Injustice Does Justice to the Justice League

I just finished reading the hardcover compilation of Injustice: Gods Among Us, Vol. 1.  It collects the first six issues of the Injustice: Gods Among Us series.  The story is very well-written by Tom Taylor and beautifully illustrated by Jheremy Raapack.  The hardcover that collects the first six issues is attractive itself, too.  I was very impressed by the initial presentation, and then became so thoroughly engaged with the storyline that I read all six issues within the book quickly.   

The series is based on the video game (which I've never played) and serves as a prequel to the events in the game.  The story involves the division of members of the Justice League into two "teams" going up against one another; one led by Superman, one led by Batman.  Superman and his followers want to right the wrongs in the world by any means (Machiavelli's "the end justifies the means" philosophy).   Batman, on the other hand, wants to right the wrongs within legal confines, using the established (albeit broken) justice system.  I won't reveal any spoilers, but I will say that the writer does a fantastic job of not only keeping the story moving, but also with developing each character's personality.   

The real injustice here is that Injustice: Gods Among Us takes place outside of the current DC Universe because this storyline is SO much better than Justice League stories currently being written in the New 52. What a shame that the talents of Taylor and Raapack are being wasted by not giving them a regular monthly series that takes place within the confines of the New 52 and delivers powerful stories with attention to characterization.  Instead, we're stuck with bland writers like Ann Nocenti.  Taylor also wrote the brilliant Rose and Thorn one-shot which was also a favorite of mine.  So, kudos to Taylor on his awesome writing skills. 

And the art in Injustice is so amazing and lifelike, too!   I've rarely seen superheroes like Superman or Wonder Woman look better (although I'm not sure why Lois Lane is a redhead).  

I look forward to reading the new ongoing Injustice series and (hopefully) watching the careers of Taylor and Raapack fluorish.  

Up and Atom

X-Men: Battle of the Atom #1

I just finished reading all ten chapters of the X-Men crossover story "Battle of the Atom."  It was a nod to Chris Claremont and John Byrne's "Days of Future Past" storyline that ran in Uncanny X-Men #141 and #142 in 1981, just in time to give some more attention to the upcoming 2014 X-Men: Days of Future Past film.  There's a lot of time-traveling in "Battle of the Atom."  The original five teenage X-Men have already come from the past into present day (the concept for the All-New X-Men comic), and now the X-Men from the future travel back to present day in an effort to send them back to their original time period.  Got all that?  At one point, there are three different Icemen and three different Beasts.  What this has to do with atoms is anyone's guess.  But it's a pretty cool title (and logo) nonetheless.

Marvel did a good job of labeling each chapter in the story so readers wouldn't have to figure out what order to read the comics in.  The downside was that if you didn't currently read all of the X-titles, you were pretty much forced to buy all of them to fully understand what's going on.  There was little to no distinction with the characters from book to book.  For example, if you currently only read Wolverine and the X-Men, you didn't get a story featuring the title's regular characters.  You got the next chapter of the "Battle of the Atom" storyline, most likely featuring the original five teenage X-Men and/or their future counterparts.  Bookending the storyline was a two-issue X-Men: Battle of the Atom limited series.

X-Men #5

The most confusing aspect was figuring out which title you were reading at any given moment.  All of the X-titles use the same font for their logos, and they all had the same yellow border.  There was little to distinguish them from one another.  It was especially confusing when it came to the regular monthly simply titled X-Men comic vs. the limited series X-Men: Battle of the Atom comic.  (See images above and to the right.  One is the regular X-Men title and the other is the limited series, but they both have "X-Men" and "Battle of the Atom" on their covers.  Splitting up the words doesn't really make it less confusing.) 

Like most of Marvel's major "events" of late, nothing really dramatic or drastic occurs at the conclusion of "Battle of the Atom."  Some may disagree, but to me it's nothing when compared to crossover events like Marvel's Secret Wars in 1984 that gave us Spider-Man's new black costume or the She-Hulk replacing long-time Fantastic Four member The Thing while he stays on Battleworld in his own monthly series.  Or even when compared to House of M when the Scarlet Witch declared "No More Mutants."  And it's certainly nothing like DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths or Flashpoint that changed things "forever" in the DC Universe.  

