Let's Get Comical!

Welcome to the first 2012 edition of Let’s Get Comical!

The holidays have put a strain on my comic reading, so let’s get straight to things! I’ll be reviewing several comics picked up on December 28, as well as Justice League, which I was unable to pick up when it was originally released on December 21.

I also promised reviews of Batwoman and Daredevil, but those will have to wait until next week, which is a lighter load of books. And I need filler material dammit!

Star Wars: Crimson Empire III #3

Welp, I’m already halfway through this series so I might as well finish it. Anyway, this issue saw Kir Kanos talking with the weird Imperial faction led by Devian, a weird dude with a cyborg looking eyepatch. He fights a guard to demonstrate his skills and shows Kanos his invasion army. Devian’s plan involves using the chemical his men stole in the very beginning of issue 1 to blow up Coruscant (I guess; his plan was very vague but he hinted at this, claiming many people would die. Coruscant has many people, see? And important people at that, so yeah). Kanos is then captured for not wanting to go along but winds up escaping. But Devian’s plan is to TRACK KANOS. Meanwhile, Luke arrives on Coruscant to check on Leia after last issue’s assassination attempt, and deal out some punishment for the suspects the Republic has captured. Kind of a lame issue really although it did more to set up the main storyline and actually got that moving forward, so at least there’s that. But like I’ve been saying, if you have any interest in this one, wait for the Trade Paperback when you can read it all at once.

Aquaman #4

It’s the thrilling conclusion to the Trench storyline! No really, it’s a thrilling conclusion. Aquaman and Mera head down to the Trench to find out why the creatures invaded land and kidnapped a bunch of people. On their way, they discover a gigantic crashed vessel from Atlantis, which appears to have been there for centuries. Suddenly they see a little baby version of one of the creatures, which is dying. Aquaman and Mera eventually find a Throne Room where the humans are being held captive in protective bubbles, to be fed to the children and the Queen to prevent their extinction. Aquaman and Mera are forced to remove the entire wall and bring it to the surface, but Aquaman is attacked by the creatures and the Queen. Aquaman winds up igniting a volcanic vent, blowing the trench up. Aquaman and Mera escape with the wall of humans, but the creatures are sealed inside, to be killed when the lava fills the Trench. Aquaman and Mera return the humans to land, where more Aquaman jokes are made, but a rescued little boy tells Aquaman he’s his favorite superhero, making it all worthwhile. At home, a cop apologizes for the humans’ treatment of him and gives Aquaman a gift – Aquadog, the dog that can’t swim (“I guess I’ll have to teach him.”) and we end with a preview of 2012, where Aquaman will finally uncover the mystery of who sank Atlantis. Awesome, awesome stuff, and a great conclusion to this story. I can’t wait to read more of Aquaman’s adventures in 2012.

Superman #4

Hoo boy. This continues the “random alien monsters attack Superman” storyline that’s been going on the last three issues, and actually tries to explain things. Superman is losing his memory basically, not being able to remember how he got places or what happened to people. Some talk show attempts to catch Clark Kent and some other not-Lois Lane reporter chick in a lie but Clark suddenly winds up in an apartment with all three alien monsters, who have to communicate telepathically now since Phase One failed. Or some other stupid shit, I dunno. So now Superman tries to destroy them but they just won’t die, and reveal that Superman created them. Well, alrighty then. This one is still nothing but words, and yet we still don’t have any explanations for what is happening, or really what is going on. I think I’ll stick with this one because it’s the flagship comic for one of DC’s flagship heroes, and it’s supposed to get a new head writer later in the year, but I recommend staying away from this pile for the time being.

