Archive for June, 2011

Wonder Woman Wednesday, 6/29/11

Posted: June 30, 2011 in DC Comics, Gail Simone, Greg Rucka, Wonder Woman Wednesday
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I consider Wonder Woman to be one of the strongest heroes in comics both in body and mind.  She is loyal as can be but doesn’t allow her loyalties to overshadow what truly is right and just.  Now of course she has changed a great deal as time has moved forward, especially in her relationship with the Dark Knight.

In the early 90′s, Wonder Woman comes to Batman in awe, while still upholding her personal convictions.  She feels almost too innocent and vulnerable in the way she expresses herself to Batman…

Uncertain of the issue number and run....whoops!

Now, go forward almost a decade and here we have Batman coming to Wonder Woman in that exact same manner, and Wonder Woman taking the place of the awe-inspiring figure…

From Greg Rucka's "Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia." One of the strongest Wonder Woman stories I've ever read.

Thanks to Greg Rucka & Gail Simone, Wonder Woman really has become the strongest woman in comics today.  In turn, becoming the strongest hero in comics…period!

Green Lantern VS. The Critics

Posted: June 26, 2011 in DC Comics, Green Lantern, Warner Bros., Warner Brothers
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This is how things work out sometimes I guess.  Let’s just hope the superhero franchise doesn’t go down in the dumps….

The Search For Swamp Thing #1 (Of 3) Review

Posted: June 25, 2011 in Batman, Brightest Day, Comic Book Review, DC Comics, Jonathan Vankin, Marco Castiello, Superman, Uncategorized, Zatanna
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Written By: Jonathan Vankin

Art By:  Marco Castiello

Coloring By: Barb Ciardo

Inked By: Vincenzo Acunzo

Lettering By: Sal Cipriano

Edited By: Rex Ogle

Associate Editor: Eddie Berganza

Cover By: Ardian Syaf

The Plot

The search begins!  And helming this man hunt for Swamp Thing is the British, wise-cracking detective, John Constantine.  But as good as John is, he’ll still need some help along the way.  Can the Dark Knight detective and our fish net stocking wearer of hotness find Swamp Thing before more chaos is inflicted on society?

My Awe Inspiring Opinion

I love Jon Constantine, always have, which has peaked my interests as DC Comics ventures forward with Swampy into the DCnU.  But my time living overseas for two years halted my reading of the said character and kept me out of touch with DC’s hero or horror for some time.  So now, to help prepare me for what I’ve missed, the search for Swamp Thing will allow me to dive deeper into the world of Alan Moore even more than I already am.  This Brightest Day Aftermath has my blood pumping for the start of the Swamp Thing series.

With DC announcing its new line of horror comics, a different writing mentality should be adopted by fans of DC and its heroes.  Swamp Thing has always been a terrifying character and now has been given a chance to reclaim his throne of scares, but first DC needs to reestablish Swamp Thing into the DC Universe with….drum role please….A NEW ORIGIN STORY!!!  (Sarcasm mode initiated)

DC is attempting to merge both origin stories from Len Wein and Alan Moore by Bringing Alec Holland back from the dead, causing a Swamp Thing who thinks it actually is the said scientist to have a major identity crisis in the future.  As terrible as Brightest Day was, it certainly set up the rise of Alec Holland perfectly.

My apologies as I’m allowing my love for Swamp Thing to take over this review of a comic focused on John Constantine.  When I read through this issue the first time, I was a little jolted by some of the dialogue and character interactions…It didn’t feel enough like Constantine.  However, a second read through allowed me to process the character’s depth within this first issue.  Vankin allows readers the chance to become acquainted with Constantine while developing the plot at the same time.  We especially get a double dose of his arrogance as he dared to set foot in the Batmobile with a cigarette in hand, something Batman wasn’t too happy about.

