superman: brainiac

by Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

collects Action Comics # 866-870

the premise:  Superman fights Brainiac - but this time it's the real Brainiac (all the other Brainiacs were just drones).  As the fight progresses Superman learns he has a very personal stake in the outcome.

the lowdown:  This story features Geoff Johns doing a soft reboot of the Brainiac concept, and returning him more to his Silver Age personality (I know.. shocking), but with a modern twist.  It's the sort of thing Johns specializes in, of course, and he does it pretty well here, neatly handwaving away all the other, contradictory Brainiacs and giving us the One True Version here.  Brainiac is recast as a truly destructive force, one that steals and collects entire cultures in order to assimilate their knowledge.  

This central conflict is played out amidst a reshuffling of the Daily Planet staff, with both Cat Grant and Steve Lombard returned to the cast.  Supergirl plays a role significantly expanded from the prior Johns arcs, and the Kents have a big role as well.  With this story and the Legion story from the prior volume, Johns seems intent on expanding (or re-expanding) the Superman mythos.  That's okay by me, as I think the vastness of the mythos was one of the things that made it so compelling in the first place.  There are some times where it feels like this particular story takes a backseat to whatever other restoration project is afoot, and the big shocker at the end of the arc feels tacked on.  Overall, though, it's a pretty good action story with suitably high stakes and a fearsome antagonist.

Frank's art continues to channel Christopher Reeve, appropos given the reverence with which Johns seems to approach the movie canon.  Frank really was born to portray Superman, probably moreso than any of the other mainstream characters he's worked on.  He does a really good job with Supergirl, too, even if he's saddled with the Britney version.

the verdict:  Seemingly a setup for the next big arc, this story works pretty well on its own regardless.  A solid action-adventure story, and one that most Superman fans will enjoy.

op/ed: guilty until proven wrong

If I may diverge from the usual subject matter of this blog for a moment:

In my secret identity I pose as a lawyer.  I do not practice criminal law, nor have I ever.  I do not hold myself out as an expert in that field.  I did, however, attend three years of law school, and I actually paid attention to the first two.  Occasionally my practice intersects with the criminal arena, and I have friends in both the DA's and PD's office.  So while I'm not an expert, I do have a basic understanding of how criminal law works.  And it annoys the hell out of me when people go on and on about legalities without taking the time to understand what they're discussing.

There's much discussion afoot about what peccadilloes some folks may have engaged in during their lifetimes.  Some are offended and/or put out by the continued raising of those issues, since the individual in question was never convicted in a court of law of the alleged crimes.  The phrase "innocent until proven guilty" is tossed around pretty frequently.  Many of the people tossing it around are mis-using it.

The notion that someone is "innocent until proven guilty" (hereinafter "IUPG") is a legal presumption.  It is founded in our notions of due process - the notion that before someone can be punished by the state for a crime, the state must produce evidence sufficient to prove that they actually committed the crime.  Our criminal justice system does not deal in terms of innocence; it does not labor under the delusion that it can reach the truth in every case, and it does not place paramount importance on the truth.  Rather, it balances the search for truth in a particular case against the rights of the individual, and attempts to serve both as much as possible.  It is set up to err on the side of protecting individual rights, even if it means allowing someone who committed a crime to escape punishment.  Trials do not end with results of "innocence" - the defendant is either "guilty" or "not guilty".  Sometimes people who are not guilty get convicted.  Sometimes people who are guilty go free.  The result of the trial does not change their status.  If the defendant committed the crime, the defendant is guilty even if a trial results in a verdict of "not guilty" - and vice-versa.  There's the truth, and there's the legal result, and they're not always the same thing.

The court of public opinion operates differently.  It has its flaws, to be sure.  It does, however, value the truth far more than it values the rights of the individual.  That may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.  The court of public opinion sometimes presumes guilt, and that's often a bad thing.  Ideally people would give others the benefit of the doubt, and wait until the facts are in before rendering a decision.  We all know it doesn't happen that way.  ut despite that, sometimes the court of public opinion gets it right and the legal system gets it wrong.  O.J. Simpson killed Nichole Brown.  He did.  There's a mountain of evidence that he did.  Pete Rose bet on baseball.  Barry Bonds used steroids.  So did Roger Clemens.  All of those people are or were entitled to due process with respect to any criminal charges brought against them.  But regardless of what happens (or doesn't) in criminal court, we can use our eyes, our ears, and our common sense, and form our own opinions.  We are not forced to be willfully ignorant to whatever reams of evidence suggest, just because a person has not convicted of a crime by a court of law.

