Legends of the DC Universe 3-D Gallery

 Man, was this book a disappointment. It's been the final book on my Legends of the DC Universe wish list forever. Last week, I finally found a copy, at a price just outside of my comfort range. After a busy week of work I was counting down the days until I had a chance to sit back and read it. And wouldn't you know- it's a freaking gallery book!

With exception of the illustration credits inside the front and back cover, there was nothing to read. Yes, there were some lovely illustrations. But when you expect to get to sit down and read a comic, you expect there to actually be words to read.

If you’ve been a long-time reader of my blog, then you will know that this is a huge pet peeve of mine. To buy a comic book and it basically be a portfolio feels like a waste. Oddly, enough, these gallery books are amongst some of the most sought out. They’re pretty expensive too. I think the reason this book was much more pricey than the others in the Legends series is because the book is in 3-D.

The comic (if you can call it that) comes with 2 pairs of 3-D glasses. Thus, in order to view the pictures, you have to tear the glasses out of the book. As I expect most copies of this book don’t come with them, it has made this book much more rarer.

I decided not to destroy my copy. I would rather hold on to this book as Near Mint than to enjoy it. Yes, that’s very rare for me. Maybe a collector is looking for this book and I can pass it along to them- for a price. I’m hoping I can get my hands on a pair of 3-D glasses elsewhere.Then I might enjoy the book as it was meant to with hurting the value.

Really folks, if I knew that this was just a book of artwork, it wouldn’t have been on my wishlist for so long. I didn’t have the word ‘gallery’ on my list, thus the oversight. Plus, I was so overjoyed when I found this at the comic book store, I overlooked that word. I know, it is my own damn fault for not paying attention. Maybe you are like me and extremely frugal when it comes to your purchases. If so, hopefully, you will appreciate my efforts to enlighten you on what this book really is all out.

Featuring art by masters such as Gene Ha, Dave Johnson, and others. The pictures are great. But this Madman needs words in his comics!

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #41

   The final issue of Legends of the DC Universe threatens to tear apart the very fabric of the DCU. With only the most annoying character in the history of DC Comics to aid him, Snapper Carr, the Atom must literally race against time! His mission is to prevent the workings of Chronos from stopping time itself after the villain set up a battery to drain a time machine called the Time Pool of temporal energy. Left running, the battery is causing velociraptors, knights, tanks, and sink holes from all of history to converge on the Atom's home of Ivy Town.   

   Will the tiny hero be able to save the day before time runs out? 

   The final issue of this dynamic series ended with lots of time-bending action. I enjoyed seeing tanks and dinosaurs destroying a small town, but I would've liked to have seen more of it. More variety too. I kinda wanted to see some of the old Justice Society heroes or even villains from that era, but then I remembered that at this point in DC history, they would've been on Earth-2. So, I guess they couldn't have made an appearance after all. 

   I also found myself doing something I didn't expect- liking Snapper Carr. When he was first introduced in the pages of Justice League of America, he was nothing more than a glorified sidekick with the job of either writing down the latest adventures of some of the heroes or get himself into trouble. He was clearly around to appeal to the younger generation in hopes that those young readers might relate to the character. But why they didn't use Robin or Jimmy Olsen for that role is beyond me. Still, writer Rich Faber did a really excellent job in making this Snapper a more of a  down-to-earth character who lacks confidence and doesn't over congratulate himself with those annoying snaps of his. 

   Legends of the DC Universe was a fun series and I'm a little sad to see it go. The New 52 tried to revive this idea slightly with its 'DC Universe Presents' series, but it just wasn't the same. On the bright side, there's still an 80-page Giant that I've yet to find and add to my collection so I got that to look forward to. But with DC being on a kick to bring back some old favorites as a result of its Convergence storyline, I don't see why the publisher couldn't revamp this dynamic anthology series once again.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #40

  

   The final storyline of this epic series is a 'Time Pool Saga.' For those of you unfamiliar with this term, it was a continuing storyline in the 1960s starring the Atom as he'd travel through time in a device known as the Time Pool, created by a physics professor at Ivy College. Often, the diminutive hero would battle his arch-enemy Chronos, the Master of Time through the annals of history in an attempt to prevent the criminal from making off with priceless works of art. 

