that was so expansive and so unmanageable that I didn’t particularly enjoy reading issues (if you even knew how to approach it). Both Star Wars and Star Wars: Darth Vader were strong entries though both kind of wobbled at points.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #19
Star Wars: Vader Down was a bit of a disappointment to me and the first strike against the series. Here, the Darth Vader series is back up to form with a more solid plotline and references to the Star Wars comic (in Vader’s plans for Doctor Aphra). It is this kind of cat and mouse games that made the first couple volumes of Darth Vader good.
What doesn’t necessarily work in this story is the basic plot of the comic book. I like the twin stuff (though they go out like chumps), and I like the espionage and plotting against the Empire, but I don’t care much about the rebellion on Shu-Torun. The whole story seems a little below Vader and the Empire’s personal attention and the destruction of the Rebellion feels like it should be the forefront (though they do need supplies to do this). The whole Queen Trios story is drawn out too long and left relatively unresolved unless there are definitive plans to bring her back soon. If you wait too long, her character won’t matter anymore since there are far better supporting characters.
Star Wars: Darth Vader continues to be a fun comic, but it feels like it needs more punch. With a lot of spinoff and limited series, Marvel threatens to dilute the material just like Dark Horse. With these comics being “official canon”, it would be nice for the movies to throw Marvel a bone and include aspects of the comic book story in one of the films…but you can’t ask for too much. Star Wars: Darth Vader 3: The Shu-Torun War was followed by the final volume of the series Star Wars: Darth Vader 4: End of Games.
Related Links:
Star Wars: Darth Vader 1: Vader
Star Wars: Darth Vader 2: Shadows and Secrets
Captain Atom 1: Evolution
April 17th, 2018|
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Comic Info
Comic Name: Captain Atom (Volume 2)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: J.T. Krul
Artist: Freddie Williams II
# of Issues: 6
Release Date: 2012
Captain Atom (2) #3
Reprints Captain Atom (2) #1-6 (November 2011-April 2012). Endowed with extreme power, Nathaniel Adam finds himself transformed into the being known as Captain Atom. With the world fearing his power, Nathaniel tries to adjust to his new power with the help of the scientists at the Continuum. Captain Atom’s immense power also attracts the attention of General Eiling who sees Captain Atom as the next weapon in the war on terror. Captain Atom struggles to find his place on Earth…and struggles to keep from being the face of fear.
Written by J.T. Krul, Captain Atom Volume 1: Evolution is the first collection of DC Comics’ New 52 relaunch. The series features art by Freddie Williams II.
The New 52 promised a streamlined DC Universe and also a more diverse DC Universe with series not only focusing on the big hitters like Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman, but also smaller characters like Frankenstein, Voodoo, and Captain Atom. Captain Atom demonstrates the pros and cons of giving smaller character series.
The story for Captain Atom has potential, but the balance feels off. The character is just too powerful and that always poses problems for writers. The solution here is to make Captain Atom unstable and his powers too erratic. Every “action” Captain Atom does to help the world seems to have an equally bad “reaction”. The more Captain Atom does the more problems seem to pop up around him.
Captain Atom (2) #4
I do like the military aspect of Captain Atom. The Eiling character and his desire to weaponize Captain Atom plays with old classic Cold War general stories. It is a bit of a cliché, but to be honest, most comics are. Overall Captain Atom wants to do the right thing, but he has obligations…and is it even his choice? In storylines like this, the character works better.
Captain Atom in general is the series problem. In addition to being too powerful to write, I’ve never found him that interesting. The only interesting part of Captain Atom was Alan Moore’s take on the character in Watchmen (as Doctor Manhattan). With Moore doing a classic take on the character, it feels like cheating to investigate the character in similar ways by other authors…the character is tainted (in my mind).
