Black Adam (2022)

Black Adam is one of the 3 main arch enemies of the Billy Batson Captain Marvel, otherwise known as Shazam! So to have a Black Adam movie without the Big Red Cheese is a pretty odd move. 

2022's Black Adam is what many call Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's failed attempt to take control of the DC Cinematic Universe. After Scott Snyder's Justice League failed to garner the interest of a cohesive universe of life action films, many saw The Rock's picture as make or break for the Snyder-verse. 

Having a superstar like Johnson was a smart choice for Warner Bros. The former wrestler is charming. He's got a legit, strong fan base. He's proven that he can bring in the fans. And most of all, compared to Ezra Miller, Snyder usurper Joss Whedon, and Suicide Squad visionary James Gunn, Dwayne Johnson is clean-cut and family friendly. But to make your first entry into DC films a big budget potential blockbuster about a character that is the complete opposite of Johnson was just a mistake.

That's not to say that Black Adam didn't have its merits. The first act of the film was great. It told the origin story of the character. Having Djimon Hounsou return as the wizard Shazam was a smart choice that I appreciated. We learn of the rise of fictional Middle Eastern nation Kahndaq through the ages to becoming a land full of oppressed people ruled by that ruthless organized crime syndicate, Intergang. 

We then meet young Amon Tomaz and his family. Amon's mother Adrianna is a freedom fighter who longs for a day when Kahndaq is free. Her pursuit of the legend of the ancient champion of Kahndaq awakens Black Adam, who while disoriented by how modern everything has become, the legendary figure also hates to see his ancestors oppressed and begins to clear house of Intergang. 

Enter the Justice Society of America. Summoned by Amanda Waller, the team lead by Hawkman are to bring Black Adam down. When the JSA arrives to stop Adam's violence, Adrianna makes an interesting point. Why is it that America can have superheroes to save Americans but when another country does the same thing, the USA intervenes? 

The argument made sense to me. Sure, it brings up some problematic thoughts of colonialism, and American foreign diplomacy. But why is it in all the DC books when other countries get powers, the JLA, JSA or Suicide Squad have to put those countries in their place?

At this point, the movie got predictable. JSA fights Adam. Amon gets kidnapped. Black Adam feels bad for the kid's capture and surrenders to Hawkman. The surprise villain of the movie gets mega-evil powers. The JSA realizes that they need Black Adam to defeat this powerful new foe. Big battle. Victory. End of story. I've seen the 2nd and 3rd act a million times and I just got bored. And I really shouldn't have.

This movie gave viewers the first ever live appearances of 3 super heroes. Atom Smasher II, Cyclone, and Doctor Fate. Fate was one of my favorite figures in the Super Powers action figure line-up from the 80s and Pierce Brosnan was excellent as an aged, wise Kent Nelson. As for Hawkman, this was the 4th incarnation of the character on screen. But Aldis Hodge's Carter Hall was by far the best of the quartet. Having these guys should have really helped make this a great film. But in reality, they mostly all just brought the story down. 

Why couldn't we have gotten Zachary Levi as Shazam and Mark Strong returning as Sivana, playing angel and devil to try to convince Black Adam which path to choose? That would have been a much better movie. Though, you would have to keep Pierce Brosnan's character. His Doctor Fate did add that extra layer of cool.

The film made just under $400 million dollars globally. Some analysts say that Black Adam broke even. But it was far from a hit. I think the biggest problem was that Johnson and director Jaume Collet-Serra managed to piss off Warner Bros. and DC. During the big Black Adam/JSA battle, Adam and Hawkman wind up in Amon's bedroom which is decked out in Justice League stuff. Black Adam manages to punch holes through pictures of Aquaman, The Flash and a Superman S-Shield, symbolically telling viewers that Black Adam is the new main man of DC films. But when Black Adam knocks over a statue of Batman from a high display shelf and it crashes to the floor, I think execs cried foul. Because nobody can topple Batman as the biggest box office draw of them all!

Just before this film debuted, DC and Warner announced that James Gunn would be heading all future projects both live action and animated. I think producers and high ups saw that scene in post-production, told the director and star to remove it. They declined and as a result, the studio pulled their backing. 

Think about it. Where were the toys? The t-shirts? Happy Meal toys? There were literally zero tie-ins to this movie other than some variant comic covers and a Black Adam miniseries. I really think this film was intended to be a bold new direction for DC films after the debacle with Justice League and it slapped a lot of people right in the face. Instead of bringing DC movies ahead of Marvel, Black Adam managed to push all DC projects back at least 3-5 years. 

A film that had so much potential. But egos got in the way. Cliches seen in countless superhero films and TV shows just oozed throughout every scene. Plus, some great superheroes were misused or just ignored completely to prevent this from being a classic in the superhero movie genre.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

DC's Terrors Through Time #1

Finally, after several years of complaints, DC releases a holiday time special that contains relevant content but doesn't make the reader want to kill themselves because of being shamed about the sins of the world. 

