DARK KNIGHT III: the MASTER RACE #3 (of 8)
“Book Three” (28 pages)
Story by: Frank Miller & Brian Azzarello
Pencils by: Adam Kubert
Inks by: Klaus Janson
Colors by: Brad Anderson
Letters by: Clem Robins
Covers by: Andy Kubert & Brad Anderson; Frank Miller & Alex Sinclair; Klaus Janson & Dean White; Jim Lee, Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair; John Romita Jr., Danny Miki & Dean White; Scott McDaniel
[Retail incentive covers by: Greg Capullo & FCO PLascencia; Gabriele Dell’Otto; Paul Pope & Shay Plummer; Alex Garner]
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $5.99
The Kyrptonians have conquered the Earth!! The threat has materialized!!! Time to backtrack.
Bruce Wayne has stepped out of the shadows. We all knew he wasn’t six feet under. He is beaming with pride towards his latest protégée. Carrie Kelley really has stepped up her game. Bruce acknowledges and appreciates her fearlessness. It’s so rare to see him be the warm, caring father figure.
There’s no time for respite. Quar, the crazed leader of the Kandorians, has made his claim for global domination. After broadcasting a senseless murder, the next step is martyrdom. One of his acolytes goes into freefall, detonating the Kremlin in the process. WWIII is on!! Bruce realizes that there is only one individual who can majorly aid them.
Various famous pundits chime in. Like any other controversial topic, the pros and cons are weighed. Some see this as an act of aggression. Others want to conveniently use extreme prejudice against the latest enemies. A third side sees them as potential friendlies. PPPFFFTTT.
Bruce is determined to snap Clark out of his self-imposed deep freeze. Breaking the ice [literally!] isn’t enough. It’s gonna take a major pep talk to make the Man of Steel see the light of day. Bruce is two-for-two in terms of ultra-rare moments: he easily admits that he cannot succeed on his own. Saying that aloud chips at his ego but it’s the cold hard truth. Carrie walks away in frustration.
Superman re-emerges determined once he hears her mention his people. Uh-oh.
Carrie refuses to acknowledge that she was the one that reached the Last Son of Krypton. Speaking of which, Quar’s daughter informs the citizens of our fair planet a choice in the matter. One of her overzealous guards ends up issuing an ultimatum. In between, some Earthlings plug into infomercials or their personal devices to distance themselves from the harsh reality.
Quar and his son Baal approach Lara. She quickly states that Kandor is not a threat to her. Quar mentions that her fear stems from holding back. Her time on our blue orb has diminished her actual greatness. Like the serpent tempting Eve, Quar whispers into her ear.
Superman emits tears of rage. The heat vision is a major indicator of that.
Diplomacy and debating are meaningless. The leaders of the free nations, specifically POTUS and other world powers resolve to surrender. Quar comes back to air. The 72-hour waiting period is over. He wants to know what the humans have chosen. The Dark Knight cuts into the live feed and tells him to go to H-E-double-hockey sticks.
In utter disbelief, Quar barely has time to process when the one-and-only red-and-blue Kryptonian bursts through his hideout. Quar spits at Kal-El in spite. He despises the entire house of El. Things are far from rosy when Lara accuses her father of turning back on his race. Plus, she’s raring to trade some punches.
Mr. Azzarello has channeled [pun intended!] the media frenzy and the political prattling in this issue. The adage of things remaining the same and not seeing change is still applicable three decade later. The text messages are raw and reflective of the social media age. I got a real kick at his ‘audacity’ of using real-life world-renown figures. There are some I don’t recognize since I’m not an American citizen. That’s beside the point since politics don’t gel with me.
The Kandorians couple profound philosophy with dangerous determination. For all their expert rhetoric, brute force is the go-to solution. I roll my eyes at this cliché that all Kandorians and Kryptonians are cold-hearted, murderous individuals. Was the House of El the only decent one on the entire planet??? In recent times, especially on the Supergirl TV series, I’ve enjoyed the grey area relating to that family. Many of the ones banished to the Phantom Zone were criminals but is that really the case? Morality is ambiguous even in the farthest reaches of the galaxy.
