DC Universe Presents #5

Here's another book from my initial foray into DC's New 52.

And just because I am feeling proud of the accomplishment, this comic review is my 31st for the month of January, 2014. Comic a day indeed. We'll see how February goes.

Title: DC Universe Presents
Issue: 5
Date: March 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Paul Jenkins, Bernard Chang
Artist: Bernard Chang
Colorist: Blond
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Wil Moss
Cover: Ryan Sook

Boston Brand has his final confrontation with the goddess Rama. He wants a new deal, or at least an adjustment to the terms of the old deal. To pay for it, he has a question that a goddess would not think to ask.

Seems like a fair trade.

This issue revolves around a fairly specific philosophical point, and then comes full circle with a cute variation on that point in the ending line. The conclusion is satisfactory, if a bit neatly packaged, and there is even a gun battle thrown in at the end for the readers who weren't digging all the mysticism.

The confrontation with Rama is longer and more wordy than it needs to be, but the visuals are pretty nice.

This issue apparently concludes the Deadman run for this title. Next issue will feature the Challengers of the Unknown. Who will be doing what they do best: Challenging. The unknown.

Rating: 7/10

DC Universe Presents #4

Last of the New 52 #4's!

Title: DC Universe Presents
Issue: 4
Date: February 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Bernard Chang
Colorist: Blond
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Wil Moss
Cover: Ryan Sook

Deadman plays a game of 20 questions with Lucifer in an attempt to find meaning in his existence. He doesn't find much in the way of answers, but he does find a question, and that might be enough to give him the upper hand over Rama.

This issue featured a pretty compelling version of Lucifer, who manages to get the reader through a mostly-bullshit version of philosophy through pure strength of personality. It's a bit on the wordy side, and it sets the expectations for next issue pretty high, maybe impossible, but it's still a fun read.

Some nice visuals here too, especially on the rollercoaster ride that provides the (literally) vehicle for the conversation.

Rating: 7.5/10

DC Universe Presents #3

Title: DC Universe Presents
Issue: 3
Date: January 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Bernard Chang
Colorist: Blond
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Wil Moss
Cover: Ryan Sook

Interrogation sequences are boring. You've seen one, you've pretty much seen them all, especially when it's the good guy doing the interrogating. I suppose the main tension is supposed to be in wondering whether the hero is going to "cross the line", but the opening scene of this comic fails even in that. The fallen-angel librarian who Boston Brand has tied up is pretty easily coerced. All he has to do is threaten her precious books. A lame attempt at humor (villains always say the same cliches in these situations) falls flat as well, and we could have saved three pages of this nonsense by simply starting with Brand walking out of the building saying to himself "So, after I got the librarian to talk...".

There's a flashback to a failed past mission of Brand's that is actually pretty good, and there is a generic busting up of an illegal gun deal.

Everything else here is transitional and none of it is particularly interesting.

Rating: 4.5/10

DC Universe Presents #2

This is the last of the DC New 52 #2's that I am reviewing.

Title: DC Universe Presents
Issue: 2
Date: December 2011
Publisher: DC Comics
By: Paul Jenkins, Bernard Chang
Colorist: Blond
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Wil Moss
Cover: Ryan Sook

First up, Ryan Sook's cover is just an awesome bit of surrealism.

The story picks up where we left off last time with Boston Brand (in the body of a disabled veteran) confronting Rama, who basically feeds him a bunch of bullshit about what his purpose is. At least Brand recognizes it as BS, but Rama's dialogue drags the scene out for way too long. I do like the design of Rama herself, but this whole scene felt unnecessary.

From there, Brand does his host a bit of a favor in a local bar, and then heads off for the major action of this issue: A rather comical sequence involving him attempting to sneak into an exclusive Gotham nightclub full of supernatural beings (a significant number of which can actually see him or otherwise sense his presence).

It's goofy fun, although it had a bit too blatant a paranormal romance vibe. I'm not really sure if trying to win over the Anita Blake crowd is the direction Deadman should be going in. Still, harmless fun is harmless fun.

Rating: 6.5

DC Universe Presents #1

Title: DC Universe Presents
Issue: 1
Date: November 2011
Publisher: DC Comics
By: Paul Jenkins, Bernard Chang
Colorist: Blond
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Editor: Wil Moss
Cover: Ryan Sook

This is DC's new anthology title, featuring a rotating cast of characters who don't have their own spotlight elsewhere in the "New 52". Popular supernatural hero Deadman is up first, and it look like the plan is to give each featured character a multi-issue arc, probably aiming for trade-paperback length just in case they have a major hit.

This opening story is primarily a recap of Deadman's origin, with some glimpses of some of the people that he has helped since his return to earth in ghostly form. They set this up a lot like Quantum Leap. Boston Brand experiences life as other people (a wounded war veteran and an aging motorcycle stuntman rather blatantly modeled after Evel Knievel). These people, the "living bricks who will pave your way to enlightenment" according goddess Rama (who looks a lot like a Na'vi in a bellydancing outfit), are in need of exactly the kind of help that getting possessed by an outside entity can give.

Brand has an amusing conversation with a former friend, a carnival psychic who seems surprisingly dubious when confronted with an actual supernatural phenomena. The conversation doesn't really go anywhere, however, and Brand returns to trying to help the wounded soldier without the advice he was seeking, and we end on another confrontation with Rama, possibly with the soldier's life on the line.

The basic idea behind this was solid, and it gave a reasonable sense of purpose to the "New 52" version of Boston Brand. The execution, however, was choppy, and by the end I felt that nothing other than the recap of the origin story (which wasn't too far removed from the version I was familiar with) had actually happened.

Rating: 5.5/10