And people know this.  They just don't want to admit it.  They throw out IUPG as a smokescreen, as if they are honor-bound not to see what is right in front of them.  There are lots of reasons why a celebrity's crimes might not tarnish one's opinion of him.  Maybe you don't care what he did in his personal life.  Maybe you care but are able to separate the man's work from him personally.  Maybe you'd just rather not talk about the bad stuff out of respect for the dead.  Those are all perfectly valid opinions - why not just fess up to them?  Why plug your fingers in your ears and pretend the personal stuff doesn't exist?  If it's not important to you, just say so.  Lawyers hide behind phrases like "innocent until proven guilty" and "beyond a reasonable doubt" because that's their job.  It's what they're supposed to do.  There's no reason for anyone else to do that.  We're not preparing for a trial.  We're only, in our awkward and flawed way, trying to figure out the truth.  And we won't find the truth by lawyering up.

Apropos nothing - over the weekend I've been listening to "Smooth Criminal" and "Jam" over and over, in my opinion two of Michael Jackson's most underrated works.  The first is not offered as any kind of ironic commentary; I genuinely do like the song a lot.  Regular service resumes tomorrow.

daredevil: lady bullseye

by Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark

collects Daredevil # 111-115

the premise:  The Hand strikes at Daredevil and his friends, led by a deadly woman known as Lady Bullseye.  Plus: Milla's parents try to get her away from Matt.

the lowdown:  The latest volume of the Brubaker/ Lark Daredevil run repeats some themes from earlier stories - once again we have bad guys striking at Daredevil through those around him, Matt's personal life a shambles, people hurt just because they know him.  In the hands of lesser creators it'd be awfully repetitive.  This arc seems to be aware of its redundancy, though, which leads me to believe that Brubaker has a plan.

The new female version of Bullseye is less a derivative than an homage, someone who's inspired by Bullseye but doesn't really mimic his skill set.  In other words she's not just Bullseye with breasts.  Brubaker sets her up as a pretty crafty adversary, and having her arrive just as things are going south for Matt personally works well.  Murdock's love life is, as always, a thinly veiled Greek tragedy, made more complicated by developments in this volume - but rather than the unbridled misery of some of the earlier volumes, this time it feels like it's going somewhere.

Lark does his usual good job on the art.  The first issue in the collection is drawn by Clay Mann, whose work I'd not encountered before.  I quite liked his stuff here - similar to Lark's work but subtly different.  

the verdict:  More excellent work from Brubaker and Lark.  This is an entertaining, well-crafted arc with lots of cool characters.  Recommended for DD or crime fans.  Oh, and there's lots of Iron Fist, too - more Fist by Bru is a good thing.

sandman mystery theatre vol. 7: the mist & the phantom of the fair

by Matt Wagner, Steven Seagle & Guy Davis

collects Sandman Mystery Theatre # 37-44

the premise:  The tenth and eleventh arcs of this title see Wesley Dodds reunited with Dian Belmont, as they encounter the man who will become the Mist, team with the Golden Age Starman, and track a serial killer who targets homosexuals.

the lowdown:  Though volume six ends on something of a cliffhanger, volume seven picks up with that thread neatly resolved.  It's a little anticlimactic - I was kind of interested in seeing Wes track down Dian abroad - but the creators chose to pick the story back up with their return to the US, just in time for two more pulpy adventures.

This time around the Wes/ Dian relationship is stronger than ever, and for the first time they're really functioning as partners.  Though their relationship still gets a lot of screen time, the focus shifts to two densely plotted crime stories dealing with the themes of scientific advancement, utopianism and bigotry.  The first arc ties in nicely to the Jack Knight story contained in the most recent Starman Omnibus, and serves as a nice if somewhat contrived prequel.  The second story features another serial killer on the loose, this one stalking homosexuals amidst the 1939 World's Fair.  Both stories feel very much like period pieces, and make nice use of real historical events as their backdrops.

