Giant Sized DC Reads & Reviews

Lobo returning to Lobo-ness was nice, though I never need to read him again. Still it is cool that they got a pretty decent character arc out of a guy that, normally, I’d just assume light myself on fire than read. (Yes, I can be extreme. What of it?)

Overall, I’ve enjoyed this series (with the exception of the Connor kissing Shado issue because I was just too distracted by the outside issues of Dixon’s politics) but this installment reads like Dixon had a few things left to touch on while he run out of pages. It gives the affair a whole rush to the finish line feel that is exhilarating but ultimately a bit hollow.

It stands out in particular after (SPOILER ALERT) Connor is forced to kill an opponent. He says a mini-speech about how it has changed him but with only three pages left, we see no real evidence of that change.

I suppose it is too early to make that call though.

Focusing completely on the issue at hand, I would label it “good.” Starman’s Arkham freakout is powerfully done (although knowing some history would help, but more on that later) and Dr. Destiny actually does have a real air of menace. I’m not familiar with Geo Force, but Johns gives him an air of arrogance that gives us more to hook into than his rather bland personality in Justice League. Also, I’m a dork for Sandman so involving him (even if he is rather static) always presses my buttons.

Fill-in artist Pasarin is unknown to me but he delivers here. His figure work is a bit same-y, but he goes nice work with faces and his lines are self-assured. I’m still not quite getting why you’d open a storyline of this supposed importance with two fill-in artists, but Pasarin certainly lessens the blow.

However, as a predominantly post-Crisis DC fan, it is wrought with confusion. I edit Who’s Who, so I know that the Legion I am looking at is from two reboots ago and that, back in the day, Superman had powers as a kid and hung out with them. That said, I’m still finding this whole setup to be a bit of a mess. It is not confusing per se, but I am confused as to why DC would muddy their own waters so severely in the name of what, near as I can tell, is a nostalgia trip dedicated to the late 70’s Legion. I know we have a multiverse again now, but it still strikes me as needlessly complicating matters.

This issue brings a satisfying close to a series that was often all over the map. Some weeks it was excellent, some weeks it was an ugly mess, and some it was so achingly mediocre I couldn’t even remember what happened five minutes later. Thankfully, despite several different artists, none of the wide range of delivery is seen here. It is 52 at its best.

And yes, I say that despite the return of the Multiverse. I’m not thrilled with it, obviously. To me, it feels like it closes off the DCU, not expands it, while introducing redundancies and confusions. In the post-Crisis (the one that destroyed the Multiverse) DCU, if something was outside of continuity, you could just slap an Elseworlds on it and viola! Problem solved. Here though, you only have 52 worlds to work with, nine of which have already been claimed. While the goal was freedom, it strikes me that the true “gift” of 52 is a prison.

Also, it is a bit cowardly. 52 saw the death of The Question, Vic Sage. However, over on Earth-4, there he is. That takes a bold move and renders it “eh”. I might not like the kill Question, upgrade Montoya move they made, but I could respect their strength of conviction. Instead, I’m left with the impression that they thought, “Hey, why not. We can always snag him from Earth-4 later.” That also leaves me to wonder, why wouldn’t you cut loose more if you knew you had this instant problem solver coming up?

Again, though, it did not change my enjoyment of this issue. I disagree with the goal, but the product is unquestionably quality. As previously mentioned, the various art styles flow well together (with the possible exception of Darick Robertson who’s work is good but noticeably different, down to the coloring, than everything else) and this issue does a nice job of simultaneously balancing a climax and an epilogue.

I know that sounds not particularly noteworthy given that I’ve been an earlier booster of the All-New Atom. I have liked the book from the start. But until this arc, it was in starts and fits: a weird idea well executed here, a strong bit of characterization there. Consistency, however, was not a currency it was trading in.

Here though, it all comes together. Ryan grows into the role of hero while literally and figuratively leaving his childhood right before the readers’ eyes. The twist on zombies that Simone offers up with the villains here is one that dodges the current zombie craze and is better for it. Barrows’ art is as good as it has been anymore else. It all came together in this arc and this issue is a great capper to it.

Why?

Because I was hoping it would be lousy and I could sit out the rest of the crossover, dodging the bullet that is buying Outsiders.

Instead, it was smart, quick moving, and a blast from a strategic/take ‘em down one at a time standpoint.

The artist effort by Clarke is also admirable. I’d love to see him get more work.

The fighting continues from last issue…and continues…and continues. I have to say, this is the first time I can recall becoming bored in the midst of a giant fight melee. Barrionuevo’s art took a significant tip from last issue’s strong display and he could not have chosen a worse time to do it. Headshots make the heroes look like petulant children, backgrounds are sometimes replaced by simple single color backdrops, and the figure work varies wildly in quality.

From the writing/plotting standpoint, everything varies wildly in quality. The dialogue veers into atrocious more often than once. My pet peeve of Match being “so much like Conner” is repeated this issue despite the fact that, really, he isn’t. And the idea that Deathstroke did this all as some sort of gift to his kids? Dumb, dumb, dumb. Dumb to the Nth degree. I’d have been happier if there was no reason at all, just a desire for random violence. Instead, I was left with an ending that made me regret the five issue journey that got us here.

Well, at least we’ll always have this storyline that revitalized my faith (Father, forgive my pun) in this title and ends by giving Adam a new lease on his love life. It is, if you think about it, a bold move as Adam’s whole life was structured around the idea that there was one woman for him and he knew who she was. The whole journey thus far has been structured around the idea of what would happen to someone who had that belief and who’s one and only was then killed. Where does the book go when the faithful realizes he made a mistake and that his intended is alive and well?

It actually is an equally interesting question. Think about it. Adam’s original love of his life was a “good Christian girl” who had no issue (apparently) with waiting until marriage and seemed to be equally dedicated to him as he was to her. It fit into her belief structure just fine. What if Vanessa does not share his convictions? More importantly, what if she just plain isn’t attracted to him? How many times can his beliefs meet with seeming contradictions and survive? How long before he backpedals and revises those beliefs? How much can he revise before his faith is not really there at all and it just becomes self-willed delusion?

And all this was essentially accomplished in one issue. Cool stuff.