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LWIC: The Dark Knight vs The Blackest Night

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

The Amazing Spider-Man #622

Spider-Man has been dealing with a gang war and a wave of attacks from his rouge gallery. Most recently with the help of the Black Cat, Spidey reclaimed a vial of his blood that was being weaponized against him. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

Spider-Man has been riding high as the Best Comic of the Week for a couple weeks in a row, but the emo-like Morbius and the non noticeable tie to the overall story weakened this issue.

Weekly Blackest Night:
Blackest Night #7

Back in the day when Abin Sur passed away and his Green Lantern ring and responsibilities were passed to Hal Jordan, he did so because of his findings about the prophecy of the “Blackest Night.” In the present, many different colors of Lantern Corps have formed, or have been found in the universe. Each color of Lantern Corps receives it’s power from emotion and each emotion is represented by a different color.

The prophecy of the “Blackest Night” predicts the removal of all life and emotion from the universe by a corps of lifeless lanterns – the Black Lanterns. To remove the emotion and life from the universe, the Black Lantern Corps’ members are all formerly deceased creatures/heroes throughout the universe that prey on those they were close to. By raising the emotions of their prey the Black Lanterns energized, or recharged, their Power Battery. With the Power Battery fully charged the lord of the Black Lanterns Nekron rose from the darkness.

Nekron revealed that he is the reason all of the heroes of the DCU were able to be resurrected in the past, he put himself between them and “everlasting death” so that he would have power over them whenever he decided to wage war against the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Guardian’s replicate one of each power ring and deputize new Lanterns to help the charge against Nekron: The Scarecrow (Yellow – fear), Wonder Woman (Violet – love), The Atom (Indigo – compassion), Barry Allen (Blue – hope), Mera (Red – rage), and Lex Luthor (Orange – greed). The only hope for the universe is a new alliance of multi-colored Lanterns working together to create the only thing that can destroy the Black Lanterns – pure white light. LWIC:

It seems like forever since this story moved forward. Maybe it was because of all the “tie-in” comics published every month, or maybe because I have been waiting for something big to happen. In this issue, a couple big things happened. In my bullet points I said that Sinestro becomes the first White Lantern, but I think there is something about Dove that might give her that title. More important may be the fact that she noticed something inside the Black Lantern Power Battery.

The Guardians of the Galaxy have been known to hide powerful entities in power batteries such as Parallax and Ion. So I wonder if there is a powerful “Black Lantern” entity like Parallax and Ion hiding inside the Black Lantern’s battery. The Anit-Monitor maybe? I’m thinking that Nekron may not be as “all powerful master of death” that he proclaims, maybe he is instead just the leader of the Black Lanterns like Hal leads the Green Lanterns and Sinsestro leads the Sinestro Corps (or Yellow Lanterns.)

In the beginning I was fascinated with the idea of emotions being the most powerful forces in the universe and a war between armies wielding that power. Recently the story seemed to slow because of all the tie in titles, but with this issue I am amped up to read the finale.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
BATMAN & ROBIN #9

Dick Grayson tried to revive Bruce Wayne by placing his remains into the last know Lazarus Pit located in England. Aided by Knight and Squire and Batwoman, they are successful at reviving the dead body that Superman identified as Batman during the Final Crisis. Once revived, Bruce Wayne attacked his healers and left them for dead in a cave-in before returning to Wayne Tower in Gotham. LWIC:

I can’t express the joy from reading the last three issues of this series. I was not a huge fan of the first two arcs of this series, but this one was fun, exciting, and thought provoking. Not only was the story top-notch, the art was AWESOME! I am not a huge fan of Frank Quitely’s art on this book, but Cameron Stewart’s art I am a fan of – he hit it out the park. Add the story and the art together and its easy to see why this was the Best Comic of Last week, but if you look at the ramifications this story has on the whole DCU this may be the Most Important Comic of 2010. We all knew that Bruce Wayne was not dead, but this story explains it in a manner that peaks curiosity instead of fanboy rage.

Oh, and the fact that Dick Grayson was hitting on Batwoman was the perfect humorous ending to an action packed comic.

*During Final Crisis Darkseid captured Batman and attempted to clone him. Cloning the DNA was easy, but the infusion of Batman’s thoughts and feelings that motivates him was too powerful for the clones and corrupted them. Darkseid ordered the destruction of all but one clone. At the end of Final Crisis Darkseid and Batman fight, ending with Batman being hit by Darkseid’s Omega Beams. Superman arrives to find the remains of Batman and declares him dead… but that body was not Bruce Wayne…

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Posted by Fred on March 1, 2010 @ 3:55 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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LWIC: Batman Plays the “Bad Cop”

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Batman #696

During the events of Batman R.I.P. the Black Mask returned from the dead. With all of the dead rising in the DCU one would not be surprised, except this resurrected Black Mask is not a Black Lantern. Instead of destroying the universe like the Black Lanterns, the Black Mask wants to destroy Gotham. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

After reading the last issue, I thought this story line was horrible and confusing and stated that “This is probably a comic that would be better read in one sitting once the trade comes out.” And I think I may be right. I hated the last issue, but after reading this one the story is beginning to make more sense. I originally thought that Edward Nigma, the Riddler, was the new Black Mask based on previously dropped hints, but the clues in this issue lead to him being Hush. Now I can’t wait for the next issue to see who the Black Mask really is and how Batman takes him and the Penguin down.

