Review: Superman And The Authority #4

Superman and the Authority #4 came out last week, the last issue of this quirky mini-series that I have unabashedly loved.

I shouldn't be surprised that Grant Morrison could pull off such a series. Somehow this series is both in continuity and seems out of continuity. It started with Superman meeting Kennedy. It ends with Superman heading off to Warworld, sliding into the current Action Comics arc. It is seems to include metacommentary on social media, comic fandom, and comic property creators. It throws in some intriguing lines that probably will impact the entire super family. All this while being massively entertaining. Morrison grasps who Superman is. 

Mikel Janin is also amazing on this book, bringing us such polished art that I want to inject it into my eyeballs. His older, graying Superman is just dazzling. His Lois Lane is feisty and sort of scary. The  

action sequences include very palpable hits. 

But it is the droll ending of the big villain arc that is the can't miss moment here. It has to be seen to be believed.

On to the book.

Review: Superman And The Authority #3

Superman and The Authority #3 came out last week and was another tremendous issue in what has been a very entertaining mini-series. Writer Grant Morrison is telling a story of an aging and weakening Superman forming a team to act on his behalf. But as I have said in the past, Morrison is also weaving in comic history, commentary on comic fandom, and a surprising amount of humor. I think Manchester Black is almost a stand-in for Morrison, calling it like he sees it at times.

This issue concentrates mostly on the recruitment of the Enchantress to the Authority. It involves a true laugh out loud moment. It ends with three different cliffhangers, one as the team is trying to recruit their next member, a new Lightray.

The art is by Mikel Janin and Travel Foreman and the book has a very pleasing polished look to it. I love the new look uniforms for the Enchantress and Nat Irons. And I the wild environment of Fort Superman is showcased nicely with great points of view in wide open page layouts.

If there is one complaint it is that we only have one issue left. The team hasn't even been fully formed yet. We have just learned about the threats the world faces. How is this going to wrap up in one issue? Or is the plan for it to end with the actual formation and take it from there. I wouldn't mind a lot more issues of this title.

On to the details.

Review: Superman And The Authority #2

 When the Superman and The Authority miniseries was announced, I knew I was going to buy it. I mean I will always buy Grant Morrison books. And Morrison Superman books never fail to entertain. And Mikel Janin on art? Brilliant. 

 It was 'the Authority' part that worried me. I have never had too much interest in the group and never read the book. But the concept of a future Superman putting together a group of misfits to be his away team sounded too good. Manchester Black corralled into being a good guy? This I needed to read.

Superman and the Authority #2 came out last week and was simply one of the best books I have read in a while. What is Morrison's game here? Is Morrison poking fun at the comic book industry? Himself? Is he laughing at us fans? Or with us? 

I don't care.

This book is just seeped in metatextual comic and fandom stuff that I had a silly grin the whole way through.

The team is barely formed and we are halfway through this brief 4 issue series. I hope we get to see them in action. But if all I get are 2 more issues similar to this, I'll be just fine.

The art here is predominantly done by Janin who draws an older Superman looking like sturdy Tom Strong. The internal chapters are done by Travel Foreman, Fico Ossio, and Evan Cagle. The book flows well under these artists, each chapter improved by the style of the artist. 

Let's dive into the fun.

Review: Superman And The Authority #1

Superman and The Authority #1 came out this week and by the time I reach the bottom of this review I hope I have a grade in mind. Because I am a bit befuddled by the concept but I enjoyed the issue.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by this. Grant Morrison is the writer of the mini-series. And with so many Morrison works, I probably will need to marinate in this one for a while. I sometimes just have to let the experience wash over me and hope I will appreciate all of it via osmosis. But one thing I know about Morrison, he never fails to impress. And in particular, his take on Superman has never failed me. 

Here we have a Superman on some Earth trying to make sure that he has a team of operatives who can act on his behalf when his powers fail him. But this is a Superman who was alive in the 60s. He is gray-templed, weakening, wearing a Kingdom Come S-shield, but still dang inspirational. And the first person he reaches out to is Manchester Black, one of his most powerful and deadly enemies. Whew .. some opening act.

The art here is by Mikel Janon, whose work I have always loved. Clean lined, dynamic, and lovely, his work sings here. His middle-aged appearing Superman looks like a movie star. The action scenes are fun and frenetic. And the colors by Jordie Bellaire only bring a layer of beauty to things.

