Action Comics #428 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The opening story begins with the Metropolis Twin Towers engulfed in flames. Superman uses an iceberg and his heat vision to put out the flames. It's a feat captured on camera by Jimmy Olsen. However, when the event makes the front page of the Daily Planet, the story details that a freak thunderstorm put out the blaze.

When Superman as Clark Kent confronted Jimmy as to why he didn't credit the Man of Steel with putting out the fire, the cub reporter responds that Superman hasn't been seen or heard from in 10 years. Despite Clark being able to see Superman in the photos Jimmy took, everyone else he encounters merely sees a thundercloud raining on the skyscrapers. 

As Superman conducts further rescues throughout Metropolis, the citizens attribute the acts as miracles. Clearly, the populace has not only forgotten about Superman; they cannot even see him! 

The backup feature stars Green Arrow and Black Canary. Oliver Queen has been approached by a struggling motorcycle manufacturer for help with their lagging sales. Ollie negotiates a deal where Black Canary will perform a death defying stunt on one of the company's bikes during an upcoming sports event. Only, he forgot to ask the heroine permission for the endorsement.

Seeing as the funds for the stunt will go to charity, Black Canary reluctantly agrees. It will be her first public appearance in quite some time. Yet, it might end up being her last as a pair of ex-cons out for revenge on Canary have tampered with her bike's gas tank, rigging it to explode during the stunt jump. It's up to the Green Arrow to race against the clock and the sprawling city to save Black Canary in time!

The Superman opener was written by Cary Bates. Art was provided by Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. Set during Clark Kent's days as a television newscaster for WGBS, it features a number of newer characters unseen from when he worked at the Planet. Station owner Morgan Edge and sports reporter Steve Lombard play important roles in the story along with Jimmy Olsen. Noticeably absent from the story is Lois Lane, who's not even mentioned in this news story heavy adventure.

The Green Arrow and Black Canary backup was written by Elliot Maggin. Dick Giordano illustrated. For fans of either character, this is a key issue in their relationship as this story ends with Dinah Lance revealing for the very first time that she loves Oliver Queen. 

This issue also features an article about the town of Metropolis, Illinois. The town, working with DC Comics and the State legislature, had just approved plans to make Metropolis the official home of Superman. Plans for a museum, a theme park and an annual festival showing old Superman serials and episodes from the 1950s series starring George Reeves, along with fun and games, were in the works according to the piece. Even the town newspaper would be changing its name to the Daily Planet! While The Amazing World of Superman theme park never came to be and the rag has been renamed as the Metropolis Planet, the museum, along with a giant statue of the Last Son of Krypton continues to welcome fans who arrive in droves every June for the town's annual 4-day Superman Celebration. 

Completing this review completes Task #31 (A Book Featured in a Facebook Group Post) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge. It also my 40th and final task for the 2025 Challenge.

Green Arrow #75 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Most anniversary sized issues seem to fit into one of 3 main categories: a major team up that fans have been clamoring for, a death or resurrection of a major character, or a major life event like a wedding, promotion to a team or new child. Very rarely it seems these very special issues act in celebration of the vast history of the character or team that the subject of said comic is truly reflected in terms of an 'anniversary.' Yet that is what Mike Grell and Rick Hoberg achieved in issue #75 of the 1988-1998 series of Green Arrow.

During a New Year's Eve celebration in downtown Seattle, Oliver Queen is near fatally wounded by an arrow welding assassin. Because of his war on organized crime in the Emerald City, Green Arrow has been targeted by the Yakuza, who are trying to gain a foothold in the Pacific Northwest. As Oliver recovers, the three ladies in the Archer's life, long-time love Black Canary, mother to one of his children, Shado, and Marianne, a youthful woman who writes fairy tales and just declared her love to Ollie at the beginning of the story. Even the mysterious assassin is found to have a deep bond with Green Arrow in this retrospective of a character that editor Mike Gold compared to a cross between 'Robin Hood and Peter Pan' in his farewell address to the readers in the letters column.

