Last Week's Reviews

I'm a little bit late with these, and I still haven't even gotten completely caught up yet. I feel as though life has been passing me by! Still, there was some very good stuff, and some slightly less good stuff from last week. Basically, it was the final hurrah of Old DC, before the last issue of Flashpoint, and the beginning of the new 52 Universe.

Green Arrow #15

Only made it to fifteen issues, and it will already be starting over. We get the finale to the story of Ollie teamed up with whatshername, fighting that...guy. The crazy one. They blow up quite a bit of Washington DC, but it's all ok, because they catch the bad guy, and Ollie gets to wax a bit philosophical before it all starts over. Not bad.


Retroactive: Green Lantern

This particular issue is the one from the '90's, so naturally it is by Ron Marz and Darryl Banks, featuring none other than Kyle Rayner, and dagnabit, it was fun. I'm not quite sure why Kyle thinks that painting a picture of the "One Punch" moment with Guy and Batman is going to impress Guy, but no one ever said that Kyle was a particularly deep thinker.

Anyway, Who should show up, attacking the satellite of love, but Effigy! And man, is he ever cranky. He even gives Kyle something of a run for his money, and the battle spills down to earth, and Kyle's running out of energy and has to scramble to recharge his battery, but the constructs...oh, the constructs. It was just FUN! And I've always liked Kyle's original outfit the best for some reason. So this was pretty great. I'm still pretty sure that Guy was less than enthused with that painting however.

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #13

And speaking of Guy and Batman. Here they are teamed up together again. Guy is relaxing at a ball game, when he gets the word, that doings are a'transpiring, and heads up to a satellite, where he finds a body and Batman. Neither is particularly happy that the other is trespassing on their turf, but they manage to put their differences aside, and work together in a reasonably harmonious manner. Guy is interrogating the suspects on the space station, while Batman wanders around doing whatever it is that he does. Naturally when Bats announces that he's figured out who the killer is, the alarms all go off, not to mention the lasers, which Guy and Bats both take down.

The bad guy takes off in the super dooper space ship, with nefarious plans ready to be carried out, Batman is trying to get the rest of the crew to safety, and Guy has to head out after the villain, who is escaping, and does it...magnificently of course. In fact, he not only catches the bad guy, but he manages to save the space station which was going to fall on top of Opal City, AND save Bats and the crew. And he does it, as always with considerable panache. Then, when the villain is busy sneering, Batman does what he does best, and punches him in the face. Guy is impressed that All It Took Was One Punch.

Heh.

This was one of those books that got better each time that I read it. Not a bad way to go out at all...and a HUGE improvement over the abysmal Green Lantern Corps book from the week before.

Gotham City Sirens #26

Well, we all knew that this merry trio of bad girls would eventually end up at one another's throats. Ivy of course, is awfullly cranky, Selina is sarcastic, and Harley of all people, is the voice of reason. And naturally, they figure it is all Batman's fault. Again, a pretty decent ending to a pretty decent book. It's rather a shame that this little club is being broken up, because although I am quite fond of Selina, there is No Way that I am going to read Winick's sexy sexy sexy take on her. By the way...she's sexy. I can't quite picture Ivy in the Birds of Prey, and I loathe Harley's new outfit in Suicide Squad. I'm willing to give the latter two books chance. But only a chance.

Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #3

Oh Hal,you never ever change...not matter what alternate reality you find yourself in. Hal and Carol end up going up against the Amazons, in order to drop the Green Arrow weapon, which naturally, Hal does. In a spectacular fashion. Too bad that he blows himself up with it.

Dang.

Oh Hal.

Retroactive: Justice League of America

Ok, THIS was the book that I was waiting for, with none other than Giffen, DeMatteis and Maguire, revisiting my beloved JLI. We have J'onn, we have uncrazy Max, we have Ted as Blue Beetle, and Booster as Booster. We have Guy being a lunatic, and Fire and Ice, and look, Ice isn't swearing at ANYbody! Power Girl and her evil Cat! Oberon, and Scott and Barda! AND the Injustice League, and a bummed out Parademon who is bad at cards. Merriment and mayhem. It...it's all just so much goddamned fun, that I am practically in tears.

Buy this. Buy this and read it and enjoy it.

It is a bit sad that I have enjoyed all of the Retroactive books so VERY very much this month, because without exception they have All Been So Good.

Justice Society of America #54

And here is the JSA's swan song. Gotta love that Darwynn Cook cover. I have been quite depressed about the disappearance of the JSA, until I found out that Robinson and Nicola Scott are going to be doing a new JSA book. It's going to be on Earth Two, but I can LIVE with that, as long as I get my darling old farts. And I love Robinson and I love Nicola Scott, so I'll be happy.

This wasn't bad, if a bit rushed. The evil monster god thing is unleashed and feeding on all of their super energy, there is a bit of blame being passed around, not to mention guilt, Ted gets impaled, but lives through it, and Mister Terrific is back to being...well...terrific. Too bad about Alan though.

Wonder Woman #614

I don't know what I was expecting, but it turned out to be...pretty good actually. Diana defeats Nemesis, takes on her aspect, but manages to defeat it as well, and lo and behold, Themiscyra is back,and the Amazons and even Hippolyta. I LOVE Hippolyta! Diana is just so happy, and yet she knows that something is a little bit...off. I don't care, and neither does she. I am rather looking forward to the new Wonder Woman book, because the Azzarello and Chiang are also wonderful.

So... a pretty good week, all in all. Not a terrible way to go out. I am looking forward to the new books with anticipation and trepidation all at the same time.