Archive for the ‘Brightest Day’ Category

The Search For Swamp Thing #3 Review

Posted: August 30, 2011 in Brightest Day, Comic Book Review, DC Comics, Jonathan Vankin, Swamp Thing
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Writer: Jonathan Vankin
Penciller: Marco Castiello
Inker: Vincenzo Acunzo
Colorist: Barbara Ciardo
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Cover Art: Ardian Syaf

The Plot

There’s something fishy about John Constantine, always had been.  He’s one of those comic book characters that I can never make up my mind about.  And in this issue he’s motives are finally revealed…in order to bring the world back to normal, and to calm the beast known as Swamp Thing, he must kill Alec Holland!

So question remains…who’s the bad guy if this DCnU preamble?

My Heretical Opinion

Swamp Thing and John Constantine have been allowed by the DCU higher arcs to leave the realm of Vertigo and entire into the more popularly known DC Universe.  The two fellow newcomers have always been at odds, but Swamp Thing has always maintained a consistent, noble trend.  But Constantine has never been that graceful.  This issue is no exception as Constantine decides to kill Alec Holland in order to bring balance back to the world.

Of course, always trust Superman and Batman to intervene when things take a turn for the worst.  As always, Constantine’s interaction with the two power houses of the DCU is witty and just frustrates the Bat and the Alien…always a funny site to see.  However, one thing that seemed quite out of place for me was the sudden change of heart Constantine developed right at the issue’s end,

“Alec Mate, I came here to make a choice for you.  I think you know what that was meant to be. But now, I’m keen to hear what YOU choose.”

I never took Constantine for a flake, so this seemed quite out of character for him.  But that doesn’t mean Vankin didn’t deliver a quality issue, leaving so much more mystery to be discovered and created excitement (for me at least) in what lies ahead for the upcoming Swamp Thing series!

In addition to being a good read, Search for Swamp Thing #3 presents an incredible amount of artistic talents by Castiello.  Much like its previous two issues, #3 is dark and gothic amongst the swampy realm, giving the horror aspect of the yet to be debuted Swamp Thing series a nice warm-up before hitting stands next month.

Castiello also gives each character perfectly sculpted figures and expressive faces.  But I must say, Castiello presents an absolutely gorgeous Madame Xandadu, giving her a mature and respectable demeanor while making her a nice bit of eye candy as well…

Click To Enlarge

So #3 gives us a lot to look forward too, and it’s unclear as to what will happen to Swamp Thing next month.  Swamp Thing is still disconnected from mankind.  We all know the swampy creature won’t bond with Constantine due to his connection the Justice League Dark, so who could the unsuspecting victim be?  Excitement boils within my veins!

9 out of 10

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

Brightest Day #24 Review

Posted: May 1, 2011 in Blackest Night, Brightest Day, Comic Book Review, DC Comics, Gary Frank, Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Patrick Gleeson, Peter J. Tomasi
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Written By: Geoff Johns & Peter J. Tomasi

Artist: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Patrick Gleason, Ardian Syaf, Scott Clark, Norm Rapmund, Vicente Cifuentes, Oclair Albert, Tom Nguyen, Mick Gray, Mark Irwin, & David Beaty

Colorist: Aspen MLT’s Peter Steigerwald

Cover Artist: Gary Frank & Rod Reis

Letterer: Rob Clark Jr.

Editor: Rex Ogle

The Earth Shattering Plot

Swamp Thing is Earth’s ultimate savior, but in order for him to return, someone else must die.  As the newly inducted elemental heroes fight off the Dark Avatar, one hero will sacrifice himself in order to save all of humanity…and the one he loves.

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

As a lot of you know, my opinion of Brightest Day has been quite low. However, with that being said, as painful as it was, I’m certainly glad I stuck it out all that way through as the series as I found out of Swamp Thing’s return.