Batman Streets of Gotham #9

Batman was the first star of Detective Comics and Batman: Streets of Gotham was supposed to feature the supporting cast and their interaction with Batman… but what we had here was Batman being the Worlds Greatest Detective again. LWIC:

The story may have been a “cookie-cutter” detective tale, but aren’t all the good ones? While the plot is quite simple, the exception of this issue gave it it’s charm. Not every story needs to be a “blockbuster event,” a simple well told tale does the job just as fine as it did in the 70’s and 80’s.

Weekly Blackest Night:

Back in the day when Abin Sur passed away and his Green Lantern ring and responsibilities were passed to Hal Jordan, he did so because of his findings about the prophecy of the “Blackest Night.” In the present, many different colors of Lantern Corps have formed, or have been found in the universe. Each color of Lantern Corps receives it’s power from emotion and each emotion is represented by a different color.

The prophecy of the “Blackest Night” predicts the removal of all life and emotion from the universe by a corps of lifeless lanterns – the Black Lanterns. To remove the emotion and life from the universe, the Black Lantern Corps’ members are all formerly deceased creatures/heroes throughout the universe that prey on those they were close to. By raising the emotions of their prey the Black Lanterns energized, or recharged, their Power Battery. With the Power Battery fully charged the lord of the Black Lanterns Nekron rose from the darkness.

Nekron revealed that he is the reason all of the heroes of the DCU were able to be resurrected in the past, he put himself between them and “everlasting death” so that he would have power over them whenever he decided to wage war against the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Guardian’s replicate one of each power ring and deputize new Lanterns to help the charge against Nekron: The Scarecrow (Yellow – fear), Wonder Woman (Violet – love), The Atom (Indigo – compassion), Barry Allen (Blue – hope), Mera (Red – rage), and Lex Luthor (Orange – greed). The only hope for the universe is a new alliance of multi-colored Lanterns working together to create the only thing that can destroy the Black Lanterns – pure white light.

Green Lantern #51

Green Lantern Corps #45

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #621

Recently many of Spidey’s rouge gallery has showed up, caused some trouble, got beat down by Spidey, and then recruited for something bigger by Kraven The Hunter’s widow. LWIC us readers were given a little break from the pattern:

It was nice to see a one and done issue that ties easily into the continuity created over the last dozen issues. I like the character moments the best. Peter’s personality shines during the discussions with the Black Cat, while Carlie Cooper’s personality becomes clearer with the possible foreshadowing of her putting two-and-two together about Peter Parker.

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Posted by Fred on February 22, 2010 @ 8:00 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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LWIC: Batman Will Drop You!

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Batman and Robin #7

Dick Grayson has finally finished his “can I really be Batman” phase and is filling his mentor’s shoes quite nicely. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

This may not seem like a lot of plot, but the art and action that fills the pages in this comic is quite beautiful. Cameron Stewart’s rendition of Batman’s acrobatic action is phenomenal and a welcome replacement for words. This by far has been my favorite issue of this series, partly because of the art and partly because we know that the body placed in the Lazarus pit isn’t Bruce’s since he is lost in the time stream… Finally a real story and a real mystery.

Detective Comics #861

The flagship of DC Comics is going back to it’s roots with a mystery that only a disciple of the World’s Greatest Detective can solve. LWIC:

Ahh a good mystery. As much as I loved the origin arc in the last couple issues it seemed that the only mysteries and crime solving going on was in the Question’s second feature. Speaking of the second feature, it still remains one of my favorites. There is just enough humor, violence, and mystery to make it a perfect comic. I hope both stories continue to feature mysteries and deep crime solving worthy of the book’s title.

Justice League of America #41

I haven’t read JLA in a while, but with a new team of “B listers” joining it, I am having hopes of Giffen and Dematteis’ Justice League all over again. LWIC:

Not reading “Cry for Justice” doesn’t help at the start of this story since it seems to stem from it’s aftermath, but the rebuilding and plot set up for the next issue is intriguing. It looks like JLA will be a monthly read for me again.

Superman #696

The set-up for a war between Earth and New Krypton continues in Superman 696. LWIC:

First of all the art in this issue was fantastic. Bernard Chang’s pencils (and inks) is action incarnate and more realistic than any red and blue 3D glasses can. As for the story… it still feels like filler and set-up that is taking too long. I am looking forward to this summer’s big event that is being set-up by this storyline, but I am tired of stories that drag on for months that could easily be told in one issue.