Rick Hoberg provided the pencils and inks for this oversized issue from 1993. Mike Grell does double duty as the cover artist in a powerful image that features all of the main characters of this story.

Completing this review completes Task #9 (With The Word GREEN in the Title) the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #25

The Mystery Inc. gang arrive at a small town hippie community for their next case. The ghosts of the parents of the town founders have arrived and their trying to guilt these social misfits to give up their dreams of peace and unity and join the real world. Thanks to the addition of the emerald avengers, Green Lantern and Green Arrow, Scooby and friends solve this mystery pretty kick. Only when everyone in town suddenly begins fighting with each other, there's another mystery to be solved.

A beautiful tribute to Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams' 'Hard Travelling Heroes' storyline that not only saw Archer and Ringbearer joining forces in search for the soul of America, but introduced the era of relevant comics in the early 1970s. The Guardian Appa Ali Apsa, who traveled with Green Lantern and Green Lantern, doesn't appear in this story. But we do get a cameo from a fellow Justice Leaguer who partook in some legs of the two green hued heroes' cross country travels. 

Another masterful triumph by Sholly Fisch and Dario Brizuela with 2 mysteries in 1 book! As glad as I am that DC has kept things going with it's 3 limited Batman and Scooby-Doo! Mysteries series, I really want DC to get back to pairing those meddling kids with the full A-Z lineup of the DC Universe. I miss Scooby-Doo Team-Up and I think it's time to bring it back!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Super Powers #2 (2nd Series)

In the last issue, the Justice League divided up into groups to destroy the 5 seeds of doom planted by Darkseid. His goal is for the seeds to take root into the Earth's core and unleash a flood of magma onto the surface creating a second planet Apokolips.

The first group to come in contact with a seed is the trio of Hawkman, Green Arrow and the Red Tornado. In a subway tunnel underneath the Big Apple, the heroes encounter Kalibak, the son of Darkseid! In the throes of battle, the protagonists learn another power of the doom seeds- when a Justice Leaguer touches the pods, it both zaps their energy and sends them back in time!

The heroes follow Kalibak back to prehistoric times where the New God has his Boulder Bomber armed and ready! With massive rocks flying, dinosaurs running wild and a tribe of cavemen in the midst of a stampede, the time stranded heroes will have their hands full trying to get back home in hopes of saving the modern day Earth!

A fun read. This is how I wish the previous Super Powers series had begun. Yes, we got small pairings of Justice League members fighting bad guys. But it lacked cohesion. This Paul Kupperberg penned series is following the time honored formula of both the original Justice League of America comic as well as the Super Friends cartoon in it's many incarnations. Some might have felt series 1 was more original. But I prefer that tried and true plot device when it comes to the heroes of the DC Universe.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Stargirl Spring Break Special #1

This 2021 special was released to do three things: 1) build on the popularity of the Stargirl TV series on TheCW, 2) act as a lead-on to the revamped Stargirl mini-series and 3) be a sort of bridge for yet another revamp of the Justice Society of America. I like to think that this one-shot has a 4th purpose- explain how Green Arrow and Speedy were members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory in the Golden Age way before the two characters even existed in the modern DCU.

The answer it turns out is time travel. Okay. Mystery solved. Still, that wasn't all this book was about. But it did do a very good job explaining a plot hole that's been dogging DC Comics since the CRISIS.

The remaining Soldiers are planning a reunion- in Myrtle Beach of all places. Pat Dugan is eager to see his old friends. Just as eager is Stargirl, who can't wait to get out of school for Spring Break and meet some other super heroes and hopefully, their younger sidekicks. The reunion starts off fairly well until one of the newer heroes makes an ominous proclamation resulting in the disappearance of Pat, Green Arrow and others. 

