Fun was found in unexpected places this week.
Steve Trevor proved his tongue is a tactical smackdown weapon in Wonder Woman. Scooby-Doo! Team-Up gives us a throwback to the kinds of tv specials we’d still show to the next crop of sprouts. Mother Panic‘s new series throws me for a loop, but I want more and any book that encourages you to seek past the pages given is really doing their job well.
Have a blast in this week’s pool of comics, be brave little fishies and try out a deeper end.
Batgirl #21
Words – Hope Larson
Pictures – Scott Godlewski, John Rauch, Deron Bennett
A girl who I at first thought was Barbara, gets grabbed by a goo monster during a mid-evening cleansing ritual. Her boyfriend tries to help after her scream, but he gets cold-cocked for it. Cops question him afterwards, he’s the first witness still conscious.
There’s been a rash of these attacks both in Burnside and Gotham, leading to both Batgirl and Commissioner Gordon pursuing the case.
Two reactions equally strong to this issue.
First is almost a Hallmark-ian movie awwwwwwh! It really is a cute father and daughter work together to solve a case kinda issue.
The second though is the stretching of credulity.
He is the police commissioner of a large metropolitan city and he looks right into the face of his daughter with only a light mask to disguise her, and doesn’t know it’s her?
Yes, this artist does tend to draw young female faces the same, but James Gordon is either as daft as his 60’s tv counterpart or (and this is the one I’m betting on) figured it out long ago and is waiting for her to come out to him.
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #41
Words – Robert Venditti
Pictures – Brandon Peterson, Tomeu Morey, Dave Sharpe
Zod and Hal fight each other in the sky like two overpowered glowing action figures. It’s 13 pages of this that does nothing but be a big cool fight scene.
The villain’s big twist at the end was “spoiled” by the third panel of the first page.
John’s attitude and point of view seems to have flipped between issues to further the plot, and the Guardians seem to have completely forgotten Kyle and Hal were on that planet in the first place due to a Green Lantern assignment.
There’s no subtlety here.
John mentions much of the Guardian’s decisions were due to the Corps understaffing.
Hal is starting to wonder if murder is on the table to clean up non rehabilitateable threats.
I’m starting to wonder if this will lead to power-mad multi-ring blinging Hal again.
Justice League of America #27
Words – Steve Orlando
Pictures – Hugo Petrus, Hi-Fi, Clayton Cowles
Chronos fights Ray Palmer (and friends) in a part of the Microverse that looks like Eternia (actually a sentient planet called Moz-ga).
Ray’s psychic friend blasts Chronos, but somehow that lets him look in her head and he finds the clue to set this whole story arc in motion.
Back in regular-size ‘verse, construction continues on their base.
An weird aura-ed ancient imprint is found while digging the sub-basement. Lucky enough for Chronos that fossil is also the next step in his elaborate plan to end all heroes – Forever!
I’ve read it multiple times and there is so much I don’t get.
If he stops heroes from happening won’t that change the core of his shtick too?
If it doesn’t, and he remains an incongruity won’t that inspire a hero to face him since heroes and villains create each other?
Looney Tunes #242
Words – Derek Fridolfs, Barry Liebmann
Pictures – Dave Alvarez, Saida Temofonte, Mike DeCarlo, John Costanza, Dave Tanguay, Digital Cham, Jenna Garcia
Three stories in this one, they all feel very true to the cartoons though not all of the same era (Fridolfs’ is classic, Liebmann’s more modern).
The first is a bit with Ralph (the more chatty palette-switch Wile E.) and Sam. Both animals have the job of outwitting each other while on the job, and try their hardest at it but hold no grudges against each other after clocking out. It’s strangely inspiring.
Second is a back and forth gag routine between Daffy and Foghorn over “The play who’s name should not be said”. It’s alright, but it’s there to fill space.
Third is a Sylvester/Tweety/Granny segment right out of the 90’s.
Sylvester’s left alone with the threat of expulsion if the house is further mussed. A package (that’s supposed to contain a dog) is left at the door, but it’s Taz instead.
Destruction ensues.
Mera Queen of Atlantis #2
Words – Dan Abnett
Pictures – Lan Medina, Norm Rapmund, Veronica Gandini, Simon Bowland
With a note Orm’s new family realizes he left last issue.
Mera’s having drowning dreams and wakes to find Orm is waiting to see her.
Reading these two chatting seaside in full battle gear like it’s not a thing does remind you that last issue Orm was wearing normal clothes. Mera is supposed to be convalescing.
Both issues she’s worn nothing but her scale armor even when asleep, does she just not have another set of clothes?
There’s the back and forth of “the good of Atlantis” and social position and lineage roles (if Orm is Mera’s half brother and Arthur’s brother, no never mind I don’t want to know).
This leads to the expected fight.
We’ll continue to wait and see where this miniseries goes.
Mother Panic Gotham A.D. #1
Words – Jody Houser
Pictures – Ibrahim Moustafa, Jordan Boyd, Marissa Louise, John Workman, Paulina Ganucheau
A vagabond in a familiar color scheme sings the almost hundred year old song “After You Get What You Want”.
