Shooting for 9

Hawkeye #2 (2012)

Long before Hawkeye was a popular movie character played by Jeremy Renner, he was one of my favorite comic book characters.  It's not every guy who can pull off wearing purple.  I loved the West Coast Avengers so much more than the regular Avengers (wait, was I the only one?) and he was a big part why.  I also enjoyed his dynamic with Mockingbird.  Although Marvel will deny it, it was obvious that Hawkeye and Mockingbird were modeled after DC's Green Arrow and Black Canary, but they felt like a totally different couple.  

After numerous mini-series and short-lived attempts a couple of monthly series, with his popularity surging from the Avengers movie, Hawkeye finally gets his own solo monthly comic book series.  Again.  (Hey, to be a success and be his longest running series EVER, it only has to last more than eight issues.) 

Immediately by looking at the covers, you can tell that this is a different Hawkeye.  They have a retro-mod look to them.  The letters are all in lower case.  The colors are minimal, but there is that predominance of Hawkeye's signature color, purple.  I wasn't sure, though, how David Aja's minimalist cover art would translate to an entire comic.  And, upon starting the first issue of the series, I seriously had my doubts. The art seemed too rough and rudimentary.  However, after reading the first two issues, I really think it works. And I love the heavy use and different shades of purple. 

The issues introduce Hawkeye with the promise that the series will be about his non-Avengers adventures:

I hope that the writer, Matt Fraction, keeps this promise.  Hawkeye is a strong enough character that he doesn't need his teammates always stopping by.  He doesn't need crossovers.  He has stories that can be told without intertwining them with other series.  So far, with the first two issues, Fraction has kept his promise.  Hawkeye's biggest worry has been taking care of the other residents in his apartment building from the big, evil landlord.  Let's hope that he continues to deal with these more human issues and interactions.  And, of course, canine issues (Clint adopts an injured dog that he rescues). 

Kudos to the start of what I hope will be an 9+ issue series! 

J.L. Ay Yi Yi

I just finished reading the complete series of DC Comics' latest attempt at a Justice League International comic.  And, by complete, I mean Justice League International #1-12 and Annual #1, because the series has been cancelled.  With good reason.  It sucked.  

Gone are the days of 1987's classic Justice League International series as written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire.  The new JLI in DC's New 52 boasted Booster Gold, Fire, Ice, Rocket Red, Guy Gardner, Vixen, August General in Iron, and Godiva.  It was a decent line-up and actually had a lot of countries/continents represented (USA, Brazil, Norway, Russia, Africa, China, and England).  Unfortunately, the stories were all too lame and didn't capture the spirit or comradery of the original series.  The new series failed to use this generous diverse group of characters properly.  There was no personalization, no character development, and no decent interaction between any of the teammates.

After OMAC's comic was canceled with issue #8, the pseudo-Hulk joined the team on their lame adventures and brought them down even further.  And did I mention Rocket Red is killed, while Fire, Ice, and Vixen are hospitalized, taking all of them out of commission for the remainder of the series? Way to win over the female fan base, DC.  Incapacitate all of the superheroines and bring in more males.


The best part of the whole series was at the very ending of Annual #1 when it was revealed (spoiler alert!) that Booster is too late to stop Superman and Wonder Woman from sharing a kiss, thereby affecting future events...

Now if only one single issue of this series could have been as intriguing and mysterious as this scene, they may have been able to survive cancellation.

A Thorny Debate

National Comics' Rose & Thorn #1 (2012)

DC Comics again produces a better comic in a one-shot than numerous of their ongoing series.  What am I talking about?  National Comics' Rose and Thorn.  Like last month's Looker one-shot, Rose and Thorn reintroduces a character into the new DC Universe.  

Now, I absolutely loved the first Rose/Thorn character in the DCU.  It was later shockingly discovered that she was the mother of Jade and Obsidian from Infinity, Inc., having previously married the Alan Scott Green Lantern of Earth Two. That made for fantastic storytelling. 

Infinity, Inc. Annual #1 (1985)

The new Rose is a geeky high schooler whose Thorn persona comes out and does some wild things that impress even the Mean Girls.  She gets a tattoo from one of the Mean Girls' ex-boyfriend's dad and then turns into an S&M dominatrix, ties him up, and mutilates him by "branding" him with the word "MINE" across his chest.  We also discover that, as Thorn, she tried kissing her best friend in high school (another nerd) and, come to find out, the friend actually liked it.  How will Rose handle these new revelations when she can't control her second personality?

In my opinion, DC has done a better job reintroducing their characters through the National Comics medium than through their regular New 52 titles.  I hope we get to see Looker and Rose & Thorn in their own well-told monthly series one day...