The Flash #4

This issue goes into the origin of Mob Rule. Basically, it’s a group of clones generated from hacked off limbs of Barry’s friend Manuel. Manuel’s dad was killed in some sort of airline hijacking incident and he tracks down and gets revenge on the killers. But the CIA, where he works, believes him to have gone rogue after he continues to kill people, and he is tortured. And his clones form from his limbs, and the clones help Manuel escape his torturers. Now the clones are dying off, and need the real Manuel to help them find a cure. Manuel realizes he last left the Flash for dead and goes back to help him, but he’s caught by Mob Rule, who take him back to their base. Meanwhile, Barry Allen wakes up, and apparently his super speed caused the bullet to go through him. He becomes the Flash again and takes off to save his friend, and we’re out. The main story is still a little confusing, but Mob Rule’s origin was interesting. Plus, the artwork is still awesome, some of the best I’ve seen from the New 52 to be honest.

Teen Titans #4

It’s December 31, 2011, and Cassie (remember, we can’t call her Wonder Girl) is running through a crowded Times Square. Turns out she stupidly posted something for Red Robin on Craigslist and, of course, N.O.W.H.E.R.E. responds... by sending Superboy after her! They get into a huge fight in the middle of the New Year’s Eve festivities, a fight which is broadcast on live television. Meanwhile, also in New York City, Red Robin and the rest of the Teen Titans try to form a plan when Kid Flash and Solstice arrive at the front door. Flash is recovering from hypothermia (while also wearing Robin’s clothes, in a funny moment) and the team bonds before seeing the Cassie/Superboy fight on TV. So the Titans come to the rescue, officially dubbing themselves the Teen Titans, and we’re teased with a confrontation between the group and Superboy as the issue ends. Great stuff, as this series continues to be a fun ride. The story isn’t paced too fast or too slow, and it’s just a fun ride seeing all of these different personalities come together to fight against a common enemy. Highly recommended!

Justice League #4

This one is another one continuing to grow on me. Last issue ended with the debut of Aquaman, and he’s back here, explaining that something came to the bottom of the ocean and unleashed all of those weird creatures. This leads to a bunch of awesome comments between the yet-to-be-named Justice League members (“I don’t see a leader.” “You haven’t looked at me yet.”) and they all have to wind up teaming up together to take on more of the weird creatures. Aquaman is able to show off his powers by calling on some very large, very hungry sharks to assist the heroes, thus gaining a spot in the group. Meanwhile, Cyborg completes his transformation into a cyborg and destroys a bunch of the weird creatures. When he asks his dad what happened, his dad reveals that he did that to save his life. Horrified, Cyborg flees. At the same time, the Justice League is attacked by the military, and the heroes have to figure out a way to stop the soldiers without harming them, leading to more funny dialogue (“I do things to draw attention to myself.” “He touched my whip, he has to tell the truth.”), and once the army is taken care of, Cyborg runs right smack into the middle of the Justice League and passes out. As they try to help him, Darkseid makes his debut (“I guess that’s the bad guy.” “Good guess.”) and things look like they’re literally about to go to hell for our heroes as we fade out. The build is slow, as we’ve finally gotten everyone in the group together and a bad guy for them to fight, but I’m digging this series. It’s probably my third favorite of the DC New 52 behind Batman and Aquaman. I still think it will read better as a Trade Paperback, but I’ll definitely go back and reread this story arc when it’s all said and done.

Uncanny X-Men #3

Let’s end things with the lone Marvel entry for the week. This weird storyline came to an end, I guess. Basically there’s a huge “battle,” with the psychics finally getting the better of the villain Sinister. He then retreats (after talking a lot; must be jumping ship to the Superman comic) and takes the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts with him. Then a bunch of giant robots appear, and the X-Men tell them that Earth is their territory and that they are protecting someone. So the big robots fly away and regular citizens are scared shitless of the X-Men, believing them to be some kind of gods. Umm, okay then. Kind of confusing, thanks to all of the talking by Sinister, although to be honest I can’t even remember what the main focus of this storyline is. I might have said this earlier, but this series isn’t bad, it just lacks focus at the moment. Or maybe I’m just not an X-Men fan, I dunno.

Overall, DC blew Marvel out of the water again this week. Justice League and Aquaman are must reads, and Teen Titans is fun as well. Your mileage may vary on the rest though.

NEXT WEEK: Action and Detective Comics! Batwoman! Daredevil! MORE Uncanny X-Men?