Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes, page 74
December 6, 2014
When Characters Collide (Thoughts on Flash, Arrow Crossover)
This week, what happens several times a month in comics happened on television as the Flash and Arrow met up for two crossover episodes in the "Flash vs. Arrow" and "Brave and the Bold." Some spoilers may follow.
In "Flash v. Arrow" Oliver Queen comes to Central City as the Arrow in search of a criminal who killed someone in Starling City. He and the Barry Allen agree to be partner for a mission to capture a dangerous metahuman who is able to make people angry. Instead, the first thing Arrow does is dress the Flash down for his lack of preparation by embarrassing him and goes after the villain only to be turned into a speeding pile of rage that Arrow has to stop.
This episode had some good character moments with a very strong performance by Stephen Arnell as Arrow. The effects of the episode were stunning as always and the Flash v. Arrow fight scene was beautifully done.
On the downside, the plot suffers from a lot of contrivances. I'll even let them get away with the fact that Arrow's team came to Central City because it produced so much Iron Oxide (which is rust). The biggest contrivance has to be how the metahuman affected the Flash. While a normal person is angry for five minutes after exposure were told that Flash's system fought off the spectral light infection and so it's lasting for hours which makes no sense. Also, if his system is fighting it, shouldn't we see that? It should either last shorter or not effect him at all. But logic goes out the window to set up the battle.
And it also sets up the bigger storyline of Detective Eddie Thawn trying to get Eddie and Barry's precinct Captain to form an anti-Flash Task Forc. This may be meant to set up revelations about Eddie and the "dark past that was announced with the character when he was added to the series, but from a strict viewer perspective, it's a bit out of nowhere. I will like that this episode did disillusion Iris about the Flash which was good because her one-woman evangelistic crusade to get people to "accept the Flash" was getting a bit much.
In addition, I didn't like the fact the the Flash and Arrow confronting the villain of the episode occurred off screen.
There's also a scene at the end of the episode whee Oliver encounters a character that neither the audience or Barry knows, presumably from the continuity of Arrow (a series I hadn't watched since the pilot.) that was a tad confusing.
Overall, I'd give Flash v. Arrow a rating of 5/10.
"Brave and the Bold" has Caitlin and Cisco travelling to Starling City for vacation, with Cisco (in particular) wanting to take a look at "the Arrow Cave." Barry is called in when a boomerang throwing assassin tries to murder the chief of a local government black ops group.
This episode works on several levels. I think the plot is far stronger and less contrived. I can totally see Cisco coming to town and I love how he geeks out over everything the Arrow has and Arrow's annoyance when members of his team start referring to their headquarters as "The Arrow Cave."
The plot with the assassin does work and he's a genuine menace whose capture and plans play out on screen. The last few minutes are tense and how the Flash faces the threat is truly epic.
Arnell's Arrow is still in full command and I can definitely see why the show is so popular. He's clearly a tortured soul who is haunted by the dark deeds he performs to safeguard his city. He may be a Batman knock off or a low rent Batman, but he's also as much as in command and control as any version of Batman I've seen.
On the other hand, I did find that many characters were hard to sympathize with. Our villain was causing all this mayhem because he'd been part of the suicide squad under the black ops group and the person who he's hunting ordered a microbomb exploded in his head, which you admit is a pretty harsh corrective policy from a human resources perspective.
I don't usually go for a series where the line between the good guys and the bad guys is that thin. But then again, that's why I'm not a fan of the show, though I understand its appeal, so I can't really knock it down for that.
I did feel the show delved a bit too much into meta discussions with some dialogue that didn't make sense as various characters tried to explain the difference between the two shows' approaches. Arrow's explanation that Starling and Central City are different works best. After all, Gotham-I mean Starling is actually quite well portrayed as a city that's far darker than Central City. This is a city that needs a dark knight like Bat-I mean Green Arrow.
The idea Cisco floats that they didn't consider it real because they were dealing with metahumans and took it as a game doesn't quite hold water given that they were almost killed by an energy vampire in the prior week's Flash. It's also odd idea to apply to Barry. Barry is a crime scene investigator who sees horrific things regularly and the worst side of a major city. It's a great debate for fans, not so sure characters should get in on the action.
Overall, I'll give Brave and the Bold 8/10. Other than the Meta discussions, the things that most bothered about the episode of Arrow are the things that make it a show I rarely watch.
Looking at the two stories as a whole, I can't help but wonder if it would have been better to have one long crossover story rather than two shorter self-contained stories. There's good reason not to do this. Many people don't like being forced to watch a show they don't usually watch to understand what's happening in the one they do watch. And if people wanted to be cross-sold other titles that way, they'd buy comic books. But there's a case for doing it here as parts of both episodes seem to repeat each other with Flash and the Arrow criticizing one another, complimenting one another. It's all for people who only saw one episode, but it's a bit repetitive.
If you had one long story, it would have flowed better over the two nights.
I also think a sort of post-modern philosophy pervades the arc and lessens the conflict. In many ways, the story mirrored the conflict between Post-Crisis Superman and Batman with Superman objecting to Batman's rough tactics and that tension is always there despite the character's friendship and Batman's tactics are nowhere near as brutal as Queen's.
However, while Barry does weakly criticize some of Arrow's methods after witnessing them, it's somewhat muted. Barry defends the Arrow to his boss, Joe and tells him to "not judge" Arrow. For the post-modern superhero, torture and murder to get results are just an alternate lifestyle I guess. That's a shame because there's actual drama found in making the heroes confront these issues.
While hurt by the repetition and the lack of moral conflict between the two leads, the crossovers has a lot of fun moments. It was fun story but ultimately forgettable.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10.0
In "Flash v. Arrow" Oliver Queen comes to Central City as the Arrow in search of a criminal who killed someone in Starling City. He and the Barry Allen agree to be partner for a mission to capture a dangerous metahuman who is able to make people angry. Instead, the first thing Arrow does is dress the Flash down for his lack of preparation by embarrassing him and goes after the villain only to be turned into a speeding pile of rage that Arrow has to stop.
This episode had some good character moments with a very strong performance by Stephen Arnell as Arrow. The effects of the episode were stunning as always and the Flash v. Arrow fight scene was beautifully done.