For instance, in the prequel story starring the Gotham City Sirens, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and Catwoman face a Hawaiian earth spirit who is unhappy with how their pristine island has become tarnished by man. I did not realize how much damage cats have done to the island chains' ecosystem, including the surrounding oceans! But in this story, the Sirens 3 are given a chance to redeem the wrongs and there's a little bit of hope; something that has been lacking from DC Comics' for the past several years.

I think DC is starting to understand that the readers with money to spend want to be entertained, not preached at. If I want a sermon, I know where to go on a Sunday morning. There's nothing wrong with covering political or even social topics. Just don't be snarky with your comments and inside jokes. Not every white male in America supports Trump and his ideals...

There are 7 other stories in this book which looks at horror through the ages as opposed to time travel frights. Based on the cover with the Super Sons looking over blueprints for a time machine, that's what I thought this book was going to be about. Alas, I was wrong.

Instead, the opening story, starring the Phantom Stranger sets the tone for this 80-page giant. The Stranger's story reflects on his eternal mission to save humanity from the forces of darkness. This usually involves demons and monsters. But I would have expected a story that took place over eons would have The Stranger wearing different togs. Instead, he wears that 1960s mod turtle neck, fedora and cloak of his throughout all time. I didn't know his costume was so timeless.

The story starring The Demon, Etrigan, was perhaps one of the best stories ever published by DC. The ending was absolutely freakin' perfect! If they still do awards for story of the year in comics, this one gets my vote and full support!

Other stories of note was the Halloween set story of the Super Sons as they go to trick-or-treating to all the secret lairs of the Justice League's line-up. Then go 50 years into the future to see how Swamp Thing protects the Green after a nuclear catastrophe. 

There's also a really good Green Lantern Corps story set about 425 years in the future. I felt that it was a story that contained characters that DC isn't done with yet. If that's the case and a Green Lantern Corps series set in the 25th century is to be a thing? Well if so, expect me to be adding it to my subscription wish list at my local LCS. It's that good!

And let's not forget that I was a fan of the Gotham City Sirens tropical tale. 

The two stories I was not a big fan of involved the Justice Society of America and Deadman. The JSA story, set during WWII, involved stopping some Nazis from obtaining a magical museum piece that could turn the war in Hitler's favorite. Overall, the art was good and the plot was okay. I just felt like writer Charles Skaggs (Grayson) was trying to fit 25 gallons of pickles into a 5 gallon bucket. The pacing was just too fast and the one-liners fell flat.

As for the Deadman tale, I blame the artist, Kelley Jones (Batman & Dracula: Red Rain). I love Jones' work. But I hate how he draws Deadman. This team-up with Damian Wayne had promise. But writer Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash) ruins it with Deadman waxing philosophical at times and Batman, when he appears, just doesn't seem himself. I thought Batman liked and respected Boston Brand. But here, the Dark Knight seems to treat Deadman with the disdain you'd expect from Batman to have towards Plastic Man. 

A very good offering of stories from DC. Not very scary. And like I said, there wasn't any time travel. But this also book contained what I think is the best story of the whole year of 2022! And this was probably the best holiday giant from the House The Superman Built in the last 5 years. I'm feeling a lot of hope for the December offering thanks to this issue.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Showcase Presents: Justice League of America, Volume 5

The black and white reprinted early exploits of the Justice League of America continue with a pair of team-ups with the Justice Society of Earth-2. 

The first involves an alien child and his pet who become separated from each other. There's a symbiotic bond between the two and their absences are causing the pair to become gigantic and destructive. The second adventure has the two teams asking the question 'Whatever happened to the Seven Soldiers of Victory?'

Both crossovers were extremely good. Other great stories involved The Shaggy Man infiltrating the Justice League's satellite base, three complete strangers saving the world unawares when the League cannot, and a Halloween yarn involving Len Wein, his wife Glynis and the despicable Felix Faust.

There was a fair share of stinkers in this book as well such the several episodes that hinted at a love affair between Batman and Black Canary. Also, there was one story that was just rotten. 

The cover of it (issue #89) promised that you, the reader, got to be a part of the story. I thought this was going to be like a Choose Your Own Adventure type affair. Instead, writer Michael Friedrich gets all metaphysical and philosophical ending the story personally explaining how when he writes a story he becomes the characters of the story. He makes allusions to someone named H.E., so I am wondering if he wrote this as some sort of personal challenge to writer (and eternal pain in the ass) Harlan Ellison. A lot of writers did that because Ellison liked to be a pompous jerk to everyone and anyone who thought they could write science fiction. 

The artwork is fairly decent. Lots of great covers by Neal Adams. Dick Dillin, Nick Cardy, and Mike Sekowsky do fair work that ranges from awesome to not quite dreadful. 

I love the Justice League of America and despite the flaws in this book, they are a delight to read and a fond throwback to my childhood.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Adventure Comics #465

Not all comics are created with the same love and attention that it deserves. This 1979 Adventure Comic is a gigantic flop! Yes, I have said how 80 and 100-page giants were like finding gold. But sometimes, you end up with pyrite.