The story has undergone some major changes in the last few months with characters dropping in and out of the plot’s grasp.  Originally, Hawkman was to be in the place where Zatanna now stands.  But going even further back shows multiple characters being toggled back and forth in that exact position, ranging from Martian Manhunter to the Blue Beatle, to shadowy unknown figures of questionable loyalty.  But without a doubt, the inclusion of Zatanna was a smart move as her and Constantine share a history together that I’m sure she would rather forget.

Marco Castiello does some fairly amazing work with his jagged and rough-edged style.  Some of the action scenes felt a little anti-climactic, but there was very little else to complain about artistically.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

So overall, this is a quality first issue.  I’m looking forward to seeing how this miniseries establishes what is to be once Swamp Thing #1 pops up on stands in two months.  But of course, who knows what’s going to happen with the reboot.

8 out of 10 Stars

Superman #712 Review

Posted: June 24, 2011 in Brad Anderson, Comic Book Review, DC Comics, Krypto, Kurt Busiek, Rick Leonardi, Superman
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Written By: Kurt Busiek

Pencils By:  Rick Leonardi

Coloring By: Brad Anderson

Lettering By: Comicraft

Edited By: Matt Idelson

Associate Editor: Nachie Castro

Cover By: Stanley “Artgerm” Lau

The Plot

Let’s trail back a few years to Geoff John’s literary masterpiece, Infinite Crisis.  Remember how, after the crisis was complete, Superman went missing for a while?  #712 of Superman brings us an untold tale of our favorite comic book superdog, Krypto, during this time.  The “Grounded” story arc has been put into suspension for right now to take the time to remember one of DC’s most successful and groundbreaking series in their history.  But, as the last page indicates, this isn’t a tale told in one issue.

My Awe Inspiring Opinion

I love it when writers take the time to give these big name titles a break from all of the chaos and destruction to allow for a much more light hearted story told in 22 pages.  Krypto has never been my favorite DC character in the Superman family, but every time he’s included, it’s genius.

I’m a huge lover of dogs.  They are some of the most expressive animals on the planet.  You can tell when they are upset, sad, angry, or happy.  There’s never a grey area with them, you just know!  Rick Leonardi took extra special care in showing Krypto’s excitement when anything in air would fly by, followed by an immediate disappointment when it turned out not to be his Kryptonian master.

My favorite aspect about this issue was, in fact, the lack of dialogue.  (wait,what?)  That’s pretty unusual for me, I understand that, but the issue didn’t really need it.  Dialogue was only used minimally to help serve as reminders of the events that transpired during this time, but was also irrelevant to the book’s emotional center.

Being an artist myself, I simply love comics where the story’s focus is driven by the artwork, and Leonardi does this in fine style.  Along with the great coloring work by Anderson and inking by Sibal, the unique style was the perfect touch to give this issue that edge it needed over the rest of the comics that have come out this month.  I would dare say that this issue was a much needed break for the haters of the “grounded” arc.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

Without saying very much, I give this issue a very high rating due to its originality and creativity in how it involved Krypto.  You’ll burn through this issue faster than most others, but I’ll bet you everything I own that you enjoy it more than all the rest.

10 out of 10

+ 1 incentive point.

Lois Lane And The Resistance #1 (of 3) Review

Posted: June 23, 2011 in Andy Lanning, Comic Book Review, Dan Abbett, DC Comics, DCnU, Eddie Nunez, Lois Lane, Superman, Uncategorized, Wonder Woman
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Written By: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

Pencils By: Eddie Nunez

Coloring By: Hi-Fi

Inking By: Don Ho

Lettering By: Dave Sharpe

Edited By: Rex Ogle

Cover By: Eddie Nunez, Sandra Hope, Hi-Fi

The Plot

Ok, so Lois Lane is in the UK.  (Thanks for not doing your research on what makes the UK and Great Britain.) She’s there doing a story on modern English fashion despite the fact that she would prefer to be out there in the heat of battle reporting on the war between Atlantis and the Amazons.  All of the sudden, England (or is it the UK?) becomes the new stronghold for the Amazon warriors called New Themyscira, which caused massive earthquakes and death.  Now, being captured by the Amazons and held prisoner, Lois Lane has two choices…either escape from the Amazonian clutches, or stay and learn more about her new enemies.  Knowing Lois Lane, I think you can make a very educated guess as to what she’s going to do.

