Green Lantern #29
"Secret Origin, Part 1"
Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: Ivan Reis
Inks: Oclair Albert
Colors: Ranov Mayor
Publisher: DC Comics
Rating: Junior High
It is funny to me how the Sinestro-Corps story line outshined and out-did Countdown and Infinite Crisis and all the other mess that DC has been amping up for two years. Well, I mean, it isn't really funny. Do we even care about Final Crisis anymore? Is it even going to happen? Anyway, the Green Lantern books have been pulling their own weight, creating a story line and plot that is deep, interesting and riveting. Green Lantern: Secret Origin seems to be an add on of sorts, a way to answer some of the questions that the Sinestro Corps story started. Specifically, we get the story of a young Hal Jordan. We see how his father died, we start to understand the fractured relationship between him and his brothers. We also start to see why the "Fear" motive worked best on Hal, how the weakness of the green lantern ring was able to take hold of him. At the end of the book, we see Abin Sur, Hal Jordan's predecessor. What did Abin Sur know of the Lantern Prophecies? What did he know about The Blackest Night?
The art of the book is truly what impresses me. Ivan Reis is just a joy to look at on the page. His splashes and layouts are wonderful. He's grown a lot since his early work, and it really shows. He is quickly and routinely becoming one of my favorite artists.
If I have to complain about anything, it's that we've seen this story before. Hal Jordan's origin story seems to get retold every few months or so. Is it because it is so amazingly complicated? I do get the sense that DC is finally trying to sort it all out so it makes sense. But, I don't feel sorry for them. They screwed up his story line in the first place. Lesson learned. Gimmicks and stupid deaths don't make for good comics. Strong stories with great artists make great comics. Hopefully, this is a lesson that Marvel and DC won't forget anytime soon.
RATING: 5/5
The Secret History of the Authority: Jack Hawksmoor #1
Writer: Mike Costa
Artist: Fiona Staples
Publisher: Wildstorm/DC Comics
Rating: Junior high
It's funny that the Wildstorm Universe has been around long enough that it can hold a "Secret History". That really surprises me. Yeah, I think Wildstorm could make more of an effort to make the Wildstorm Universe more cohesive, more unified. This could be the example of this, filling in the gaps of the Authority and the wonderful characters in it. I am a pretty big Authority fan, going back to the original series. It is cool and interesting to see the characters fleshed out, especially Jack Hawksmoor.
This first episode has Hawksmoor and the Authority gang trying to stop some weird pagan god. Hawksmoor gets knocked out, and then we get tossed into the wonderful world of flashbacks. We see Hawksmoor in the past, fighting a huge Mech trying to destroy the San Francisco bridge. Typical stuff, yeah. But we get some great examples of how Hawksmoor's powers work. He communicates with cities, and all the things in them. We can talk to anything that is in a city, from dumpsters to floors. It is great and interesting stuff. Normal super-powers can get pretty boring. It is nice and awesome to see someone think about superpowers in a creative and inventive way.
The art, in places, is wonderful. Towards the end, the artwork shines. But there are some places in the middle that just doesn't have the same power. The poses aren't fleshed out, the scenery is boring. But, at the end of the book, there looks like some actual effort had been made. The coloring and the inking pull some major weight. And can I talk a minute about the paper? The paper in the book feels cool. It is grainy, not that shiny, slick mess we are use to. It doesn't make the pages look worse. It might even look better. I wonder if this is going to be a shift for the whole industry. Something to keep an eye on.
As a whole, this is a good book, one I'm going to keep reading. If the Wildstorm Universe keeps producing work like this, it might become a full-fledged universe, as interesting as the Big Two. Cross those fingers.
RATING: 4.5/5
Wolverine: First Class #1
Writer: Fred Van Lente
Artist: Andrea Di Vito
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Rating: Fifth or Sixth Grade
Another secret history book? How many of these can they pump out? This one is sort of surprising. It isn't needed at all, but it is surprising. Wolverine and Kitty Pryde have been buddies for years. (On a side note, how come no one calls her Shadowcat? I love that name.) Wolverine was the one that taught Kitty how to kung-fu fight, which is supposed to be a pretty big deal. Wolverine: First Class details their first mission together, and shows their growing relationship.
The story isn't complicated. Basic X-men stuff. Some mutant somewhere can't control her powers. Wolverine and Kitty go investigate. They get caught up in some drama, they have to beat up the town's people. You know, the usual mess. Wolverine is wonderfully characterized. He's tough, a loner, and completely comfortable with that. Kitty Pryde is rather boring. I mean, I'm sort of sick about reading young people growing up and learning from the tough guy. How many stories have that? Just gets a little old.
The art isn't helping, either. I like Andrea Di Vito. She did an amazing job with World War Hulk: X-men. It was my favorite part of the World War Hulk story. But these pages just look bland, a bit easy. One page has a picture of the Xavier school and, I swear, a fifth grader could pencil that. No skill or flair what-so-ever. She might have been running on a time crunch or something, but I hope this isn't typical of her work. I know she could do much better.
There is no reason not to read this book. But there isn't a reason to read this book either. It is just standard fare, with nothing really new to the table. But, you know X-men fans. They can be a bit fanatical. So, I mean, printing anything with Wolverine on the cover means a pay day for Marvel.
RATING: 4/5
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