It’s reassuring to see Batman step back into the spotlight. Bruce is one mean old SOB and his legacy doesn’t dissipate that easily. His diametrically opposed ally/BFF makes the grandest of entrances. Twice!! The characters stay true to themselves even though Bruce embraces some humility and Clark is ready to be bad-ass.
As I’ve mentioned in the first review, Adam Kubert is adept at illustrating the big bad Bat. It’s seamless. He really elicits the scowl from the cowl. Batman is a menace in his own right.
On the flipside, he’s really brought out Bruce’s humanity. The Batman may not have operated in years but it’s gratifying to see there is an actual man underneath the mask. Carrie has the cool, calm, confident characteristics after some years under the Dark Knight’s cape.
Klaus Janson continues to streamline Mr. Kubert’s work. The capturing scene is the carefully placed crack over Superman’s left eye. Carrie gets a special mention as she chooses to remain chill [natch!] and not bask in the spotlight.
Brad Anderson gets to put those paints to good use. The mushroom cloud is every human’s nightmare. The literal black-and-white as the Dynamic Duo trudge toward the Fortress of Solitude is pure wonderment.
Big Blue may represent home but seeing him with a harder edge is disturbingly appealing.
Lara is not so colour-clashed this time around. If I had not given the last page a second look, I would have sworn that she was bare-legged.
Clem Robins masterfully gets two thumbs up, especially for the renditions of those text messages. Such fine detail!! The cracking had its intended effect.
I feel more satisfied with this third serving. It has erased from my mind the sophomore slump. I give this book 8 talking heads out of 10.
Whose kid is this???
DARK KNIGHT UNIVERSE PRESENTS: GREEN LANTERN #1
(12 pages)
Story by: Frank Miller & Brian Azzarello
Breakdowns by: John Romita Jr.
Finishes by: Frank Miller
Colors by: Alex Sinclair
Letters by: Clem Robins
Cover by: John Romita Jr., Danny Miki & Dean White
The secret origin of Hal Jordan has a shocking twist :0 Is he, in actuality, a Martian?? The power of will has definitely shaped his existence.
Three Kandorian women, wives of Quar, hover over the Sphinx. One of them breaks off a stone from the absent nose. They ponder their new designation as deities for us Terrans. How much worship will be directed towards them? Will they smite willy-nilly like the powerful entities they are? They are disgusted with the savagery dispensed by our race towards minorities. They are ready to erect the highest monument in their husband’s honour casting an enormous amount of umbrage over the planet.
Enter: The Green Lantern!! The illuminated ring bearer will not stand for this. He is ready to oppose the grandiose plan. The women are defensive at first until they recognize his might. They bow in awe of the emerald gladiator viewing him as a divinity.
The women cajole him into enforcing submission. Hal’s hesitation costs him dearly. One of them burns off the wrist attached to the hand wielding the power ring. Hal descends in pain and shock. Eva accompanies his fall mocking his false godhood. What can one mortal do against three powerful priestesses??
Whose side are the writers are anyway?? The Atom was majorly duped. GL is no exception. The Kandorians are quite crafty. I’m especially intrigued with Hal’s beginnings being otherworldly.
JRJR draws the classic costume and brings out Hal’s suave side until things go south. Frank Miller’s finishes produce an interesting outcome. It is hard to discern his distinctive style. The same applies to Mr. Romita, Jr.
Alex Sinclair provides an ominous overlap to the normally bright character. The emerald energy was insufficient in deterring the fraudulent females. I was aghast at seeing Hal’s lost limb.
I’m unsure if Clem was able to perfectly reproduce the classic logo on the cover of this mini-book. If so, the man is a master craftsman!! The sound effects always add to the imagination.
Our heroes desperately need a win. It’s a given that they will triumph but seeing Earth’s other defenders not being able to fulfill their roles is more disheartening than usual. Begrudgingly, I give this tale 6,500 out of 7,200 Green Lanterns assigned to the universe. That’s 90.2% FYI.
I picked up this nifty book at my abso fave comic shop. They have these cool-looking covers available. Don’t let these images deceive you >_^
Eternal gratitude to:
