Having fallen behind on some series, I just finished a Katana marathon, reading the last five issues of the cancelled 10-issue series.
Wow. Did that suck. I shouldn't be surprised, though. It's my own fault, really, for thinking that anything current by Ann Nocenti would be good. I like Katana, though, as a character and wanted to be supportive of her solo series. Correction: I like the pre-New 52 Katana. This new one is defunct of personality. When she was a member of the Outsiders back in the 80s, she had a distinct personality that was hard-as-nails, yet she had a mothering instinct toward the naive Halo. Now we're presented with a character devoid of personality that talks to her sword. ALL. THE. TIME.
It didn't help that the entire storyline presented in Katana's solo series was so convoluted and poorly written. Nobody ever really knew what was going on. And the New 52 Outsiders is a society formed of various weapon clans? Yawn.
I really can't say much more about how bad the series was other than to quote an article I read online about Ann Nocenti's writing: "It’s like if I was a food critic and you heard that there was a new
restaurant down the block –- it’s a dumpster with the word “poop” scrawled
across it in spray paint. Do you really need to hear my recommendation?"
With that, I bid adieu to Katana (and any future comics written by Ann Nocenti).
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.
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?
When I was a teenager/young adult, Green Arrow was one of my favorite comic book series. I'm sure it was in large part to the tremendous writing on the series from Mike Grell. In fact, it was so good that it prompted me to write in with compliments (and have my letters published!) a few times. Although it resided within the DC Universe, its stories stood apart from the rest of Earth One's superheroes. They were a lot more than just battle sequences, which frequently get boring. It involved Green Arrow/Oliver Queen's relationship with Dinah Lance/Black Canary, their flower shop Sherwood Florist in Seattle, Dinah's rape, Oliver's infidelity with Shado and the resulting son, etc.
When I started reading comics again in 2007, one of the series I decided to pick up was Green Arrow & Black Canary, to see what was going on with two of my favorite characters. To my surprise, Oliver Queen wasn't the Green Arrow of the series. His son Connor Hawke was. I had never heard of Connor Hawke. So Ollie had another kid out of wedlock...and it still wasn't with Dinah? Sheesh. Apparently, Ollie didn't believe in any form of birth control.
Fortunately, soon into the Green Arrow & Black Canary series, Ollie returns to claim his rightful title. I went and bought all of the back issues of wedding issues and specials to see what I missed. I really liked this new team series. It was fun and entertaining. I even liked seeing Connor Hawke and the new Speedy, Mia Dearden, appear regularly. They made a great foursome. Then came the introduction of Cupid. She was an interesting villain/character at first, but when she started appearing in EVERY issue, that's when my interest started to wane. Who was this series about anyway? Green Arrow and Black Canary...or Cupid? DC saw declining sales and so changed the focus (and title) of the book to only Green Arrow. (Even I could have told them it was not because of Black Canary, but because of stupid Cupid.) That's when Green Arrow started being serious again, with the killing of Prometheus and running off into the magical forest that once was Star City, following the events of Blackest Night. The new Green Arrow solo series labeled with the Brightest Day banner was interesting, but I missed the fun of the early Green Arrow & Black Canary issues, and I missed seeing Ollie and Dinah together as a couple.
Then came the infamous New 52 following Flashpoint. Oliver Queen is now a young man (a boy, if you will). He has no facial hair and, as far as I know, has never even met Dinah Lance! [GASP! The horrors!] Because I like Green Arrow in concept, I've read the first 24 issues of the latest Green Arrow series (volume 4 of his solo series titles; volume 5 if you include Green Arrow & Black Canary). I can honestly say that I don't think I've truly enjoyed a single issue. Like most, though, I didn't attribute my initial dislike to the writing of J.T. Krul at the beginning of the series. I think he did the best with what he had to work with, which wasn't much. Following Krul's dismissal, DC turned over the reigns to Ann Nocenti. That's when I came to discover that Nocenti is one of the worst comic book writers out there. I realize she's been writing for many, many, many years, but maybe it's time to force her retirement. Her storytelling is awful; her dialogue is worse. And now she's dragging down Catwoman and Katana with her. In fact, the solo Katana series has already been canceled. Coincidence? I think not. Catwoman's sure to be on the chopping block next. And don't even get me started about the disappointment with The Joker's Daughter #1. Seriously...WTF was that about anyway? Another lame reintroduction to another potential star (see: Amethyst).
So I was thrilled that DC execs finally came to their senses and moved Nocenti off Green Arrow, giving the series to writer Jeff Lemire (Animal Man). Sadly, the series is still too boring for me, featuring too many battle sequences and not enough characterization and character interaction/relationships. I miss the days when Oliver Queen was a man (a sexy man at that), when he had a history and relationship with Dinah Lance/Black Canary, had a strong friendship with Hal Jorden/Green Lantern, had a bunch of rugrats from different babymamas, had a sense of humor, was a strong Democrat, and fought for the little people. Now he's just this dopey boy who used to have a company similar to Apple and runs around with two associates who create his arrows and buzz in his ear. Even the reintroduction of Count Vertigo was short-lived and lame. And now, Ollie's just met the Shado of the New 52 Universe who had a child...from his father. EW.
So, I'm done. For the first time in many, many years, Green Arrow is no longer on my monthly pull list. It was a good run, but I can't stand to see a good character unnecessarily spin out of control, even where Count Vertigo is involved.