    Ironically, these treks through the ages were for naught as at least during the Golden and Silver Age of DC Comics (the latter period which this story is set) it was established that no matter what you'd do it the past, you couldn't change past time. (See any of the numerous times Superman and his friends would travel to the past.) Thus even if you were to steal the Mona Lisa when you got back to the present, the item would disappear back into the past. That would render any venture  moot. But, still DC devoted dozens upon dozens of stories to time travel that really didn't change history- but we the reader didn't seem to care. (Since the future was unwritten, future time and the present could be changed. See: Professor Zoom, the Reverse Flash of the 30th century.) 

   It should be noted that DC would later establish the certain points in time could be altered, as when the Anti-Monitor seeks to prevent the creation of the DCU. Thus by 1986, history could be rewritten and some couldn't depending on if a writer had an inkling to reboot a particular character or event in the post-Crisis universe.

    Anyway, back to this story. Here, Chronos is aided by a mysterious benefactor in setting up some equipment that will syphon off temporal energy from the time pool, thus making it possible for the time thief to actually steal priceless works from history without them disappearing back into the past. Before the villain can fully power himself up, the Atom arrives to apprehend him. But with Chronos now in police custody, there isn't a catalyst to drain the villain's time battery and all of history looks to fold in on itself.

    A pretty good opening chapter. I've never really been a fan of the Atom, but I find the Time Pool stories to be quite entertaining. Also, I like the character of Chronos a lot and see him as one of the less buffoonish villains of DC's Silver Age. Time travel is one of my favorite types of sci-fi stories (I named my blog after the Doctor for goodness sakes) and though I know that many time-altering episodes set during this period of DC Comics were fraught with anachronisms, paradoxes, and the occasional cop-out, I love reading these stories anyway.

   I wasn't very much a fan of the art though. Drawn by Drew Johnson, I felt it looked too much like a 90s Flash issue instead of a 1960s romp through time as this issue is supposed to be set. I would've like to have seen an artist like Gil Kane (who co-created the Atom) or Neal Adams give this story their timeless touch to this story.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #39

   A scientist discovers that his home planet is doomed to explode and launches his child into space to escape the coming holocaust. Sounds familiar? Well, what if I told you that the doomed planet was earth?

   Is this Superman tale an Elseworlds story? Is it canon? I don't want to spoil this tale. It's that good.

   A perfect example of what Legends of the DC Universe was supposed to be- a venue to pit great writers and artists while crafting tales that don't quite fit in any of DC's titles but still should be told.

   Awesome Stuff

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars

Legends of the DC Universe #38

  The Traitor Trilogy ends with what might not have been the most well written or most well-drawn issue- but it sure was one of the most action packed issues ever! The Traitor is looking for revenge at the hands of the Green Lanterns of the past who have bested him over the past 150 years. Happy to oblige, Kyle Raynor, freed from exile on a barren asteroid, uses his power ring to resurrect Hal Jordan, Abin Sur, and Sur's predecessor in titanic fashion.

    The ending was both shocking and awesome. It ends the story on a high note all while paying tribute to previous chapters of this trilogy. But hopefully, this really is the end of the traitor because I think he was at his pinnacle in terms of obsession, powers, and brute strength. To continue on would start to make his appearances in Legends of the DC Universe a little tedious and then he'd start to wear out his welcome. Though I wouldn't mind seeing more of the Kyle Raynor GL in not only this book but his own title as well.

   Am I starting to become interested in reading and/ or collecting the books that chronicle his run as the Lantern? Only time will tell, but if this review was a magic 8-ball, it would have to say "outlook good."

   Worth Consuming

    Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #37

   In this trilogy friendly world, I should have seen this coming. The Traitor returns! After being soundly defeated by Abin Sur in the Old West and then by Hal Jordan during the Silver Age, the Traitor is freed from his solar prison and has his sights on revenge.

   As we already established in the previous 4 issues of this series, Hal Jordan is dead. His replacement is Kyle Rayner, who at this point in time is the only Green Lantern in the entire universe, thanks to Jordan's actions as Parallax. For Kyle, the Traitor isn't a legacy he was prepared for and when the villain destroys the only Lantern ring left in existence, the last Green Lantern is left to die on a barren planetoid.

   This issue was a very good opening chapter into the final phase of the Traitor Trilogy. The art was very good and the story itself was excellent. I only hope that the second act is just as good- if not better than this one.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #36

  The 'Destroyer of Worlds' storyline finally comes to an end with Hal reconciling with the Spectre entity and pulling a time-travelling trick that obviously was stolen from the Superman: The Motion Picture playbook. Also, what Hal does is kinda what got him in trouble as Parallax and was what resulted in his need to become the Spectre and find redemption in the first place. Talk about ironic switcharoos.

   This issue did help to clarify why it took so long to make Caul into a full-on bad guy. As I mentioned earlier, his reasons for taking down the Spectre was due to his inherent nature for self-preservation. This made him sympathetic. That was until he also destroyed all of creation after temporarily offing Hal Jordan. 

   In this issue, we learn that being a powerful psychic isn't all it's cracked up to be as hearing everyone's inner most thoughts is enough to drive anyone mad. So, in order to find peace without dying, Caul sought to quiet the voices instead and decimate all humanity.

    This was an exceptional ending to an otherwise hoo-hum story. There's a couple of great cameos and having some of Hal's family members finally realize it had been him trying to make contact with them through the other side was very touching.

   This story ends with a blurb that continues this story in the pages of Spectre #1. Normally, this would tick me off but the ending of the story didn't end on a cliffhanger. Had I have to grab that issue to discover if Hal lived or died from a burning building or something, that would be another story. But this tale was a teaser for the new series much like the old Showcase Presents: created to garner interest without tricking the reader into having to buy another series they otherwise might not have any interest to buy. Man, I miss the old days.

   If this overall story was any indication of the quality of the Hal Jordan Spectre series then I have no interest in collecting it. But if I was to find issue #1 in a dollar bin or grab bag, I would give that series a chance. But it's not something that I will be actively seeking to make a part of my collection at this time.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #35

   Finally, we're getting somewhere. 

   The power psychic Caul decides to put on some clothes and invites some of his former fortune-telling cronies from his CIA days to a seance. There he takes advantage of their unassuming nature and he destroys them. Now Caul is a super-charged battery of metaphysical energy and he's ready to take on the Spectre. 

    On the side of good, thanks to the spiritual guidance of Abin Sur, Hal Jordan's has finally been preparing for this battle as well. But when he renounces the power of the Spectre, he finds that he must battle Caul alone. Once free from the villain's snare, Jordan will discover that he's lost more than just his only chance for redemption.

   The action and adventure were better in this issue, mostly because there finally was some to enjoy. But the dialogue was lame and the art was even lamer. Though, I really like these painted covers. This one looks like it was painted by Dave (Sandman) McKean, but it's not. But I liked it anyway.

   Thankfully, there is only one more issue left. I don't think I can take much more of this storyline. It's not been one of my favorites in an otherwise superior anthology series.

   Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #34

Great cover- cruddy issue.

As Hal Jordan continues to find his purpose as the new Spectre, the psychic Caul continues to grow stronger. It's all leading up to a final conflict between the two powerful entities. But before this happens, Hal makes a few visits to old friends and family on earth. However, because of his spiritual status, nobody can recognize him and after they part, they soon forget ever meeting with him. 

   These not so great reunions only make Jordan feel more obsolete. While it makes for an interesting story thread, it doesn't do much to save this issue from being an utter bore. Plus, in order to boost Hal's confidence, he's now been paired with the spirit of Abin Sur. But just who is behind this supernatural pairing of Pinocchio Hal with Jiminy Cricket Abin isn't clear. Is it God? Fate? Hal's Imagination? It's not revealed. 

   What is revealed is that its Abin Sur whose been the narrator of this story all along. You think it's Hal but with the introduction of Hal's precursor, it's now clear that this tale is being recalled through the alien's perspective. But again, I'm not really sure what his role is other than being some sort of conscious guiding force to a weary Hal Jordan.

   As for as our mystery villain Caul, not very much is revealed about him either nor does he really do anything to progressive this story along.  We do learn that Caul was working for the CIA, but they let him go for being too powerful. Now, I'd think that the intelligence community would want to keep their heavy hitters around so I'm thinking he's also a bit of a loose cannon. As for his lack of contribution to the story's plot. He spends the first 4 pages doing naked yoga. Sure, it's a way to help him build up his macabre powers but it's about as unneeded a nude scene as there will ever be one in the history of comics. 

    This issue just wasn't my cup of tea. The art was fair. The coloring was bland. As for the story itself, it seemed stuck in neutral. Why this story needed to be a 4-parter is beyond me.

    Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #33

   This story takes place just after Hal Jordan became the Spectre. Riddled with guilt over the actions he committed as Parallax, Jordan seeks to redeem himself. Now as God's personal vessel of wrath, the former hero gets that chance. However, Jordan's piled up even more grief as he heaps vengeance over a myriad of souls. To Jordan, it's okay to reap justice over evil doers but since the Spectre-side of him has a bit of a mean streak in him, some of the methods employed are a bit too violent. This puts Hal at unease and he feels like his own humanity may be slipping away with each punishment.

    Thus, Jordan seeks out advice from God in the realm of Heaven. But he ends up meeting people from his past who have also transversed to the great beyond. Their words of wisdom seem to do little to ease Jordan's conscious and that's a very bad thing as a powerful psychic on earth named Caul has had a vision that he's not fond of. Thus, Caul is planning on destroying the Spectre before the spirit of God's vengeance gets to him first.

    I remember seeing this issue in stores when it first hit shelves and thinking 'So Jordan's the Spectre now..." I was glad that DC hadn't given up on the former Green Lantern. But I didn't buy this issue and so I haven't been very familiar with Hal's time as the Spectre. Finally owning and reading it, this opening chapter helped to fill in some of those gaps and it was great seeing some long past heroes from DC's Silver Age.

    But there's very little action in this issue and it moves at a snail's pace. Also, with the new character of Caul added to the mix, Jordan's trip down memory lane takes away from establishing the villain as anything more than a psychic seeking to prevent his own demise. Thus, Caul is a more sympathetic character as who can't relate to self-preservation? Maybe the next issue will give this mystery man a little more meat to make him more interesting and more villainous.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Scenes from the Raleigh Comics Show.

After having a broken foot and nursed my wife back to health with two knee surgeries, I had a much needed day to myself in my element. I went to the Raleigh Comic Book Show at the Crabtree Mariott in Raleigh, NC today. It's the first show/ con I've been to almost a year. I got to see some good friends, have some laughs, and, of course, get some good deals on comics. I also meet artist Richard Case and got my 3-issues Flash run of Legends of the DC Universe signed today! He was a really nice guy.  Below is a few pics from the show today. I'll be back tomorrow with a new review.

By the way: and would like to attend the next show, here's a link to their Facebook page.

If you live in the Raleigh, NC area,

Legends of the DC Universe #32

The final chapter of this current Legends storyline has Wonder Woman and World War II anti-hero Fury battling it out over a false sense of entitlement. See, Fury bonded with Wonder Woman's mother during her time-travelling antics during the second world war. Fury took it to mean Hippolyta was in reality her mother. It was in reality nothing more than a kind hearted woman taking an orphan child under her wing during the horrors of war.

