Stuff I Read This Week Episode 29 or It Was Inevitable That Sheldon Cooper Would Become A Comic Character....

Superior Spider Man #19: Despite my numerous declarations that Superior Spider-Man sucks, I have to hand it to Dan Slott. The past few issues have been particularly awesome. The best thing Slott could do with this book is take a break from focusing on Doctor Spiderpus' champion level douchebaggery and do something heroic. The second best thing he could have done was resurrect Michael O'Mara, the 2099 Spider-Man for a good old showdown.

Having said that, it wasn't much of a showdown. In fact, you would think these two would have had much more to talk about even if it was in the middle of all time and space becoming unraveled (or whatever the actual conflict was in this story). Also, being from the future, why doesn't Future Spider-Man know that Peter Parker isn't really Peter Parker if all of this has already happened? In fact, the whole resolution to this time crisis seemed a bit anti-climatic, essentially giving Doctor Octopus another stage where he can call everyone inferior. The spiel has gone from Spider-Man being a weird mix of Batman and Sheldon Cooper to just outright being Doctor Doom in a different outfit. There are a couple of scenes where Spider-Man declares his unrivaled intellect and it just leaves you groaning "Oh, for fuck's sake, man." The great thing about Spider-Man has always been that he's semi-relatable and, despite him being a flawed character, you could see yourself having a beer with the guy. If you knew someone like Doctor Spiderpus in real life, you'd have pushed him down a flight of stairs or eaten the lo mein he kept in the fridge at work. I understand that Tony Stark and Spider Jerusalem prove there's a market for charming, douchebag do-gooders, but I don't see the point in reading about an unlovable hero whose day-saving seems completely incidental compared to him "bwahaha"ing all over the place.

Ryan Stegman's artwork is definitely something to marvel at (no pun intended). Although his rendering of "chronotons" screwing up time and space (I guess that's what was happening) make some of the panels feel a bit claustrophobic unnecessarily, he has a style that's just perfect for the 2099 environment. It actually makes you feel like maybe there could be an opportunity here to resurrect the old Spider-Man 2099. This story arc has been impressive and it could ended that way if Slott hadn't seen fit to cop out and once again leave the moral of the story being "Because I'm Spider-Man, bitch."

Bottom Line: I honestly thought there were enough unlovable jackasses on The Walking Dead that we didn't need to read about one in a Spider-Man comic. Sadly, I was mistaken. 7 out of 10.

Avengers #21: It's a fortunate thing that the Infinity event is coming closer to its end because there's only so many ways I can say "Goddamn, this is good shit!" Jonathan Hickman very clearly has a great appreciation for the sandbox of a universe he's been given to play in and it radiates off of every page whether it's a victory for the villains or a loss for the heroes.

This issue mainly deals with the aftermath of Thor's bold stand against the Builders and the liberation of Hala, the Kree homeworld. There are definitely things to like about how Hickman has handled this. For one thing, despite the fact that it's usually enjoyable to see the reverence alien civilizations show towards Captain America, I found it a nice change a page to focus on a character whose general opinion was "You know, that was kind of a dick move." Another great thing about this issue is the return of Captain Universe to the battlefield in a semi spectacular fashion. Some people don't like that there wasn't much of the actual Avengers in this issue, but I actually appreciate that. A theme that Infinity highlights well is that Earth and, by extension, the Avengers are not the center of the universe and when they are, it's usually not in a good way (this means you, Kanye West). There are characters in the galactic Marvel U who believe that Earth is the Wild West of space and will eventually lead to the whole of creation being wiped out probably by accident and that deserves some exploration, too. Also, there are too many non-Avengers that play a role in this story to not highlight them.

To the surprise of absolutely NOBODY, Lenil Francis Yu's artwork hits all the right marks here. The real treat here was the scene in which (minor spoiler...sorry) the Alliance lets loose the Annihilation Wave... goddamned Annihilation Wave upon an almost victorious Builder fleet.  You have to appreciate Yu's penchant for crafting a good "holy shit" moment.

Bottom Line: If you want an Avenger focused book, it might feel out of place, but this is still really good sci-fi storytelling. 8 out of 10.

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 28 or Maybe DC Will Give Kanye and Kim A Comic.....

