This is the issue where the scattered nature of this title, the character interactions, and the action scenes really clicked for me. It was organized chaos and Cornell lets the spotlight fall on a number of team members. So 
the fact that the plot moves in several directions as the group defeats the moon visitor worked for me. It helps that Apollo and Midnighter are still new to the team, and the wonder they feel makes this crisis feel big for readers. But most seasoned members of the team have good moments as well - Jack connects with the forgotten city hidden below the farmland, the Engineer is forced to take charge as Adam One is too overtaken to be an effective leader, and the Projectionist uses her abilities to act as a guide for the team. There are even the early hints of an attraction between Apollo and Midnighter. I also like the tradition that seems to govern these heroes. The threat they fight has to be of this big ature. There are rules about forgotten cities that they all seem to know. A member of the Stormwatch Shadow Cabinet descends to remove Adam as leader because he failed to step up on this mission. These heroes seem to operate on a different level from most others, under a set of rules, and it lends a different tone to the book. Sepulveda is still growing into his role as artist. He still needs to sharpen his people (even though they are getting better). But every big action shot or otherworldly creature works really well. I think because his people haven't quite clicked for me, it slightly removes me from the book, but that does kind of fit with Cornell's tone. This group operates on a plane that is above normal people, under rules we don't know about. They feel a bit distant, but it fits.
Action Comics#4 - Grant Morrison/Rags Morales, Sholly Fisch/Brad Walker (Back-Up Story)
In this issue, Morrison begins unveiling some of the bigger premises and ideas behind his run, and it’s kind of exhilarating. Most of this is a big fight scene between the John Corben robot suit (possessed by the same aliens that catalogued and preserved the artefacts of Krypton before it was destroyed), a bunch of other robots built for the same purpose, and our rag-tag Superman. It sounds simple, but there are a lot of great concepts and character moments thrown in here. These aliens are the ones that Lex liaised with to take out Superman. Instead, they are taking out his
world, so he is understandably freaking out. There are some strong moments where Lois tries to reach out to John, who is struggling to regain control of himself as an alien voice sprouts out commands. And this Superman in action is a marvel to behold. With tattered clothes and a bruised face, he jumps and volleys across the page. Morales does a great job with these action scenes, but there is also worry and concern in this Man of Steel's face. He has never faced a threat of this magnitude and his inexperience and worry come through in the visuals. I also love the look of the robots. These are supposed to be robots hastily produced in factories that the aliens have taken control of, and they look it. They are not massive Sentinels, but pieces of metal and machinery, not too much taller than Superman, cobbled together to fight him. The big moment comes at the end, where we learn the aliens have been collecting and preserving some of the people and artefacts of Earth in the face of the planet’s destruction (as they did for Krypton). You can infer that they are behind the bottle city of Kandor, and their wholesale destruction here in the name of 'preserving' leads to a dramatic ending. I love Superman reaching out to the army to combat them, with both parties realizing the trouble they are in. At the same time as all this is going on, can we infer that, like Krypton, Earth is about to die (or else these aliens wouldn't have shown up)? This book is brimming with wonderful concepts, packed into an action issue that never lets up, but also makes room for character moments. And, through all this, Morrison actually succeeds in making snivelling Lex our point-of-view character, as we see some of the climactic moments through his eyes. Great stuff.
This issue also contains a back-up story that expands on a scene in the issue, where John Henry Irons (Steel in the old DCU) takes down the renegade John Corben. I like the opportunity to continue to tell the main story in the back-up, instead of telling a separate story. This one is also used to introduce the Irons character, with some brief background provided, including his role in creating Corben's suit of armour. It's an enjoyable story, where Irons shows his scientific and fighting prowess, and hopes there is a place for a regular guy like him to be a hero in Metropolis alongside Superman. Brad Walker provides art, and his faces and figures are a little crisper than Morales', but keep the general look and feel the latter artist has created for Metropolis. A fun little feature, and I look forward to what they will do with the back-up in the future.
