Title : Homecoming
Writer : Geoff Johns
Pencillers : Phil Jiminez, George Perez & Ivan Reis
Inkers : Andy Lanning, Lary Stucker, George Perez, Marc Campos, Oclair
Albert, Jimmy Palmiotti & Drew Geraci
Colorists : Jeromy Cox & Guy Major
Letterer : Nick J. Napolitano
Editor : Eddie Berganza
Well, that’s quite the credit list, isn’t it?
First, if you’ve decided, for whatever reason, not to buy this
universe-spanning mini-series, then it would be pretty arrogant of me to
think that my humble little review is going to change your mind in any
meaningful way.
Having said that, wow.
I mean, I think it would be pretty rare to find a super-hero fan who wasn’t
falling seriously in love with this series. For better or worse, it has all
the things that so-called ‘fan-boys’ drool over. Splashy art, a huge
back-story, tons of exposition, hero teams and villains, the works.
Geoff John, along with the DC editorial staff, has really excelled here.
Huge, universe-spanning events are happening, and they duly strike the
reader as awesome, particularly those with years of experience regarding the
richly detailed DC Universe (or universes, you may now say…).
Having said that, it is still also the richly personal moments that
resonate. Certain Flashes meeting in extraordinary circumstances. Batman
and Nightwing having a rare and bitter-sweet moment of candour and
vulnerability. Alexander Luthor and Kal-L having a heart-to-heart that
looks like it was ripped right from Act III, Scene iii of Othello.
There is also a page of much-needed exposition. Admittedly it does look a
little like ‘super-genius explains plan for total domination to captured
hero’ but it still does a wonderful job of explicitly dragging the four
prefatory mini-series into this main story-line.
Superboy Prime’s conflict, in addition to being a stupendous fight scene, is
also well-textured in its drawing of his character, being so much more than
simply evil.
I can’t give this book top marks for one main reason, that has nothing to do
with the brilliant contribution of Geoff Johns. Although the art-work is
good, and nudging greatness in several scenes, the contributions of so many
pencillers, inkers and colorists is jarring and unsatisfactory. Surely, for
a series that it would be hoped lived in trade paperback form forever, a
week or two’s delay would have been worth it for a unifed artwork
presentation?
In any event, this is one of those rare occasions when I really am eagerly
waiting the next instalment of a series.
