Hello again GEN readers! It’s Jill a.k.a. The Nerdy Bird back with this week’s installment of DoubleDCoverage. I learned a bit too much about the sex lives of our favorite heroes this past week. Also, have the Secret Six split up AGAIN? Reviews for Justice League: Cry for Justice #2 and Secret Six #12 are ahead, also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last Wednesday!
JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #2 (OF 6)
I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about the first issue of this mini-series but I love James Robinson and I love the Justice League. Seeing as how the two will be maintaining a, hopefully, beautiful friendship in the near future on the main JLA book, I decided it was best to keep reading. One more issue in and I’m still not entirely clear on the direction this series is taking.
Seeing as how it was on page one, let’s get the most controversial aspect of this issue out of the way. I was rather taken back by the revelation that Hal Jordan, Huntress and Lady Blackhawk might have had an alcohol-induced threesome some time in the past. It’s not because I think there’s anything wrong with heroes having sex, it’s that I’m not used to things of that nature being so explicit in DC proper. Honestly, I’m surprised it was kept in the story but Cry for Justice is supposed to be a gritty version of the JLA so maybe that’s what Robinson is going for all-around. Feel free to debate in the comments. Moving on, Hal and Ollie are in Gotham to meet with Batman’s old P.I. Jason Bard. He tips them off to Prometheus’ appropriating technology with the help of some B-List villains.
Bill (the Gorilla) and Mikaal cross paths while looking for the one responsible for their loved one’s deaths. I’m not entirely sure why their scene opens up with them fighting each other only to give up a few seconds later and realize they are on the same side. Sure, giant gorillas in the DCU tend to be bad guys but it seemed unnecessary. They decide to continue their journey together. Ray Palmer and Jay Garrick cross paths at the Flash museum. They’ve both discovered more missing technology, the Ivy Town time pool and the cosmic treadmill. Another player, Captain Marvel (Freddy Freeman), arrives and adds zeta beam technology to the list. The entire scene references a lot of things I was clueless about when it comes to Ray. Luckily, Robinson’s commentary in the back of the issue does a great job getting you up to speed. Ray and Freddy join Hal and Ollie in Gotham where they’ve already made quick work of the villains. When one of them wakes up and tries to take a shot at the heroes they’re saved by the unexpected arrival of Supergirl.
Mauro Cascioli’s art is gorgeous as usual. I doubt that will change throughout the series as he seems to be extremely consistent. Story wise, like I said, I’m still not sure where this is all going. Not everyone has come together in one place yet so it’s hard to know what their overall agenda is going to be besides the general “justice” we’ve been hearing about. In addition to the tryst, Hal and Ollie’s bromance is expanded some more with this line. “Don’t be rude, Hal,” says Ollie, reprimanding Hal in front of Jason Bard and sounding like a nagging spouse. It’s so great it almost makes me wish they’d put a Green Arrow cameo in the upcoming Green Lantern film with Ryan Reynolds. Another thing I’m curious to see though is Supergirl’s role in the team. I’m guessing she might be seeking justice on behalf of her murdered father but she still seems out of place with the other players. Cassandra Cane would make a much better fit in my opinion but she’s been M.I.A.
SECRET SIX #12
Wow. This was a hell of an issue. The Six are stuck between a rock and a hard place when Wonder Woman shows up on their latest mission. It doesn’t help that they’re standing in front of a battered Amazon when she gets there.
As seen in the previous issue, Jeanette has a rather severe dislike for all things Amazon. She immediately picks a fight with Wonder Woman, which causes the rest of the team to run off rather quickly in fear. Diana gets considerably violent with her trying to find out where the other Amazons are being held while at the same time refusing to be called one herself. I’m assuming that’s because of the current Wonder Woman storyline but it’s never explicitly expressed here. Just when you think Jeanette is completely getting her ass handed to her, Scandal warns the rest of the team that something is about to erupt. And it does. Jeanette let’s the banshee out and it’s more frightening than I had imagined.
One thing that I guess I should have realized but didn’t expect was that Jeanette as a banshee looks just like The Banshee, white hair, black circles around her eyes, the whole deal. The noise she makes cripples Diana as she recounts the events of her execution, which were beyond horrific. When she’s through, the team returns only to split up once again. Scandal and Bane leave with Jeanette and Artemis while the rest take Diana in the hopes of trading her to the jailers who, as it turns out, wanted her in the first place. Artemis, not dead as she appeared, wakes up just in time to get revenge on the prison guards who touched her. She could easily be a member of the Six as she blows one of their heads off without blinking an eye. Smyth takes the other half of the team down an elevator shaft to the 9th circle, where he says the worst criminals will reside and a far worse evil is being held. The Devil.
I love Nicola Scott’s art this issue. The layout of the second page is absolutely genius. Posing one bit of each Secret Six member to all of Wonder Woman was a great way to show the odds. Diana herself looks absolutely stunning, a good balance of musculature and femininity. I’m a little worried about the Devil creature. He could turn out to be awesome or totally suck. It’s a fine line to create an embodiment of the Devil. He actually reminds me of the screwed-up version of the Cheshire Cat from Frank Beddor’s Looking Glass Wars (I know at least one of my readers will get that reference). Gail Simone seems to be having as much fun as ever with these characters and I can almost hear her saying this line from Ragdoll, “I can’t believe I get paid for this kind of thing.”
SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #6 (OF 12) – A new connected storyline, “Codename: Patriot” begins here. With the attempted assassination of Zod, New Krypton might be on the verge of war with Earth. Again.
WEDNESDAY COMICS #5 – They totally snuck in a German curse word in Sgt. Rock.
My pull list for next week:
ACTION COMICS #880
ADVENTURE COMICS #1
BATMAN #689
BLACKEST NIGHT #2 (OF 8 )
BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN #1 (OF 3)
BOOSTER GOLD #23
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #39
RED ROBIN #3
SUPERMAN SECRET FILES 2009
WEDNESDAY COMICS #6 (OF 12)
Which two should I review for DoubleDCoverage #21?
August 11th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Glad to see another snuggly under the flag of Secret Six.
I was done with Justice League: Cry for Justice after the first issue. I liked the “extras” a lot more than the main part of the issue.
My vote for next week: Adventure Comics #1 and Blackest Night #2.
There are some nice alternate choices though…
August 12th, 2009 at 3:56 am
Really impressed with the art on Cry for Justice. That guy can draw…er paint!
Looking forward to the whole seriese, and love the old Robinson Blue Starman back in the spotlight. Such a tragic character.
-Ed
http://www.tinyurl.com/CAatMuseum
August 12th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I heard that Gail Simone got rather upset over what Robinson did with those Birds of Prey characters in Cry for Justice #2.
I vote Adventure Comics, too.
August 12th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
DC is making Green Lantern a huge deal. I love James too, Reading James work it is slow moving. I personally thing he’s more of a collective trade writer, which isn’t bad but you begin to loose intrest in the beginning but the story as a whole is awesome.
August 12th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
@Ed, yeah Mikaal is a favorite of mine too.
@WITA, yeah she did. :/