In this issue, Morrison begins unveiling some of the bigger premises and ideas behind his run, and it’s kind of exhilarating. Most of this is a big fight scene between the John Corben robot suit (possessed by the same aliens that catalogued and preserved the artefacts of Krypton before it was destroyed), a bunch of other robots built for the same purpose, and our rag-tag Superman. It sounds simple, but there are a lot of great concepts and character moments thrown in here. These aliens are the ones that Lex liaised with to take out Superman. Instead, they are taking out his
world, so he is understandably freaking out. There are some strong moments where Lois tries to reach out to John, who is struggling to regain control of himself as an alien voice sprouts out commands. And this Superman in action is a marvel to behold. With tattered clothes and a bruised face, he jumps and volleys across the page. Morales does a great job with these action scenes, but there is also worry and concern in this Man of Steel's face. He has never faced a threat of this magnitude and his inexperience and worry come through in the visuals. I also love the look of the robots. These are supposed to be robots hastily produced in factories that the aliens have taken control of, and they look it. They are not massive Sentinels, but pieces of metal and machinery, not too much taller than Superman, cobbled together to fight him. The big moment comes at the end, where we learn the aliens have been collecting and preserving some of the people and artefacts of Earth in the face of the planet’s destruction (as they did for Krypton). You can infer that they are behind the bottle city of Kandor, and their wholesale destruction here in the name of 'preserving' leads to a dramatic ending. I love Superman reaching out to the army to combat them, with both parties realizing the trouble they are in. At the same time as all this is going on, can we infer that, like Krypton, Earth is about to die (or else these aliens wouldn't have shown up)? This book is brimming with wonderful concepts, packed into an action issue that never lets up, but also makes room for character moments. And, through all this, Morrison actually succeeds in making snivelling Lex our point-of-view character, as we see some of the climactic moments through his eyes. Great stuff.This issue also contains a back-up story that expands on a scene in the issue, where John Henry Irons (Steel in the old DCU) takes down the renegade John Corben. I like the opportunity to continue to tell the main story in the back-up, instead of telling a separate story. This one is also used to introduce the Irons character, with some brief background provided, including his role in creating Corben's suit of armour. It's an enjoyable story, where Irons shows his scientific and fighting prowess, and hopes there is a place for a regular guy like him to be a hero in Metropolis alongside Superman. Brad Walker provides art, and his faces and figures are a little crisper than Morales', but keep the general look and feel the latter artist has created for Metropolis. A fun little feature, and I look forward to what they will do with the back-up in the future.
iZombie#20 - Chris Roberson/Mike Allred
This title keeps plugging along, although it appears the zombie outbreak in Eugene, Oregon marked a shift in the series' narrative, and we're now in a second phase, where some of the key conflicts have come to light. This title has always been heavy on subplots, and it remains so, but Roberson is noticeably giving more space for some of them to
breathe here. We finally learn where Ellie has been hiding the monster she discovered, and her attempts to connect with him are endearing, revealing her own lonliness. Spot's struggle to come out of the closet and connect with Gavin is also given ample page time to develop naturally. But, just as Roberson is giving these subplots more room to breathe, he is adding to them - we learn how Ellie's monster is connected to Galatea. And Spot is kidnapped by a mysterious assailant as he's talking to Gavin over the phone. There's also some great stuff here with protagonist Gwen, agonizing over how to move on after the zombie outbreak and being recruited by the Dead Presidents group. Allred's art is delightful as always, with distinct figures played against stark and simple backgrounds. He sells the humour and playful tone of the book very well. It's another solid issue of this title, which remain pitch-perfect in its diverse character portrayals and array of subplots.