But in a current DC world trying to work its way to a Future State, where the super-family has been shaken up a bit, is there room in my mind for the Superman of Earth-?. Well, as long as it entertains, yes.

On to the book.

Future State: Superman Worlds At War #2

Future State Superman Worlds At War #2 came out this last week and was another good issue showing us one potential destiny of the Man of Steel. I have to say, between his stint in Imperious Lex and his death brawl with Darkseid in Immortal Wonder Woman, this Superman gets around.

For me, this series was a key one to read. Phillip Kennedy Johnson is on writing. He is writing the Superman books after Future State and so this is a peek into what he thinks of our hero. I was pretty impressed with the first issue and I thought this one was also very good. There is no doubt that Johnson thinks of Superman as an inspirational and pure hero. This issue's telling is a bit ham-fisted in driving that home. But it shows why Superman believes in humanity. He is us. He learned from us. And as a result, we need to be like him.

Mikel Janin's art is, as always, beautiful. This is more impressive because the story jumps back and forth from two teenagers talking in a field and a barbarian brawl in space. In both settings he shines. My one slight complaint on the art is how the Warworld bits are colored only in tints of red or orange. It started to feel almost monochromatic after a while.

This also ends with a solid cliffhanger. Inspiration indeed!

On to the book.

Review: Future State Superman Worlds Of War #1

Future State Superman Worlds Of War #1 came out last week. Of all the Future State books, this was the one I was most eager to read. Phillip Kennedy Johnson is the writer of the main Superman story and as he is taking over the Superman books, I have been eager to see his take on the Man of Steel.

While the story has Superman in it for only a couple of pages, the story did a good job of giving me a feel for what Johnson thinks of Superman. At least for now, I am pretty happy. It is hard to know how much of this Future State business (if any) is going to trickle back down to the present day timeline. But the general respect for Superman is seen here. 

Add to that Mikel Janin very polished art and you have a very entertaining story. Johnson's script has Janin drawing it all, from human crowds sitting around a bonfire to Superman fighting demons to an almost deific Man of Steel. His art dazzles in all those arenas.

This was a very entertaining read, not only for the actual plot but for the reassurance it has given me (for now) for the future of the Superman books. I haven't been able to say that I have enjoyed all the Future State stuff I have read. I can here.

On to the book.

Review: Legion of Super-Heroes #4

Legion of Super-Heroes #4 came out this week and finally we got a snippet of the team's origins, close enough to the classic to feel familiar, different enough to feel fresh, suspicious enough to make a conspiracy theorist like me wonder some things.

I loved it.

We are slowly meeting the Legionnaires and this issue we get concentrated doses of the original Legionnaires Three. We got snippets of information about Blok and Triplicate Girl. And we got a sort of newish interpretation of one of my longtime favorites Lightning Lass as well.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis is slowly immersing us in this new Legion mythology. There are some storylines brewing in the background. But mostly it feels like the stage is being set here. As a lifelong Legion fan, as someone who has understood the issue of keeping old rabid fans happy while opening up this mythology to new readers, he really is walking the tightrope. I have to give him proper respect for doing this, a seemingly impossible task.

The art on the issue is broken between Ryan Sook doing his usual stellar work on the present timeline. Mikel Janin pencils the flashback sequences. The whole issue sparkles artwise. I am so impressed by this book. And one particular panel gave me goosebumps. When you strike a chord with a jaded reader like me, you have succeeded.

On to the book!

Review: Justice League #8

I have been pretty pleased with the recent Justice League comic, written by Scott Snyder with art from Jorge Jimenez and Jim Cheung. It is an often confusing, universe shaking, wildly imaginative story that often leaves me perplexed and breathless.

What has been interesting is the plan to intermittently have an issue be dubbed Legion of Doom, written by James Tynion IV, and focusing on a villain. It is a chance to take a breath, slow down, and see life from the other side of the fence.

Justice League #8 is mostly about Lex Luthor, the leader of the villains and the one most in the spotlight for the earlier arcs and his conversation with The Batman Who Laughs. We get some of the League. We get some of the other LOD. But mostly it is these two talking in half-truths, each trying to be the smartest guy in the room. Thankfully, there is some plot progression at the end.

This was my least favorite issue of the run. It is probably because I didn't read Metal and have no idea who this Batman Who Laughs is. Tynion does a good job of painting the picture that he is exceedingly powerful and dangerous. But he is basically an unknown to me. So his talk with Luthor didn't carry the punch I think it would for others more informed.

That said, Mikel Janin is on art and is wonderful. His art is slick and gratifying. Everything kind of has a sheen to it, detailed and expressive. This title is one of the prettiest on the stands.

And, as I said, more clues get added to the mix.

On to the book.

Bullet Review: Batman #43

This is going to seem like a silly review. I don't normally buy the Batman solo book. But I have been impressed with Tom King's work just about everywhere else. I loved his two parter with Superman. So it has become something of an impulse buy. In the end, I wonder if it should just move to the pull list.

Add to that my reading, with great interest, the conversation about his treatment of Poison Ivy in this latest arc. I thought my passion about Supergirl was rabid but it pales in comparison to some of the  Ivy lovers out there. They are a vocal group with strong feelings about their favorite character. And they weren't happy. So that piqued my interest even more.

So what made this be pushed over into bullet review territory? Well for one, Supergirl has a role in this book, albeit a silent one. She is there in the background. And the art is by Mikel Janin. I love Janin's art and think he would be great on a Supergirl book. Who knows when (or if) he would be drawing her again! So I thought maybe I would share just for that.

But more than that, there is a moment in this book, an homage to a prior story, that is just so perfect that I needed to talk about it here. And even better, that homage tangentially involves Supergirl!

King is really firing on all cylinders these days. And the art in this book is just lush, especially the Ivy-centric pages.

Review: Superman #52

It is the end of a brief era.
The New 52 chapter of the DC Universe is coming to a close. There is a #Rebirth. There is a scrubbing away of the angst, hate, and dismal nature of the characters. There is a return to a more classic feel, leaning on legacy.

But such a change cannot happen with casualties. And the New 52 Superman, who has had an uneven four plus years, is one of those spots being expunged. I'll praise him in a bit. But right now my job is to bury him.

Superman #52 came out this week, the last issue of the Super-books pre-Rebirth. It is the end of The Final Days of Superman. It is the end of this Superman. And as such, we get to see this version of Superman say goodbye.

I have had my issues with this Superman. I have had a lot of issues with him. And yet, I was surprisingly moved by this issue. Writer Peter Tomasi has done a very good job in the post-Truth books to make this Clark much more likeable, much more heroic. So to see him settling his affairs was touching.

The art is done by Mikel Janin is fantastic. I love Janin's smooth work. It is stellar. And there are a lot of big splash pages, reminiscent of the all-splash page Superman #75, where Superman first died. But is is Janin and Jeremy Cox's colors are the real hero here. This book is soaked in oranges and reds. It feels like it is on fire.

For convenience sake, during this review I will use the following key:
Superman = New 52 Superman
PreFP-Superman = older pre-Flashpoint Superman
Fire-Superman =  Flame avatar Superman, Denny Swan

This is the end ... or is it. Prepare for me to blow your mind with a theory when this is over.

Review: Superman #51

When the #Rebirth event was streamed, the execs from DC made it clear that they realized something was missing from the current universe. They called it legacy. But they also said that they needed to go back to what worked for these characters. They had lost their way.

I could point to Superman as a key example. Outside of Grant Morrison's run and a most of Greg Pak/Aaron Kuder's run on Action, the Man of Steel has been a mess. Distant, turned into a monster, depowered, exposed, stuck in crossover events that weren't well timed, well planned out, or well executed.

When I heard that Peter Tomasi was going to be the writer of one of the post-Truth #Rebirth Superman books, I was concerned. There was this call for classic interpretations. So I was optimistic. But Tomasi had written one of the most flawed interpretations of Superman in The Truth, the bashing, angry, sadistic guy in Superman/Wonder Woman. Was he the one to be given a Superman book?

Well, Superman #51 quelled a lot of my fears. This issue was one of the best Superman books I have read in a long time, reminding me of all the things I love about this character while spinning an interesting story. I closed the issue and said 'this is my Superman' something I haven't been able to say for a long long time.

Mikel Janin is on art on the book and brings a clean, stunning look to the book. There are a lot of splash pages and big panels but I didn't mind. This felt like the sort of issue that needed big art. We are starting fresh here. So let's be big and bold, trumpeting this new direction.

If this is the tone Tomasi is bringing to the book moving forward, count me in.