My Awe Inspiring Opinion

So this is a DC Universe that’s way out of continuity; Superman is nowhere to be found, Batman owns a casino, Aquaman is an evil S.O.B, and seven new heroes took over a secret team of six.  However, what hasn’t changed about this uncontinuitized (yes, I made up a word…my blog, my rules!) version of the DC Universe is Lois Lane.  She is still recognizable as the Lois we all know and love, which was a smart move on Dan Abnett’s part.

This miniseries’ titles suggests that Lois will form a band of heroes (or villains, who knows?) to take on the Amazonian threat now plaguing Great Britain. (or is it England?) But don’t be fooled by the titles cover art as Lois Lane spends most of her time escaping the Earth shattering catastrophe in a dress that makes her look a lot like Princess Diana before she went all “bat-shit crazy.”

Speaking of which, I will never complain about artists drawing gorgeous and seductively sexy women, but this depiction of Lois does push the limit.  Big hips and boobs that could give power Girl a run for her money, especially after her dress rips and both legs are bare and glistening.  (It’s amazing how so much destruction can cause her cloths to rip, yet she doesn’t have a mark on her.)  She might as well be naked right?  However, Eddie Nunex still does a fantastic job with his mastery of intense battle scenes and expressive faces.  I would consider myself lucky to have his artistic abilities!

Just like with any Elseworlds story, we look for those sparkling moments that show resemblance and difference.  In this case, Jimmy Olsen is his typically nerdy self, but has a “secret agent man” persona that Lois finds about when trying to operate his camera.  I certainly wish I could own a useful tool such as smart metal, it would make life so much easier.

The issue itself does have somewhat of a rushed feel to it.  In just two pages we went through 32 weeks of imprisonment after being bombarded with plot progressions.  But with only 3 issues to cram in this fairly hefty plotline, I don’t blame Abnett for approaching the series like this.  We get thrown into a fair amount of twists and turns that can make for a very taxing read.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

All in all, this is a fun issue. Nowhere near perfect, but enjoyable all the same.  And after a book like this, it makes me wonder why DC hasn’t given Lois her very own ongoing series to begin with.  Maybe 52 #1’s could turn into 53???

7 out of 10 stars.

Green Lantern Movie Review

Posted: June 21, 2011 in Blake Lively, DC Comics, DC Movies, Geoffrey Rush, Green Lantern, Mark Strong, Martin Campbell, Michael Clarke Duncan, Peter Sarsgaard, Ryan Reynolds, Tim Robbins, Warner Bros., Warner Brothers
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Release Date: June 17, 2011 (3D/2D theaters)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Martin Campbell
Screenwriter: Greg Berlanti, Michael Green, Marc Guggenheim, Michael Goldenberg
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett, Tim Robbins, Temuera Morrison, Jay O. Sanders, Taika Waititi, Jon Tenney, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Clarke Duncan
Genre: Action, Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action)
Official Website: GreenLantern.com

The Concept Was Nice….

When you think back to all the comic book films that have come out within the last decade, they all put on the same façade…the difference between good and evil always seem to be questionably unclear, never leaving much room for certainty in who the bad guy and good guy is. That or the notion of good and evil is left in this grey area where only the audience knows the truth, while the movie’s characters stay ignorant.  The X-Men are hated by those they protect, Batman glides on very thin ice with his vigilante ways, Jonah Hex goes around slinging his pistol in the name of good, The Punisher takes fighting crime to a whole new violent level, and the Watchmen decide that the only way to stop nuclear war is by blowing up an entire city…I ask, when does good have no grey area?