Uncanny X-Men #139

Was it good, though?  Sure. It was actually much better than the X-Men crossover stories over the past several years (e.g., "Nation X," "Necrosha," "Second Coming," or "Age of X," just to name a few).   It would just be nice that when an X-Men or Avengers crossover arc is said and done, everyone goes back to ONE team/book.  Wolverine does not need to appear in every X-book.  Iron Man and Thor don't need to appear in every Avengers title. Mr. Fantastic shouldn't be both an Avenger and a member of the Fantastic Four.  There.  I said it.  I couldn't even tell you who's on what team because everyone just appears everywhere in the Marvel Universe.  I don't know when they even have time to poop.  It would make me more excited about purchasing a certain comic if I knew particular characters were going to appear in there every month.  For example, where can I read about Kitty Pryde?  Who knows?  Uncanny X-Men?  X-Men?  All-New X-Men?  Wolverine and the X-Men?  The answer would be:  YES. And NO. It just depends.  When we do see glimpses of her, is it anything like her character development in the 1980s in the ONE X-title of the day, Uncanny X-Men?  NO.  She's just another (intangible) warm body.  I really miss good storytelling and character development/interaction.   Some may think that Scott Summers and Jean Grey are the Ross and Rachel of the X-Men world.  To me, it will always be Kitty Pryde and Peter Rasputin.  He'll always be her lobster.  

A Villain's Beauty is Only Skin Deep

Another DC Comics' villains month has come and gone.  After DC Comics' Faces of Evil concept disappointed me in 2009, I had low expectations for the latest villains month event/gimmick in September 2013.  Then came all the hype and positive reviews for the 3-D lenticular covers, the news of their limited availability, and the mad dash to collect them all, even if it meant spending ten to one-hundred times their "value" on eBay (see The Joker's Daughter #1).  

Fortunately, all of mine came pre-ordered, so I wasn't involved with all of the hair-pulling and name-calling. My monthly shipment comics arrived at the end of September, and I was mesmerized by the covers.  They really were pretty awesome.  I've almost finished reading all of them and all I have to say is that their beauty is only skin deep.  Some are origin stories.  Some are present-day stories.  Pretty much all of them, though, have been average storytelling.  There was no consistency or cohesiveness to them.  It would have been better if they were either (a) all origin stories set in the past or (b) all set in the present-day New 52 world.  The only good thing about them is that there has been some decent artwork from artists I've never heard of before. 

Two of the most interesting villains issues I've read so far have been Poison Ivy #1 and Killer Croc #1.  Both are set in present day with flashbacks to when they were young.  Both present terrible events in their childhoods that give us insight into why they've become the villains they are today.  I felt sympathetic toward them; the events humanized them.  Additionally, the Poison Ivy comic did something very creative with its flashbacks.  It presented the art with an old-timey look in pastel colors.  This is the kind of comic I'd love to see blossom into a regular series, as it really gives us an in-depth look into the life of Pamela Isley.  

Conversely, my most anticipated read, The Joker's Daughter #1, was a complete letdown, thanks mostly in part to writer Ann Nocenti's inability to actually, um, write. Nocenti's already killed Green Arrow, Katana, and Catwoman for me.  So, let's give her another title and see what else she can fuck up.  Does she have some sort of blackmail against DC Comics' Powers-That-Be that keeps landing her regular gigs?  What should have been an introduction to a new, reinvented, creepy character just turned out to be a big, convoluted mess.  Don't just take my word for it, though.  

Maybe one year DC will actually get a Villains Month right.   What a wonderful month it would be to have dazzling covers mixed with well-written stories and terrific artwork.  But, seriously, why limit it to a month?   Shouldn't we always get these things for our hard-earned dollars?  With the abundance of untapped talent that's out there, why waste time on spotty storytelling and crappy art? 

The Dawn of the Dead Archies

Archie comics have always been known for their child-like content, so in recent years, it's been interesting to see Archie Comics test the waters with more adult-oriented subject matter.  For example, there was the introduction of a new gay teenager at Riverdale High: Kevin Keller. There was also the "Archie Marries Veronica" and "Archie Marries Betty" storylines with adult versions of the popular teen characters.  These storylines in the regular Archie comic were so popular that they were given their own magazine, reviving the Life with Archie title.  

