Here are today's Guest Reviews by Anj from Supergirl Comic Box Commentary for DC's; Action Comics #24, Superboy #24, Superman/Wonder Woman #1, and Worlds' Finest #16. I have also added my rating after each review. If you have any questions about my rating or want to discuss anything just leave me a comment.
Action Comics #24 - Psi War, Part Two
When Brainiac shrunk Metropolis, they were infected in the process. Now, Superman battles their effects on the city—and the secrets of “The Twenty” are revealed!
Preview
Psi War: Enter the Psycho Pirate
I didn't realize just how disjointed the insertion of Villains' Month would be on my comic reading until I picked up Action Comics #24 this week. I needed to go back and review the last issue to remind myself what exactly was going on.
This chapter of the Psi-War arc concentrates on the new player on the board The Psycho Pirate. Surprisingly, for the second month in a row, Scott Lobdell isn't writing (despite being listed on the cover). Old Supergirl scribe Mike Johnson is listed as writer here, although I have to assume that Lobdell is plotting what is happening here.
Art is done by Tyler Kirkham and is nicely rendered, with mixes of psionic powers, flashbacks, and a surprising cliffhanger page. I will say, I was never one to believe in a 'house style' for comics, but Kirkham's art just feels like a DC comics, reminding me of Cinar, Daniel, and others. I'm not against a house style necessarily, but I enjoy varying styles of art, especially when the art complements the story.
I will say that one of the plot points that I find unsettling is the psionic villains showing Superman is being emotionally vulnerable or even super-sensitive. You might recall that Hector Hammond made Jimmy morose and Perry bombastic ... feeling Superman said mirrored his own! I don't think Superman is either! In this issue, the Psycho pirate attacks Superman's insecurities and almost wins. I'd like to think that Superman is pretty happy with who he is such that he doesn't harbor such feelings.
My Rating
Cover & Solicit - 3
Art, Colors & Inking - 3
Layout & Flow - 4
Story - 3
Verdict - 3.1 (6/10) - (Buy Action Comics #24) SAVE 10%
Superboy #24 - Secrets and Origins
Superboy faces a foe he cannot begin to beat! The battle will tear him apart and reveal the truth of what Dr. Psycho has been secretly planning all along!
Preview
Attacked by Psycho Pirate
Superboy #24 came out this week, the last issue in the Justin Jordan 'era' of this book. This book has the be the most unstable book in the Superman family of books as it has gone through several creators, several overall thematic changes, and several origins for the title character.
I know longer know who this Superboy is. I don't know if I have ever known who this Superboy is. And now I am starting not to care about who he is either. Is he the 'living weapon' of NOWHERE? Is he grown to kill Superman? Is he the angry bank robber, living a party life? Is he a wisecrack going to high school? Is he the clone of Superman? Superman and Lex? Superman and Lois? Superman and Lois and Superman/Lois? When I don't know who I will be reading month to month, it is hard to get invested. And with Jordan gone and Marv Wolfman coming in, who knows who we will be reading next.
But this is the end of Jordan's run, a run which started with some optimism as a repentant Superboy was going to return the money he stole only to meet Dr. Psycho. Their relationship was fun and funny with snappy banter. But the last issue seemed to back off from a fun-loving Conner. And so we have this issue which wraps up some of the Psi-War elements in this book (although the actual ending to this arc is in another book).
The art, done by fill-in professional Robson Rocha. I will say, his art is improving with each issue I see. In particular, his Psycho Pirate is great, infusing him with flairs of insanity.
My Rating
Cover & Solicit - 4
Art, Colors & Inking - 4
Layout & Flow - 3
Story - 3
Verdict - 3.4 (7/10) - (Buy Superboy #24) SAVE 10%
Superman/Wonder Woman #1 - Power Couple
Beginning a bold new series that details the relationship between The Man of Steel and the Warrior Princess as rising star writer Charles Soule is joined by fan favorite artist Tony S. Daniel to tell the tale of a romance that will shake the stars themselves. These two super-beings love each other, but not everyone shares their joy. Some fear it, some test it—and some will try to kill for it. Some say love is a battlefield, but where Superman and Wonder Woman are concerned it spells Doomsday!
This issue features an amazing wraparound gatefold cover that opens up to a triptych with Superman and Wonder Woman in the center!
Preview
Date Night
Superman/Wonder Woman #1 came out this week, written by Charles Soule and drawn by Tony Daniel. It is a book that has had its share of controversy already as the DC community seems pretty split on whether the romantic relationship between the title characters is a good thing.
Now I am a pretty big Lois fan. And I have always understood just why these two don't belong together, most elegantly stated in John Byrne's Action Comics #600. Clark is just a simple boy from Kansas and Diana is a goddess. It isn't an easy match.
Things change of course. But the stories in the New 52 with these two have done nothing to make me understand why they are together. There hasn't been any characterization explaining why they have decided romance is the way to go. From a meta viewpoint, this has felt forced, as if they are only together because the powers that be in DC have decided they should be.
And unfortunately, there wasn't much in this issue that made me think differently. If anything, this issue made me think they shouldn't be together. Soule does his best to show us the extremes of their relationship - loud moments of action and quiet moments together. But it still doesn't crackle.
The story has Superman and Wonder Woman battling an odd storm at sea intercut with flashbacks of Clark and Cat Grant, Diana and Amazon friend Hessia, and finally Clark and Diana alone. I don't mind nonlinear story telling but in this instance it took me out of the story, breaking any momentum the storm scene has by leaving it. And the transitions don't move the story either.
I will say, outside of Diana's high heel boots, Daniel's art is superb here.
My Rating
Cover & Solicit - 5
Art, Colors & Inking - 5
Layout & Flow - 4
Story - 4
Verdict - 4.4 (9/10) - (Buy Superman/Wonder Woman #1) SAVE 10%
Worlds' Finest #16 - Burning Questions
Can Karen go on after she loses her powers while trying to defend Huntress from DeSaad’s attack?
Preview
Rage Against the Light
Worlds' Finest #16 came out last week starting a new story arc and moving away from the Desaad/Earth 2 theme which had been the focus of the book for a while. In some ways I am sad to see this story line go away. Battling Desaad and getting home is the central theme of the book and I was hoping we were getting some traction there.
And yet, in some ways, I am happy to see the book move beyond this. It is clear that Huntress and Power Girl are going to be on Earth One for some time. So churning through arc after arc where they don't get home might become repetitious.
So to see the two heroes out there, fighting crime, and barely talking about leaving Earth One, and accepting things was actually refreshing. And the new criminal with a variety of odd powers is intriguing.
RB Silva takes over on art in the book and his art seems uneven. After Perez and Maguire, and given the characters, I think a clean slick style would best serve the book. Someone like Francis Portela would shine here. Silva's murkier look seems just a tad off, mostly in the quiet scenes.
Emanuela Lupacchino continues to shine on covers. But I thought this might be a gatefold! What are the yelling at?
My Rating
Cover & Solicit - 4
Art, Colors & Inking - 5
Layout & Flow - 4
Story - 4
Verdict - 4.3 (8.5/10) - (Buy Worlds' Finest #16) SAVE 10%
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