Hello again GEN readers! It’s Jill a.k.a. The Nerdy Bird back with another installment of DoubleDCoverage. There’s been a lot of Batman and a lot of Superman the last two weeks, not to mention a few amazing stand-out issues in other series and a couple of let-downs. Read on to find out all about it…

November 5,  2008:

ADVENTURE COMICS SPECIAL FEATURING THE GUARDIAN

Number “3” in the interconnecting New Krypton story  expands upon part of the recent Jimmy Olsen Special.  His journey  to find the mystery man from Metropolis has lead him to the Guardian, Jim Harper . In flashbacks we see him break into a Cadmus facility in Salem, Mass. They were keeping a Legion member (Tellus) captive and I admit I needed to look him up to see who it was. Telepathically he told Harper to leave him there so it’s possible something in the future would have been screwed up if he didn’t. At another Cadmus facility, in his own Alien Resurrection moment, Harper finds a lab full of his clones spliced with Paul Kirk (Manhunter) in several stages of development. He realized Cadmus was trying to make a “Clone Army,” their words, not mine, to take down Superman and destroyed all but one. A small child. Jimmy lets slip who killed Harper’s father, the previous Guardian. It was Jonathan Drew (Codename: Assassin). Harper gets a shave and a haircut (two bits) then heads off to Metropolis with his “daughter.”

EL DIABLO #3

The new El Diablo, ex-gang member out for revenge Chato Santana, is still searching for the one responsible for his takedown. Agent Aaron informed him last issue it was his second in command Jorge who was actually an undercover cop named Israel Martino. He decided the other side of the law was more fun. Jorge has been making deals with The Council, an organization that clones super-soldiers, and H.I.V.E.  He does eventually find Jorge and after a struggle he chokes him to death. El Diablo seems like a watered down version of the Spectre but we find out a little more about his curse here. Lazarus explains Chutriel, in Hebrew myth, is an angel that rebelled with Lucifer and who chose to stay in hell and punish the wicked. There’s apparently more to the tale but Lazarus never gets a chance to tell it. Vorpal beheads him for not making him the next El Diablo and brings the head to a woman named Ninhursag. She talks about creating an army and wants to use Jorge, who’s now in hell, to do it. Oh yeah, and she wants to consummate her marriage to Chutriel.

FINAL CRISIS: RESIST

This next installment of FC tie-ins was everything the final issue of Checkmate should have been. In fact, I’m going to pretend it was the last issue of Checkmate. It’s pointed out that this is actually “The Day Evil Won” and we see how the Anti-Life Equation spread across the globe. Checkmate uses every resource they have to prevent it but eventually all that’s left is Sasha (in a state of shutdown), Mr. Terrific, Thinker, Taleb and Snapper Carr locked in a secure bunker. Snapper is their only way to get anything done on the outside because of his teleportation. A signal from the JLA Watchtower gets him in trouble with an Anti-Life submitted Firehawk but he’s saved in the nick of time by Cheetah of all people. While out on a medical supply run he finds her again and she’s so excited to see him she proceeds to jump his bones. Snapper gets exposed to the virus by Grodd and can no longer teleport therefore the group must risk waking Sasha up so she can use h er implants, in conjunction with a slew of sentient A.I.’s Checkmate has imprisoned, to awaken the 11.4 million people still carrying Omac nanotech. It’s actually a pretty interesting idea and I can’t wait to see how it plays out in FC.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #20

JSA squares off against the Justice Society Infinity from Earth-2 because, as usual, no one stops to talk first. Poor Alan Scott comes face-to-face with his dead “daughter” Jennie (Jade) and the Other Powergirl thinks she’s found her cousin Kal-L. Other Huntress uses a kryptonite ring to sedate PG and they take her back to their world while Alan, Jay, Starman, Mr. Terrific and Stargirl go along for the ride unnoticed. This time. poor Mr. Terrific meets the Other Michael Holt and his dead wife Paula. Other PG goes a little nuts interrogating PG in the Batcave with Other Robin and Other Huntress. The rest of the JSI show up and Brainwave tells them both PG’s brain patterns match. It still doesn’t explain anything but the JSA shows up and Starman reveals the map to the Multiverse or rather, the New Multiverse as they know it, on his costume. He explains, quite well, that when the Multiverse was recreated everything on Earth-2 was reborn and a new PG was created for it leaving the PG we know and love with nothing.  As if that isn’t bad enough, we’re left on a dangerous note. Alan suggests to Mr. Terrific that they have Gog resurrect Jennie and Paula.