This title keeps plugging along, although it appears the zombie outbreak in Eugene, Oregon marked a shift in the series' narrative, and we're now in a second phase, where some of the key conflicts have come to light. This title has always been heavy on subplots, and it remains so, but Roberson is noticeably giving more space for some of them to
breathe here. We finally learn where Ellie has been hiding the monster she discovered, and her attempts to connect with him are endearing, revealing her own lonliness. Spot's struggle to come out of the closet and connect with Gavin is also given ample page time to develop naturally. But, just as Roberson is giving these subplots more room to breathe, he is adding to them - we learn how Ellie's monster is connected to Galatea. And Spot is kidnapped by a mysterious assailant as he's talking to Gavin over the phone. There's also some great stuff here with protagonist Gwen, agonizing over how to move on after the zombie outbreak and being recruited by the Dead Presidents group. Allred's art is delightful as always, with distinct figures played against stark and simple backgrounds. He sells the humour and playful tone of the book very well. It's another solid issue of this title, which remain pitch-perfect in its diverse character portrayals and array of subplots.I'm going to handle Swamp Thing#4 and Animal Man #4 together because the two books are really starting to connect in some interesting and organic ways. Both of these comics feature the protagonist get a stern talking-to from his respective supernatural community (the Green and the Red). Both characters are informed of the threat the Rot poses to them and they role they will be expected to play in fighting it. And both heroes respond slightly differently. The two scenes that explain this conflict don't feel like exposition dumps, but instead vivid recountings of a dangerous threat. Because both heroes are so personally tied to this impending conflict, it all resonates very strongly. Finally, it's interesting, probably because it's so simple -the Green (plant life), the Red (flesh), and the Rot (anything dead - from a corpse to skin cells). The concepts flow into each other, and the backstory feels natural and logical. The connection between the books isn't thrown in our faces, but naturally develops due to the shared framework they operate under.
Amidst exploring these concepts in the Red, Animal Man#4 (Jeff Lemire/Travel Foreman) also features the hero's wife and son tormented by a creature from the Rot. It's typical of the book's ability to bring horror right into the home, and creates some harrowing scenes. Buddy's wife is a great character - tough and determined, frightened, blinded by
love for her family. And the scenes are paced like a great horror movie, with danger and tension building perfectly. In the Red, Maxine is learning how to use her powers over the flesh and Buddy is learning he is much less important than his daughter. Lemire has presented a reversal, and Buddy now feels as neutered by the creatures of the Red as he did by his wife's insults in #1. The flashback to the birth of the Rot is a wonderful scene, brimming with clean, compelling ideas and not feeling like an exposition dump at all. Once again, the art brings the scenes in the Red to life, with an array of creatures, grossly distorted physical forms, and a flashback that literally grows out of Buddy's body. But it's to Foreman's credit that he can make a talking cat look just as impressive as these otherwordly elements. Through all this, the book's sense of humour remains intact, with Maxine's precocious wonder and Cliff completely bored by everthing going on. Another excellent issue.
Swamp Thing #4 (Scott Snyder/Marco Rudy) is the flipside of this. There's no humourous tone to the dialogue here, just a dark portrayal of William Arcane's trail of destruction and Alec Holland's struggle to accept his powers and role. The Arcane scenes are as disturbing as last issue's, with the young child blazing a trail of death across the US.
The opening scene is great, and Rudy nails our fist view of Arcane - a distorted close-up of his face. From there, he plays around with the panels as William releases his powers on unsuspecting restaurant patrons. The bulk of this issue is spent on Alec and Abby, with the former trying to process the changes to his life. I love that we have not really seen Swamp Thing yet. Alec is just a man who feels the plant world differently than others, haunted by a former life as a swamp creature. His aforementioned discussion with the Green is great because of this personal element. Alec wants to avoid his responsibilities, passed on through his family line, to the Parliament of the Trees, and I'm content to see how long Snyder can go without having him turn into Swamp Thing. The dynamic between Alec and Abby is wonderful, with both struggling to accept their former relationship while forging a new one. She has a hard edge to nicely counter his wallowing. And, similar to last issue's silent full page splash of a clothed skeleton girl, this issue contains another great silent tableaux, when Alec realizes Abby also has the Rot in her, and he may need to fight her at some point. Marco Rudy provides guest art, mimicking the panel layouts Yanick Paquette has created for the book, while bringing his own unique figures and swamp creatures into it. He keeps the tone established by Paquette while adding his own unique elements. Great looking stuff, and a wonderfully-written comic.