On the downside, the plot suffers from a lot of contrivances. I'll even let them get away with the fact that Arrow's team came to Central City because it produced so much Iron Oxide (which is rust). The biggest contrivance has to be how the metahuman affected the Flash. While a normal person is angry for five minutes after exposure were told that Flash's system fought off the spectral light infection and so it's lasting for hours which makes no sense. Also, if his system is fighting it, shouldn't we see that? It should either last shorter or not effect him at all. But logic goes out the window to set up the battle.
And it also sets up the bigger storyline of Detective Eddie Thawn trying to get Eddie and Barry's precinct Captain to form an anti-Flash Task Forc. This may be meant to set up revelations about Eddie and the "dark past that was announced with the character when he was added to the series, but from a strict viewer perspective, it's a bit out of nowhere. I will like that this episode did disillusion Iris about the Flash which was good because her one-woman evangelistic crusade to get people to "accept the Flash" was getting a bit much.
In addition, I didn't like the fact the the Flash and Arrow confronting the villain of the episode occurred off screen.
There's also a scene at the end of the episode whee Oliver encounters a character that neither the audience or Barry knows, presumably from the continuity of Arrow (a series I hadn't watched since the pilot.) that was a tad confusing.
Overall, I'd give Flash v. Arrow a rating of 5/10.
"Brave and the Bold" has Caitlin and Cisco travelling to Starling City for vacation, with Cisco (in particular) wanting to take a look at "the Arrow Cave." Barry is called in when a boomerang throwing assassin tries to murder the chief of a local government black ops group.
This episode works on several levels. I think the plot is far stronger and less contrived. I can totally see Cisco coming to town and I love how he geeks out over everything the Arrow has and Arrow's annoyance when members of his team start referring to their headquarters as "The Arrow Cave."
The plot with the assassin does work and he's a genuine menace whose capture and plans play out on screen. The last few minutes are tense and how the Flash faces the threat is truly epic.
Arnell's Arrow is still in full command and I can definitely see why the show is so popular. He's clearly a tortured soul who is haunted by the dark deeds he performs to safeguard his city. He may be a Batman knock off or a low rent Batman, but he's also as much as in command and control as any version of Batman I've seen.
On the other hand, I did find that many characters were hard to sympathize with. Our villain was causing all this mayhem because he'd been part of the suicide squad under the black ops group and the person who he's hunting ordered a microbomb exploded in his head, which you admit is a pretty harsh corrective policy from a human resources perspective.
I don't usually go for a series where the line between the good guys and the bad guys is that thin. But then again, that's why I'm not a fan of the show, though I understand its appeal, so I can't really knock it down for that.
I did feel the show delved a bit too much into meta discussions with some dialogue that didn't make sense as various characters tried to explain the difference between the two shows' approaches. Arrow's explanation that Starling and Central City are different works best. After all, Gotham-I mean Starling is actually quite well portrayed as a city that's far darker than Central City. This is a city that needs a dark knight like Bat-I mean Green Arrow.
The idea Cisco floats that they didn't consider it real because they were dealing with metahumans and took it as a game doesn't quite hold water given that they were almost killed by an energy vampire in the prior week's Flash. It's also odd idea to apply to Barry. Barry is a crime scene investigator who sees horrific things regularly and the worst side of a major city. It's a great debate for fans, not so sure characters should get in on the action.
Overall, I'll give Brave and the Bold 8/10. Other than the Meta discussions, the things that most bothered about the episode of Arrow are the things that make it a show I rarely watch.
Looking at the two stories as a whole, I can't help but wonder if it would have been better to have one long crossover story rather than two shorter self-contained stories. There's good reason not to do this. Many people don't like being forced to watch a show they don't usually watch to understand what's happening in the one they do watch. And if people wanted to be cross-sold other titles that way, they'd buy comic books. But there's a case for doing it here as parts of both episodes seem to repeat each other with Flash and the Arrow criticizing one another, complimenting one another. It's all for people who only saw one episode, but it's a bit repetitive.
If you had one long story, it would have flowed better over the two nights.
I also think a sort of post-modern philosophy pervades the arc and lessens the conflict. In many ways, the story mirrored the conflict between Post-Crisis Superman and Batman with Superman objecting to Batman's rough tactics and that tension is always there despite the character's friendship and Batman's tactics are nowhere near as brutal as Queen's.
However, while Barry does weakly criticize some of Arrow's methods after witnessing them, it's somewhat muted. Barry defends the Arrow to his boss, Joe and tells him to "not judge" Arrow. For the post-modern superhero, torture and murder to get results are just an alternate lifestyle I guess. That's a shame because there's actual drama found in making the heroes confront these issues.
While hurt by the repetition and the lack of moral conflict between the two leads, the crossovers has a lot of fun moments. It was fun story but ultimately forgettable.
Overall Rating: 6.5/10.0
December 3, 2014
Book Review: Marvel Masterworks, The Mighty Thor, Volume 2
Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor - Volume 2 by Stan LeeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book collects Journey Into Mystery #101-110 containing the further adventures of Thor.
The positives of this collection include its solid line of guest villains and heroes. There are a couple of Avengers cameos, plus guest a guest appearance by Doctor Strange. In addition, the rogue's gallery includes appearances by the Enchantress and Executioner, Mr. Hyde and Corba, plus Magneto, and of course Loki remains that very unique comic book archfoe who is in almost every issue.
The Tales of Asgard feature remains interesting and includes looks at Balder the Brave, Heimdall, and more. They're short but fun reads.
The biggest downside of the book is that it overfocuses on Thor's relationship with Jane Foster which was forbidden by Odin. The relationship was similar to the Spider-man-Betty Brant and Daredevil-Karen Page relationships at the same time only Thor is far more petulent about it. His rampage through the city in Journey Into Mystery #101 makes Daredevil's decision to battle Captain America at Madison Square Garden look sane by comparison.
Also, Odin becomes a somewhat annoying character. His decision to deny Jane Foster immortality in the last collection made a lot of sense, but he's far too gullible in this one as well as just way too petty and prone to amazingly dumb decisions. Conversely, this isn't what Odin's like in Tales of Asgard. I can't help but wonder if this was how Kirby and Lee viewed God in general, which would explain why neither were/are religious.
The final insult is that the book ends on a cliffhanger. Really, would it have been that much trouble to include Issue 111?
Still, despite the problems, this book's positives outweigh its negatives. There are some great battles and the book does begin to get better towards the end and Thor storming the gates of Asgard in Issue 110 is an amazing story drawn in typical Jack Kirby style.