Thanks to modern television, shows like Lost, Dexter, Battlestar Galactica, and Heroes, the critics rely on films to be so overthought and analytical that they hurt and ache to be meaningful. Martin Campbell attempts something which hasn’t been done since the first Spider-Man.  Within the Green Lantern film we find a good guy with no real tarnished past, has no extra baggage lugging behind him, is sanctioned by a legitimate and legal intergalactic police force, isn’t fighting some physcho murderous clown, and ends up being a good man defending the galaxy against terrifyingly monstrous evil.  Green Lantern on screen ended up being exactly what the comic book is, where good and evil are clearly defined and the characters within the storyline have a set and clear purpose.  Very few comic book films allow for this type of cinematic prose and I applaud such a daring move on Campbell’s part.

That Being Said…

I found myself a little underwhelmed with the entire film, as fantastic as it is.  The world of Oa took me back to my childhood when films like The Never Ending Story were hibernating in the VCR.  The Green Lantern mythos in and of itself personifies the greatest mythological aspect that defines DC Comics’ core.  But the meat that makes Green Lantern so unique and interesting was missing within this film.

The problem exists with the lack of substance and the “plotty” nature of the film’s progression.  An overabundance of character additions and plot devices make it hard for the editors to give the film a fluid two hour flow, causing the character relationships to feel forced and confusing at times. The film never stood firm on any foundation to give the story much to work with and, at times, I wondered if the film was designed to be more of a bed time story rather than an action movie because, well, I wanted to fall asleep a few times.

The film took a very strange turn somewhere in the middle of it all as Hal Jordan seemed to take a great deal of time in personal reflection and boring one on one dialog with certain characters.  But even more so, the way the film was edited made me feel like I was missing bits and pieces of the storyline in order for it to make sense.  His time on Oa was very brief, and his “training” was so short that the final climactic battle scene between him and Parallax seemed very out of place.  There wasn’t enough buildup of this concept that will is stronger than fear to make the last bit of oratory by Jordan strong enough to feel riveting, (that and Reynolds just didn’t deliver it very well) and so much of the plot relied on this touchy feely mojo crap that was way over played.  To be honest, this film’s weakest and most daunting flaw lied within the script and the editing.

The cast itself was strong.  Ryan Reynolds played a superb Hal Jordan.  I’ve always believed he’d be a fantastic Green Lantern, but the majority of film viewers out there had trouble believing that Van Wilder would pull off a successful Superhero.  Believe it everyone, Reynolds rocked it!  As for the rest of the crew, Mark Strong was the perfect choice to play Sinestro and Peter Sarsgaard freaked me out as Hector Hammond.  I could have lived without Blake Lively playing the part of Carol Ferris, but she wasn’t terrible either.  I could have believed in Angela Bassett’s Amanda Waller if the script didn’t make her out to be some push over government agent, but I certainly believed in Michael Clarke Duncan’s Kilowog.

For comic book readers such as myself, this film will satisfy that fanboyish need to see cool constructs and clever little shout outs to certain Green Lantern and DC Comics events that have already happened.  But even with that, the film itself doesn’t provide enough excitement and made me very groggy-eyed in the process.  With that being said, it’s only going to be worse for the non-comic book reader.  I guess this goes to show that certain superheroes need to remain in the comic and never transcend onto the big screen.  The story itself is, a stated, a simple one and very much a traditional superhero story.  But the potential of this film was shot down the tube when all is said and done and delivered a film very unworthy of one of DC’s most compelling and exciting superheroes.

4 out of 10 stars

Going To See Green Lantern Today

Posted: June 20, 2011 in DC Comics, DC Movies, Green Lantern
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Today is the day I venture off to the movie theater to watch the much anticipated Green Lantern movie!  I’m about as excited for this film as I was for Watchmen.  Geoff Johns has been building up the Green Lantern mythos into a defining feature of the DC Universe, border lining on overpowering the Superman storyline as the marquee DC legacy.

