Wow. This continues to be just as good as the stunning debut issue. But in this one, Azzarello weaves in much more of the gods and mythological elements, to wonderful effect. These figures are truly larger than life here, with jealousies, rivalries, and egos all played on a grand scale.
They are also fairly primal figures, not following any sort of lofty code, but ruthless in their tactics and violence. When Diana, Hermes, and Zola arrive on Paradise Island, the Amazons come off as a threatening, pervasive force (until they realize the new arrivals are friends). Diana herself is a strongly-drawn protagonist, with a commanding presence, but also a compassionate side. So in terms of mood and characters, this is great stuff. But Azzarello is also telling a strong story. There was a directness to the pace and violence of #1. This issue is considerably less violent, but no less direct in its focus. The stories establishes its points, then plows forward with confidence. The plot threads of Zeus' affair with a human woman, Hera's vengeance, and Strife's brutal attack on the Amazons are presented with intensity, and come together to create a very powerful issue. Even Diana's origin is simplified to such an impactful, short sequence, and fits nicely in with the revelation at the end, to create a dynamic finish. It goes without saying that Chiang's work is excellent here. Like the writing, his figures and settings are clear and dramatic, jumping powerfully off the page, even in the softer moments. His extra-large Strife, and Diana's fight with her, looks great and Diana's duel with Aleka is a perfectly choregraphed sequence. Azzarello is showing anyone who thought Wonder Woman was lame that there is a power and drama to the character and the concepts in her book. He exhibits a sure hand in his portrayal of her world, and sells it for me.DC Universe Presents#2 - Paul Jenkins/Bernard Chang
What the hell was that? I mean that in a good way. The first issue of Deadman's story was a subtle, thoughtful exploration of a selfish man struggling for redemption in death. This issue plays with that idea, but also has him fight his way into club full of supernatural characters in
the hopes of learning how long he will be helping troubled souls for. For every tender, subtle scene (such as Deadman leading his parapeligic host body to start conversing with a woman he meets), there are ones where he body-jumps through a variety of creatures to reach a winged-librarian who can tell him his future. It's an eclectic mix of settings and characters, and was certainly fun. Through all of it, including the opening confrontation with the woman who put Deadman in this role, is a strong portrayal of the character, who is only doing anything he does here for the sake of finding out when his life as Deadman will be over. I like that Jenkins isn't fearful of showing this selfish, unpleasant side of his lead character, who is still interesting and charasmatic enough to remain likeable as we learn more about him. Chang has fun with all of the creatures on display here, and his angular characters look quite good. I still think his strong lines are being over-produced and over-coloured, but it's undeniably a good-looking comic. I went into this expecting more of the somber, quiet exploration of the lead character we got last issue, and got a zany romp through DC's supernatural characters. Through all of this, the focus was squarely on the troubled lead character, and I appreciate that Jenkins is exploring like this while telling his story of self-discovery.Batman#2 - Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo
My only negative thought about the first issue was that, in being so polished, the comic lost a bit of the grit that Snyder had brought to Detective Comics. I take it all back. Not that this issue swings in a gritty direction, but it's becoming clear that this isn't the book for that. This is the
refined, polished, almost cosmopolitan Batbook, where ominous danger lurks in a brightly lit skyscraper just as strongly as it does in a morgue. In terms of threats, the story is strongly focused on the claim for Bruce Wayne's life made at the end of the last issue. Snyder explores this plot in some expertly-paced scenes, particularly the one in Wayne Tower, where, thanks to the flashforward opening, we know danger will strike at any moment. What's great about these scenes is how Snyder world-builds in the midst of advancing the plot. We get more insight into the Batman/Jim Gordon relationship, Batman's various CSI technologies, Bruce Wayne's political maneuverings to get his latest project off the ground, and, in a great opening page, the landscape of Gotham and the legacy of the Wayne family in builing it. There's also a scene of Batman chasing thieves on a motorcycle that is deliberately added in to show how in-control of his busy schedule Bruce is. Within the confines of one plot moving forward, there is a lot to unpack here. The art from Capullo remains a treat, with big characters and expressions, great layouts and action scenes, and a strong mix of lightness an cartoonier figures with darker elements. It's a unique looking final product that leaves and impression. I criticized this for being pitch-perfect last issue. I take it all back.Birds of Prey#1 - Duane Swierczynski/Jesus Saiz
I decided not to stick with Blue Beetle and try out the second printing of another first issue I had heard good things about. This was a fairly straightforward debut, but it was fast-paced and had a fun portrayal of its two lead characters, and I was pretty happy with it.
This debut issue had a strong balance between setting up the basics of the premise and getting the
story moving, and it did both well. The story moves at a fast clip, with strong action sequences, and is juxtaposed with brief flashbacks to Black Canary getting the Birds assembled and her and Starling discovering the reporter on their trail. I personally loved this setup, as the action scenes were very fun, but would have been too thin on their own. The flashbacks give more insight into these women, their skills, and their personalities. During the battle scene, Swierczynski weaves in details about their powers seamlessly and showcases their interaction and adventurous side. A lot of time is also given over to the reporter, and there's a good sense that he's in over his head with these women. The focus on him makes the final page that much more surprising. I've read complaints about the role Barbara Gordon plays here, and to that I say that's nitpicking for the sake of it. I came in fresh to this, and the whole setup and her role in it feels natural and easy to follow. On the art front, Saiz nails it. His women bounce off the page, but through strong shading, they also have depth and weight to them. This is a fairly grounded comic, and his people look attractive. So I had fun with this. It kind of hits the right notes and doesn't miss a beat. It's not telling the deepest story, but it shows a lot of skills in telling an action/spy story, but also knows how to have fun.
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