Hello again GEN readers! It’s Jill a.k.a. The Nerdy Bird back with this week’s installment of DoubleDCoverage. What does the new creative team have in store for the JSA and what’s Wonder Woman doing in heels? Reviews for Justice Society of America #29 and Wonder Woman #34 are ahead, also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last Wednesday!
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #29
Geoff Johns’ ten-year run on the Justice Society of America is a tough act to follow. Is the new writing team of Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges (Fables) up to the task? Considering they are rookies themselves, having never written the JSA before, it seems oddly appropriate they’re bringing even more new recruits into the ranks of the already overflowing team. Now the question is, how many JSA’ers does it take to crack an egg?
A giant, dense black egg is found at the JSA brownstone and no one seems to know how it got there or what it’s made of. While they try and figure it out, new possible teammates are pouring in. The new Mr. America has brought in a new All-American Kid. The original was the kid’s great-uncle, so as a legacy hero the JSA’s door was wide open to him. The door to his room? Not so much. He’s sharing it with King Chimera, son of King Standish, who has the power to create illusions and also the power to be a jerk. Their get-to-know-each-other time is cut short when Alan discovers the mysterious black egg is actually his son Obsidian.
Everything else is put on hold when a low-level villain called Tapeworm (yuck!) calls out Wildcat. All but Mister Terrific and the new recruits rush out to stop him from hurting hostages. As it stands, the JSA is a sizable force to be reckoned with but sheer numbers mean nothing when an opposing team is selected to match yours. The Global Ultra Society of Dread (that’s a mouthful) has been hand selected according to their powers or skills to defeat each member of the JSA. Except one. They all seem to be avoiding any conflict with Stargirl. At the brownstone, All-American Kid is busy reading up on JSA procedures and King Chimera is busy ignoring him. So much so that he doesn’t notice when Kid is possessed by something or someone into going downstairs and stabbing Mister Terrific in the back.
Well, it didn’t suck. I’m not saying that to be a jerk. I enjoy both Willingham and Sturges’ writing, I was just worried I’d be turned off by a new creative team. While I’m boggled overall as to the need to bring even more members into the JSA, I think the story they’re crafting seems like an interesting one. Though news from the San Diego Comic Con broke that the team would eventually be splintering off into a second JSA book called JSA All-Stars, which should give everyone a little breathing room. For the most part all the characters voices seem to be intact, especially Cyclone and Stargirl’s. Mister Terrific seemed to be a little off in my opinion. Jesus Merino does a great job with the large cast and action scenes. I especially like his little details added into the background of the brownstone. Here’s hoping for a good explanation for the bizarre egg shaped Obsidian.
WONDER WOMAN #34
“Rise of the Olympian” left Wonder Woman without a God, home or even any friends really. Pretty depressing when you think about it. So it’s refreshing that the beginning of this new arc “Birds of Paradise,” is chock full of humor. But is humor what Wonder Woman really needs? It helps that Black Canary guest-stars.
What’s left of her gorilla comrades are waiting for Diana when she gets back from her tumultuous trip to Themyscira. They’ve been watching soap operas. She barely has time for a shower when she’s called to meet with Tom. They’ve got a lot to talk about but what Dr. Morrow has to say is more pressing. Genocide is still alive. He let’s her know Doctor Psycho switched psyches with Director Steel and he’s currently in Japan trying to put the grotesque villain back together under the guise of an illegal meta-human fighting operation. Diana enlists the help of ex-Bird of Prey, Black Canary who is quick to help even though her ability to lead the Justice League was recently called into question by Diana. BC refers to Diana’s chest as “our community’s second most famous bosom” as she tries to pick out a disguise for her to wear in Japan. By the time BC refers to them both in their new outfits (including high-heels) as “high-end trashy hookers in a Tarantino nightmare” the scene has hit the ridiculous quotient.
On Themyscira, the Amazons aren’t taking too kindly to their new leader Achilles or their present status as neutered warriors. They are ordered to surrender all weapons yet Achilles asks Alkyone to be his personal guard, as his wife. In Japan, BC and Diana quickly gain access to the meta-human arena as “The Orphan Sisters” and square off in the ring against an Ivo Cybernetic Organism named Lira and Muck, the Unknowable, who is basically really gooey. BC has some real trouble with Muck until she reaches into his soft chest and grabs his heart causing him to forfeit. Diana tries to pull out all the stops on Lira but struggles until out of nowhere she produces a lightning power that leaves the robot in ashes. Doctor Psycho and a woman who calls herself the Goddess of Violence were watching the fight. She wants the chance to fight her next.