Guy Davis draws both arcs this time around, and as usual provides this series' definitive look - stylish yet pulpy.  You never lose track of the fact that Davis is depicting real people rather than posed models, and he shows a wide range between the beautiful and the macabre.

the verdict:  Another excellent volume of this terrific series.  I really feel like I could keep reading about Wes and Dian's adventures forever and never get tired of them.

queen & country definitive edition vol. 4

by Greg Rucka, Antony Johnston, Brian Hurtt, Rick Burchett & Christopher Mitten

collects the three Q&C: Declassified miniseries

the premise:  Three tales flesh out the Q&C cast, with solo stories spotlighting Crocker, Wallace & Poole.

the lowdown:  The wrapup for these collections of the first go-round of Q&C material (there's a relaunch planned at some point) features three miniseries that would be dismissed by many at first glance as ancillary.  None of them are really *required* reading to understand the rest of this series, but they're a nice tool with which to flesh out some of Tara Chase's supporting cast.  And they are, for the most part, quite good.

The first series, by Rucka and Hurtt, features Crocker, and acts as a prelude to some of the events in the Operation: Storm Front arc of the main title.  That was IMO the strongest of the Q&C arcs, and this prequel was quite welcome, especially drawn by the excellent Brian Hurtt.

The second series spotlights Wallace, by Rucka and Rick Burchett, and is the best-drawn of the three.  I'm a Burchett mark, so that's not exactly controversial coming from me.  Wallace is IMO at his best in the first Q&C novel, but this is a cute bit of backstory.

The third series, the Poole spotlight, is the only Q&C material written by someone other than Rucka, as Johnston and Mitten take their turn.  The difference is immediately noticeable, as Johnston has a far more esoteric style.  It's quite good too, just different from the Q&C norm.  Mitten's art is an acquired taste, but he uses the B&W format perhaps better than either of his counterparts.

There's also some extraneous material designed to fill out the volume, some okay interviews, nothing all that exciting but it's neat background material.

the verdict:  If you liked the first three definitive editions, you'll like this one too.  And even if you didn't, you mind find these off-to-the-side tales easier to get into.

squadron supreme: power to the people

by Howard Chaykin & Marco Turini

collects Squadron Supreme (2008) # 1-6

the premise:  Five years after the disappearance of the Squadron Supreme, Earth struggles to move on as Ultimate Nick Fury investigates mysterious incidents involving what appear to be new superpowered characters.

the lowdown:  The latest take on the Squadron Supreme brings the original concept full circle.  Where the Squadron started off as analogues of DC characters who were created by Roy Thomas to fight the Avengers, this installment sees the Squadron's world bereft of heroes, as new heroes show up - heroes who bear striking resemblance to the classic Marvel heroes.  So we've got the parody JLA replaced by the parody Avengers?

Chaykin uses the opportunity to construct what I think are the beginnings of some meta-commentary on the superhero, setting up what looks like it will be a clash of styles between the "golden" and the "silver".  I say "looks like" because even after six issues the point of the story isn't all that clear; it's an extremely slow burn.  The POV character is Ultimate Nick Fury, who got left behind in the Squadronverse after whatever crossover Marvel did with the Ultimate and Squadron verses.  The problem is that he really doesn't "sound" or act all that much like he did in the Ultimate books, so the utility of having him here is questionable.  Turini's art doesn't really make him look all that much like himself, either.  So we've got a guy called "Fury" but no other real entry point.  The Squadron itself isn't even in the book.  Chaykin struggles to pull together the cast he does have, and it doesn't all fit.  