Weekly Blackest Night:

Back in the day when Abin Sur passed away and his Green Lantern ring and responsibilities were passed to Hal Jordan, he did so because of his findings about the prophecy of the “Blackest Night.” In the present, many different colors of Lantern Corps have formed, or have been found in the universe. Each color of Lantern Corps receives it’s power from emotion and each emotion is represented by a different color.

The prophecy of the “Blackest Night” predicts the removal of all life and emotion from the universe by a corps of lifeless lanterns – the Black Lanterns. To remove the emotion and life from the universe, the Black Lantern Corps’ members are all formerly deceased creatures/heroes throughout the universe that prey on those they were close to. By raising the emotions of their prey the Black Lanterns energized, or recharged, their Power Battery. With the Power Battery fully charged the lord of the Black Lanterns Nekron rose from the darkness.

Nekron revealed that he is the reason all of the heroes of the DCU were able to be resurrected in the past, he put himself between them and “everlasting death” so that he would have power over them whenever he decided to wage war against the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Guardian’s replicate one of each power ring and deputize new Lanterns to help the charge against Nekron: The Scarecrow (Yellow – fear), Wonder Woman (Violet – love), The Atom (Indigo – compassion), Barry Allen (Blue – hope), Mera (Red – rage), and Lex Luthor (Orange – greed). The only hope for the universe is a new alliance of multi-colored Lanterns working together to create the only thing that can destroy the Black Lanterns – pure white light.

Green Lantern #50

Nekron has risen and plans on overthrowing the Guardians as the most powerful beings in the universe. The seven leaders of each Lantern Corp and their newly appointed deputies have a run in with a powerful Black Lantern on their way to battle Nekron. LWIC:

When I first saw the cover to this issue I thought to myself “Parallax again!” Since the concept of the Parallax as a parasitic demon of fear was created in 2006, he (or it) has played a major role in almost every “big” Green Lantern story since then. I thought it would be overkill, but the explanation and the fact that it tied directly into his (its) first appearance I was cool with it. I am glad that I didn’t let the return of Parallax influence my opinion of this story, because as much as it doesn’t relate to the overall Blackest Night storyline I am looking forward to a HUGE battle next month… and sometimes that is all I need from a comic book to enjoy it. So bring on the battle!

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
Amazing Spider-Man #619

Last week the Maggia crime family was almost ruined by it’s current leader’s incompetence. Just as Mr. Negative’s crime family was about to overthrow the Maggia, the families fallen leaders show up alive and kicking… kicking butt. It turns out that the Maggia’s former leaders were never dead, their deaths were staged by the special effects artists and super-villain Mysterio. LWIC:

This is a well written comic with many subplots and questions that leaves the reader at the edge of their seat waiting for the next issue. I want to know how Mysterio is creating all of his “illusions?” Are they reanimated dead bodies like this issue hinted at, or are they something else? What is the purpose for Carlie’s dad’s resurrection, or is his story the only real one?

I’m not quite sure how well I summarized this issue, but no matter if it makes sense or not you need to pick up this issue and read it if you have not already. You won’t be disappointed.

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Posted by Fred on February 1, 2010 @ 10:32 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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LWIC: DC and Marvel Both Resurrect the Dead

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Batman Streets of Gotham #8

Since Dick Grayson took over as Batman I have been impressed with the different identities, or distinct character traits, that the writers have created to featured in each of the Bat-Books. In Batman Streets of Gotham, the dark, dirty underbelly of Gotham is featured as Batman’s main nemesis and this issue stays on course with a guest writer at the helm. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

Sometimes I hate reading other peoples reviews before writing my own, and in this comic’s case before I read it. People have been bashing this comic because of Batman seeming “OK” with the killing of criminals, as if he condones the killings. At first I thought that maybe Damian (Robin) was rubbing off on him with his opinion that the only way to stop crime is to stop it permanently. The more I read of this the more that I think that Batman is not condoning the killings, but instead it is a driving factor to understanding the criminals. I think the writer may be trying to get the readers emotionally involved by ticking them off only to have Batman stick with his “no killing” mantra in the end. I guess we will just have to wait until next month to see if I am right, or if Mr. Mike Benson ruins the character of Batman with poor characterization and writing. Until the end is relieved in the next issue, I am just going to remember that this particular series focuses on the darkness that falls over Gotham and Batman and enjoy the darker non “super-hero” aspect of Batman.