Captain Atom was immediately in danger with the DC relaunch. The initial reviews of the first issue were pretty tepid and that can’t happen in the modern comic book age. Series must start out with a bang, and Captain Atom started out with a whimper. That virtually doomed the series, but the series did last for another volume. Captain Atom 1: Evolution was followed by Captain Atom 2: Genesis.
Weirdworld 0: Warzones!
April 16th, 2018|
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Comic Info
Comic Name: Weirdworld (Limited Series)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Mike Del Mundo
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2015
Weirdworld (Limited Series) #3
Reprints Weirdworld (Limited Series) #1-5 (August 2015-December 2015). Arkon only wants one thing…to get home! Trapped in Weirdworld, Arkon finds himself battling for survival everyday as he searches for Polemachus. When he is rescued from Apelantis by Warbow, he finds himself on a new quest and with a new enemy in Morgan Le Fay. Arkon’s goal of reaching Polemachus seems further and further out of reach…but Polemachus might just be closer than he ever thought.
Written by Jason Aaron, Weirdworld Volume 0: Warzones! was a five issue limited series that spun out of Marvel Comics’ event series Secret Wars. The comic received acclaim and quickly found a cult audience leading to a continuing series after the end of Secret Wars. The collection features art by Mike Del Mundo.
Weirdworld was one of the first series of the Secret Wars spinoffs that caught my attention. Not only was Weirdworld kind of a “weird” Marvel venture when it started in the ’70s, but it also never was really part of the Marvel Universe. To plop Arkon in the middle of it was intriguing…and it got better.
Aaron manages to capture a lot of odd characters that you never expected to see again, much less in one book. I really was happy and surprised to see Crystar and Warbow show up because I didn’t even know Marvel owned the rights to them since they were a toyline. The characters previously had their own series (which I’d like collected) and play a supporting role. In addition to Crystar, you get Skull the Slayer who also had a short lived ’70s series (which was collected). If you wrap this all up with Jennifer Kale and the Man-Thing, you’ve got a fun present.
Weirdworld (Limited Series) #4
This odd pairing unfortunately doesn’t get much time to develop. The Secret Wars storylines were all generally four or five issues and it feels like the fun is just starting when it all blows-up (literally). The last issue feels pretty rushed and this is somewhat unfortunate.
Mike Del Mundo is also an interesting artist. I don’t always like his work, but it works here. Weirdworld is kind of based on absurdity and the art is at point absurd. It is over-the-top, unrealistic, and a good fit at the same time.
The promise of a Weirdworld continuing series brought me hope for this series, but it also brought me dread. Comics like Weirdworld have little chance of surviving at big comic companies like Marvel or DC, but what makes them enjoyable is that they are part of these bigger worlds. The second problem with the continuation of Weirdworld was the decision to switch the focal character. I wanted to see more Arkon and more Crystar, and though it continued to be fun, it wasn’t the same as this book. Weirdworld feels like it could resurface sometime, but I don’t know when or how. Weirdworld 0: Warzones! was followed by Weirdworld 1: Where Lost Things Go.
Related Links:
Battleworld: Master of Kung Fu
Warzones!: M.O.D.O.K. Assassin
Green Lanterns 1: Rage Planet
April 15th, 2018|
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Comic Info
Comic Name: Green Lanterns: Rebirth/Green Lanterns
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Sam Humphries/Geoff Johns
Artist: Ethan Van Sciver/Ed Benes/Robson Rocha/Jay Leisten/Tom Derenick/Will Conrad/Jack Herbert/Neil Edwards/Tom Palmer/Keith Champagne/Rob Hunter/Mark Irwin/Vincente Cifuentes/Marc Deering/Eduardo Pansica/Julio Ferreira
# of Issues: 7
Release Date: 2017
Green Lanterns #1
Reprints Green Lanterns: Rebirth #1 and Green Lanterns #1-6 (August 2016-November 2016). Hal Jordan has been called into space and left Earth in the protection of new Green Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz. Simon is a former Guantanamo Bay detainee that is trying to prove himself as a Lantern to the world. Jessica suffers from agoraphobia and fears leaving her apartment. They must work together if they hope to succeed. When Atrocitus and the Red Lanterns target Earth for something called the Red Dawn, rage begins to spread over the planet and the new Green Lanterns will have to face their first challenge on their own.