I'm left somewhat skeptical as to the value of the high concept as well.  The Gruenwald Squadron was brilliant because it deconstructed the superhero genre much like Watchmen did.  It spoke to superheroes and their natural effect on the world.  This one, if it's doing what I think it's doing, might be... commenting on how superheroes change over time?  It just doesn't seem like a concept with as much teeth.

the verdict:  It's still very possible that Chaykin will pull this together in the next (and final) volume.  I won't be around for it, though - the first arc just didn't engage me enough to make me want to finish the story.

punisher war journal vol. 4: jigsaw

by Matt Fraction, Rick Remender & Howard Chaykin

collects Punisher War Journal # 18-23

the premise:  Jigsaw: Rebirth!  Jigsaw returns with an anti-Punisher costume and a vendetta against everyone's favorite bloodthirsty vigilante.

the lowdown:  The fourth volume of this series reveals a pretty clear pattern.  For the third time in four volumes, a book that starts off pretty mediocre eventually turns into a pretty good read.  I'm really not sure why that is - it's not like the arcs are all structured the same way or anything.  It just is - you can't judge an arc in this title by the first issue or two.  The last half is where the money's at.

Fraction is joined by co-writer Remender for the reimagining of Jigsaw, last seen (or at least, last seen by me) during the Bendis/ Maleev run on Daredevil.  They've managed to kink Jigsaw up a bit, though they really run up against the fundamental problem of why the Punisher would ever have a recurring rogue's gallery.  He kills everyone, thus second encounters are rare.  Fraction and Remender pull in some psychological plothammers to make that work, and ultimately the arc becomes a big action/ chase story involving SHIELD, Silver Sable and more.

Note: I say "more" because several of the characters are never identified, and I do not know who they are.  Didn't recognize Sable at first either.  I don't suppose that's entirely necessary - all one really needs to know is that they are badasses - but y'know.. kind of sloppy.

Chaykin's art is solid but not terribly inspired this time around.  He's usually pretty good at drawing the absurd, so the more over-the-top the action, the more he excels.  This arc's a little short on that kind of action - there's plenty of running around and shooting but not so much of the crazy.  Book needs more crazy.

the verdict:  A nice effort at reinventing an old villain that meets with mixed results.  You won't hate yourself later if you skip this one.

batman r.i.p.

by Grant Morrison & Tony Daniel

collects Batman # 676-683

the premise:  The Black Glove strikes, dealing a devastating blow to Batman's psyche.  Batman struggles to regain his sanity while the Black Glove sets up a macabre showdown.

the lowdown:  The premise doesn't do this one justice.  I'm not sure there is a description that could do this one justice.

This book is made of pure awesome!

Morrison's Batman run pays off in a big way in this arc, with a multi-layered story full of twists, turns and suspense.  Plot elements from as far back as 52 come to fruition as Batman's biggest vulnerability stands revealed.  Morrison adds something to the Batman mythos that many writers have tried before, but he does it better than any of them.  Horror.  This book is genuinely scary, and not the kind of faux-scary they've tried before where Batman fights the Spectre or the Scarecrow or something.  From minute one - the well-done scene between Batman and the Joker in Arkham, this one is just filled with a sense of dread and foreboding.  You keep waiting for Morrison to drop the other shoe, to let you know how and when the Glove will strike.  And then when he does, it's totally worth the wait.

The arc doesn't stop there.  The aftermath of Batman's fall is spellbinding.  The final confrontations with the Black Glove, although a little long, are fantastic, laced with drama and pathos.  The big reveals are delivered with maximum effect.  It's a triumph all the way around.

Criticism I've seen online have focused on two things - one is the ambiguous ending.  I'm not spoiling anything by saying the ending *is* ambiguous.  And?  Most great endings are ambiguous.  This one wraps up the story completely but leaves you wanting more.  Isn't that what all stories should do?

The other criticism is that there's no clean reveal of the Black Glove's ID.  Apparently Morrison said in an interview there would be this big reveal, and then there's not.  I wouldn't know, because who reads interviews for books they're already going to read?  Anyway - it doesn't matter who the BG is.  That's really not the point.

Tony Daniel takes some grief for his art, and at times deservedly so, but he does nice work here.  He's no J.H. Williams III, but there's only one of those.  This is not an easy script to draw, and Daniel pulls it off pretty well.

