Comics are Awesome III

[andersonh1]

Aquaman #12
Black Manta's group continues hit and run attacks on various coastal cities, and so far his plan to start a war between the US and Atlantis is working like a charm. Aquaman is busy looking for ways to prove to the US government that a third party is responsible and making sure the real Atlantean fleet stays out of the fight as much as possible. Black Manta gloats at how well things are going, and on the final page, the Justice League turns up to deal with the problem. This is the beginning of the payoff to all the plot threads set up in the first 11 issues, and it's mainly action. Another solid issue.

Nightwing #10
I wasn't as enamored with the plot of this issue, as nice as it is to see Nightwing head back to Bludhaven. A lot of the issue is spent establishing the setting, and showing us just what the city is like compared to Gotham. The character beats are there, but few and far between, and the obligatory action scene isn't bad, but it's clearly just setup.

Superman #12
Who was it who used to read Frankenstein Agent of Shade? I think it was 138 Scourge. Frankenstein turns up in this issue and is supposedly trying to kill the owner/editor of a local small-town paper, only for Lois and then Superman to intervene. The highlight of the issue is Farmer Cobb not being the least bit scared of Frankenstein, but shooting him and ordering him off his land. In the end, the newspaper editor turns out to be some sort of alien in disguise. Who knew?

[Sparky Prime]

Green Lanterns #12
While Jessica and Simon track down the Phantom Lantern, Frank has returned to Volthoom and is constantly changing between different colors having lost his control over his emotions. Volthoom talks Frank down but is furious that Frank freaked out and returned to his apartment after his encounter with the Earth Green Lanterns, knowing it will lead them right to him. He is apparently performing a ritual transference with the captive Guardian Rami, and needs time to complete the process. Jessica and Simon arrive in Coast City where Jessica wonders if Frank is all bad. Simon doesn't understand why she would defend Frank, but she argues they really don't know how their rings determine who is worthy to wear them. She fears that if she were to wear the Phantom Ring, she would become a Yellow Lantern, and would hope someone would talk her down before fighting her if she were in that position. Simon gets her point, but either way, they still need to stop Frank. Frank goes to Memorial Park where he tries to impress some civilians, but despite his heroic appearance, fails to impress two girls. The Green Lanterns arrive and once again Frank looses control over his emotions as he becomes a Yellow Lantern, and confronts them with their own fears... Themselves.

I don't really see why Jessica is sticking up for Frank. I get she's putting herself in his place, but I feel she's over looking that he stole the ring in the first place, which the Lanterns have yet to question how he knew about it. And Frank is clearly trying to be a super hero for all the wrong reasons. He says he only wants to help, but he's clearly only doing it to show off and gain fame. I do like that she's conflicted about why the ring choose her though, given she's so new at being a Lantern and doesn't really understand how it all works yet.

[andersonh1]

Action Comics #968
This is largely a villain-focused book as the issue takes time out of the main plot to examine the Godslayer and how he came to take on the mission to kill Lex Luthor before Luthor could become the new Darkseid. Superman only appears at the beginning and the end of the issue as he's hunting for a way to find and track Luthor. As much as he'd like to see his enemy out of the way, he's not prepared to let two aliens execute him for something he hasn't done. That's pretty much the entire M.O. of the Godslayer, to kill future tyrants before they can commit their crimes.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #10
There's a hint that something is wrong with Brainiac as he has an odd speech defect and speaks of "the collector of worlds" when cataloguing the Green Lanterns he's captured. More on that in a moment.

Hal Jordan is dead, and in a place where other Green Lanterns apparently go when they die. It's not the first time he's died, and it's not the first time he's met deceased Lanterns, but for once it's a friendly, calm, enjoyable reunion, first with Abin Sur and later with others like Katma Tui and Tomar-Re. Hal and Abin discuss legacy, and how Hal tried to carry on and honor Abin. It's all good material based in Green Lantern history. In the living world, Ganthet and Sayd have asked Kyle Rayner, the only White Lantern, to help them restore Hal to life, which is possible because the ring was made from Hal's willpower. Kyle barely succeeds, but in the end Hal is there with him and the Guardians (noted as the last two, so where are the Templar Guardians?).

The last page shows Brainiac, who is probably one of the Brainiac drones from Convergence, giving the bottled cities to the Collector, otherwise known as Larfleeze.