Written by Sam Humphries and Geoff Johns, Green Lanterns Volume 1: Rage Plant is a continuing title coming from DC Comics’ Rebirth storyline. The issues in the collection were released biweekly and featured art by Ethan Van Sciver, Ed Benes, Robson Rocha, Jay Leisten, Tom Derenick, Will Conrad, Jack Herbert, Neil Edwards, Tom Palmer, Keith Champagne, Rob Hunter, Mark Irwin, Vincente Cifuentes, Marc Deering, Eduardo Pansica, and Julio Ferreira.
Of DC Comics’ mainstays, Green Lantern (the Hal Jordan version primarily) was always one of my favorite characters growing up. He wasn’t Batman and he wasn’t Superman, and I liked his power…plus, anyone could be a Green Lantern. Here, that theory is put to the test and that is shown here.
Green Lanterns #5
Fortunately, DC had the wisdom to introduce both Jessica and Simon earlier so they aren’t constrained by origin issues. The series picks up immediately and starts going. The Red Lanterns (introduced during Geoff Johns run as part of the Lantern spectrum) always seemed a bit goofy to me with blood pouring from their mouth and “spouting rage”, but I’m glad they chose them over a classic Sinestro/Yellow Lantern scenario.
The biggest problem with Green Lanterns is a logic problem. While it makes for interesting stories to have Jessica and Simon tied together, it doesn’t seem like the best way to protect Earth which is the ultimate goal of a Green Lantern. The mere fact that both Jessica and Simon have to be together to charge their rings would cause potential issues and this ignores that both Lanterns are rookies. With the Guardians “missing”, it would technically be hard to train new Lanterns, but this doesn’t seem like a real world solution.
Green Lanterns is a fun light read with two interesting leads. The series in that sense is political, but Green Lantern has always been a more political comic from its early days when Hal was teamed with Green Arrow, and the introduction of John Stewart, an early African-American superhero in comics. I like that this title has the potential to be both topical and inclusive in that sense. Green Lanterns 1: Rage Planet is followed by Green Lantern 2: The Phantom Lantern.
Warzones!: X-Tinction Agenda
April 14th, 2018|
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Comic Info
Comic Name: X-Tinction Agenda/Uncanny X-Men (Volume 1)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Marc Guggenheim/Chris Claremont
Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico/Jim Lee
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2016
Warzones: X-Tinction Agenda #1 Variant
Reprints X-Tinction Agenda #1-4 and Uncanny X-Men (1) #270 (November 1990-November 2015). The X-Men of Genosha have discovered a mutant plague which is tearing their world apart. The infection is spreading and Lord Doom and Baron Grey seem unwilling to help. While Havok and Wolfsbane hatch a desperate plot to steal a “cure” from X-City, the real danger could be growing in the Genegineer’s laboratory. The Genegineer is an agent of Cameron Hodge and hopes to resurrect Cameron’s war on mutantkind!
Written by Marc Guggenheim, Warzones!: X-Tinction Agenda is a four issue limited series produced by Marvel Comics as a tie-in to their Secret Wars limited series from 2015. The collection also includes Uncanny X-Men (1) #270 (November 1990) which featured the start of the original X-Tinction Agenda.
The X-Tinction Agenda was a big deal. This was at a time when the “Big Event” series were actually special and rare. The X-Tinction Agenda crossed over between the Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants, and X-Factor, and it features moments of death (like Warlock) and life altering events for the characters (like Rahne) while also setting up the New Mutants cancellation and relaunch as X-Force. Revisiting this “world” as part of Secret Wars was kind of interesting.