Together with Arrow's newest sidekick, Red Arrow, Stargirl begins a search for the missing Soldiers. The prime suspect behind all of this is the Clock King. Add some time displaced dinosaurs, the unsolved mysterious death of one of the Seven Soldiers and a time loop thanks to a malfunctioning time machine and you've got an exciting story that could be read as a stand alone or be your introduction to Stargirl #1. 

Only, there never was a Stargirl #1. 

Thanks to COVID related delays, the follow-up series to this special didn't debut until late 2022. With a cover date of January, 2023, Stargirl and the Lost Children continues the search for the missing member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory as well as a whole bunch of child sidekicks from the Golden Age who also went missing. 

As of right now, that 6-issue miniseries has not been collected as a hardback or trade paperback. But if it did, I would pick it up to read for sure. Just as this special was, the miniseries was written by Geoff Johns. I've said it once and I'll say it again: Geoff Johns could write the phone book and I'd read it. But don't think I won't read that story in single issue form. If I was to find these issues in a dollar bin, I'd definitely snatch them up for a read. Not knowing until now that The Lost Children was the follow-up to this book is why I hadn't read the mini before. 

Fun in the sun with some time travelling mishaps thrown in. Plus a preview of Justice Society of America #1, which was also delayed until 2023 and a fun page by the great Fred Hembeck!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Vol. 2: The Fearsome Fangs Strikes Again!

Collecting issues 7-12 of the DC Comics series based on the Cartoon Network animated series of the same name. The very same team-up series I wished never ended. It did take me a couple of episodes to really appreciate the show. I was hesitant to accept the comical Diedrich Bader to do justice as the voice of Batman. But as I came to realize that the writers, artists and actors involved in Batman: The Brave and the Bold were fans of classic DC and really wanted to do a series that paid tribute to all eras of DC Comics, I was hooked!

In the 6 issues reprinted here, we get several guest stars that had at one point or another appeared on the cartoon. The original line-up of the Doom Partol, along with Beast Boy, Garfield Logan, a clean shaven Green Arrow, Black Canary, The Atom (though not sure if it's Ray Palmer or Ryan Choi version), and Adam Strange return for a lot of fun. The character of Catman makes his first appearance in this series. Although, I think Catman does pop up a couple of times on the show. And the there's the team that really has got me scratching my head...

3 of the members of the Great Ten, a Chinese superhero team that first appeared in the pages of Grant Morrison's 52 appear in issue #8. The August General in Armor (name really says it all), the highly accurate Celestial Archer, and the musically inclined Accomplished Perfect Physician meet up with Batman who is in Tibet investigating the sighting of a Yeti. The Asian heroes claim that the Yeti is really a Great Ten reservist who allowed his beastly side to accidentally overtake his civilized side during one of his heroic transformations. 

Most of you are going, 'why is all that a head scratcher?' Well, the choice of the Great Ten is an odd one. They're not really characters that kids would know. To be honest, they're not really characters a ton of adult readers of DC Comics would know. After a brief appearance in 2019's Doomsday Clock, the Great Ten have been pretty much MIA from the DCU. And then there's where this story takes place.

Batman meets up with the heroes from the Great Ten in Tibet. Now Tibet is known for being the home of the fabled Abominable Snowman, AKA the Yeti. But in the story, the Chinese heroes call Tibet, well, uh, they call it Tibet. But these heroes are also government employees. Shouldn't they be referring to Tibet as China as that nation lays claim to Tibet as a part of their territory? Or at least call it the Autonomous Zone or Region? 

That story was printed in 2009. I'm surprised that DC was willing to publish an issue with subject matter that controversial. In the past decade, movie studios have gotten in trouble with China and other countries for not calling certain regions or territories by the proper internationally recognized titles. Heck, just this year, Vietnam refused to show the mega-hit Barbie movie in their theaters because of a single scene that uses an outdated map for a sight gag. Maybe we just weren't so sensitive in 2009 as we are today. If that's the case, man do I miss those days...

