Recent Comics Capsules
Infinite Crisis #3 – I really want to like this series, as I really like DC’s stable of characters. With this being the foundation of years worth of future stories, I want that foundation to be strong enough to make what comes after fun.
Yet it just isn’t working out, as I feel like this mini has been a collection of scenes from other stories I’m no following. I don’t feel like I’m getting a story out of this unless I go out and follow all of these other books as well.
Green Lantern #6 - Don’t let the cover or blurb on the DC
website fool you, this issue’s art isn’t by Ethan Van Sciver, but by someone named Simone Bianchi.
This issue has some of the worst artistic storytelling I’ve seen in a comic in a long time. It seemed like someone did paintings on a bunch of vans and then tried to say they were a story.
The panels and pages could have been put in any order and made as much logistical sense as they were here.
Which is a shame, as I thought a story with outer-space gremlins could be a blast, and a fun nod to a more innocent time.
X-Factor #1 – As a fan of the Peter David written Madrox miniseries from last year I had high hopes for this series starring the same cast, just expanded.
Those hopes were met and then some, as while the issue mainly focuses on Jamie (the lead of the Madrox mini) the brief glimpses at the other members has me intrigued as well.
Most importantly is that unlike many other new team books, this first storyline isn’t about getting the team together. The team’s already there, though they are possibly expanding, which is a refreshing change.
Legion of Super-Heroes #12 – It’s a shame
that Mark Waid isn’t more involved in the Identity Crisis miniseries.
He’s doing exactly what that series should be doing here, by juggling a huge cast that are each on their own missions. Giving them all equal time and importance, while leading to something bigger and more dangerous on the horizon.
He even has the knack of bringing in past favorite characters and story elements, only from new directions. Like the introduction of one of my favorite past Legionnaires Shrinking Violet, known as Atom Girl here.
Though it may take me a bit of time to get used to her being a kick butt, take no prisoners hard-ass. Rather than the quiet, reserved young woman with a hidden strength that even she doesn’t realize at times.
Yet that’s something that makes this series a favorite of mine, familiar elements of the past done in new exciting ways.
Green Lantern Corps Recharge #3
Despite having one of the ugliest covers in some time, the contents inside are often quite fun.
Green Lanterns Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner are going against protocols by entering a restricted area of space to rescue a captured colleague.
I was a bit worried when I heard the GL Corps was returning that the GLs would lose their individual personalities. Often military stories focus on the big picture, ignoring the small, and making everony a generic character.
Yet at least in this mini that has not been the case, as Guy is still the irrelevant loud mouth, whose bark is worse than his bite. While Kyle still questions his role, and is willing to work outside of the box if pressed to while trying to do what is right.
Unfortunately, while the human characters are still interesting. The alien characters still lack that level of connection for me. Two alien GLs from warring races are just too generic so far to make their bickering matter. They come off more as the odd couple rather than two bitter enemies out for one another’s blood as their story should be.
The female alien, Natu, who comes from the same race as GL’s arch foe Sinestro and whose entire race has a burning hatred for anything Green Lantern related after what Sinestro did to them during his time as one. She has the most potential, as she sees her first duty to be as a doctor, not a part of the hated GL Corps.
This should be been fodder for many stories, yet in just two issues that conflict seems resolved because she gets captured and then gets an empowering speech from Kyle. That just seems like too quick a resolution, especially considering that if the ring hadn’t
picked her she would never have been captured in the first place.
Art wise, artist Patrick Gleason’s work is very uneven. At times his figure work and scene layouts are quite intuitive. While at other times it seems like everything is mashed together, making heads look squashed. I’m not sure if this is the artist’s frailty, the fault of having two different inkers, or perhaps a production problem that for some reason doesn’t resize the art correctly.
Whatever it is, it can be quite jarring to see, especially in regards to other scenes where the problem isn’t evident at all.
Still Kyle and Guy’s “buddy movie” style interaction make the book work. The two characters play off each other well, with Kyle being a calming influence for Guy, that doesn’t come off as preachy since Kyle isn’t as stodgy as others. While Guy brings out Kyle’s independent nature, as he is someone Kyle can relate to but not be in awe of as some of the other legendary GLs are.