Batman #24: As much as I disliked the idea of yet another origin story for Batman (as if there haven't been plenty already), Scott Snyder has managed to breathe new life into the Dark Knight's beginnings, giving us a much different Bruce Wayne than we're used to. Over the years, we've grown used to a young man who wasn't terribly youthful in the wake of his parents' death. Zero Year gives us an brash, impulsive hero who is far less premeditated than the once we've come to know. What Daniel Craig and Casino Royale did for the James Bond mythos is what Snyder has done for Batman here.

This issue (mostly) wraps up the threads of the first story arc that has been mainly dedicated to Batman's one man war against the Red Hood Gang. Some reviewers haven't liked Red Hood One as an opening foil for young Batman, but I think he's created the perfect dichotomy for the kind of reimagined origins Snyder wants to convey. A villain who seems to have the entire city under control through merciless resolve and meticulous plotting is the perfect challenge for a young, headstrong vigilante fighting like he has nothing to lose. At the same time, we also see Bruce learning the importance of creating a larger than life legend around his alter ego, something for cowardly and superstitious criminals to remember in the years to come.

Greg Capullo's pencils and Danny Miki's inking do not disappoint. Here we see a Gotham that resembles a flourishing city built on old money that hasn't quite had the chance to descend into madness just yet. The action scenes do a masterful job of lending themselves to the beginnings of a character creating a myth around himself. In the final ten pages, we also see a changing of the artistic guard with Rafael Albuquerque taking the helm on pencils, delivering a drastic but logical visual shift. The eerie, shady tones suit the change in narrative since we see a Gotham whose innocence is lost. In the birth of the Batman legend and the revelation of the necessity for Batman, there's no turning back for the people of the city. It's still a bit of a mystery what the end game of Zero Year is, but if we get more of what we've gotten so far, I'm in.

Bottom Line: A kinetic, exciting finish to an immensely fun story arc. 9 out of 10.

Infinity #4: We're past the halfway point of Marvel's big crossover and here in the fourth issue (of six), we finally see a turning point of sorts for our heroes. After four issues of the Avengers, the Galactic Council and Black Bolt barely holding their own against the seemingly insurmountable Builders and the mad titan Thanos, surviving through Trojan Horse scenarios and retreats, it's a welcome change of pace to see them (two characters in particular) making definitive stands, drawing lines in the proverbial sand in the fight for Earth. We also finally get a brief insight into the motivations behind the Builders' campaign through the universe. It's not quite as satisfying as what we've come to expect from Jonathan Hickman, but it serves as a decent enough explanation to keep us reading until their goals (I'm assuming) unify with those of Thanos. Also, without spoiling anything for you, this week in awesome.....Thor. I'm just going to leave that there. This issue does a much better job in offering a more comprehensive chapter that doesn't seem to need tie-ins as a supplement. HOWEVER, as I've said before, if you're not reading the corresponding issues of Avengers and New Avengers, you are missing out on some quality goddamned superheroing. After the revealed fallout of Black Bolt's actions in issue three, it's going to be interesting to see a). where New Avengers goes from here and b). the ramifications throughout the Marvel Universe as a whole.

The artwork here is still as strong as it's been throughout the series. Dustin Weaver and Jerome Opena are still delivering quality work on their respective fronts (Opena does the scenes in space while Weaver handles those that take place on Earth). Although the scenes in the hidden Inhuman city are gorgeous, the real standout treat here is how Opena depicts Thor's defining moment so far in the event. If your jaw isn't on the floor when you see one of the final pages, you don't love comics.

Bottom Line: The respective threats on Earth and in space shouldn't feel so divorced this late in the game, but still....Jonathan Goddamn Hickman strikes again. 8.5 out of 10

Superman/Wonder Woman #1: Superman and Wonder Woman being a power couple in the DC Universe is one of the most half-assed, unnecessary publicity stunts DC has ever pulled. And considering the fact that they've completely rebooted their universe at least three times now, that's saying something. There's no real point because, from what I can tell, NOBODY cares. I dare you to name three people you know that bought the issue of Justice League specifically because they heard the news that these two heroes were going to hook up. DC has gone from assuming that all of their readers are perverted 40 year old men to assuming that they're all tweens who read the Vampire Diaries.