A great read. There's over a dozen issues out there for me to get my hands on. So The Brave and the Bold fun doesn't have to end yet. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Saved by the Belle Reve #1

Finally! After several over-sized duds, DC puts out a themed special that focuses on FUN- mostly! The past couple of years, the majority of DC's seasonal specials had shorts that were more political than enjoyable. There's nothing wrong with comic books being educational or topical. But if they're not entertaining then it's more like reading a text book than a comic. 

With it being the start of a new school year, I took a chance on plopping down a ten-spot on this. I know it's not a holiday comic. But it's close enough for me.

There are 8 short stories in this special. Let's take a brief look at them all:

• The Suicide Squad are tasked with protecting the son of a generalissimo who is friendly to American interests. To do this, the Squad must pose as teachers. But as hordes of demon soldiers keep attacking the school on a daily basis, Task Force X must get creative. That means Killer Shark is now teaching English and Weasel is the new lunch lady!
• In a story from the past, Oliver Queen learns an important lesson in parenthood. While Speedy's grades aren't up to snuff, Ollie becomes a tyrant. Now things with Roy Harper are worse than ever before and the Emerald Archer must learn a balance between being an inspiration to an eager sidekick and a caring guardian to a lonely young boy.
• In a surprise return, the students of Gotham Academy return! School is about to return to session but some of the students will not. With Olive Silverlock still missing from something that happened at the end of Sophomore year, Maps is putting her classmates things away in storage. However, when it's discovered that Olive's journal is also missing, Maps and her classmates will go on one last mission to find it.
• Also returning in this issue- the Tiny Titans! Thanks to Art Baltazar and Franco, the pint-sized heroes take a literal wrong turn at Albuquerque and pop up in Belle Reve prison!
• Jonathan Kent and Damian Wayne, the Super Sons, join forces to help the new kid in school deal with a pair of bullies- in their own super ways.
• Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson run afoul of Mister Freeze on the way to their Senior Prom. 
• John Paul Valley is led by his Azrael personality to the very school that trained him to become a trained killer for God. While at the abandoned institution, Valley's memories of the Brotherhood of the Order of St. Dumas come to the surface. 
• Finally, get it straight from the source, Jefferson Pierce, as to just why did Black Lightning decided to become a part of President Lex Luthor's cabinet. The answer itself probably won't surprise you. But it's nice to finally get a concrete answer to one of DC's most enduring mysteries of the past 2 decades.

The Suicide Squad story was the best. It was 100% insane! And I loved it. With the inclusion of Weasel and Peacemaker, you can tell that 2021's The Suicide Squad movie and director James Gunn was a direct influence on this story. Tim Seeley was the writer and the artist was Scott Kolins. I did a quick search online and it doesn't seem that this team is the crew behind the current Suicide Squad title. But if DC was to do a run with the two of them at the helm, I'd subscribe to it at my LCS! (BTW- Seeley and Kolins were behind a King Shark mini so I'll be adding that to my wish list!)

I loved having the Tiny Titans back. I miss their hi-jinks and you can't go wrong with Baltazar and Franco! The classic style Green Arrow story and the return to Gotham Academy were also really good reads. I liked the Azrael story. But the level of abuse that poor kid had to endure and how those supposed 'men of God' turn young Valley into a ruthless killer is just really disturbing. 

I had a little bit of trouble with the Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson story. For one thing, Dick is in high school. Yet, in this story, he's also Nightwing. And Barbara is Batgirl. Now, I think I remember somewhere that they retconned that part for Barbara. But wasn't that part of the New 52? Plus, the end was so ambiguous and I hate ambiguous endings!

The remaining two stories were the least entertaining but at least one of them was inspiring. I had long been wondering why did Jefferson Pierce decide to accept Lex Luthor's appointment to the Secretary of Education. I had also wondered why in the pages of Superman/Batman that Black Lightning went toe-to-toe with the World's Finest when clearly Lex Luthor was going insane with power. Well, I got my first question answered with this special. Having lived through January 6th, I still don't have my answer to that last one.