View all my reviews
November 30, 2014
Book Review: Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty
Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty was a year long second Captain America series with tales told throughout Captain America's history from the 1940s to the modern day. There's no overriding story, rather these are kind of like, "Untold Tales of Spider-man" or perhaps D.C.' s Legends of the Dark Knight.
Mark Waid (who was writing the principle Captain America series at the time) writes most of the stories in this book.
Let's break down the stories, one by one:
The book leads off with a Sharon Carter story that showcases the difference between Cap's values and those of others in intelligence including Nick Fury, who had no problem with a black ops raid where the goal is to take people out. The way the book plays out highlights how Steve Rogers character calls those around him to a higher standard. An odd choice to lead off the book, but solid. Grade: B
The second story, "Descent into Madness" is a three part World War II thriller following the adult members of the Invaders (Captain America, the Human Torch, and Submariner) in an adventure that takes the team to Atlantis. Nazis have taken over the android Human Torch and are using him as a weapon to attack the Atlanteans in the name of America in hopes of get Atlantis to ally with the Nazis. It's a great wartime story and was actually better than many of the Invaders stories I read from the 1970s. I do have to say that Cap's psychoanalysis of the relationship between Sub-mariner and his mother felt a little off for 1940s Captain America. Then again, the Invaders was written during the 1970s about the 1940s so maybe it's not so far fetched after all. Also Ron Gurney (who was also the regular artist on the Captain America comic) does a great job on the art and bringing the 1940s to life. Grade: B+
Issue 5 featured two shorter stories that were concluded in Issue 6. Issue 6 also featured another continued story that'd be wrapped up in Issue 7.
"Old Soldier/Iron Will" features an untold story set after the events of Avengers #4 with Captain America thawing out and joining the Avengers. Iron Man's having second thoughts as to whether Cap really hasn't lost a step in two decades. The story captures the "Man out of time" feel of Captain America pretty well as the Brooklynite Cap comes to a demolished Ebbetts Fields and assumes people are moody because they missed their favorite radio program. Of course, they encounter an enemy that shows Cap's timeless value. The story had a lot of nice touches including the villain (which only Waid would think of with his incomparable comic book knowledge) and Iron Man in his Silver Age armor. Grade: A-
"The Great Pretender/Double Trouble" A story finds Captain America undercover in an insane asylum as someone claiming to be Captain America because inmate is rattling off natural security secrets and Cap has to find out why, and he's not the only one interested as proved by the arrival of the Chameleon. The story is good but nothing really special. Grade: B-
"Come the Revolution/When Free Men Shall Stand": This story was written by Roger Stern who wrote for Cap in the 1980s and imagines Steve Rogers as having a revolutionary war ancestor who fought and wore a colorful costume and shield. The story was okay, but really seemed to miss the point of Captain America. Steve Rogers wasn't a guy with ancestors who fought in the Revolution. Most guys didn't have that. It's the type of story you'd expect in the Silver Age-if Cap were at DC. Grade: C
"An Ending:" This story written by Brian Vaughn would be appropriate if this comic were called, "FDR." The point of the story is that FDR managed to get a young Steve Rogers through a very difficult early life with all of his radio speeches and then gave Captain America the courage to actually fight the by admitting his polio had left him wheelchair bound. While FDR certainly was popular, it seems odd to have a story that serves no other purpose other than show FDR as young Steve Rogers personal savior and inspiration for everything. Grade: C-
"Flashpoint/Back in Black": This story in Issues 8 and 9 features the Cap and his bronze age partner, the Falcon (i.e. Sam Wilson, a Black Harlem social worker.) When Cap is apparently killed in a plot by the Sons of the Serpent to claim him as one of their own, Wilson takes over as Captain America. The story has a lot to say about how racial hatred is stirred up and the actual plot as well as Sam Wilson's relationship with Cap makes the story interesting. Less so, the denoument which is a bit odd. Still, this was pretty enjoyable. Grade: B
"The Janus Chamber:" This is an odd one involving Captain America trying to save JFK and Marilyn Monroe, and a singer. The story attempts parody and acknowledges at the beginning that it's ahistorical, but as it is, it's a very lame attempt of humor that when it's most understandable is actually kind of offensive particularly using the JFK assassination as punchline. The art is terrible. Really, this is the worst Captain America art I've ever seen. It's just awful. Grade: F
"Hello? Hello? Send some new Linoleum:" This story has the Human Torch explaining to the real Captain America the story of how he met an imposter who fooled everyone but used his status as "Captain America" to rob the bank. The story is recreated almost exactly as it was in the 1963 Silver Age Strange Tales story with Cap incredulous at it all, "He buys a ferrari, a rocket-equipped sky platform, and a state of the art escape missile to rob twenty grand from the bank." Cap's humor may be a little off base, but the whole story is charming and funny. Grade: A-
"Brother in Arms" The double length final issue has Cap recalling his relationship with Bucky. Here Waid has to work to flesh out the character of Bucky: Why was he a "mascot" in the middle of wartime? What was he like? Waid fills in the character by making him a bit of a scrounger and the young orphan son of a training officer who is allowed to remain on base. He's a charmer and Cap worries if he understands what life's all about. The story ends very poignantly the moment before Bucky's assumed death during the battle against Baron Zemo. Waid does a good job and this is a nice way to end the book. Grade: A-
Overall, the book is worth getting particularly at the relatively low prices that it sells for as used. The Mark Waid stories are great if you've been a fan of Cap through his many changes. The rest of the book is only so so.
Mark Waid (who was writing the principle Captain America series at the time) writes most of the stories in this book.
Let's break down the stories, one by one:
The book leads off with a Sharon Carter story that showcases the difference between Cap's values and those of others in intelligence including Nick Fury, who had no problem with a black ops raid where the goal is to take people out. The way the book plays out highlights how Steve Rogers character calls those around him to a higher standard. An odd choice to lead off the book, but solid. Grade: B
The second story, "Descent into Madness" is a three part World War II thriller following the adult members of the Invaders (Captain America, the Human Torch, and Submariner) in an adventure that takes the team to Atlantis. Nazis have taken over the android Human Torch and are using him as a weapon to attack the Atlanteans in the name of America in hopes of get Atlantis to ally with the Nazis. It's a great wartime story and was actually better than many of the Invaders stories I read from the 1970s. I do have to say that Cap's psychoanalysis of the relationship between Sub-mariner and his mother felt a little off for 1940s Captain America. Then again, the Invaders was written during the 1970s about the 1940s so maybe it's not so far fetched after all. Also Ron Gurney (who was also the regular artist on the Captain America comic) does a great job on the art and bringing the 1940s to life. Grade: B+
Issue 5 featured two shorter stories that were concluded in Issue 6. Issue 6 also featured another continued story that'd be wrapped up in Issue 7.
