Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes, page 44

Book Review; Essential Captain Marvel, Volume 2

Essential Captain Marvel, Vol. 2 by Mike Friedrich

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Issues 22-35, 37-46 of Captain Marvel, Iron Man #55 and Marvel Feature #12.

For those expecting to cruise through Captain Marvel's adventures consecutively, this book presents a bit of a problem because between Captain Marvel #21 and Captain Marvel #22, the book was off newstands for 2 years, and during the epic Kree-Skrull war story in Avengers 89-97, events effected the character dramatically and only a bit of it shown in a later issue in flashback.

This book uses two comics in which Thanos appeared but Captain Marvel didn't to pad this out to 500 pages, it would have been nice to have included a bit of the Kree-Skrull war instead, but I understand including 160 pages of Avengers could be challenging, but what they did instead is drop readers of the first book in with no clue that things had changed, even though Rick Jones and Marvell are linked.

The book has a couple outstanding periods. First is the Jim Starlin run on Captain Marvel which starts with him doing the art on issue 25 and continues through Issue 34 with him either writing or plotting in addition to penciling these issues. It's the first great Thanos arc with him driving to gain god-like powers by acquiring the cosmic cube.

This is a superb space opera. In many ways, it previews the events of Infinity Gauntlet that Starlin would write later only with the action around the cosmic cube and also with a much smaller cast of characters which makes the story feel a little more manageable and intimate.

There are some flaws. For example, one entire issue has a cosmetic entity giving Captain Marvel a lesson and challenging him to become a protector rather than a warrior. What this practically means for Captain Marvel? I honestly don't know, but he got some cool powers out of it.

Steve Englehart took over with Issue 37 with a short preview drawn for Issue 36 included. Issues 37-39 finds Captain Marvel battling the Lunatic legion, a team of supervillains based on the moon, with the full cooperation of the Watcher. What made one of the most noble and benign characters in the Marvel universe team up with evil? It's a good solid story.

The rest of the Englehart run, Rick and Captain Marvel can separate but find themselves ill at ease on Earth and return to the Stars together and end up on a mission for the Supreme Intelligence. Most of the story is just okay. There are goofy things such as an asteroid that functions like an old west mining town. It does come to a strong end in Issue 45 and Chris Claremont writes Issues 46 to clear the decks for a new writer.

Overall, despite my annoyance at the lack of setting up the new status quo established in the Kree-Skrull war (even a text note would have been helpful), this is still a good collection with some really great comic book stories along with some that are so so. The book also does a very good job exploring the nature of Rick and Marvell's relationship and covers a great deal of Marvell's unique history.



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Book Review: reen Lanterns Vol. 3: Polarity

Green Lanterns Vol. 3: Polarity by Sam Humphries

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book completes Issues 15-21 of Green Lanterns featuring Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz,

It kicks off with Issue 15, a one-shot story, "A Day in the Life," focusing on Jessica's struggle with anxiety. After the previous story arc, it'd be tempting to imagine that struggle was over and won, as was the case with the "Demon in the Bottle" storyline from Iron Man where Iron Man acknowledges and deals with his alcoholism in a single issue in a way that's supposed to be done.

Here, we get far more realism as she fights her anxiety every step of the day, and manages to save the day a couple of times while losing it at a surprising time. The way Simon deals with it is touching. It's one of the best one-shot comics I've read in a long time.

Issues 16 and 17 is a team up with Batman as they deal with people encountering a strange fear of Batman. The story spends an uncommon amount of time on Simon's gun and Batman's efforts to get him to give up the gun. There are mixed feelings on this. On one hand, there's something that shows insecurity when you have a Power Ring and feel you also need a gun (which he hasn't really had to use in the series,) even though Batman's phobias about guns is also not healthy although understandable. The story is mostly good though, with us even more sense that the Lanterns are growing in renown.

Issue 18 is another one-shot, this time focusing on Volthoom, the First Lantern and in which our heroes don't appear. I love Simon and Jessica, so any break from them isn't something I welcome. Still this isn't a bad issue about a villain who will no doubt make a return to the series.

Issues 19-21 have the Lanterns facing off against Doctor Polaris whose villainy is trying to cure his comatose brother. The situation brings back emotional memories for Simon and Jessica has to be the strong one. It shows us not just that Jessica needs Simon, but their partnership has mutual support. The story also sets the stage for the next big storyline as the Lanterns are propelled back into Space to finally deal with all of the craziness that's been going on in the Hal Jordan and Green Lanterns Corps book.

Overall, this is another great volume featuring one of the best duos to come out of DC Rebirth. Highly recommended.



