Decisions, Decisions: Justice League and Green Arrow

Decisions, Decisions.  As I've said before, I'm giving each series three issues to WOW me.  Then I decide if they stay or go.  Due to the number of weeks I'm behind, I'm changing up my format. so here goes.

"May the odds be ever in your favor."

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Issue #3

Justice League

So I based this decision of of issues 3 and 4, since I was pretty sure this was one I would keep.

Recap: Super-humans are still hated by society, but now they are trying to fight the invasion of winged demons sent by Darkseid.  A sword-wielding Wonder Woman is introduced to join the fight, Aquaman surfaces to drive the demons from the deep, and Cyborg's newly-downloaded knowledge has all the answers to WHY the demons are here.  It's an action-packed couple of issues.

Issue #4

What Soars: The humor, the characterization and the tension among all of these "strangers" is perfectly clear.  Johns does an amazing job with the story and with the character development.  Amidst it all, he even injects a TON of humor.  Green Lantern is hilarious! Yes, he's the cocky douche he's always been, and yes he has that bromance with Flash, but he is a hoot! Of course, Jim Lee is astounding with his artwork.  I can't say it enough.  And even Aquaman is kick-ass.  Isn't that hard to do?

What Crashes: Wonder Woman sounds like a complete idiot.  I guess you have to remember, she is fresh in the new world from her secluded upbringing on Paradise Island, but she still comes off a little "challenged." What she lacks in brains though, she makes up for in balls. This chick is NOT afraid of a fight.  And although I thought her sword was stupid at first, it's kind of growing on me.

Decision:  Definitely a keeper.  As I've said before, this is my team.  I've been with them for so long and with the re-boot, I feel like I've been with them from the beginning.

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Green Arrow

Issue #2

Green Arrow is the Star City Batman.  While I never really latched on to The Dark Knight, there was something I loved about the Emerald Archer.  Rich playboy.  No real powers, but enough money to have any cool gadgets he needs. I guess if you're a real person hoping to be a superhero, this is the closest you can aspire to in the DC world.

Recap: A gang of superhuman criminals, led by Rush, are causing crimes and streaming them live on the net.  Very Running Man / Hunger Games.  Their next target is Green Arrow and their goal is to kill him live online.  They bait GA by enticing a young, enamored super-fan, calling himself Alpha, killing him live online.  GA can't resist getting involved.  After a good fight and an inspiring "The More You Know" message to viewers, the super-gang is locked away.

Issue #3

What Soars: This is a solid 3-issue arc.  The action certainly picked up in issues 2 and three and there was a clean and clear resolution.  Of course, it ended with a cliffhanger to begin a new arc.  Very typical, very formula.

What Crashes: Queen Industries has become Q-Core, the leader in innovative technologies like the Q-Pad and the Q-Phone. Q-Lame.  There wasn't much explanation of "why" in this story arc,  but I don't think the writers cared.  This seemed like a grabber to get new people interested.  I hope it did.  Oliver deserves it.

Decision:  While Oliver Queen will always have a place in my heart, I think it's time to let go of this series.  It's had it's day and I'm not sure this new run wil ever match the good ole days of Oliver Queen.

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All images copyright DC Comics and used under guidelines of Fair Use

Reviews: Stormwatch#1 and GA#1

It's "New Comic Book Wednesday!"

As DC continues to release #1s of all its revamped AND new titles, I'm playing along.  Here's what I've been anxiously awaiting this week.

Stormwatch #1

I have been dying for this one to come out primarily because of the characters being brought up from the DC "minors."  Although I have never followed The Midnighter, I know of him. And Apollo.  I feel like a Noob starting something completely new, but one thing I like about the DC relaunch is that none of them (so far) start at the beginning.  It isn't a string of "Origin" comics.  

In Stormwatch, a team of super powered monitors have been protecting the planets for centuries and they have discovered an alien force that is threatening the earth and has the power to defeat Superman.  Their mission is to save Earth. One member of their team, The Martian Manhunter, explains that he works with the Justice League when the world needs a hero, but he works with Stormwatch when they need a warrior.  And they are looking to recruit a man on earth even more powerful than Supes.

Enter Apollo, a closet case.  He has tremendous power, he's even used it to fight and defeat the man of steel, but he is not interested in being a hero.  He wants to be left alone to live his normal, quiet life.  But Stormwatch knows his ability and knows they need him to save Earth.

This is one story I'm hoping does NOT change from the characters as they exist in Wildstorm comics, for you see, Midnighter and Apollo are a couple.  Yes.  Strong, masculine, male heroes. And gay. Such men do exist.  And here in their own mainstream series.  I'm hoping it continues to be epic.

Now, I suppose I'm being picky, but you have a headquarters lurking in hyperspace, you have technology to monitor the entire universe and you have humanoids with amazing abilities to run the entire operation. And the best names you can come up with are Angie, Harry and Adam? I guess that a world as fantastic and creative as this could have some names that are a little more unique.

I'm also not so keen on the art, but I can certainly live with it.  I get really finicky when comic art borders on watercolor realism.  I recognize that Alex Ross is a tremendous artist, but I do not like his for for comics.  There are times in this, especially in close up details, that Miguel Sepulveda seems to be approaching that line.  And then there's feet.  One character is barefoot and it looks like he's walking on stumps.  I recommend some practice in that area, especially if this guy is ALWAYS barefoot.

Overall, cheers for Stormwatch as a first issue.  I'll continue to read even if it ends up only to follow the Midnighter/Apollo relationship.  

Green Arrow #1
I have been drawn to Green Arrow since early college for his Batman-like origin.  He's just a guy in a suit. Avenging the death of his parents.  He has no powers but does possess amazing skills.   I don't know why I liked him better than Batman (maybe it was the color green or the phenomenal van dyck he always sported), but Green Arrow shot his arrow through my heart.

But making Oliver Queen look like the glamorized CW version detracts from his appeal.  Don't get me wrong.  Justin Hartley is one FINE specimen as a man as Oliver Queen, Arthur Curry or... Justin Hartley, but when it comes to the Oliver Queen on the printed page, he just isn't it.  Disappointment #1.

Now, I've only ever followed GA peripherally, so I don't know which elements are brought from previous stories and which are part of the overall re-write. In this version, Queen Industries is based in Seattle (not Star City) and when I really got to know Green Arrow, he didn't have an "eye-in-the-sky" team helping him pinpoint crime.  As I read through it, I somehow felt like I was reading a modified version of a Smallville episode. Here, his Chloe is called Naomi, although she may as well be called the Oracle or even "Angie" (Yes, the Engineer from Stormwatch). Disappointment #2.

SPOILER ALERT:  The story seemed a tad bit convoluted.  Green arrow is in pursuit of an awkward trio of criminals who video their attacks and post them online.  He confronts them on a yacht party where they are caught and sent to prison.  As he resumes life at Q-Core, the arrested criminals are broken out by a team of villains.  One looks strangely like Claude Rains' Wolfman.  Writer J.T Krul tried to put way too much into a far too ridiculous story.  Disappointment #3.

The only other element that rubs me the wrong way, in all of the New 52 so far, is that every costume seems made of scaled (yes, like fish scales) armor. Somehow superheroes in armor seems wrong.

And finally, I lied.  Yesterday I said I'd buy all The New 52 #1s in print.  However, I decided there were some titles I'd test drive in digital, so I logged on from home and downloaded a few.  I'll talk about them another day.