Detective Comics #946
Part 4 of "The Victim Syndicate", and it's still Batman and crew versus the First Victim and his group of deformed people who were victims of all Batman's enemies. We still don't learn who the First Victim really is, but the team do manage to subdue and capture all of his associates. In the end, it's Spoiler who seems to have turned against Batman, won over by the questions the First Victim asked her a few issues back.

Doctor Who
The Third Doctor part 3

Titan Comics has been publishing a number of ongoing Doctor Who series with Doctors 9-12 from the modern series, but it's also gone back to the original series with a couple of minis. The first featured Tom Baker's Doctor with Elizabeth Sladen's Sarah Jane Smith, and now we've got Jon Pertwee's version of the character, complete with just about every major and minor character from that era of the show making an appearance. At that point in the series, the Doctor had been exiled to Earth by the Time Lords for years, and had only recently regained his freedom to go anywhere in time and space. For anyone who has watched the series, this comic is set around the time immediately after the 10th anniversary special "The Three Doctors" in which Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell guest starred as the earliest two versions of the Doctor.

I haven't bought this book up until now, because I've mostly sworn off $4 comics and I'm still working my way through which Rebirth series I'm going to buy long term. But the ending of issue 3 was something I did not expect at all, and I think I'll be back for the rest of the mini-series. For one thing (and this is an important thing in these types of comics based of tv shows) the artist does an excellent job making most of the characters on the page look like the actors who played them on television. It's a delight to see Jon Pertwee, Roger Delgado, Patrick Troughton and the others well-drawn, with dialogue that sounds true to character and authentic to me. But it was the plot twist that really made an old Doctor Who fan like me smile. The first issue ended with the second Doctor showing up, and it looked like this was going to be a sequel to the Three Doctors. What it has turned out to be is a sequel to Enemy of the World, with the villain being would-be world dictator Ramon Salamander, the Doctor's look-alike also played by Patrick Troughton. Very nice plot twist, and it caught me by surprise. I'm definitely looking forward to next month's issue to see where this goes.

[Sparky Prime]

Hal Jordan is dead, and in a place where other Green Lanterns apparently go when they die. It's not the first time he's died, and it's not the first time he's met deceased Lanterns

Which seems to conflict with what we've seen before... I mean, the way this "Emerald Space" is depicted, it seems to be an afterlife just for Green Lanterns, isolated from any other afterlife we've seen before. So then, when Hal has "died" before, and went to somewhere that clearly wasn't this "Emerald Space", how come he was able to meet with deceased Lanterns, like Tomar-Re?

Personally, I imagine the Lanterns in this "Emerald Space" being more of an imprint they made on the emotional spectrum to explain how they can be here, and in another afterlife at the same time.

the only White Lantern,

Actually, there are 6 White Lanterns that we know of. Kyle, along with some help from the Templar Guardians, made 6 new White Lantern rings in the final issue of "Green Lantern The New Guardians" as a means to divide and protect the Life Equation. The final ring had yet to choose its bearer as Kyle had intended it to go to Carol, but she preferred to stay a Star Sapphire.

(noted as the last two, so where are the Templar Guardians?).

Slight correction... They were noted to be the last two of the original Guardians of the Universe.

The last page shows Brainiac, who is probably one of the Brainiac drones from Convergence, giving the bottled cities to the Collector, otherwise known as Larfleeze.

Probably the first significant appearance of Larfleeze since I think the Godhead storyline, where he only appeared to see his ring was stolen by the New Gods. Guess the ring eventually found him again...

[andersonh1]

Hal Jordan is dead, and in a place where other Green Lanterns apparently go when they die. It's not the first time he's died, and it's not the first time he's met deceased Lanterns

Which seems to conflict with what we've seen before... I mean, the way this "Emerald Space" is depicted, it seems to be an afterlife just for Green Lanterns, isolated from any other afterlife we've seen before. So then, when Hal has "died" before, and went to somewhere that clearly wasn't this "Emerald Space", how come he was able to meet with deceased Lanterns, like Tomar-Re?

Personally, I imagine the Lanterns in this "Emerald Space" being more of an imprint they made on the emotional spectrum to explain how they can be here, and in another afterlife at the same time.