Blackest Night:

Back in the day when Abin Sur passed away and his Green Lantern ring and responsibilities were passed to Hal Jordan, he did so because of his findings about the prophecy of the “Blackest Night.” In the present, many different colors of Lantern Corps have formed, or have been found in the universe. Each color of Lantern Corps receives it’s power from emotion and each emotion is represented by a different color. The prophecy of the “Blackest Night” predicts the removal of all life and emotion from the universe by a corps of lifeless lanterns – the Black Lanterns. To remove the emotion and life from the universe, the Black Lantern Corps’ members are all formerly deceased creatures/heroes throughout the universe that prey on those they were close to. By raising the emotions of their prey the Black Lanterns energized, or recharged, their Power Battery. With the Power Battery fully charged the lord of the Black Lanterns Nekron rose from the darkness. Nekron reveals that he is the reason all of the heroes of the DCU were able to be resurrected in the past, he put himself between them and “everlasting death” so that he would have power over them whenever he decided to wage war against the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Guardian’s replicate one of each power ring and deputize new Lanterns to help the charge against Nekron: The Scarecrow (Yellow – fear), Wonder Woman (Violet – love), The Atom (Indigo – compassion), Barry Allen (Blue – hope), Mera (Red – rage), and Lex Luthor (Orange – greed). The only hope for the universe is a new alliance of multi-colored Lanterns working together to create the only thing that can destroy the Black Lanterns – pure white light.

Green Lantern Corps #44

During this whole Blackest Night fiasco Oa’s (home of the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps) central battery has been under attack by the Black Lanterns. The central battery on Oa gives all of the Green Lanterns their power, so by taking out that battery, the folks over in the pages of “Blackest Night” will never be able to defeat Nekron. During the battle to protect the central battery, Kyle Rayner was thought to be dead and this sent his best friend Guy Gardner over the edge. The full of rage Guy became a Red Lantern wielding both a red and green power ring. LWIC:

I like how Mogo was used to “purge” all life from Oa and I especially like the way in which the Black Lanterns were destroyed upon arriving on the living planet. Normally I would feel cheated and disappointed by the speed in which this major battle was ended, but the logic was sound enough to for me to believe that in that fictional universe this was a realistic next step in the story. As for the Guy Gardner Red Lantern vs Kyle Rayner Green Lantern battle for next month… I will withhold judgement until I read it.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:

Amazing Spider-Man #618

DC’s Blackest Night does not hold a monopoly on people returning from the dead, AMS #618 features nine previously dead gangsters and one police officer among the living again. LWIC:

For over a month, the Spider-Man book has had a different villain featured along with “The Gauntlet” tagline and this month is no different. The comic reintroduces Mysterio as a major player in the Mafia storyline, but I am still trying to figure out how all of these stories tie together, other than they feature a prominent member of Spidey’s rouge gallery. I keep waiting for something of the magnitude of a ramped up Sinister Six, but until then, I guess I’ll just sit back and enjoy each individual storyline.

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Posted by Fred on January 25, 2010 @ 10:15 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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LWIC: “I Shot The Sheriff, But I Didn’t Shoot No Deputy!”

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Back in the day when Abin Sur passed away and his Green Lantern ring and responsibilities were passed to Hal Jordan, he did so because of his findings about the prophecy of the “Blackest Night.” In the present, many different colors of Lantern Corps have formed or have been found in the universe. Each color of Lantern Corps receives it’s power from emotion and each emotion is represented by a different color. The prophecy of the “Blackest Night” predicts the removal of all life and emotion from the universe by a corps of lifeless lanterns – the Black Lanterns. To remove the emotion and life from the universe, the Black Lantern Corps’ members are all formerly deceased creatures/heroes throughout the universe that prey on those they were close to. By raising the emotions of their prey the Black Lanterns energized, or recharged, their Power Battery. With the Power Battery fully charged the lord of the Black Lanterns Nekron rose from the darkness. Nekron reveals that he is the reason all of the heroes of the DCU were able to be resurrected in the past, he put himself between them and “everlasting death” so that he would have power over them whenever he decided to wage war against the Guardians of the Galaxy. The only hope for the universe is a new alliance of multi-colored Lanterns working together to create the only thing that can destroy the Black Lanterns – pure white light.

Blackest Night #6

This whole series feels epic… and thats a feeling I haven’t got from reading a “company wide” crossover since the original “Crisis on Infinite Earths” and “Secret Wars.” I hope this series continues to give me that war and fuzzy epic feeling before DC over does it with the extra one-shots and sub-series.

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Posted by Fred on January 4, 2010 @ 9:05 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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LWIC: Urban Camouflage

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Adventure Comics #5

The main story may have been a “Blackest Night” tie in, but the focus on Superboy-Prime holds more weight than the always popular zombies also featured.

Superboy-Prime was a major player during the Infinite Crisis, his role was that of a super-powered pawn of Alex Luthor to recreate the Multiverse. Since his reemergence, S-Prime has been portrayed as a spoiled brat who’s super-powered temper tantrums ended the lives of many characters of the DCU. After Infinite Crisis, S-Prime was a member of the Sinestro Corps and then led the Legion of Super-Villains before being exiled back to his proper universe Earth-Prime. Earth-Prime is our Earth where the DCU heroes exist only in comic books, the same comic books that show Superboy-Prime as a villain. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

I enjoyed reading about Superboy-Prime trashing the DC Comic offices, but what was even better about this comic was the short story setting up the next arc – Conner Kent, the current Superboy, vs Lex Luthor.