And then there's the Super Sons story. It starts off as a fun little read in which 2 secretly powered pre-teens help a bullied new classmate to tap into his own special powers. But that last panel got really preachy and I don't think it was necessary to the story. Peter J. Tomasi's (Nightwing) story had written an amazing story about acceptance. But for one brief moment, DC decided it hadn't done enough to anger some fans. The panel didn't anger me. But it did ruin what was an otherwise fine 'Afterschool Special' type story.

I had a Lit professor who talked about some theory. I don't remember the name of the philosophy. But I do remember that he talked about how there are moments in works where things go in a different direction than what has been built up in the mind of the consumer and it ruins the enjoyability of the work. I had just finished up the Suicide Squad story before going on next to the Super Sons tale. With the Suicide Squad being completely off-the-wall, I was expecting the rest of this special to be just as wacky. The Super Sons story started off kinda silly with Damian taking a Sikorsky to his first day of school. So I wasn't expecting things to take such a dramatic turn. But I think if it wasn't for the ending of the Super Sons story, I probably wouldn't have been on guard for that tragic Azrael story.

Oh! I loved the title of this special! What a great throwback pun to a 1990s classic kids show!

Please DC, PLEASE! Put Seeley and Brendan Kolins behind the helm of the Suicide Squad! And bring Tiny Titans back!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Dark Nights: Metal: The Resistance

In general, when a publisher has a major crossover event, the tie-in issues offer very little to the completion of the story. That's not the case here. In fact, after reading these tie-ins from Teen Titans, Nightwing, Suicide Squad, Green Arrow, Justice League of America, The Flash and Green Lantern Corps, I actually understand the wildly popular Dark Nights: Metal even more!

From just reading Dark Nights: Metal only, I didn't understand how the evil Batmen had managed to capture so many heroes and villains. I also didn't understand Dick Grayson's supposed draw to the mysterious metals. Those elements are cleared up thanks to these issues. Plus, if you are a fan of Harley Quinn, she's done to perfection here!

This volume was a great teaming of the talents of Joshua Williamson, Jeff Lemire, Ethan Van Sciver, Liam Sharp and Tyler Kirkham. I am a big fan of their work on their individual titles. It's Scott Snyder, Geoff Johns and Bendis who are getting the chance to create the all-encompassing stories. But I would like the earlier group, who worked on this volume, to get a chance to tackle a multi-title crossover event. I think that they'd be amazing at it. This collection is proof they've got the chops!

One tends to over look the tie-in issues in a company wide event. That would be the wrong way to go with this awesome volume!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Green Arrow Annual #1

In this holiday themed issue, Green Arrow and fellow members of Team Arrow are about to celebrate Christmas. Things seem to be going perfectly. A little too perfectly...

This annual is a fairly good starting point for newbies like myself. I've been into comics for almost 40 years mind you. It's just that I'm not a big fan of Green Arrow. Same goes with the CW series. Of all the DC shows, it's my least favorite and when it comes to GA in comics, the last thing I remember reading about him was the two-part wedding album stories from about 10 years ago.

But by making this issue a Christmas issue, my interest was immediately peaked. Plus quite a bit of back story is included and that really helped this be a story I could navigate through. 

There was one thing I was a little confused about. What's up with Green Arrow's tree city? It's pretty darn cool and I like it. But what's the purpose of it? Is it more easier to defend? Economical? Just aesthetically pleasing? Come on issue writer, Ben Percy! You tell us so much about Oliver Queen and Co., but you left out the details of Tree City???!!! I want to know more.

