Comics! Red Lanterns #5

Red Lanterns #5

Writer: Peter Milligan
Artists: Ed Benes with Diego Bernard
Inker: Rob Hunter

The Comic
Atrocitus is letting his anger get to him. Very easily. Krona is gone missing, he thinks that his Red Lanterns are turning against him, and then suddenly a human gets picked up to be a Red Lantern.

Bleez takes another dip in the pool to go after the Red Lanterns that Atrocitus threw in last issue. This issue essentially picks up from the last issue and finishes telling their stories. So now we have multiple, conscious Red Lanterns that aren't just standing around and spewing blood. We learn that they all did both good and bad, and that the red ring seems to pick the Red Lanterns in a very random way. Some were killers, some were saints before the red ring. The explanation is that everyone feels rage equally.

Atrocitus then comes page at the end in order to speak the Red Lantern oath and rally the troops just as a human gets selected for the red ring. What is interesting is that this human, John Moore, seems to have his anger and rage come from his own inability to do anything. So does this mean that he must take the rage out on himself? This will be interesting to see where this goes, especially since this has been building since issue #1.

This issue feels very much like how issue #5 for Batwing was, an issue that was trying to get the pieces in place so the first story arc could conclude. I don't think I have a taste for issues like this one unless the payoff is evident. The first couple of issues were self contained in a way, and the past couple of issues were working towards something. If it is to try and understand how the Red Lanterns work and to get them in place to where some in-team fighting and conflict could happen, this chapter seems to be slightly awkward in getting there. It is the worst of the series for me so far, but it is still better than most other comics I've picked up this week. Let's see what kind of payoff happens next issue.

The Cover
Swing and they both miss! Alien anatomy must be very special, because no humans could bend like that. And if this were a true fight, Atrocitus could easily grab Bleez' wing and take her out via submission hold. The cover would have you believe that this was the be all end all issue that decided a Red Lantern leader, but that's slightly different from the truth of what actually happened. And Bleez' blue butt really shines in a cover filled with red.

Grades
Words: 7/10 - unless the next issue hits a home run, then this issue will look better by reflection.
Pictures: 10/10 Consistent on the art end of things. Loving it.
Recommend: Just like with Batwing #5, wait until you can read both issues at once and then it will be better.
Buy Next Issue: This was the first "bad" issue for me, let's hope this isn't the start of a new trend.

Previous Issues
Red Lanterns #4
Three Issue Trial

Comics! Batwing #5

Batwing #5

written by Judd Winick
pencils by Ben Oliver
inks by Ben Oliver & Brian Reber

The Comic
Oh, no. This I don't like. After the guest artist on the last issue, and this issue seeing Oliver getting some assistance, I worry a little about this comic. While it took a bit for me to like the art in the comic, I've come around to appreciating it. Seeing other artist draw Batwing just make him look comical in their art. Strangely enough, Oliver has that look about it that brings more seriousness to a Bat-character. We do have to remember that these are people dressed in Bat-like costumes, so they can be a little bit on the ridiculous side.

I'm glad that it was this long before Batman appeared again in the book. It allowed for Batwing to make it on his own as opposed to having the title character playing second fiddle to a bigger name hero in issue #2 of his own series. It is a comic book story telling device that happens a lot more than you would think.

It is revealed that Massacre now has an a following with him. Good. The villain has to have his henchmen. And with the help of those henchmen, we see how much Batwing is learning about what it takes to be a hero.

This comic has the feeling of starting to pick up speed, and right now I see a little wobble to it. And it honestly could have been because Batman showed up. I was liking this title just fine on its own outside of the Bat-family.

This issue felt like a set up issue. Next issue is supposed to be the conclusion of the opening story arc, so let's see if it finishes up nicely. Art miscues aside, this story has been much better than I expected this far into it.

The Cover
I don't know who did the art on the cover since there are no credits inside the issue. But you can see what I mean how another artist just draws Batwing in a way that I can't take him as seriously as the inside artwork. This cover artist would have been better last issue where we had the fill in artist but it still had a Oliver drawn cover.

Grades
Words: 7/10 - moving of the pieces. Minor character development.
Pictures: 7/10
Recommend: I'm fifty fifty on this. I would say wait until issue 6 comes out and then read them both together.
Buy Next Issue: Let's finish out the first arc!

Previous Issues
Batwing #4
Three Issue Trial

Comics! Action Comics #5

Action Comics #5

Main Story
Grant Morrison: writer
Andy Kubert: penciller
Jesse Delperdang: inker


Backup Story
Sholly Fisch: writer
Chriscross: artist

The Comic
In taking a break from the main story, Morrison is showing us what happened when Krypton decided to go boom. This gives us the perfect set up to tell a Superman origin story! Again! (as the cover suggests)

This story seems to fit very much in the same vein that Green Lantern: Secret Origin was for Green Lantern a couple of years back. Basically, it was a way to tell an origin story, but fit in some characters and plot points from the current storyline into the origin story. Thus the "Secret" part.

There are a lot of fleshing out of characters and important Superman items such as the rocket that brought him to earth and Krypto, the super dog. We then get an introduction to some new big bads at the end of the comic. From how the story began, me thinks it is the group of super criminals who some how escaped the Phantom Zone.

The story itself feels very different from the first few issues. First off, it is set after the events of the origin story. You can tell this because Superman is wearing his actual costume and not the t-shirt and jeans look. This story also feels like it is going out of its way to explain things and show stuff. Which is fine in and of itself, but it feels like fluff stuff.

The back up story tells us the same thing as the first half. A story that I really don't care about or need to hear. It tells the story about how Martha and Jon cannot have children and try over and over again without success, until baby Superman falls from the sky. Just like the last Action Comic that had a back up story that fleshed out a couple of panels in the back up, this one does the same. This back up is different in that it is telling a story about characters that are no longer alive in the new DC. When it tells the story, you have to make me care about what is going on with these characters quickly. But this is Jon and Martha Kent. The story feels like it is spinning wheels. I can't feel bad for these characters and their plight not to be able to have children of their own when I know that they will be Superman's parents.

The Cover
Look, I grow weary of Superman origins stories. Instead of the cover having the words "It Begins..." &"...again!," it should have had "It Begins..." & "Again..." That would have reflected the story better. But it does have pudgy baby Superman on it, so I guess is has a laughable quality about it.

Grades
Main Story:
Words: 7/10
Pictures: 7/10 - I like Kubert's style, but I haven't seen much progression in his art since I first saw it. This issue is his typical stuff.

Backup Story:
Words: 3/10 - This was routine all the way. Not a single bit of original dialogue.
Pictures: 5/10 - This was Chriscross, who had a look with this story that just screamed boring.

Recommend: No. You can skip this little side story.
Buy Next Issue: I will, but I recommend that you don't. Unless you like Fanboy Fluff pieces.

Previous Issues
Action Comics #4
Three Issue Trial

Comics! TMNT Micro-Series: Michelangelo

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Micro-Series #2: Michelangelo

written by Brian Lynch
art by Andy Kuhn

The Comic
This issue is about Michelangelo taking a break from his brothers and heading out for the night. This night happens to be New Year's Eve, and Michelangelo gets caught up in a costume party. The unfortunate part is that he gets mistaken as the tech guy for a group of thieves.

The book is a nice done in one story. My only complaint is that it seems pretty routine and the artwork seems to be a little inconsistent. I'll chalk that one up to the cartoony type of feel that the artwork has.

If you compare this book to the main series, this comic really feels flat. In its own rights, its perfectly fine. If I wasn't such a fan of the main series, I would argue that the $3.99 price point isn't too justified for this comic.

Grade
Words: 7/10
Pictures: 7/10
Recommend: Skipable. Maybe for a completest would this be necessary.
Buy Next Issue: It's Donatello's story, I'll give it a go.

Previous Issues
No previous reviews since I haven't gotten the first issue yet. It is the Raphael story.

Comics! Green Lantern: New Guardians #4

Green Lantern: New Guardians #4

Tony Bedard: writer
Tyler Kirkham and Harvey Tolibao: pencillers
Batt: inker

The Comic
Enter: Agent Orange.

I seriously think that I would buy an Orange Lantern book just to follow Larfleeze, the sole member of the Orange Lantern Corps. But now we have him appearing in New Guardians, and it provides a really good story.

Larfleeze lays waste to the Guardians, we get an idea of what his own Guardian has been up to, Kyle decides to leave the corps and go on his own, Akrillo and the Blue Lantern get a moment together that shines, and then we meet the ship for the big bad of this story, a spaceship the size of a solar system.

Not all members of this New Guardians crew get their moment to shine, but we have a majority of them able to have their own moments within. Bleez runs away, which hopefully means that she comes back with her personality in tact like it is in Red Lanterns.

What else I find surprising about this book is that it really does feel like it is in its own little universe. If you read the first four issues as a whole, you get a sense of all the characters. The Indigo Lantern is the least developed in my opinion, but I'm sure he'll have his moment soon. He has just seemed like he has always followed someone else's lead and hasn't gone out on his own.

If you read this issue by itself, you would be brought up to speed rather quickly. Motivations are determined for a majority of the characters in this issue. We get some exposition that doesn't feel like exposition. And the artwork keeps up the pace. Each alien character has a distinct look and I loved the action page of the Orange Lantern Corps.

The cover credits two artists in this issue. The interior only credits one. I don't know where the mistake was made, but I couldn't see off hand a difference in the artwork that distinguished one from the other. So either the cover had a mistake, or Tolibao started drawing more similar to Kirkham than the last issue.

The Cover
This cover is nice and colorful, but there are a few things missing. If this is supposed to feature the whole cast and crew of the New Guardians, where is the Blue Lantern? You have his lantern, but not him. And where is the Star Sapphires' lantern? The background color seems like it shouldn't fit. But I honestly can't look at the cover and thing of a single one that would work besides black.

Grades
Words: 8/10
Pictures: 7/10
Recommend: With this issue, the series gets its stride. I understand that team books take a few issues so it can give you some character moments for each team member, but now that that is out of the way, let's get to some action.
Buy Next Issue: The cliffhanger reveals an alien spaceship emerging from a white hole and the ship is the size of a solar system. You better believe that I'll be back.

Previous Issues
Three Issue Trial
Green Lantern: New Guardians #3
Green Lantern: New Guardians #2
Green Lantern: New Guardians #1

Comics! Flash #4

Flash #4

story by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
art and cover by Francis Manapul

The Comic
I'm going to go into this the same way that I do with Batwoman: It will look pretty, but the story will be lacking a little. And when I do that, I enjoy the issue.

This is probably one of the more on target stories. It focuses on the origin of the villain for the first arc, Mob Rule. I'm liking it. It reminded me of when Johns used to write Flash and have an entire issue focus on the back story for one of the Rogues. This comic does a nice job of making Mob Rule's origin work well, and also balance it out with a couple of other subplots. This is done much more strongly than previous issues that seemed to jump around without focus and juggle a bunch of them at once.

One minor thing that bugs me is the idea that Barry is dead. Wasn't this done before in the first issue? The Barry death scares will get old really quick.

I really want to go back and get the earlier books I have with Manapul as the artist and see how much he has progressed since. I think it would give me a good idea of the growth he has had in storytelling. He has taken a page out of the J.H. Williams book and started to make some fantastic looking double page spreads. They work quite well in the monthly format, and my only concern is that if the binding isn't right on the collected edition of the comic then some of the artwork will be missed.f

The Cover
Nice stuff going on here. Clearly defines the different plots of the story. This would work well as a recap page, but works even better as a cover. This was definitely a cover that jumped out at me on the comic shelf.

Grades
Words: 7/10 - much better than previous issues.
Pictures: 8/10
Recommend: If this was the first issue that you read, you will be missing a few plot points and may wonder where the Flash is at, but if you have been with the comic since #1, then you will enjoy it.
Buy Next Issue: Let's see where this leads to!

Previous Issues
Three Issue Trial
Flash #3
Flash #2
Flash #1

Comics! Aquaman #4

Aquaman #4

Geoff Johns: writer
Ivan Reis: penciller
Joe Prado and Eber Ferreira: inkers

The Comic
I bought this issue because I heard it wrapped up the first story line in this issue. This is surprising, because I didn't see much in the first three issues that felt like a it could be concluded in this issue.

So we have Aquaman find the sea creatures' hideout, see where the humans are being kept, rescues said humans, the big bad queen of sea creatures chases him, Aquaman tries to reason with her buy can't, Aquaman throws the trident to save the day and kill off all of the sea creatures. And then Aquaman gets some props from a little kid, only to have a cop say that he still doesn't like him. Then Aquaman gets Aquadog. Then a sneak peak of the next story arc.

I guess I was let down. There was so much build up for these creatures, and so much trouble and difficulty that they had for Aquaman, to be able to defeat the queen a few pages after she was introduced just seems underwhelming.

There were some great moments in the book that the art worked well with. The two page spreads where we get introduced to the queen and when Aquaman unleashes the trident were awesome. The story just didn't set up the moment for me. The pay off wasn't earned.

The teaser page at the end of the book highlighted the next story line for the comic: Who sank Atlantis?

My reaction: Who cares? Maybe after enough issues are collected and I can read everything at once then I won't feel like my money is being wasted.

The Cover
The cover for this issue can be intermixed with any of the previous issues. There isn't much difference between them all. The good part is that they reflect the story content as well - not much difference between all the issues.

Grade
Words: 5/10
Pictures: 8/10
Recommend: Nope. No no no.
Buy Next Issue: Not for myself.

Previous Issues
Three Issue Trial
Aquaman #3
Aquaman #2
Aquaman #1