Amazing Spider-Man #614

Recently Electro returned to NYC broke, grumpy, middle aged, with uncontrollable powers. Ticked off that he lost all of his investments from the money he stole in the past, he created a couple of viral Youtube videos encouraging the people that were hit by the recession to stand up against the large companies and their government bailouts. Targeting the DB (formerly the Daily Bugle) and Dexter Bennett specifically, Electro makes a deal with the publisher that he will back off if he pays. Using the “blood money” from Bennett, Electro pays the Mad Thinker to cure him of his now uncontrollable powers. Instead of removing them, the process did the opposite – Electro became supercharged. LWIC:

Before the DB (formerly the Daily Bugle) was destroyed, Bennett gave the property and business back to the original owner – J. Jonah Jamison. With Jamison back in control of the Bugle, even though there is no physical building, and the formation of a team of super-villains this comic was a great read for the setup of the next storyline alone.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK
BATGIRL #5

There was a time before “cross-company” mandated crossovers when Super-Heroes “use(d) their powers to police day-to-day crime while also combating threats against humanity by supervillains, who as their name implies are criminals of ‘unprecedented powers’ in the same way that superheroes are crime fighters with ‘unprecedented powers.’” (source Wikipedia) Batgirl, while tied into continuity, steers away from the “company-wide” take on storytelling and returns to traditional take on super-hero comics. LWIC:

This book was easily the BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK because, unlike the other Batbooks, the legacy of Batgirl isn’t being continued by Stephanie Brown, its being reinvented. This comic is just a true coming of age story for a new type of hero; a type of hero who existed before and was recently forgotten.

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Posted by Fred on December 14, 2009 @ 10:00 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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L2WIC (Last TWO Weeks In Comics) Make-Up Edition

Last week I was feeling horrible and didn’t get all my comics read due to the holiday, so I took a sick day on Monday. Today, I review some of last week’s comics and some of two week ago’s comics to make up for my sick day. So without further babbling about non comic related stuff, I present to you:

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 4 to 12 day-old comics.

Amazing Spider-Man #613

Electro is back and while he may not be able to control his electricity powers, he does have control of the people of NY. Electro is not doing well because with age he lost control of his powers and his money was supposed to mature, but like many Americans, he lost all of his investments (yes he invested all the money he stole in the past) when the market crashed in 2007. Tired of all of the corporations getting bailouts, he sparks (pun intended) the non corporate folks of NY to rise up against the powers that lost their money but continue to get money from the government. L2WIC (Last TWO Weeks In Comics):

Electro has always been a “cookie-cutter” type of villain in my eyes with no purpose other than being a punching bag for our web-slinging hero. To see Electro get a cause and a personality that ties into the current real world economic state that many Americans can relate too adds just enough reality to a fantasy comic to make it enjoyable.

Detective Comics#859

The Cult of Crime has been after Batwoman since the awesome weekly series 52. The cult believes that the “twice named daughter of Kain” needs to be sacrificed to fulfill their final prophecy. Batwoman, Kate Kain, since surviving the attempted sacrifice and with the help of her fathers she has been hunting down the members of the cult. During her last tussle with the Cult of Crime she learned that their new leader may be her twin sister who was believed to be murdered along with her mother twenty years ago. L2WIC:

Flashbacks show:

The flashback segments of this origin story is phenomenal! I have always wondered why the Cult of Crime was still waiting for the prophecy after the failed attempt on Kate’s life, but with the reveal that Kate has a twin sister there is now new meaning to the “twice named daughter of Kain” reference in the Crime Bible.

Superman #694

Mon-El took over as the super-powered guardian of Metropolis when Superman left Earth for New Krypton. Since then the US Military has plotted against all Kryptonians and members of the Superman Family which includes Mon-El. When the military’s plot unfolded Mon-El was captured by General Lane leaving the people of Metropolis thinking that their newest hero was dead. After being poked, prodded, and probed by scientists, Mon-El, with the help of the Parasite, escaped the military’s off world prison. L2WIC:

A couple of issues ago the Guardian announced to the Science Police that Johnathan Kent would not be returning to the force now that Mon-El was dead because they were the same person. The Science Police is composed of the best police personnel throughout the US, you would think the knowledge that one Kent has super powers would lead them to figure out that Clark Kent also has super powers. Last week Mon-El returned to fight along side the same group that knows his secret identity… I can’t wait for the next issue to see how a powerless Mon-El fights off two villains and deals with the whole secret identity issue.