However, as awesome as this return is, the issue isn’t perfect and seems to have been thrown together to help wrap up a series that was destined for failure.  The end result of each character’s stories may look as if there’s some semblance of a coherent conclusion, but ultimately makes little sense.

The Hawks turn into the wind, Manhunter becomes the Earth, Aquaman becomes H2O, and Firestorm become fire.  These biological alterations of the heroes of course make sense when thinking of their characteristics, but make little sense with the stories they were caught in the middle of within Brightest Day; The Hawks get caught in an interdimensional duel with Shiera’s mother, Manhunter goes through a lovers quarrel over the longevity of Mars, Firestorm failed in his attempt to save his professor, and Aquaman controlled the dead fish…it just doesn’t make sense to me.

As Brightest Day strung me along with multiple convoluted storylines, I now find myself happy about the return of one character but still confused about where this whole thing is going.  Why did Hawkgirl not return and Hawkman did?  Why is Firestorm uncertain about his future?  Brightest Day did a great job at stringing readers along without giving any indication about what was going to happen and leaving virtually no clues to help solve the mysteries.  Now we are left with even more daunting events and questions which, in turn, make no sense and I sit here thinking to myself that I have absolutely no idea what happened in 24 issues.  #24 only satisfied my geeky side with the return of Swamp Thing but didn’t give me any closure with the series itself, not that I was expecting it too.

It was confusing during Blackest Night and is STILL confusing for me in Brightest Day…How can a Black Lantern exist while the actual hero lives as well?  Firestorm goes up against himself and now Swamp Thing fights the Dark Avatar…which is Swamp Thing.  I feel this concept was never successfully explained which makes everything even more confusing than it already was.

And of course I come to the book’s art, and as I’m sure you can see, it has a jumble of artists.  Save me oh Lord, the jolting effect from one page to the next gave me such an artistic headache that I literally took three Advil and five Ibuprofen just to help simmer the pain.  (That’s completely untrue by the way, no medication was needed.  It was just painful to gaze upon.)  The first splash page of Swamp Thing standing over the world is gorgeous!  Then I turn to the next splash page where Swamp Thing fights the Dark Avatar and he looks completely different with no resemblance from the previous page.  The artistic talents in this issue are amazing, but the toggling eats at my soul.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

All in all, Brightest Day is a failure, leaving nothing but confusion, uncertainty and very little closure.  Yeah, sure, Swamp Thing is back and it’s awesome…but the ending doesn’t give readers anything to work off of.

3 out of 10 stars.

Justice League: Generation Lost #24 Review

Posted: April 29, 2011 in Aaron Lopresti, Brightest Day, Comic Book Review, DC Comics, Dustin Nguyen, Fire, Ice, Judd Winick, Justice League International, Justice League: Generation Lost, Matt Ryan, Maxwell Lord, Travis Lanham
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Written By: Judd Winick

Artist: Aaron Lopresti

Inker: Matt Ryan

Colorist: Hi-Fi

Cover Artist: Dustin Nguyen

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Editor: Rex Ogle & Brian Cunningham

The Upsetting, Yet Satisfying Plot

OMAC Prime is on the rampage, copying the League’s powers and overtaking them.  Even Wonder Woman has some difficulties bringing down the big blue meanie.  Elsewhere, Max and Booster go tooth and nail in a knock-down, all-out fist fight, each showing a resilience and stamina that would make the initial fight between Doomsday and Superman look like child’s play.  (Not really, but it was a good comparison nonetheless.)

So what’s the purpose behind this miniseries?  I’m sure you can guess…

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

Here I am, geeking out over a series which reminds me of my childhood.  Growing up with the JLI took my life for a tale spin and changed it forever.  It is with this team that my love for comics began.  I hopped on board with Generation Lost half way through as my pocket book didn’t allow me to pick it up on a bi-weekly basis.  And now it’s issue #24 and I can’t believe I wasn’t follow the series since it hit comic book stands one year ago.  With issue #24, the conclusion of the best mini-series I’ve ever read from DC Comics has finally become reality, and the beginning of an exciting new revival series is just over the horizon.  And all I can do it wait, tapping my fingers in contagion, and bouncing my right leg up and down anxiously.

