Nightwing

 Nightwing 78-79

I haven't read Nightwing since just before he was shot in the head. I'd read, and enjoyed Grayson, but reading about the upcoming storyline that once more would morph Dick Grayson into something other than Nightwing did not interest me. I read so few DC books these days, with Image and some Marvel titles occupying my comics reading time, that I had to think hard about starting back up with Nightwing. A once-page preview of issue 78 made up my mind. I would give the title a chance again. I am so glad I did.

Writer Tom Taylor gets Dick Grayson, and artist Bruno Redondo has a crisp style somewhere between realism and cartoon that is very pleasing to the eye. He needs to work more on his pizza crust lines, though.

As for the story, Dick learns he inherited a fortune from Alfred and is looking for a way to make a real difference in Bludhaven. And Bludhaven needs a lot of help, being under Blockbuster's huge thumb. This is a reset, feeling a bit like Dick's earlier adventures in Bludhaven, yet also feeling like its own thing. The pages catching up Dick's history are elegantly rendered both in text and art.

There's a lot of potential here and I'm happy to have Nightwing back in my life. Now if only someone as good could bring back Roy Harper.

Weekly Reviews First Batch

Another big week for comics. I might soon have to drop the iffy titles -- I'm looking at you, Blue Beetle! -- so I can better keep up. Especially, since I keep adding titles.

Champions 2
The newly formed team goes camping so they can bond. It's as cute and precious as you'd think.

Superman 10
Jon Kent/Superboy meets Damian Wayne/Robin and it's as explosive as you'd think, especially when their dads get involved. Damian thinks he needs to keep an eye on the super amateur, especially given that Jon is still in the process of discovering his powers. This storyline is intended to lead into the upcoming Super Sons book, another title I plan to add to my reading list.

Action 966
I'm not reading Action. Really. I just bought this and the previous issue for the Lois-centric story. This is the concluding chapter and it's pretty emotional, with Lana telling the other Lois what happened to her Lois, and the other Lois uses the password Lana's Lois had sent her to access a file on that Lois' computer. (Confused yet?) The file is a doozy, with that Lois saying she's probably gone if Lois is watching the video and asking her to continue her work. Which Lois decides to do, taking the deceased Lois' place at the Daily Planet. A nice interlude in the midst of whatever else is going on in this book.

Green Arrow 10
Nothing beats an assassins-on-a-speeding-train story. Things get complicated quickly. I love this book.

Frostbite 2
Our wanted trio gather supplies and a vehicle for their trip north in this new ice age story. I'm still not sure about this, but the art is really nice and I feel cold just looking at it.

Nightwing 8
Wow. I can't say enough good things about this. So many writers have tried to fill in or alter character backgrounds over the years, and the New 52 was a DCU-wide attempt at it, and so many of those efforts fail or fall flat or get ignored. At least, that's how I usually feel about stories altering reader perceptions of Batman or Flash or Superman. But for some reason, when it comes to Dick Grayson, there are more successes than failures for me. The New 52 Nightwing was one of the few New 52 titles I read, and I loved how the circus Dick grew up in became part of the Owls storyline that permeated the Bat books. It enriched the character without diminishing his history, and of course, this was a different Dick Grayson than pre-New 52, yet he remained so recognizable. I didn't read the Grayson comic in single issues because I was annoyed by his secret identity being outed and his death faked, but I've been reading it in trades and loving it because Dick gets to be the best version of himself. And now in his Rebirth Nightwing book, we get the best of all versions. The way Raptor tied into Dick's history, the way Dick remains a positive, hopeful character despite everything Raptor has tried to do to change that, the way the story concluded with this chapter has made it one of my favorite Dick Grayson stories ever.

I'll admit, I was skeptical when I heard Dick was getting a new mentor, but I've learned to not believe hype all that much. So much of it is misdirection. But I remained wary as I read the first chapters, unsure where things were going, but I soon realized this was really personal for Raptor. He seemed to have a real stake in bringing Dick to his view of the world, to force Dick to choose his way over Batman's way. But Dick, bless his heart, despite a few missteps, never wavered. His flaw, as always, was trusting too much and yet, that proved to be not a flaw, but his, and Bruce's, salvation. That's what Dick has always represented in the Batman and Robin dynamic. Hope. Dick tries to find the best in people. He doesn't always succeed, but I don't want him to ever stop trying. And that last page was everything.

Character Studies

Spoiler Edition

In Red Hood and the Outlaws 20, James Tynion IV delves deeper into Jason Todd's psyche, and therefore, deeper into his first story arc for the book. Having had his bad memories erased, Jason is a happy dude, but Roy isn't buying it, even after being shown the horrors of Jason's life, because as he says, they've all been through horrible times, which he's then reminded of by the little All-Caste memory stealing guy whose name is escaping me. Shown the memory of when Jason helped Roy out back in Jason's Robin days, Roy learns something new: that was the night Jason later learned his mother was alive, leading to the sequence of events resulting in Jason's brutal murder. But Tynion isn't done with stripping away the mental blocks our heroes have built up in their minds to protect themselves. Kori resists the attempt to reveal her secret, something apparently connected with her one-time relationship with Dick Grayson. But Roy does learn she'd been lying to him, that she wouldn't forget him if he wasn't there, that her emotions are even stronger than humans. And while Roy feels the one thing solid and dependable is falling apart, the team the three of them have become, we learn there is more going on than Jason denouncing his painful memories; the entire team is in deadly danger. Then Green Arrow is thrown into the mix, to lead into the RHATO Annual coming out in two weeks.

What I really liked about this, aside from Tynion's skill with dialogue and his feel for the characters, is how he's building on the earlier stories in the book. This might or might not be in any way similar to where Lobdell intended the book to go, but it fits, with one little hiccup. Ollie declares at the end that he needs to go rescue Roy again, but he didn't do a thing when Roy was about to be executed in Qurac. It was up to Jason, with Kori's help, to do the rescuing that time. I hope Tynion deals with that inconsistency in the annual. Why wouldn't Ollie help Roy then, but will try now?

Still, the transition from one creative team to the next is fairly seamless, which is how a change in creative team should be, and the art by Julius Gopez is lovely.

Nightwing 20 has Dick/Nightwing in Chicago, continuing in his hunt for the still alive Tony Zucco. Nightwing is not welcome in a city that has a serious distaste and distrust of costumed crimefighters, while Dick deals with some complications with the sublet he's staying in, introducing a new set of characters. It will be interesting to see if he ends up settling in Chicago for the long term or if he returns to Gotham City after this adventure. There isn't much character development here, mostly just continuing setup for the main action as Dick seeks info on where Zucco might be holed up. But it's a nice start for a change of direction for the book, while continuing with the theme of "it's personal" for Dick, first with the circus and Owls storylines, and now the hunt for Zucco, the man responsible for his parents' deaths.

Arrow (TV version)
Arrow ended its freshman season on a high note. This is a series that started strong, if not polished, slowly built up the tension and mythology, and despite a bit of slowdown to get in a lot of character bits and backstory, finished the season with a sorta cliffhanger finale that's as good as it gets in network TV.

The showdown between Arrow and Merlyn finally happened and it was a doozy. Malcolm Merlyn proved to be a formidable foe, both in archery and other physical skills, and his intelligent scheming. While Felicity Smoak talks Quentin Lance (why his name is Quentin is beyond me) through disarming the Merlyn's earthquake device, unknown to them, a second device is ready to go off. Which is does, leading to a death of a lead character (nope, I'm not gonna spoil that one), a death that should resonate through the second season.

The actors are an appealing bunch and the characters are fully realized. Merlyn isn't evil. He's just a man made bitter after his wife's murder who thinks his solution, to blow up the poor, unruly neighborhood called the Glades, is the only way to save the city he loves. That he's ruthless in that ambition, killing as he feels necessary, are acts he rationalizes with a cliched but plausible ends justifies the means defense. John Barrowman has been pitch perfect as Malcolm, oozing with charm and barking with anger as required, the emotion impossible to miss. Stephen Amell makes for a perfect Ollie despite not having blond hair, I can't imagine anyone playing Lance now other than the man brilliantly cast in the role -- Paul Blackthorne -- and Coltan Haynes as Roy Harper, despite not being a redhead, is wonderful. The rest of the cast shines, those playing characters from the comics and those playing original ones.

The show is told in two timeframes, Ollie's five years on the not-so-deserted island and current time. The first island year ends with Ollie killing with a bow and arrow for the first time, and the current year ends with the story threads being woven over the year coming to a head. Characters grow, change, and learn actions have consequences. And what the show was at the start, a story of Oliver Queen trying to right wrongs as per his father's last request, becomes something much more. As Ollie's mission changed, the show got stronger and more intricate. This is an Oliver Queen who could exist in real life.

What I most admire about the show is how they're showing respect for the fans of the Green Arrow comics while making the show fresh and exciting, with something for both fans and for newcomers to the character. Just the little references make the show fun, from Bludhaven to Ted Kord Industries. If you haven't given the show a try, and you love Green Arrow, you should. It's one of the best comics adaptations for TV, because it knows it's a TV show, not a comic or even a movie. The show embraces the format, working with TV's strengths to allow a long story to be told nearly in real time, while including shorter stories. For me, it's must-watch TV.

This Week's Reviews

I really want to get caught up with my comics reading -- and the stacks keep growing! -- but I started reading Game of Thrones, so that might take a while. But there are some comics I read as soon as I get them, so here's what I read this week, with likely spoilers.

Red Hood and the Outlaws 17
This Death of the Family aftermath was a feel-good story until the end. Kori and Roy join Jason as he says his goodbyes to his Bat family. Dick won't come out to see Kori, but Roy tosses a football around with Damian, in a very sweet scene, and Bruce and Jason have a moment. Then Jason puts on his helmet, which has been tampered with by the Joker and ends up getting his face burned. Hopefully, it's something easily treated, but it would appear to be the thing needing to be dealt with for the next issue or two, likely through the promised WTF issue. Sheesh. But nice emotions and interactions in this, which makes up for the filler aspect of the last issue. And the cover? It was great, paralleling Jason's death when he was Robin, with the present reflecting the past. Really nice job. Too many artists worked on this book, but that cover by Mico Suayan really rocks.

DC Universe Presents Arsenal 17
Well, issue 17 of DC Presents
The focus on Roy is nice, showing more of his personality, but adds nothing to what we know so far about him. The flashback showing Croc refusing to kill him for him was pretty much lifted from an early RHATO, though without the more recent flashback that showed Croc pushing Roy toward AA, which left it feeling unfinished for a spotlight issue. Still, it was nice seeing Roy's mad skillz front and center. Next issue is focusing on Kori, which should be good.

Nightwing 17
Another Death of the Family aftermath. This has Dick back on his own, dealing with the tragedies wrought by the Joker. It starts with what looks like right after Bruce defeated the Joker, but moves quickly to Dick, in a tattered costume, retrieving Raya's body. This is the kind of thing that drives me crazy about multi-book stories; they don't neatly fit together. In the cave, when Dick and Jason talk in RHATO 17, Dick's in a clean costume, but here, he's wearing a tattered costume and it's hard to figure out the timing. Not a big thing, but irksome. The circus folks are all recovering and want nothing to do with Dick, which makes me sad because I was enjoying having the circus be part of the book. It was Dick's heritage and this was the first time the circus seemed to be a viable part of his current life, too, not just making an appearance. Still, you really can't go home again, I guess, and now that Dick's lost his own fortune, it means a possible change in direction for his life, and the book, which seems to be the norm for him. The scene with Damian at the end was nice. Damian seems to be useful for a lot of feel-good moments lately. However, the "Next Issue: Tragedy Strikes" seems rather over the top given how tragic recent events have been. Two deaths of circus folks and the fire seem rather tragic, so what next? In this version of the book and in the past, pre-New 52 version. the theme seems to be: How much crap can be dumped on Dick before he snaps?

Batwoman 17
A really nice end to the current story. From the gorgeous cover that screams "Batwoman Rises" to the last panel, this book delivered, especially with the art. I will greatly miss JH Williams III's art on this book, especially his imaginative layouts. Wonder Woman and Batwoman made for a great team and Bette as Hawkfire was awesome. I love her new costume and her kickass attitude here. Uncle Jake is a great trainer, along with experience, because now Bette takes no prisoners. She's focused and strong, physically and mentally. I hope we see more of her. And the way Kate tells Maggie she's Batwoman and proposes to her is priceless. The teaser for next issue promises more thrills, even with a new artist taking over.

New Nightwing

Really. I'm reading the new Nightwing. Got caught up, mostly (issue 4 was sold out, so I had to skip over that one), and will keep going. On the recommendation of a gal who works at my LCS, I gave it a try. It seems to stand on its own fairly well, not driving me too nuts with the new DC continuity. I realize I missed seeing Barbara Gordon in issue 4, which might've made my head spin a bit, but that's okay.

I did have a few continuity gripes. First, I couldn't figure out how old Dick is supposed to be. I seem to remember reading somewhere that he and Bruce are among the characters de-aged for the DCnU, which would have been okay, but in the circus flashbacks, it seemed he was a lot older at the time his parents were killed than originally, which would be okay if he were older now, but that was, according to the book, only 5 years ago. So, given he looked to be in his mid-teens in the flashbacks, let's say he was 15 when his parents died, and he's 20 now. And he just came off a year posing as Batman (more on this in a bit), which for someone aged 19-20 seems a bit odd. He would've been too youthful, I think, to pull it off, at least as well as he did in the old DCU, where he had to be in his mid-20s. I'd thought of him as 25-26 in that. But his age issues is something I can ignore. It didn't ruin the story for me.

The other quibble... well, for the life of me, I can't think of it. I should've made a written note. Oh well. It didn't make a difference in my enjoyment of the book. There are just a few things I need to adjust to, is all. I don't mind doing it for some books, especially if the characters are true to themselves. It's the characters who are totally off I probably won't bother reading. (Though I am intrigued by the new upcoming version of the original Green Lantern!)

Now for the story. I liked it. A lot. Sure, Haly's Circus had been used a lot, to great effect, in the old DCU and the revelations here don't fit with the older stories, but it's a new universe -- I'm considering it wholly new, with similarities to the old one, and not what came out of that time twisting at the end of the old DCU. I've blocked that horror from my mind and didn't even read it, so I can't recall what that mini-series was called. But for me, that didn't happen and the old DCU is still in existence. We're just not reading about it, anymore.

I was reasonably happy with Dick's portrayal here. He was lacking a bit of maturity he had as Batman in the old DCU, but he was confident, brass, introspective, and skilled as I'd expect. I was glad that the story focused on him and his history as a jumping on point, and that Batman didn't show up til the end of the story in issue 7, and Alfred made his first appearance an issue earlier, in #6. Bruce was a real bastard in this. I'm not reading his book, so I don't know why he was so harsh with Dick -- there's really no excuse for him to smack Dick even if he wanted Dick to just stop talking -- but again, it wasn't enough to ruin the story.

The plotting was nicely intricate and a small side story was slipped in that focused on one of the circus clowns, which kept the slowed pace of the main story from being problematic. I wasn't completely surprised by the big reveal of Saiko's identity, but the secret history of Haley's Circus (in the new DCU only!) was a true shocker. I'm interested in seeing if this revelation will affect how Dick views his past and how he moves forward in his life. But the first seven issues/first story arc make for a solid foundation for the series and I have expectations now that I'll be entertained by it.

The art was mostly fine, though some of the faces seemed off in a few panels. I rushed through the books because I have SO MANY comics left to read, so I didn't pay as much attention to the action pages as they deserved, but the storytelling seemed fine as I could follow it all well. And I liked that the art was realistic, though a bit more stylized or art or quirkiness for the circus would've been nice, too. I did, however, love how form-fitting Dick's costume is, though I preferred the blue and black costume for Dick vs this red and black one.

But... and this is a big question.... Was this all really necessary? Is the new DCU really any different other than changes to backgrounds, and in cases like making Alan Scott gay, reworking a few characters? I still think they could've put the old universe aside and started working with a new universe, then later, have visits with the older universes, same as in the early days of the multiverse. All I can think of is that it was all a marketing ploy, because really, this Nightwing story was just as good as what was in the Dick as Batman books. Good stories and good characters should be enough and DC should know how to market them without making everything an EVENT or a publicity stunt.

The Way it Should Be Done

Nightwing 151
I'm really going to miss this book. Even if there's a new Nightwing title, as good as it might be, it won't be this book. Peter Tomasi is writing Dick/Nightwing as well as he's ever been written, and that includes the early years of this book. Tomasi gets it. He gets the character and he has the skill to put his understanding on the page. Previously, we got Dick dealing with the failure of protecting his charge, and now we discover that was just great acting on Dick's part. He "double crossed" Two-Face and proved himself cool under the worst kind of pressure. He got the job done, and then he faced down Harvey. The reminder of Harvey nearly beating him to death when he was 13 was appreciated, placing the story in a context that spans years, building on the history these two have. Batman/Bruce was Harvey's adversary, and Dick/Robin was just the sidekick to Bats, but this is Nightwing, a grown man who is fully capable of taking up Batman's cape and cowl, yet a man who has nothing to prove, not to himself. There's no more doubt, and yet, Dick keeps pushing himself, still living on the edge, because as Tomasi clearly knows, this is a circus kid at heart, someone who as a boy swung from the trapeze with the greatest of ease. Now, with all the dangers he's faced, he still craves a thrill, the charge he can get from freefalling.

There was no real story in this book. But a lot happened. The Two-Face/RIP storyline was resolved favorably, Dick said goodbye to his latest girlfriend, watched while dead meta heroes were re-entombed for safety, and spent quality time with his "family" of Alfred and Tim, with Bruce's absence almost tangible. This was a combined tie-up-loose-ends/character study and it was done with skill, enhanced by nice art, even if no one quite looked right. Last time, I complained about how little actually happened in Green Arrow and Black Canary, another character piece that wrapped up a few loose ends and provided an overview for new readers that fell flat. There's nothing wrong with stories like that, only in their execution. This was perfectly executed. I like this Dick Grayson. A lot. More than I have in a long time.

Fast Reviews

A mixed bag of comics, from the last couple of weeks.

Titans 7
I was never a big fan of Jericho and I haven't kept up with all he's been through since the mid-'80s, so most of this meant little to me. Still, that didn't keep me from not enjoying this much. And will someone please tell penciller Julian Lopez that Kory is TALL? Thanks.

Trinity 24
Still fun. Not the mind-blowing, kitchen sink fun of 52, but fun. And much better than Countdown.

DC Universe Decisions 4
Nice wrap-up for this odd miniseries.

Terra 1
Nice start. I like seeing Power Girl and I'm a sucker for Amanda Conner's art. And the new Terra is a fun character, so I have high hopes for this miniseries.

Green Arrow and Black Canary 14
This mostly dwells on the changes to Connor. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Nothing bad, nothing special. Just an average read.

Flash 245
A rather nice issue, especially the Wally/Roy scenes and memories. Nicely done.

Rann-Thanagar Holy War 6
I love this but have no idea why. It's just so... odd. It's got the Weird, of course, and he's a pip. I love him. And Comet is rather a jerk at times. I love Buddy and Kory and Carter's a jerk in a different way, and Adam Strange keeps trying to make them all work together. The art is stunning. And Kory mostly looks taller than the humans, even the men.

Jack of Fables 27
Focusing on Hillary. Another marvelous installment of one of the best comics out there. Secrets revealed. Complications abound. And another page devoted to Babe the Blue Ox. Like a story in a story. Or is that a fable in a fable about fables?

Nightwing 150
Awesome. Peter Tomasi has nailed Dick/Nightwing. He writes him strong, independent, human. He writes him with flaws and failures, but as a man who gets back up and kicks butt. It was nice seeing Babs in one of her better guest turns. The art by Kramer/Leisten/Ramos depicts a Nightwing who has left childhood far behind. I'm upset this book was canceled and even if there's a new Nightwing book in the future, I fear it won't be like this. Dick will either be back in Gotham -- maybe as Batman -- or he'll be too tied to Bruce to be independent. Here, his ties to Gotham and Bruce are clear, but he's his own man. I like how the supporting cast has been slowly brought in along with giving him a job I can see him doing. I haven't enjoyed Dick this much in years. Figures it's going away, along with BoP, Catwoman, Manhunter, and Blue Beetle. They're five quality books and by canceling them, DC has disappointed me. I understand the bottom line, but surely, these characters deserve their own books where they can shine, instead of being relegated to guest appearances or smaller, supporting roles elsewhere.

Lone Ranger 15
A satisfying end to the serial killer story. The development of John Reid as the Lone Ranger has been well done.

Mostly Hits, One Miss

First, from last week, Atom 19.
A one-issue, underground adventure, featuring a bit of cannibalism, and Ryan a hit with another female, a zombie-type female. The story by Keith Champange was decent enough, but I miss Gail Simone's fun take on Atom, especially all the pithy quotes in narration.

Now to the main events. There be spoilers here.

Suicide Squad 5
This might just live up to its name. Double crosses are the name of the game here, and maybe a triple cross at some point? Rick Flag as Eiling's puppet is an interesting plot development. Even when Waller has the right job, stopping a weapons factory that will sell it's deadly toxin to anyone with the money, her methods hardly make her heroic. And her tactics have made her plenty enemies, and one of them, Eiling, looks to destroy any chance of the mission succeeding. I really enjoy all the deviousness here. And with no characters I'm emotionally attached to, except maybe Flag, I don't have any stake in a high survival rate.

Nightwing 140
The best thing about Peter Tomasi's first issue of NW is how he's brought Dick back into the Bat Family without effort. This time, Dick might still be seeking his true self, but there's no whining, no "need to do it all on my own," no sense that he's lost his way. Instead, he seeks the thrill of skydiving that evokes his days as a Flying Grayson. The scenes at the Cave were very nice, and when Bruce tells Dick, Tim, and Alfred that "Plain and simple. We're family. There is no one else in the world I trust and respect more. No one," you believe him. Just to have him say it to them was a treat.

I also liked how Dick decided he needs to know more about New York, so he does some research, at the library of the Museum of the City of New York. How cool is that? And Superman shows up at the end, telling Dick, "We need to talk." There is no more Nightwing needing to stand apart and on his own, with the rest of the Bat gang showing up as rare guest stars. This is Dick, comfortable in his skin and with the rest of his Bat family. I don't read the Batman titles or Robin, but I do like keeping Dick connected to them. So Tomasi gets high marks from me. This is a great start and I wish only that he'd gotten the book a few years earlier, right before Devin began her slide to the total mess she made out of the book would have been the right spot. And Rags Morales' pencils, with Michael Bair's inks are nice, even if Dick looks a bit different than usual. At least there are some nice male butt shots to keep me happy.

Oh, and the story is intriguing. Just so you know I noticed more than the art and the Bat family.

Countdown to Final Crisis 16
Having read the Dan Didio interview in the latest issue of Comic Shop News about how everything's been building up to planned events, culminating in Final Crisis and bringing the DCU into the next years to 2011, and how they realized they'd started too slowly with this while trying to keep pace with the regular monthlies that were coordinating and how they made a mid-course correction, I've got to say, it worked. The last couple of issues have been emotionally gut-wrenching. Jimmy as a soul catcher. Jimmy's eyes bugging out of his head as he stares at a naked Forager. Donna vs. Donna?! The Monitors in a mess. But the best part, the part that made me finally feel something for Jason, was Earth 51's Batman capturing him and threatening to kill him unless he confesses to being a villain disguised as Jason who on that Earth is still dead. Now I can't wait for next week.

Teen Titans Lost Annual 1, Guest-starring Pres. John F. Kennedy
I can't decide what I think about this. I waited a long time for them to release this. And now I wish they hadn't, and not because JFK is in it. In fact, having him off-planet while a shapeshifter, who'd taken his place is killed by Oswald was the best part of the book. So that's what was really covered up. Not a conspiracy about the killer, but the fact that the autopsy revealed JFK was an alien!

Seriously, I know the book used to have some loopy plots, but the whole bit of them being able to locate the planet where JFK was taken (Robin had been in the White House the night it had happened and his shielded costume must've protected him from being frozen for a while during the abduction), then being able to travel there and back via a convenient device in their HQ called a Galacti-Porter. I won't get into the rest of the plot. It's beyond silly. Haney really outdid himself with this. Nick Cardy's cover is nice as are the pages from his sketchbook. But the art by Jay Stephens and Mike Allred, no doubt trying to capture the feel of the '60s, just made it more obvious what an anachronism this is, and how silly. I really wanted to like this, but sometimes, you really can't go back to the past.