    The biggest conflict is between Wonder Woman and Superman. For this entire storyline, Wonder Woman has been juggling with her heart over whether of not to accept a date with a despot to end a bloody civil war. Superman has been taking the whole thing on the chin, agonizing over whether of not Diana will go so far as to sleep with this rebel leader. It's very 8th-grade romance if you ask me.

    Honestly, with a story like this, it surprises me when people get all bent out of shape that Wonder Woman and the Man of Steel are currently an item in the New 52. Hint of a romance between these two characters has been hinted at since the early 70s and the love affair went so far that in days of John Bryne's post-Crisis Superman run in the 80s,  the two went on a date in Action Comics #600.  That attraction fizzled after only one outing and a kiss that grossed Wonder Woman out (I.E. like when Lorraine kisses Marty in Back to the Future and says "it's like kissing my brother.)
 
 The romance has turned into so much more over the course of the past 25 years with Elseworlds stories such as 'Red Son,' 'Whom Gods Destroy,' and 'Kingdom Come' and it's sequel 'The Kingdom' having a now widowed Superman marry Wonder Woman and have a child. (Technically Kingdom Comic isn't an Elseworlds title as much as an alternate timeline story, as that series does not carry the Elseworlds Compass logo. Yet The Kingdom does carry the Elseworlds imprint.)
   
    A very satisfying ending to a very good Wonder Woman story. It featuring some great art, sexy covers, and some great plot twists and surprises.

   Worth Consuming

    Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #31

   After soul searching with friends, family, and fellow members of the JLA, Wonder Woman decides to go on her date with the rebel leader/ reincarnated Greek legend. She promises him one evening but the rogue cheats and keeps heading west, prolonging the courtship with the quickly setting sun. After nearly 24-hours together the question is whose getting under whose skin more? Meanwhile, Fury schemes to undermine everything, blaming Wonder Woman from stealing her mother from her. It's a deadly delusion that will come to a head in the third and final chapter next issue.

    Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #30

   The last Wonder Woman story in this anthology series was awful. So when I saw that another Wonder Woman tale pop up, I had some apprehension. Wonder Woman is a great character. I enjoy reading stories involving her. But that story from issues 4-5 sucked rocks. There was plot holes, the art was rough, and the dialogue was melodramatic at best.

    But this story by Christopher Priest and Karl Waller was actually very well written, entertaining, and excellently plotted.

   In this opening chapter, a despotic European rebel leader has his eye set on Wonder Woman. But he's willing to give up his civil war for one night with the Amazonian princess. Talk about your indecent proposals! But it appears that this is his nature as the warlord is in reality one of the Titans or some other important legend of Greek myth. (I've never heard of the myth he's based on, so I don't blame the writer for my being unable to recall the characters name without the book in front of me.) But from what I do remember, he's not Hercules despite being a massive horn dog.

    I really enjoyed this issue and I liked how it's tying in Hippolyta's time as Wonder Woman during World War II. It made for a compelling read that helped cement this story into the post-Crisis canon. It also has me ready and eager for chapter two- something I was not looking forward to after reading issue #4.

   Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.







 

Legends of the DC Universe #29

  The conclusion to the Traitor follow-up story sees the Atom as the World's Tallest Superhero and Green Lantern being shrunk to only six-inches tall, along with the rest of the world. In order to make the earth's proportions right again, the Ray will have to muster all of his will power in order to wield Green Lantern's ring while Hal Jordan must take his biggest leap of faith yet cleaning up Abin Sur's mess by trusting another with his mighty power ring.

   This was an exciting pairing that answered a lot of questions about the first appearance of the Traitor. It's not the classic team-up I was expecting, mostly because the Atom is known to partner with Hawkman frequently and Green Lantern often paired with the Flash or Green Arrow. If ever the two would teamed together, it was a part of a Justice League meeting or with one of the aforementioned heroes tagging along as a third wheel.  Plus, this story takes place early in both heroes careers and it's unsettling having these two established friends not know each other for once. So, in a way, this is the origin of the friendship and later partnership of the two once they join the JLA.