From page one to the end, #24 grabbed my attention and didn’t let go.  I was so into the story that I didn’t even hear my wife say “dinner is ready!  Put down you comic hang out with me!”  Yes, I have officially become a terrible husband…but it was worth it!  (Love ya on!)  Judd Winick’s masterful writing drives this issue into its successful conclusion, paying attention to the different personality traits of each individual character; Booster has never felt so determined, Blue Beetle continues to prove himself as one of the more competent youthful heroes in the DCU, and Rocket Red still maintains his goofy yet confident personality that causes me to laugh and cheer for him at the same time.

And like any good soap opera, this last issue leaves you wanting more.  The story is left somewhat unfinished yet successfully ends its purpose, leaving so many questions to ponder upon.  The difference with #24 however is this…The ending sucks!  It takes a lot of balls for a writer in any field to piss his or her readers off with an ending they didn’t want.  Max gets away.  He wins!  Just like the cover suggests.  Seriously, after all that investment we, the readers, put into this series…the bad guy wins.  This is a major literary blow to the head.  And for a brief moment, I wanted to pay the Secret Six to find Winick and end his miserable life by way of torture and death.  I was not happy.

Bu then it hit me, why am I allowing my preconceived notions about what I WANTED from this story to dictate what I think about its quality?  Clearly, Winick had a very specific plan for this series and allowing Max to win was part of it.  This wasn’t an ending that felt out of place nor did it feel unworthy of the great story that came before it…it was a good ending despite not getting to see Maxy brought to justice.  If anything, I’m ecstatic from realizing that the JLI monthly title is so close that I can touch it!

I don’t like the OMACs, and OMAC Prime is no exception.  I certainly wish Winick had chosen a different villain to bring in to fight the JLI.  My fear is that this big blue dummy is going to rear its ugly head over and over, becoming just as overplayed as Doomsday.  Oh well, Can’t have everything good I guess.  I did find it refreshingly interesting that Prime not only inherited his opponents powers, but also adopted their superhero attire as well.

I was sadly disappointed in how weak Wonder Woman felt when fighting Prime.  (It’s those leggings, they’re slowing her down!)  it was such a poor representation of what Wonder Woman has become in Straczynski’s run, and it’s not that great of a story to begin with.  However, the purpose with Wonder Woman’s inclusion in this story was met and utilized quite well…even if I don’t like it.  (ggrrrr)

I loved the fight between Maxwell Lord and Booster Gold – it showed how much growth both characters have undergone in the duration of this series.  I feel Max is being truly genuine in his actions and honestly does believe that what he is doing is the right thing to do.  This, in turn, makes him and even more likable villain because fans will have trouble discerning if they should root against or condone his actions.  Maxwell Lord has moved from being a character I despised to one of my favorite villains!  And it’s only going to get better from here.

And of course, the icing on the cake is Aaron Lopresti sketching everything out.  Hi-Fi is certainly a great colorist, but Lopresti is the force behind this visual masterpiece. Clean lines combined with rough edged artistry can never be underestimated.  And it was nice to see him working on Wonder Woman again…even if it is the ill-favored one.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

I had to read this book three times.  It called out to my nostalgia and reminded me of my childhood.  This may not be everyone’s cup ‘O tea, but it served my comics needs SO MUCH MORE than I expected it to.

I raise my glass to you Judd and Aaron, you did great work!  Best Mini-series of 2011, no contest!

10 out of 10 Stars

+ 3 Incentive Points.

Brightest Day #23 Review

Posted: April 10, 2011 in Brightest Day, Comic Book Review, DC Comics, Gary Frank, Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Oclair Albert, Peter J. Tomasi, Tomasi
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Written By: Geoff Johns & Peter J. Tomasi

Artist: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Norm Rapmund, & Oclair Albert

Colorist: Aspen MLT’s Peter Steigerwald

Cover Artist: Gary Frank & Rod Reis

Letterer: Rob Clark Jr.

Editor: Eddie Berganza

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

Ok, let’s get one thing straight here…Brightest Day is a pretty bad miniseries; it’s been filled with confusion and strange happenings that seem so out of place that there really was no way to save it from its eternal damnation.  So the only thing remaining is to give it a dynamite ending!  Now there’s still one Brightest Day installment remaining (coming out on the 20th) and the tension has reached a buckling point and all that lies ahead is a shimmering ray of hope that all will be well……and AWESOME!!!

I typically don’t like stories that use the four elements as part of the plot; they typically get a little too cheesy and ridiculous.  But the way Johns and Tomasi construct this plot twister was nothing short of perfect.  Looking back on how things developed into what they are now also makes perfect sense.  While I don’t think that is a redemptive aspect of the series itself, it helps me to breathe a little easier.

I can tell that the end result of Firestorm, Manhunter, Aquaman, and the Hawks was truly planned out and not improvised as I felt it was as the series progressed.  In fact, I found myself slapping my forehead in disbelief…How did I NOT see this coming?  Brightest Day put so much emphasis on the Earth that I should have at least seen some semblance of the Earth elementals being a major player in the story.

But yet some mysteries still remain.  Hawk and Dove still haven’t been given their destinies, and we remain unsure why Cappy Boomerang has to throw his you-know-what’s at our sweet and innocent Dove.  One more issue to go, let’s hope it’s good!

The story within this issue is tense from start to finish!  Why couldn’t the entire run have been like this?  And all the tension occurs in one central location where all Hell is about to break loose.  It’s simply amazing how well Johns and Tomasi give this single issue such an amazing boost of excitement and awe.  I was blown away!

The White Avatar, which speaks to everyone in riddles and one-liners, really has me perplexed.  I’ve found myself wondering through this series if whether or not the white avatar really knows what’s going to happen as random as everything seems to be.  But one thing’s for sure, he’s funny as hell.

“No need to worry Jason Rusch.  Death sometimes makes you stronger…or simply just dead.”

What mystical being says that something like that?  I’m only now beginning to appreciate the humor of the white Avatar.  But it makes me wonder if he’s going to end up being this flimsy, absent-minded being that’s never sure where he’ at or going.

The return of Swamp Thing caught me by complete surprise.  I guess I’m not paying enough attention to the rumors that have been spreading around the internet.  Bringing back Swamp Thing was a brilliant move on Johns and Tomasi’s part, especially in the WAY they bring him back.  How many debates have been flying around the social networking world about who will be Earth’s ultimate defender?  And how many guesses were there for Swamp Thing?  I would dare say…zero!  But it makes perfect sense as Mr. Alec Holland is, in fact, made of the Earth itself.  I can’t wait to see what is in store for him in the future of the DC Universe!!

This issue had me going nuts over the multiple splash pages and crazy destruction.  The Dark Avatar was incredibly well done, and looked amazingly like Swamp Thing…don’t you think?  This is some of the best art I’ve seen in the Brightest Day title since issue #1.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

Overall, #23 is an absolute delight.  The story is fantastically written and finally gives Brightest Day something to be joyful about.  It’s smart and exciting to say the absolute VERY least.

