Hello again GEN readers! It’s Jill a.k.a. The Nerdy Bird back with this week’s installment of DoubleDCoverage. Wow, already ten weeks into my newly revamped reviews column. The time has just flown by. Too bad I can’t say the same for Trinity. In other news, anyone still reading JLA? Reviews for Justice League of America #33 and Trinity #52 are ahead, also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last Wednesday!
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #33
I love the Justice League of America. I think I can remember a time when I liked the Justice League of America book but it’s a distant memory. For a while now every time I pick up a new issue I feel like the same thing has been happening forever with no progress being made. Having since read online that writer Dwayne McDuffie has been fired from the book and that he wasn’t entirely happy with limitations on his creation I feel a little better (not about him being fired obviously). Of course, it didn’t help this issue.
We find out Zatanna is more of a wizard than a sorcerer when she reveals she does spell homework before going out on a mission. She can’t manage to follow Dr. Light into the portal Shadow Thief sucked her into but John Stewart knows someone who might be able to help – Hardware. John, Firestorm and Vixen catch up with him only to waste time butting heads for a while before he gets to the crux of the matter. Dr. Light actually helped him and the Shadow Cabinet. In exchange for them getting her powers back, she fixed their Shadowslide teleporter. Unfortunately all of that resulted in the Shadow Thief breaking Starbreaker out of jail.
Dr. Light manages to find her way out of the portal and into the Himalayas and the team, plus Hardware are quick to head there themselves. Turns out, it’s the headquarters of the SC – the Shadowspire. Meanwhile, Anansi pops in for a visit in Vixens brain. Apparently he has an interest in the SC’s leader, Dharma, staying alive and enlists his “creation” Paladin to assist them all. Too little, too late. They find the entire SC team down for the count, Icon going head-to-head with Starbreaker and what seems to be a deceased Dharma.
I have been disappointed with JLA for a while but that’s not to say there aren’t good moments to be had in the book. One in particular this issue was Zatanna mistaking Paladin for Batman and her reaction when he quickly informed her he had no idea who she was. Speaking of Zatanna, I absolutely hate how Rags Morales draws her. The thick bangs and giant earrings just kill me, but that’s just the fanboy in me talking. In reality there’s been a different artist on this book almost every issue, which is frustrating enough. McDuffie has one more issue written for the book and I hope he finds a more comfortable place for his talents. Here’s hoping for a solid book with lots of direction moving forward.
TRINITY #52
Sometimes it REALLY hurts when you realize how much money you spend on comics. Take Trinity for example: 52 issues x $2.99 an issue = $155.48. And that’s before tax. For a well thought-out and highly engaging story I wouldn’t mind seeing that number. For Trinity, all I have to say is – ouch.
Trinity was meant to be a series all about the big three and how they affect those around them. While it began focused on Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman, it drifted away to everything but them and eventually felt like one big advertisement for how great they are. Here’s the problem with that – everyone already knows the big three are great and they each have their own books to prove that. In this final issue everything is quickly wrapped up into a neat little bow of sorts. A who’s-who of the DCU attends a party (yes, a real party) where they get to celebrate the fact that the world didn’t end and know everyone’s secret identities. But here’s the kicker – no one is going to remember when the party ends because of all the reality shifting that’s still going on.
Here’s a rundown of where everyone ended up. The Crime Syndicate of the Anti-Matter universe run back there when faced with the bulk of DC’s heroes. Enygma is also back there fighting crime with his daughter who has now merged with the Void Hound. Jason Blood sucks Morgaine Le Fey into a bookend, the Green Lanterns arrest Despero, and Kanjar Ro is going to make profit off of Krona’s files. Konvikt is now apparently working for the mob in order to restore his honor and Gangbuster and Tarot are going to date. The crazy Dreambound crew, who I might add were probably the most entertaining characters of the series, are cleared of all charges after several heroes testified Morgaine was controlling them. Tomorrow Woman gets to remain alive in this reality thanks to the Worldsoul and is no longer a robot but a real person. And Krona? He’s chained up, naked, on the primitive world where the Trinity stepped in as gods. There’s a possible “Earth One” mention which I won’t even bother going into seeing as how I don’t know if anything that happened in this entire year-long series will be used in continuity at all.