My only real complaint is the two-issue "Last Rites" epilogue, drawn by Lee Garbett.  It's cute but not really necessary, and really isn't much more than continuity pr0n.  Minor complaint, though - by that time the book was already a smashing success.

the verdict:  This is one of the very best Batman stories I've ever read, and I've read a LOT of Batman stories.  This is easily top 10, maybe top 5, maybe top 2 - I'll need a little distance before really making that comparison.  This is a fantastic psychodrama that rewards multiple readings and demonstrates the very best of Batman.  Best comic I've read so far this year!  Highly, highly recommended!

mr. keen: tracer of lost persons

by Justin Gray & Lee Ferguson

original graphic novel

the premise:  An enigmatic young woman hires the equally enigmatic Mr. Keen to locate the man who prostituted her sister - so that she can murder him.

the lowdown:  Man, I waited for this book for like forever.  Originally it was supposed to come out in 2005.  It got resolicited several times, and now here we are in 2009 and it's finally out.

I'm not sure anything could really live up to that kind of wait, and maybe that colored my perceptions.  This is a nice effort at a dark crime story slash psychological thriller that ultimately doesn't quite work.

The high concept is a pretty good one, but the titular character really doesn't have much of a personality beyond "resident bad-ass".  I guess that's okay in the abstract, but given the page limitations there's really only one character in the book who's fleshed out much - above-said enigmatic woman - and she's not really all that likeable.  So who is the reader left to root for here?  Presumably Mr. Keen, but he's a total mercenary, and one never really has the sense that he's emotionally invested in the things going on.

The art by Ferguson has a nice grainy quality to it that looks appealing in black & white, but his storytelling is vague in places, to the point that it makes the story unnecessarily confusing.  A few of the key moments don't really resonate at all, and the murky storytelling is unfortunately part of the problem.

A book like this really has to get by on attitude.  It can do that if it just projects "hard core" on every page - but this one doesn't quite get there.  I'm not left wanting to read more about Mr. Keen or even feeling that he's had a proper character arc.  If this was a pilot for a series I *might* be interested enough to move on to the next episode, but as a standalone work I'm just not hooked.

the verdict:  A very nice effort with a very nice concept, but unfortunately it just doesn't quite work.  

anna mercury vol. 1: the cutter

by Warren Ellis & Facundo Percio

collects Anna Mercury # 1-5

the premise:  A lethal beauty with an arsenal of high-tech weaponry and the seeming ability to cloud men's minds glides through the city of a mission of... well, that would be telling.  What is her secret, who is she, and why is she here?  Or there?

the lowdown:  Warren Ellis' latest creator-owned effort delivers a premise similar to Paul Dini's Madame Mirage, but with more of an Ellis flavor.  Not that Anna is a chain-smoking grouch or anything like that - but this is Ellis doing his science fiction thing.  What at first glance looks like a fairly typical urban vigilante story becomes something else as Anna's story is revealed.  The story begins at a breakneck pace and keeps it that way for several issues, before slowing down in the last few chapters.  It's a pretty effective storytelling method, although it is a bit anticlimactic.  

The science fiction-y twist ends up defining the book, and clearly will be the backdrop for any future outings of this character.  I'm not really a hard sci-fi guy, although I think Ellis does this sort of thing better than anyone else going right now.  At its best science fiction makes you think about the world and the way it works, and contrast that with how the world could be.  Ellis definitely pulls that off here, even if he does have to resort to infodump at times to get there.

The art by Percio seems to fit with the Avatar "house style".  It's detailed but not overly so.  He's able to convey the action scenes pretty well, but doesn't lose much when things slow down.  There aren't a lot of shots that will really "wow" you, but overall the book looks good, and despite the Peg Bundy hair the design work on Anna is solid.

the verdict:  If you like hard sci-fi this is probably right up your alley.  Even if, like me, you're not a hard sci-fi fan this is quite well done and a nice introduction to a new character.

justice league international vol. 4

by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maguire, Ty Templeton & more

collects Justice League International # 23-25 & Justice League America # 26-30

the premise:  Riding the wave of a successful recruiting drive, the League expands with an all-new internationally-based team.  Plus: the Blue Beetle snaps and tries to kill Maxwell Lord, only to run headlong into... the Huntress?

the lowdown:  These are all actually issues of the same series, appearances notwithstanding.  The title of the book was changed when DC launched the Justice League Europe book (which I'm still hoping will show up in future volumes of this series).