I love Gail Simone’s writing but I can’t help but feel something just hasn’t been gelling since she started Wonder Woman. At first it seemed like she was hindered by the goings-on in Final Crisis but “Rise of the Olympian” didn’t feel as epic as I expected it to be and left me kind of indifferent to the story as a whole. The male counterparts of the Amazons, including their champion Achilles, have yet to do much of anything. It’s developing Diana’s personality though where Simone has shone the brightest. Her sense of duty and honor are strong yet her softer side is being given equal page time. Aaron Lopresti’s art is solid as usual. Last issue he got to illustrate massive mythological creatures, this time around he gets to take on something even scarier – those ugly costume disguises. But hey, there were some cute polar bears thrown in!
BLACKEST NIGHT: TALES OF THE CORPS #3 (OF 3) – Even though Kilowog is a favorite I feel a little cheated, there were only two stories in this one. Director’s commentary was so-so.
DETECTIVE COMICS #855 – Still beautiful. Batwoman goes on a drug trip via Alice. Heh, she’s not the first and she won’t be the last.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #35 – The Royal Flush Gang and Roulette? Yes please!
SUPERMAN #690 – How did Zatara get to be such a prick? Interesting bit: Tellus warns-off Sodam Yat from meeting Mon-El for the good of the future.
TEEN TITANS #73 – They’re not the most organized team but they are doing a decent job. Ravager needs to lay off the epinephrine or she’ll kill herself. Who wants to bet she’ll keep doing it?
WEDNESDAY COMICS #4 (OF 12) – Wonder Woman is still entirely unreadable and possibly getting worse. Lady Metamorpho (Element Woman) is kinda hot.
My pull list for next week:
JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #2 (OF 6)
SECRET SIX #12
SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #6 (OF 12)
WEDNESDAY COMICS #5
Which two should I review for DoubleDCoverage #20?
August 5th, 2009 at 2:20 am
I too find the possible storyline emerging in the JSA a little intriguing, but I am worried about where they’re taking certain characters if they intend to put Stargirl and Hourman in the ‘proactive’ All Stars. I simply can’t see Courtney going over to Magog’s side based on her personality, even if she is being singled out for some special treatment in the current storyline. Why would she leave the approach moulded by Pat, Jay, Alan and Ted? And then there’s Rick, who’s suddenly going to oppose Libby’s stance and embrace Magog’s ways even though he had to try and warn Damage away from that. I hope Willingham and Sturges have an actual explanation for this, and one that doesn’t involve needless deaths…
It was… interesting seeing Dinah act like a giddy teenager in the Wonder Woman book when Diana first approaches her. Seems to go against how serious events over the last year have made her, but then again, she always did like to have a little fun but remain completely focussed in the field.
My favourite part of Wednesday Comics last week? Seeing Bruce Wayne almost effortlessly seduce a widow
And the Wonder Woman story in WC is going to make me dizzy every time, it appears…
As for next week, perhaps Cry for Justice to see a little development in the storyline, especially Hal and Ollie’s slightly entertaining but insightful conversation in Gotham. And for the other, either Secret Six or World of New Krypton (not much point in a full review for Wednesday Comics until the stories start reaching their conclusion, I suppose).
August 5th, 2009 at 7:23 am
Hey Jill,
I would love to hear your thoughts on secret six run, I love it. And for the second review… you suprise me.
August 6th, 2009 at 8:08 am
Wait. Element Woman? When did she come back?
August 6th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
RE: JSA 29 -
I totally agree with Mr. Terrific being “off”. His characterization was kind of…”blargh”?
It seems as if Willingham and Sturges were just kind of “going through the motions” until they could stick a knife in him at the end.
Still, giant black Obsidian eggs are cool. Right?
August 11th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Yeah Wik, Bruce didn’t even have to try. That was awesome.
Chris, Element Woman is in the Wednesday Comics story which is not in continuity.