DC Comics

Jeff Lemire wastes no time turning a faltering book on it’s ear, creating a fresh and visually stunning book that will get fans raving about the “Emerald Archer” again!

Let’s not pull any punches, Green Arrow has been a book that has failed to hit its mark from the initial issue under the leadership of J.T. Krull. And the recent issues by Ann Nocenti, haven’t been able to truly find the “voice” of Oliver Queen, either. Overall, the New 52 version of Green Arrow – as both a character and a book – has been less of a thrill ride and more of a slow descent into obscurity for fans.

Today, all of that changes!

Fan favorite, Jeff Lemire (Animal Man, Justice League Dark, Sweet Tooth), has taken over the reins and has set the world of Oliver Queen ablaze. Literally! There are going to be some drastic changes in the setting, tone and most importantly — the characters of this book. Everything you knew before will be burned away and what is left, is a character that has been broken down to his core elements. He has become, again, a character that must learn to survive with absolutely nothing; there will be no quarter given — he must prove his worthiness on his own!

As fresh and exciting as Jeff Lemire’s tale is, the artistic talent of Andrea Sorrentino (I, Vampire) raises it to an entirely other level! There is an unmistakable realism in Sorrentino’s art that solidifies this tale with a more “urban” feel. The spectacle of the brightly colored super hero has been replaced with a darker tone that matches Lemire’s “breaking of a hero” tale perfectly. It is rich and moody, creating a feeling of an underlying dread that is awaiting Oliver around every corner. It is a visual masterpiece that will stun fans optic nerves as much as Lemire’s tale will rock them emotionally!

Lemire and Sorrentino burn away the last sixteen issues of a mediocre series and leave it in ashes. But what emerges from the minds of this extremely talented duo will catapult this series back into the spotlight for 2013! You owe it to yourself to reexamine Green Arrow, it’s a bullseye! 

Coming off a mediocre first issue, The Ravagers #2 is a book that will hook you instantly — leaving any qualms you had about how good this series could be by the wayside!

Howard Mackie has done a full three sixty with only two issues out on the shelves. The Ravagers #1 was a mish-mash of concepts that never struck a cord with readers and left another “Second Wave” book teetering on a precipice to oblivion. But this issue is a TRUE page turner that ensnares a reader, creating a new core “teen” title that is on par with Teen Titans!

Issue two finds our rag tag group of survivors trying to refocus after an attack by Warblade and Rose Wilson. Though not fully trusting one another, they manage to keep each other alive long enough to encounter the most heinous Ravager yet — Shadow Walker! This sadistic menace has tortured Thunder, Lightning and Ridge before, and it is their fear that feeds his insatiable thirst. Can Fairchild teach this group enough about their own humanity to save them, or are they already too far gone?

Ian Churchill’s art is outstanding and his correlation with Mackie’s script — makes one beautiful book! The odd thing about this series, is that the “heroes” of the book are not the main reason why it is so good! It is the perfectly honed villains that push this book beyond its limits! They are pure evil, a sadistic cornucopia of horror and “super villain” that creates a perfect suspense filled ride! The “heroes” almost seem like an afterthought when it comes to their development; they are there, but not as thoroughly fleshed out as the villains seem to be. And for now, I am completely okay with that! Especially after seeing what is coming up next for Caitlin Fairchild and her runaways! They say every hero is only made better by the caliber of their villains, if that is so, then The Ravagers will become some of the best heroes ever created!

I must say that I have been a JSA fan for many a year, and I was quite disappointed when DC announced that those characters would not be arriving in the New 52 amongst their peers. And once it was announced that the JSA characters would be arriving in the “Second Wave” as “new”versions of themselves — I was taken aback for a second time. So, when Earth 2 #1 came out, and I wasn’t blown away, it didn’t shock me! But today, as I read Earth 2 #2 â€” I was completely shocked!

This issue was fantastic, THIS is why I read comics!

Now, don’t think I was shocked by what you have all heard in the media regarding this book. Yes, DC has made the first Green Lantern, Alan Scott, gay. That’s great, we need more diversified characters – and readers for that matter – in the genre. When has ones’ sexual preference ever determined how great of a hero they will be? Never! 

No, I was shocked at how well James Robinson channeled classic DC storytelling to create new origins for some of the oldest characters in the DCU! This is great storytelling personified! Not only do we get Mr. Terrific back into the swing of things, we get Jay Garrick back as the Flash! And the fumbling, self critical Jay Garrick is a refreshing look at how an everyman would act if thrown into an incredible situation such as his! Robinson’s story was fluid, touching on all characters without diverging from the overall story and creating intriguing situations and – even a new villain – along the way! A new villain that will strike a cord with old JSA fans to say the least! By book’s end there were four old JSA teammates together again in the same book – for the first time – and it just felt exiting! Robinson made this book feel like home again for old JSA fans — a classic for future generations!

Now I do have one complaint, what is up with Jay Garrick’s helmet? I thought I was watching an old Buck Rogers episode and Twiggy was running around! Seriously, Nicola Scott is a great artist, but that thing has to go!

Okay, now go get this book!

I was anticipating another great “teencentric” book from the company that does them so well. But Ravagers is a hit and run of fantastic art and nothing more!

If you have not been reading the “Culling” storyline – the crossover that has been going through Teen Titans, Legion Lost and Superboy – you will find yourself lost in a quagmire of action and a befuddling storyline! Even if you have been reading the crossover, this issue does nothing to engage the reader with the cast of characters that have escaped the clutches of N.O.W.H.E.R.E.! There is no time to flesh out the core characters, besides what you have seen in other books, and the reader has no vested interest in them when everything goes from bad to worse. You will be privy to brutal slayings and a sheer lack of respect for human life, as the escapees take out their fear and anger on surrendering guards and each other in order to live free.