The hijinx continue in this volume, with a healthy dose of dark irony in Beetle snapping and trying to kill Max.  If only, right?  It's actually pretty interesting to re-read some of these issues, because you see that despite its reputation this series really wasn't all comedy, even at this point when the creators were well into the run.  Beetle has a pretty intense fight with Max, and later the Huntress, and the aftermath of his coming unhinged is pretty stark.  Amanda Waller guest stars, and though the quips are there, it's a relatively serious story.

And then a few issues later a kid steals a mega-rod and away we go.  Oh, and Guy and Ice go on their first date and he takes her to a porno.

Maguire makes only a cameo appearance this time around, as this was when he left the book.  Ty Templeton steps aboard and does a pretty solid job imitating Maguire's style, although he's not Maguire's equal with the faces.  If anything he has an even cleaner style than Maguire does, though, and his storytelling is impeccable except in the spots where it's intentionally vague.

the verdict:  More good stuff.  These issues are still in the series' prime - crisp storytelling, funny dialogue, an all-around likeable book.

captain america: truth

by Robert Morales & Kyle Baker

collects Truth # 1-7

the premise:  This is the story of the truth (hence the title) behind the Super-Soldier program - the illegal human experimentation, the racism, the cover-ups... and the black Captain America.

the lowdown:  This series was published originally during the Bill Jemas era at Marvel, when the publisher was uncharacteristically open to trying some really radical things.  That shows up not only in the high concept here, but in the choice of artist.  Seeing Kyle Baker on a mainstream superhero project takes some getting used to.  He's a terrific artist, of course, but is far more "cartoonist" than you'd normally expect on a Marvel book.

The strength of the book lies in the high concept.  The weakness lies in the somewhat uneven execution.  Mostly it's that Morales makes some really strange pacing choices here.  The hook here is that there was a black Captain America.  That's a tremendous concept rife with potential, but this really isn't the story of Isiah Bradley.  He's given only cursory character development, and though his story arc is pretty good, it's not really seven issues worth of good.  

Morales brings the modern-day Cap (Rogers) into the story near the end, casting the first five issues as a framing device.  But there's no modern-day story that goes anywhere - we don't see Cap really deal with the knowledge of what the government did.  I vaguely recall that being addressed in a really dull arc in his own title, but there's really nothing of it here.  So what IS this story?  Well, it's the revelation that the US government acted like a bunch of racist bastards during WWII - which is fine but not really the sort of thing that carries seven issues.  It's not bad, really, just... strange.

the verdict:  Despite some reservations I enjoyed this.  I can definitely say it's not like any other Captain America story you've read, and despite some strange pacing it's built on an excellent high concept.

the sword vol. 2: water

by the Luna Brothers

collects The Sword # 7-12

the premise:  Dara tracks down the first of the three "people" who killed her family, only to find herself locked in a violent struggle with a powerful entity who can control all forms of water.

the lowdown:  Even though I had a generally positive reaction to the first volume of this series, I found myself sort of on the fence as to whether I would continue.  Though solidly executed the first volume had a feel of a cross between Highlander and the Da Vinci Code.  And I don't like Highlander and am beyond burned out on Da Vinci Code ripoffs.  So I wasn't sure if I'd continue with this series after this volume.

It won me over, though.  The highlights of this volume are a lengthy search for the killers of Dara's family, and a huge battle with one of them.  In between the intense action scenes, the Lunas take the time to develop the bad guys a little, and do a pretty fair job of portraying these folks as something other than super-powered baddies.  They're not human, despite appearances, and they have their own morals and social mores, which come out here.

The fight scene itself is very well done - control over water is presented as it should be, an extremely powerful ability.  It feels very big budget CGI, and throughout it you're not really sure how it will end.  The book ends up being a pretty brisk read, largely because two issues are more or less consumed by the fight, but it's so well-done the reader doesn't feel jipped at all.

the verdict:  A nice entry in this series - it's kept me on board.  There are still some aspects of this story that are a little blah, and I'm not as into it as I was Girls, but it's a very solid action/ adventure read.

all-star superman vol. 2

by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely

collects All-Star Superman # 7-12

the premise:  Slowly dying of solar poisoning, Superman attempts to set his affairs in order before he passes on.

the lowdown:  It's no secret to learn that this is one of the most acclaimed Superman stories... well... ever.  You're not learning that from reading this.  It's superbly written, superbly drawn... if you read volume one you know to expect that, and this volume doesn't disappoint.

What's interesting is to compare this book with Alan Moore's "last" Superman story, i.e. Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow.  WEHttMoT, also an excellent tale, works on the premise that what Superman really wants, what his natural endpoint is, is to be human.  His happy ending is to be one of us.  Morrison's version rests on an entirely different premise.  Morrison's Superman experiences loneliness, much like Moore's, but despite his obvious connection to and affection for humanity, he doesn't seem to have much desire to be human.  He does consider procreation, and his own legacy - but not in a wistful way.  Instead, Morrison's Superman wants to life humanity up.  

In a way, as much as I like WEHttMoT, Morrison's version is more uplifting and more inspirational than Moore's.  The charge often leveled at Superman is that he isn't relatable.  He doesn't have human foibles and flaws.  Morrison's take embraces this, and shows us why it doesn't matter.  Superman's not supposed to have human flaws - he's not human.  He's something else, something, to coin a phrase, super.

Of course, the fact that we're talking about Morrison and Moore in the same breath should give you some idea of the regard in which I hold this story.  It is a worthy addition to the pantheon of classic Superman stories, certainly the best *since* Moore's, and maybe even better.

the verdict:  A logical updating of the Silver Age Superman, but without the dated feel of many of those tales.  Highly recommended - this is a must for any Superman fan, and pretty much any DC reader.

dmz vol. 6: blood in the game

by Brian Wood & Riccardo Burchielli

collects DMZ # 29-34

the premise:  As the DMZ prepares to hold an election to choose a provisional governor, Matty becomes involved with a radical third-party candidate who bucks both the US and the Free States.

the lowdown:  Regular readers may recall that I was a little down on this series after volume 5 - just seemed like too much interlude and not enough plot moving forward.  I actually considered dropping the book if volume 6 was not an improvement.  Suffice it to say this series is no longer on probation.

Wood & Burchielli reunite with this volume and deliver the best arc of DMZ yet.  The truth is that Wood never really needed to devote issues to supporting characters in order to flesh out their characters - he does it plenty well even in the midst of plot-heavy arcs.  Not only does Matty return to prominence this time around, but two major new characters are introduced, and Wood makes them both interesting almost immediately.

The meat of the arc itself involves the DMZ holding its first election, and Matty getting caught in the middle of it.  The political underpinnings of the DMZ have been vague until this volume, but they're fleshed out some here.  Not only is that done in a compelling way, but Wood & Burchielli do a marvelous job conveying the historical significance of the moment they're presenting.  The reader really has no idea where the story is going, and the suspense is terrific.

At the same time it's clear that Wood is using this series to comment on journalism, and the boundaries between journalist and participant.  It's particularly deft for him to use an inexperienced journalist (though Matty isn't all that inexperienced anymore), and we experience things through his eyes.

the verdict:  A sensational arc that really pulls this book back on track in a big way.  Best volume to date.  Definitely pick it up if you're on the fence.

high rollers

by Gary Phillips & Sergio Carrera

collects High Rollers # 1-4

the premise:  Follow the story of an upstart gangster as he rises to prominence in the gang world of Los Angeles.  Watch as he struggles to gain power, and then struggles to keep it.

the lowdown:  Novelist Gary Phillips makes his second voyage into the comic world with this self-contained limited series.  The first was a series that Vertigo hasn't bothered to collect, and which I consequently did not read, so this was my intro to him.  Phillips is a crime writer whose novels focus heavily on the Los Angeles area, so this is more or less like one of his novels translated to a comic.  Fans of organized crime stories will find much to like here - I've recently gotten into the Sopranos (I know, where have I been the last ten years - shut up), and there are a lot of similarities here.  There's attention paid not only to the action elements, but to the characters' families and personal lives.  On some level, as the saying goes, it's ALL personal, and this book reflects that.

Usually I'd use "self-contained" as a compliment.  Here I'm not so sure.  The ending here is something of an anticlimax, and almost feels like the opening chapter in a series.  As far as I know, though, there is no "High Rollers II" on the horizon, so that's probably not the feeling they were trying to convey.  

The art by Carrera shows promise but is awkward in places.  It's always hard to tell with a non-comics writer whether the storytelling lapses are due to the artist or to the writer's lack of familiarity with the medium.  For the most part, though, Carrera does pretty good work, and succeeds in giving most of the characters distinct looks.

the verdict:  A flawed book that is probably nonetheless of interest to fans of crime comics.  You won't kick yourself for missing it by any means, but it's a nice entry into the genre if you want to try out a little different take.  Also: it's got a pretty cool interview between Phillips and Greg Rucka in the back.

starman omnibus vol. 2

by James Robinson, Tony Harris & more

collects Starman # 17-29, Annual #1, and stories from Showcase '95 and '96

the premise:  Settling into his role as Starman, Jack Knight teams up with the Golden Age Sandman and battles a picture that abducts people.  Plus: the Shade, the cosmic Starman, the 70's Starman and more.

the lowdown:  The first volume of this series introduced most of the major characters, but these are the issues where the scope of the story really becomes apparent.  Jack has very little development in these issues, mostly marking time with a Sandman story that's good but is about an issue too long.  He does have a nice moment with the original Mist, but mostly Jack is just... there this time around.

The real stars are the supporting cast, as they grow in number as well as importance.  From the cops to the other Starmen to the O'Dare police family, everyone gets a turn in the spotlight here, but the Shade is the real breakout character.  Robinson just does a brilliant job setting him up as someone straddling the line between hero and villain.  The Shade is probably the most complex character in the book, and he really steals the show in the scenes featuring him.

Most of the art is by Harris but there are also several fill-ins - they're of varying quality.  I wasn't a huge fan of the art in the annual (which features the cosmic Starman and tells of his fate in the first Crisis), but overall the art looks very good.  Harris grows by leaps and bounds from issue to issue.

the verdict:  Peppered with dialogue that's a little too flowery at times, maybe, but that's a minor quibble.  This is an excellent book that has aged very well.  Highly recommended.

moon knight vol. 4: the death of marc spector

by Mike Benson, Javier Saltares & Mark Texeira

collects Moon Knight # 21-25 & Moon Knight: Silent Knight

the premise:  Iron Man and the Thunderbolts race against each other to see who can bring in Moon Knight first.  Realizing his goose is probably cooked, Moon Knight must marshall his few remaining resources for a desperate last stand.

the lowdown:  The first year of Benson's Moon Knight comes to a head in this volume, as MK finds himself in a pretty clear no-win situation.  Benson continues to impress with the kind of gritty noir that Charlie Huston does so well in his novels but couldn't quite deliver on this title.  This volume, like its predecessor, is an intense, dirty story about a brutal vigilante at the end of his rope.  Moon Knight is, of course, heavily influenced by Batman, but has never achieved the same popularity as Bats has.  To some extent, though, that's an asset here, as the creators can really cut loose with a violent melodrama.  There's no need to make MK a "sane man in an insane world", for example - he's pretty clearly off his nut.  He's flawed to say the least, but you root for him because he's in a dogfight for his life, and you know there's really no way he can win.  The ending has real consequences for MK and sets up a new status quo for the character.

The art by Saltares and Texeira isn't my favorite this time around, but it works okay.  I think I'm skewed a little knowing Jefe Palo is taking over with the next volume.

There's also a one-shot by Peter Milligan - a fairly cute Christmas story that probably should've been the first story in the book rather than the last.  Milligan on just about anything is welcome, though.

the verdict:  I dig this book.  It's grimy and unpleasant and violent and really well-conceived.  This is about the darkest spin on superheroes you'll find outside of a "mature readers" title, and if you like that sort of thing, give this one a look.