"Old Soldier/Iron Will" features an untold story set after the events of Avengers #4 with Captain America thawing out and joining the Avengers. Iron Man's having second thoughts as to whether Cap really hasn't lost a step in two decades. The story captures the "Man out of time" feel of Captain America pretty well as the Brooklynite Cap comes to a demolished Ebbetts Fields and assumes people are moody because they missed their favorite radio program. Of course, they encounter an enemy that shows Cap's timeless value. The story had a lot of nice touches including the villain (which only Waid would think of with his incomparable comic book knowledge) and Iron Man in his Silver Age armor. Grade: A-
"The Great Pretender/Double Trouble" A story finds Captain America undercover in an insane asylum as someone claiming to be Captain America because inmate is rattling off natural security secrets and Cap has to find out why, and he's not the only one interested as proved by the arrival of the Chameleon. The story is good but nothing really special. Grade: B-
"Come the Revolution/When Free Men Shall Stand": This story was written by Roger Stern who wrote for Cap in the 1980s and imagines Steve Rogers as having a revolutionary war ancestor who fought and wore a colorful costume and shield. The story was okay, but really seemed to miss the point of Captain America. Steve Rogers wasn't a guy with ancestors who fought in the Revolution. Most guys didn't have that. It's the type of story you'd expect in the Silver Age-if Cap were at DC. Grade: C
"An Ending:" This story written by Brian Vaughn would be appropriate if this comic were called, "FDR." The point of the story is that FDR managed to get a young Steve Rogers through a very difficult early life with all of his radio speeches and then gave Captain America the courage to actually fight the by admitting his polio had left him wheelchair bound. While FDR certainly was popular, it seems odd to have a story that serves no other purpose other than show FDR as young Steve Rogers personal savior and inspiration for everything. Grade: C-
"Flashpoint/Back in Black": This story in Issues 8 and 9 features the Cap and his bronze age partner, the Falcon (i.e. Sam Wilson, a Black Harlem social worker.) When Cap is apparently killed in a plot by the Sons of the Serpent to claim him as one of their own, Wilson takes over as Captain America. The story has a lot to say about how racial hatred is stirred up and the actual plot as well as Sam Wilson's relationship with Cap makes the story interesting. Less so, the denoument which is a bit odd. Still, this was pretty enjoyable. Grade: B
"The Janus Chamber:" This is an odd one involving Captain America trying to save JFK and Marilyn Monroe, and a singer. The story attempts parody and acknowledges at the beginning that it's ahistorical, but as it is, it's a very lame attempt of humor that when it's most understandable is actually kind of offensive particularly using the JFK assassination as punchline. The art is terrible. Really, this is the worst Captain America art I've ever seen. It's just awful. Grade: F
"Hello? Hello? Send some new Linoleum:" This story has the Human Torch explaining to the real Captain America the story of how he met an imposter who fooled everyone but used his status as "Captain America" to rob the bank. The story is recreated almost exactly as it was in the 1963 Silver Age Strange Tales story with Cap incredulous at it all, "He buys a ferrari, a rocket-equipped sky platform, and a state of the art escape missile to rob twenty grand from the bank." Cap's humor may be a little off base, but the whole story is charming and funny. Grade: A-
"Brother in Arms" The double length final issue has Cap recalling his relationship with Bucky. Here Waid has to work to flesh out the character of Bucky: Why was he a "mascot" in the middle of wartime? What was he like? Waid fills in the character by making him a bit of a scrounger and the young orphan son of a training officer who is allowed to remain on base. He's a charmer and Cap worries if he understands what life's all about. The story ends very poignantly the moment before Bucky's assumed death during the battle against Baron Zemo. Waid does a good job and this is a nice way to end the book. Grade: A-
Overall, the book is worth getting particularly at the relatively low prices that it sells for as used. The Mark Waid stories are great if you've been a fan of Cap through his many changes. The rest of the book is only so so.
November 26, 2014
Book Review: Superman Chronicles, Volume 5
The Superman Chronicles, Vol. 5 by Jerry SiegelMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This chronological look through Superman's early years continues as this Volume collects Superman stories from Action Comics #32-#36, Superman #8 and #9 and World's Best Comics #1 and have publication dates between January-May 1941.
Superman continues his war on racketeers and fifth columnists in this book.
Action Comics #32 is noteworthy for Superman inventing a hand held Krypto Raygun with which he could take pictures and then play them back on the wall and also for curing a chemically induced catatonic state through "mental hypnosis."
Superman #8 is probably the best illustration of every type of Golden Age Superman story with Superman taking on a group of mind controlled giants, fifth columnists, a carnival racket, and a gang controlled by drugs provided by their boss.
Action Comics #33 has Superman taking on a mystery at a lumber camp where the will of the late owner to leave the proceeds of future sales to a boys camp after he died is in danger of failing because the owner died. This is an okay issue. Same thing for Issue #4 about an heiress inherits a mine.
Superman #9 has one of the most iconic covers in Superman history with Superman tearing through the yellow background. It also has some of the best stories in the book including Superman taking on phony pacifists, a tale of a racketeer trying to intimidate judge, a great intrigue tale surrounding a missing formula, and a suicide that sets Superman on the trail of something far bigger.
World's Best Comics #1 has Superman facing his most dangerous mad scientist foe since Luthor's last appearance. This time he's actually phased, which is a rarity for golden age Superman.
Issue #35 is a somewhat confusing story about an attempt to steal 100 shares of a useless mining stock. The story is fun but the solution is hard to buy. Issue #36 has Superman taking on more phony anti-rearmament activists. They go out of their way to avoid naming the Axis powers in this pre-World War II book, so this book goes with "Country X" as the bad guy. (I'm not making that up.)
Overall, this was fun, even though I didn't quite think these ere as good as the stories in Volume 4, there's still some nice plots and Superman and Lois are both fun characters to read about.
View all my reviews
November 24, 2014
Book Review: Essential Iron Man Volume 5
Essential Iron Man, Vol. 5 by Mike FriedrichMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book goes back to Marvel's Bronze Age by collecting Iron Man (Vol.1) Issues 62-75, 77-87, Annual #3 and covers for reprint Issues of Iron Man #76, Iron Man Special #1 #2 and Giant Sized Iron Man #1.