New characters like Ridge, Thunder and Lightning, do little to make the reader feel anything for their plight and background characters, Bright Eyes and Windshear, come off more interesting. Caitlin Fairchild, the scientist that worked for N.O.W.H.E.R.E., is placed as the central character that tries her best to form this rag tag group into something more, but her plight is laughable and she comes off more whiny than Luke Skywalker in “A New Hope!” Any chance of reconnecting with characters that longtime Titans fans will recognize, Beast Boy and Terra, are doused as they leave the book by page five! My only hope for this book was when Warblade and Rose Wilson were unleashed upon the masses and a true culling began. Unfortunately, they didn’t wipe out the entire cast!

I will give this book a second chance to draw me in , but if issue two follows the same formula as the first one — it will be staying on the racks. So far, DC’s “Second Wave” has been mired in mediocrity, and The Ravagers is no different! Besides Worlds’ Finest, “Second Wave” doesn’t stand a second chance!

The “DOC’s” Top Of The Pile

By: Chris “DOC” Bushley

(A weekly quick pick of the five titles that should reside at the top of your pull list. In no particular order!)

I do the research, you reap the reward! Before you head out to your favorite shop today, be sure to add these books to your list of goodies! Forget that “apple a day” nonsense, this “DOC’s” prescription to good health starts with these top five titles of the week!

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1.  Resident Alien #1 : A mystery tale about the murder of a small town doctor is enough to get me in the door, but it’s the twist about the choice of a stand-in doc that puts it on the list. He’s an alien, folks! And no one knows the truth! Intriguing and completely different than anything out there today!

2.  Dark Horse Presents #12 :  Just in time for Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, we get a brand new Aliens tale from John Layman and Sam Keith! Plus – Cosmic fans rejoice – the return of Mike Baron and Steve Rude’s — Nexus! But it’s the Black Beetle tale by Francesco Francavilla that really helps this book get on my list. Well, that and the hysterical strip of Sabertooth Vampire by Mike Russell! Hilarious!

3.  Mind MGMT #1 : 121 people get on a plane but only 120 get off when they land! And all of them have complete memory loss of their previous lives —  except one small boy! Matt Kindt, creator of Revolver, brings forth another outstanding book that is complete action and intrigue! Plus, there are added secret images and numeric sequences that Matt Kindt says will never be republished into trade form! He wants this to be THE monthly book on the top of your list! Well, he’s made it on mine — it should be on yours!

4.  Justice League Dark #9 :  The only thing that this book was missing before was a solid direction and a “team” leader. Well, now we have both in — Jeff Lemire! That’s right, folks! The man behind the amazing Animal Man, makes his JLD debut here! Not only does he put Constantine as “leader” of the group, but he also debuts Felix Faust to the DCnU! Anyone who loves Vertigo books will feel right at home!

5.  Fables #117 :  Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham are celebrating ten years of Fable goodness with this issue! Not only do you get an eerie tale of Dare’s journey to save his sister from the Land of Discardia, but you get a back-up tale of Bufkin and the revolution in OZ! Plus, as an extra bonus, we get to see a sneak preview of Scott Snyder’s new limited series — American Vampire: Lord of Nightmares! All for only $2.99! Ya can’t beat that with a stick!

DC’s “second wave” hits the stands today! Although not as grand as the first time around, this second set of the New 52 definitely has some shinning stars! The first of which — Worlds’ Finest! 

Now, even before this series launched, George Perez had been getting some pretty heated fan response to his renderings of “Power Girl.” Once you read this, I hope all of your reservations can be put aside. DC has been letting you know that this “Huntress” and “Power Girl” are not ones you are familiar with, believe me — it’s true!

I do not want to spoil anything that Paul Levitz has created here, and it is very difficult to do a review that can entice you to check out this book without blathering on and on about the story. So, I will try and keep it brief, yet, exciting!

Hailing from the pages of Earth 2, also on sale today, two heroines escape from a devastated planet only to awaken in one similar, but not their own! They change their identities in order to better conform to their new world and set off to fight the good fight, all the while searching to find a way home.

There, hope I didn’t give away too much!

Paul Levitz has crafted a tale that is already rich in the history of the New 52. From the Huntress mini-series to the recently canceled Mr.Terrific book, we are already familiar with these characters and their motivations. But now we are privy to parts of their lives we had been previously kept in the dark about, building those, “Ah ha!” moments comic fans all love. Pieces from this tale and other stories converge together, making the scope of Levitz tale brighter and broader than one could have foreseen. But it is the characterization of these two heroines, both singularly and dually, that make this story flow so naturally. It’s as if we are watching two old acquaintances stroll through our door with an incredible tale to tell us after a long hiatus. It is comfortable and engaging, drawing you into a world you already thought you new.

I have always been a fan of George Perez’s art, but this book reminded me of why and just how much I missed it! His skill is fathomless and just keeps getting better! Not that Kevin Maguire’s flashback sequences are anything to scoff at either! It is the duality of theses great artists that help project this book to a higher level!

This story has it’s fingertips on the biggest array of books in the New 52 that I have ever seen! If you are a fan of great art and amazing tales of misplaced heroes — this is the book for you! This “second wave” is bound together tighter than the first one — so get Worlds’ Finest and Earth 2 in tandem! You won’t regret it!