Superman/Batman #85

         This series is never consistent. It is never consistently good, but it is consistently bad. This also means the story types are never consistent. That last part I like a lot. While I didn't like the arc where Superman goes to the magic run future, it was much different than the story with a battle between the two. I didn't see a series called Batman/Superman in the relaunch but I'm sure these two will team up again after September.
        In this issue a reporter who supposedly found out Batman's secret identity is found dead, people suspect Batman. Superman goes to help him but Batman doesn't want his help. Batman goes to the apartment where the reporter lived and burns all the evidence that leads toward Batman being Bruce Wayne. Now the cops are even surer he killed the reporter. Batman discovers the reporter had an old baterang, but one where one of the components in it still had the patent number on it, which links Batman and Bruce Wayne.
      This was a really cool, and a really fun story. It does bring Batman back to where he originally was with his dark "I work alone" attitude. I also liked that the reporter had hard evidence, usually when these things are attempted by comic writers, the person just seems to take a wile guess and has limited amounts of evidence to back it up, but this was different and I give the writer, Joshua Fialkov, credit for that. I'm not really sure how this is going to be dragged out into three issues. I could understand two, one is this, and the second is Batman finding the actual killer, but I really don't know how three can work, or how Superman can get involved. But in terms of this comic, the writing was well done, the story was interesting, and the art work was jaw dropping . Although it is missing something so I can't quite give it a 10/10 but I can give it something really close, and I do recommend this comic to all comic book readers.




Grade: 9.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Superman/Batman #79

         The past issues of Superman/Batman have been incredibly fun reads. They've had fairly simple story lines, but they have all been really good. Superman and Batman are two very popular characters and there's a reason. Both characters are brilliant, and it is because of appearances like the past couple issues of Superman/Batman that made the characters so famous.
         In this issue the Superman and Batman are the ones from DC One Million. A villain called Epoch stole the anti-hourglass, and took down the Flash and the Atom. Superman and Batman take him down fairly quickly. When Robin takes him to the asylum planet Pluto, Epoch disables him and escapes. He goes to the Batcave  and steals a battle suit, and escapes by means of a boom tube. He then runs to the JLA headquarters and steals the anti-hourglass, and escapes Batman again, and goes to the fortress of solitude. At the fortress of solitude he steals the chrono-cube, and escapes Superman and Batman to modern day, where he meets Superman, Batman and Robin.
          This review and this story seemed like a bit of a travel map, showing off what all the places, like the Batcave and JLA headquarters looked like. That is cool, but it hurt the story. A guy had all of this stuff, lost it and gained it back in the same issue, there was no real development. Like the other issues of this series it was a fun, and very enjoyable read, but there is no plot development. DC One Million was created mainly to compete with Marvel 2099, I could go back and forth saying how Marvel stole things from DC, and how DC stole from Marvel, but this one is very apparent, but that doesn't effect the enjoyment of the comic.
           If you are tired of trying to keep up with over complicated story arcs, that branch out over many series. Then pick up this issue, and this series. It's full of fun, very simple books.






Grade: 7/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Superman #706

            Grounded is much like Shadowland, it started off as a very promising series with one of the best first issues ever written, and when Shadowland slowly started slipping, Grounded did it very fast.  I gave the first issue a ten out of ten, and the second a six out of ten. It became something to look forward to, to something that I might remember to pick up.
           In this issue a kid named Sandeep gives Perry White a bad picture, Perry White doesn't like that, he throws him out. After that Ron Troupe walks in and tells Perry that a news blog named Urbanitis released a story saying that the Daily Planet is paying Superman for interviews, and that Lois Lane is having an affair with Superman. Perry calls Lois and she denies it, so he sends Sandeep in as a mole to Urbanitis. Superman meets with Perry and offered to help, Perry says he can handle it. He calls the head of Urbanitis and meets with him, he says he has a picture, but then Sandeep reveals that it was a photoshopped picture. Perry wants an apology and for the head of Urbanitis to apply for an internship this summer.
           Granted this story wasn't written y J. Michael Straczynski so this issue is not his fault. This was not good, for starters it had nothing to do with the grounded story line, it's almost like Wilson was asked to do an issue and he had no ideas. Also as much as I like Perry Whites outbursts, by the ninth or tenth I just got board. That combined with terrible art just made this a bad issue, perhaps the worst Superman comic I've ever read. Grounded started off with Superman talking down someone who was going to jump off of a building, why do I care about some scandal that was posted on a blog. Every time I pick up  Grounded I hope that maybe this will be better, maybe it will be like the first issue, but every issue I read is even worse than the last. I'm going to keep reading because I really want this series to be good, but I have serious doubts.




Grade: 3/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Superman/Batman #78

            I've been looking forward to this issue for about a month but for some reason it got mailed late. In the times that I've read this series I've been thrilled, and I don't know why I didn't subscribe earlier. The reason I did subscribe to this is because Brave and the Bold (which was one of my favorite series) got canceled and DC replaced my subscription with Superman/Batman, and this is one of the best series I've ever read.
           In this issue two kids are talking about who would win, Superman or Batman, but they are having trouble figuring out how to do that. They create rules like: No Kryptonite, no magic and no Batmite. Once the battle is underway a series of hypotheticals happen making both characters unbeatable. Superman and Batman both listened to the conversation, and Batman assures Superman that he could beat him without Kryptonite.
            Discussing who would win Superman or Batman is something that goes all the way back to the golden age, when Detective Comics and Action Comics were putting out their first couple issues, and most if not all of the comic fans I know have discussed this, so I was very exited for a DC writer to put the whole story in a comic. My main problem with this story is that it wasn't long enough, only half of the book was devoted to Superman and Batman, the other half was given to Power Girl and Huntress. I was disappointed that it wasn't longer because this is a moment that I have been waiting for. Not just this issue, but a layout of a battle between Superman and Batman. But after that I really don't have any big  complaints, except that the dialogue could have been better, but this was from the point of view of a couple of kids. Also I noticed a couple panels where the art could have been better. But I really have no big complaints, except it wasn't long enough. If it were longer it would be a must buy, but since it's short I would say, check it out if you have some extra time.





Grade: 7.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Superman #705

         The first issue in this series was outstanding, the second one was bad, (I must admit I never read the third one) and the fourth one was on the worse side of okay.  That is just a let down, the first issue showed so much promise for this year long arc, but no matter what issue I've read I've been disappointed.
        In this issue Superman is walking through Illinois. While in Chicago some people tell him that he is a loaded weapon, and they're scared of him. He then goes to meet Lois in a park, and one girl follows him. When Superman goes to sleep he dreams about Metropolis in flames, with a giant monster, and a voice saying "if you can't save them all, what's the point in saving any of them?"The voice belonged to the girl that has been following him. When Superman wakes up his face is bruised. After putting on some makeup he goes and walks through Mt. Prospect. Where a little boy tries to defend his mother from his abusive father. The father throws and locks the boy into the basement. Using his super hearing Superman heard the boy, breaks into the house and arrests the father. He gives the boy a number to call everyday, and leave a message, and if he doesn't call one day, he's coming back to see what's wrong.
       The first part of this comic would have been shocking and touching if it weren't for the fact that I've seen it so many times before. That is the classic problem with Superman he's too powerful, and why Straczynski decided to devote an entire monologue to it is beyond me. Two or three panels would have been sufficient. Those two pages would have been better devoted to the family with the abusive father. I absolutely loved the part with the boy, it was touching, powerful, entertaining, and in the same genera of problem that made Superman #701 so good. Crowds that are against superheroes, I've seen it many before. Psychic dream, again I've seen it many times before. But taking an all to real situation like an abusive father, and show people that this is a problem, not very often. It takes superheroes and puts them into the selfless situation they were made for, with out being juvenile. There is one thing that all of the grounded issues have done right. The covers have all been great. Simple and eye catching, and this issue was no exception.
        So, this issue wasn't great, but it does show promise that Grounded may become great again.





Grade: 7/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Superman #702

            I loved the first issue of Grounded, it was one of the best comics I have ever read. I could go on for hours about how good it was. Superman is walking the earth and solving problems that don't have to do with Lex Luthor or other super villains. One example is that he helped someone fix a car. The issue was powerful, well written, and the art was fantastic. It was a perfect issue.
           In this issue Superman is walking through Detroit, he lets someone who is really bad at basketball block him, discovers some aliens, and saves someone from a heart attack.
           Before I read this issue I read some reviews online. As soon as the word alien comes up in these reviews, I was already disappointed. I wondered why Straczynski had too include aliens in this series, I thought it would ruin this issue. It didn't, for the most part I didn't like them being there, but the line about finding lost pets, well... at least I thought it was really funny. This issue was less powerful than the one before it, this one had a different feel to it. Instead of it being sophisticated and serious this one had a lighter touch on it. Except at the end with the man and the heart attack, that is a great scene, and the best part of the comic. If you think the alien thing is ridiculous and you don't want too buy this comic, I think you should just for the end.
          As usual the art is great, but I really like the cover, of this issue and the last one, I like the simplicity of them, I don't really know why, but I really like them.
          So overall this was on the worse half of okay, and really disappointing because last issue was so good. I would still buy it though because that last scene was extraordinary.




Grade: 6/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Superman #701

           This is my 100th post. YAY!

            I love the series Brave and the Bold, and I love J. Michael Straczynski. I even loved the Superman series when Superman wasn't in it. But when you bring Superman back and add J. Michael Straczynski you get a fantastic story about Superman and his morals. "Grounded" is a story arc about Superman walking around the world fixing everyday problems for people that he might have missed before, he isn't fighting Lex Luthor, nor is he reversing the earth's rotation. He's helping someone fix a car, or fixing up a bad neighborhood. I've been talking about that starting in the middle of a series thing a lot now, and usually that is true, even though Superman is anything but a new series I was expecting something like a fight with Lex before something like this. But I like this a lot better. The idea that he's just going around being a model citizen is really good. That is a huge part about Superman, the fact that he never lies and is just an all around good guy. Before this issue that was best shown in Superman the movie, but this took it to a whole new level. Especially the scene where he talks down someone who is about to commit suicide, he doesn't swoop up and grab her, he just talks her down. This shows his good side even more, and just proves that he isn't just raw muscle.
           Before when I just heard the plot of "Grounded" I was really worried, I thought there is no way that Superman is just going to walk across America in his first story arc back. But then I read the comic, and I would be content with exactly that happening, I mean there would have to be some twists along the way, but for the most part this is pretty good. This issue has gotten mixed reviews, some people think it is boring, some think it is okay, and others think it is absolutely fantastic and belongs in a museum. I thought this issue was superb. I was not expecting this at all. You have to read it to know what I mean, a description will make this issue sound really boring, but it's actually going into the box where I keep all of my favorite comics. So the classic Superman is back, and Straczynski is doing a great job with him.

Grade: 10/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Bruce Wayne Returns #'s 1&2

              Popular consensus was that this series wasn't any good. I really thought they were wrong, I thought this series was going to be really good, Bruce Wayne returning, Grant Morrison, how could this go wrong. It already started with an advantage (at least for me) because I really want Bruce Wayne to come back. But these comics were really disappointing.
The first issue is set in the time of the cavemen , for some reason there is a rocket stuck in the ground with Superman's cape in it. Eventually someone throws a rock in a cave, this makes Bruce Wayne come out. None of the Cavemen can speak well, except one named Boy. Batman can't speak at all. Eventually a tribe who is lead by Vandal Savage comes out and starts to attack the tribe that is looking after Batman. The "Savage tribe" defeats the Batman tribe and takes Batman prisoner. Boy dresses in a mask and goes to rescue Batman, once rescued Bruce Wayne and the Bat tribe defat the "Savage tribe." When running away Boy and Batman have to jump in a lake, after doing so Batman winds up in the same spot, just around the time of the Salem Witch Trails. It also happens that Booster Gold, Superman, Green Lantern, and Rip Hunter are all looking for Wayne, and they arrived just after Bruce left.
           When Bruce Wayne came out of the cave, I was so happy. As you may know I've been waiting for this ever since Bruce Wayne "died." However the rest of this comic was a let down. I was disappointed that nobody could speak, not even Batman, and the scene with the cavemen introducing themselves went on for way to long. This is one of the only comics I struggled to get through. I love the Idea but the comic its self was really bad.
           In the second issue the time period is during the Salem Witch Trials. Superman, Green Lantern, Booster Gold and Rip Hunter are still looking for Wayne and they go to this sort of... Library of time thing, that is supposed to blow up the time stream, it's very confusing I had no Idea of what was going on. Down on earth Wayne woke up in the same spot just with like Kraken like thing attacking him, after Batman goes unconscious, he wakes up in a small house which belongs to a girl who has necklaces with Wonder woman's and Superman's logos on them. Batman is going by the name Mordecai (he still has no idea of who he is) who was apparently in this town from Boston to help "root out witches." Then the story goes back to the Logo Girl, who is apparently a friend of nature. I did like the next part. Batman is standing to have his portrait done, it is the same picture that Dick Grayson will investigate later. But some angry town people come and show him the Kraken which they keep calling a dragon. Back at the Time Library the evil librarian turns out to be Bruce Wayne and if he goes back to his own time period he will "kill every one." On earth  Wayne is going to the lake to fight the Kraken when the girl tells him that he is not Mordecai but just some other guy that appeared, then Batman gets sucked in to the lake and he wakes up on Black Beard's ship.
           Confusing right? So was the comic. The only thing that was good about this comic (besides the picture) was the fact that I'm one issue closer to having Bruce Wayne back. The plot was so confusing and all of the characters look the same, I counted to see how many pages were left in this book, this is slightly worse than Justice League #45, and I didn't think that was possible.

Grade #1: 5.5/10
Grade #2: 0.2/10
Average of #1and2: 2.85/10
Don't wast your money at: www.mycomicshop.com

Green Arrow #32

           To quote the  blog, Jason Todd's comic blog "Why is the art so bad?" The cover was really good, and the inside art looks like what a five year old could draw. It had little to no detail on the faces, and the characters all looked distorted.
           The comic its self was bad. They decided to ruin the Green Arrow, by telling everyone his secret identity. That only works for people like Steve Rogers and Wally West, not Ollie Queen. In this comic, it shows how the Green Arrow killed Prometheus and went to jail for it. Until trial  when a short, tacky speech given by himself  saved his tail, although he was exiled from the city. Besides that it was all emotional hoopla. To be fair there were two good things about this comic. 1) you could pick up the comic and not be lost, this was part two of a story arc, but I could understand everything. 2) It mad it so that you can understand all fallowing issues.


Grade: D+
buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Justice Society of America #37 The Winds of War

                    As Mr. Terrific continues his memoirs, you see the story of how the world has been taken over by the Fourth Reich. The earths former protectors conspiring in the corner of a concentration camp. It does go back to a flash back in the middle of the comic, but that part wasn't as good. In the flashback it was Wildcat fighting the Hunter, Mr. Terrific fighting Doctor Demon and Captain Swastika, Mr. America and lightning fighting White Dragon, and finally Jay Garrick fighting the Shadow of War. The,  Fourth Reich finally put an end to the JSA's retaliation when the Shadow of War unleashes the ultimate weapon, a bomb that can take away the most powerful hero's powers. Obsidian in bomb form. After removing the JSA's powers, the comic goes back to the concentration camp. This is where we see, Superman, Batman, Green Arrow, and other broken heroes, who all plan an escape plan, or something like that.
                        I like this comic, its like a superhero version of MAUS, just not quite as graphic, this is not that great as part of the Justice Society series, but I think it will make a great TPB. I want to see how DC is going to keep the series going, now that all of the beloved heroes are old and broken, some even dead. It will be interesting and I really want to see what happens.


Grade: B
buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Superman #698

                First off, at the beginning of the comic it says, "Read Supergirl #51 Before Going Further!" You don't have to, the comic was enjoyable with out it. In this issue, Superman has been captured by Brainiac and Lex Luthor. Mon-El is fighting his way to save him, and on New Krypton, Zod, Ursa, and all of the citizens, are fighting Brainiac's drones. This comic was OK, enjoyable, but just OK. In the beginning part of the book, Lex Luthor and Brainiac, are talking to Superman, this scene looks slightly like the cover of Geoff Johns's: Superman,  Brainiac.  I thought there was going to be a huge monolog here that would change the course of the Superman comic line, but I was disappointed, even if Lex Luthor made a funny joke. Then we go back to Mon-El, who by the way is hearing voices, and he is about tho fight some huge wolf looking lion things, and I have no idea why. Sure you got one cool fight panel, but huge wolf, lion things? After that, something rally predictable happened, but equally exiting, Superman broke free. The event was short lived, because Luthor put a gun to the side of a bottled city. I won't go any further with the plot, because I don't want to be a person who gives out spoilers.
           As usual, I have to comment about the art. Superman comics are always drawn with a sort of rounded edge, no edge is sharp, if you know what I mean. After reading several, action packed comics, it's easy for my eye just to see almost softness in art.
            Read this comic, not because it's the best thing you will ever read, but read it because it will  be important later.


Grade: B-
buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Action Comics #887

Unlike the issue before it, I can say more about this issue, because if you did read Action Comics number 886 the plot for this comic will be much less confusing.

This issue (which was a page turner) is Nightwing and Flamebird attacking the new Rao, created by Jax-Ur, also known as Vohc. There is a second story in this issue, and no not the one about Captain Atom (not very good) but instead one about Lois Lane. Lane's "superpower" is she gets what she wants, and in this comic she wanted two things: one was to have the Web fix her computer, and two was to fallow Nightwing and Flamebird as they were fighting Rao. During the fight it shows posts on a few blogs that tell how people are starting to understand that Nightwing and Flamebird are not there to hurt people, only to help.

I hope that New Krypton gets destroyed. As Brightest Day approaches, I have noticed a few things, all of which I like. Superman is returning to the Superman comic line, he will be the last son of Krypton again, Barry Allen is returning, and, best of all, the hunt for Bruce Wayne has picked up. People have been calling Brightest Day the rebirth of the DCU, (Detective Comics Universe) and there right.

Another thing I like about this comic is the ending [SPOILER ALERT] after the epic battle with Rao, and Jax-Ur/ Vohc, they shoot Nightwing (Lois Lane and Clark Kent's son) into the Phantom Zone, which will make for a cool next five or six comics.

Lois Lane has changed over the years, and the newly updated version is the best. She is adventures, and daring, and makes for a good comic. In fact someone could make a comic just about Lois Lane.

Grade: A-

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Justice Society of America: Blackest Night

The Justice Society of America faces it's biggest challenge when former (and deceased) members of the Justice Society return and cause mayhem. Allot of the story is a personal vendetta with Power Girl and Lois Lane of Earth 2. Usually I would not like this but they played it just the right amount and just the right amount of time. Featured in these three issues was another personal vendetta which I would have liked to see more of. Between The Liberty Bell and her father Johnny Quick. Some Black Lanterns when they arose told their previous loved ones that they love them. Johnny Quick did this too. They all turned against them. (Example: Lois Lane turned against Power Girl.) Johnny Quick never did turn against his daughter, which I thought was confusing. Even the reincarnated Mr. Terrific was evil. But Johnny Quick Died (again) telling his daughter that he loved her. Their were four major sections of the story.

1) Power Girl/Lois Lane

2) Johnny Quick/Liberty Bell

3) Fighting in the streets

4) Mr. Terrific, Dr. Fate, Dr. Midnight, Green Lantern/Sentinel and the Star Spangled kid making a bomb to defeat all the black Lanterns at once.

I know in a previous post, I said there was rarely any art in a comic that I would call better than average. This is one of those occasions. The way they drew the Black Lanterns was absolutely perfect, and on the cover the artist did something that made it all look very clean and nice. Which allot of artists can't do.

Grade: A

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Justice League Crisis on Two Earths

I am not one to learn directors or actors, so i'm not going to go on and on about what an amazing performance "Blah Blah Blah" had, but I will tell you that this was a good movie. The story was about two earths, and the destruction of all universes. Lex Luther of the second earth, came to the first earth to plead for the Justice League's help against the Crime Syndicate. (evil counter parts of the members of the Justice League) The theory of the infinite earths was that every time someone made a decision, a separate earth/ universe came into existence, where the person made the opposite decision, infinite people making infinite decisions creating infinite earths. I always liked the Idea of parallel earths and parallel super heroes so I liked this movie allot.

Grade: A

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