So, of course, in the fallout of their biggest non-event, they have to squeeze a spinoff out of it the way television does everytime a Kardashian does something (or someone) else nobody cares about. Sure, there's a handful of action involving a villain that hasn't done anything of real mention since the 90s, but you have to first sit through Wonder Woman having girl talk about what a wet blanket Superman is and Clark Kent playing Bloggerman. Then, there's Clark and Diana having a date. The prevailing problem here is obvious. There is NO CHEMISTRY between these two to speak of. Their date even feels like two celebrities having lunch together as a publicity stunt very much like Kim Kardashian's month long marriage. Charles Soule is great with character development and building the contrasts between the two of them, but the whole thing is so clearly a force-fed stunt for visibility, Ryan Seacrest may as well be standing off in the distance on a red carpet asking them who they're wearing.

On the plus side, artist Tony Daniel's work looks fantastic. With the sort of costume he wears, the color palette and the size of him, Superman tends to dominate the panels they share, but Daniel draws a damn good looking Wonder Woman who occupies the happy medium between warrior and royalty. He manages to make her look like Superman's equal while still maintaining a very feminine look for her. My main complaint is the costume. For the most part, it looks really good, but why is she in HEELS again??? With the fighting she does in this issue, it just feels awkward and out of place.

Bottom Line: Despite being a good looking book, it doesn't do a very good job in dwarfing how unnecessary this hookup and, ultimately, this title actually are. 6 out of 10.

Why Superior Spider-Man Doesn't Work.....

For you to understand my take on Superior Spider Man, I have explain a thing or two about Breaking Bad and Batman.

Recently, Damon Lindelof wrote an essay for Vulture (that, due to spoilers, I couldn't read all of) in which he compared the transformation of Walter White's Heisenberg to Bruce Wayne's becoming Batman. He points out that while Walt's circumstances were certainly a factor in his evolution to a meth peddling mastermind, it wasn't really the cause. He was ALWAYS Heisenberg. Yeah, some guy in an alley orphaned Bruce Wayne and essentially robbed of his innocence at eight years old, but there are a LOT of people who lose their parents to gun violence. There are also a lot of people who contract cancer and can't pay for treatments. They don't dress like bats or resort to cooking illegal substances in an RV. Lindelof submits that these characters are special because their circumstances awaken something that's already inside of them, that their environment isn't the cause. It's the catalyst. The argument could be made that this is what we love about them. Regular shit that happens to plenty of people happened to them and they do something about it that everyday people simply don't have the balls to do.

After showing the essay to a friend of mine who is a Batman fan, she pointed out, "Yeah, but couldn't you say that about all heroes?" You could say that about most heroes, but not necessarily Peter Parker. Circumstances played a bigger part than people realize. His true transformation was more earned in a way. He had to learn how not to be a dick by being sort of a dick. He started out a mostly decent guy who people sort of marginalized and shitted on in high school. He got bitten by a radioactive spider and was improved physically.

Spider Man went on to take up a career as a television star to make money and then came the moment when he let a crook get away because...."Fuck him. Not my problem." This is kind of a dick move by any standards, really. Then, it turns out that same guy shot and killed his uncle. Granted, I'm sure more than a few kids screw up and inadvertently get someone they love hurt, but none of them had superpowers when they did it. Essentially, Peter was a good kid, got superpowers, was seduced by personal gain, failed and THEN became Spider Man. Now, this isn't necessarily a trope that has never been explored before, but it is the crux of why Spider Man works so well. He is the result of above average virtue through "everyman failure." Incidently, this is a big part of why Otto Octavius' "Superior" Spider-Man is so divisive among fans (myself included).

I should say, before going any further, that this is probably one of the most ambitious and gutsy moves Marvel has made in years. I mean....they killed Peter Parker. They didn't zap him back in time. They didn't send him off to the edge of the universe trapped inside a giant space bullet. They didn't ambiguously kill him using a crazy mutant's chaos magic so that he may or may not have really died. They killed him. It was one of the few moments in recent times I can remember a comic depicting a top tier hero's death rattle. And then, when the brain waves/ghostof/whatever came back to haunt Otto in an attempt to get his body back, they killed him indefinitely....again.