From what I’ve heard/read, you either loved Trinity or you couldn’t wait for it to end. I fell in the latter category. Many people have asked me why I kept reading the book if, halfway through, I was disliking it so much. All I can say is I hoped it would turn into something really amazing. Three quarters of the way through, when it didn’t, I just felt obligated to see the damn thing through. 52 was a great series and I enjoyed Countdown as well, but I think I’ve been ruined for weeklies, which is a shame because DC’s Wednesday Comics looks really interesting. I might pick that up on a case-by-case basis. All I know is, financially and fanatically (hmm?) I can’t dedicate myself to a series like this again unless it’s mind-blowing. Trinity just made me want to blow my brain out and that, might be the biggest “ouch” of them all.
GOTHAM GAZETTE: BATMAN ALIVE? – Nice bookend to Batman Dead? and I really like the mix of art for each story.
GREEN LANTERN #41 – Lovable Larfleeze tells us how the Vega System came to be off-limits to the GL’s. Damn those Guardians and their secrets!
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #27 – Part 1 of a two-part story before the new creative team comes on board turns out to be a trip down memory lane.
SUPERMAN #688 – Mon-El can’t swim?? Yeah, ok, I guess that does make sense. Great character work with him though. Also, Tellus is finally rescued!
TEEN TITANS #71 – I can’t believe Ravager is only getting a back-up feature next month and not her own book. She’s such a great character.
WONDER WOMAN #32 – Diana finally pulls out all the stops against Genocide and pulls out her lasso. Loving Lopresti’s WW.
My pull list for next week:
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
SECRET SIX #10
SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYTON #4 (OF 12)
Which two should I review for DoubleDCoverage #11? Or should I say, which one SHOULDN’T I review?
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:53 am
Ok, it’s not fair you got your copies early! I’m lucky if Diamond gets mine to me at all (if you’ve seen my last Youtube rant, you’d understand).
I was looking forward to getting Trinity in tpb because of the character Tarot but it seems so unworthy of anyone’s time and money, as you said. Other critics have been saying the same thing.
I definitely recommend the new Batman & Robin for next week since we’ll all get take a blue pill (or was it a red pill) with Grant Morrison again and see if we can keep up.
June 3rd, 2009 at 4:55 am
Still can’t believe the final panel from GL 41… can’t wait to see how Johns manages to back out of that one, since it’s unusual for him to ‘undo’ a move ANYBODY’s made…
As for next week, really hard to say… on one hand, this is a first look at the new Batman and Robin. ON the other hand, this may turn out to be a damp squib. And Secret Six is always a delight. And I would normally say no to New Krypton, but GLs (including the Daxamite Sodam Yat) dealing with Kryptonians? This could turn out to be interesting…
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:36 am
Green Lantern and GLC is probably the best thing about DC for me right now. Every issue just keeps bringing up more and more awesome and interesting things. It’ll be fun to see how the writers fix the thing with his hand, but he’s come back from worse, I suppose, like the red ring.
June 3rd, 2009 at 8:13 am
Well, I feel like Batman & Robin is a no brainer and I honestly think World of New Krypton might be the best book at DC right now, so those would be suggestions.
June 3rd, 2009 at 2:57 pm
“Speaking of Zatanna, I absolutely hate how Rags Morales draws her.”
LOL snaaaap.
Do people really ever remember parties afterward?
Gah, I need to get mah comics! I need to read GOTHAM GAZETTE already. :O
You absolutely must review BATMAN AND ROBIN, since it’s by Morrison and I’m not picking it up until I hear about it first. Go, go, Nerdy Bird!
June 4th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Trinity seems to be an acquired taste. As someone who enjoys obscure characters, references to DC’s continuity, and metaphysical concepts like the tarot, I found a lot to like in Trinity. It didn’t really matter to me that we already know the big three are important. It was fun to see a glimpse of a world without them and a trio of villains mucking with reality. But I can see why others wouldn’t enjoy it.
I thought that Countdown was far worse. All over the map in terms of story, much weaker artistically, and it kept contradicting other stories (seriously, how many times did Orion die?). Trinity was flawed but at least Busiek and Bagley gave us a more coherent story and a consistent style throughout.
June 10th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Beth, I didn’t get mine early, just the day they came out in store.
Yeah, Don’t know what they’re gonna do with Hal’s hand. Possibly it will be the Orange Lantern part of him moving forward? But it can’t be like that forever right? Laura, I can’t get enough of all GL stuff right now! And it’s going to be a veritable explosion once Blackest Night starts next month!
Eric, yeah I suppose you’re right. I like certain obscure characters but not all. But you’re right about the Orion thing, that was a big miscommunication.