The series does ask a lot of the readers. Despite a little flashback at the beginning with the death of Cameron Hodge, a person reading Warzones!: X-Tinction Agenda needs to research the comic on both sides. Younger readers probably don’t know the X-Tinction Agenda, and its significance like why Genosha mattered, the Hodge and Archangel relationship, and the relationships between Bombshell (formerly Boom Boom), Rictor, Havok, and Wolfsbane.
Warzones: X-Tinction Agenda #2 Variant
Readers not following Secret Wars will need to brush up on Secret Wars, Lord Doom, the set-up between X-City and Genosha, and half of the X-Men presented in the book (since some were made for the comic). It is a tricky set-up that has to happen if a person wants to enjoy the series. Not everyone will be willing to do that.
If both sides are understood, the series itself isn’t bad, but it also feels unfulfilling. Four issues run pretty short and the story tries to cram a lot of things into it while also having action and adventure. The two big fights (one in X-City and one in Genosha) feel kind of sloppy and undermine the storytelling of the bigger picture with Hodge etc. (plus, the creation of Locke from Bulletproof further confused things since you couldn’t always tell Hodge from Bulletproof).
Overall, Warzones!: X-Tinction Agenda is a quick read for those mostly familiar with the older original series. On a side note, it is a bit odd to include Uncanny X-Men (1) #270 since it feels like readers would have benefited more from the final issue of The X-Tinction Agenda in X-Factor (1) #62 (January 1991) which serves as a prelude to these issues more so than the “bonus” issue provided…but since they couldn’t include the entire X-Tinction Agenda, it does lay some groundwork. Groundwork is something that this series and the whole Secret Wars desperately needs.
Related Links:
Battleworld: Master of Kung Fu
Warzones!: M.O.D.O.K. Assassin
Superman: The Death of Superman
April 13th, 2018|
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Comic Info
Comic Name: Superman (Volume 2)/Justice League America/Adventures of Superman/Action Comics (1)/Superman: Man of Steel
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Dan Jurgens/Jerry Ordway/Louise Simonson/Roger Stern
Artist: Jon Bogdanove/Tom Grummett/Jackson Guice/Brett Breeding/Rick Burchett/Doug Hazlewood/Dennis Janke/Denis Rodier
# of Issues: 7
Release Date: 1993
Justice League America #69
Reprints Superman: Man of Steel #17-19, Justice League America #69, Superman (2) #74-75, Adventures of Superman #497, and Action Comics (1) #684 (November 1992-January 1993) Doomsday is loose! The Justice League has failed to stop him and now it is up to Superman. It will be his biggest challenge as the unstoppable monster seems to just grow in strength as it tears its way across America. Now, it is a final showdown between the Man of Steel and a creature of sheer evil. Who will prevail?
Written by Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern, Superman: The Death of Superman collected the Death of Superman storyline that ran in the Superman titles (in addition to a crossover with Justice League America). The collection became a best seller and was also novelized by Roger Stern.
The Death of Superman storyline rocked the comic world and gave it a major boost. People who didn’t collect comics flooded the comic book shops trying to get the elusive issues that culminated in issue #75 (in this collection they also contain the small Doomsday cameo in Superman: Man of Steel #17). Of course Superman’s “death” was essentially a gimmick, but it was handled very real. There were obituaries and memorandums for him in comics, magazines, newspapers, etc. Even Marvel and other companies put up “In Memory” moments for the Man of Steel.
Superman (2) #75
Doomsday was a good villain for Superman in that he was so powerful and other than magic creatures, Superman hadn’t faced a force that was really a physical threat to him. It was fun to see Doomsday tear through the Justice League in issue #69 and that also had an effect on the Justice League and its line-up.
If The Death of Superman story was done today, it probably would have stretched for months or a year, but smartly, DC made it only a couple months, but with more plans after the “death”. The story moves quickly (and had tons of writers and artists working on it) and feels pretty rounded. It almost allows for a “What If” moment for readers who always wondered what would happen if Superman was killed with a free go-back since DC already had plans to revive him (without having to have a lousy “crisis” to rewrite history).