And now, the winner of the week (and yeah, I'm surprised, too), Green Arrow and Black Canary 4
A lot of thoughts are still running through my head about this as I haven't quite finished digesting it. Chiang's art was nothing short of amazing in how much emotion he captured in everyone's faces without having the detailed realism of someone like Rags Morales. I can't do a proper review of this, so I'll just make comments about things that struck me.

Ollie's calling for Clark was so perfect, in the why don't other heroes do this more often. And Clark, hearing the fear in Ollie's voice, flies in to get Connor to the hospital.

The title: Please Play Where Daddy Can See You. This set the tone for what the book was about. Fathers and sons. This was a character piece. I suppose next issue, we'll get back to the plot, to the nasty reason for Connor's shooting and the hunt for who's behind it.

Chiang draws a spectacular Wonder Woman. Sexy but not oversexed. Perfect.

The entire JLA, or most of them, at the hospital. And Ollie angry and freaking out. But unlike when Roy was shot and he goes off with the Outsiders to get the baddies who did that to Roy, Ollie stays in the hospital with his family to await the outcome of Connor's surgery.

Hal coming to use his ring power to help heal Connor. Awesome, just like Superman flying Connor to the hospital in the first place.

Batman lurking in the stairwell, telling Diana his presence wouldn't help Ollie and when she disagrees, he says, "that's because you've never lost a son." Wow.

But the bits that are rattling around in my head are from the scene in the waiting room with Ollie, Dinah, Mia, and Roy. Judd Winick has taken a lot of flak for his writing over the years, some deserved, some not, but this time, he nailed it. The understanding that Ollie and Dinah have of each other. How can anyone doubt their love or that they belong together after reading this?

Ollie confessing that he always knew about Connor, then lied that he didn't, even lying by "pretending to be surprised" when he discovered he was Connor's father. Ollie's admitted before that he has guilt about abandoning Roy and not being good with commitment, but this was a full confession. And Dinah tries to help.

And I couldn't help but think about the time Roy had been shot (and had almost died) and wondering if he was thinking about that, wondering if Ollie had been this upset, or worse, if he hadn't been.

Ollie saying he once tried to find Connor, but stopped after he met Roy. And the look on Roy's face, pain that maybe he was partly at fault for Ollie no longer looking for his real son because he had found another.

Mia telling Ollie that Connor had known the truth for years because his mother had told him, and that he'd forgiven Ollie for knowing and for lying about it.

Hal healing the wounds, but not before the toxin he discovered had been on the bullets had spread to Connor's brain, leaving him brain dead.

The last page will stay with me a long time, Ollie with an inert Connor, telling him "Daddy's right here."

This was Ollie stripped of his smart ass self-righteousness and the facade he puts up to protect his feelings. This was Ollie with emotions as raw as when he'd first become GA as per Green Arrow Year One. This was Ollie broken down to his core, reminding me why I love him. Roy is the main character for me, but without Ollie, there would be no Roy there. Ollie might have been written poorly over the years by some writers, but the ones who get him, write him stories like this.

I Read Some Comics

And I'm here to tell you a bit about them.

Nightwing 139
Another installment in the Ra's Al Ghul storyline running through the Bat books that I'm not reading, except for here. Next issue, Peter Tomasi, Rags Morales, and Michael Bair take over as the new creative team, but I wouldn't mind if Fabien Nicieza, Don Kramer, and Carlos Rodriguez stayed on the book. Despite my not knowing the rest of the story -- and this issue stood on its own better than the previous one -- this was a nice take on Dick. As much as Wolfman's run on the book was a breath of fresh air after Jones butchered Dick's personality, Nicieza has made Wolfman look like a hack. Marv was writing Dick like he had just become Nightwing or some such. Serviceable, but Dick's not fresh out of the Titans, anymore. But Nicieza writes a more mature Dick, someone who mentors, comforts, leads. His scenes with Tim were awesome, conveying the true feelings of almost-brothers that they are. And it was nice seeing I Ching, too, even if he's probably not the version of the character I remember from way back. And Dick has never looked better.

Countdown 20
Most of the parts might be interesting, but they aren't adding up to a whole that can come close to touching 52 yet. We've got OMACs. We have the search for Ray Palmer narrowed down. Jimmy's still in a bit of a fix. Piper isn't as crazy as it appeared when Trickster was killed, and he's still the best part of the book. And Mary isn't completely turned to the dark side and can actually think for herself when she wants. The book/story doesn't really seem to be going anywhere, and yet, there's a feeling of inevitability to it. My enthusiasm for this is waning.

Green Arrow and Black Canary 3
So, Everyman's impotence, plus his superior strength is what led to Dinah killing "Ollie." Okay, a bit lame, but I'll accept it, because I'm really enjoying this book. The Amazons tie-in fits with Countdown, in that Granny Goodness in the form of Athena, but not with the current Wonder Woman book. I wish I knew where that fits in continuity. At any rate, Mia was fun, and the overall banter was enjoyable and what I expect from the Arrow family. They're just so much lighter and happier than the Bat family. I'm glad we weren't kept in suspense until next month's issue to find out whose body Ollie is cradling, and we don't know that that character is dead, so there's hope. And no, I'm not spoiling it. There's no need to say anything as it's the last page and quite dramatic. I loved Dinah's reunion with Ollie and I'm glad that wasn't dragged out over more issues. And Cliff Chiang can stay on this book forever as far as I'm concerned. The art is light, yet not cartoonish. The faces have expressions, the women sexy without being slutty, and shirtless Ollie was fairly hot. And the coloring has been great. Connor hasn't been colored as white. Nice.

Wonder Woman 15
Much as I loved last issue, I loved this more. It felt less scattered as Gail settles in now that she's established the plot threads she'll be dealing with in this first arc or two. The Dodsons, like Chiang, draw sexy, not slutty females, and Diana Prince got to shine as much as Diana. The secret of the night of Diana's birth is getting more intriguing with every panel. I'm hooked.

Booster Gold 5
It was just as I'd thought and much more. The chance to prevent Barbara Gordon from being shot by the Joker was too much for Booster to pass up, especially since it's the last thing he needs to do before Rip Hunter will give him the chance to save Ted. And yet... and here I need to include a spoiler..... Rip lied to make a point. Babs was destined to be crippled and become Oracle, same as Ted was destined to be killed by Max Lord. Booster risks death to keep trying to stop the Joker, and his stubbornness, bravery, and dedication. Booster is understandably pissed, but that last page... well, I won't spoil that. It was super cool. It was also nice seeing Babs in action as Batgirl and the echo of the art from A Killing Joke was well done.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 9
A satisfying conclusion to the Faith arc, with no pat ending when it comes to Faith and Buffy. Faith and Giles do come to terms and a partnership, and I'm reminded all over again how much I miss the tv show. This is good stuff.

Still to come: Green Lantern, Suicide Squad, Simon Dark.

Evolution of Nightwing

On flickr, I call this "Three Faces of Dick," because I thought calling it "Three Dickheads" was a bit over the top. Anyway, despite being too bulked up for my taste, I had to get the new Nightwing figure, on the right, because it's Dick Grayson, damnit!



Yes, he's standing in front of the Supergirl shortbox. Guy's such a slut.

It Takes Two

Tonight's reviews might be influenced by the natural gas smell that permeated much of NYC this morning. heh

Atom 7
This just keeps getting better and better. Gail Simone has set a nice tone for the book with loopy villains, eccentric good guys, outrageously fun plotlines, and those fun scientific quotes. This issue had a typical set-up feel, but the talking "haid" kept things hoping. At some point, tho, Ryan's gonna have to set his foot down and not let baddies and other weirdos dictate to him. I think that would be the perfect character development for this book. Nice art, too.

Nightwing 128
Marv Wolfman hits the right notes here with Dick's thoughts, going far to resurrect him from the craptitude of his last two chroniclers. He looks like himself, he acts like himself, and he's showing a self-awareness that's commendable, even if he hasn't been too forthcoming with what he did to screw things up with Babs. The end of this arc ended satisfactorily with a visit from Lex Luthor in full command of his powers, which means he manages to survive 52. But there's one itty thing that bugs me, and it's not a factor of the book so much as a factor of keeping the book and Nightwing isolated for now, if not from the Bat books, then from the rest of the DCU.

I get that it wouldn't work, story-wise, for a mention of another character not part of the book or story. But with Dick going on thinking about escaping death twice and facing the abyss, I wish, just this once, he could've thought about the close friend who faced his own mortality and his fear and who Dick helped find his way back from his own abyss of fear and doubt. Yes, of course, I mean Roy Harper. When Roy was shot five times in The Outsiders, it was Dick who was there to help him fight his way past his fear of the gun. In real life, Dick might not go to see Roy so they could compare notes, perhaps because things might have deteriorated in their relationship too over the past year, but damn it, he would have thought of what Roy experienced. I can't imagine a real person not thinking of it. And while this is just fiction, not real life, the stories we read reflect a certain reality, minus that whole "invulnerable guy from another planet who can fly" thing. These characters become real to us and we come to expect them to react, to think and behave, as real people would given their circumstances.

So I felt a bit cheated here, partly because it should have been mentioned and partly because it was an opportunity wasted to keep the interconnectedness of the DCU, so well demonstrated in 52, a part of the individual books.

The Week in Comics

Blue Beetle 8
This continues to be loads of fun with nice, suitable art and quirky characters. I appreciated the quick overview of Blue Beetles past. Things are moving along, the mystery of the scarab is deepening, and the dialogue sizzles. I really like the panel breakdowns, too. And I like that Blue Beetle looks to have a nice, complex backstory, well beyond boy finds scarab, scarab attaches itself to his back. I like that there promises to be much more to it.

Outsiders 42
More mad scientists. Nice enough art. I can appreciate Katana's reason for changing her costume, but it's not very attractive and why the hell did they cut her hair?! From the head up, she looks like a boy. And if there was any real reason to devote 4 full pages in the beginning to actor boy and his agent, I musta missed it. Judd is big on starting with guest characters, filling in background upfront, but this was a bit much.

Nightwing 126
The mystery deepens, but the story was almost irrelevant, or at least, took a backseat to the return of Alfred in Dick's life and the nice way Marv wove in Dick's circus background. Very nice. It's also very nice to see a Nightwing who is capable and competent and sexy looking again.

52 26
Halfway done. Mostly Black Marvel time, and a nice Charlie and Renee scene on Day 1. The Hawkman origin backup was nicely done, concise, not confusing, and beautifully illustrated. No big reveals in this one, but things are moving along.

Justice League of America 3
A pleasant surprise when this turned up in my pull slot at Forbidden Planet today. It would've been worth getting just for the above panel, but there was a story, too, and other characters and... It's nice seeing Hal, Dinah, and Roy working together. Two old friends who don't have a ruined romantic relationship (that was Dinah and Ollie) and the teen who's now a grown man they both care about enjoying light banter in battle does it for me every time. The cover with all the Tornados is awesome and the interior art is as wonderful as the first two issues. I love the page with Hawkgirl swooping down to help Black Lightning. There's a particularly large butt shot of Dinah and her lovely tush, but I'll leave that for others to post if they so choose. It looks like we'll soon have the whole gang together and I'm looking forward to solving the mystery of Red Tornado. The graphic clue of the returning "old threat" at the end (see, no spoiler) promises an entertaining issue 4.

I Missed a Review

Between my health problems, most likely due to stress, and my PC woes (too painful to speak about and thank goodness for the laptop and a wireless connection), I missed a comic in the last batch of reviews.

OMAC 4
AKA the only comic Bruce Jones is writing that I find readable. And that's probably because I really like Mike and want to see him get through all this OMAC crap and straighten himself out. Plus, I really like the art. The story might be stretched out over too many issues, but so far, I'm enjoying it and hope the ending is as good. Yeah, I'm skeptical where Jones is concerned.

Meanwhile, I'm not the only one who found the first issue of Marv Wolfman's run on Nightwing enjoyable. Maybe this is the start of Dick Grayson's redemption. I sure hope so. While Roy Harper is my favorite comic character -- yeah, I know, I mention that every chance I get -- I've loved Dick as long if not a few years longer. I want him to be treated with proper respect by writers and artists and I want his book to succeed.

Post-IC Commentary with Reviews

There's been a lot of blogging going on re: Infinite Crisis 7 and the bit of retconning that went on. I must admit that to me it's not a big deal since for me, that's the way things have mostly been, no matter what's been written in the last 25 years in the DCU. That's partly what happens when you stop reading something like the DCU for a decade or so.

There was only about 4-5 years where I didn't read comics at all, when I gave up the last title I'd been reading, Teen Titans/Titans, around 1991. But in 1985, after the first Crisis (when Supergirl was killed), I stopped reading just about everything else. And when I picked up DC Comics again in the mid-'90s with the Nightwing mini and the Arsenal one-shot and slowly added titles, I didn't look back. There were big gaps in my DC knowledge that slowly got filled in by talking to people, reading the DC message boards, and from the tidbits dropped into the comics I was again reading.

I never read the Year One books, except for the Robin/Dick Grayson mini (I tried the Nightwing one, but thought it pretty dull). At least, I think those were Year One books, albeit a bit late in the game.

Gradually, I learned that Ollie Queen had died and his son, a new character, was the then-current GA. I learned about Hal turning bad and Kyle being GL. I couldn't ignore those changes, but others, the ones dealing with backgrounds or who founded the JLA (which I wasn't reading and hadn't read since pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths) were either unknown to me or were of no consequence since they didn't make a difference in the stories I was reading. So hearing that Wonder Woman again is a founder of the JLA isn't a big deal. She always has been to me.

I pretended the post-Crisis DCU was simply another alternate reality. I don't really buy the bit about realities converging. Sure, maybe for that moment, but I'm a big fan of the science fiction construct that realities are created at every decision point. As soon as the first decisions were made in the then new DCU, reality splintered once more. So the planets of the DCU were similar to the one I'd lost, just enough so that I could read and enjoy the stories without dwelling on Kara's death, or Ollie's, because I knew they were alive somewhere and anything I liked that happened to my favorite characters probably happened in those other unseen versions of the DCU, too. So seeing the Earth-2 Clark and Lois wasn't out of left field for me. More like a bit left of center.

It's hard for me at times to keep track of all the versions of a character. I grew up with the Silver Age and soon thereafter, the multiverse. Retconning of retcons makes me dizzy. In many things, what we learn when we're young tends to stick with us, sometimes more than what we learn later. It's hard to forget some early lessons, even misconceptions. So when I can't remember the current details of Batman's origin, I fall back on the version I've read the most: the old one.

And now, once again, realities have converged and I know, it's only for the moment. What the DCU is now, the stories we're reading, are just one version of reality, because one nanosecond after, someone made a decision and reality splintered once again, only the characters populating the DCU are unaware of it. Perhaps, they'll never find out, if that's what the writers and editors decide.

Once you accept that alternate realities can't help but exist (okay, I take this on faith and have no idea if they exist for real, but within fiction, I aim for consistency with this concept), you then can look to the future as being flexible in that millions of possible futures exist for each reality. So the future where the LSH exists is but one future. The future Booster Gold knows is but another future and if 52's first issue can be a guide, he's about to learn just that.

So, my reviews here are based on this view of the DCU.

Nightwing 120
Somewhere, the real Nightwing lives. This isn't it. If ever a character has been screwed over so quickly and completely, it's Dick Grayson. As bad as Devin's last arc was (and I'm a fan of her writing in general), as angst-driven as he was, at least I could recognize him. This version of Dick bears no more than a physical resemblence to him. And the story is just bad. I can't see why Clancy was brought back. I like her, but she's serving no purpose other than as someone Dick knows from before. She could've been anyone from before. The fashion show stuff was just crap. Cheyenne is a meta? Ho-hum. She's already been established as boring, immature, and idiotic, so why should I care about her? Where is Babs and why aren't she and Dick still together? That's what I care about. First, Tarantula, now Cheyenne? What is this need to surround Dick with out-of-control women? And I'm not going to get started on Jason, because I'm one of those people who was happy when he died and wished he'd stayed that way. The art is serviceable. The only reason I'm reading this book, still, is the hope that the next arc will be better. Well, I can dream.

JSA 85
The pace is a bit slow, but I'm enjoying the history of the Gentleman Ghost. Unlike the JSA Classfied arc featuring Vandal Savage and not much of the JSA, Levitz is weaving the Ghost's story in nicely with the JSAers. And I liked Jade's ghost visiting her father and trying to get him to fight to live. It was probably one of her better appearances. And nice art from Rags and company.

Checkmate 1
I never read about this group til the Crisis Countdown series. The concept intrigues me and the political aspect of the new series has a lot of potential. The art is nice, but I can't always tell some of the characters apart.

52 Week 1
Wow. I'm impressed. By ticking off the days, they really gave this a real-time feel. The cover is stunning, as good as the preview promised. The writing, especially the dialogue, is crisp and the art is wonderful, very evocative in places. The characters are full of life. Ralph's pain was palpable, even moreso than in Identity Crisis when so much else was going on and was distracting from the personal aspect of his loss. As with any good story, a lot happened, but not too much, giving a hint of things to come.

I suspect things to come includes the death of many beloved characters. One of the managers at the comic shop where I keep my pull list said a "ton of characters" will die in 52. I still suspect Roy "Arsenal" Harper will be one of them. If no, I don't know what DC hopes to gain by not giving us a hint of what's to come for him. And if he does die, the surprise in that is gone for many of us who are convinced he will die. If he doesn't, there will be no surprise, just enormous relief. With Dick playing boy toy and idiot du jour, if I lose Roy, I'll be hard pressed to find a new fav. Although, WildCats is supposed to return with a new book. There's no one quite like Cole "Grifter" Cash. It will be odd to have a fav comic character outside the DCU. Very odd. But unless Roy returns, or Dick shakes off the funk he's in, or someone else steps up and makes me take notice, Cole it will have to be.

A Tale of Two Reviews

This time, reviews of 2 OYL books I liked a lot pre-OYL and am not sure about them now.

