Kevin's 29-Year-Old Reviews

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52 Week Ten
DC Comics
Writers: Morrison, Johns, Rucka, Waid
Artists: Giffen, Batista

52 has been careening all over the DC Universe, giving readers access into the fall-out from Infinite Crisis as well as the specifics of what happened during the “missing year”. The multiple plotlines have layers of intrigue that overlap and diverge from story to story and week to week; this week in no exception. Intergang really seems to be making a giant play for influence, as it appears to be the antagonist in both the Black Adam and Question plots. Booster Gold is still reeling from his outing as a paper tiger, all the while his master-deprecating robotic assistant warns that disruption of the flow of time should be a greater concern. And Professor T.O. Morrow either knows he’s about to be kidnapped, or has orchestrated some kind of escape attempt. Lots happening this week, with many lead-ins to what will follow. It’s solid plotting with supportive artwork (especially the clean, soft palette). The best news of all? This week is the second to last week for that rancid back-up feature, “The History of the DCU”! It’s almost as good as Clark Kent falling out of a tall building.

Almost.

Score: A

Thunderbolts #104
Marvel Comics
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Artist: Tom Grummett

This book has undergone a complete turnabout from shoddily written team book to the unpredictable, intrigue driven ensemble it used to be. Civil War certainly had plenty to do with that. Without the continuity-wide conflict in the Marvel Universe, the Thunderbolts would rightfully be marginalized as a team of B-listers. Now the T’Bolts are using the government’s dire need of muscle to further their own shadowy goals while the government seems content to adopt a wait-and-see-when-this-all-goes-south attitude. The reveal of the secret alliance in the final few pages of this issue makes the next few must reads; all long term T’bolts fans have been waiting for the moment when our team of misfits gets to call the tune against their more than occasional foes/rivals. If the momentum from this storyline can be maintained past the current event, this book is going to become one of Marvel’s best reads once again.

Score: B

Green Arrow #64
DC Comics
Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Scott McDaniel

This title seems to be veering from straight up superheroics to political allegory and back again with an uneven speed that speaks of nothing more than inconsistency. This issue, Ollie and Brick fight zombie drug addicts. That pretty much covers the entire book except for the interlude of Slade “Deathstroke” Wilson in prison (and his lawyer Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and the throwaway bystander narration that opens this issue. On its own, it’s a fun fluff action chapter. In the post-OYL/Mayor Queen/Glades arc, it seems to bleed most of the mature subtext right out of the title. I guess this installment of GA is either fun or a bore depending on your taste. The McDaniel art still impresses, even if everything looks a bit to Blüdhaven-esque after Star City went south.

Score: C

GLC #2
DC Comics
Writer: Dave Gibbons
Artist: Patrick Gleason

The first arc of GLC seems to be puttering along. The hero assassinations continue in sector 1417, and it keeps costing Green Lantern lives as well as Betrassans. Vath Sarn is attempting to come to grips with his excess of anger. And Soranik Natu is plotting something. Combine those interesting plots with some typically over-the-top Guy Gardner ringslinging, and this was a fun issue whose multiple plotlines recalled 52 more than a bit. This issue had all that and a bunch of hallucinated reanimated Rannian soldiers! I hope every issue in this new title has legs like these.

Score: A