The Death of Superman, much like Batman’s Death in the Family, was a milestone in comics. It probably was the biggest story in the comic world from the 1990s (along with the creation of Image), and it has had lasting effects. Following The Death of Superman, DC put out Funeral for a Friend (which is usually referred to now as World without a Superman), and then Reign of the Supermen which introduced four new “Supermen” along with the return of the Man of Steel (and his bad ’90s mullet). There have been numerous attempts to bring the story to the big screen (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice kind of adapted this in 2016) and there was a small screen adaptation by DC Animation called Superman: Doomsday in 2007.
Related Links:
Superman: World without a Superman
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Superman: World without a Superman
April 13th, 2018|
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Comic Info
Comic Name: The Adventures of Superman/Action Comics (Volume 1)/Superman: The Man of Steel/Superman (Volume 2)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Dan Jurgens/Karl Kesel/Jerry Ordway/Louise Simonson/Roger Stern
Artist: Jon Bogdanove/Tom Grummett/Jackson Guice/Dan Jurgens/Walter Simonson
# of Issues: 9
Release Date: 1993
The Adventures of Superman #498
Reprints The Adventures of Superman #498-500, Action Comics (1) #685-686, Superman: The Man of Steel #20-21, and Superman (2) #76-77 (January 1993-June 1993). Superman is dead, struck down by Doomsday in battle. The world is reeling as it’s great hero has fallen, but that doesn’t mean that the need for Superman ends. While Lois tries to find a way to cope with losing Clark and Superman, Lex Luthor finds his ultimate enemy now gone. Supergirl and others investigate the strange occurrences involving the disappearance of Superman’s body from his tomb, and Ma and Pa Kent face the fact that their son is gone. With Superman’s death, new heroes arise and a greater mystery…can the world survive without a Superman?
Written by Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern, Superman: World without a Superman collects the Funeral for a Friend story following the monumental Superman: Death of Superman storyline.
The Death of Superman series was a big deal. It made the news, and Superman (2) #75 (January 1993) became a coveted collectors’ item for a time following its release and multiple reprints. While The Death of Superman dealt with fighting and battle, Funeral for a Friend focused on what the death of the world’s greatest hero would really mean…but it does get bogged down in comic minutia.
Superman: World without a Superman should have been a real though provoking story. It is a big societal question of what would happen if the major peace keeping force was suddenly gone. With a power vacuum, would there be crime or would there be mourning? World without a Superman occurred before 9/11, so writers couldn’t predict it, but I kind of feel that the world would have reacted very similar…and for some extent the stories in the collection got that right…I just wish it had been the thrust.
Superman: The Man of Steel #20
The comic instead serves to lead up to the Reign of the Supermen which introduced the four new Superman (Superboy, Cyborg-Superman, Steel, and the Eradicator). This means there is a lot with the stolen Superman body and leftover dealings with the Metropolis underground superhuman population that Superman had been involved…it frankly gets a bit confusing and deters from the story. The better stuff is the Lex, Kent, Lois, and the world reaction to actual death.
Superman was kind of was in a weird period when this storyline was released. You had Lex back to life (with his really bad long hair) and the not-really-Supergirl Matrix in a bizarre relationship. You had a ton of supporting characters like Bibbo and you also had extremely forgettable characters like Bloodwynd on the Justice League. Superman’s death provided a nice jolt to the DC Universe and got a lot of eyes on it. Marvel was struggling financially and DC took advantage. Superman: The Death of Superman and Superman: World without a Superman were nice far-reaching events that really drew attention to comics which had kind of floundered after the critical successes of the ’80s. Superman: World without a Superman was followed by Superman: Reign of the Supermen.