Mike Friedrich's had been on since Iron Man #48 and I hadn't thought too much of his early run, but it really does come together in this book as Friedrich tells some great Iron Man stories, and these are probably the best issues of Iron Man since Archie Goodwin worked on the book years before. Friedrich's writing brought the book back from being every month to being an actual monthly.
Some of the highlights of Friedrich's run include Iron Man v. Dr. Spectrum (Issue 63-66), the War of the Supervillains (Issues 67-71, 73-75, 77, 80, and 81). The stories have great action and the War of the Supervillains is particularly an underrated arch. While the War didn't have Marvel's heaviest hitters such as Doctor Doom, the Red Skull, and Doctor Octopus, that actually works in the story's favor as if any one of those villains had been in the storyline they'd be expected to triumph. Instead, we get a wonderfully evenly matched still formidable group including the Mad Thinker, MODOK, the Mandarin, and the Yellow Claw.
Friedrich was concerned about many cause of the big causes of the day but managed not to be as pushy and preachy about his personal beliefs as were other authors of the time. So when Tony returned to Vietnam to search for a lost POW, it didn't have the political punch of what other Marvel authors would have done. Tony Stark had shifted away from weapons manufacturing, but for the most part Friedrich kept the political on the downlow which is quite welcome. Friedrich did also make use of Happy and Pepper Hogan. Early on, their relationship with each other as well as Tony seemed strained as Happyas growing jealous of his wife travelling all over the country with Tony while he stayed in New York and even served divorce papers but Friendrich back off on the melodrama later on in the book.
While Friedrich was pretty serious, he could also have fun and this book features Iron Man #72 which is one of the most fun Marvel books of the 1970s I've seen. Iron Man decides to go to San Diego Comic Con and hilarity ensues. He even tries to buy the latest issue of Iron Man with his Avengers credit card.
Len Wein wrote issues #82-85 as Friedrich's short run successor and doesn't acquit himself well. He re-established in New York after Tony have wandered for several years. He also introduces Michael O'Brien, the brother of the Kevin O'Brien, a brilliant scientist who was Tony's friend but went insane as a result of wearing the Guardsman uniform. Michael is a cop and he blames Tony for Kevin's death. The concept was never that great and the character would spend a year skulking around Iron Man comics. There was a decent story involving the Red Host in Issues 82 and 83. Then (for the third time), Happy Hogan is critically injured and Tony Stark tries the same process on Happy that's twice before turned him into the Freak. Friedrich had Stark try the process on another old friend back in Issue #67 with the same result. Trying it again was just silly, particularly so soon after it failed. Still, it wasn't horrible, just not great.
Bill Manlo filled in for Friedrich on Issue #78 and the result was a classic. In the comics, Stark had shifted gradually into new areas of research until it was announced that Stark was no longer making weapons. It was a jarring shift from the original concept that was never explained...until Issue 78 in which in this "untold Tale of Iron Man," Manlo tells how Stark came to stop seling weapons after a visit to Vietnam and an encounter with the harsh reality of war and the failure of his weapons. Its propoganda but it's brilliant and it gives a great explanation of who the character is in a tale that packs a punch. While I prefer Stan Lee's original vision as it created true diversity of thought within the Marvel universe rather than left wing hegemony, this issue was a masterpiece of writing and the most important issue in the book. Manlo also took over for Wein as a stopgap before Archie Goodwin resumed writing Iron Man and wrote Issues #86 and #87 which, after thirteen years, retooled the throwaway Tales of Suspense villain Jack Frost into the powerful Iron Man villain Blizzard.
Annual #3 was written by Steve Gerber and was a team up with Man-thing. Gerber's work on Man-thing was well-known and if there's one flaw to this story, it's that it feels like a Man-thing in which Iron Man's guest starring rather than vice versa with a very strong horror element. It also features Gerber's trademark flourid overwriting. Though to be fair, it works better on Man Thing since we're dealing with the actions of an unthinking beast. The Annual is okay for it is, but not all that great.
The art in the book ranges from satisfactory to very good. George Tuska was one of Iron Man's great early artists and he has the character down flat and the Issues he drew were a joy (#63-72, #78, 79, 86, and 87). Aside from Sal Busceama (Annual #3), the rest of the art is just about average.
Overall, while not a golden age for the Golden Avenger, these stories are definitely a step up from those collected in the prior Essential volume. While some issues are better than others, there's not a bad issue in this book and there are actually some great and underrated stories in here. This is definitely worth a read.
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November 18, 2014
Book Review: Doctor Who: The Cruel Sea (Comics)
Doctor Who: The Cruel Sea by Gareth RobertsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Coinciding with ninth Doctor's one season reign on television was an equally brief period as the Doctor in Doctor Who Magazine comics. This book collects those stories from Doctor Who Magazine #355-#364 and the 2006 Doctor Who Annual.
With the exception of the Annual, all the art is by Mike Collins who does a crackerjack job on the art. Whether drawing 1960s London or a truly menacing Martian landscape, Collins does a superb job. His backgrounds are rich and fully textured and Doctor and Rose are both beautifully drawn. As the Doctor would say, the art is "Fantastic."
Now, onto the stories:
1) The Love Invasion (Doctor Who Magazine #355-#357): The Doctor and Rose arrive in 1960s London to find an alien force at work. It's building something where Rose's neighborhood should be built and is using then "lend a hand" girls, a group of do-gooding young women as part of its plan. The plan is pretty unique for alien invasion plans and unfolds nicely. Writer Gareth Roberts captures the cadence of the 9th Doctor's voice perfectly while also taking a nice peak at the 1960s. My least favorite part is a very forced "Batman and Robin sleeping together" joke. But otherwise this is sold. Grade: B+
2) Art Attack (DWM #358): The Doctor takes Rose to see the Mona Lisa, but why go to the Louvre (which Rose could do on her own) when he could take her to a museum where the painting is exhibited in the future. Collins writes as well as doing the art and this story is probably more okay than brilliant. The alien is probably Collins' weakest creation as an artist in this book. Grade: B-
3) The Cruel Seas (DWM #359-362): Rob Shearman, writer of the Season 1 Episode Dalek as well as the audio drama it was based on as well as many author Doctor Who books and radio drama turns in his only comic book story here as the Doctor and Rose land on a cruise ship on an artificial sea on Mars which houses a rich man and his never ending supply of Wives and Ex-Wives. The story is probably the best in the book and lives up to being that type of story which Doctor Who could tell on television if it only had the budget for it. The story is a great mix of sci fi and horror with elements of dream, nightmare, and surrealism. Art and story blend for a fantastic mix. Grade: A-
4) Mr. Nobody (Doctor Who Annual 2006): An alien cult that's fanatical about its belief in reincarnation determines that a 26 year old is the reincarnation of someone they believe should have been executed, so they set out to do so. This story features the return of Scott Gray who wrote for the eighth Doctor Comic series. My overall reaction to the story was kind of blah particularly at the average guy's reaction. Grade: C+
5) A Groatsworth of Wit (Doctor Who Magazine #363, 364): In the last 9th Doctor comic by Gareth Roberts, Aliens offer Robert Greene, a playwright and contemporary critic of Shakespeare a chance to come to the 21st Century to find out how he's remembered. To his dismay he finds himself all but forgotten but the upstart Shakespeare is remembered which leads Greene to go on a reign of terror in the 21st Century before heading back to his own time to do away with the Bard. This is the most inconsistent story in the book. On one hand, the Doctor poo poos relativism and opines on the existence of absolute evil using the aliens as exhibit A. The story itself is a nice case study in the destructiveness of envy. On the other hand, you have Shakespeare hitting on Rose which is a bit uncomfortable although it produces a few hilarious lines such as when Rose responds to a Shakespearean pick up, "If you want, but it's not going to get you anywhere." On balance, I wish Roberts had left it out. Still, a nice concluding line from Rose to the 9th Doctor brings the Doctor's career in comics to a close.
The text story, "What I Did On My Summer Holiday by Sally Sparrow" includes many key elements that writer Stephen Moffat would reuse for Blink but isn't quite the same story without the Weeping Angels. It includes many of the timey wimey elements and none of the horror which makes it fun reading.
The book also features 12 pages of commentary that's all pretty interesting stuff and gives good insight into how the comics were produced. Overall, this is a pretty interesting collection that allows fans of the 9th Doctor to enjoy five more adventures with him.
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November 17, 2014
Book Review: Elseworld's Finest: Batgirl and Supergirl
Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl by Barbara KeselMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
The best of DC's Elseworld stories imagine how our favorite DC heroes would exist if circumstances were different. What if Batman had fought crime during the Victorian era? What if Superman went away while a group of harsher more brutal metahumans became a terror to the population? What if Wonder Woman was an old West Sheriff?
The worst of DC's Elseworld's tales imagine a world where our heroes are unlikable twits. Unfortunately, Elseworld's Finest falls into the latter category.
In this world, Barbara Gordon's parents rather than Bruce Wayne's are killed by Joe Cool while trying to save Wayne's parents. Barbara becomes Batgirl with the help of the Wayne millions and the assistance of her childhood friend and millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. After becoming Batgirl, she puts the city under lockdown and bars all superhumans including the Wonder Woman-led Justice Society and she does this because...
Actually, that's never explained. The Justice Society than confront her and then she defeats the entire Justice Society (because she's Batgirl.) The one potentially good idea was tying her use of computers in this Elseworld tale to her identity in the main DC universe as Oracle.
At any rate, Supergirl in this tale is the last survivor of Krypton and has been adopted by Wonder Woman after crashing on Earth as a teenager. She's been helped out by Lex Luthor and is intensely loyal to him. When Luthor is kidnapped, Batgirl wants to keep the Gotham City investigation herself but Supergirl insists on getting in.
Overall, there's not a lot good to say about this book. The art is rarely bad but it's nothing really good either. The plot is confusing and everyone seems to be improvising. None of the characters are likable or that interesting. One potential exception is the Joker, who in this Elseworld, commits crimes to gain the attention of Batgirl, and also has taken a dose of venom to give him the muscles of Bane, but even that character became a one note.
The same can be said of all the characters. Batgirl isn't really her own character but just acting like Batman. The only exception is that she writes crime novels. Given that she's the autocratic dictator of Gotham City while also maintaining a double life, that's unintentionally silly. Supergirl is just a volatile teenager who screams and throws tantrums.
There's no one to like or care about, so despite the title, this is far from Elseworld's Finest.
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Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl by Barbara KeselMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
The best of DC's Elseworld stories imagine how our favorite DC heroes would exist if circumstances were different. What if Batman had fought crime during the Victorian era? What if Superman went away while a group of harsher more brutal metahumans became a terror to the population? What if Wonder Woman was an old West Sheriff?
The worst of DC's Elseworld's tales imagine a world where our heroes are unlikable twits. Unfortunately, Elseworld's Finest falls into the latter category.
In this world, Barbara Gordon's parents rather than Bruce Wayne's are killed by Joe Cool while trying to save Wayne's parents. Barbara becomes Batgirl with the help of the Wayne millions and the assistance of her childhood friend and millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. After becoming Batgirl, she puts the city under lockdown and bars all superhumans including the Wonder Woman-led Justice Society and she does this because...
Actually, that's never explained. The Justice Society than confront her and then she defeats the entire Justice Society (because she's Batgirl.) The one potentially good idea was tying her use of computers in this Elseworld tale to her identity in the main DC universe as Oracle.
At any rate, Supergirl in this tale is the last survivor of Krypton and has been adopted by Wonder Woman after crashing on Earth as a teenager. She's been helped out by Lex Luthor and is intensely loyal to him. When Luthor is kidnapped, Batgirl wants to keep the Gotham City investigation herself but Supergirl insists on getting in.
Overall, there's not a lot good to say about this book. The art is rarely bad but it's nothing really good either. The plot is confusing and everyone seems to be improvising. None of the characters are likable or that interesting. One potential exception is the Joker, who in this Elseworld, commits crimes to gain the attention of Batgirl, and also has taken a dose of venom to give him the muscles of Bane, but even that character became a one note.
The same can be said of all the characters. Batgirl isn't really her own character but just acting like Batman. The only exception is that she writes crime novels. Given that she's the autocratic dictator of Gotham City while also maintaining a double life, that's unintentionally silly. Supergirl is just a volatile teenager who screams and throws tantrums.
There's no one to like or care about, so despite the title, this is far from Elseworld's Finest.