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Book Review: Those Left Behind

Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Those Left Behind fills a gap between the end of Firefly and the movie Serenity. Firefly ended with Inara deciding the ship and the film opened with both Inara and the Shepherd gone.

It's great to see the crew of the Serenity in action in any form. That said, I think this book is okay. There's a reason that this wasn't part of the movie because the story isn't all that interesting particularly in terms of the job they go on. Mal is probably is at his bitterest and least likable. At three issues, the story had little room to breathe with a character call back that's not all that interesting.

The best part of the book is the Shepherd's struggle with his relation to the crew and how having spent so much time with him might be drawing him away from living a proper Christian life. Yet, this element is given short shrift.

Again, it's okay, it fills in a gap, but beyond that, it's nothing special



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Book Review: Batman, Volume 3: I Am Bane

Batman, Volume 3: I Am Bane by Tom King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Issues 16-20 and Issues 23 and 24 (with the two issues from the Button crossover in another book.)

The main story is in the first five issues and represents the conclusion of an arc that began back at Issue 1. Batman has retaken Psycho Pirate from Bane's island prison fortress in order to cure Gotham Girl. Now Bane is determined to retake him and to once again break the back of the Batman.

I was not a huge fan of the I am Suicide story, but this is another matter entirely. In many ways, this is the reverse of that arc as instead of Batman monologing on and on about his lief and how tough he is and to be honest that looks better on the villain. Plus in this, we see Bane as a legitimate threat. Batman has hidden Psycho Pirate at the back of Arkham and gotten the inmates to cooperate in Arkham's defense in exchange for some lenient treatment (because He's Batman, I guess) and really all they can do is serve as a delaying tactic.

The story shows Bane as a legitimate threat to Batman and everyone around him. It also makes King's argument (which I don't entirely by into) that Bane is a counterpoint to Batman. It's an epic story with incredibly high stakes and moves a very solid clip because of being only five issues long.

Issue 23 is a team up with Swamp Thing team up with a nice set-up and some homage paid to the Bronze Age team-ups. The story's okay. There's some funny moments in it and it does work better than Swamp Thing's crossover into Batman Annual #1.

And then there's Batman #24, an issue that is kind of a pause that allows us to reflect on Gotham Girl, what happens to her, and who Batman is, and what he wants. While Tom King has frequently examined who Batman is, I think this is the problem one of the more effective examinations of that question and the ending with Catwoman is a twist that people have been talking about for months and rightly so.

Overall, most of the book is good, but Issue 24 really takes this book to the next level to make it a really good Batman collection.



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Book Review: Starman Omnibus, Volume 3

The Starman Omnibus, Vol. 3 by James Robinson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The genius of James Robinson in Starman is that he succeeds at doing things which on other writers come off as pretentious or far too twee.

This book collects the four issue Shade Mini-Series as well as Issues 30-38 of Starman, Starman Annual #2, and Starman Secret Files #1.

The Shade mini-series is all about the anti-hero turned hero Shade running into a family in the 1840s with a murderous secret that he stops and how he finds himself haunted by them for centuries. It's an incredibly story and shows how much Robinson did on re-invigorating the character.

The main body of the book is somewhat unremarkable. There are no big DC events, no earth-shattering threats to Opal City. Much like its antique owner hero Jack, it has a great sense of nostalgia but makes that nostalgia seem cool and intriguing. This is helped by the changing relationship between Jack and his Father as they're much more at peace and that makes the nostalgia and respect feel more natural. The book dives into the history of Opal City and even into the far more obscure 1988-1992 Starman.

The book is not perfect. The idea of Jack meeting his dead brother is a bit of an oddity. That it happens every year to the point that the story here references the year as an annual is a bit nuts in a series that comes out with one issue a year.

Still, while the book isn't perfect, it's beautifully written and quite stylish.





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Book Review: Spider-Man: Spider-Woman Digest (Spider-Man)

Spider-Man: Spider-Woman Digest (Spider-Man by Tom DeFalco

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This book collects four stories from King Sized Spider-man Summer Special #1, Spider-man Family #1, Amazing Spider-man Magazine and Spider-man Family Featuring Spider-Clan #1.