When his turn at being the web-slinger starts, Doctor Octopus has the best of intentions in carrying on Spider-Man's legacy, protecting his loved ones and a better hero than Peter was. This didn't last very long at all. First, to plant the initial seeds for his narcissism, he refurbishes his trademark "Octobots" into "Spiderbots" that survey the city for danger and alert Otto immediately via phone app. As cool (and sensible) as that is in theory, this is also sort of a dick move in a symbolic kind of way. Most apps, by nature, are tools designed for convenience, mainly making urgency an option for phone/tablet users. For example, there is a setting for the news app on my phone that alerts me to breaking stories as they occur. If there's a shooting in Bummerville, Middle America somewhere, I have the option of picking up my phone to know about it or putting it down and saying "It can wait." It's okay for ME to have that option because it's not my responsibility to go to Bummerville and stop the shooting. Spider Man shouldn't have the option of not going to fix shit. The whole point of a superhero is that urgency shouldn't ever be optional.

Nope. He went on to toss an old man (okay, yeah, it was the Vulture, but still) into a floodlight, shoot a defeated criminal in cold blood and beat up parkour thieves on YouTube. You would think he would pay some sort of price for this (someone important dying on his watch, losing his job, etc.) in keeping with the theme of power and responsibility. Nope. In fact, aside from a light tap on the wrist from the Avengers, Doctor Spiderpus faces little or no consequences for any of the douchebag things he does. He's rewarded with a grateful New York City (something Peter rarely had on his best day), a new girlfriend, a hollowed out prison as his public base of operations, his own private army and a giant spider mecha. I'm not kidding about that last part either. He has a giant robot. It could be argued that Otto is less on a crusade for justice and more looking to redeem his failed life through the same acts of arrogance and vanity that cloaked him in failure to begin with which isn't exactly the most heroic, altruistic or even likable of goals.

Batman has undergone some odd changes over the years, but a Batman fan opens up a Batman book and pretty much knows what their getting: a traumatized, paranoid obsessive zillionaire puts the fear of God into bad guys and plays the resident "Stop being a pussy" guy in the Justice League occasionally. People who read a Superman book know they're probably going to either get a superpowered slugfest or Superman talking suicide jumpers down off of ledges with hope and change. The theme of Spider-Man has gone from "with great power comes great responsibility" to "being a douchebag works." That works for Iron Man or the Punisher, but a change like that in a character like this is tantamount to Kanye West going from songs about working at the Gap to albums mainly about popping ecstasy pills and casual sex. Is that what Spidey readers of any age sign up for?

One of those parkour thieves he beat half
to death is a woman, by the way.
Real American Hero.

One can't help but feel this is indicative of Marvel giving into what Craig Lindsey referred to in another rogerebert.com essay as "jerk culture." This usually entails a book or movie entirely about intensely unlikable people you would probably not hold the elevator for in real life like the entire cast of The Hangover. And this is, more or less, why Spider-Man has fallen from grace for many readers. It's not that it's impossible to create good stories centered around repugnant assholes. Breaking Bad, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Seinfeld show that to be untrue. And I'm certain there are those who will use the argument that comics are an escape fantasy, so it's okay to live vicariously through heroes even when they're jerks, but to quote Lindsey, "We can be a crass, selfish, inhuman society sometimes." Maybe...just maybe...we could stand an escape from that, too.

The Obligatory Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review

It was only a matter of time before Marvel (and really, Disney) got the bright idea to do spin off television shows in the same way comics do "tie in" series. As a comic nerd, that's really the most logical metaphor I can think of to describe Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the long awaited primetime series spawned out the success of the Avengers movie. What Marvel is doing with this show, whether is turns out good or bad, is an important experiment in the potential of their "cinematic universe" crossing over into live action tv. The result isn't a failure by any means, but it's also not a resounding success. To its credit, the show fully embraces its silliness in a fun way similar to that of the Captain America movies from the 70s.