Blackest Night:

Back in the day when Abin Sur passed away and his Green Lantern ring and responsibilities were passed to Hal Jordan, he did so because of his findings about the prophecy of the “Blackest Night.” In the present, many different colors of Lantern Corps have formed or have been found in the universe. Each color of Lantern Corps receives it’s power from emotion and each emotion is represented by a different color. The prophecy of the “Blackest Night” predicts the removal of all life and emotion from the universe by a corps of lifeless lanterns – the Black Lanterns. To remove the emotion and life from the universe, the Black Lantern Corps’ members are all formerly deceased creatures/heroes throughout the universe that prey on those they were close to. By raising the emotions of their prey the Black Lanerns energized, or recharged, their Power Battery. With the Power Battery  fully charged the lord of the Black Lanterns Nekron rose from the darkness.  The only hope for the universe is all of different lantern corps to work together using each color of the emotional spectrum to create the only thing that can destroy the Black Lanterns – pure white light. L2WIC:

Green Lantern #48

Blackest Night #5

Blackest Night: Flash #1

The Flash seems to be at the center of this whole Blackest Night story. Barry Allen the 2nd Flash (the first one to wear the universally recognized red suit) sacrificed himself to save the universe during in the original Crisis. The death of a major hero at that time was almost unheard of and it’s impact was felt for years in comics… Until death and resurrection became a revolving door in the DCU with Superman, Green Arrow, and Hal Jordan to name a few. A glimpse of the bigger picture behind the whole Blackest Night storyline is shown with one line from the end of this comic: “Your Death Was The First. Your Rebirth Is The Last!”

Knowing that Nekron was behind all of the resurrected super-heroes was just a way to control them when the Blackest Night was in full swing, that quote “Your Death Was The First. Your Rebirth Is The Last!” Add that quote with the commentary provided in this issue about the Reverse Flash to make this single “tie-in” comic better than any other of the last two weeks.

I wasn’t digging “Flash: Rebirth” and have stopped getting the single issues, but after this issue I don’t think I can wait for the trade. I am going to have to get the single issues. This comic is THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK only because it succeeded in making me interested in an important DCU character that I previously had no desire to read about.

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Posted by Fred on December 7, 2009 @ 9:35 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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LWIC: Zombies Don’t Scare a Scarecrow

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Arkham Reborn #1

After Bruce passed away and there was utter chaos in both Gotham and the Bat-Comics being printed – “Batman Battle for the Cowl: Arkham Asylum,” one-shot was one of my favorite issues of the horrible mess leading up the the new Bat-Regime. With the Black Mask blowing up Arkham, it would only be a matter of time until the new Batman and Robin captured the escapees and a regular prison won’t hold those super-powered villains. LWIC (Last Week In Comics):

I gave this first issue a shot, and it was an alright read… but am not sure the twists and turns this mini-series may feature will warrant me to purchase the rest of the issues.

Superman #693

Superman is still off playing “Army” on New Krypton while his replacement protector of Metropolis is held captive by General Sam Lane. Mon El was left to protect Metropolis in Superman’s absence, but with the behind the scenes manipulation by General Lane to start a war/destroy New Krypton, he was captured and believed dead by the world. LWIC:

I was glad to see a little action and some movement of the story, but I don’t know if I really enjoyed it much. I did notice a little similarity between General Lane and Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars – Lane hates aliens, but is hiding on an alien world, working with many different aliens to achieve his goal of destroying… aliens.

As for Superman Secret Origins #2: It was more of the “same old same old.” I liked the first issue, but the honeymoon period is over… I’ve seen it all before and I’m ready to read about the present not the past.

Blackest Night Update:

I think it’s safe to say that if you are reading this you have an idea of what is going on with the Blackest Night, if not here is a quick recap followed by last week’s newest plot twists, turns, and revelations.

Back in the day when Abin Sur passed away and his Green Lantern ring and responsibilities were passed to Hal Jordan, he did so because of his findings about the prophecy of the “Blackest Night.” In the present, many different colors of Lantern Corps have formed or have been found in the universe. Each color of Lantern Corps receives it’s power from emotion and each emotion is represented by a different color. The prophecy of the “Blackest Night” predicts the removal of all life and emotion from the universe by a corps of lifeless lanterns – the Black Lanterns. To remove the emotion and life from the universe, the Black Lantern Corps’ members are all formerly deceased creatures/heroes throughout the universe that prey on those they were close to. By raising the emotions of their prey the Black Lanerns energize, or recharge, their Power Battery in preparation for the rising of their leader and the destruction of life. The only hope for the universe is all of different lantern corps to work together using each color of the emotional spectrum to create the only thing that can destroy the Black Lanterns – pure white light. LWIC:

Blackest Night: Green Lantern #47

Blackest Night: Titans #3

Blackest Night #4

I have known who would be behind the “big reveal,” but I am trying to figure out how Geoff Johns has “re imagined,” or “recreated” Nekron… or is he still just one of the Demons who reign over a section of the DC Universe’s Hell? More intriguing to me than Nekron’s role is that of Dove’s role. The fact that she is the avatar of Peace in the DCU, she gives off no emotion, and is viewed as pure white light to the Black Lanterns has me predicting and wondering how she fits into the bigger universal sized picture.

