New 52

Red Hood and the Outlaws #13

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red-hood-and-the-outlaws-new-52-13-coverThe Outlaws’ outer space adventure comes to a close as Kory and her older sister lead a battle against The Blight with the help of the crew of the Starfire and their human friends.

The choice to make Roy Harper the sole narrator for this issue works well as it seems to be the easiest character for Scott Lobdell to write (Roy seems to share his jaded but humorous view of the world). The issue certainly delivers plenty of action and we get a glimpse of how powerful the New 52 version of Starfire can be when she looses control and truly lets loose.

Although I enjoyed the final two issues of the arc I’m happy to see it come to and end and return Starfire, Arsenal and Red Hood back to Earth where they belong. Next week should begin “The Death of the Family” crossovers and we should, hopeful, see a confrotation between Jason Todd and the Joker looming before too long. Red Hood and the Outlaws #14 also promises an appearance by Superman. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Worlds’ Finest #5

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worlds-finest-5-coverIt’s odd that Worlds’ Finest keeps running away from its biggest strength – the relationship between its two leading ladies. Although we get some nice moments with Power Girl and Huntress together, most of this issue is set aside to give us separate adventures for them both.

From Power Girl we get another story of her trying to find a way home for both Helena and herself. This one involves a super-accelerator and a robot from another dimension. And the comic continues the trend for Power Girl to lose most of her clothing for another issue. For Helena, we get an evening out at a Take Back the Night rally where the Huntress is called upon to stop a sniper from… doing something (the comic makes no attempt to give us a reason for the man’s actions).

Although neither story is bad, all of the best parts of Worlds’ Finest #5 come in the conversations between the two women between their stories and at the comic’s beginning as the heroes continue to test Kara’s powers to see how they might work differently in their new home. For fans.

[DC, $2.99]

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Teen Titans #0

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teen-titans-new-52-0-coverNever a huge Teen Titans fan to begin with, I’ve stayed away from the New 52 relaunch of the title with the exception of the first issue or two. However, I was curious enough to see how Teen Titans #0 would tell the origin of Tim Drake as the third Robin.

Like most of the New 52 origins, Tim Drake’s story gets streamlined and simplified more than necessary. We still get the young detective who searches for Batman’s identity realizing Batman doesn’t work nearly as well without a partner. But how he eventually gets Batman to accept is damn awkward.

Scott Lobdell’s writing aside (which is clunky and has a couple of huge plot holes) the story works for the most part up until Drake puts his family in danger by stealing from the Penguin. Yes, this earns him his face-to-face with Batman, but it’s hardly the work of the genius the book espouses him to be. The comic also doesn’t explain how Tim is able to continue being Tim, and live publicly with Bruce Wayne, with his parents in witness protection and the Penguin still after him. For fans.

[DC, $2.99]

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The Flash #0

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the-flash-new-52-0-coverAlthough not all DC’s Zero Issues have been actual origin tales (which is weird, because I thought that was the point?), Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato deliver just that in this retelling of the Flash‘s origin, the accident that gifted a police scientist with super-speed, and Barry’s Allen’s first adventure as the Scarlet Speedster.

For those familiar with Barry Allen, especially writer Geoff Johns‘ recent retelling his origin which introduces the idea of the unsolved murder of his mother which drove Barry to become a cop, there’s no much new. However, the use of Barry’s father as the man, innocent or not, convicted of her murder is worth noting. As is Barry’s obsession with proving his innocence.

Flash #0 also gives us the lighting strike which gifted Barry with his super-speed (thankfully the New 52 doesn’t figure out a way to “improve” the classic retelling the way they screwed up Captain Marvel), Barry’s creation of the suit which fits in his ring, and his first action all clad in red and yellow. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Red Hood and the Outlaws #0

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red-hood-and-the-outlaws-new-52-0-coverJason Todd‘s origin (before he became the Red Hood) is the focus of Red Hood and the Outlaws #0. In the first-half of the comic writer Scott Lobdell fills in Todd’s past before he became Robin making slight tweaks to the character’s origins most notably removing the character’s post-Crisis on Infinite Earth‘s first meeting with Batman (by stealing the tires off the Batmobile).

Given the amount of backstory about Todd and his parents we’re given very little time to deal with his days as Robin – only four pages (and half of those focus specifically on “A Death in the Family” and the character’s death). The character’s resurrection is suggested but no detail is given (other than the mention of a Lazarus Pit) and his entire history as the Red Hood is ignored giving the zero issue a very incomplete feel.

Most troubling of all is the back-up story presented by the Joker (the super-genius Christopher Nolan version who relies on impossibly complex plans) where he states he is completely responsible for Todd’s history. It’s best ignored and forgotten. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC, $2.99]

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