SECRET SIX #3

We only see five members on the cover of this issue but inside we finally get our first look at the sixth. All we find out about Jeannette is she appears to be a Marie Antoinette inspired dominatrix who likes blood. She’ll fit in just fine. While still transporting Tarantula the team gets hit by a group out for the bounty,  Bolt, Cheetah and um, some other dude. The team members quirks are played very well in this issue and keeps things light surrounding Tarantula’s story about what this “card” everyone wants actually is. So why does everyone want it so badly? If you haven’t read the issue do yourself a favor, skip the rest of this paragraph and enjoy the reveal yourself. It was created by Neron and there’s only one in existence. It’s a “get out of Hell free” card.

SUPERMAN/SUPERGIRL: MAELSTROM #1

This book is not following along with current continuity seeing as how Darkseid is his normal self and Apokolips is still around but it’s a nice little Superman/Supergirl story anyway.  A lowly laborer has a huge crush on Darkseid, which is kind of gross but hey, to each their own. Her name is Maelstrom and to get his attention she decides to bring him the head of Superman. Unfortunately he’s out of town bringing a alien ship back to the Circunus Cluster with the only person on board dead.  Instead Maelstrom finds Supergirl and destroys a few buildings in Metropolis by tossing her into them. Superman does show up to save the day and sends Maelstrom back to Apokolips with her boom tube destroyed but Kara is left feeling like a failure, as usual. Kal feels he hasn’t spent enough time teaching her and decides they’re going on a trip together away from Earth. It was an odd choice to release this non-continuity mini considering the huge Super event going on right now.

TERRA #1

In an attempt to keep everything straight, not only for you but for me, the Terra in this mini-series is the “new” Terra that appeared in Supergirl #12 who just wanted to help everyone she could and not, as far as I know, the Terra (Tara Markov) who betrayed the Teen Titans or that other doppleganger that was around for a while.  At the start of this issue we find Terra trying to save some bee creatures hive from some blood sucking creatures. They ask her to tell the humans to stop digging so deep and to help some trapped miners while she’s at it.  She’s not eager to talk to the press who let us know she’s been around the world saving people the last few weeks. Meanwhile a man named Faulkner is showing off an all subterranean laser drill . He’s thinking scientific and military applications when they discover a glowing lake of goo which sucks Faulkner in and turns him into diamond.  Of course he goes nuts and kills everyone down there. On another people saving mission Terra gets in over her head and Powergirl must save her. Knowing she’s hurt PG takes her to Doctor Mid-Nite who takes a sample of blood. Not only are there high levels of an unknown metal in it but her DNA is in fact a match to Tara Markov. I did say I’d attempt to keep everything straight, not that I’d be successful. However it does seem PG will play a role in this entire mini making it feel like a sort of warm-up by Palmiotti and Connor for their PG series.

TERROR TITANS #2

This mini seems sort of redundant considering we already know the Dark Side Club falls apart but it’s a nice highlight of Ravager. The Clock King and the Terror Titans continue to round up “legacies,” the super powered offspring of other heroes and villains to fight in the club. Ravager still isn’t making any friends on the team, especially not with Disrupter, and continues to use her precognition to win in and out of the ring. The Clock King is concerned about Dreadbolt in particular. He says the only way Dreadbolt can claim his legacy is to kill the original, his father Bolt, who conveniently shows up at the end of the issue. Not really a whole lot of progression here so let’s hope it really starts moving next time.

TRINITY #23

“Commander” Hall of the Justice Society International is still in denial about the world changing around him and believes the League must be responsible for everything.  Even Black Adam is confused as to why he’s fighting minotaurs for no reason.  At the JSI’s headquarters Firestorm’s separate entities are showing everyone what the real world is supposed to look like and some are starting to believe. Jose and Tarot separate so he can deliver the scrolls and it’s revealed Tomorrow Woman has a secret identity no one knew about before, news anchor Clara Kendall. Morgaine is found destroying most of Europe. The second half of the issue shows John Stewart still struggling with parasite inside him from Qward. It or him is able to easily create a wormhole. We get a look at Kanjar Ro creating his Despero-suit and his failure at achieving godhood. The real Despero shows up, gathers an army and heads to Earth to take his revenge. John, Kanjar and Despero all wind up at the wormhole now held by an enormous Krona.

VIXEN: RETURN OF THE LION #2

Vixen is badly wounded in Zambesi by war lord Aku Kwesi who’s got access to claws of his own. She suspects magic is involved, especially after he teleports away. A man named Sia helps her, not to mention the village by pointing her away from it.  A vision of her dead mother and wild animals aren’t enough to stop her. She also refuses to call for help with her JLA c communicator which the team gets a message from anyway, only the one speaking on her end is a monkey.  Another hallucination is interrupted by a young male lion who looks ready to attack. Vixen goes on the offensive only to find out he, along with a man, were trying to help.  This seemed like a step down from last issue because not a lot actually happens.

November 12, 2008:

ACTION COMICS #871

Number “4” in the interconnecting New Krypton story  shows us two specific Kandorians, Gor and Mur, who are doubting Superman’s handling of General Zod. General Lane is briefing an already well-informed Luthor about Kandor and Brainiac. Luthor pushes the General too far by talking about Lois and winds up with a bullet in the shoulder. In Metropolis, Superman and Supergirl go to work immediately on Doomsday while asking the Kandorians to help evacuate the civilians. The fight literally gets carried into space where the Kandorians unleash their full power on Doomsday, killing him. It’s clear this makes Superman and Supergirl uncomfortable.  Gor and Mur decide to take matters into their own hands and go to the Fortress to free Zod from the Phantom Zone. A new Nightwing and Flamebird are there to stop them. These roles were last filled by Supergirl and Powergirl in the Bottled City .

BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #23

This arc of Confidential is set up similar to The Dark Knight movie. The Joker is new to town and no one quite knows how to deal with him. In part two we see how  Detective Geoff Shancoe is dealing with the death of his wife as a result of the Jokers interference while in custody. He’s drinking and out for revenge. While being transported to his court date the Joker manages to kill two of the corrections officers. Harvey Dent is prosecuting the case and Joker has a public defendant. In a move only the Joker could pull off, he flicks a peanut into the judge’s glass of water which he proceeds to unknowingly swallow. Of course the poor guy has a severe peanut allergy and drops dead. This is an excellent arc to suggest to new readers and comic shops should be doing just that.

BATMAN: CACOPHONY #1

Onomatopoeia. Only Kevin Smith could have come up with such a character and make it work. I gotta admit, I love the idea. It’s not something that can or should be used regularly but that works well in a mini-series like this one. Deadshot is hired to kill the Joker, currently locked in Arkham, by the parent of a kid killed by a new street drum called “Chuckles.” Turns out Maxie Zeus cut ecstasy into diluted Joker venom and it’s become very popular. Now the Joker is out for blood. Before Deadshot has a chance, Onomatopoeia shows up to steal Joker for himself. Seeing as how Onomatopoeia doesn’t exactly talk, he offers Joker a suitcase full of cash once they’re outside and in a moment that belongs solely to Smith, Joker bends over offering himself to what he thinks is a clown fetishist.  Meanwhile Batman is out hunting Victor Zsasz  when he gets the call about the Joker escaping. Maxie Zeus, now trying to go legit, is called away from a tv interview. Joker has his nephews school hostage and to show just how angry he is with Maxie, he blows up the school.  Looks like this one’s gonna be fun.

BOOSTER GOLD #14

This wraps up the two-part tale of Starro taking over through time manipulation. After freeing Lady Chronos with a Freeze gun from the Hall of Justice, she becomes his unusual ally and by agreeing to help she now holds a favor over Booster’s head. This issue includes a lot of fun bits. One of my favorites is a shot of Hawkman squeezing the life out of a tiny Atom on the day Starro conquered Earth. Another is Booster screwing with Mr. Freeze’s mind (A magic hand took my Freeze-gun!!) when he arrives at a time in the past to pick up a new gun. Heading back to pick up Rip and using his time sphere, Lady Chronos quickly takes care of the Starro’s at their initial entry point. Booster just begins to question her motives when they arrive back at Rip’s lab to find Chronos waiting for them. He explains he’s read all of Rip’s notes and both Chronos’ leave without a fight because of Booster’s favor. Starro isn’t my favorite but this was an entertaining two-parter.

DETECTIVE COMICS #850

Paul Dini wraps up “Heart of Hush” in this anniversary issue. It’s got R.I.P. plastered all over it but, wisely enough, doesn’t touch Grant Morrison’s story at all.  Some great things filled this issue. Right off the *cough* bat we get to see Alfred kicking some major Hush ass. As we now know, Hush has surgically altered his face to look like Bruce. With Doctor Mid-Nite and Mr. Terrific looking over Selina, Batman is able to continue his fight with Hush in the cave, which we get a fun look at during the fight. Classic Batmobiles, costumes and yes, even the dinosaur gets in on the action. Hmm, maybe they can make a Dinosaur R.I.P. one shot. We also get some expanded background information about Hush. Tommy really is just a horrible spoiled brat who would do anything to get his way.  He murdered his mother while girlfriend Peyton (the second Ventriloquist) took care of the lawyer who was just about to take Tommy out of his mothers will. Of course, not wanting to be tied down again by another woman he ditched her immediately after. Nightwing and Robin make a brief cameo in the cave when Hush decides he’d rather live to fight another day and takes off in the Whirlybat only to have his bandages get caught and pull him up into the blades. He’s “presumed” dead. Zatanna also makes a cameo chatting with Selina’s subconscious and giving her something for her scar. Bruce shares his feelings with Selina, though from the looks of things, it doesn’t seem their relationship is going to progress. She uses her recovery time enlisting other ladies of the DCU (and Slam Bradley) to drain Tommy of every penny.  Their fight is not over.

GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #14

Connor is getting the once-over by Doctor Mid-Nite and Batman after Green Arrow discovered he feels little pain and heals almost instantly. Mid-Nite seems to see the situation as mostly positive saying some of Connor’s genes come from Plastic Man but that neurologically it’s bleak. Connor explains he remembers certain people and things but not the life around them and he can’t shoot an arrow to save his life anymore. Connor takes it upon himself to hunt down some low-level gang members to test his fighting skills, which are still intact. Now he has to discover who he is and who he wants to be without his archer skills. This ends Judd Winick’s five year run on the series. It’s not a particularly strong issue or special in any way but it does feel like the title of this issue, “One door closes, another opens.” Andrew Kreisberg picks up next month.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #30

The Guardians and Lanterns Guy Gardner, Sodam Yat and Arisia travel to Zamaron on a diplomatic mission. The goal of which is to persuade them to stop harnessing the violet light for fear it will secure the Blackest Night coming to pass. They probably knew it was a waste of time to begin with but they had to try. The scarred Guardian secretly informs Sodam Yat he is not to let them take hostage of themselves or their rings and to use the Ion power to it’s fullest. They are shown Sinestro Corps rings the Zamorans have captured but shockingly some of the ring bearers are held captive there as well. Queen Aga’Po believes they are re-igniting the embers of love that have been hiding in their hearts and that once these women are shown the light they will be reformed and become part of the Star Sapphires. Also in this issue, Kyle Rayner,  Soranik Natu, Amnee Pree and her husband are hunting the vile Kryb who’s on the prowl for Green Lantern couples and their children. Together they attack her with spectacular results though it’s not clear if they’ve actually killed her.  The Guardians do some heavy thinking back on Oa and decide the Lantern’s personal lives are getting in the way of their work. They plan on making yet another addition to the Book of Oa. “Physical relationships and love between Green Lanterns is to be forbidden within the Corps.” Yikes!

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL: SUPERMAN

A piece of art from start to finish, this is the first time Alex Ross has fully written and illustrated an issue.  If you’ve been reading JSA then you know elements of Kingdom Come have been seeping into this universe, primarily Gog. In this one-shot, KC Superman goes on a journey in search of Norman McCay’s counterpart. While explaining parts of his past to Cyclone he continually flashes back to the events that lead to the destruction of his world. He rushes off to Metropolis and almost believes he’s reliving the death of his Lois, which we get to see a detailed and crushing account of. In reality he’s landed in a trap set by Luthor for this universe’s Superman which doesn’t work on  him since he’s basically immune to Kryptonite. KC Superman eventually does find McCay and looks for some sort of guidance as to why he’s here. McCay feel way out of his league but does seem to help. We hear the story about how his Lois died only because the Lois of this world comes to him to ask about it specifically. Her last words were, “Don’t lose…Clark.” Even so, KC Superman explains Clark Kent died that day and will never return.  A really powerful issue and definitely one for the history books. As an added bonus there’s sketch material in the back of this issue that’s really special.

MANHUNTER #36

We now know Manhunter’s days are numbered in the real world. Two more issues and the series is canceled yet again. The “Forgotten” arc finishes here though as Manhunter finishes what she started. She’s taken down the new Crime Doctor (though the Suicide Squad stand in for the actual take down) and as a lawyer goes after one of the largest employers in the world, the pharmaceutical company Vesetech. Besides having the proof they tried to make an army of super-criminals out of Mexican women she explains everything this company has touched is now tainted. That includes everyday pharmaceuticals and surgical instruments. The effects are shown throughout the DCU. Wayne Industries and Lexcorp worked with Vesetech, HIV drugs used by Speedy, drugs used by Doctor Mid-Nite (who really got around this week), synthetic hormonal treatments used by Bane and cybernetics used by Cyborg are all questionable. Kate gets cut off financially and every other way from Bones after Amanda Waller lets him have it. We’re partially introduced to the next and final arc. Agent Cameron is pregnant by witness protectee Dylan who is currently on the run from the Joker. It seems she wont be keeping the baby and someone is out to kill abortion doctors.

NIGHTWING #150

Also emblazoned with R.I.P. on the cover yet having nothing to do with the series, unless you count some brief foreshadowing with Nightwing’s voice. What’s going on with Bruce is only mentioned in passing by Oracle when she stops by the Cloisters for a computer tune-up. A side note here. As a wheelchair user who’s been to the Cloisters I’d just like to say there’s no way in hell Barbara got in there undetected unless she’s using a hover chair. Two words: cobble stones. But I digress, she’s come to lecture him about running himself ragged over Two-Face. Arguing with himself, Two-Face decides to terrorize all of New York City on behalf of Nightwing by showering the city with acid delivered by a convoy of blimps. Two-Face tries to use his past experience beating Dick with a bat to rile him up and it works but in Dick’s favor. He subdues Harvey and diverts the blimps into the Hudson.

SIMON DARK #14

Rachel Dodds is still learning how to be friends with Simon. Sometimes that means him disappearing when your dad shows up, other times that means traveling into the psyche of a pedophile. Simon has a bad feeling about a man named Ray Wheeler who he’s spotted at Rachel’s new school. Not only that but he’s concerned what some angry parent might do if he doesn’t stop this man now. Back at his home, Simon looks in a mirror trying to hold onto one of his faces. Gus shows up to apologize for not coming to him sooner and offers to answer any questions he may have. Detective Tom Kirk meets with Beth Granger at the scene of a horrific murder where a man was literally pulled apart. Two more murders are perpetrated by the end of the issue, one of them is Ray Wheeler.

SUPERMAN AND BATMAN VS. VAMPIRES AND WEREWOLVES #3

This limited series might be dragging it’s way through six issues but they manage to reference Lovecraft and Warcraft in this one so it’s can’t be all bad, right? Right?? Again, not much happens this issue but at least Superman is finally in it from the start. He’s busy trying to fight a giant fish/slug thing that happens to be magic while Batman tries getting more information out of the vampire Dimeter. Doctor Combs opened a door the the Land of the Un-Dead while trying to open a door the the Land of the (just) Dead. Superman slays a vampire who was attacking a young man and feels sorta bad about it, then he gets attacked by a werewolf who tells him and his friend to butt-out. Unfortunately, Combs gets to the young man Superman just saved before he can get back to him. Batman gets surrounded by vampires in the park but it saved by Green Arrow and Jason Blood. The preview says “thrilling conclusion” but this is listed as a six-parter.

TITANS #7

Match is back and it seems former teammate Jericho is trapped inside him. I’ll admit I don’t know much of the history of these two but it’s a decent issue. Cyborg thinks he can isolate Jericho’s neuro impulses and separate the two with a radio-ectoplastimis pulse. Wally seems to be the only one questioning his intentions and is proved right when Match starts attacking the team. Jericho inside says he can’t control him and each member takes a shot at subduing him. Beast Boy appears as a T. Rex (our second of the week) but it’s Raven who seems to have the best effect. Cyborg is ready with the pulse and successfully separates the two. Too bad Raven is too late realizing their mistake. Jericho was really the one in control the entire time and after a brief blackout he’s now inside one of the Titans.

TRINITY #24

Europe is being decimated by Morgaine and Enigma’s struggle. Morgaine is happy to turn everything to ash but since the ritual was not complete Enigma can not create and wants her to keep her end of the bargain. It’s a good thing there’s a force-wall around Europe or they’d probably be destroying the rest of Earth. Tempers are still high at the Justice Society International headquarters where the Flash and Gangbuster are now located, both in shackles. Luckily the scroll Gangbuster delivered to Commander Hall did the trick and returned youth and strength to him, Jay and Alan while reminding them of how the world should be.  Finally they can start working together even though the Flash is still holding a grudge. The second half of the issue brings us back to John Stewart, Kanjar Ro, Despero and Krona. John is holding Kanjar in a energy bubble after his ship was destroyed by Despero’s armada and is succumbing to the Qwardian Void Hound parasite enough to let it destroy the armada. In the greatest scene of the issue, Despero transports into space without any kind of suit saying, “Air is for cowards.” He fights John for a while until Krona takes interest in John’s “global mind” and takes him out of the equation leaving Despero face to face with Kanjar. Kanjar’s only way to escape death is to reveal his knowledge of the dreams Despero was having similar to Morgaine and Enigma. He suggests allying themselves with the Anti-matter Trinity in order to claim his power. What’s depicted on the cover happened last issue.

So, what did YOU think? What are you excited about and what could you live without?

Thanks to VirtualGirl for putting together my new logo for DoubleDCoverage!

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