Green Arrow 61
Ollie saying: "You'd think someone with my ego and love of pontificating would have sought out politics sooner." Well, he did, back in the '70s (was it really that long ago? sheesh), even if he didn't succeed at it. Perhaps it was retconned out. I hate that. I hate that I have all these memories and have to pick through them to figure out what's what. (I hate wrestling with my cordless mouse that might be dying a slow death, but that's another story.)

I wish I could figure out why I'm not enjoying this book more. I should be wondering why Ollie didn't die after being at death's door in the pre-OYL issue, but he was up and around in Infinite Crisis, which confused the heck out of me and I can't help wondering if that was a different version of Ollie who did die and now we have this version after the Earths merger. I should be wondering where his family is? Where Conner and Mia and Roy are. But unlike some books, mostly Catwoman and Birds of Prey which have sparked my curiosity, this has left me uninvolved. The cliffhanger ending was nicely done and there are plenty of nfity bits. We've learned that GA was out of action the past year and the exchange between re: the hired hit on Ollie ("No, I believe the torture is coming gratis." "Nice.") was fun, but things seem a bit forced and emotionally distant for some reason I can't put my finger on. I love Ollie, but right now, I don't really care about him.

Nightwing 119
Another character I'm having trouble getting emotional about, and he's another I have a long history with and a lot of affection for. Unless they were standing still so I could see how long each NW's hair was, I couldn't tell them apart which made the scenes with both of them difficult to follow. So, Dick had an injury, it seems, that kept him out of his NW costume, and seems hard up for money. That doesn't sound right. I seem to recall an inheritance or fund that had been set up for him. It wasn't that long ago, so did he go through most of it already? Being mistaken for a male model is a cliche setup and the whole tone of the book feels as off as the mob storyline with "Crutches" felt pre-OYL. And the whole "2 Nightwings" is already stale, even with the angle of Jason killing and Nightwing, ie Dick's rep, getting the blame.

I could get into an analysis of his attraction to a redheaded model who looks a bit like Babs, but I just don't care enough for it to matter. I don't recognize this Dick Grayson at all, though there are moments when the Dick I know peeks out. The story is basically interesting, but I have yet to find a reason to care.

Nightwing

The latest addition to my Action Figures family is the First Appearance Nightwing. Handsome fellow, ain't he? He also came with a nice little edition of Tales of the Teen Titans "The Judas Contract" Book 3, Dick's first appearance in the new outfit. It's a tad hard to read at that size, so fortunately, I still have the original plus the graphic novel formats.

Teen Titans 33

I was raised to not saying anything if I didn't have something nice to say. Fortunately, for you nice readers, I don't always follow that advice. So I'm ready and very willing to tell you about this poor excuse for a comic book.

I've been reading Teen Titans only because of the crossovers with the Outsiders and figured I'd get this one, too, because of the Crisis tie-in and because it's the last one before OYL. Let's just chalk that decision up to poor judgment on my part.

I figured, okay, it's guest-starring Nightwing. I like Dick Grayson, a lot, second only to Roy Harper. So how bad could this be. Especially since Wolfman and Johns were on writing chores. So what went wrong?

• First, there was the lack of an actual story. Nothing really happens in this. Not a thing.
• Then there's the art. It's decent enough, but those tiny mouths make all the characters look like they're pouting.
• The alternating thoughts of Conner and Dick. Conner's, red on black, were nearly unreadable, even on the slick paper. And after a while, it started reminding me of a romance novel. I was surprised when I got to the last panel, and Conner and Dick didn't kiss. Or at least, hug really tight.
• I didn't need to see Dick's old NW suit. Really.
• There was the bit with Cassie and Ares. I guess that was plot development. But not having kept up with all the Greek gods in the DCU these days, I would've thought Ares would've been more god-like, especially in appearance. He just looked like a surfer dude.
• And finally, "this is where everything changes." Y'think?

So many books are going out with a whimper, not a bang, pre-OYL. What a shame.

Four Quickies and a Mini-Rant

I'll do these alphabetically.

Green Arrow 54
Things heat up as GA and Black Lightning hunt for Dr. Light. A nice cover, decent interior art, and a strong start for the next story arc made this an enjoyable read. The repercussions from Brad Meltzer's "Identity Crisis" continue as Dr. Light seeks what he feels is rightfully his, taking the light power from the only good Dr. Light, Dr. Kimiyo Hoshi, and setting the stage for a vengeance battle with GA. The bad Dr. Light has his memory back and to say he's pissed that the JLA mind-wiped him years ago would be an understatement. The issue smacked of setup, but first chapters are like that. I have high expectations for the rest of this story arc.

Hawkman 44
I was worried about this book when Johns left, but Palmiotti and Gray have been more than capable replacements and the art by Bennett, Jose, and Jadson keeps up the high standard of realistic art I've come to expect from this book. The story had a nice twist at the end, though I didn't really think Hawkman had really bitten the bullet. The real surprise was Charlie's revelations, or rather, the beginning of same, only to be interrupted by.... let's just say it'll be a long month while I wait for the next issue.

JSA 77
I'm not reading all the tie-ins to the Infinite Crisis lead-ins, but I've been able to follow the books that tie in with the mini-series, which I am reading. This is a "Day of Vengeance" tie-in, but stands fairly well on its own despite reading as setup for something bigger. Donna Troy's appearance was a nice bit of continuity with the mini-series events and it was nice seeing Hal Jordan. Still, nothing much happened. The cover is stunning, but the interior art, while easy on the eyes, is too simplistic next to what I've come to love about this title.

Outsiders 28
A very nice cover shows some very irritated heros in light of Indigo's death. Essentially a fill-in story, there were enough nice character bits and nice enough art to keep me happy. Roy hardly appeared, but his bit at the end was significant. This issue also sets up not only the next arc, but the next step in the development of this team, so I'm eager to see what comes next for my favorite group of heroes.

I skimmed the latest issue of Nightwing, but despite loving Hester and Park's art, I so don't like the direction the book is taking. I'm not opposed to change, but this total reworking of Dick Grayson has been bugging me for a while and the current arc just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't know how much longer I'll continue buying it, but this isn't the Dick Grayson I know and love. I've been thinking he's really just undercover in the mob, but now I've been reading in CSN and elsewhere that that isn't the case. And that has me worried and irritated.