Thursday, May 23, 2013

Comic Book Reviews: Justice League #20 and Green Hornet #2

Some of you probably saw my post yesterday where I reviewed Batgirl #20 and saw my sheer rage at how illogical it was. I've looked over the next three months of solicits and it appears these plotlines will continue for a while.

As such, while I'll still review the title, it may come with a delay, as I'll not be buying the book. It's not that I drop titles easily, but the fact is that my comics budget has a limit. I'm already adding Superman Unchained next month and will be buying all the main Trinity War storyline, which takes up three Justice League titles.

If Unchained fails, and I decide against the Superman/Batman book, then maybe I'll return to Batgirl on a regular basis, but for now, it's $3 too much for my budget to waste on a lackluster title.

Anyway, on to the books!

Justice League #20

This book has entered total setup mode for the Trinity War, as we get most of the story told through the perspective of The Atom. Why do I feel it's setup? Well, once you see the significance of what The Atom is doing in this continuity, you'll understand.

To Geoff Johns' credit, he does a good job of making her likable before we find out her secrets, so there will definitely be a bit of sympathy working in her favor.

The other major plot point is the missing Kryptonite that was stolen from Batman and the really uncomfortable contingency plans Batman is placing on Superman. I know that these characters have an understanding that if one goes rogue, the others have to stop him/her, but to hear Bruce speak so bluntly about it is kind of unsettling.

It also makes me think the Superman-Wonder Woman dynamic is about to take a BIG hit during this crossover. While it's sad that it will happen without any really great moments (first kiss excluded), I am glad that this might lead back to Superman and Lois Lane becoming a thing. (Or Lana Lang. I do enjoy Lana Lang's character.)

The back-up has been the highlight of this title the last few months, and the Shazam! storyline is almost at a close. We find out a twist in the Black Adam origin that I hadn't really considered and it was really well-played. The final part of this seems to be the actual showdown between Shazam and Black Adam, and it may get most of next issue, so I'm AMPED for that.

I didn't think the kid characters would be that great, but I've found them endearing since starting this title, and I'm looking forward to when Mary Marvel finally comes around and what her name will be if Captain Marvel is officially Shazam.

Basically, this is a comic key to your understanding of the next event crossover, so you may want to get a jump on this one.

Green Hornet #2

This is a week delayed, but this is the book I was looking forward to last week. And boy, did it deliver!

Mark Waid is officially my favorite writer. He just 'gets' characters and his Green Hornet treads that line of a hero pretending to be a villain perfectly.

There is a scene in which he sets a not-really-a-cop on fire to showcase how much of a badass villain he is in front of a crime boss. Yes, it's extreme, but it's hard to argue against talking to a guy when 1) He's on your side in the whole crime thing, and 2) He's willing to set people on fire.

His Britt Reid persona is also given a tremendous load of respect. He's clearly well-connected and competent; the only flaw in the storytelling is that his newspaper is tremendously successful in 2013 (AY-OH!)

This issue focuses on the Hornet trying to find out who has been responsible for the most recent string of crimes that have been blamed on him. After finding the manufacturer, though, he makes a careless mistake and the way this issue ends will leave you wanting this book to come out much, much faster.

The art is solid, but there is an issue with people looking too similar. It took me a couple reads to get through the scene where Britt Reid is talking with local businessmen and politicians because the suits and faces were too similar and I kept getting people mixed up.

But overall, this is a book you should be reading. No, the Hornet isn't really a superhero, but in my mind he's just as awesome and his crime stories are just as compelling as anything you'll read in the mainstream books.

No comments:

Post a Comment