I agree that it conflicts, and I was thinking of the "dead zone" or whatever it was that Hal and Sinestro ended up in near the end of Geoff Johns' run. I agree, there has to be some way to reconcile the different "afterlives" we've seen.

How many times has Hal been dead now? He died in Final Night and later became the Spectre. He died and became a Black Lantern and then came back from that, and now this is at least the third time he's died and been brought back to life. The guy won't stay down.

Actually, there are 6 White Lanterns that we know of.

I didn't know that, thanks.

Slight correction... They were noted to be the last two of the original Guardians of the Universe.

That's the kind of thing I miss when reviewing from memory. I still wonder where the Templar Guardians are, and I'm still hoping for an explanation for how the Corps ended up in the previous universe. That was issue 41 of the previous series I think, so we're what, a year and a half later and still no answer to either. I hope there is an answer, and it's not a dropped plot thread.

[Sparky Prime]

I agree that it conflicts, and I was thinking of the "dead zone" or whatever it was that Hal and Sinestro ended up in near the end of Geoff Johns' run. I agree, there has to be some way to reconcile the different "afterlives" we've seen.

Yeah, I was thinking of the "dead zone" as well, where Hal last met Tomar-Re. That and the first story that introduced Nekron (back in 1981). In that story spirits of Green Lanterns that had died (including Abin Sur) helped Hal stop Nekron from invading the realm of the living.

That's the kind of thing I miss when reviewing from memory. I still wonder where the Templar Guardians are, and I'm still hoping for an explanation for how the Corps ended up in the previous universe. That was issue 41 of the previous series I think, so we're what, a year and a half later and still no answer to either. I hope there is an answer, and it's not a dropped plot thread.

Yeah, I'm hoping this is something they'll get to explaining soon. It has been a long time since the GLC had been sent to the previous universe, and we still have no clue why or who was behind it, or what happened to the Templar Guardians. As I recall, in their last appearance, they were concerned about planets that were turning to stone as a result of Black Hand's exposure to the Source Wall.

[Sparky Prime]

Green Lanterns #13
10 Billion years ago- Volthoom stands triumphant over the bodies of many Guardians, declaring he will lay waste to their civilization and species. Elsewhere, the Guardians realize they cannot stand against him due to their weak connection to the Emotional Spectrum. Ganthet tells Rami it's time they use his rings, although none of the Guardians seem confident about this plan. Ganthet asks how they can be sure they wont just be creating more Volthoom's, to which Rami explains these rings will use the Great Heart (the device the Guardians stored their emotions in) to scan the universe for those they can trust to protect the universe. He also explains he didn't have much time to make them, so these rings only focus Willpower. He calls them Green Lantern Rings.

In the present- Rami knows Volthoom is preforming the Malthusian transfer on him, but tells him he cannot get what he wants from him. Rami explains the Phantom Ring gives someone a direct connection to the Emotional Spectrum, with no power battery, no safeguards, no modulation. Just like when Volthoom had the First Power Battery in his chest, which resulted in the Guardians ripping it from his chest and sealing him in the Chamber of Shadows. Volthoom feels the Guardians ruined him, that all he'd wanted was to go home. And now he wants his revenge. Rami however tells him Frank with the Phantom Ring will destroy them all. It's only it's a prototype, and Frank isn't trained. The result is the ring is overloading his body, turning him into a bomb. Meanwhile, Frank wants to know why Simon and Jessica are still trying to help him as he looses control completely, shifting between various Lantern powers. They tell him that's what being a Green Lantern is all about. Frank once again looses control... and detonates.

--
Lots of background information in this issue. It is nice to see Volthoom's backstory being expanded on here, as well as more details on the origins of the Corps. Although it seems Humphries is retconning the origins of the Green Lantern rings here. There's no mention of the Manhunter robots, or that the Lantern rings were meant to replace them as a peacekeeping force in the universe. This story suggests the Green Lantern rings were invented before the Manhunters, since it was previously established the Guardians didn't start policing the universe until after Volthoom had been locked away. It's also interesting that the only reason why Rami made the Rings using Willpower is simply because he didn't have enough time, rather than the Guardians feeling Willpower was the best choice of the Emotional Spectrum powers for a police force. Previously, it's been explained Mogo was the one who guided the Lantern rings, rather than the Great Heart. Although I suppose the Guardians could have used the Great Heart prior to Mogo becoming a Lantern. I also think this is retconning Volthoom's backstory. When Johns introduced him, he came to the Guardians and taught them about the Emotional Spectrum, so I don't know where this 'just wanted to go home' mentality is coming from. I like that we finally have an explanation as for why the Phantom Ring is so dangerous, besides that just anyone can pick it up and use it. I feel maybe Rami should have mentioned the bearer of the Phantom Lantern could explode earlier. Also think it's interesting that Volthoom once had a power battery in his chest. Very reminiscent of the Alpha Lanterns... Which begs to question why they Guardians would have thought that'd be a good idea to do again when Volthoom went nuts. Even if they added Manhunter tech to them. And why was Volthoom still so powerful when the Guardians had removed the power battery?

[andersonh1]

Action Comics #970
Superman arrives to rescue Lex Luthor, only to spend much of the issue watching and listening as the Godslayer and his people make the case that Luthor will be the very tyrant and replacement for Darkseid that they say he will. Both Luthor and Superman continue to insist that it's only one possible future, and that Luthor can't be executed for something he hasn't done yet, but in the end it looks like even Superman is convinced by the arguments being put forward, which I did not expect. The final bit of evidence that sways him is the revelation that Luthor has a Mother Box in his possession, given to him by Darkseid's followers. It's looking pretty bad for Luthor...

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #11
Lots of small revelations this issue as we learn that Larfleeze is forcing Brainiac to work for him, and Hal learns that the Corps have returned. Ganthet dismisses the encounter with the dead Green Lanterns as not real, even though Hal insists that it felt real. Once John figures out that Larfleeze has them, he formulates a plan to escape with Soranik's help. And no, Hal, you're not a tree-hugger. Cut it out.

Detective Comics #947
Part 5 of "The Victim Syndicate" wraps up the story, with Stephanie/Spoiler having turned against Batman and vigilantism in general, believing that it only makes things worse for the people of Gotham City. It's the old "heroes create their own villains" dilemma we see every so often, though this is a better written story than most, and it follows nicely from the end of the previous one and Tim Drake's apparent death. Speaking of Tim, we see him at the end of the issue with his Robin costume in pieces, building a tool that allows him to escape his cell, only to encounter someone in another cell that he cannot understand. It's another small piece of the overall Rebirth plotline, and hopefully we'll get some more concrete answers shortly, because I'd like to know what's going on.

Titans #6
The Return of Wally West part 6 - wraps up the story, and it ends on a couple of strong notes, though I do have some issues with it. The biggest being that while the story insists that Wally ran faster than the speed of light last issue, doing the math reveals he only had to go about Mach 2 to cover 7000 miles in 6 seconds, so he shouldn't have been going anywhere near fast enough to be absorbed into the Speed Force. But he was, and he's with Linda as he remembers her and has no regrets about giving his life for his friends. And here's my other question, because this series continues to present the pre-Flashpoint continuity that Wally (and the reader) remembers as a timeline that never happened... which, in a sense is true since the New 52 DC universe is a timeline altered by Dr. Manhattan (a name Lilith gets by pulling it from Kadabra's mind, though she doesn't realize the significance), so Wally's memories are presented as just a possibility he encountered in the Speed Force, not a reality. Superman believes he's on a parallel Earth, while Wally believes he's in a different timeline. I assume this will all be resolved when the two meet a few months down the road.

In any case, the Titans are busy fighting Kadabra, and it's Wally's friendship with them that replaces his love for Linda as his anchor to find his way back. It's a little convenient, but as he says, he's become very practiced at escaping the Speed Force, something he did multiple times in his own series. He throws Kadabra into the timestream, ending the threat, only for the old Titans villain Deathstroke, who has apparently been surveilling the group, to see him and wonder just who he is.

[Sparky Prime]

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #11
Lots of small revelations this issue as we learn that Larfleeze is forcing Brainiac to work for him, and Hal learns that the Corps have returned. Ganthet dismisses the encounter with the dead Green Lanterns as not real, even though Hal insists that it felt real. Once John figures out that Larfleeze has them, he formulates a plan to escape with Soranik's help. And no, Hal, you're not a tree-hugger. Cut it out.

I'm disappointed by Hal's lack of reaction to seeing Kyle, Ganthet and Sayd. I'm glad they brought up Hal believed Ganthet and Sayd were dead, but they didn't acknowledge that at all with Kyle. It made the reunion feel kind of glossed over.

Star Trek/Green Lantern Stranger Worlds #1
Guy, John and Kilowog have become instructors at Starfleet Academy, and their ring charges are dangerously low. Guy is unconcerned, given the future Earth is a paradise, but John is concerned about Hal and the others who are out in space. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is defending Space Station K-5 from a meteor shower, when Hal and Carol's rings cut out, but they're able to fully evacuate the station in time. Hal realizes his days of being a Green Lantern might be coming to an end while Carol is revealed to be in a relationship with Scotty. Elsewhere, Sinestro has become Emperor of the Klingon Empire. He's growing bored waiting for his ring to run out of power when the Klingon's bring him a captured Saint Walker. Concerned his last communication was cut off, the Enterprise investigates Saint Walker's last known coordinates. Instead of Saint Walker, they find a Manhunter robot which Spock determines has been there for many years, before the Lanterns were brought to their reality. Sinestro arrives and is pleased by the discovery, knowing that if the Manhunters exist in this reality, then so must the Guardians. Now it's a race to find Oa, and the only race capable of recharging any of their power rings.

I like that this series is following up on the previous series by addressing none of the Lanterns have a power battery with them. I have to wonder about Larfleeze though, since he always keeps his battery with him. Yet Hal says he hopes Larfleeze, (as well as Atrocitus and Sinestro) are having the same problems recharging. The Indigo Tribe also carry their batteries with them, although Indigo-1 was absent from the first series, and has yet to be mentioned in this one as well. The issue does address that Ganthet somehow enabled all of their rings to hold a charge a lot longer than they used to to explain why they still have a charge after so many months, but now, they're pretty much running on empty. The issue ignores that a Blue Lantern can recharge (and super charges) a Green Lantern ring just by being in proximity, and can do the same with the others with some concentration. Would have been interesting if that's why the Enterprise decided to track him down rather than they just happened to loose contact with him at the time.

[Sparky Prime]

Green Lanterns #14
Turns out Frank's detonation in the last issue wasn't exactly what it appeared to be. He's assumed a new power, becoming an Indigo Lantern, having felt compassion for the Green Lanterns trying to save him. He also starts speaking in the Indigo Tribe language, giving a long speech about how each life is precious and unique. He realizes he was not ready for the Phantom Ring and takes it off. But as soon as he does, he realizes his mistake as the Lanterns take it from him... and Jessica puts it on. All she wants is not to end up Fear, and much to her delight, she becomes a Green Lantern with the Phantom Ring. With that, Jessica finally feels like she's worthy of being a Green Lantern takes off the Phantom Ring, and lets go of her fears, using a construct to capture Frank.

Then suddenly, two fellow Green Lanterns, Vath Sarn and Isamot Kol, appear having received the call for help they sent out. They don't understand the emergency having no clue what the Phantom Ring is, but Rami arrives explaining there is one and has Volthoom captured in an energy sphere. Voth and Isamot want Rami to come with them to Mogo, but he refuses, telling them to report back while he stays on Earth to help Simon and Jessica. They leave and Jessica wants to know how Rami defeated Volthoom to which he explains they were once friends and tricked him into defeating himself. Flashback to their fight, Rami was the one who was actually captured inside the Energy Sphere, while Volthoom has taken over his body...

--
Nice to see the return of the GLC acknowledged here with Vath and Isamot appearing. Although Simon's reaction to seeing them seems odd. He doesn't seem to be aware that the GLC was missing, he just thinks to himself that it'd been months since he'd seen a fellow Corps member. Even though he was with them in Edge of Oblivion, and Hal left them to protect Earth while he went to find them... I wonder if that's something they'll ever explain of if they're just going to gloss over it. It's also good to see Jessica reacting to Frank mentioning Volthoom, given she was possessed by Earth 3's Volthoom as the Power Ring. They've mentioned Volthoom wanted to get home but couldn't for some reason. Makes me wonder if they'll reveal the two are actually one in the same somehow. Also really enjoyed that Compassion made Frank see the error in what he was doing, only for him to go back to normal when he took off the ring.