After Milkman Man, Retconn and the rest Mother Panic (and Rosie the slash-happy messed up kid) were booted into future/alternate universe(?) Gotham. They live in the battered shell of The Pike as they piece together what happened.
In this version of everything The Collective has a stranglehold on the town and the hand in power is Madame Gala’s.
We also get a fun flashback to how “Collective Industries” made this Gotham what it is, as we look into a most brutal pitch session for the Gotham Tourist Bureau. (points for the Batman Beyond-ish red sky)
Scooby-Doo! Team-Up #36
Words – Sholly Fisch
Pictures – Dario Brizuela, Franco Riesco, Saida Temofonte
A familiar sounding telethon is happening live on tv. The host stops in fright at the sight of a monster – but don’t worry someone watching will come to his rescue, actually many someones.
The Scooby gang show up as Angel and Ape get there, just before the Inferior Five and that’s not the end of these guest appearances.
It’s a wonderful friendly spotlight of many obscure comic characters this creative team obviously has a soft spot for. It’s also a well told multi-level fun story and I don’t want to spoil it.
Sometimes as you read an issue, it’s very apparent this a story they really wanted to tell. I may have to judge their other work harsher knowing the quality they can give us when they choose to.
The Demon Hell is Earth #5
Words – Andrew Constant
Pictures – Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, Chris Sotomayor, Tom Napolitano
The big pompous narcissistic orange usurper rallies his troops with stupid easily remembered slogans and Lucifer is so embarrassed to even be in the room to witness it.
It’s amazing to see how the pieces are falling in place for the last issue.
Belial changes Lucifer’s form into to a giant winged wolf to use and humiliate him and sends him out to fight our “heroes”.
Even from the asides Luci says mid-battle it’s obvious he’s still in full control of his faculties and even having fun.
Belial you idiot, if your throat is ripped out next issue I only hope it’s because something more dramatic happened.
The Hellblazer #20
Words – Tim Seeley
Pictures – Davide Fabbri, Christian Dalla Vecchia, Carrie Strachan, Sal Cipriano
Burke is having so much fun being young and not in hell, Adam has to remind him clothes are recommended for being outside.
The topside Day brothers plan a scheme to both punish a gang that’s been disrespecting their turf, and get their third brother a buff young body all in one fell swoop.
John seeks help from below to free Margaret from her current shanghaied body state, fortunately he chooses wisely and pulls an old flame who teases but drops some pearls of warning.
John’s not the only one looking to stop the Day brothers, and if he doesn’t stop this third party from getting to them, Margaret might not have a body to slip back into.
The Silencer #3
Words – Dan Abnett
Pictures – John Romita Jr., Sandra Hope, Dean White, Arif Prianto
What do you do in a room packed with dangerous dudes with guns?
Blind ’em all and let them shave down the numbers.
Don’t worry though, all the goons are robots so when/if this ever gets animated they can go as extreme as this sequence calls for, because it only ramps up from there.
This is an entire superstore dedicated to your munitions wet dreams.
After she gets out of the room Remedy (who did not get hit in the crossfire surprisingly) calls his boss Quietus, a metal man(?) with an impressive metal goatee.
He calls for even more extreme measures to be deployed.
And we learn the definition of exfil, learning is fun!
Trinity #20
Words – James Robinson
Pictures – Jack Herbert, Tyler Kirkham, Gabe Eltaeb, Josh Reed
Back, sometime before the story maybe (it’s not clear) Steve Trevor was attempting to break into the Papua New Guinea base of Deimos.
Deimos personally captures and mocks him, but really other than coming alone can you fault the guy for following a lead on a threat to the planet?
Though I do have to give it to Deimos for commitment to character.
He’s still wearing every piece of that ridiculous red outfit, and if he was a generic magic female villain it would be designed the same with no one giving him any guff (except taller high-heels, they really like drawing those).
Wondy, Bats and Supes are looking for clues to Steve’s whereabouts. The fights that ensue are entertaining but dumb.
It’s not laid out for the reader really to connect the clues so just know they figure it out and get there.
Wonder Woman # 43
Words – James Robinson
Pictures – Marco Santucci, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Saida Temofonte
Speaking of Steve, I’m so glad we have him in this issue since he’s the only one that speaks any frigging sense.
Jason is testing out his new powers on Steve’s equipment and acts like a toddler with warhead capabilities. “Oooh I realized mid-battle I could smash multiple things so I destroyed all your drones…” etcetera etcetera.
Steve asks the questions and brings up the points obvious to the reader and Jason just gets pouty and snarky. That is until Steve drops he knows how to tactically take down the Justice League.
Can we vote Steve for MVP?
On the other story thread Wondy is interrogating the Furies using thoughtful measured methods (fighting is happening) as Darkseid moves up his plan and Grail does nothing but stand and pose.
Next issue promises a big fight.