The pilot begins some time after the Battle of New York from the Avengers movie where Earth's Mightiest Heroes successfully repel an alien invasion, making the existence of superheroes known to a once oblivious public. Agent Phil Coulson is back from the dead (somehow) to put together an A squad that can monitor the general populace for superheroes or supervillain situations and deal with them before fast and quiet. Presumably, these will be threats that don't require the attention of Captain America and Thor since they'll need to rest up to fight genocidal robots and alien despots (other than One Direction). Recruited for the task is a pilot (Ming-Na Wen) who swears she doesn't do field work, an Archer-like field agent who allegedly doesn't work well with others despite being immensely charming and a hacker who is basically what happens when Anna Kendrick joins Anonymous. The team doesn't start off seeming like the "best of the best" but perhaps, they're not supposed to. Despite witty banter and fun introductions, the pilot doesn't do the best job of making that clear right away. And don't spend too much time worrying about how or why Phil Coulson is alive. He does a pretty good job carrying the show, so you'll be happy to see him.

In many ways, it seems like the general idea is for this to be Law and Order for superheroes like Fringe was for science fiction. Considering the sandbox the series potentially plays in, it feels like relatively small potatoes. I mean, in a universe with million (and sometimes billion) dollar budgets, a project like this that has primetime drama dollars to work with obviously isn't going to seem terribly state of the art. The show makes no effort to pretend that it is, either. However, this doesn't necessarily work completely against Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as we see in a scene where Whedon-verse alumnus J. August Richards, playing a disenfranchised factory worker given superpowers, goes into a monologue contemplating where the everyday man fits in a world now populated by titans and super soldiers fighting for the fate of civilization. And here we have an aspect of the genre that could stand some highlighting.

Superhero tv/movies haven't done as much to capture the heroic age from a ground level perspective. In fact, the majority don't treat average joes as little more than collateral damage much like in a video game (although you're justified, I'm looking at YOU, Man of Steel). After all, the thought of the ubermensche looking out for us a really nice thought, but what long term ramifications would superpowered battle, vaporized buildings and alien invasions every week have on a populace after a while? Is this really that hard to imagine at a time of frequent mass shootings in a war weary country such as America? I mean, most people have enough trouble avoiding rush hour traffic, much less gods airing out their sibling rivalry in the middle of the goddamned street. This is an interesting theme that deserves further exploration in a venue such as this and Whedon would certainly be perfect to do so. However, this could also be a lofty goal for a show like this that's meant to be fun and ham-fisted. At this point, it's hard to say whether Whedon will be able to stay as involved with a show like this at a juncture in his career when he's become a nerd messiah, but the pilot was decent enough that it's worth sticking with a while longer.

Bottom Line: Not the hype worthy start some were expecting, but definitely enough strong groundwork to build off of. Oh, and...you know...Phil Coulson. 7.5 out of 10

Women and Comics: Why Not Wonder Woman?

So, now that DC Comics have finally gotten their heads in the game to actually compete with Marvel's movie universe, the comic movie gods are blessing us with a long awaited team-up between Batman and Superman in Man of Steel 2: The Steel Strikes Back. Soon after, there's supposed to be a Flash movie (I called that, by the way). But what of Wonder Woman? The quest to put the amazon on a small or silver screen seems to be a neverending battle unto itself. But why? This is a character that has survived the constant evolution of comics for just as long as Batman or Superman, who have both had more television/movie properties than I care to list here. She's had a red carpet list of writers lending their talents over the years ranging from George Perez to Jodi Picoult. What's so difficult about getting translating a story like this one to live action? Torontoist writer, Christopher Bird, hypothsizes that the problem lies with that fact that there simply hasn't been a definitive Wonder Woman from which to derive a blueprint. And that's actually sort of true. Most casual fans of Spider Man can at least name a supporting cast member (Mary Jane Watson), a villain (most likely the Green Goblin) and a definitive moment that proves to shape the character (probably Uncle Ben's death). Take a minute and do the same for Wonder Woman. I'll wait....

And in this, we find the "Wonder Woman Problem." Ask ten people to name three defining things about her and they MIGHT be able to think of "amazon", "lasso" and maybe "Lynda Carter." Fortunately, the recent revelation that DC is beginning to craft its own cinematic universe lends a little more hope towards Diana finally getting a turn at the spotlight. This is exactly what the character needs because a good movie would be more likely to give us a definitive version that the mainstream (nerds and non nerds alike) can latch onto for the forseeable future like Christopher Reeve did for Superman (I mean, lets face it....). However, there are a few things any writer/director should be aware of going into a Wonder Woman project.