Related Links:
Superman: The Death of Superman
Earth 2 4: The Dark Age
April 12th, 2018|
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Comic Info
Comic Name: Earth 2
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Nicola Scott/Robson Rocha/Barry Kitson
# of Issues: 5
Release Date: 2014
Earth 2 #17
Reprints Earth 2 #17-20 and Annual #2 (January 2014-April 2014). Superman has returned to Earth…but it isn’t the Superman that everyone knew and loved. This Superman is an agent of Darkseid and threatens to tear the Earth apart. With Lois Lane finding herself implanted in a robot called Red Tornado, and Mr. Miracle and the other heroes of the world crushed Superman’s invasion force could mean the end…but a hidden secret uncovered by Batman could change the tide of battle and the Earth forever!
Written by Tom Taylor, Earth 2 Volume 4: The Dark Age is part of the New 52 relaunch of the DC Universe. Following Earth 2 Volume 3: Battle Cry, the collection features art by Nicola Scott, Robson Rocha, and Barry Kitson. The collection features the four part “The Dark Age” storyline and the Batman origin Earth 2 Annual #2.
Earth 2 is a fun and different side to the DC’s New 52 series. It is a dark look at the DCU through the eyes of a JSA stand-in group. Since it isn’t Earth, Earth 2 is allowed to be darker and grittier…and you never know what is going to happen.
Earth 2 #19
The collection is rather short and the storytelling is fast and furious. Honestly, a lot happens in the volume, and it happens over a short period of time. Superman begin attacking the Earth, Lois Lane becomes Red Tornado, and Batman unearths another Kryptonian on Earth. The collection is mixed with deaths, potential deaths, and a shocking moment where Batman does what realistically should have been done to the Joker multiple times. Earth 2 almost falls into an Elseworlds or What If? style comic book.
The collection also contains the Batman origin issue that features a tie-in ending to bring it into the fold of the collection. It tells how Thomas Wayne became Batman, how he is able to keep fighting at his age, and what drives him. The character (though unrealistically young despite the Miraclo) is interesting and worth exploring.
Earth 2 continues to be an entertaining ride in this volume though the short collection really doesn’t have a resolution and instead just feels like build up for the next volume. With no boundaries for where the story can go, Earth 2 continues to surprise and evolve while being rather harmless to “real” DC continuity since it can always be written off as an alternate Earth. The fact that the series continues and isn’t a limited series really allows for exploration of what would occur if an Elseworlds story kept going and going. Earth 2 4: The Dark Age is followed by Earth 2 5: The Kryptonian.
Related Links:
Luke Cage: Second Chances—Volume 1
April 11th, 2018|
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Comic Info
Comic Name: Cage/Marvel Comics Presents
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Marc McLaurin
Artist: Dwayne Turner/Rurik Tyler/Gordon Purcell/Sal Velluto
# of Issues: 13
Release Date: 2015
Cage #7
Reprints Cage #1-2 and Marvel Comics Presents #82 (August 1991-March 1993). Luke Cage has been on the run after being accused of killing his former partner Iron Fist. Now cleared of the murder, Luke Cage is ditching his Power Man persona and returning to the Hero-for-Hire business…but the past might be through with him. When a villain named Hardcore targets Cage, Cage learns his past might be the reason…and a whole new batch of Power Men could be coming. Plus, an attempt to stop the Rhino puts Cage on a collision course with the Hulk!
Written by Marc McLaurin, Luke Cage: Second Chances—Volume 1 reprints the 1990s Marvel Comics series. The collection also contains a short story from Marvel Comics Presents #82 (August 1991) which serves as a lead in to the series.
The ’90s were pretty rough on comics. The ’80s taught comic book reader (and creators) that comics could have a real message and if the message reached mainstream, a comic could be critically acclaimed like Watchmen or The Dark Knight. The result seemed to be a bunch of unbalanced comics trying to be socially relevant with artists trying way too hard…Cage is one of those comics.