Wave 3 Washes Over DC Comics

With the cancellation of four DC titles (Justice League International, Captain Atom, Resurrection Man (ironic, right?), and Voodoo) came Wave 3 and the introduction of four new series.  This is about the three new titles that I've read; I refuse to read the fourth.

Talon.  Yes, I was as sick as everyone else reading about the Court of Owls in EVERY Batman-related title for months on end.  However, I was curious about this new title and one of the Talons as a supposed superhero.  Meh.  It's an interesting concept and I think the characterization of Calvin Rose has promise, but after reading Talon #0, it wasn't enough to get me hooked (pun intended).  

Sword of Sorcery.  Worst.  Title.  Ever.  Sadly, though, this was the title I was most excited about.  Why?  Amethyst!  She was one of my favorite characters in the 1980s and I loved her monthly adventures (up until they made her a Lord of Order).  They took a fun series with a fun, energetic, youthful character and made her all serious and boring in confusing, nonsensical storylines.  Blah!  The reintroduction of Amethyst in the new Sword of Sorcery comic was actually decent.  Instead of being a 13-year-old blond girl who steps into Gemworld as a blond adult, she's now an unpopular punk high school teenager with purple streaks through her dark hair who steps into Gemworld as a blond adult, much to her disgust.  The second story featuring a new character of Beowulf was just okay.  (Although the silver fox was pretty sexy in his tight black boxer briefs.)  I'll keep reading this comic for Amethyst, but I don't expect it to survive at a $3.99 price point.

Phantom Stranger.  I've never been a fan of the Phantom Stranger, and since the disintegration of the Outsiders at Dan Didio's generic writing hand, I wasn't a fan of his writing either (although I loved what he did with DC Comics as a leader to help turn it around several years ago).  I gave PS a shot, though, and surprisingly, this turned out to be my favorite comic in Wave 3.  The writing was spot-on and I loved the characterization of this wandering soul.  And -- spoiler alert -- we got two origin stories for the price of one in Phantom Stranger #0.  There are also ties to the mysterious Pandora, another mysterious character, and the Shazam family as well.  What I thought would be a so-so comic will probably be one of the first ones I read every month if the stories are as good and well-written as this one.

Team Seven.  A team of Punishers wielding guns.  'Nuf said.  No thanks. 

I still wish DC would combine elements of the New 52 with the former DCU and its well-established characters, though.  The replacements just aren't the same...and sadly probably never will be.  They're too angry and there's little room for characterization and  personalization of their private lives.

What a Looker!

Batman and the Outsiders #31 (1986)

When Looker appeared out of nowhere and joined the Outsiders (formerly Batman and the Outsiders) back in 1985 with her heavily eye-shadowed eyes and pink bow above the hip of her bare leg, I was not a fan.  I felt like she was intruding on a great dynamic that the Outsiders had going and was a little too popular and flashy to join a group of supposed outsiders.  

Worse, when I started reading comics again in 2007, I discovered that Looker was now a vampire. WTF?  It was as jarring as learning that Jubilee from Marvel Comics' X-Men had become one, too.  It seemed that both big comic companies were taking two of their silliest creations and jumping on the vampire craze bandwagon.  

I think there's an unnecessary vampire-mania going on right now, mostly thanks to Twilight.  However, I decided to give DC's I, Vampire revival the benefit of a doubt and read the first five issues. As you can see from my review, I thought it was as awful -- if not worse -- than even Twilight.

National Comics Looker #1 (2012)

Recently, though, I purchased and read DC Comics' new Looker one-shot.  I was intrigued by the fantastic blood-red cover, and especially by the National Comics moniker.  (Quick history lesson:  DC Comics was called National Comics long, long ago.  It was the title of an anthology series from Quality Comics in the 1940s.)  

Anyway, today in 2012, DC Comics introduced this new anthology series titled National Comics, which is supposed to showcase a number of one-shot series focusing on some of DC's more obscure characters such as Kid Eternity, Looker, Rose and Thorn, Madame X, etc.  Looker reimagines the vampiress in DC's New 52.  All I have to say is:  WOW.  If only other New 52 series and characters were as interesting, well-written, and beautifully illustrated as National Comics Looker.  Ian Edginton did a fantastic job with character development.  Not just Looker (aka Emily Briggs), but also her supporting characters.  The artist, Mike Miller, gave us vivid depictions of each character and scene, bringing everything (pun intended) "to life."  I found myself reading the comic slowly to savor each panel.  I knew this was only a one-shot and didn't want the story to end.  

My only question is, "Why isn't there a Looker monthly series instead of crap like I, Vampire?"