However, recently I’ve been partaking in Facebook discussions and reading reviews that claim the Green Lantern film to be less than spectacular, proclaiming that the movie isn’t bad…but not great either.  I’m doing my best to not allow these fan feelings to dictate any type of a preconceived notion about the film to form in my brain.

It’s certainly been refreshing to see that the reviews haven’t been focusing on how closely or not the movie stays true to the source material.  Despite all of the differences that occur between the origin story within the film vs. the comic book, fans seem to be more concerned with the quality of the film itself and not how well it honors the Green Lantern Origin.

I’m more curious as to what the film decides to use from the “secret origin” storyline Geoff Johns implemented into the Green Lantern comic.  Will Atrocitus be with Abin Sur when he crash lands on Earth?  Will any part of Blackest Night be put into the film to help build up for future films?  I honestly could care less how well the movie stays true to the origin story, I’m more excited to see what they do to prepare for sequels!

Holy Lego Awesomeness Batman!!!

Posted: June 14, 2011 in Batman, DC Comics, Lego Blocks
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This is, by far, one of the coolest tings I’ve seen for comic book fan art!!!

Geek And Gamer Girls Song

Posted: June 10, 2011 in Geek And Gamer Girls, Youtube videos
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So this week and the next might be a little slow in getting blog posts up and updating my sire.  I’m currently in the process of preparing for the international barbershop chorus contest with Sound of the Rockies.  We have our retreat this weekend in the Rocky Mountains.  The next weekend I have a wedding to go to.  The folowing weekend is our “Go For The Gold” send off show, and then ALL of next week is he International competition where I’ll be enjoying and competing against some of the best singers in the world.  But, needless to say, the coming weeks are going to be kind of busy.  But I will be posting, just not as frequently for about a month.

In the meantime, please enjoy this freaking AWESOME music video about…well…what guys WISH girls looked like when playing video games.

X-Men: First Class Movie Review

Posted: June 7, 2011 in Ashley Miller, Jack Stentz, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Bacon, Marvel Comics, Matthew Vaughn, Michael Fassbender, Movie Review, Rose Byrne, X-Men
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Release Date: June 3, 2011
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Screenwriter: Ashley Miller, Jack Stentz, Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, January Jones, Kevin Bacon, Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Till, Edi Gathegi, Jason Flemyng, Oliver Platt, Morgan Lily, Zoe Kravitz, Bill Bilner
Genre: Action, Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of action and violence, some sexual content including brief partial nudity and language)
Official Website: X-MenFirstClass.com 

X-Traordinarily Mutantilicious

My prediction prior to seing X-Men: First Class – “X-Men First Class will be just as good as X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”  For those of you who know my opinion of the Wolverine, You can probably deduce that I neither liked it nor disliked it.  I was very neutral.   I feel it safe to assume my prediction was right when concerning First Class.

In 2000, the first installment of the X-Men Franchise debuted in movie theatres across America.  Two years later, Spider-Man came along, thus solidifying the push for more comic book films that mirrored the quality brought on by the two said films.  Now, over a decade later, the initial X-Men movie has been anointed by fans as the pinnacle comic book film that started the craze over ten years ago.

But what of the franchise itself?  Are the X-Men becoming less and less of a defining cinematic adventure that other comic book films can model themselves after?  Has it lost its “umph?”  For me personally, I would answer in the affirmative.

Now that isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy First Class; it’s a thrill a minute as director Matthew Vaughn brings in a lot of quality action scenes and digital effects which, of course, amplifies the “action” in the phrase “Action Movie.”  Likewise, being a comic book fanatic myself, I don’t think I could ever NOT enjoy a film based off of any comic book superhero even if I tried.  The only exception being Punisher: Warzone…God what a train wreck!

The freshness and creativity that came along with the first two X-films has dwindled away into a more modern film making façade that’s delivered convoluted and very hefty storylines within the three most current X-films.  However, the problem First Class doesn’t lie with the multiple plotlines and inability to decide the central location of the storyline, but rather the fact that this prequel provides audiences with nothing new.

