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

Justice League Dark #5

One of the remaining comics from when I was buying a lot of DC's early New 52 titles.

Title: Justice League Dark
Issue: 5
Date: March 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Mikel Janin
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Chris Conroy, Matt Idelson
Cover: Ryan Sook

This is the conclusion to the opening storyline of the series, and it manages to wrap things up without actually ending with, well, a team. A lot of the wrap-up feels overly convenient too.

The opening sequence name-drops some character in other DC Universe books (all characters under the general umbrella category of "Dark"), but they are really not instrumental to the story at all. It comes off more as a clumsy way of trying to get readers into checking out more titles.

There is also, once again, little in the way of feelings of long-term consequences for all the mayhem that has been unlesashed on the world. When it's all said and done, it's the team going their separate ways, and the reader knowing full well, they'll be dragged back together next issue.

The character of John Constantine does shine through very nicely here. He absolutely steals the show both in his serious moments, and with his more silly spots. The results of Deadman attempting to posses his mind are hilarious. This issue is essentially all Constantine, and that is a good thing. Unfortunately it is the only good thing

Rating: 5.5/10

WILDCATS #14

Here's a random issue from the backlog. No idea where (or why) I bought this.

Title: WILDCATS
Issue: #14
Publisher: Wildstorm / DC Comics
Date: October, 2009

Writer: Christos Gage
Penciler: Shawn Moll
Inker: Drew Geraci
Colorist: Carrie Strachan
Letterer: Wes Abbott
Editor: Kristy Quinn, Ben Abernathy

Cover: Ryan Sook

It's probably a bit unfair to try to jump into this at issue #14 with essentially no experience with the series. But then again, sometimes you have a single issue sitting around and you decide to read it. At least there was a convenient summary of the story-up-to-now on the first page.

It was a summary of a convoluted mess, but that was still better than no summary at all.

We jump right into the action with godlike bad guy Tao fighting not-quite-so-godlike good guy Spartan. We can conveniently keep score of this fight because Tao shoots green energy all over the place and Spartan shoots purple energy all over the place. Sadly neither of them turn their energy into giant boxing-glove shapes or anything, but I suppose that is probably best left to the various-colored-lantern books over in the regular DC universe.

In this Universe, the apocalypse has occurred and just about everyone has been wiped out. And the WILDCATS team is attempting to stop Tao from making a pretty dismal situation even worse. By the way, the CAT in the name stands for "Covert Action Team", despite them being about the least covert group I've ever seen. "WILD" stands for, well, "wild", I suppose. And the final "S" appears to be totally unnecessary because there is actually only one team.

So it's Tao against Spartan because Tao has essentially trounced everybody else before this issue got started, and there is a noble sacrifice that allows the heroes to escape and regroup. They decide to find another godlike being, a guy name Max Faraday, who turns out to be pretty uninterested in doing anything heroic. The team them tries various exceptionally effective ways of convincing him to help them such as yelling at him, insulting his manhood, and pointing a gun at him. We at least get one amusing moment when Faraday changes the gun into a rubber chicken.

Faraday actually turns out to be a reasonably interesting character (Spartan also seemed to have some potential, but in spite of him being in every scene, his personality doesn't come through as consistently as it could have). In the end, Faraday is revealed to be perhaps not as uncaring as everyone had assumed, and Tao is setting up for more mayhem.

The book started as a jumbled mess and improved a bit as it went on.

Rating: 4.5/10

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

Justice League Dark #4

Title: Justice League Dark
Issue: 4
Date: February 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Mikel Janin
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Rex Ogle
Cover: Ryan Sook

Four issues and and the team is still being assembled.

At least the heroes were acting a bit more heroic this time around, although Zatanna continues to be pretty much useless in every situation. Deadman, surprisingly, is actually pretty effective. Constantine is a jerk, as usual, but at least he's staying in character.

This issue also gave some attention to Madame Xanadu's personal problems, interspersed with occasional glimpses of mayhem that the Enchantress is causing, which seem strangely out of place. I felt like we needed to see some news reports or at least some more extended reactions to all of this random horror that is being inflicted on the world. Instead, it feels like Milligan is just brainstorming shocking ideas and presenting a few panels of each without follow-up (Look! Children turning evil and stabbing their caretakers! Look! People being driven insane by banal music that they hear in their heads! Look! Mass murder at the mall!). The reader is meant to be shocked by the images, but not to actually spend time contemplating the long-term repercussions of these events, because we need to get back to assembling the team to defeat the Enchantress.

Can we just assemble to team, already?

Better issue than the last couple, but STILL operating way below potential.

Rating: 5/10

Justice League Dark #3

Title: Justice League Dark
Issue: 3
Date: January 2012
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Mikel Janin
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Rex Ogle
Cover: Ryan Sook

Boy did the pacing on this ever slow to a crawl. Enchantress babbles on the side of a road while Constantine wakes up Zatanna from the coma we left her in last issue. Apparently, that entire scene actually accomplished nothing.

Meanwhile, Deadman describes his actions in the previous issue as "I was a jerk" and then hints that it might not even have been his fault. I'll be sticking with my previous assessment that what he should be saying is "I was an attempted rapist."

But that would probably slow down the plot, wouldn't it?

Not that we're exactly going at a breakneck pace here. Shade tries to contact Deadman and Deadman does the mystical equivalent of sending his call directly to voicemail while June Moone screams, panics, falls off a roof, and requires saving. Because she's a girl, I suppose. I might be a bit harsh with that last point, but seriously, can anyone imagine them actually doing that same reaction with a male character? I can't.

The rest of the book involves Shade tracking down some guy called Mindwarp because he's an out-of-control psycho and therefore would make a great addition to the team. That scene gets as far as "We need to talk."

Then it's back to the Enchantress and just as it looks like she might actually get to do something to June and Deadman, we're done.

I really want to like this title. Really. And I was willing to give another chance even after the nonsense with Deadman last issue. But this issue consisted of that whole thing being brushed off just like I expected it would and, well, pretty much nothing else of consequence. I did enjoy the interaction between Zatanna and Constantine, but otherwise, this issue did not go far in terms of winning me back. Actually, it simply didn't go far at all.

Rating: 3.5/10

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

Justice League Dark #2

Title: Justice League Dark
Issue: 2
Date: December 2011
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Mikel Janin
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Rex Ogle
Cover: Ryan Sook

This issue was impressive visually, but I had a lot of problems with it story-wise.

First there's Zatanna. Remember how last issue she hexed (dexhe?) the Batman because she thought she'd be better off handling Enchantress on her own? Well, in this issue she gets to match sorcery with Enchantress and Zatanna accomplishes essentially nothing. Or, as she would say, she gets ylhguoroht decnuort.

(Aren't you glad the New 52 didn't include a Zatanna solo comic? I would SO be writing the entire review sdrawkcab).

On to a much more serious problem.

Then there's Boston Brand and Dove, who are apparently dating. Actually by the end of this they're pretty much reset their relationship status to "it's complicated". Why? Because Deadman keeps wanting to engage in some fooling around while in possession of someone's body. Okay, I get what Milligan is going for here. Brand is cursed with his ghostly, invisible status and the only way he can think of to actually get some physical affection is to have a convenient possessed body on hand.

Except that there is a word for forcing someone to unwillingly engage in sex. It's called rape. And you know what? If you do it by spiritual possession using superpowers, it's still rape.

I haven't followed Deadman's adventures all that much. I get the impression that Boston Brand isn't exactly Lawful Good on the old alignment chart. But nothing I've ever read about him before suggested rapist.

And no, I don't care that he doesn't actually go through with it. He tries it TWICE, and the only thing that stops it from happening is that Dove actually has a bit of morality.

I'd feel better about the scenes if I thought that the full implications were really going to get addressed, but the impression I got was that this was all a ploy to make the Deadman character somehow "edgy", and that it will all get glossed over or never mentioned again. I'm hoping I'm wrong, but that looks like the direction the story is heading in.

Constantine gets the one really good scene in this issue, and it ends with one of those "shocking" twists that seems to come out of left field, because, well, it pretty much DOES come out of left field.

The overall plot is developing fairly well, but the business with Deadman (and to a lesser extent the uselessness of Zatanna) really ruined this one for me.

Rating: 4/10

Justice League Dark #1

Title: Justice League Dark
Issue: 1
Date: November 2011
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist: Mikel Janin
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Editor: Rex Ogle, Eddie Berganza
Cover: Ryan Sook

Interesting. This was the title that I had the highest hopes for among the "New 52". I loved Milligan's writing on Shade: The Changing Man for Vertigo, and this title pairs him back up with Shade and also lets him play with John Constantine. Upon reading the comic I found that it managed to hit several pet peeves of mine, but the writing was good enough in parts to leave me feeling good about the book overall.

We open with Madame Xanadu, who has a surprisingly bored expression for a person who's just had a vision of future doom. Tarot cards are scattered through the scene with pictures of characters on them: Zatanna (wit pants!) as the Magician, Enchantress as the Hanged Man (actually, just "The Hanged"; which, of course would be different from "The Hung"). Deadman is Death. You'd think Death would be Death, but I guess they decided not to bother getting the courtesy okay from Gaiman. June Moone is the Fool. Some dude I didn't recognize is the Sickness. Apparently we're not playing with the standard Ryder-Waite deck here. Shade is the Madness. And John Constantine is... cut off at the bottom of the page. Tease!

June Moon is walking around reciting rhymes while dozens of clones of her commit mass suicide via highway.

Scene with Shade and Kathy follows, and it's a total continuity-rewriting sucker-punch, but it's handled so well and is such a shock that I was okay with it. Some Shade fans are not going to be (although Milligan wrote in some wiggle room).

Scene shifts to Enchantress, who's in a farmhouse in the midwest and she's spreading madness out to the surrounding countryside. This is the kind of thing that Milligan is awesome at, and his madness effects are sick, twisted, and clever.

But then we hit one of my big pet peeves in comics. The idea here is that the regular Justice League can't handle this kind of threat, so the Justice League Dark has to get formed. Unfortunately this idea is conveyed in a throwaway scene where Enchantress' magical defenses thoroughly trounce Superman, Cyborg, and Wonder Woman. I don't like scenes that arbitrarily have the bad guy easily overpower the most powerful forces on the planet just to convince the readers that they are a major threat. This does nobody any good. Superman, Wonder Woman Cyborg, and the Batman (who's watching the scene from the JLA monitor room) all look like chumps, but the reader knows that this is just a plot device, so it really doesn't actually do Enchantress any favors either. And when it comes down to it, the book didn't need this scene. It could simply have been Zatanna on duty and she decides to call in magical talent to handle a magical threat.

It also didn't help that Zatanna decided to do a bit of backwards-talking (backtalk?) to keep the Batman from trying to help her. Because, when given the choice between going into a dangerous situation with or without the Batman on your side, the clear answer is to do it without. I'm somewhat hoping he punches her in the face when this mission is over, but that seems unlikely (even though he'd totally do that to Guy Gardner if he pulled the exact same stunt.

Another interesting detail. Apparently they can show Superman and Cyborg getting cut to a bloody mess (in a storm of magical teeth!), but Wonder Woman doesn't get a scratch, just a concerned expression before the scene fades and a caption informs us the battle's over and the good guys lost.

The story then very quickly introduces Constantine (used for comic relief here) and Deadman (barely used at all) before we end on Xanadu with Shade and predictions of doom.

Okay, that was a lot of griping. And the story barely got started.

But Milligan is so good on the small details and the creepy touches, that I was still feeling good about this in the end. I think what I love about the potential of this book is summed up in the following exchange:

Xanadu: I saw a gathering of men... And women. Each with their own specialty. You must find these men and women. You must...

Shade: You've finally lost it, Xanadu. The only people I know these days are half-insane or... or damaged goods. Most of them are a danger to themselves.

Xanadu: Exactly.

There is a lot of really awesome stuff here, and I think that once the book is allowed to grow on its own without relying on useless guest appearances by the regular Justice League (or maybe just the occasional reminder that we're still in the DC Universe), that this could get really great.

Rating: 7.5/10

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