First up is, "The Un-Enchanted Evening" which has the Enchantress having an evil plan and many women throughout the Marvel Universe called together. Mary Jane is included to give some justification to this story. It's trying to be funny and it fails. Grade: D+

Next is, "Old Enemies Never Die," in which Spider-Girl battles Jack O Lantern with some background on Spider-man's story. This story is actually collected in Spectacular Spider-Girl Volume 1, but it's still good in here. It's a nice start to the story. Grade: B+

Then there's a Text story about May having to balance her Superhero duties against a High School dance. It's the type of Slice of Life thing that Spider-girl often did, though usually a bit more interesting. Grade: B-

Finally is Elemental Evil which is a non-canonical Anime take on Spider-man. The art's not great and the story's bleh. Grade: D-

Overall, lackluster stories except for the Spider-girl stuff and the comic story can be found elsewhere.



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Book Review: Hal Jordan & the Green Lantern Corps, Volume 3: Quest for Hope

Hal Jordan & the Green Lantern Corps, Volume 3: Quest for Hope by Robert Venditti

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects two separate 4 issue storylines. Issues 14-17 collects the Quest for Hope in which John Stewart has ordered all Yellow Lanterns hunted down and either recruited into the corps or imprisoned as part of the effort to bring the Green Lantern and Yellow Lantern corps together.

Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner go to rescue the last Blue Lantern in hopes of bringing back the Blue Lantern corps while Guy Gardener flies off to make a very personal appeal to his counterpart in the Yellow Lantern Corps---with his fists.

The Prism of Time comes in Issues 18-21 and finds Rip Hunter having traveled from the future to prevent the disappearance of the Green Lantern Corps at the hands of a man who is upset that their alliance with the Sinestro Corps works too well for his liking in the future.

There are some good ideas here as Stewart struggles to pull the two former enemies corps together. The characters are great and very fun to read. Guy Gardener's crazy fight is probably the highlight of the book.

The second story arc is strong, with some hints towards the future, and an emotional reveal in the last few pages.

The thing that most mars this book is the first story arc which ends in a way that feels contrived to change Kyle Rayner's power set and designation to fit with what he'd like to do in the book even if it didn't make sense. It screams, "Contrivance." I wasn't horribly attached to Rayner's previous status but it led to a very anti-climatic feel to the first arc.



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Book Review: Wonder Woman By George Perez Vol. 1

Wonder Woman By George Perez Vol. 1 by George Pérez

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Issues 1-14 of the post-crisis Superman written and drawn by George Perez.

The first six issues serve as a new origin story for Wonder Woman. Issues 7-9 have Wonder Woman meeting the Cheetah for the first time but also kind of serve as a breather before Issues 10-14, the Challenge of the Gods which finds Wonder Woman in a trial for her life and that of all the Amazons as she learns more about her connection to Steve Trevor.

Perez's art is gorgeous as usual. This is one of the most solid books I've read with a writer/artist working on it. The art and text work perfectly together.

The stories are solid. Perez sticks to the best of the Spirit of the Gold and Silver Age version but gives the whole thing a modern feel that's all his own, filled with original and clever innovations. Both the initial and closing storylines have a very strong epic feel that make these a critical unit of Wonder Woman stories.

The book does have its problems. It flows better as a collection than as a monthly story due to the involved nature. The plot does sag a bit in the middle issues in the two big storylines. I also have to feel that the end to, "Challenge of the Gods" set a very high positive status quo and an idyllic view of the Amazons that couldn't be sustained and would only lead to reader disappointment later on.

Still, for what it is, this is an epic mythic take on Wonder Woman that really captures the character at her best.



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Good Review: Superman, Volume 3: Multiplicity

Superman, Volume 3: Multiplicity by Peter J. Tomasi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book collects Superman Annual #1 and Superman #14-17.

The Annual is a crossover with Swamp Thing. In order to justify it, an odd "fact" about this Superman's moving into the New 52 Universe is introduced with an even dumber solution. This one falls under the banner of pointless annuals.

Issues 14-16 contains the Multiplicity story arc where an evil force is kidnapping all of the Superman of different universes. While none of the designs or ideas are Earth-shattering, the storyline still reflects Superman's heroism has a solid ending.

Issue 17 is a one shot about Jon and Kathy stumbling around in the dark and encountering spooky things in the dark. It's got some nice art, but is rather pointless, but not stupid.

Overall this is still an okay volume of Superman stories but just okay. Here's hoping the Reborn story arc brings a more interesting story..



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The Tick v. The Tick v. The Tick

There's a new Tick Television series airing on Amazon Prime. Some reviewers compare it unfavorably to the 2001 Tick TV series which ran for 9 episodes in 2001 saying it was a more innocent series than this grittier reboot.

To be honest, I actually only watched the first episode of the 2001 series and got turned off, even though I'm a huge Tick fan. I've read all the comics up until 2016 in which the Tick was the main character as well as the Tick spin-off series Paul the Samurai.

