B.P.R.D. The Universal Machine #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by: Mike Mignola and John Arcudi
Artist: Guy Davis
The Hellboy B-team has certainly been through the wringer, action movie style lately. They had a big death in their last arc, and this new arc begins with the search for the possibility of Roger’s resurrection. After the navel-gazing that was Hellboy: Makoma this issue was a welcome return to form. It had the great paranormal investigator mix of eclectic ingredients, including a mysterious disappearance, sinister locales and characters, oddball yet heartfelt conversations, and even coffee and cake! The art (which does take a bit of getting used to) certainly excelled in the interior scenes (cafeterias and occult bookshops are equally creepy in opposite ways). The neatest turn in this issue? It looks like pretty-much-relegated-to-spectator-for-three-arcs Dr. Kate Corrigan is going to have to do some real heavy lifting in this arc. That’s new and promising, just like the rest of this story. Next issue: Capt. Daimio’s secrets revealed! That’s such a great hook.
Score: B
Green Arrow #61 
DC Comics
Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: McDaniel, Owens, Major
Well, this is certainly interesting. Winick has a history of letting his politics overshadow the plots and characters in his series work. So how does he handle a series about politics? Damn well, even if I hate to admit it. Maybe it has to do with the similarity in philosophies espoused by this book’s title character and its scribe. This installment had great dialogue, credible street action, a few hints at the OYL situation in the DCU, and McDaniel art. While the issue led up to a confrontational pay-off and then totally begged off in favor of next issue, that was the only thing wrong with it. Still, promising something last issue and not delivering it has to cost something, perhaps one full grade.
Score: B
Nightwing #119
DC Comics
Writer: Bruce Jones
Artist: Dodd, Bit
So there are two Nightwings OYL and readers have seen both of them before. While Jason Todd’s reappearance wasn’t really a surprise (his trademark Red Hood knife had been spotted in cover solicitations ages ago) it still packs a bit of drama. The hero/anti-hero dynamic this book is building sure seems a valid and weighty direction, one very different from the fallen, whiny Nightwing that readers had to put up with since the death of Blockbuster. That combined with the new city and supporting cast slowly being explored in this first OYL arc make Nightwing an intriguing read. While there are whole aspects of the new status quo that aren’t very palatable (Grayson’s one year break from the costumed crime fighting gig, his new financial perils, his burgeoning modeling career) the new cool stuff outweighs the uncertain and unexplained stuff. The only real sticking point for this title is the b-list art. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with the layouts, anatomy, or inking of the OYL Nightwing, the art team really hasn’t gelled yet. Compare the art in the last two issues of this title with the interlude in Detective Comics #818 and ‘Tec’s art just kills this book in every way. Longtime readers of this book were spoiled or habituated to great art teams! The art here really hits and misses, especially given the demands of a new city and two sets of twins per issue.
Score: C
Thunderbolts #101
Marvel Comics
Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Artist: Ross, Smith, A. Street
Ugh. Issue 100 of this series essentially ended on a pathetic “We’ll explain all this weirdness next issue” note. This issue needed to deliver and did not. It simply gives each T’Bolt’s reasoning for remaining with the team, begins or continues some team intrigue, tosses in a few training sessions, and then ends on an admission that any longtime reader ought to see coming. Compared to the inventive and constant surprise this title used to be, this is really inferior product. If I weren’t such a huge fan of a few of the characters (Atlas, Songbird, Techno) that are pretty much confined to this one book, I’d drop it. The art also looked a bit too loose and squidgy in places, especially Conrad Josten (who looked nothing like his brother’s height or build in the T’Bolts initial run-in with him).
Score: D, for depressing
Detective Comics #818
DC Comics
Writer: James Robinson
Artist: Kirk, Clarke, Faucher, Kalisz
The villain serial killer plot is heating up. Another villain was discovered headshot and humiliated and two more await discovery. This arc isn’t really tossing out lots of clues and suspects, more biding its time and simmering. Considering all the OYL changes, that’s a smart strategy, even if readers are frustrated about the case’s rampant body count and obvious lack of progress. This installment, readers got confirmation that Batman is still Bruce Wayne even OYL. The little tidbits tossed away here and there (Tim’s post Identity Crisis situation, Batman’s second inexplicable absence) whet reader appetite for both 52 and later issues in this story. Other than Kirk’s horrible rendition of the new Robin togs (he looks much better in Teen Titans and Robin). The main story of this book has no flaws. The interlude is even better. It has humor, drama, and a neat twist ending. I don’t know Jack about Jason Bard either Pre-Crisis or Post-Crisis, but now I want to. Excellent effort all around. One of these days, I’ll get to review an issue of this crossover on time.
Score: A
IC Aftermath The Battle for Bludhaven #1
DC Comics
Writer: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Dan Jurgens and Jimmy Palmiotti, Javi Montes
This whole issue was a stunt. Characters were introduced just to get killed off in the end. There are obvious parallels to New Orleans Post-Katrina and Bludhaven post-Infinite Crisis, and this issue mines them rather tastelessly. While tossing out OYL hints and new incarnations of dead forgotten characters left and right (the Society has a new leader, Firebrand and the Human Bomb get successors) a potentially great story dissolved in the muck of putting as much on each page at once as possible. The art was good skating occasionally into great (a few of the character costume redesigns were nifty) but it can’t save such schlocky vapidity.
Score: D
