Out in April 2013. Someone has turned Wonder Woman against Superman.
SUPERMAN & WONDER WOMAN
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Superman #15 Review
Superman is locked out of his own fortress. Kicked out by H'el. Together with Superboy he goes to meet with earth's greatest intellect: Lex Luthor.
Lex is being held in a military prison as the sole occupant. He's spending his days thinking about ways to break into the Fortress of Solitude, access its secrets and destroy its owner. Lex is quite upbeat and not at all bothered about his incarceration because it simply suits him right now.
The armed personnel are not happy to see Superman but have no choice to let him in.
Superboy is quite impressed. We learn also that the security features built into the prison was designed by Lex himself.
This issue showcases a really nice dynamic between Superman and Superboy. It's like a bit of banter between a younger and older sibling, the younger one trying to be snarky while the older one effortlessly, humorously and matter of factly puts him in his place, even while understanding much of the attitude is a front with the inexperienced boy. Superboy is out of his depth and he knows it. Clark reassures him.
Superman comes face to face with Lex and the shackles seem something that Clark would insist on to play to Lex's vanity as well. The last we saw Lex in Action comics he was a scientist for the military. It seems a lot has happened between then and now.
Lex toys with Superboy a little as well before he tells Superman that H'el's could very possibly go back in time and stop the destruction of Krypton. But it would be at a price to the Earth. And the reason why H'el choose the Fortress was to access artifacts kept there. But Lex suspected Superman already knew this and he only came to see him to psyche himself. Lex taunts Superman that the only way to stop H'el is to kill him.
Superman, realizing the gravity of the situation, calls in some friends to help : the Justice League.
This was a really enjoyable issue. Love this dangerous, smug, highly intelligent, scientific minded Lex. Lex even seems to imply that Superman might have come very close to crossing a line. The rage and inferno he talks about is very intriguing. How did he get those scars? What did he do to enrage Superman? And how are the Justice League going to help break into the Fortress?
I give this issue 4 out of 5 stars.
Best Panel: Since I am obviously biased, how can I not appreciate Lobdell took the time to reference Clark and Diana's relationship? It would have been weird not to see Clark mention Diana since in most of the issues we have had intros to all the players via the third person narration. And Diana has changed from ally to girlfriend. The use of Beloved on Diana's part is okay to me. Her vernacular would not be the same as ours seeing she is from a century's old society/ AncientGreek origin. Also it could be a reference to Lara's use of beloved for Jor-El.
The fact that it is mentioned that one person knows the secret means that this is after the Smallville date and their second kiss.
Aquaman #15
Bought my first Aquaman issue. Mainly due to the Throne of Atlantic storyline. This is part 2 to the part 1 in Justice League #15. When we left Justice League #15, Atlantis had flooded cities in retaliation for a missile strike and many people were now dead. We start this issue in Gotham where Arthur is helping Batman rescue civilians. With the help of Mera, more lives are saved.
In Metropolis Wonder Woman and Superman (with Lois who happened to be around to saved by Vulko) wait for the Atlantean called Vulko to come to his senses.
Vulko inadvertently lashes out at Superman and Diana will have none of that.
Batman and Aquaman have a talk about the current situation. Batman shows a sense of maturity that can only come with experience and it's good to see him as the steadier one on this team. Arthur is torn between two worlds, even if he doesn't want to admit it.
At the Watchtower, the heroes meet up and Arthur greets Vulko who tell him his brother, Orm, is responsible but it was an accident. An act of self preservation.
Arthur wants some time to talk Orm down. Superman and Wonder Woman believes he needs to be brought in to answer for his crime. While I get Arthur's dilemma, Clark and Diana have only just come back from seeing possibly hundreds of innocents drown. I understand their anger and that Arthur is wanting leeway only because it was his brother. Bossy Batman gives him the chance.
Arthur tries to reason with Orm. Orm is not in a mood to comply.
The Trinity appear via boomtube to take steps intervene. From their pov, Arthur seems to be failing.