    The art was drawn in a classic 1960s style by the great Gil Kane who penciled many of these two superheroes earliest stories. I wish they'd use Kane more for this series. It's quite the breath of fresh air to have his timeless take on the DC Universe of the 2000s.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #28

  In issues 20-21, Abin Sur followed an intergalactic killer to the Midwest of Earth during the 1880s. Sur teamed with an ancestor of Hal Jordan's and was able to capture the so-called Traitor within his power ring. In this issue, we jump to the Silver Age, we a newly deputized Hal Jordan is learning what it means to be a Lantern. Hal is also unaware that his new bling is a prison housing one of the most deadly murderers in history.

    During the time from Sur imprisoning him inside the ring from the time Jordan becomes the new Green Lantern, the Traitor has developed to way to escape. But in order to do it, he must use an outside source powered by a black dwarf star: The Atom. Normally the Atom shrinks to six inches high but when he visits Green Lantern to a charity function at sixty feet tall, it's clear that the Traitor's plan has begun.

   However, it will be the next issue until the readers learn just what that elaborate ruse really is.

    When I finished the first story, I didn't know what the Traitor's race what. He looks Czarian like Lobo and he's just as bada$$ as him. However, his origin wasn't revealed in that storyline. Well, that oversight is corrected here as it's revealed that the Traitor was genetically altered by his race to become a one-man killing machine. The traitor before his transformation looks like a giant smurf, which is not what Lobo looks like. DC still doesn't declare what the Traitor is. He could be a Kree for all I know.
So question answered, sorta.

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #27

   

The Joker's managed to oust Aquaman as the ruler of Atlantis,  thanks to that honey laced tongue of his. Now an outcast from Atlantis, Arthur heads to dry land and Gotham City. But, the former monarch isn't looking for the Batman to take on the Clown Prince of Crime. No, revenge is Aquaman's but he's not opposed to a little training in how to defeat the Joker and reclaim the throne.

   This conclusion to the sequel of 'The Laughing Fish' was fantastic. The story was masterfully written by Steve Englehart, the genius behind the original Batman tale. The art was very good. It includes a scene that I both loved and hated simultaneously. It's a 4-page spread between Aquaman and the Dark Knight. There are no words involved, not even sound effects. But, it's also a fight first, ask questions later premise that Marvel Comics known for overusing quite often when super-heroes first meet prior to teaming up together.

    The martial arts was awesome, I just hated the cliched plot device. It just makes me wonder if Englehart's script was short 4 pages, so the editors decided "Hey, let's just fill it in with Aquaman and Batman beating the hell outta each other."

      The ending was also telegraphed, but I felt that it was handled a little more tactfully with just the right touch of irony. So I excuse it. Its worth checking out as is this 2-part story as a whole.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #26

        

   There are many things going for this opening chapter if you dig under the surface. For one thing, when"The Laughing Fish" was first published, Aquaman had long been an established member of the Justice League and the DC Universe. That's been tweaked a little in this post-Crisis world as Aquaman's literally a fish out of water, unfamiliar with the Joker's reputation. A pre-Crisis Aquaman wouldn't trust the Joker any further that he could smell him. ( I know that's not the term but Aquaman has super strength and can throw pretty far.) Plus, there's an Atlantean girl, with Raven hair and a penchant for red that's a perfect substitute for Harley Quinn,

 The Detective Comics story "The Laughing Fish," it which the Joker has developed a race of fish that has the Joker's face on them is a classic. If the Joker is unable to get his copyright on these aquatic life forms, he's going to start killing government officials. That tale was written by Steve Englehart, with Marshall Rogers and Terry Austin providing pencils and ink. (issue #475)
 
So, when Legends decided to craft a sequel to "The Laughing Fish," it's only natural that they recruited Englehart to craft it.
   