I remember the release of Cage and hoping that it would be good. I was a big fan of Power Man and Iron Fist which had a fun, light combo of action, classic super-hero comics, and fun characters. Cage took the fun (aka Iron Fist) and deleted it from the title. Cage and Iron Fist were a good balance with their totally different upbringings, abilities, and mindsets…they worked well together. Here, Cage must find his own way.
Cage #12
McLaurin never gets the balance down. The story is way too heavy handed but it is also unbalanced with lots of action sequences that aren’t always easy to follow. The original Luke Cage, Hero for Hire series was edgy and different. It followed the popular blaxploitation trend but used it in innovative ways by creating a relatively rounded character that went beyond stereotypes. Here it feels like there is an attempt to do the same but it misses the mark…and Cage comes off as lame (and that isn’t just a post-’90s view…I felt that way then too).
The art for the series is also quite poor. The ’90s featured the explosion of the artist and companies like Image permitted this. It often felt like artists at Marvel and DC were auditioning for Image at this point and Dwayne Turner just has a lot of square headed characters grimacing and gritting their teeth every page (seriously, just look at all their mouths throughout the collection).
Luke Cage: Second Chances—Volume 1 wasn’t a very good second chance. With twenty issues, I’m actually surprised that the series lasted as long as it did. The much hyped showdown with Iron Fist ends this collection, and it ends where I stopped reading in the initial run. I hope Luke Cage: Second Chances—Volume 2 is better, but I approach it with a wary eye.
Justice League of America: The Tornado’s Path
April 10th, 2018|
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Comic Info
Comic Name: Justice League of America (Volume 2)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Brad Meltzer
Artist: Ed Benes
# of Issues: 7
Release Date: 2007
Justice League of America (2) #1 Variant
Reprints Justice League of America (2) #1-7 (October 2006-May 2007). The Justice League is dead…killed by its own members. Now, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman realize they need to put the past behind them and form a new Justice League of America while learning from their mistakes. When Red Tornado tries to return to life as a real human, a chain of events begins that could form a new League but also destroy it before it even begins!
Written by Brad Meltzer, Justice League of America: The Tornado’s Path is the relaunch of DC’s second volume of the Justice League of America. The comic collection features art by Ed Benes.
JLA was a fun title that got a bit long-in-the-tooth. When it was put down, it was “The end of the JLA!!!” (which of course isn’t permanent because nothing is permanent in comics). With comics in such a downer state, it felt like Justice League needed new direction…and in a lot of ways this comic gets it right.
The comic brings together a combination of a traditional JLA (with Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman), but it also mixes in the idea that the Justice League is a home for new heroes, diversity, and redemption. I’ve never been that into the “big three” but I always liked how they interacted with some of the other characters. With Red Tornado (an odd favorite), Hawkgirl, Black Lightning, Black Canary, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan…aka my Green Lantern), and Vixen, there is plenty of opportunity for storytelling.
Justice League of America #3
The problem with this volume is that it is unnecessarily confusing at points. Meltzer sometimes tells the story out of order, but not out of order enough to be completely non-linear (which would have helped). The framework of the story has the panels sometimes reading across the page but some pages have them reading vertically…it isn’t always easy to distinguish wish direction they are going (a flaw in a lot of writers/artists combos when they start to get more creative with the page layouts).
Ed Benes is a pretty solid artist for Justice League of America. His designs have a lot of classical looks and combines good aspects of ’90s art (which was for the most part bad). I don’t know how much say he had on page layout, but as mentioned, the book struggles there…at least the Super Friend’s “Hall of Justice” gets to come into play as the new HQ.
Justice League of America: The Tornado’s Path is a solid start to the series. It has some wobbly points but it also feels like Metzler could clear them up in future issues. The series sets up some storylines (like with Geoforce) and the Legion of Super-Heroes. The JLA is set for a crossover with the JSA in the next collection. Justice League of America: The Tornado’s Path is followed by Justice League of America: The Lightning Saga.