I don’t read X-Men, or anything published by Marvel Comics for that matter.  However, being a comic book fan, I can’t help but know the canonized origin story of the X-Men and how they came to be; Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr start a team, they use cerebro, some crazy shit happens, Erik decides to break away and form his own band of mutant freedom fighters, Charles becomes paralyzed and the X-Men are formed!  The only thing that’s different is the mutants in this film (besides beast) are actually some of the newer mutants within the X-books.  Needless to say, the informed comic book reader will walk out of the theatre the same that they were before, and the uninformed audience member (based on the preface set by the previous three films) will STILL walk out of that theatre knowing nothing new to add to their knowledge of the X-Men.  I did, however, enjoy a certain counter-factual historical event during the Cold War being retold as the result of mutant involvement.  I’ll take that little conspiracy theory and put it in my geek files for later usage!

As appropriate and accurate as I think it was, the cheesy catchphrases made me want to upchuck the Jimmy John’s sandwich I had earlier that day.  “We’re mutant and we’re proud!”  Really? Could we try some other way of building up the pride of a race without using silly one-liners that make me feel embarrassed to be watching this movie?

The film’s strongest aspect was the relationships built from start to finish.  Vaughn gave extra special attention to the one-on-one dialog between each character to ensure the audiences relatability to them; Beast and Mystique, Magneto and Professor X, the students, and the love and friendship they developed for one another was expertly executed in print and on screen.  Even after the split happened between Prof. X and Magneto, there remained a certain amount of respect between the two splintered groups thanks to Vaughn’s attention to the story established prior to the release of First Class.

Unlike the films Thor and Iron Man, the entire X-Men mythology is a strong and creative one which makes for outstanding potential in the film industry.  The excellent quality of the X-Men franchise, however, stands firm within the first two X-Films, leaving the most recent three films on a downward slope into nothingness.  First Class is still fun and enjoyable, but it’s nowhere near worthy of remembrance.

However, it is better than X3; Last Stand!

Also, can I point out just how disappointed I am that Stan Lee DIDN’T make a cameo in this film????  I’m jest sayin’

6.5 out of 10 stars

Flashpoint #2 Review

Posted: June 5, 2011 in Andy Kubert, Comic Book Review, DC Comics, Flashpoint, Geoff Johns, The Flash
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Written By: Geoff Johns

Penciled By: Andy Kubert

Inked By: Sandra Hope

Coloring By: Alex Sinclair

Lettering By: Nick J. Napolitano

Edited By: Kate Stewart

Associate Editor: Rex Ogle

Cover By: Andy Kubert & Sandra Hope

The Plot

We get a glimpse of the Aquaman and Wonder Woman of Flashpoint, and it ain’t a pretty picture!  Meanwhile at the Batcave, Batman (Thomas Wayne) and Flash try to work out their differences.  Can the Flash restore his reality and wipe out Flashpoint’s.  I guess we’ll find out when the DCU reboot begins huh?  (grumble grumble)

My Awe Inspiring Opinion

How does a fan of DC comics continue to read Flashpoint knowing that it’s the precursor for the rebooted DCU coming in September?  Sure, there are those that are looking forward to the “new and improved” DC line of comics, but for those of us (and it’s a lot) who are really aren’t happy with this up and coming change, it could be really hard to read this miniseries with an open mind.  For me, personally, I’m not sure what to do.

That being stated, I did enjoy issue #2, but not near as much as #1.  There’s only three issues left to go and the bulk of the issue was spent in aggressive negotiations between Batman and Flash…how much time did Johns need to spend in developing the series’ overarching plotline?  I felt as if this could have been fleshed out in fewer panels.  (But I’m just a blogger right?  What do I know?)

Just when I thought Johns was going to take the easy route, he throws in the monkey wrench and makes sure Thomas Wayne isn’t just some evil version of the Batman we all know.  Thomas Wayne shows his stance as a character with his immediate acceptance of helping Barry wipe out the world of Flashpoint if it means giving life back to his son Bruce, willing to not only sacrifice his life, but the life of everyone else on Earth.