Cliffhanger!!!
Good stuff!
Justice League #15 Review
The new art team of Reis,Prado and Frank joins Geoff Johns in this issue. It is the start of the crossover story line, The Throne Of Atlantis. From the very start it promises to be a stunning book. Reis' pencils are amazing, and with his colorist and inker, the art bursts with life and vigor . Having never read Aquaman I can imagine how beautiful that book must have looked. Geoff Johns also seems to have hit his stride here.
It's clear that someone wants a war to break out between the surface world and Atlantis and the story is set up with a missile test being sabotaged and sent to hit Atlantis. The Atlanteans retaliate by sending in tidal waves to Gotham and Metropolis. We have team work between Bruce and Arthur and a nice scene between Vic and his dad.
The best scenes in this issue are with Clark and Diana. Amid action and drama, we get some wonderfully humanizing scenes, which I feel was needed for both. Diana, in her own book, has been very in control and protective of others and there have been few instances of vulnerability and expressing personal wants and desires. She is only twenty three and should be allowed to enjoy her youth. Superman himself has been stoic in Justice League and maybe Geoff did that on purpose. We finally see Clark opening up and showing us who he is. They have their first date in civvies and Clark has to persuade a reluctant Diana to try the glasses. It's a bit funny too since the Diana Prince alter ego has been such a huge part of Wonder Woman's history.
To me makes sense that the guy who has lived intimately with a secret id, understands the need to sometimes take time out. Diana's life as Wonder Woman and even in her own book has not been full of much joy recently, has it? Having been hounded by the press when with Steve, it comes as a surprise to Diana they can just be together, share a nice meal and not have people gaping and gossiping. Her giggle and joy at it is one of my favorite panels.
Unfortunately their date is interrupted by one of those waves and we get to see some great sequences of them working together to stop an air craft carrier borne in by a huge tsunami.
We get the lasso transformation too! And the manadatory almost predictable Lois and Jimmy scene. While the pair of heroes try to save people and stop the ship from doing damage, Lois is on the street with Jimmy trying to get pictures etc. (Why is she even there? Isn't she the head of her divison now?)
She's there to seeing them work together, show a little jealousy, get swept away and need saving. Of course lucky Lois gets saved while thousands of others drown. Not by Superman but by an Atlantean called Vulko who is looking for Arthur to warn him of his brother.
Great issue. 4.5 out of 5.
Wonder Woman #15 Review
They know each other, so it suggests Orion has visited him before. It's a little odd to see Orion, the son of Darkseid, Dog of War, looking like a twenty three year old, pretty boy, male model. I guess Mother Box is up on earth trends. Orion has come looking for someone and wants Milan's help.
Wonder Woman is in Manhattan in a fancy hotel with her crew. Where does she get the money? It's spent chatting with Lennox about the other brother and going to look for him. She also continues playing referee to Zola and Hera. I don't know why she feels she has to apologize to them for losing her temper either. Both of them behave like brats.
They end up in some old tunnels underground and Hephaestus appears and fiddles with Diana's bracelets. He's expecting something clearly. We find out he made the bracers too and nice to actually see some emotion from Diana regarding her mother. Diana has been very stiff upper lip and not shown much emotion so far regarding her loss. Anyway, Lennox finds Milan. Milan senses trouble is about to brew and tries to chase Lennox away. Hera and Zola back at the hotel seem to bond a tiny bit over that philandering Zeus. After seeing what Hera did in the past, (as with Sirraca and her mother) color me not that sympathetic to her at all.
Orion and Lennox confront each other. Orion demands to know where the last of Zeus' line is. Diana steps in to defend her brother. Orion comes at her while double swords pop from her braces.Milan is not happy.
The last two issues has kind of slowed this story down. Again with meetings and greetings. Another sibling and Orion. Instead of the London flat, we have a hotel in New York for some chatter. Diana getting some new swords. A tease to a fight. Why doesn't she just take off the cuffs? Will she remember she flies and has a lasso as well? Is this new weaponry a permanent thing or just tinkering? Can she pull out any weapon? What will these swords be capable of? Orion does not think much of them.