A very enjoyable holiday themed issue that is full of action, drama, and more. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

DC Universe Decisions #2

  After Green Arrow's impromptu endorsement of a presidential candidate, things come to a head between Ollie Queen and Hal Jordan.
   Meanwhile, as more candidates become targets of the mysterious bomber, even more superheroes go on the record for who they are endorsing for President. It seems that the only two heroes willing to stay impartial are Batman and Superman. But how do you explain the breaking news that a dark horse candidate has just picked up the support of Gotham City's favorite son, Bruce Wayne?
    The political intrigue takes a back seat to bickering and great sound bits of humor. But that's okay, I really did enjoy this chapter. Especially the twist of having Bruce Wayne endorse a candidate after just a couple of pages earlier Batman promises Superman that he'll not stoop to Green Arrow's level and play pundit.
   Is there going to be a major fight between the Caped Crusader and the Man of Steel? I don't know, but the implications would be epic.
   
   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

DC Universe Decisions #1

   Someone has a grudge against the candidate for President. Not just one candidate, but all of them and the person behind the scheme is using mind controlled suicide bombers to try and eliminate all of the competition. When former Doom Patrol member Robotman is nearly killed saving one of the candidates from an assassination attempt, it prompts the Justice League to get involved with the investigations.

   Assigned to security detail for one of the Democratic candidates, League member Green Arrow discovers that the bomber is using close members of each candidate's campaign to carry out the attacks. The attack also happens live on national television right after Arrow declares to there are no active bomb threats. To save face, the hero agrees to an interview. But Ollie makes things go from bad to worse, when he accidentally gives his endorsement for the job seeker he is supposed to protect.

   I had heard from friends that this miniseries from 2008 was really preachy. Maybe it gets that way in the later issues, but this opening issue didn’t feel preachy. It felt like an intense political thriller. Sure, Green Arrow makes everyone wallow in his self-righteousness, but hey so what else is new?

   Okay- the role reversals are totally new territory. The wild card candidate that says whatever is on his mind is the Democrat. The Republican candidate is an African American female who's considered even tempered and refined. I’m telling you, it’s this year’s election only reversed...

I’m wondering if the editors at DC planned it this way to avoid backlash because co-creator/ writer Judd Winick (Batman) is considered one of the more liberal voices in comics. Or maybe his writing partner Bill Willingham (Fables) kept him wheeled in.

   A good opening act. I hope it doesn’t go downhill from there.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Flashpoint: Green Arrow Industries #1

    In the Flashpoint universe, Oliver Queen isn't a hero- not even close. He can't shoot an arrow to save his life. He's incredibly self-centered, and his got more kids and ex-wives than most Hollywood superstars.

    What Ollie is is the top weapon's designer in the world. But he's not gotten that moniker through hard work or a smattering of honesty. Ollie has hired out a squad of Green Arrows, an ex-military private security force that takes out the worst enemies imaginable. Then they steal their weapons, bring them to Queen's Green Arrow Industries and the billionaire reverse engineers the tech and sells it back to the US military. 

      Oliver Queen has never been more wimpy, more selfish, or more like Tony Stark than in this Flashpoint one-shot tie-in. But I'm not really sure if I like it. It's definitely a different take on the Green Arrow- well almost. In the DC Universe, he's quite the Lothario but Queen is also known for being a bit of a bleeding heart liberal. Not this Oliver Queen, he's just in it for the money. I kinda felt like I was reading the first issue of Iron Man.

     By the end of this issue, Queen will have that moment that changes everything. It's that turn that makes me very interested in learning what happens next. Unfortunately, unless Oliver Queen pops up in either the remaining issues of Flashpoint or one of the tie-ins, the story of Green Arrow Industries ends here. This was a one-shot.

      Darn!

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.
     

Justice League United, Volume 1:Justice League Canada (New 52!)

    Former members of the Justice League find themselves pitted together against an alien invasion in the Canadian wilderness in this opening chapter of Justice League United. Also known as Justice League Canada, this short-lived series didn't get very much love, lasting only about 16 issues, along with an annual and a Futures End tie-in one-shot. But I don't know why- I liked it! (Okay- that reason alone is probably why JLU was canned.)