Evil Wonder Woman and Aquaman help to maintain the feeling of unfamiliarity and angst.  Andy Kubert’s artistic prowess amplifies this sentiment even more with the two former heroes and their demonic look, followed by a very disturbing turn of events with Barry Allen’s body completely singed from the failed Frankenstein experiment.  This book, despite the foreknowledge of the reboot, left me wanting much, much more!

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

I don’t know, I liked this issue but I’m pissed about the future of DC being helmed by Johns and Jim Lee.  I can’t fault this issue based on the disgusted feeling I have towards the reboot, so I can’t justly give this issue a bad rating based on that.  But I must make it know to Johns and Lee…I am NOT HAPPY!!

8 out of 10 Stars

Secret Seven #1 (of 3) Review

Posted: June 4, 2011 in Comic Book Review, DC Comics, George Perez, Peter Milligan, Secret Seven, Secret Six, Uncategorized
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Written By: Peter Milligan

Art By: George Perez, (1-15) Fernando Blanco (16-20)

Inked By: Scott Koblish

Coloring By: Tom Smith

Lettering By: Rob Leigh

Edited By: Eddie Berganza & Chris Conroy

Cover By: George Perez with Tom Smith

The Plot

Shade the Changing Man is visited by Enchantress in this world of Flashpoint as they struggle with altering magical realities and reminisce on the once powerful super team, The Secret Seven.

My Awe Inspiring Opinion

We aren’t in an Elseworld’s title ladies and gentlemen.  This book’s title is, in fact, correct.  I have no doubt that anyone and everyone reading this knows all about the mysterious reboot that DC is inflicting on the DC Universe.  Why they decided to do this, we can only speculate, but I’m confused as to why they felt the need to completely change my favorite comic book title into a mesh posh of unfamiliarity.

The flashpoint event has one major advantage which is, at the same time, a major disadvantage…the consistent comparing and contrasting that will no doubt be apart of every DC fan partaking in this event.  From what’s come out thus far, and what’s going to come out, there seems to be a legitimate amount of familiarity in each title to generate interest in fans.  I picked up this first Secret Seven tie-in issue because of my love for all things Secret Six.  How amazed I was to discover that it has absolutely nothing to do with Gail Simone’s Secret Six.

Now before I go into my bash fest, I must first congratulate DC on following through with their promise to make many of these tie-ins “stand-alone.”  Secret Seven has that fresh feel that doesn’t require its readers to be familiar with regular Flashpoint miniseries or have any knowledge of Shade or Enchantress.  If you want something new and strange, Secret Seven could be a good choice for you.

Now onto my hatred for this first issue…

I don’t so much hate it as much as I don’t really understand it.  There are a lot of things going on in this issue but no explanation is given for why they’re happening.  The importance of these events isn’t explained, which makes me wonder why this title was even published.  It could be the connection Shade had to the Suicide Squad a few years ago which prompted this spin-off, but even then I still didn’t quite get the “point” of it all.

Maybe if I knew more about Shade and his significance within the DCU I would better appreciate this issue in and of itself, but even with its new a fresh feeling, the book itself comes off more confusing than anything else.  There’s no clear definition as to who the bad guy is (which may be the point, I don’t know) and who the good guy is.  All that IS, in fact, clear is that Shade somehow stole Joseph’s amazing Technicolor dream coat, Enchantress looks shockingly like Carmen Sandiego on the cover, and that the entire issue feels like a bad episode of “Dr. Who.”  Give me my Tardis and send me back to a time when a good comic consisting of a team of seven was being published.  (Oh Sovereign Seven, how I miss thee.)

George Perez puts out some pretty good work, however crazy it may be.  Perez has seemingly become a foundational aspect to DC when looking for an older artistic style, which I’m sure was the point.  I just hope all those heads with blood-shot eyes can recover from seeing Shade’s concealed crotchal area.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

Maybe I’m allowing love for the Secret Six book to dictate my feelings towards the Secret Seven, but I really think that this three issue tie-in series will flop on its face while the rest of the world stomps on top of it.  I only hope it the next two issues are better.