I am really getting into this big event not because it is a big event (ie Infinite Crisis, Civil War, Secret Invasion) but because it’s a fun and interesting read with a story that feels more real than your standard throwaway crossover event.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK
DETECTIVE COMICS #858

I’m not quite sure how to describe this comic in a way that expresses the amount of joy and fun this comic contains. Everyone knows that J.H. Williams III’s art is phenomenal in telling a story that is different than in any other comic… but that’s not what makes this comic so great. Greg Rucka’s plot isn’t anything as ground breaking as William III’s art – it focuses around Katherine Kane (Batwoman) vs the Cult of Crime. After surviving the cult trying to sacrifice her, Kate has been hunting down the cult with hope of putting a permanent end to their rituals. During her adventures she met the cult’s new leader, Alice. Alice seems to be similar, yet opposite to Batwoman in the sense that she is as smart, cunning, and obsessed with her own crusade. Last month we learned that Kate had a sister and she may be the reason why Batwoman’s new arch enemy had similar yet opposite characteristics. LWIC:

The original premise of this comic, you know the part about Batwoman hunting down a Crime Cult, may be a bit odd, but Rucka writes a story that makes you care about the characters and see past the main plot and into all of the characters’ souls to tell a story that is deeper than a hero chasing down a group of “bad guys.” Oh, and Rucka’s writing isn’t a fluke, he does the same exact thing with the Renee Montoya as the Question in the second feature. This comic, when collected in a trade, is a must have for any fan of art, storytelling, and comic books in general.

Posted by Fred on November 3, 2009 @ 8:00 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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LWIC: Zombies, Spiders, and Kryptonians

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Batman Streets of Gotham #5

In five issues there have been three story lines presented to us readers: 1. Firefly vs Batman, 2. Hush taking Batman’s identity, and shown in the last issue 3. Zasaz reentering the wild. Originally I thought this story would be about other people in Gotham other than Batman, but most of the issues so far has featured him and the Boy Wonder. This issue focuses on the Huntress working with Oracle on keeping the streets of Gotham clean. LWIC:

I was not a fan of the random babbling by the Huntress about whether to go against what Batman wants by killing or not killing, but I don’t mind dealing with it because it works nicely in setting up the priest who may murder because of the voice of “god.”

Blackest Night: Superman #3

When the dead started rising and becoming Black Lanterns, no place in the DCU was safe from their wrath, including Smallville. Superman of Earth 2 (one of the main bad guys from Infinite Crisis,) Lois Lane-Kent of Earth 2, and the Psycho-Pirate attack the Smallville and the Superman Family, while New Krypton was being attacked by Supergirl’s father Zor-El and other once dead Kryptonians. LWIC:

Supergirl #46

General Sam Lane has successfully convinced the Earth that every Kryptonian is evil and an enemy of our country. Most people were easily convinced that all Kryptonians other than Superman and Supergirl were evil, so the General did something about that. The General has been playing both sides against each other since day one when he sent Reactron and Metalo to New Krypton and killed the leader and Supergirl’s father Zor-El. After something like that, it was easy to convince the people of his own planet that Supergirl was evil by staging the destruction of Metropolis’ sewers and water supply along with Nightwing and Flamebird. Supergirl, Chris Kent (Nightwing), and Kara’s childhood friend Thara (Flamebird) turned themselves in so that they could prove their innocence… too bad the officer accepting their surrender was non other than Reactron. LWIC:

I was waiting for a spectacular finale of the Reactron story, and I was not disappointed. Now I’m just wondering whats up with Lana Lang and her “illness?”

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #609

The new “clone saga” continues… or just begins to move forward. The table is set and all the players are ready for the plot to thicken. Spider-man was cloned back in his college days where he was forced to defeat his clone. In the 90’s the clone returned and took the place of Spider-man, but all got better. This past summer, some crazy half-dinosaur half-man came after Peter Parker looking to kill his clone – Ben Reilly. The attacker, formerly known as Dr. Damon Ryder, tells Peter that he wants revenge since he (really his clone) killed the Doctor’s family. Peter, not being Ben, thwarts the revenge killing by the doctor turned dino, only to have him follow Peter back to New York. Dr. Ryder, the crazed dino-dude, assumes that Peter Parker is the alias of Ben Reilly. LWIC:

In the Past:

In the Present:

Flashbacks are hit or miss for me when reading/watching a story unfold. Flashbacks fall under two distinct categories: they either ruin the pace of the overall story by giving too much detail that ruin the current plot, or they are well paced and create intrigue to the current plot creating as many questions as it answers. In this case seeing Dr. Ryder attacking Peter’s friends and family while only showing glimpses of his past and his reason for revenge is perfectly paced to create tension and anticipation. I am looking forward to the conclusion of the saga about a villain who seemed quite “cookie cutter” at first, more than the return of the clones and their “saga.”

