Flashpoint #2

         I am not crazy about the idea of Flashpoint, it is just a massive alternate reality story. Although since it does lead up to the re launch I can bear it. I do like alternate reality stories, but Flashpoint is getting more hype than the idea deserves, but again, since it leads up to the relaunch then it's okay. The first issue of the series was decent, but the most shocking thing that happened is it, is that we found out that Barry Allen didn't have his power which has been done before, but if you just take the comic alone then it was okay.
       In this issue Deathstroke was sailing with a bunch of other comic characters, but their boat gets stopped by Aquaman and Ocean Master, and they kill them all. Then the Thomas Wayne Batman is interrogating Barry Allen. During this interrogation Barry Allen finds out that Professor Zoom is behind this, and explains to Wayne that in his world Bruce lives and he dies. So Thomas Wayne decides to help him. Meanwhile Steve Trevor goes looking for Lois Lane and the Amazons catch him and he tells them all about his mission to find Lois. After that Thomas Wayne and Barry Allen try to recreate the accident that made Barry the Flash, but it just ends up severely burning him.
      I was not a fan of the interrogation scene with Barry Allen and Thomas Wayne, it seemed the entire point of it was to explain things that I assume most people had figured out already, I understand it for people just hearing about the whole idea of Flashpoint, but if you already know what is happening then the entire section is very dull. I did enjoy the rest of the comic, I found a lot of it was just "hey look at what we are doing to all of these characters" and DC just showing how a bunch of different characters ended up, but when you have an alternate reality story you need some of that. The best part of the comic was the very end. I thought that Barry Allen was going to get his powers back and that would be that, but the burn was most surprising. I honestly don't know where the Flash/Batman part of the series will go after this. I have no predictions besides Barry is in the hospital for the rest, but I know that can't be true. I am beyond excited for the next issue, and this issue definitely made me feel better about Flashpoint. It really wasn't the story, more just the last pages, but it definitely made me feel better.




Grade: 7/10 (This is the grade for the entire issue)
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The Relaunch

                  This post is not the usual review of a comic book. In this post I will talk about the need for DC' relaunch, what I expect, what I'm looking forward too, and also what I'm dreading. I do not think that many fans of DC will disagree with me when I say that this relaunch is long overdue. I love DC but one of the things that DC and Marvel do is they get too rapped up in there own stories and stray too far from the character's original origin. The two top examples of that are Green Arrow and Batman. While I do understand that Green Arrow and Robin Hood share many of the same attributes (the bow, the hat, green etc.) They were far from the same character until J.T Krul moved him into the forrest with a man who carries a sword. He even through in a couple of scenes where Green Arrow stole from the rich and gave to the poor. I am very hopeful that in this relaunch Green Arrow will go back to his roots as the voice of liberal America. What I am expecting is that Green Arrow will go from being like a character from folk lore (like he is right now) and then turn back into a political figure, and have each comic book have a meaning, because if he is not like that, then he is just another boring character with a bow. Batman's problem is easier to see. Batman is Bruce Wayne. When someone else is wearing the same costume there is no more Batman. What I am expecting and hoping will happen is that the Batman series will be turned into more of Batman the Dark Knight and Dick Grayson will do well as Nightwing. (I recently read a couple of old Nightwing Comics and loved them, I really hope they will return to that quality)  I am still a little worried because Batman Inc. is on the list of series to be relaunched, but I still have hope that Batman inc. will be kept very separate from the rest of the Batman series. I am very much looking forward to some B-list characters getting a series devoted to them. I'm especially looking forward to Captain Atom and Deadman, although I am a little worried that too many B-lists are getting series, for instance I don't know if Mr. Terrific needs a series, but I'm not to worried about that. I am worried about series that really shouldn't exist. I don't think New Guardians or Red Lanterns should exist. I thought with the relaunch that it would go back to just Green and Yellow lanterns, I don't object too highly that the other lanterns still exist but I don't think the entire Red Lantern Corps should get a comic series. The main series I'm excited for is Aquaman. The series will have Aquaman and Geoff Johns, I really don't see how it could go wrong. The series I plan on following are: Deadman, Captain Atom, Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, most of the Batman series, JLA and JLI, The Flash and finally Blue Beetle. I might not get around to all of those, it will most likely all depend on which series are offered as subscriptions, but I'm very excited for the series. I almost wish that Marvel would do the same thing. The pictures that are seen around are some of the covers that are going to be in the relaunch

Brightest Day #'s 1&2

                Several people don't like the Brightest Day series. I respectfully disagree. I'm not saying OMG this is the best comic series I ever read. No, but it's pretty good. The first issue starts with the Atom trying to split Ronnie and Jason apart. It is painful for everyone, but at least it works. (since the comic is separated into sections, so will my review) We then see an average family playing rock band, when the mother starts killing them all with a kitchen knife. Her skin then falls off revealing that she is some kind of alien. After a short intermission where you find that Hath-Set made plaster molds of the Hawks faces, it goes to Martian Man Hunter who is standing over  Saul Erdel's (the scientist that brought him to earth) daughter. He disguised himself as Saul and asked the daughter (who is old now) what she remembers about the Martian. She said that they (the Erdel's) had been obsessed over a project like this before, but when it had horrible results her father kicked her off the project and continued until that day Martian Man Hunter came.  After that Deadman's ring brings him right in front of the Anti Monitor.
                The scene where the mother killed her family was so sad, and so well done. Every part of it, the look on the children's faces, and what they were saying. It was flawless. So was the part with Martian Man Hunter and Erdel's daughter. The gentleness shown on the fathers face was outstanding. Even what he said was outstanding. So Johns, Tomasi, Reis, Syaf, Clark, and Prado all did a fantastic job. Although the Artists made the scenes more effective than the writers did. Also the Atom's flame proof suit was also so cool. When he ripped Firestorm's atoms apart, he had to wear that. The scene was cool to, this comic really was good.
              The second issue picked up where the first one left off. Deadman is up against the Anti Monitor with a ring he doesn't know how to use. All of the sudden the right pulls Deadman's arm up and blasts images of all who have been resurrected into the jest of the Anti Monitor, but when he tries to attack again the ring doesn't work. So he falls to earth. The ring then kicks in again and makes a safety net for him. The comic then goes to Ronnie and Jason in the hospital. Both still have hard feeling toward each other. Jason also has a dispute with his dad about going home, or staying and researching. Jason picks research. You then see Mera and Aquaman. Aquaman accidently summons a dead killer whale who comes up and grabs him. Then you see Martian Man Hunter examining all the bodies from the mother alien thing. He gets all the information when he taps into the brain of the dog. With a little tampering he makes it so that the dog does not remember what he saw. Then the comic goes to Hawkman and Hawkgirl when they find that Hath-Set has collected all of their bones from past lives.
               I didn't like this comic as much as Brightest Day #2. I really just want to know what is going on with Deadman, also in this comic there was no explanation for what just happened, things just happened. I do expect the next issue to explain a couple of things, but I really wanted the next issue to focus on other characters that returned. But now I need and explanation.

Grade #2: 9/10
Grade #3: 4/10
Average: 6.5/10
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Brightest Day #1

           This comic is just a bunch of separate stories, and I'm guessing thats how the series is going to be, and they make it work but it is hard to review.The sword and the stone has reached the Detective Comic Universe. Will, Love, not even fear can lift the white lantern power battery. After attempts by Sinestro and Hal Jordan the comic shifts to Deadman who is busy destroying his own headstone. (remember he is alive now) A white ring forces its self onto his ring and takes him to see the ex-black lanterns. It looks like Deadman is going to be the white lantern, which is just very cool. After that there is some stuff about people finding Hawkman and Hawkgirl's original bones, what I found surprising was that Hawkman's original bones were the famous pharaoh Khufu. Also there is Aquaman fighting on a ship, but for some reason he can only summon dead aquatic creatures. (like when he was a black lantern) To be honest I have no idea what is happening with Firestorm, I don't know that much about him, but I'm happy he is back. Lastly you see Black Manta go berserk and kill several people who are admiring Aquaman, but thats about it. Oh...I almost forgot, Martian Manhunter found a water supply on Mars and is nurturing it and trying to bring life back to Mars. I hope he fails, If there were more Martians he would lose his loneliness which is a big part of his character. I hope they don't make the same mistake that they made with Superman.

Grade: 8.5 / 10
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Brave and the Bold #32 (Aquaman & The Demon)

Just like the comic, with the Atom and the Joker, this comic had a very unusual combination. Although unlike the Geek, or Hardwire, the Demon is not wildly unheard of. He was in Quiver and Swamp Thing. The combination was jaw dropping nonetheless.

The comic featured a random person who was unjustly thrusted into Aquaman and the Demon's affairs of keeping an unheard of horror arising from what is logically Hell.

Sometimes when I think of Aquaman I think of a useless man who dresses up in orange and swims around. This comic showed the true, raw power that is Aquaman.

"...He could control every creature that lives in the sea. But I don't think either of you know what that really means. Do you know, do you understand, do you have andy idea how much life there is in just one single square mile of the sea? I don't think you do."

I found that the Demon was underplayed in this comic, which I found disappointing. I do know that he was the minor or featured character in this issue, but all he did was say a few rhymes and spit fire at one guy. If they were to underplay one character, I was glad that it was the Demon. I am also glad that Aquaman has returned in his old costume. He went from his classic orange costume, to a "scruffy" guy. Never mess with the story too much.

My subscriptions renew dates all came up, and I canceled many things, like: Red Robin, and Batman and Robin, but there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to cancel this series. It is one of the better series that DC has, and it looks like it is only uphill from here.

Grade: B+

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