1). This is going to certainly come into direct competition with Marvel, who just had the Hulk and a god help repel an alien invasion and save humanity. Granted, she has come a long way from being...let's face it...William Marston's homemade "spank bank" material. However,Wonder Woman has been a reincarnated over the years as the female version of Shazam, a kung fu master, a foreign dignitary from Amazon Island, a clay statue brought to life and a demigod. No two versions of her are ever the same. Although comic readers (especially DC readers) have come to see this as just par for the course with some characters, casual moviegoers will definitely find themselves confounded looking up information on WW when/if a movie ever gets announced. If it were me, I'd go with her being the super strong daughter of Zeus similar to (I believe) Brian Azzarello's run. Perhaps, she steals her armor and bracelets and runs away to "Man's World"....which would likely equate to New York...with the belief that the mortals are worth saving. Combine that with the mythological sword/shield element and you basically have the Justice League's Thor, a slightly headstrong yet noble soul trying to defend a modern society she doesn't quite understand.

2). The villain will make or break the movie. The sad fact is that Wonder Woman doesn't have the most diverse, notorious or even compelling list of villains. I'm sorry but Angle Man? Blue Snowman? Doctor Psycho? Can you even say any of these names with a straight face? I can't. And if I can't, I know for certain the non-nerds can't.

My pick for a quality villain would definitely be Ares, the god of war. Think about this: a super strong deity who has complete mastery of any weapon he puts his hands on, can influence people to be violently malicious assholes (as if we need much of a push....I mean, just look at 4Chan), and the ability to raise the dead. How awesome would a super powered street fight be between Diana and this guy? Meanwhile, Steve Trevor would be fighting undead Amazon warriors, cracking "Diana, can you hurry up before we all fucking die" running commentary.


3). For fuck's sake, put some pants on her. It's probably one of the best ideas NBC ever had (except for the stars along the seams). For one thing, there is just no way star spangled britches look good on ANYONE in real life. I imagine this is why Marvel seems to be leaning more towards a more functional style of uniform for Captain America. It's also pretty common sense for a superhero who, no matter what incarnation you use, is usually characterized as a badass fighter. Going into hand to hand combat as often as she does without armor on your legs doesn't seem tactically sound. I mean, sure, if you believe the 300 version, the Spartans did it all the time and they were also badass sword/shield fighters....but they died. And they didn't even have to fight people with guns.

Remember when this shit tried to happen?

As a viable tv/film property, Wonder Woman IS possible, but, creatively, it has to be taken as seriously as the Batman franchise or (arguably) Superman. Although there could very well be a degree of sexism involved in studios and, ultimately, DC dragging their feet to realize this, it's a dismissive, self fufilling prophecy to say that it's not possible because "nobody wants to see a movie about a feminist superhero." Feminist narrative don't necessarily equate to bra burnings and soapbox lectures about women's rights. Despite her share of sex and mushy stuff, Buffy was, more or less, Joss Whedon's epic feminist superhero legend. Alien's Ellen Ripley is a study in feminist narrative if ever there was one. Katniss Everdeen, despite being the central character in a teen drama that is basically The Running Man With Feelings, is a popular "strong female lead." So, the only real question anyone should be asking is "Why not Wonder Woman?"

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 27 or Villains Are People, Too.....

Batman 23.2 (Riddler): Honestly, with the exception of Geoff Johns' Forever Evil, I was ready to let DC's "Villains Month" go by unmarked and I'm actually glad I didn't. After all, the success of dedicating a comic to each of the prominent baddies of the DC universe is entirely dependent upon how interesting they are. And let's face it: DC doesn't have that many interesting bad guys. Then again, I suppose the point of having a month dedicated to villains (aside from trying to siphon money from readers like a beer tap) is to get readers interested in them if they weren't already. Fortunately, this issue of Batman gives us something to smile about unlike the Joker's rather maudlin turn at the spotlight.

The Riddler has always been a difficult character to pin a definitive characterization on because, aside from the whole riddle motif, it's hard to separate his crazy from the rest of Gotham's crazy. But Ray Fawkes (with help from Scott Snyder) manages to construct a man who works according to a planned sort of bedlam, who makes you wonder whether he's crazy....or just a douchebag. Nygma's internal narrative serves as a perfect "behind the scenes" for his riddle laden, one man attack on Wayne Enterprises much like a magician revealing how the thought processes behind his tricks. Here in this issue, we see a Riddler whose small fits of rage are every bit as haunting and entertaining as his premeditation keeping him one step ahead of Bruce Wayne's security. It's also refreshing that not all of his victims are not made to be completely incompetent just to make Nygma look smarter. Jeremy Haun's pencils are a definite enhancement here. Scenes are intimate, neat and obsessed with symmetry in every panel. It's artwork that suits a Big Bad as meticulous as the Riddler. This is completely understands the point of Villains Month and exceeds expectations to become one of the best books this week.

Bottom Line: A story like this that makes you sort of afraid of the Riddler can't help but be a winner. 9.5 out of 10.


Justice League #23.2 (Lobo): I just found out this week that theouthousers.com actually has a counter that keeps track of the number of days since the last time DC Comics did something stupid. Well, the poor bastard intern in charge of updating it can go ahead and get back to work because Dan Didio's brain trust has done it again.

Recently, it was announced that the hulking, chain toting villain we've all known as Lobo was indeed NOT the "real" Lobo. He is, in fact, an imposter that has been trading on the name and style of slimmer, martini drinking killer who looks like Jack from the White Stripes finally won enough Pokemon battles to evolve to his ultimate form. 

Sidenote: I'm sure many of you didn't know that Lobo had been reintroduced in the New 52. This is because DC did a really good job of hiding him where NOBODY will ever find him....in the pages of Stormwatch and Deathstroke. 

Marguerite Bennett is given the task of introducing us to this emo redux of the Main Man and doesn't drop the ball so much as hold the ball and gain no yardage. He didn't seem to do anything terribly badass. He talked tough, got in a fight with a couple of nobodies and that was really about it. By that criteria, he may as well be Chris Brown. Aside from being modeled after a lost member of the street team for 30 Seconds to Mars, there is almost NOTHING new separating the new Lobo from the old Lobo except maybe the fact that this one comes across as completely humorless. The thing people seemed to like about this character in the past is that he's served as DC's version of Deadpool, cracking jokes and breaking the fourth wall. He was fun. However, as we all know, there is NO fun in the New 52 era of DC. Nobody ever smiles. Everything's for the fate of the world...even when it's not. Ben Oliver and Cliff Richards' artwork is probably the one saving grace (not really saving, though) to this catastrophe. Some of the designs for the aliens and spaceships are really inspired. The Lobo we get here is a more muscular step up from the initial concept designs that got released a few weeks ago. But I could have done without so many of tilted panels throughout the book.

Bottom Line: A really good looking 30 page exercise in pointless violence compliments of the new Mickey Rourke version of a perfectly "meh" character. 5 out of 10.

Action Comics 23.2 (Zod): As divisive as Man of Steel was among fans, I am personally thankful for Zak Snyder resurrecting one of my favorite characters from Superman lore. Michael Shannon's portrayal was just as memorable as that of Terrance Stamp and is bound to have some lasting effect on the version we get in the comics to come. The first note of that is in Greg Pak's addition to Villains Month. 

This issue serves as a refreshing (and somewhat chilling) crash course in what led to a child growing up to be Krypton's greatest criminal. Although still human at his core, this is a Zod who wasn't necessarily born bad as fans of the original might come to surmise. This is a guy who seems to feel more comfortable among jungle animals with nothing but a bow and arrow than he does hobnobbing or shaking hands with politicians and dignitaries. One sympathizes. He's a determined, ambitious man who is the product of circumstances and the lessons of his father....not unlike the man who he will, one day, know as his mortal nemesis. Pak's incarnation is right on while never coming across as cartoonish or contrived. Ken Lashley's art mostly fails to disappoint in painting a diverse strange portrait of the outskirts of Krypton. He manages to make Zod's ominous gaze the creepiest part of every panel he's in. Every. Single. Panel. He offers up some truly awesome monster designs and a delightful scene of young Zod found alone surviving in the woods against vicious wildlife reminiscent. the opening scene of Arrow. The only real drawback is that the attention to detail and color suffers slightly from panels, at times, feeling a little too cluttered. Still, considering how strong this issue is, it comes across as a small flaw.

Bottom Line: This is a great primer to prepare readers for what's to come from Greg Pak's run on Action Comics. 9 out of 10.