10 out of 10

 

Justice League: Generation Lost #22 Review

Posted: March 26, 2011 in Brightest Day, Comic Book Review, DC Comics, Fire, Hi-Fi, Ice, Judd Winink, Justice League International, Justice League: Generation Lost, Tora Olafsdotter, Uncategorized, Wonder Woman
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Written By: Judd Winick

Penciller: Joe Bennett

Inker: Jack Jadson & Ruy Jose

Colorist: Hi-Fi

Cover Artist: Dustin Nguyen

Letterer: Swands

Editor: Rex Ogle & Brian Cunningham

The Fiendishly Diabolical Plot

As always, Batman jumps into the mix to provide some much needed advice and leadership in an almost unbeatable dilemma.  With the help of his alien armored suit, Blue Beetle has survived a bullet with Max Lord’s signature on it and was given a glimpse of the evil psychic’s plan.  Apparently not even Max Lord has the ability to leave the past behind and forgive Wonder Woman for snapping his neck so many years ago.  But just as the entire world can’t remember Max Lord, now no one can remember who Wonder Woman is.  It’s all a matter of time!  Who will get to Wonder Woman first, the League or Mr. Lord?

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

It’s the age old tale of heroes and villains rising from the dead; except with this issue, the team turns on their “giddy” switch at the sight of Blue Beetle standing in front of them.  Typically we see heroes receive no more than a stoic smile and a hearty handshake when returning from the afterlife.  Here we see some of the toughest heroes in the DCU turn into crazy-happy “normal” people at the sight of their NOT dead friend.  I wish we could see this side of our favorite heroes more often!  (But then again, I would also like to see DC actually kill off a hero and NOT bring him or her back.  Trends are nice, but they often times become too much.)

Wonder Woman is my favorite super hero in comics, who didn’t know that right?  It’s nice to see her featured in this subsection of the Brightest Day folklore.  I’m not sure if this was purposefully used to explain the changed continuity in her own self-titled book or if it was a last minute detail to help meet the demands of angry screaming fans over the dislike in Wonder Woman’s new found lifestyle.  Whatever the case, it helps me to understand where Michael Straczynski has been going with the Wonder Woman title.

To be honest, I wasn’t the least bit surprised by this series’ purpose.  It’s one evil plot after the next and it all leads up to Maxy’s hatred and bitter attitude towards Wonder Woman.  Amongst all the chaos and mind wiping, it all comes down to one person, and Maxy is bringing in the entire Omac army to take her down!  But I should have seen this coming right?  Comics are always about vendettas and about getting back at the hero that put you away…or in this case, the one who killed you.  With the history both Wonder Woman and Max has, why wouldn’t I have just deduced that Wonder Woman would have some major role to play in Lord’s endgame?  I guess that’s the sign of a good writer – Being able to convince your readers that the obvious ending won’t be the outcome.

But I wonder about the world forgetting about Wonder Woman; is it due to a mistake Max Lord made when wiping the minds everyone on Earth of his existence, or is it due to some higher power that conveniently started as Max fell into his pool of ice?

Side note: Rocket Red makes a pretty darned hot Amazonian princess, am I right?  But the real question is will the males reading this issue who are major homophobes be conflicted in their sexual preference after obviously getting aroused from seeing Rocket Red in Wonder Woman mode?  He’s still a male after all.

Joe Bennett, along with his team of inkers, Jack Jadson and Ruy Jose, leads in with an astounding display of artistic fervorence. (Again, my blog, my rules.  I’ll make up as many words as I want too!!!) Hi-Fi also brings in an amazing light-show as Max Lord sends out his physic message that transforms numerous innocent by standers into the blue-skinned mindless cyborgs.  But as much as I love every artist that’s worked on this miniseries, I certainly hope Lopresti make one last sketching appearance.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

This title is easily the best miniseries of the year!  I know its only March, but good grief, it’s just that good!  Why can’t the regular Brightest Day title be this awesome?  Now all I want to know is what the end result will create within the DCU?  Is this the beginning of a revived Justice League: International title, or will this be the dawning of something new for Max Lord?  What kind of role will he be playing in the future?  I really don’t want to see him die, he’s too good of a bad guy and would be a great addition to Wonder Woman’s list of villains and a great arch-enemy of the JLI.  (hint hint DC, I want to see regularly published JLI title!)

10 out of 10 stars

Justice League: Generation Lost #21 Review

Posted: March 15, 2011 in Brightest Day, Comic Book Review, DC Comics, Fernando Dagnino, Fire, Hi-Fi, Ice, Justice League: Generation Lost, Tora Olafsdotter, Uncategorized
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Written By: Judd Winick

Pencils: Fernando Dagnino

Inker: Raul Fernandez

Colorist: Hi-Fi

Cover Artist: Dustin Nguyen

Letterer: Swands

Editor: Rex Ogle & Brian Cunningham

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

After shaking myself of the confusion of whether or not DC was still publishing their themed covers, (all white background with the protagonists charging at us with their emblem right behind) I opened up to a disheartening first page with Jaime Reyes lying down as lifeless as can be due with Booster hanging his head over the broken body.

In the tradition of Noah and his ark, this issue brings us a story which comes in pairs.  Booster lets all of his feelings out to fellow winged robot, Atom and Ice have a very hectic “coming to terms” talk with each other, and Rocket Red unintentionally shows Fire that he is the happiest and most positive thinker within the DC Universe.    In comics, writers have to give their team a mission…something that brings drama and action to every page.  But every once in a while, writers need to take a step back from all the chaos and allow the heroes a chance to remind themselves of what’s most important inside and outside of their lives. Each pairing was masterfully written by Winick; reminding us why we love these characters so much while also showing that these heroes have been greatly underused.

It all begins with Ted Kord, the most famous of the three Blue Beetles.  Jaime Reye’s death (cough…not dead…cough) brought back the explosive reminder that Ted Kord truly was a foundational unit within the JLI; verging on having the type of super sleuth skills the Dark Knight has.  (or had, depending on which Batman your thinking of…sheesh!)  The JLI was the comic book title that truly got me hooked on comics, so seeing all of this revolve around Blue Beetle’s memory is an incredible delight.

Why are these characters such underestimated heroes in the DCU?  I haven’t a clue!  They all have increasing potential with incredible stories to follow.  Seeing Ice help Atom boost his confidence in himself reminded me of why no one can justly say anything negative about DC’s sweetheart.  Likewise, Atom has always been portrayed as a stoic piece of metal with no more emotion in him than a toothpick.  But then Winick bursts into a song with the emotional meltdown Atom has with his self-doubt.  And of course Booster has always seemed like a self-absorbed, glory seeking dumb head, but deep down inside he is a true leader and devoted friend…he just needed some encouragement.

Somewhere along the way, Fire lost her flirtatious side and became this lean, mean, green military power house!  I’m sure Rocket Red was just as thrilled as we were (jealousy!!!) to see the spark light back up in her personality.

Is that not the best "Come Hither" look you've ever seen???

Wonder Woman may be my dark horse, with Power Girl being my mistress…but Fire has them all beat in being my hidden fantasy.  Gavril, you’d better treat her like a Queen!  Cause if you don’t…she’ll burn you.

Dagnino and Fernandez along with Hi-Fi (I still want to know who names their kid Hi-Fi!!) helped bring this stories dark beginning to an uplifting and meaningful end.  The shading verges on being an overdone aspect…yet the artistic team makes it work in ways I never thought possible.  The triumphant Blue Beetle rising up from his hospital-type bed is a shimmering example of how black power suits can still shine as much as Booster’s blue and gold tights.

Each scene’s color contrasting and merging seem to blend in well together.  It’s almost as if the artists planned how to make each scene work.  Ice and Atom perfectly filled the room up with silver and blue surroundings that gleamed and blended in together so well, while Fire and Rocket Red’s contrasting red and green auras came together in an amalgamated perfection.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

I was one of the many stragglers who hopped on board with this series towards its conclusion.  Only a few issues to go and I’m thankful I didn’t wait until the Brightest Day mess was finished up…otherwise this series wouldn’t have the same impact for me.  To be honest I haven’t read a bad issue of Generation Lost yet, and #21 is one of the best.