 In this long-awaited sequel, the Joker has just escaped the Dark Knight by means of some sort of sewer system.  But the Clown Prince of Crime isn't in the clear just yet as he's met by an Atlantean strike force posed in Gotham Harbor to undercover the source of the fish mutations. How fortuitous for King Arthur (Aquaman) that he's captured the Joker.
 
   But the jokes on Aquaman, when he's duped into believing that the Joker is the King of Dry Land and that he earnestly wants to fix this mutation problem. Thus, the Atlantean's eagerly provide the Joker with the underwater civilization's resources, including its labs. But there's one thing you never offer the smiling villain and that's a chemistry set.
   
   Make that two things because the Joker is using his new-found trust to slowly turn the tide of loyalty from Arthur away from the hearts of his subjects. If the Joker can become the advisor to a new leader of Atlantis, that will technically make the Joker the de facto ruler of 3/4's of the world!
 
     Oddly, for a Joker story there's one notable omission. He's dark and brooding and has a thing for flying mammals. But don't worry- he's coming! He's coming!
   
    Worth Consuming

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #25

   

  Part two of the Darkseid story concludes with the ruler of Apokolips slowly going insane as his neural link to the zombified dog soldier is making him sympathetic to the rebellion's cause. But the demigod must continue if he is to get to the bottom of the cause of this insurrection and to learn the ultimate fate of D-VO, the tagger whose the source behind this plague of hope.

    The conclusion was much better than the first chapter. Mostly, because it fits better with the Kirby formula behind the Fourth World saga. Also, this part delves more into the infantryman's origin and his time in Granny Goodness'es Orphanages. That part of Apokolips has always fascinated me as it plays a major role in the origin story of Mister Miracle. The place is designed to break a child in order for it to be built up in the image (and service) of Darkseid. Yet, the abandoned son of New Genesis found the courage and resolve to fight this brainwashing and went on to become a crime-fighting escape artist and valued member of the Justice League.
 
    This story went on to prove that he wasn't alone.
 
    I've not mentioned much about the art. Pencilled by Steve Pugh, this is another artist that I am not very familiar with. But his style is very similar to that of Paul Pope (Batman: 100.) There' a German Impressionist quality to it what with his character's swooping eyebrows and embellished walls and crooked staircases. This is very much the leftover sets from the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Not the most structurally sound architecture, but for a world as twisted as Apokolips, it works.

   Worth Consuming.
   
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #24

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret- when I was younger and I'd buy a comic book grab bag, I would often get back issues of Kirby's Fourth World series. New Gods, Mister Miracle, The Forever People as well as Kamandi and the Demon. I didn't know what it was and I thought they were like baseball cards; you know commons. Man was I wrong. I would often give or throw them away.

 Now in my late 30s, I've grown to realize my mistake and to value their historical and culture significance. Also, I've been actively trying to recreate my creation through trades and back issue bonanzas I've even been enjoying some of the newer stuff like John Byrne's run in the mid-90s. So, when a Darkseid two-parter popped up in my rotation to read in Legends, I was excited to revisit that oft-overlooked realm of the DC Universe.

  In this issue, a member of Darkseid's 'Dog' army is dispatched to take out a tagger whose actions are causing dissention amongst the populace of Apokolips. When the battle moves to a temple devoted to Darkseid, an explosion occurs. The trooper is listed as a casualty and the rebel is thought dead as well.

  In order to get to the bottom of this rebellion the despot of Apokolips with the assistance of his minion Desaad has reanimated the soldier. Using the 'zombie's' testimony, Darkseid hopes to be able to quash the revolution because his previous method of mass disintegration of the surrounding populace has surprisingly not been working. Imagine that!
 
   When I first read this, I wasn't completely sold on it. But as I'm reviewing this issue, it's actually gaining more of my favor. It's still not the best Fourth World tale I've ever read, but it cliffhangs to a degree that I feel positive of it's potential.

    Worth Consuming.

    Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.