   The events of this volume take place after Forever Evil with the government sanction disbandment of the Justice League. Now I've read Forever Evil, but I don't remember the group splitting up. In fact, I thought the League carried on having Lex Luthor as a member! So, when and where this happens is something I've not come across. But that lack of knowledge didn't keep me from enjoying this book.

   The way these heroes come together is reminiscent of how the Justice League first came together way back in 1960. A would-be alien conqueror (Starro) sends forth creatures based on the elements to subjugate mankind. In the New 52! reboot, a rogue Thanagarian scientist is kidnapping humans in the Great White North in order to create a being that would be so undefeatable that whoever possessed it would literally being the ruler of the universe. His mission is carried out while under the protection of a heavy that can change from fire to stone, and then wood much like in the first appearance of the Justice League of America in Brave and the Bold #28

   Another twist is the role of Adam Strange and the love of his life Alanna. Here, Alanna is a human but due to a zeta beam malfunction, the two must switch places on earth and Rann or the two will die thanks to close proximity. This twist with Adam most often stuck on Rann gives Alanna a chance to be the hero for once.

   One more thing surprised me about Justice League United that I think was grossly underreported. This series introduces the new character of Equinox. Equinox is a female member of the Cree nation whose powers change with the seasons. Being how the media has gotten so excited over diversity in comics, such as a black Spider-Man, a female Thor, and a lesbian Batwoman, the addition of Equinox got swept under the rug. What, is it only news if an established character becomes more diverse? Hypocrisy, I cry!!!

    Justice League United was quite good. Writer Jeff Lemire paired up a great mix of wisdom (J'onn J'onnz), youth (Stargirl), muscle (Supergirl and Hawkman), and the much needed comic relief (with the roles of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold going to Animal Man and Green Arrow.) Mike Mckone has a deft touch with just about all of these characters as series artist though his Martian Manhunter seems to be artistically fluid as the alien team leader looks strikingly different in every issue. 

   I managed to snag volume 2 which I'll be tackling very soon. This issue made me excited for Justice League titles again and not since Giffen and DeMatteis were the League this much fun.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Adventure Comics 80-page Giant No.1

Some of the best and brightest stars of Adventure Comics return for this 1998 80-page special. Most of the tales are fabulous. 

For example, the Bizarro tale about the origin of the Bizarro Code, i which everything is opposite from the ways of earth (such as criminals are rewarded and law-abiding Bizarros are put in jail) was a laugh riot. 

Another awesome tale is the Green Arrow story in which Oliver Queen's son, Connor, tries to follow in his father’s bow training footsteps. I'm not very familiar with the character of Connor, but the writing was very good.

Unfortunately,  the Supergirl tale was a mess. I love Superman's blonde cousin and I’m used to the Kara Supergirl- not this Linda Danvers/ Matrix version. When Supergirl all of sudden sprouts fiery angel wings and it's revealed that her Danvers identity had a past history of sexual abuse, I was completely lost. (Thanks Wikipedia for filling in those gaps.)

Not a bad title. Like any anthology, you have to take the good with the bad. That goes for writing and art as well. Thankfully, I got this little gem in a dollar box. In fact, I may have paid less than that.

Worth Consuming.

 

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #9

Green Lantern agrees to a 24-hour truce. This provides Green Arrow the time needed to show that the Central Asian dictatorship Hal Jordan’s been backing is truly evil. The target is a peace emissary from the rural rebels. Should he broker a peace between the warring factions, the demigod leader of the established government is going to hurt badly- in his pocketbook!

This final chapter is a thriller. Lots of twists and turns with plenty of surprises abound in this issue. It was almost like Tom Clancy was writing it! The only thing missing was Jack Ryan!

This hasn’t been my favorite chapter but it did end with a bang! Excellent job though I still wish they’d gotten Neal Adams from the original Green Arrow/ Green Lantern run of the early 70s involved.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Legends of the DC Universe # 8

With Ollie captured by the rebels and Hal Jordan back in the states delivering more planes for the fictional dictatorship in Central Asia, the Emerald Warriors have yet to officially meet. That all ends now with Green Arrow learning that these godless savages aren’t really that evil and thus he takes up his bow and arrow for them when the villages who’ve nursed him back to health are massacred.