I give this another 3.5 out of 5.
Best Panel: Cliff does draw a great face for Diana. I am not that enamored of the body he gives her at times. It comes off a bit square and broad shoudered and flat chested. But her features and expressions are always lovely.
Supergirl #15
As with Superboy, I am only picking up Supergirl because of the H'el on Earth crossover. As we know, H'el had fooled Kara in beliving Kal had betrayed her. We start off this issue with a flash back. Kara recalling her life on Krypton.
This whole issue is about showing how lonely Kara is and how hard it must be for a teenager to lose the life she knew and her family and friends.
We know Kara is angry but she is also very vulnerable because she is grieving still. H'el is offering something she has not gotten from her cousin : sympathy and a chance to go home. He teleports her to the Fortress of Solitude. As we know from Superboy #15, Kal and Superboy had gotten kicked out of it.
Superman realizes they needs help to get back in. Meanwhile, H'el teleports Kara into the bottled city of Kandor and projects himself astrally. He projects an image of his former self before he changed.
He manages to get Kara feel a closeness and connection to him and what he is hoping to achieve. While H'el is manipulating Kara, we still don't know much of what happened to him and it feels as if he had suffered too. With her help he manges to get her to do take the Quantum Crystal that powers Kandor.
Now that they have it, the plan is to go back to Krypton and prevent its destruction.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Superboy #15 Review
Just a quick look at Superboy. I don't read the title but because it is part of the H'El on Earth crossover I picked it up. It follows off Superman #14 when H'El attacked all three supers in downtown Metropolis. He took Kara, and did something to Superboy to shut his system down.
Superman takes the dying Superboy away despite the pissed up authorities. He takes him to the Fortress of Solitude in an attempt to try to save his life. Superboy is conscious of what is happening but unable to move or speak.
Meanwhile, H'El has taken Kara to her undersea refuge and convinces her that Superman did indeed betray her. He also seems ready to make some moves on her, judging from that smirk.
Suffice to say Superboy is not too keen on it. He even pulls the shield off. But Superman tells him he will die and it is his choice to take it or give up.
Superboy takes back the armor. While they try to think how to defeat H'El, he appears and kicks them both out of the Fortress.
I admit I enjoyed this. I liked seeing Superman show an interest in the boy and a desire to save his life and not treat him like an outcast. Superboy is struggling with his place in the world and he has no interest in being a hero or wanting to have much to do with Kal or Kara. But the uneasy peace he comes to is a sign we will see hopefully some development between him and Superman.
Action Comics #15 Review
Vyndktvx, little creepy man turned devil, is after Superman. He has been preparing a multiprong attack all through Superman's lifetime and has the ability with the Anti-Superman army to attack him at any given moment in his life. We have some moments like the one where Pa Kent is helping the creepy little man on the night of Clark's prom. An ominous sign that he would possibly be the one responsible for the death of the Kents.
It's a trippy issue. Going to and fro in time, past, present and future but clearly all happening at once. Mrs Nylx explains to Superman what was happening and her role in all of it. She was once aPrincess of the 5th Dimension and married to an Superman's old foe, Mxyzptlk. She tells Superman the story of how they fell in love and how Vyndktvx be came the enemy. While she tells her story Superman is being attacked on all fronts.
I was never a fan of Mxyzptlk, an interdimensional imp, as a foe but the Vyndktvx set up is showing a way more dangerous and insiduous foe for a Superman. Who Myx is and his courtship of Mrs Nylx really does not do that much for me. The issue thankfully is grounded by interchanging it with real life events to give emotional context to what is happening. The prom scene with Clark and Lana was sweet and sad. First love about to be interrupted by tragedy.
Before Mrs Nylx could try to help Superman she is taken out by Nimrod the Hunter.
The army closes in on Superman. Past. Present. Future.
I give this 4 out of 5 stars. Things are happening and the story has a sense of urgency now as you can feel the inevitable, big final confrontation. Some of the interdimemsional stuff I can't connect with on an emotional level but Superman's life I can and I appreciate the level of threat this foe poses.
Best Panel. The entire page where Clark finds out about his parents is heart wrenching.
Superman #14 Review
We start this issue with the heralding of Lois Lane by Clark Kent. We are told how she is the most amazing woman he ever met. We are told how she outshines all women, even a royal princess at her own wedding. We are told how great a reporter she is (Pulitzer winner, Emmy nominee) and she is not even 30. We are told how she is his best friend etc. We are told lot of things. And since the reboot, we have not seen much to support the greatest reporter and the best friends tag and this supposed chemistry they suppose to share. I guess the writers, both here and in Action Comics, think the mere fact they were married last continuity, you don't have to show readers anything much.
Clark and Lois get into a little argument over the fact he walked out on his job and she comes to demand him to come back. He sticks to his guns re quitting but spoils it all when he pulls out the whining card. He is annoyed over the fact she did not tell him about moving in with Jonathan. Lois puts him in his place.
Lois calls him out on the "country mouse smile" plastered on his face he wore for the past week. Clark fumbles. Now I guess it could be because after he kissed Diana (if Lobdell is going according to Justice League's continuity) she flew off on him before they could discuss it. The kiss "just happened" and a "kiss is not a commitment" comes to mind. Or is it he still has feelings for Lois based on his reaction? He reminds me of a kid thinking mom has a new boyfriend, so where does that leave me? Has Clark really moved on? He claimed to have done so last issue yet he's still questioning himself over Lois and Jonathan. Now is this an attempt to start a lame triangle? Maybe. Or maybe Clark is genuinely conflicted because he does not know where he stands with Diana. What is he to tell Lois afterall? He can't share the woman he kissed was Wonder Woman and in any case, he has not officially started dating her. Now if Clark still carries on about what Lois is doing or not doing re her love life even after what we saw in Justice League #14, I can only conclude he is a selfish idiot.
Diana was very vulnerable after the Steve and Cheetah incidents and he should not have pursued her as he did if he is wanting something with Lois. Diana did not force him to open up to her and take her to Smallville and kiss her again. Diana is not some lame second choice and I hope the writer stay away from that sort of nonsense. Lois seems to view him as a friend and wants to keep it that way and it is not clear if Clark tried to date her and she turned him down.
The little discussion is abruptly interrupted by Supergirl who wants to have a word with her cousin. Clark lucks out when Lois concludes Clark is doing human interest stories and she is a cosplayer. He and Kara leave the apartment and get into an argument. Clark is not happy she nearly blew his ID and she is far from impressed with his alter-ego and earth on the whole. Kara has someone she wants Kal to meet.
H'El announces himself. He claims to have been a student of Jor-El and a test subject of the pod that would take Kal-El to earth. Superman does not believe him.
H'El does not appreciate being mocked and drags Superboy into the picture. He offers to snap the neck of this "abomination". Superman and H'El engage in battle. H'El appears to have super speed, super strength, the ability to teleport as well as mind controlling and telekenetic type abilities. He tricks Kara into thinking Superman turned on her and is on the verge of killing Superman. Superboy stops him only to get himself taken down. H'El leaves a defeated Superman, with the threat of resurrecting Krypton. He takes Kara with him.
Another good issue by the team of Lobdell and Rocafort. With the exception of Clark's juvenile attitude regarding Lois' personal life everything else was good. Lobdell paces well. We get that continued modern feel to the book with the dialogue and great art. There is humor and action all the while with ongoing world and character building. I am interested in H'El. I can understand Kara's and Superboy's ambivalence towards the world and their situation. I can't wait to see how their relationship with Clark grows. It's refreshing to see the supers have to really work for a change to build trust and respect for each other instead of it given to them on a platter.
I give this issue 4 out of 5 stars.
Best Panel: Superman, the pleb, taking on H'El.
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