Posted by Fred on October 26, 2009 @ 10:35 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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LWIC: Batman Runs Away

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Action Comics #882

For what feels like forever coming, the buildup of Earth (General Lane) vs New Krypton (General Zod) may finally be bearing fruit… even though I know the real conclusion of the overall story won’t come until next year’s big “blockbuster” event. First thousands of Kryptonians were freed from the bottled city of Kandor in the arctic, then they were attacked by Doomsday, finally New Krypton was created. Once New Krypton was formed General Lane has been working behind the scenes to set up the Superman family and create anti-Kryptonian sentiment all over Earth. LWIC the final stages of his planning looks to be complete with:

With the capture of the three Kryponians, it seems as if something big may happen next week – either an escape or a death, either one warrants some much needed plot moving action. For the first time in a while I am looking forward to the next installment.

Batgirl #3

I was cool with Batman R.I.P. Heck, I was excited to see one of my favorite characters take over as Batman, but I am getting tired of the movement of characters, which I will talk about in the other two former Robin’s reviews later. I loved Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. I loved the concept of the character. I loved the fact that she was the opposite of Batman – instead of a hero who trained in deadly arts, she was a master of the deadly arts who learned to be a hero. To see Cassandra written off and out of the picture in just over a decade it’s fair to say I’m disappointed to see someone else as Batgirl… BUT this issue sold me on Steph Brown being Batgirl. LWIC:

The current Robin, Damian Wayne, was just thrown into the role of Robin – no training or mentoring going on there… and it doesn’t feel like the Batman and Robin I grew up with, but Babs training Steph – there is my monthly fix of the “traditional” Batman and Robin relationship.

Batman #691

As mentioned in the previous review – the shuffle of “Bat-Characters” was fun at first but I’m ready for Batman to be Batman. LWIC:

Ok, is it me or did this issue just ruin the previous two? When this story line began Dick was worried that he couldn’t be the Batman that Bruce created, so he and Alfred decided that it was an act and that Dick should play the part his own way. Yet in this issue Dick spends almost every page defeating Two-Face by acting like Bruce… Ok DC, just move on – Dick is Batman now, lets just have stories about Batman not Dick pretending to be Batman.

Blackest Night: Batman #3

Umm, yeah.

I thought this series was going to be good because all of the main characters in the Bat-Family have dead family members. With the Black Lanterns feeding off of emotion and the different spectrum of emotional light along with the fact that no matter what Batman conquers all this tie-in mini-series would be a home run… I was wrong. Here is what happened in this series:

Sounds like a winner huh? Check out what happened LWIC:

Batman is satisfied that he hid from the enemy and they ran away… what kind of crap is that? So I’m guessing that Batman will not play a larger role in saving the universe at the end of the Blackest Night, unless everyone just plans on hiding from the Black Lanterns hoping they run away.

Blackest Night: Green Lantern Corps #41

After the debacle that was “Blackest Night: Batman,” I needed a reminder of how threatening the Black Lantern Corps, or Zombie Corps (pun intended,) and GLC #41 satisfied me. In the previously reviewed Blackest Night tie in above the heroes were satisfied on letting the zombies flee from Earth, yet in space the Green Lantern Corps are fighting hundreds of fallen teammates and family members that are now Black Lanterns. LWIC there was reminder on just how nasty the Black Lanterns are:

Adding children into the mix is sick, twisted, and works great in showing the magnitude of the Black Lantern Corps. The only thing is that unless I missed something, I still don’t know why they are attacking and killing every living thing. The only reason I can think of would be to return the universe to darkness hence the Blackest Night. I may not know why they are attacking, but I do know that they are some fierce mickey fickies.

Red Robin #5

I think Tim Drake is the only character that changed identities after Bruce Wayne went missing that is totally defined as a character. Tim using his detective skills has tracked down evidence that proves that Bruce Wayne may be alive. While tracking down more evidence and following clues he has teamed up with Ra’s al Ghul and his league of assassins. While Ra’s assassins are assisting Red Robin uncover evidence they are attacked by another set of assassins. The other assassins are not the only thing that is slowing Tim’s quest down; it seems that Luscious Fox noticed that Tim Drake-Wayne (Tim was adopted by Bruce right before he “died”) was arrested in Paris, so he sends his daughter to bring the wayward Wane home. LWIC:

Tim has carved out an identity for Red Robin – he is a darker version of Batman, more of a non-killing assassin who works with killing type assassin. Tim helping Ra’s will be nice to see play out, especially since he plans on taking down Ra’s League of Assasins after they help him out.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK
ADVENTURE COMICS #3

Seeing Superboy having a personality that’s deeper and more likable than in the 90’s is nice, but that’s not why it’s the best of last week. Adventure Comics #3 is the BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK because of Krypto the Super-Dog:

Posted by Fred on October 19, 2009 @ 10:36 PM Under: Last Week In Comics
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