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November 14, 2014
Book Review: All Star Archives, Volume 3
All Star Comics Archives, Vol. 3 by Gardner F. FoxMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book collects Issues 11-14 of All Star Comics containing the Adventures of the Justice Society of America. The book begins (as all great Golden Age archive books do) with an introduction by Roy Thomas who sets the tone for the time. The four bi-monthly adventures were the first to be written following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the books reflect that as the Justice Society joins the war effort though in a different way from other heroes.
Beyond the general World War II storyline, another big item here is the introduction of Wonder Woman to the Justice Society. This happens in Issue 11 when all of the JSAers go to war. The Spectre (who is a ghost) decides to stay at home and Wonder Woman makes a guest appearance. She's appointed Secretary in the next issue (Issue 12) and actually takes part in the action in Issue 13.
Making Wonder Woman the JSA Secretary is seen as pure sexism. Reading it in context, it actually was a way to work the character into the book. There were eight members of the JSA and each had a six page adventure on their own set apart from the Justice Society meeting. To add another member to the JSA would mess with the format, so Wonder Woman couldn't be added to the regular roster without getting rid of someone else and the stories she does participate in have other JSAers absent. While I could think of some characters I'd be happy with swapping for Wonder Woman (Johnny Thunder and the Atom come to mind), apparently the writers weren't ready. Also, under the odd rules of the JSA once a character had their own comic, they were relegated to honorary member status which would have happened to Wonder Woman after Issue 13, but she stayed around with the Secretary gig. The introduction by Thomas indicates they were concerned how kids would feel about her being on the team and in a house ad they hinted at this somewhat awkwardly by suggesting that members of the Justice Society weren't too sure about letting Wonder Woman in and solicited feedback from readers. Overall though, I don't think it's quite the travesty that's been suggested.
As to the stories themselves, in issue 11, the Justice Society all enlist (save for the Spectre) and go overseas and win a ton of battles. In issue 12, the JSA now operating as the Justice Battalion (since they were too good of soldiers to serve in the regular military), they went on a series of missions against the Black Dragon Society. In Issue 14, Hitler has a mad scientist blast the JSA on rockets into space after draining all the oxygen from the room where the JSA are meeting in until they pass out. And the reason they didn't just wait until they died was...it was (something). Anyway, each planet in the JSA universe has intelligent life and each JSAer has a mission there and returns with a technology to help the war. In Issue 14, Hawkman develops food pellets to help the starving patriots in suffering European countries, as they bring food pellets that turn into turkey dinners.
The stories are well-intentioned and patriotic and there are some fun moments, but overall these stories feel a lot less connected than previous tales in the prior two Archive volumes. More importantly, I found the approach of some of these books to uncomfortable. While Timely (Golden Age Marvel) characters fought the war, they did so a single battle at a time-in a way that was relatively realistic but not something that would bring automatic victory to the allies, Superman protected the homefront and had a few forays into some moments but stayed at home and deferred to and honored the troops who actually went.
The Justice Society on the other hand tells Fantasy stories which are really hard to consider in the way history actually went, as Thomas pointed out in the intro. The message of All Star Comics #11 suggested the JSA was more awesome than the real soldiers who suffered defeats after defeat through most of early 1942. Issue 13 had the JSA bringing equipment from space that would have won the war in an instant. Issue 14 had the JSA bringing food overseas when the in reality, the patriots so often starved, and worst. This led to a feel that almost mocked the reality of what was really going on. It was doing the same thing as before the war but with a real enemy, it just doesn't quite feel right.
The book also includes some Hop Harrigan text stories, one of which is written from the perspective of a capture Japanese soldier and is therefore told in pigeon English leading to a tale in which Hop mentally tortures a suicidal captured Japanese prisoner. *sigh*
Overall, this is still the JSA, but I hope future volumes improve as this is a cut below the best comics of the era.
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November 8, 2014
Book Review: Showcase Presents Batman: Brave and the Bold, Volume 1
Kids who watched the 21st century TV series might be confused but this isn't the comic book based on the TV series, but rather than the Comic book which inspired the TV show
The DC comic Series, The Brave and the Bold went through a variety of format changes. At Issue 50, it became a superhero team up book. Batman didn't feature until Issue 59 and didn't become the regular star of the series until Issue 74. This book collects Batman's appearances in Brave and the Bold from Issues 59, 64, 67-71, and 74-87.
The book is divided in two artistically. Prior to Issue 79, a variety of artists drew the comic. The styles were typical silver age style with some good artists chipping in. On a Batman Team Up with the Flash (Issue 67), Carmine Infantino provided the pencils. With Issue 79, Neal Adams took over and gave readers the unique style of art that would come to define Batman into the Bronze Age and in ways that screamed for more realistic stories and got them.
The team ups include plenty of DC Comics A-listers including two appearances each for Green Lantern, the Flash, Wonder Woman (traditional and Mod redesign). The series did feature some of the lesser known characters including Metamorpho, Eclipso, the Spectre, and two separate appearances by Deadman, however these were all fairly well handled. The Eclipso story gave us a rare look into Batman's personal life and the first appearance by Deadman is one of the book's finest efforts. The book also worked in a flashback crossover with Sergeant Rock which is always a plus.
In terms of writing, the book is a bit mixed. The comics were longer than typical stories of the era, running from 23-25 pages when a typical comic was only 20 which allowed time for more development. Prior to Adams taking over as artist, the stories were often goofy to the max. Issue 77 features Batman teaming up with the Atom to fight circus a human cannonball who has a nefarious scheme that involves shrinking a circus midget and a cowboy romance thrown in for good measure. Issue 78 has Batgirl and Wonder Woman staging a fake romance to lure Copperhead into a false sense of confidence. Things go wrong when the two beauties actually fall for the caped crusaders. Both stories are fairly well-done but silly, and so this book may be less enjoyable if you don't like silly stories. In addition, some aren't as well done.
Issue 67's Flash Story has the Flash risking certain death to stop a gang of fast robbers in Gotham City. While it was meant to be noble, it came off as silly to put your life in unusual jeopardy to stop a series of property crimes. Issue 71's tale of Green Arrow and Batman helping a businessman become chief of his Indian tribe was a tad dull. However, that's more than made up for by all the great stories in the book including, "War of the Cosmic Avenger," "But Cork Can Hurt You," and "Punish Not My Evil Son."
Overall, I enjoyed this book's contrasting art, it's fantastic guest act, and it's most
The DC comic Series, The Brave and the Bold went through a variety of format changes. At Issue 50, it became a superhero team up book. Batman didn't feature until Issue 59 and didn't become the regular star of the series until Issue 74. This book collects Batman's appearances in Brave and the Bold from Issues 59, 64, 67-71, and 74-87.
The book is divided in two artistically. Prior to Issue 79, a variety of artists drew the comic. The styles were typical silver age style with some good artists chipping in. On a Batman Team Up with the Flash (Issue 67), Carmine Infantino provided the pencils. With Issue 79, Neal Adams took over and gave readers the unique style of art that would come to define Batman into the Bronze Age and in ways that screamed for more realistic stories and got them.
The team ups include plenty of DC Comics A-listers including two appearances each for Green Lantern, the Flash, Wonder Woman (traditional and Mod redesign). The series did feature some of the lesser known characters including Metamorpho, Eclipso, the Spectre, and two separate appearances by Deadman, however these were all fairly well handled. The Eclipso story gave us a rare look into Batman's personal life and the first appearance by Deadman is one of the book's finest efforts. The book also worked in a flashback crossover with Sergeant Rock which is always a plus.
In terms of writing, the book is a bit mixed. The comics were longer than typical stories of the era, running from 23-25 pages when a typical comic was only 20 which allowed time for more development. Prior to Adams taking over as artist, the stories were often goofy to the max. Issue 77 features Batman teaming up with the Atom to fight circus a human cannonball who has a nefarious scheme that involves shrinking a circus midget and a cowboy romance thrown in for good measure. Issue 78 has Batgirl and Wonder Woman staging a fake romance to lure Copperhead into a false sense of confidence. Things go wrong when the two beauties actually fall for the caped crusaders. Both stories are fairly well-done but silly, and so this book may be less enjoyable if you don't like silly stories. In addition, some aren't as well done.
Issue 67's Flash Story has the Flash risking certain death to stop a gang of fast robbers in Gotham City. While it was meant to be noble, it came off as silly to put your life in unusual jeopardy to stop a series of property crimes. Issue 71's tale of Green Arrow and Batman helping a businessman become chief of his Indian tribe was a tad dull. However, that's more than made up for by all the great stories in the book including, "War of the Cosmic Avenger," "But Cork Can Hurt You," and "Punish Not My Evil Son."
Overall, I enjoyed this book's contrasting art, it's fantastic guest act, and it's most
November 7, 2014
Book Review: Justice League Unlimited: Heroes
Justice League Unlimited: Heroes by Adam BeechenMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This last collection of Justice League Unlimited comics collects Issues #23-29 of the comic book based on the cartoon network series.
"Heroes" focuses on the Justice League breaking up a bank robbery by the Royal Flush Gang. That the Royal Flush Gang would bother with something as mundane as a daylight bank robbery seems really out of character. It is also bizarre that Superman, Batman, Red Tornado, and Black Canary team up for this. However, the contrivance is for a purpose: to make the point about the importance of real life heroes like police and firefighters. Unfortunately, they accomplish little without the Justice League saving their bacon which negates the point. Still, their heart was in the right place. Grade: C-
"Along Among the Stars": By the way, the Martian Manhunter was in the last story. His presence didn't make any sense other than to deliver the message but he's back in full force in this story as he is the only member of the Justice League on the Watchtower not to be taken over by the Starro creature. As he stumbles around trying to survive, he remembers his long lost Martian family. Overall, this sort of story with the Martian Manhunter has been done before. There are some good moments, but the story didn't live up to the pathos of previous Martian Manhunter stories. Grade: C+
"The Devil May Care": The Blue Devil is upset with kids being scared of him because he looks like a Devil. He looks like a Devil because he's a Demon. He goes to Doctor Fate to ask for help and Fate tells him there's nothing he can do, no power whatsoever. He apologizes for being insensitive earlier and will try to help him even though there's still nothing he can do, but by this time Blue Devil has learned the importance of having a positive self-image even if you are demonic spawn. I don't like "demonic heroes" and this story was particularly dumb. Only highlight are some weird dreamscapes with the return of Doctor Destiny. Grade: D-
"The Ghosts of Atlantis"-Doctor Fate appears in this one as he, Superman, and Booster Gold go to Atlantis and fight evil underwater giant statues powered by Felix Faust. It's not as cool as it sounds. Also at the end, Fate has been invited to join the League despite him being a semi-regular. That's just lazy continuity. Grade: D-
"Climb the Mountain"-A story featuring Black Lightening, one of the more obscure DC Characters. The Parasite wants to face Superman and is destroying Metropolis to do it. With many heroes including Wonder Woman laid aside, it's up to Black Lightning to win it. Overall, there's some good action and a nice message even though they didn't sell me on the idea that superheroes discuss what they'd be if they couldn't be superheroes. Grade: B+
"Season's Beatings, Justice League": The title doesn't fit the story but they need something Christmasy (or a Holidaysy as the case may be.) The Flash has ticked off Batman by taking his mind off the battle to look for a last minute Christmas item allowing a henchman to escape. Batman tasks Flash with finding the henchman. Instead, Flash runs into the Phantom Stranger who shows him why Batman's such as a grouch at Christmas by showing two past Christmases, including one where Clark Kent took him home. The gist is that Batman believes that if he allows him to be happy, he'll forget his anger and therefore forget his parents. Why the Phantom Stranger does this makes no sense, as it appears to be just a plot device, but an interesting one. Grade: B-
"Untamed"-The story features Animal Man who is tasked with dealing with B'Wana Beast, a Justice Leaguer who is not a team player. The story has a bit of an in-joke about Animal Man and B'Wana Beast also being paired and assumed to be similar as animal guys even though their powers are completely different and I think the story serves both to riff on how these two lesser known heroes are confused by fans. The story is decent with some nice comedy and you feel for Animal Man caught in the middle between B'Wana Beast and Superman. It's one of the better stories here, not great but enjoyable. Grade: B+
Overall, this book is mostly a collect of okay stories with a couple really weak ones. There are way too many plot issues, but the book on a hole is passable.
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Christians and Superheroes
I'm a Christian who writes superhero fiction (some parody and some serious.)
On this blog, we'll take a look at:
1) Superhero stories
2) Issues of faith in relation to Superhero stories
3) Writing Superhe ...more
On this blog, we'll take a look at:
1) Superhero stories
2) Issues of faith in relation to Superhero stories
3) Writing Superhe ...more
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