Amidst exploring these concepts in the Red, Animal Man#4 (Jeff Lemire/Travel Foreman) also features the hero's wife and son tormented by a creature from the Rot. It's typical of the book's ability to bring horror right into the home, and creates some harrowing scenes. Buddy's wife is a great character - tough and determined, frightened, blinded by
love for her family. And the scenes are paced like a great horror movie, with danger and tension building perfectly. In the Red, Maxine is learning how to use her powers over the flesh and Buddy is learning he is much less important than his daughter. Lemire has presented a reversal, and Buddy now feels as neutered by the creatures of the Red as he did by his wife's insults in #1. The flashback to the birth of the Rot is a wonderful scene, brimming with clean, compelling ideas and not feeling like an exposition dump at all. Once again, the art brings the scenes in the Red to life, with an array of creatures, grossly distorted physical forms, and a flashback that literally grows out of Buddy's body. But it's to Foreman's credit that he can make a talking cat look just as impressive as these otherwordly elements. Through all this, the book's sense of humour remains intact, with Maxine's precocious wonder and Cliff completely bored by everthing going on. Another excellent issue.Swamp Thing #4 (Scott Snyder/Marco Rudy) is the flipside of this. There's no humourous tone to the dialogue here, just a dark portrayal of William Arcane's trail of destruction and Alec Holland's struggle to accept his powers and role. The Arcane scenes are as disturbing as last issue's, with the young child blazing a trail of death across the US.
The opening scene is great, and Rudy nails our fist view of Arcane - a distorted close-up of his face. From there, he plays around with the panels as William releases his powers on unsuspecting restaurant patrons. The bulk of this issue is spent on Alec and Abby, with the former trying to process the changes to his life. I love that we have not really seen Swamp Thing yet. Alec is just a man who feels the plant world differently than others, haunted by a former life as a swamp creature. His aforementioned discussion with the Green is great because of this personal element. Alec wants to avoid his responsibilities, passed on through his family line, to the Parliament of the Trees, and I'm content to see how long Snyder can go without having him turn into Swamp Thing. The dynamic between Alec and Abby is wonderful, with both struggling to accept their former relationship while forging a new one. She has a hard edge to nicely counter his wallowing. And, similar to last issue's silent full page splash of a clothed skeleton girl, this issue contains another great silent tableaux, when Alec realizes Abby also has the Rot in her, and he may need to fight her at some point. Marco Rudy provides guest art, mimicking the panel layouts Yanick Paquette has created for the book, while bringing his own unique figures and swamp creatures into it. He keeps the tone established by Paquette while adding his own unique elements. Great looking stuff, and a wonderfully-written comic.
of their dramatic plots. The majority of this issue is played for laughs, and, to Spurrier's credit, it does work. Cyclops outright lies to the public to look good, Danger awkardly tries to act like a human with Jeffries, Dr. Nemesis is prickled by everything anyone says, and Kavita Rao just wants to get away from everyone. The humour never lets up. At almost every point he can throw in a joke or insult, Spurrier does it. The plot is fairly straightforward. The science team have helped develop an elevator into space, and its launch leads into a variety of hijinks involving an oil tycoon-styled businessman, angry Atlaneans, attacking Atlaneans, and Danger going out of control. It's perfectly enjoyable, and Spurrier plays up some of the more absurd aspects of the story to benefit the humour. It's just a bit light for a five issue series. The art by Paul Davidson is nice, but I'd imagine not to everyone's tastes. I quite like how he depicts people and think it works well with the dead pan humour of the book. He has a unique style and I've always liked it. All that said, I don't know if I'm sticking with this. Five issues is a lot to ask of such a thin story. I have no doubt it will be five issues of fun, so I just have to weigh whether that is worth sticking around for. Regardless of that, still a solid comic.
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