So, what was the 2001 TV series and how is it different from its 2017 counterpart and the 1990s Animated series? I spent most of the weekend, flat on my back which gave me an opportunity to binge watch both series.

Of course, before either series was the 1994 Animated series, a classic Superhero spoof. with that catchy theme music, and so many memorable moments. The series introduced Barry, a character from the comic books who claimed the identity of, "The Tick" and resented the Tick's use of it. The opening of that confrontation is classic:

Barry: Where's the jerk who calls himself the TICK?!
The Tick: I am that jerk!

There's the Tick's battle cry of, "Spoon," a sewer dwelling Superhero who talks like Rainman named Sewer Urchin, a cowardly suave superhero named Die Fladermaus. They battled amazing villains like the Terror, Chairface Chippendale, Brainchild, and Pineapple Pokopo.

The Tick and Arthur had amazingly goofy adventures such as when both of them lose their arms and have to hide the fact or when the Tick wakes up with a mustache with a mind of its own.

It lasted for just three seasons but made a lasting cultural impression. So of course, it made sense to make a live action TV series.

Fans of the show proclaim it's greatness and the unfairness of it being cut.

Yet, watching the series so many years later, it's easy to see why it didn't last. While the Tick Animated series was a comedy adventure series, the Tick live action series was a sitcom about being a superhero. That's a key difference.

During the run of the series, The Tick and Arthur actually only engaged with a villain twice, in addition to fighting a crazed Soviet robot they accidentally unleashed with programming to kill Jimmy Carter.

What were the other episodes spent on? There's the episode where the Tick is invited to join a superhero team, only to discover they're a bunch of sexist racists), and the one where the Tick encounters a superhero/sidekick duo that Tick admires for their teamwork but Arthur sees the darker side of their relationship. There's the one where Arthur gets locked in an insane asylum by his family who are determined to cure him of being a superhero.

There's some funny concepts, but less derring do. The show has a silly sense of humor. It had the best take on the Clark Kent/Superman dichotomy with the Champion having dressed in his civvies and the Tick unable to recognize him as the Champion with his glasses on and then able to recognize with his glasses off. I laughed so hard, I hurt.

The series could have worked as a family comedy that would have drawn kids. The reason it didn't could be summed up in a single word, "Batmanuel." The live action replacement for Die Fladermaus is a stereoetypical Latin Love type that can't stop talking about his sexual prowess. The same problem can also be had with Captain Liberty , the replacement for the animated American Maid, which you think would be an upgrade. However, Captain Liberty is a sexually frustrated career woman with a string of failed relationships, including an on again off again thing with Batmanuel.

So in essence, the goofy over the top nature of the comedy turns off a lot of the adult audience, while the constant innuendos and sexual related plot twists turns off the family viewers.

The show had its strong points. Patrick Warburton was a superb Tick, playing the character with great delight and charm. Still, that wasn't enough to save it.

So, what's the new series like? It starts off really differently. The Tick is still the Tick, but Arthur doesn't have a supersuit magically dropped into his lap. The Terror killed Arthur's father right before his eyes, but while the world insists the Terror is dead. Arthur thinks he's alive, just very old.

In many ways, the series serves as a parody of other original Superhero series that are *clears throat* that other streaming service, as Arthur makes his journey to actually becoming hero. This is somewhat fitting as the early Tick comics were somewhat direct parodies of other Superheroes including Superman and Frank Miller's run on Daredevil.

The Tick is still the Tick and I have to say that Peter Serafinowicz' take on the character may be the the best yet. He's still goofy and not all quite there when it comes to understanding normal life. Yet, he's also a voice of courage and inspiration, pushing Arthur on to being a hero rather than shrinking back in fear of the villains or his own family's reaction. Tick is weird, but not as weird in other versions. He shows up without being invited as Arthur's Stepfather's birthday party and manages to be just a bit goofy, while delivering one of the best lines in the Tick's history when he's asked whether he's wearing a suit or if he's just him. "Am I never naked or am I never not naked?"

At the same time, the Tick doesn't inhabit a G-rated world. There's a couple bits of somewhat graphic violence as well as some foul language. However, that language never comes nor the violence from the Tick or Arthur. It comes from the villains as well as anti-hero Overdrive.

Tick remains a Blue beacon of righteousness in a gray, often dark Streaming Service universe. He warns Arthur away from doing things Overdrive's way. The more dark and bleak the world he's in, the more welcomed the Tick's buoyant blue presence is.

Overall, while I'll always prefer the animated series, I find this new take to be pretty servicable, even though it's definitely not for younger viewers.