Now Archie is branching out into zombiedom.  That's right, you heard me.  Archie has just launched the new Afterlife with Archie monthly series.  Get it?  I just read the first issue.  This is definitely not your typical Archie comic.  It's not even your Life with Archie magazine.  It's basically a horror movie with the Archie characters substituting for the obligatory chased teens. 

***SPOILER ALERT!!***

Issue #1 opens with a very serious (out of character) Jughead coming to Archie with his dog, Hot Dog, dead in his arms.  Okay, I can take the Archie characters being dead (or undead), but do they have to kill the loveable dog?  It was a pretty jarring way to start the story and I immediately felt uneasy.  Then it takes a Pet Sematary-esque turn.  Archie suggests to Jughead that he bury Hot Dog.  Here, it's a little too much like a rip-off of Stephen King's Pet Sematary.  The writer even goes so far as to take at least two lines from the book/movie and use them word for word in the comic book dialogue between Archie and Jughead!  While its intent may have been reverence, it just feels like plagiarism.  Later, we see a distraught Reggie confess to Archie that he was the one who accidentally hit Hot Dog with his car, while Sabrina (the teenage witch) helps Jughead bury Hot Dog using a reincarnation spell.  

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this strange take on the Archie characters, but this certainly wasn't it.  Coming from the Archie brand, I thought it would be more "fun."  Even Betty and Veronica weren't recognizable as themselves (pre-Zombie), so I don't know why they had to use the Archie characters other than as a marketing tactic.  The art is acceptable for a comic in this genre, but not for Archie characters.  I wouldn't have known who was who if it wasn't for their hair color/style (Archie, Betty, Veronica), head piece (Jughead), or someone using their name while speaking to them (Reggie, Sabrina) or about them (Hot Dog). 

While others may enjoy Archie's foray into the undead, I guess Afterlife with Archie isn't my cup of milkshake. 

Superman. Wonder Woman. Love. Fight.

I'm not quite sure why it was necessary to have a new book featuring Superman and Wonder Woman called Superman/Wonder Woman.  They could have easily just made guest appearances in each other's solo books.  Regardless, I bought the first issue because Wonder Woman is one of my favorite characters (even though I haven't loved her solo book since George Perez' take on it), and I was curious about the romance between the two superheroes.  

First, I wish they could have come up with a better title.  Really?  That's the best they could do?  Not even Superman and Wonder Woman.  No.  It's Superman/Wonder Woman.  Equally dumb as Batman/Superman, Superman/Batman, or whatever the fuck the title is now.  

Now, onto the story.  Superman/Wonder Woman #1 had a decent plot and artwork to it.  In fact, it was probably even better than both heroes' individual monthly series.  That's not saying a whole heck of a lot, though, because their monthly series are both pretty...average.  I don't look at my monthly stack of comics and say, "Oooh...let me read Superman or Wonder Woman first!"  No, typically, they'll each sit around for a few months building up, and then I'll finally read those back-to-back issues in one sitting.  

What I liked best about the new series so far is that we get to see Clark and Diana without their costumes as they attempt to go on a date, even though it's quickly interrupted by an emergency (Isn't that always the case?).  While I enjoy the attempt at some character development outside the realm of superherodom, I don't think this first issue offered enough.  I don't really feel the attraction between the two.  Just why are these two attracted to each other?  Other than probably physically?  Or maybe that's just it.  They'll get it out of their systems and then move on. It's obvious (even in this issue) that their personalities are very different (thanks to the new versions of these iconic heroes in the New 52!), so I'm not sure what they really share in common personality-wise. 

Is this comic worth the $3.99 price tag?  Not yet.  The story itself was pretty short with large panels of art, so not much happened.  DC needs to offer more to keep me as a reader on this title.  I already dropped Action Comics, Detective Comics, and Batman/Superman/Superman/Batman because the quality of the stories didn't measure up to the $3.99 price tag.  Why pay $3.99 when I can get comics for $2.99 with the same characters?