9 out of 10 stars


Brightest Day #21 Review

Posted: March 3, 2011 in Brightest Day, Comic Book Review, DC Comics, Gary Frank, Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Patrick Gleeson, Tomasi
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Written By: Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi

Artist: Patrick Gleeson, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado

Inker: Mark Irwin, Keith Champagne, Norm Rapmund, Christian Alamy

Colorist: Peter Steigerwald, Nathan Eyring

Cover Artist: Gary Frank, Nathan Eyring

Letterer: Rob Clark Jr.

Editor: Adam Schlagman, Eddie Berganza

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion

You know what?  Martian Manhunter has never really been given a story worthy of his awesome character.  Even with Grant Morrison’s exceptional White and Green Martian storyline (One of his very few successes) I’ve never felt that the Manhunter has ever been successfully utilized by DC to his full potential.  However, at long last, hallelujah, the alien hero has finally been given a chance to shine!

J’onn is still fighting with his alien witch friend on Mars, trying to make her understand that he doesn’t want to start a new life with her, while D’Kay works her persistent little tushy off to convince J’onn that loving her is his only option.  Amongst all of the mind games D’Kay throws at him, J’onn remains the immovable object that he is and brings this daunting battle to a burning conclusion.

Speaking of which, here I am slapping myself in the face thinking that Johns and Tomasi were feeding me an obnoxiously obvious plot device.  Earlier in the Green Arrow title, the white lantern’s task for J’onn was to “Burn it. Burn it all. Burn it all down!”  This, as I now see it, was not referring to the Star City forest, but rather to himself and the memories of his past.  This doesn’t necessarily mean he should forget his deceased loved ones, but rather facing his fears in order to move on with his life.  And what better way to jump-start the life of someone who fears fire than by hurtling himself right into the heart of the sun?  Applause to both writers in finally giving Martian Manhunter the literary treatment he’s been lacking for so many years.

But now the bigger question remains, why has every other hero who’s died thus far disintegrate into dust, but J’onn J’onzz melts into the Earth as the white lantern tells him that the Earth has accepted him?  As much as I like this issue, nothing really makes sense yet.  Sure the pieces are coming together, but in an incoherent fashion.  However, I do have a feeling that with four issues remaining in this miniseries, things will be much more tolerable and fun to read.

I’m not trying to say Patrick Gleeson isn’t a talented artist, he’s one of the best in fact.  But for those of you who know me, I believe that Ivan Reis is a force to be recognized.  As I read #21, I kept hoping the artistic talents of Reis would pop up to delight and enthrall me.  I kept turning the pages….and continued to turn them…and turned some more…but no Ivan Reis trademarked work!  WTF?!?  It wasn’t until I got to the last two pages when I finally saw it…ONLY TWO PAGES!!!  I was very disappointed to say the least.

I’m not faulting this issue for that, it’s just personal taste which dictated my thought process.  Gleeson has so much to offer the comic book world and his treatment of the Manhunter’s dilemma was fantastic.  So Gleeson if you’re reading this, please don’t misunderstand me.

The highlight of this issue for me, however, was the cover.  I can’t tell which artistic genius conjured up this beauty, but I’m leaning towards congratulating Gary Frank.  This cover absolutely took my breath away with how well it handles the orange and black shades on J’onn’s body as it melts in with the blinding white light behind him.  I know it’s only March, but some artists are really going to have to work their butts off at beating this as the best cover for 2011.

My Majestically Climactic Conclusion

I still don’t believe that Brightest Day will be saved from its terrible spacing and storytelling, but it’s taking a step in the right direction.  If there were more than four issues left, I’d say the series has a shot and redeeming itself based on what was presented in #21.  But there’s really no way I can see series making a mark like Blackest Night did.  Still, if you’re a Martian Manhunter fan and feel the same way as I do about his career in comics, this issue will be a breath of fresh air.

7 out of 10 stars