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 26 or Clash of the Titles...Forever Evil vs Infinity

Forever Evil #1: After the colossal middle finger Trinity War ended up being to readers, picking up its successor title kinda makes you feel like an abused spouse being promised that you won't be beaten again. After an "ending" to TW that wasn't an ending at all, resolving virtually no conflicts, revealing secrets that either didn't matter or were plain silly, Geoff Johns fortunately gives us a semi-fresh start here. There's really no need to read the previous storyline to jump into this supervillain romp.

Forever Evil's plot isn't terribly complicated. "The bad guys are winning. Now, who's going to do something about it?" The book takes place after the events of Trinity War, but not directly so. The Crime Syndicate from Earth 3 (Why the fuck are we doing all the alternate Earths again?) has shown up to run this planet like they pretty much always have and are making it a good day to be a bad guy. We're only given teases as to what happened to the Justice League, but no matter the details, it's pretty apparent that they lost in a major way.

The book serves as something like a red carpet show for a Who's Who of DC baddies including, most notably, Flash's Rogues Gallery. With the way he revolutionized villains like Sinestro, this should be Geoff Johns' bread and butter. Personally, I enjoyed the opening act where we're seeing the state of the world so far through the eyes of Lex Luthor. Johns' characterization of Lex isn't quite as spot-on as Grant Morrison's from Action Comics and All Star Superman, but he still serves his purpose as an unintentional hero. We're not given as much of a look into the Crime Syndicate as I would have liked, but the little tweaks he makes to some old baddies (Power Ring's apparent capacity to FEEL great fear) makes it a good enough tease to hold us over until the next issue. The weak link in this series thus far is the artwork of David Finch and the problem him is the same as it's always been: David Finch knows how to draw exactly four facial expressions....

1). The "Not now! I'm posing!" face
2). The "I'm batshit crazy!" face
3). The "Happy" face....which so far, throughout the entire New 52, I've only ever seen from Stargirl and maybe one of the Teen Titans.
4). The "every emotion I express revolves around me looking like I want you" face. This face is reserved almost exclusively for Catwoman and is also known as "the Angelina Jolie."

Bottom Line: If you can get past David Finch's stone faces, this is an entertaining, ambitious tease of what's to come. 7.5 out of 10.


Infinity #2: A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that it's always a plus to have an comic event include a contained, purposeful number of optional tie-ins working in tandem with the core title. That still remains true here this week. Since the first issue of Jonathan Hickman's wide reaching "save the universe" epic, it's become clear that you're required to read the work he's doing in Avengers and New Avengers to keep up with what's happening in this book. However, if you elect not to, you are DEFINITELY missing out on some truly awesome superheroing.

Upon reading this issue, it's obvious right away that the focus is less on the grand battles in space and the invasion of Earth which is a bit surprising considering the kind of momentum built in the first issue. Instead, Hickman has elected to shift the POV for more of a "behind the scenes" sort of look at Black Bolt and the Inhumans, who are obviously going to be playing a big part in the coming issue. Despite the well done tension building with the intimate aspects, the peeling away of layers that reveals bits of Thanos' true intentions for Earth.....you're still left wanting a little more out of the other conflicts. One panel on one page telling us about Black Panther repelling ANOTHER alien invasion (read the Secret Invasion tie in for BP...you're welcome) simply doesn't measure up to what we're given in the corresponding issue of New Avengers. However, in a way, it's just the cost of doing business when you throw out the big guns right away. And this isn't a new tactic from Hickman. His stories tend to be so all-encompassing, it tends to be worth the wait when he deviates from the main beats of action. So it's perfectly acceptable to give him some leeway here. The task of penciling the divided up with Dustin Weaver working on the scenes depicting the battle on Earth and Jerome Opena doing the parts that take place in space. Although, storywise, the focus isn't so much on the fighting, that doesn't mean there's been any slacking in the art department. A particular Weaver scene where Thanos henchman, Corvus Glaive, offers a demonstration of his servants' conviction is simply stunning. Opena has an equally fantastic moment showing Gladiator and his Shi'ar troops contributing to the effort in space. Though the shift in pov has changed slightly, this event hasn't lost any of its luster just yet.

Bottom Line: Even though it's a better read if you're keeping up with the two supplementary titles, this book is still how big events should be done. 8 out of 10.