3 out of 10 Stars

Secret Six #34 Review

Posted: June 3, 2011 in Bane, Batman, Comic Book Review, Dan Luvisi, Daniel LuVisi, DC Comics, Gail Simone, J. Calafiore, Secret Six
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Written By: Gail Simone

Art By: J. Calafiore

Coloring By: John Kalisz

Lettering By: Travis Lanham

Edited By: Rickey Purdin

Associate Editor: Rachel Gluckstern

Cover By: Daniel Luvisi

The Plot

Does anyone else smell a twisted sense of justice and satisfaction infecting this issue?  I certainly do.  #34 not only wraps up the hell bound story arc but also gives clairvoyance to much of the sentimentality existing within the Six since it began almost two years ago.

The Six…er, well, the five…find out where Liana has been held captive by her “Savior” and set her free.  After the rescue mission is complete, the Six go back to their normal lives…and I use the term loosely. This is more than just a violently sexy issue and is the pinnacle of the amount of depth comics have achieved in the modern age.

My Awe Inspiring Opinion

So did anyone take a peek at the letters section of this issue?  I must say I’m geeking out like crazy that a letter of mine actually made it into my favorite comic book title.  Thanks DC, and thank you Gail for grinning gleefully within that castle of yours!  I wish I owned a castle.

Ok, enough about me, let’s move on to bigger and better things…like the Secret Six!  I’m a sucker for these kinds of issues; the characters poor out their emotions and suck the readers in in the process.  Simone paints an interesting picture of a villain team who seems to have a strong sense of morals within their own world…Minus Deadshot, he really doesn’t care most of the time.

While it’s only a small aspect to #34, the opening sequence really drives a joyous rusty nail into my imagination.  It’s always interesting to see characters loose themselves in the moment of delivering justice to the ones that harm others.  Scandal Savage says very little after finding Liana’s kidnapper.  After a brutal scene with the bad guy getting his just deserts, Scandal delivers the coup de grace.  Just a hint, don’t piss off a women in love, you may just have you eyes gouged out…but not before you fingers are bitten off, your kneecap shot, and your body broken.

But it’s within this scene which truly defines the Six and how much they need each other. (Except for Deadshot, he STILL could care less right?)  The Six delves into an exceptionally emotional and touchy-feely montage of feelings and modes of expression.  Scandal, since the beginning, has always been the most expressive of the Six with Bane following up a close second.  But under Scandal’s influence, and through the events of recently visiting hell, the Six finally opens up to each other in ways most families can’t.

But the gleaming moment for me comes out in the final page where Scandal lays on her bed stroking her weapon of choice with Jeanette walking seductively into the room.  It’s not because these two women seem ready to partake in an act of lesbian awesomeness, (and believe me guys, that’s the first thing that will pop in your head) but rather it’s the powerfully moving, yet brief speech Jeanette gives to Scandal.  They’ve accepted their destiny in Hell, which means they are not constrained by the rules set by man.  Yet she states this in such a way that makes you believe in their goodness and forget about their evils.

As always, J. Calafiore can do no wrong.  He’s an excellent judge of how to make each character sexy even during those exceptionally violent moments.  The page where Scandal and Ragdoll embrace each other’s hand is a blue lite masterpiece which gave me chills.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

Once again, Simone and Calafiore produce a flawless installment of the Secret Six.  It’s one of the saddest moments for me in my comic book collecting career, however, to hear of its inevitable cancellation due to the DCU reboot.  I can’t say I’m happy about this decision as it pushes my favorite comic out the door to make way for…something else.  But, while I still have time, I’m going to enjoy the ending arc that I’m sure Gail has planned starting next month.  Gail, you are an amazing writer!

10 out of 10

+ 4 Incentive Points.