Meanwhile... Back at the Comic Book Blog

So pretty much right off the bat I realized that this comic would be about characters I knew very little about. Before the comic has even started there's an intro to the characters that will be appearing, the only two I think I've actually read comics about before were Wildcat and Black Canary. Robinson, Goyer, and Johns were going to bring back all the concepts and characters in the superhero comics they used to love and I know nothing about. I guess I haven't gotten around to picking out issues of Infinity Inc. from quarter bins yet.

But hold on, the Grey Man? Wesley Dodds*? Didn't I just read comics about them? Talk about syncronicity. Of course that doesn't help me know who the hell Mordru is. And I think that name is awful. Ick. And is that Kid Eternity from the Vertigo miniseries? How is he showing up here? And Dream! Oh comics.

One thing I do like about this comic though are the costumes. Or maybe not all the costumes (Sentinel's mask is awful), but the fact that half the team seem to just be wearing clothes anyone could. Sure it depends on which artist is drawing them, but Starman is pretty much always just a guy in goggles. Sentinel has ridiculously puffy sleeves and a huge belt buckle. Flash looks like he's wearing jeans in some panels. Sand, at least at first, is a guy wearing a sweater and a gasmask. That could be me right now! Mr. Terrific wears a jacket! A jacket! I have no idea who or why he even is, but he has a jacket. And a weird T on his face.

And how about the more superhero-y costumes? I love the fact that the Star Spangled Kid wears shorts. Yeah, they're skin tight, but they are a million times more sensible than what most superheroines wear. And while in volume two she's wearing pants, you have to wonder what was going through Black Canary's mind when she wore what was basically a bathing suit to a funeral. What?! I like Hourman's costume too. It seems as though it should just be a jumbled mess (that line on his face!) but it actually turns out surprisingly well.

Of course this isn't to say I love all the costumes. Atom Smasher's costume is pretty lame, but maybe I'm just bitter he doesn't have a mohawk anymore. More superheroes need ridiculous haircuts. I also find Wildcat's mask fairly ridiculous about half the time. And some of the villians and supporting characters (Scarab!), urgh.

I also like that Dr. Mid-Nite is an actual doctor. I like the inventive ways Sentinel uses his powers. That's how you be a Green Lantern! I don't even understand how he made versions of dead superheroes and had them fight. That seems like it would take way more work than is good. And he made a wheelchair and splints for an injured person!

But enough about that, onto the actual comics. I liked the first volume more than the second, even if the artwork in book two is definitely better than the first, and it contains ten issues (I love thick trades). The second book also has lots of characters I like, Mr. Bones (although I know almost nothing about him), Agent Chase (!!!) show up as part of the DEO, and Dove comes back. I love Dove!

Volume two does have a pretty fun issue with an injured Wildcat taking out almost the entire injustice Society by himself. Though what kind of surprised me about that issue was that of the seven members of the IS, I knew one of them (Count Vertigo). I am still not that up on my knowledge of the DC universe it seems. Oh wait, Geomancer showed up in issue five. I didn't remember him though.

But the arc where Kobra is/are the villain(s)didn't do much for me. I mean, I like Kobra and all, but he didn't seem to be treated like a viable threat.

Also, it seems that if you are related to a superhero, even distantly, you are about a milllllion times more likely to get powers. That seems so unfair!

I wonder if in another ten years or so some new writer will be undoing all the stuff done in comics like this. They'll bring back the weird '90s Fate, and get rid of the helmeted one, they'll turn Atom Smasher back into Nuklon, and I don't know what else.

So yeah, I guess I'll read more JSA, but I really want more of the Starfox Justice Critter though. That comic looks awesome! And for the Red Bee to come back. And to be able to write coherent reviews.

*So, unrelated but awesome. I was at a Workless Party Party recently, and like many other people was dressed up in costume. In my case that was sort of '30s style hat, pants (with suspenders), and a gasmask (and some pussy willows I'd found at a skytrain station on my way). At one point a guy yelled out "Hey Wesley Dodds!" thinking I was dressed up like the Sandman, and we proceeded to have a really good costume. Now I need to make an actual Sandman Costume.

Labels: comics, DC