In this issue we get 4-stories. There’s a Deadman story about racial violence in an big city neighborhood. That’s a great story. Deadman is a favorite of mine and the tale was d
one to perfection. So far, so good.

Then Aquaman fends off  a Neo-Nazi plot when he discovers a secret base in North Pole. Aquaman acts like he’s on these fascists’ side but really he’s bidding his time until he can uncover their sinister plot. Again, a very good story starring a childhood favorite of mine.

Then we have the Flash who after he prevents a super-sonic jet from destroying Central City, finds that he’s become attuned to the thoughts of an invading race of something. The mystery is who or what is behind this invasion. I thought the answer was clever. However, the science behind how the Flash creates a wall of sound to keep the jet from crashing into downtown is ludicrous. Yes, you can create a wall of sound but it wouldn’t act like a rubber ball and bounce the plane harmlessly back into the air. It would rattle the ship apart and cause mass causalities!

Then for our final tale, the classic Justice Society of America team-up to stop a rare poison stored in a capsule that’s about to dissolve, from  destroying all of mankind. Okay- with Ebola and nerve gases and stuff, yes I can believe that a toxic of some sort could cause lots and lots of death. However, is there a hospital in not just America but the entire world that would store such a dangerous poison in a) a capsule that would melt after too much exposure to the elements and b) locked in the filing cabinet of the hospital’s records department?!

If this was Mythbusters, a giant BUSTED sign would pop up right now as there is no way in the world this could happen! OY! The whole scenario reminds me of a riddle in which a doctor holding a jar announced he had in his hands an acid that could melt any material and his wife called ‘Bulls-it’ because if that was true, the vessel would be dissolving as he spoke.

They say don’t judge a book by its cover. Yet, with this awesome cover filled with dozens of awesome DC Superheroes, the adage doesn’t ring true. This issue is mostly filler and not very well plotted.

Not Worth Consuming!

Rating: 4 out of 10 stars.

Justice Society, Volume 1

After several decades, the Justice Society were rewarded with their own title in 1976-78. The numbering continued from where DC left off in the 1940s but this Justice Society isn’t what is once was. It’s been 30 years and the JSA has gotten a little wiser and a lot older. Most of their teammates have gone on to bigger and better things. Black Canary, for instance, decided to live on Earth Prime after a cross-dimensional episode with the Justice League of America.

The Society gets back together after encountering a trio of up-and-coming super heroes struggling to battle a global crisis. Seeing a chance to get back in the game, the JSA decides to mentor these new heroes, which include a grown up Robin, the out-of-his-own-time Star Spangled Kid, and Power  Girl- Earth 2’s version of Supergirl, only older and much more buxom.

The premise as a training ground for heroes is training is brilliant and DC will continue the formula for decades with more Justice Society titles published after the Crisis on Infinite Earths from 1985. My biggest problem isn’t with the comics themselves- it’s the reprint’s cover! The cover touts Robin as being a major player in this series, as well as Superman. Yet, with the exception of about 8 panels in the next to last issue collected here, the Man Wonder only appears in the first 2-part story. As for Superman, he doesn’t pop up until the last third of the volume. I understand the editors at DC had their reasons for using these characters sparsely. Just don’t hype me on their paltry contributors as main reasons to buy this book.

As for the quality of the comics- it’s about par for the course. The art is typical 1970s DC Comics second-tier stuff. This isn’t Dick Giordano or Neal Adams. But it’s not bad either. The stories are very good and the plots are well thought out. The biggest problem is the dialogue. The generation gap between the old Justice Society members and the Young All-Stars is directly proportional to the gap both DC and Marvel have had to overcome as generations of readers got older and a new wave of readers came on scene. But I like to think that some of the corny “granddad” speak was intentional as two generations of super heroes worked together as one.

There’s a second volume and I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on it. I inherited this book from my late friend Todd. He loved the Justice Society and I enjoyed pouring over the same pages he did. However, volume 2 isn’t a priority at this time. It’s a good read but it’s hasn’t lit a fire under me to finish the series anytime soon.

Worth Consuming.

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

DC Retroactive Justice League America The 70s: #1

    In the lost tale, Adam Strange is accidently zeta-beamed to Earth Prime, where there are no superheroes, except the one’s published by DC Comics. Thankfully, a little-known editor named Julie Schwartz is there to help save the day.

   Then in the reprint, writer Cary Bates is teleported to Earth-2, where his writing skills have turned him into the Justice Society’s worst nightmare. But don't expect to know how this story finishes as you'll need the following issue to read what happens next as this tale ends on a cliffhanger.

   Both tales are great and they reflect DC’s tradition of tying the real and fake worlds together. The lost tale was so good, it should have been used in the Schwartz JLA tribute instead of Harlan Ellison’s awful tale. Still, why would you include a two-part story in a one-shot when you only include part I? 

   Great stuff- Worth Consuming. But, I am a little steamed on the editors for leaving us with a cliffhanger and no affordable options for resolution. 

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.