Meanwhile, the Green Lantern of sector 2814 is having a crisis of conscience and asks the Guardians to guide him. In typical fashion, they tell Jordan that whichever side he chooses to defend is okay with them, just as long as he does something to keep the peace. So, being ex-military and basically an intergalactic cop, Hal Jordan picks the side of the dictatorship!

Now when both sides meet its green versus green and the winner may just be decided by the slip of a hand. But will that hand be releasing a jade arrow or a forest green beam of energy?

I’m like this storyline pretty well. I think having Denny O’Neil pen the story was the right choice. I still wish Neal Adams had done the art. I can see how this conflict could’ve very well influenced Green Arrow to become a sort of vigilante social worker while Hal Jordan always played the heavy, poo-pooing radicalism and really being a sort of tool for the man.

What I do not like about this story is how this is all playing out in ‘Vietnam’, though it’s not really the name of the country in this book. See, Ollie’s storyline is playing out a little too much like Tony Stark’s and how he came to be Iron Man. The only difference is that Oliver Queen isn’t being held captive by the Communists and forced to make a suit of armor.

Sometimes when one tries to create an origin story, they end up copying another work and Queen’s journey from selfish playboy to man of the downtrodden is just too close to old Chrome Dome over at the House of Ideas.

Worth Consuming

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #7 (the 160-Character Review Challenge)

The first meeting of the Greens, written by legend Denny O’Neil. The only thing missing is art by Neal Adams! wc 8/10

DC Retroactive: Green Lantern - The '70s #1

 

   I rate this book as both OK and Worth Consuming at the same time. 

   First of all- the lost tale is lame. Green Lantern and Green Arrow do not team-up together and both of their adventures end very ambiguously and I HATE THAT! Plus, the art was all wrong. Why couldn’t DC Comics get Neal Adams to it? It would have been great having Denny O’Neil and Adams take another turn on the Green Guardians.

  What does makes this book worth consuming is the reprint tale. It’s GL/ GA #76, the classic story that gave birth to relevant comics. It’s a classic and thus anything that reprints that pivotal issue is a book worth a gander.

   Worth Consuming/ Not Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

GREEN ARROW/ BLACK CANARY WEDDING SPECIAL #1

Who invited Snapper Carr to the Wedding? That question is essentially what sparks off the ticking time bomb that is the wedding of Green Arrow and Black Canary. While the duo is having their bachelor/ette parties, evil is plotting to ruin the blessed event.

In true superhero fashion, the nuptials are ruined when a slew of DC’s baddest villains invade the Emerald Archer’s wedding ceremony.

Great art. Very funny at times. If it seems like a copy of Fantastic Four Annual #3 when Reed and Sue got married, that’s forgivable. What is not forgivable is the book’s ending.

In what is getting to be a huge pet peeve of mine, this book ends with a cliff-hanger that requires me to buy issue #1 of Green Arrow/ Black Canary. I hate being surprised like that. Normally, I do run out and get those cliffhanging issues, but this time, I wasn’t too invested and I sought out Wikipedia for answers.

For what I did read of this book, it was Worth Consuming.

Black Canary Wedding Planner #1

Having been and on-again/ off-again couple since the late 60s, Green Arrow and Black Canary are finally going to tie the knot. The time for the nuptials is quickly approaching. Only, the recent crime wave of the Countdown storyline is keeping Canary from getting anything done.

So, with help from Arrow, and her bridesmaids, Black Canary has developed a checklist, a Wedding Planner of sorts. This very funny issue explores her mishaps as she tries to do everything in order to make it a special day. The art is really good and the planner format of the 2nd act is very clever. However, I really think DC missed out selling an actual Black Canary wedding planner for the comic book lad and lady wanting to tie the not in sequential art fashion.

Worth Consuming

   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars